Heroes VS Villains RP: Season Zero

The wound from the exterior was healing but the big problem was that she lost quite a lot of blood and the damage caused to her insides were a lot more devastating.

"Young Horatio, you can't see this!" Manfred said, trying to block Horatio from coming outside the castle.

Horatio pushed Manfred aside, carrying Aera's items and the silver clock pendant necklace as he reached Aria and crouched down.

"A-Aera, please, don't leave us!" Horatio begged.

"...H-Horatio." Aera said, looking at him with a smile on her face.

"I-I, I can use the time element, I can reverse everything before the Colorado's attacked, we can find a way to-" Horatio suggested.

Aera grabbed him by his hand.

"Don't." Aera told him.

"Why not!?" Horatio asked.

"...Even if you undo my death, there are many possibilities that someone else would die instead. Either father dies after Damballa absorbs the life out of him, Zaman gets crushed by one of those buildings or worse, you, mother and Aeon die after they destroy the castle while you are all still in there. No matter how this battle would of ended, someone would die, it's a part of the cycle, trying to defy death never ends with a happy endng *cough*...I believe me dying than anyone else I care about is the best outcome. And besides, exploring the afterlife should be a interesting experience and I have a lot of questions for the ones who created us, it's a shame I was never able to finish my poem though." Aera smiled.

"Y-yes. That's probably the same thought every person has in their minds right now, more or less. Mother, you said that death can be scary and I should stop talking about when I was a child but it's not that frightening at all, it feels...peaceful, more peaceful than I ever felt ever since this entire war started and witnessed a lot of horrific imagery, I wasn't able to sleep for a long time, I never understood how you could sleep so much even after everything you have seen, Zaman, probably because you din't let the trauma affect you that much and you shrugged it off so you can look strong in front of our parents, Horatio and me. You are a big idiot, you know that?" Aera asked.

"...Yeah, I know." Zaman said, looking the other way, hiding his expression from everyone.

"...Mirai." Aera said.

"W-what? What is it?" Mirai asked.

Aera slowly turned her head, staring him in the eye.

"...Are you...absolutely certain...that you made the right choice?" Aera asked.

"...What right choice?" Mirai asked.

Aera slowly closed her eyes before letting her head drop softly on the ground. She stopped breathing.

"No, no, no!" Skuld cried, burying her head on her daughter's chest.

Lazarus placed his hand on his face, he barely had the strength to remain composed as a few tears landed on Aera's face.

Mirai remained frozen, staring at Aera's body.

"...My sister said this is the best outcome, she din't want any of us to die in her place. I don't blame you, I..." Horatio muttered, looking distraught.

Jin frowned as he closed Aera's eyes, still holding her hand.

The T symbol on Zaman's arm started glowing.

"...He is coming." Zaman said, looking at a tall horned figure that was merging out of the gate of fire which was still lit.

Mirai also turned to look at the gate, raising his blade.

A very tall being who was clearly not human stepped out of the gate and taller than every human who was there, with smoke from his shoulders going up in the air.

He was wearing a helmet with two massive horns sticking out, his face was obscured by shadow but they could see his wide red beady eyes, wearing a sleeveless black armor with shoulder pads covering his torso and legs, pitch black oversized muscular arms, a torn red cape, a big hammer with the T sigil engraved on it's front strapped to his waist and big armored boots. Most of the villagers looked very nervous, some of them went back into their houses and while the others avoided eye contact.

"I have come to claim what's mine." The demon declared, with a deep voice.

He started walking forward, stepping on Damballa's severed arm, crushing every bone in that arm, walking past Mirai and Isa and not even bothering to glance at them.

The demon reached the Kraven's, staring at Aera's body.

"As I specified to your offsprings, whether they die or they make it by the end of the war, they will return to me the marks of Erebus and Nyx. I will take the mark of Nyx from her." The demon said, pointing at her body.

"Take what you want, Orpheus, and let us grieve." Lazarus said, glaring at the tall demon.

Orpheus placed his foot under Aera and turned her around, looking at the mark on her back.

He placed his hand on her back as the mark started to glow red behind his hand.

"What are you doing to her!?" Mirai asked, ready to attack.

Orpheus din't respond as he removed his hand and the mark on Aera's back was gone and her wings crumbled to dust. The mark was now on his hand along with a few black and red feathers on it, chuckling to himself as he balled his hand into a fist.

He turned to Zaman.

"I will come for the other mark when it will be your turn to die or if you survive the war, Kraven." Orpheus said.

"I know." Zaman frowned.

With that, Orpheus walked away, heading towards the fire gate.

Mirai also watched as Orpheus walked through the fire gate like it was a portal and he vanished from sight.

He turned around, looking back at the Kraven's as Lazarus picked up Aera's body and looked at the soldiers who were still alive.

"For now, we bury the dead, rest, grieve and when the sun will set, we will pay Colorado's kingdom a visit he will never forget." Lazarus said, with a low tone filled with sadness and anger.

"...I will gladly join you, I want to give them a piece of my mind as well." Jin decided, clenching his fists as he looked vengeful as well.