When Ariana awoke, she was still resting against Ben. They had found a place to fall asleep on the trunk of a gigantic tree with a nice, open view of the planet in the sky.

She smiled. It was the first time she could nap next to him, with no rules or Dad scaring Ben out of his mind. Her lips curled as she nuzzled closer to him.

Is he even alive? she wondered, Or Kira? Last time I saw her, she was…

“Ari.”

Ariana sat up at the sudden emergence of the voice. Kira’s voice.

“Hello?” She craned her head to search everything within eyesight. “Who—”

Slowly, a light formed right in front of her until it loosely took the shape of Kira, her body transparent, like that of a soul.

What is she doing here? Why does she look like that? Her eyes widened. The realization struck her like lightning. No. No!

Kira’s spirit smiled sadly as it hovered in front of her. “I know, Ari. I didn’t want this either.”

Ariana’s chest heaved rapidly. “No, you can’t be dead. Please, Kira. Tell me it isn’t—”

“I wish I could. I did my best, but there were too many.” Kira avoided her gaze. “I wanted to see you one last time, to tell you how proud I am and how much I love you. And to warn you.”

Ariana blinked tears from her eyes. “Warn me about what?”

Kira’s eyes lifted to meet Ariana’s, her gaze pierced into her with a deadly seriousness. “About the future. There will be an evil one with you, a deceiver.”

Ariana looked back at the sleeping Ben, snug in his tattered hoodie, curled up against the tree. She spun back to face Kira. “You don’t mean him?”

“I can’t say for sure. But his condition…? I won’t lie to you. It’s progressing far faster than it should. You should make for the Pool of Eden as fast as you can, and if not, if he loses control…” Kira’s ghost leaned in, “…you will have to kill him. To protect yourself and the realm.”

Ariana hesitated as he gripped her blistered wrist, a mark from when Ben had momentarily lost control. She turned, gazing at his sharp, handsome face. The times they had together before his demon infection flooded her mind. From the moment they met, all the way to their makeshift town-tour as a two-person band, and finally the minute she had realized that she had fallen head-over-heels for him. Her jaw clenched.

“I can’t, Kira,” Ariana declared. “I can’t kill him.”

The angel’s spirit grimaced. “Don’t say that. What would your father do without you? You know he would be devastated!”

Her ghostly image shimmered and faded. The two looked at each other longingly, for what they both knew would be the last time. Ariana reached out for Kira’s hand, but all she felt was the emptiness of the air slipping through her fingers. Her throat tightened as she desperately cried out.

“Please,” she begged. “Don’t leave me.”

Kira gave her one last gentle smile. Ariana stared with tear-filled eyes as the angel mouthed the words ‘I love you’ before finally fading away for good.

Ariana collapsed into the dirt as she wept. Eventually, she regained her composure and sat in silence, unable to process reality.

Kira, the woman who had loved and help raise her, was gone. Forever.

Closing her eyes, Ariana buried her face in her knees. As she heard a rustling noise come from right beside her, she instinctively spun around to face Ben. His body twitched, his face contorted as he muttered in his sleep.

Ariana crawled over and pressed a hand against his face. “Ben...are you alright?”

With a sudden jolt, Ben grabbed her hand, his eyes snapping open as he glared directly at her. They were blood red once again.

She screamed as he forced his hands on her throat and rocked her. Her vision twisted, blurred, and finally darkened.

----------------------------------------

“Ari! Wake up!”

Her eyes shot open to find Ben standing over her, his hands gently gripping her shoulders as he tried to rouse her. Once he saw that she had regained consciousness, he stepped back.

“You okay, Ari? You were screaming in your sleep.”

Ariana froze. In her dream, Kira had passed on, coming to her as a spirit. Tears brimmed from her eyes as she leapt forward and latched onto Ben, sobbing uncontrollably.

She can’t be dead. It was a nightmare, right?

“Hey, hey.” Ben pulled her in, hugging her tight against his body. He pulled away and stared at her with his concerned, storm-gray eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” She hesitated. “I had a bad dream. About Kira.”

“What happened?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

“That she didn’t make it. That the demons—” she clenched the strap to Ole Betsy’s case tight in her hand.

