I had expected a deafening and shattering outburst of chaos as the atmosphere let up, ripping apart Aries's body into intense amounts of energy in the form of raging fire. That was not it. Instead, I was shrouded in silence, save for my heavy fast-paced breathing and pounding heart.

  My body wasn't engulfed in fire either.

  My eyelids drew open. I dared to look at where Aries initially stood. The winds were still blowing, the sky still red. And there it was, suspended in the air in a sphere with flames swirling inside in a wild cosmic reaction.

  I looked past the sphere and with her staff directed at it, was the Seer. She was in great distress, her cloak flowing in the wind.

  "Ethel!" I called.

  "Can't. . .hold on. . .much longer. . ." she muttered, her gray eyes twitching from the pressure as her wrinkles became pronounced.

  I looked to Skorpius. He tried summoning the shadows but they would wither and fade out the moment they materialized.

  "I can carry it out of the village—" Leo offered.

  "No!" Parthenos stopped him. "You'd never make it."

  "Can't you toss it out of here?" Zak asked and Ethel was quick to respond: "Don't you. . .think. . .I would have. . .done it. . .by now?"

  I glanced at the sphere. Ethel had only managed to contain it but for how long? I looked for the bow. I couldn't see it. Would it even help me here? Time was running out. I looked back at the sphere. It contrasted with the rest of the environment. My eyes were not blinded anymore. I knew what I had to do.

  I walked towards the sphere.

  "What're you doing, mate?" Zak tried to pull me back but I raised a hand at him.

  I extended my arms towards the sphere. I could feel everyone's eyes on me but I got even closer. The palms of my hands touched the sphere. I swallowed, afraid I would be instantly vaporized. I did not stop. I felt the sphere's warm surface against my skin.

  I shut my eyes and, for the first time in my life, muttered a kind of prayer.

  "If you can hear me, Sage. . .if you're there Pisces. . ." I inhaled, "I'm only asking for one last push."

  I waited. I could hear Ethel still struggling with the sphere but not for long. I was going to take away that burden from her. I opened my eyes.

  The environment changed entirely. I could see through Sage's vision this time, with more detail. More power. I could see the gateways—the cosmic holes in space. There were so many of them, dancing before my eyes. I looked through them and picked one; the one farthest from my line of sight and could only hope it would take me where I wanted it to.

  I focused on it and it enlarged. It widened in front of me. The gateway was open. I placed my hands firmly on the sphere and took a step forward.

  Bright light washed all over me as I traveled through space with the sphere in my hands. At one point, it slipped, given its size. I would have needed an entire truck to carry it but all was required was a simple touch. As long as I had that connection, the sphere would follow me anywhere. But it was heating up. Another overcharge was coming my way.

  I arrived at my destination after popping out at a different point in space. I found myself standing atop Abinor's Peak on Mt. Atalasia. Red clouds swirled around me. Around the sphere as it settled next to my feet.

  This would be the safest it would get. The sphere was far away from the people of Abinor and now it was time for me to—

  The sphere ruptured before I could open a gateway and get out of there. The explosion was real this time. I felt it all as orange and red light blinded me again. I was no longer on the mountain. I was airborne, floating and flailing in the air. I fought to stabilize myself and watched as what had once been the sphere turn into roaring flames that destroyed the mountain's top. The flames spread all over the sky. I shielded myself but my cape did me one better. It wrapped around me and not a single flame touched me.

  The flames sailed past me, decorating the sky. I stopped falling and so did the winds and their blowing. I was suspended in the air. The flames dissipated and I was back in the reddened environment. I looked down at Abinor. The valley was still crumbling in lava. Aries had only been the start. The entire island would still fall. My eyes centered on the heart of the village—the heart of the island.

  I saw how the cracks of lava snaked outwards from that point. The point where Aries had been destroyed.

  "You see it now," a voice spoke to me. The same voice that had been speaking to me since before I came to Abinor.

  I looked into the clouds, around me. "You're Sage, aren't you?"

  "No," the voice replied. "He is gone and has been for a long time now."

  "Then, who are you?" I asked, all while hoping the laws of gravity wouldn't catch up to me.

  "I'm hardly a force, forged from your own existence, Desmond Turner."

  "I don't understand."

  "When Pisces brought you here, she christened you in Sage's name. A Zodiac that no longer lived but it seems your actions were strong enough to evoke a spirit."

  "You—you're the spirit. You're Sage's spirit."

