The quiet after the battle was worse than the noise.
Smoke still curled in the rafters from where Carlos's enforcers had fallen—not in blood, but in soft, unraveling wisps of shadow. The last one had barely finished dissipating when the chimera gave a low, guttural growl and stepped back into the gloom, waiting.
Aiden knelt beside Lila, arms still protectively around her, his eyes never leaving the door Carlos had vanished through.
Rowan stood tall, breath hitching slightly as she wiped soot from her cheek. Her rope dart glinted with residue from the last strike, still trailing smoke. Her body hadn't failed her yet—but her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and every joint screamed beneath the skin.
You need to stop.
Phoebe's voice whispered in the corner of her mind. Not demanding. Pleading.
But Rowan's hand tightened on her spear.
"He got away," she said, low and flat.
She stepped toward the shattered archway.
"I'm going after him."
But she didn't get far.
The chimera moved, flowing like a wall of muscle and darkness into her path. It didn't growl, didn't threaten—it just stood there, immovable.
Rowan drew back, lifting her spear. Her stance was solid, even if her limbs trembled slightly now that the adrenaline was fading.
"I said—move."
The chimera didn't flinch.
"Behind it, Marisol's voice rose—soft, steady, crystalline.
"You've done enough. Let time handle what's left. Rest, Rowan—you've earned it."
Rowan didn't even turn.
"I don't care," she snapped. "He needs to answer for what he's done." Her grip tightened on the spear. "Let me pass."
The chimera didn't move. Neither did Marisol.
When Marisol answered, it wasn't with defiance—but something far more final.
"No."
Rowan turned now, eyes burning, strands of her hair catching the broken light.
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You don't get to make that call."
Marisol stepped forward, the hem of her dark gown brushing the rubble. Her face was calm, but behind her eyes, something shifted—not cruelty, but sorrow, as if she might cry for Rowan at any moment.
"I'm not stopping you to protect him," she said. "I'm stopping you to protect you. You're not done healing."
Rowan faltered—just for a second. Phoebe's voice echoed again.
Let it go. Just this once.
But Rowan's voice cracked, sharp with defiance. "Then say it. Say I'm not strong enough."
Marisol looked at her for a long moment, then shook her head.
"No. I'm saying you're strong enough to stop."
Rowan stared her down for another second, breathing hard. Then, slowly, she lowered the spear—not in surrender, but in restraint.
She bit down a reply, letting the tension harden in her jaw instead.
Aiden finally stepped forward. He didn't dare approach the chimera, but his gaze locked on Marisol—uncertain, cautious.
"Marisol…" His voice was low. "Are you still… you?"
She turned toward him.
Power radiated from her like a heartbeat—elegant, suffocating, and utterly overwhelming. Darkness poured from the folds of her gown, trailing behind her like smoke made of silk. Yet… her eyes—golden and human—held.
"Yes," she said. "I'm still me. I won't hurt you."
The squirrels burst in, claws scrabbling over stone as they zipped past Aiden and scaled Marisol's leg. One reached her shoulder, squeaking in alarm and pawing at her face before pointing toward the far wall
Marisol followed their gaze.
And froze.
There—half-collapsed against a cracked pillar—Eri sat slouched, unmoving. Her limbs splayed in awkward angles, her hair scattered like silver thread. Her bracelet still pulsed, just faintly—one last petal clinging to it.
Their eyes met.
A soft hum of ominous power rippled through the air as Marisol rushed to Eri's side.
Her gown, woven from darkness and roses, fluttered as she knelt. The golden glow in her gaze warmed, flickering with a pain too deep for words.
"Eri..." Marisol whispered.
Eri gave a soft, broken laugh, her lips curling into a faint smile. "You're beautiful, you know that? Way more than I ever could've imagined."
Marisol shook her head fiercely. "I never wanted you to hurt like this."
"If hurting meant bringing you here..." Eri's voice was rasping, fading at the edges. "I'd do it again. A thousand times over. For eternity."
The final petal trembled loose from the delicate bracelet, drifting between them.
But instead of drifting away like the others, it shimmered—suspended between them.
The fallen petal drifted back into Marisol, dissolving into the glowing weave of her reborn form.
One by one, the remnants of Eri's fading existence were absorbed—not erased, but embraced, made whole.
Even amongst the timelines there could only be one Marisol.
And fate itself was not on Eri's side.
Eri looked up, seeing the truth in Marisol's shining golden eyes. She smiled faintly, tears slipping free.
"Guess… you really are everything we hoped for."
Tears burned Marisol's vision—but she blinked them back. She reached out, her fingers brushing Eri's chest, just above where her heart should be.
The symbol of Eri's contract—delicate vine-like tattoos encircling her wrist—flared once, then unraveled into light.
The light poured into Marisol's hand, pulsing in sync with the Ring of Vows—and then, in a final flicker, with Rowan's spear. Both glowed, renewed with marisols vigor.
Eri's form began to scatter, like ash caught on the breeze.
Her fading gaze drifted to Lila first, a soft, breathless laugh escaping her as if amused by some private memory
"It was brief... but farewell," she said, her voice soft but fond.
Then she turned her fading gaze to Rowan, a crooked smirk playing on her lips.
"You're a hell of a fighter. Keep being stubborn old mule."
Rowan, bleeding and battered, managed a shaky grin in return, eyes glinting with unshed tears.
Her gaze drifted to Aiden next, what remained of her presence softening in the fractured light.
"And you..." she said, a whisper carried on the trembling air.
"In this timeline... and in mine... thank you. For never giving up. On Marisol. On me."
Aiden's throat worked as he tried—and failed—to form words. His only answer was a silent nod, fierce and raw.
Finally, Eri turned back to Marisol, her last smile bittersweet.
"I guess... this is goodbye."
But Marisol shook her head, eyes blazing gold and sure.
"No," Marisol said, her voice steady, filled with quiet, fierce will.
She pressed her palm against Eri's fading chest, and a surge of gray light spilled forth, entwined with threads of red and black.
"It's not your time," Marisol whispered. "I'm not losing anyone else. Not you. Not any of us."
The light exploded outward—not a violent force, but a warm, tender embrace.
Eri choked, her form solidifying. Her eyes no longer a glowing red but a soft, endless gray that shimmered like the surface of a lake at dusk. Her aura, once jagged and feral, was now smooth—deadly, yes, but beautiful in a way that made the heart ache.
A new Hollow was born.
But almost immediately, her size began to shrink, her body compressing into a chibi-sized doll-like form. Eri floated gently into Marisol's arms, her limbs floppy like a stuffed animal.
Marisol caught her, pulling her close against her chest. Eri's tiny arms wrapped weakly around Marisol's neck in return.
"You'll only have your human form for short bursts now," Marisol murmured into her silver hair, stroking her head. "But I can give you—and anyone like us—a new world to grow into."
Eri's small frame trembled once, then she pressed her forehead into Marisol's shoulder and closed her eyes.
For the first time, truly, completely—
She felt loved.
Marisol stood, cradling her, the shadow chimera curling protectively around them both.
Behind her, Aiden and Rowan watched in silence, awe and hope softening the blood and exhaustion carved into their faces.
The darkness around them didn't feel so heavy anymore.
They had all survived.
And now...
They could begin to dream again.