“I hope not.” Ben brushed his hand through his dirty, matted hair. “But it’s like you said, right? She’s tough. She’ll pull—”

“Ben,” Ariana rasped; her jaw clenched. He met her gaze as she shook her head slowly. He froze, his eyes widened.

“So, she’s really…?”

She nodded as she allowed herself to cry. Ben immediately latched onto her and held her tight in his warm arms. Her petite fingers gripped the back of his torn jacket as she buried her face in his chest. He stood there with her, the weight of their shared emotions palpable in the air, until she had found the strength to pull away.

“I know what you said about not going back to help her, but…” Ben began.

She eyed him. “But what?”

“I still wish I could have done something to help. Anything.”

Ariana’s brows furrowed. “You know why you can’t. You’ll lose yourself to it.”

“Then I’ll use it sparingly, only when absolutely necessary.”

“You won’t use it at all, you hear?”

“Why not?” Ben scoffed. “Why can’t I protect those I care about?”

“Because when you use it, it takes you over even more. What do you think will happen if it does? At that point, it won’t matter whether you want to protect me, Kira, or anyone else. Because—”

"I'll be no different than the demons," he finished for her, his voice filled with a haunting intensity.

“Yeah.” Ariana frowned. “I meant what I said, Ben. I don’t want to see you become that monster again. Even if I suffer for it.”

Ben met her eyes, then hid behind his hair. The crisp forest breeze chilled her to the bone, the silence that hung between them even more so. All she could think about at that moment was keeping the boy she loved from turning into the wicked monster she had seen. She didn’t want to lose anyone else.

Finally, Ben pierced the ice-cold silence. “Okay.”

Ariana smiled gently and gripped his wrist, tempted to slide her hand into his.

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Not the right time, girly, the voice said. Trust me!

She rolled her eyes and led him further up the path, her violin case slung tight across her shoulder. Her mind briefly flashed back to her conversation with Kira, who had encouraged her to be bold in her feelings with Ben. She’d wanted to, more than anything, but for now it would have to wait until he was free of the infection…provided they survived.

Even when we found the pool, she thought, what if it doesn’t work? Or if it kills him, like Kira suggested?

“How far do you think we are from the pool?” Ben asked.

Her brows drew together as she examined the path. Assuming the rest of it was still in one piece, it would be a relatively straight shot for them. Up north was the Sky City, considered the biggest metropolis in New Eden, suspended mid-air, surrounded by a large lake. Her initial plan was to barrel straight through it, however there was one problem: Ben. If he lost control, the collateral damage would be far worse than both Riverglade’s and Kira’s village combined. That meant that going through Sky City was a last resort for them.

“Two, maybe three days. There’s a city close to here, but…” she pursed her lips, “…I figured it would be better for us to go around. Either way, we gotta boogie.”

“I get it. Towns, villages…not a good idea for me.” Ben nodded. “Do you suppose anyone is coming after us?”

“That would be a yes,” a voice growled from behind them. They both turned sharply and there stood Raziel, arms crossed and scarlet eyes blazing.

No, no, no! she thought, gripping Ben’s wrist as they sprinted. I can’t let Raziel have him. Not when we’re so close!

“Run, Ben!” she shouted, and the pair ran deeper into the forest to lose their pursuer. They raced from the beaten path. Ariana’s already tired feet threatened to fail her, or trip.

Eventually, she did. Her violin case nearly fell from her shoulder, but she kept it from flying and slamming into a large tree root. As Ben helped her recover, she tightened the strap around her torso to keep it fastened to her back. They prepared to run once more as Raziel materialized in front of them in a billow of dark smoke.

“This is pointless, girl,” Raziel sneered. “Hand him over.”

As Ben threw a defiant flame in his face, they diverted to the left and ran, trying to gain as much distance as possible. Ariana searched desperately until she finally located a large fallen oak, taking refuge within it. About twenty feet from her, Ben had slid into the shadow of a nearby rocky outcrop. She knew hiding wasn’t exactly the best plan, but what good would running do if Raziel could just teleport?