  "One only brought into existence because of you"

  "So, Sage really didn't choose me."

  "No. You chose yourself. You made your own path and became the embodiment of Sage himself. Forged from the Spirit Equine, and. . .lucky for you. . ." the air before me stirred and the voice took form. " you didn't end up with the partial body of a horse." The form of a centaur.

  "Forged from the Spirit Equine. . ." I reiterated, staring at the centaur. It was translucent, its green appearance drifting in and out in the clouds. Then I looked up at its upper human body. I tried to make out its face and almost thought I was falling the moment we exchanged looks.

  That face. . .those eyes. I resisted the urge to call out "dad!". If only the face was entirely solid but there was no mistaking it. The spirit looked a lot like my father, except for the, well, the rest of him that had four legs, and a tail.

  Perhaps it was only my eyes but I swear to this day, I had seen him. His voice was different but his eyes. . .I traced a hand over to my neck and had forgotten I didn't have the one thing I'd left of my father.

  "You look like you've seen a ghost," the spirit said and I could not tell if it was smiling. "Surely you've seen a lot worse than me, I presume."

  I shook my head. This was getting way too trippy and the spirit caught on that. It glanced down below. "This is all it has been leading up to."

  "W-Will I find my way back?" I asked, dreading the answer. "Will I find my way back home?"

  "All that entirely depends on you. You're the Equine Spirit. I am just an extension of Sage. An extension of you."

  Yeah, it was confusing and didn't really answer my question. I still had one more.

  "Pisces," I blurted. "Is she. . .?"

  The spirit was quiet for a while, then, "It is as I said. It is all up to you. . ."

  "Wait!" I called. The spirit dissolved into the red skies and almost immediately, the bow materialized in my hand.

  "It all depends with me?" I asked myself. "What does that even mean?" You'd think me actually learning I was now a Zodiac, I would know the answer to that. I looked down at the island. The cracks were still spreading.

  Come on, Desmond! Think! Use that Sage intellect!

  Still airborne, I scanned the island. There had to be a reason I was still up here. If only I could "see" it. Turns out I didn't even need Sage's vision for this one. It was all there, staring back at me and waiting for me to notice.

  The lava cracks had spread out across the village, creating a kind of webbed circle and at the very center, the heart of Abinor, was a fine red point, popping out more than the rest of the cracks and forming a perfect bullseye. Even you have probably figured what I would do next.

  My arrow landed awfully several feet away from the target. I cursed silently. I nocked again, ready to fire. I paused, letting myself take in the island and its primordial state. I inhaled, taking aim. I fired.

  The second arrow cut through the air and struck perfectly into the heart of Abinor.

  Green flashes of lightning broke out from this point, filling in the cracks and faults. The ground reattached itself, the lightning streaks acting as electrified ropes, pulling the sutures together: from the north where the ruptured mountain stood; the west where the barren outlands kissed the farmlands; the south where the rocky shore and the fishing docks were spread out; to the Hunting Grounds, the Dark Forest and the biggest portion of Abinor valley in the east.

  The lava cooled off and Abinor was no longer at risk of sinking in a volcano. The lightning continued to spread, rising towards the air and I was not sure whether I was safe just hovering there but I was not hit. The streaks passed right over me and mingled with the clouds. Everywhere they touched the red hue would vanish.

  This went on until the entire sky was covered, awash with green lightning. The lightning intensified until it had collectively formed into a wave of bright light. The light shot out in all directions, and, this time, I was knocked out of the air. My old pal, gravity, returned. I was flipping fast towards the ground and had to struggle to focus my eyes and tap into Sage's vision.

  The gateways formed. I did not waste any time. I plunged myself into one. I landed on the ground hard, smashing into a stall. My bow fell away from me.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "Is it too much to ask for one soft landing?" I groaned, heaving myself out of the stall. I swiped back my cape and looked towards the sky. I hadn't even realized it was midday. The sun was high up. The only red I could see from then was from my hands as blood had dried on my palms and my knuckles. I still did not dare feel my face. There had to be a thousand scars on there.

  Something rushed towards me. I panicked, daring to turn around and was met by the magnificent whiteness of Jon. The stallion whinnied, dancing around me.

  "I'm excited to see you too," I stroked his mane and someone approached.

  "Desmond," Valeria appeared and was soon followed by Zak, Parthenos, Skorpius, Leo, Ethel, the Chieftain, his men and the rest of the village.

