Henry. Just. Henry.

Chapter 31|The Final Battle P2

"That's why." Henry said. "That's why you didn't show yourself when you kidnapped me. It was daytime."

"Exactly. That's why I never show myself and let these two behind me do the work. I only come out at nights. And thankfully... the sun is setting."

Erasmus flashed a demonic smile. "Not only did I kill you, but I get to murder your brother too? This should be fun."

"If you fucking touch him, I swear I'll destroy you now and when you're dead!" Cedric said.

"Let's see about that."

Erasmus took the stone from Bristine, shoving it into his pocket.

"You two stay out of this," He said, taking out a vial of green potion.

He smirked at Cedric and licked the bottle. "Let the games begin, right?

Then he ran after his target, Henry.

"Guys protect Henry!"

"I'll be fine!" Henry took off the water chakram. "Wivoza!" He said, and it expand to full size.

Erasmus smashed the potion on the ground and the green liquid seeped into the cold earth of the cave. Tall, thick vines rose up, charging after Henry.

A blue trail of light flowed from the Chakram as Henry swung his arm in a circle, lighting up the darkening room. "Ice Wheel!" He said, and a circular shape of spiked ice formed.

He threw it at the vines, cutting them to threads.

Erasmus merely smiled. Henry thought he'd won, but the vines used the melting water around them to come back to life.

"Be smarter than that, Henry!" Erasmus laughed. "Come on! I've been waiting to kill you since I found out you were the prince!" The vines reached out for him again, double the amount this time.

Henry pulled off the flora chakram calling its name and the attack. "Atielle! Stizh! Turn those I wish to stone!"

He threw the chakram, and it cut through some vines, whirling around like a boomerang to cut the rest and petrified them to crumbling rocks.

Erasmus wasted no time and took out another potion, smashing it to the ground.

A plume a pink smoke spread through the cave, consuming everyone. He took the snake from Bristine's arm, the creature hissing and wiggling to get free.

"Cedric? Miyu?" Henry called.

"We're here! We can't see you!" Miyu said.

The smoke screen cleared a little and Ezra saw a snake wrapped around someone's arm. The man walked behind Henry and as soon as Ezra figured it out, he ran to stop him.

The smoke cleared up, with only plumes left in the corners of the room. Erasmus, some feet away, pointed the snake to Henry's back and, as everyone saw, they ran to him.

"Henry! Behind you!" Miyu shouted.

The beam was forming in the snake's mouth and Henry turned around when he heard the hissing, but before he could react, Erasmus released the beam. Shooting at high speeds, Ezra ran in front of Henry and the ball of black energy shot him in the gut.

He screamed and fell to the ground, black veins stretching out from the wound.

"Ezra!" Henry called, shrinking the charkrams to rings on his finger. He crouched and held his lulling head.

"Hey! Talk to me! Please! Say something!"
No matter how much he begged, Ezra wouldn't respond.

"Two for one! Ha!" Erasmus said. "What a prize!" He instantly pointed the snake at Henry's head, a beam about to shoot out.

"Popper fish protect them!" Miyu shouted, and the fishes surrounded the two in time as the beam shot out and bounced off the shield. Erasmus ducked, and it hit the ceiling, rocks falling to crush him and the two boys.

"Henry Move!" Fallon shouted, running to pull him and Ezra from the falling boulders.

Moonlight shun into the cave as dust pitched everywhere, some into Erasmus' eyes.

"Fuck!" He shouted.

"An Octuni! I summon you!" Miyu said, and a portal opened.

Stretching from the water realm, a black and white polka dotted octopus fell on the ground. She sent the creature after Erasmus and the polka dots flashed in his eyes, hypnotizing him.

Even though their master said not to interfere, Gent and Bristine thought this was a good time to disobey. He was helpless against the octopus.

While hypnotized, Miyu ransacked Erasmus' pocket, looking for the stone.

Gent and Britine, about to intercept, were smashed in the wall by a gust of powerful wind from Cedric, falling unconscious.

"Hurry!" Fallon said.

"I got it!" Miyu said, taking the stone and running back. "Octuni, please distract him for a little more!"

Miyu crouched beside Henry. His eyes redder than a bull's as tears splatted on Ezra's face.

"Come on, we have to get out of here." Fallon said and placed Ezra on his back.

He felt his rising and falling chest. At least he was breathing, but the black veins were spreading fast. Fallon felt it pulsing through Ezra's clothes on his back.

"Come on you two we gotta go!" He shouted from the front.

Miyu took Henry's arm, pulled him up and squeezed. "He's still alive." She said, a fire in her eyes as she looked at Henry's glossy ones. "We'll save him. But we have to leave."

Henry nodded, wiped his eyes, and sniffled a couple of times. "Okay. Let's go."

The group ran out of the cave, and when they got far enough, Miyu returned Octuni to her realm.

Erasmus fell to his knees, black and white dots flashing on the floor. He looked behind his throne where Gent and Bristine laid unconscious, then searched his pockets.

"Where is it?" He shouted, wide-eyed and fuming. "Where the fuck is it?"

Erasmus kicked and pelted rocks. He bared his teeth so hard they just might grind away to dust. He was so close. So fucking close to getting the first stone... and now it's gone.

He let his frustration out in one violent, manic war cry. So powerful his echoes sent birds flying off in the night.

After a few minutes of screaming craze, he fell to his knees to curl himself into a ball. Tears streamed his soft adolescent face, and he shuddered under the weight of his failure.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into the earth, as if her grave was just beneath the surface. "I will get you back. Please, just wait a little longer." In the dirt, he held his knees, crying like the boy he physically was.

All he wanted was one thing. Never in his life had he asked for more. Even as a child, he was content with what he had.

Sure, some nasty kids in school had bullied and abused him, even in university, but as long as he had her, Erasmus felt powerful, invincible... happy. But Rion Kingdom sentenced her to death.

And with his light gone, the suffocating darkness rolled in like a fog on the sea, slowly washing over him.

Erasmus wept his last tear, jittering and sniffling. Before he fell asleep, cold, disappointed and hurt, he clutched the soil, as if it was his only lifeline from suicide.

"I love you, mom." He said.

And with that, he drifted to sleep, the soil soaked in tears, and his heart drenched in agonizing sorrow.