Her veins pulsed in her ears as she held her quaking breath. Ben peeked over and motioned Raziel’s direction to her as he mouthed ‘stay down’.

Ariana nodded hastily, ducked back under the trunk, and mustered every ounce of self-control within her to stay as still as she could. For a moment, the forest was dead silence, not so much as a chirp from a bird. After that, she heard something: the snapping of twigs and the crunching of leaves, slowly making its way toward her. A cold sweat dripped down her forehead as she looked at Ben worriedly.

Ben briefly looked again, then back down, his teeth grit. He curled his fingers. The beginnings of a spark flashed in his palm.

Her eyes widened. Ben intended to fight.

‘No!’ she mouthed. He clenched his jaw and let the spark die down.

“I know you’re here, Ben!” Raziel called, his voice as cold as the forest air. “No point in hiding. You know I’ll find you, anyway.”

Ben eyed her, his body still. Ariana’s chest heaved with hushed, controlled breaths as she heard the leaves crunch but a few feet from her hiding spot. She inhaled sharply and held her breath.

“One way or another, we will rebuild our race. So why run from your duty? Why be so selfish?” Raziel taunted. “You would doom our kind for what? A human female? You know I can find a more suitable mate for you!”

Ben moved, but Ariana held her hand out and waved him off. He reluctantly complied.

“After all, it would be better than this little tramp!”

Ariana’s brows furrowed. She didn’t know what a tramp was, but the mere mention of someone else being with Ben made her blood boil, and she would not have it.

She sprung from her hiding spot to her full height and faced Raziel. “Now listen, you stupid—”

She froze. Raziel was directly in front of her, a smirk on his face and scarlet eyes blazing. She had been played.

“I knew that would work,” he drawled. “You’re so predictable.”

“But I’m not.”

Raziel spun in the voice’s direction. Ben lunged at him, flame in hand, aimed directly at their attacker. He closed the distance with an inhuman speed, his fist a mere foot from the man’s face.

In the split second between, a shield made of solidified flame rapidly materialized and blocked the strike. Raziel immediately gripped Ben’s arm and flung him into a tree, which nearly shattered on impact.

Ariana used the opportunity to grab a nearby branch and pummel him across the back of the head with it. He scowled, slowly turning to glare at her.

She paled. “Uh oh.”

He growled as he drew his blade and swung down; she flinched as she prepared for what would be her certain demise. It wasn’t. His blade stopped a mere inch from her head. Raziel’s arm trembled as he bared his teeth, his glare slowly softened to a scowl as he lowered his blade.

Her eyes widened. Just like before, in Riverglade, Raziel had chosen not to kill her.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Ben swiftly darted over and tackled him into the tree line. Bark and wood flew everywhere. To avoid a large chunk flying at her, she swiftly ducked and rolled, quickly regaining her footing to pursue them. She froze as she witnessed Ben staring Raziel down, shadow bleeding into the fire from his body as his ethereal armor formed.

Ariana’s eyes widened. No, no…please no…

“Ben! Don’t!” She ran forward, shouting. “You’ll—”

Ben ignored her, his focus on the foe directly in front of him. His armor was almost completely formed, its body bestial, twisted, demonic. Ben’s eyes brimmed with dark red energy, as if it were rage incarnate. The shadows crawled their way up his body; a strange symbol branded itself onto his forehead, lines stretching out from it and down his pale body like roots digging deep into the ground. Finally, the head of the ethereal armor finished forming, turning into a dragon-like face, with jagged teeth forming a twisted smile that would make even the demons deathly afraid.

Raziel’s brows furrowed as he summoned his own ethereal armor. Ben’s avatar barreled into him, pummeling him with balled-up claws and eventually shattered it. A blood-curdling screech came from the monstrosity as it forced its hand downward, trying to crush Raziel with its claws. He threw up a temporary shield and leapt back just in time for it to be broken.

Ariana stared, her breaths shallow, uneven. Her chest pulsed, the thumping in her ears grew louder. The words of Kira rang in her head.

If he truly loses control, she had said, you’ll have to kill him.

Her shaking hand felt around her hip for Omega, which was still sheathed safely in its scabbard. Her fingers gripped the handle and drew the blade out.