  Jon stood proudly next to me but I felt suddenly uneasy in front of everyone. The villagers stared blankly at me and most especially at my Zodiac comrades. There was an odd silence, as if everyone was wondering what to do next, then. . .loud yelling and ranting. They were attacking—wait, no. They were applauding.

  I looked to my left. Parthenos, Skorpius and Valeria were as surprised as I was, then to my right. Zak, Leo and Ethel were just as proud as Jon, Leo a little more than the others.

  Zak patted me on the shoulder. "You did it, Desmond."

  "Wait, you called me by my name," I said over the cheering and clapping.

  "What was that?" Zak pointed at his ear, "I can't hear you, sport."

  "And. . .we're back," I shook my head and smiled back to the crowd.

  Chieftain Ulmas Merkurion stepped before the crowd and everyone was silent. Now, I've never really been a fan of speeches or public speaking but I can tell you the Chieftain talked a lot, even the villagers appeared to get bored but nobody dared air their grievances. But there was something he said that really stuck to me. To everyone.

  ". . .Today, people of Abinor, we have all seen how the good and the bad can come together and fight against the forces of evil. And isn't that what Abinor should be about? Working together?. . .We may have lost many a good soul but we've made even better allies and a story to tell our children and their children. . ." more talking goes on from here but there it was. The people of Abinor and the Zodiac were no longer enemies.

  By the time the speech was over, I was already thinking about the future. A future I thought I never had anymore. A large feast had been ordered by the Chieftain but I was not feeling particularly hungry and Jon had accompanied me out on a walk.

  Zak caught up to me. "Leaving already?"

  "And go where?" I sighed and felt miserable again. "we won the battle."

  "Didn't think you'd make it here, huh?" Zak flexed his metal arm. "You have a second chance. . .just as you gave me."

  I looked at him, lost in thought. I still wondered whether it was the vial that had saved him or maybe he was some kind of secret immortal. Or a Zodiac. Pisces had told me there were twelve of them but now, come to think of it, I'd only met eleven. I mean, it could've been possible but I knew I was pushing it too far. The vial had worked. Pisces had saved him. She had saved me and now she was. . .

  "You think I know what I am to do now?" Zak laughed and Jon neighed. "We just took down the greatest monstrosity to ever walk these lands and breathe fire unlike any dragon I've ever seen."

  "Everything will work itself. Don't lose sight of that," Zak added. "no one has taught me that more than you."

  I managed a smile then narrowed my eyes at him. "Wait, you were really serious about the dragons?"

  "Of course I am!" Zak scoffed, "why is it you find it so hard to believe in their existence after everything we've faced? I suppose you don't have them back at Sacarento, was it?"

  "Sacramento," I corrected, "but we do have Pitbulls," I shook my head uneasily, "trust me, you do not wanna mess with those."

  "Sounds like we'd get along!" Zak joked, though he sounded quite serious. "You still want to go back, don't you?"

  "Yeah, well," I raised my hands, "this place is great and everything. Probably the greatest place I'll ever be but. . ."

  "It's not home," Zak finished.

  "I miss it all. . .I miss my mom. . ."

  "We've been through hell and back," Zak said and, again, his straightforward tone made it difficult to tell when he was being literal or joking. I mean, he had literally died then came back to life but I assumed he meant fighting Aries and all that.

  "Surely we can find a way to get you back," he finished.

  "I hope so." I said in my mind and, to my surprise, someone spoke back.

  "You hope so? You know how to get back!" I recognized that voice. It was not the spirit but I'd been thinking too much about home that I went on to ask, "How?" still in my head.

  "Ugh! I've had enough of this! I didn't think it would take you this long. Now, let me out!"

  A strange feeling took over me. My head felt all woozy like my mind was being stretched in all directions. My eyes went shut.

  I reopened them and Zak was staring at something next to me, a puzzled look on his face. "What?" I asked, turning to my side.

  "You have the most exhausting mind I've ever been into!" a young man, taller than me—actually, looking back at Zak, he'd gotten taller too. The young man had thicker hair, same dark skin and a leaner body had his eyes narrowed at me.

  I felt myself and the realization hit me. "Oh. . ." I looked at the man again and recognized him. That face. The same face I'd worn since my first day on the island. "Despyon?"

  "That's Despyon Raznar to you! Who else could I be?" he snapped back, his arms folded. He was in his own clothes while I still had on the cosmic outfit which kind of looked ridiculous on me now. It felt loose on me, like I was wearing someone else's clothes.