“No.” She slammed it back. “He’s not gone. I won’t do it.”

Ariana faced back toward the titanic clash between the two twenty-foot figures. With each punch thrown, the trees trembled, causing a gust of wind that knocked her off balance. Her chest heaved as she struggled to regain her footing. The ground trembled beneath her as they continued their brutal battle.

Raziel appeared to be getting the upper hand. As Ben lurched forward to tackle, he ducked under and slammed his opponent into the ground. Dirt and chunks of rock shot out from the newly formed crater and nearly struck her as she took shelter behind a large oak.

“You’ve stopped holding back, but it’s not enough!” Raziel planted a foot on Ben’s armor, his voice deep. “The girl holds you back!”

He raised his foot, but Ben had grabbed it, shattered it, and forced Raziel onto the ground with him. He jumped back as Raziel struck, narrowly avoiding the blow aimed at the center of his ethereal armor.

Ben’s avatar attempted to double back and strike but was promptly kicked in the head. The dragon-like face on Ben’s armor shattered as it fell back into a large, dead oak. Shadow bled out from the cracks as the beast’s eye blazed.

“You see, Ben…” Raziel began. “I can teach you how to reach your full potential. You won’t have to worry about demons, or anybody else bothering you ever again. We can live out the rest of our existence in peace and power!”

The beast that was Benjamin Blake looked up at him and flashed him an insidious grin.

“But you’re weak. You need to shed that weakness by following me!”

“Stop!” Ariana called, running out to them. “Don’t push him, or he’ll—”

It was too late. Ben turned, ripped the dead oak out by its root, and had forced him to the ground. He slammed it into Raziel’s armor, over and over, until it started giving way. Each strike was harder, more vicious than the next.

Finally, it happened. The chest of Raziel’s armor had collapsed, unveiling the weakness within. Ben raised the stake to deal the final blow.

Ari! the voice cried. You have to stop him. Now!

“Ben!” Ariana screamed.

The beast stopped in its tracks, the half-shattered head spinning to face her. It clenched its teeth, cracking some of them as it twisted into a hideous, demonic grin.

Ariana paled and hid behind a tree. A second later, the monstrosity was there, searching. She slowly, quietly crept away from the beast as more of Kira’s words echoed in her mind.

What if he hurts you? What would your father do without you?

She quivered as the thought passed through her. Kira was right, and now she would likely die to the very person she had sworn to save.

No, Ariana thought defiantly. I won’t die. I’ll snap him out of it, and…

A shadow loomed over her, parting into jaws filled with jagged teeth. She felt a growl rumble above her. At that moment, her heart nearly stopped. The world around her twisted and warped, her senses faded away. Her body was taking mercy on her, given that she was about to be torn to shreds by the boy she loved.

Clenching her eyes shut, Ariana braced for the end.

It never came. Raziel had reformed his armor, tackled him away, and dug his ethereal blade in between the cracks of Ben’s, tearing it open enough to expose him. He dug into the newly made gap, slamming into Ben and knocking him unconscious. The monstrosity shattered and faded as she stared, her breath held.

Raziel reverted to his normal form and slung the unconscious Ben over his shoulder. He took a quick look at Ariana, his piercing gaze lingering for a moment, before vanishing into a wisp of smoke.

It took her about thirty seconds to process what had happened. Raziel had successfully overpowered Ben and finally taken him from her. Now she was all alone in the forest. She had failed.

“No…please no,” Ariana begged, a desperate prayer to anyone who would hear. “Bring him back. Please bring him…”

Suddenly, Raziel reappeared from behind, startling her. She attempted to run, but he had already grabbed her wrists and clasped his hand over her mouth.

“Listen, girl. I may have underestimated the situation,” he admitted.

Ariana's eyes remained locked on him, her chest tight as shock pulsed through her. She gathered her wits and slowly pushed his hand away from her mouth, allowing her to finally speak. “What did you do to Ben? I’ll hurt you if…”

“It’s not what I did to him,” Raziel said. “It’s what the demon’s did.”

“What do you mean?”

“As much as it annoys me to say it...” he looked her square in the eye, “…I may need your help.”