  Despyon maintained his frown at me but it gradually disappeared and he extended a hand. "I'm sorry," he said with so much sincerity I had to be sure I was not dreaming.

  I got over my shock and took his hand. "Sorry." Either we'd been connected long enough that one knew what the other was thinking but we both understood each other.

  "How. . .?" I asked.

  "I have no idea," Despyon replied honestly, toning down his once annoying voice, "the moment that shield was destroyed, my mind was somehow pulled into yours. I was told by a strange woman I would find my way out when the time was right. . ." he regarded me, "and so would you."

  The words I had so desperately wanted to hear. Despyon had made it back to his home. . .and so would I.

  I turned to Zak who still had no idea what was going on. "Sorry, see, this is Despyon," I turned to Despyon, "Z—"

  "I know who he is," Despyon cut me off, "General Gar—"

  "I prefer to think of myself as retired," Zak shook his head, "and don't bother yourself with explanations. I've been through enough of those, especially after coming back from the dead."

  "Okay, okay!" I exhaled, turning to Despyon, "how does this work, exactly?"

  "You find your way back the same way you came," was Despyon's simple response.

  "Oh yeah, sure," I nodded, pursing my lips, "except that doesn't make any sense!"

  "Still as thick as the first time," Despyon shook his head, feigning disappointment and now that he was in the flesh, I felt like I wanted to punch him in the teeth, even though he was like an inch taller than me. I'd used his body to take on not one but several Zodiac. I could still punch him. Something told me he wouldn't have as much combat experience as I had.

  Anyway, intrusive thoughts aside, I shook my head instead and Zak had to step in. "How did you come here?"

  I looked back on the time I'd spent in Abinor. I counted backwards and was surprised to find out I'd only been there for six days. Hardly a week! Come on, my body felt like it had been there for months! I snuck a glance at Despyon and noticed he didn't have any battle wounds on him, despite having his body physically go through the entire ordeal. Everything that had happened had transferred to my own scrawny form. Thanks a lot, fate!

  "I came here on the eve of the Harvest," I said, recalling how I found myself sitting on the sandy ground at the shore.

  "And what happened moments before that?" asked Zak.

  It all broke out and came rushing back to me. The floodgates of my old life. "I fell over the docks and into the water. There was this bow. . ." I looked into my hand. I was still holding on to the bow. "No way. . ." I muttered. "This is it. It's the same bow I saw when I fell into the water! I touched it and. . ."

  I stared at the bow even more. "I came here. . ."

  "And now you know how to get out," Despyon said, a smug expression on his face.

  I did.

  Several conversations and more silent wishes to smack Despyon upside the head later, I was standing by the shore. We all were.

  The moment felt somber but it had lightened up at one point when Valeria showed up and realized Despyon and I were no longer one person. That was when I saw Despyon's true nature. The dude folded like an idiot in front of Valeria and I had to nudge him so he could hug her. That would teach him.

  "The feast is only starting," Valeria offered, "are you sure you can't stay for the night?"

  As kindhearted as her offer was, it was time for me to go. She did not need my response and instead walked over and gave me a light kiss on the cheek. "Farewell, hero from the mountains."

  The waters rocked against the shore and I reminisced on my first day. I even had to hold back a laugh, recalling when I'd made a fool of myself by trying to leave the island with a boat during a storm. Then she had saved me. I looked across the shore, over to the rocks—where we'd first met. . .

  "Hey," Leo chimed, "there's this delicious goat broth I don't want to miss out. Can we hurry this up?"

  Parthenos jabbed him with her elbow.

  "What?" Leo lamented, "I'm starting to take a liking to mortal food—" another jab from Parthenos. "Alright, I'm only messing with you. Take care kid. Be sure to spread the great tales of Leo over there."

  I laughed this time. "Sure."

  "Ignore him," Parthenos smiled. The dark patches on her white skin and the scar under her insignia were both already fading away. "Take some time to plan your recovery." I noticed her left wing was growing back, a few blades already aligning along her back.

  "Nothing like a good plan," I smiled back, then something popped up in my head. "Wait, what about. . .what was her name. . .? The one with the invisibility—"

  "Zygos," Parthenos said. "She hasn't been seen since the mountains but she won't be causing any trouble, now that Aries is no more."

  "Probably on her way back to Astra as we speak," Leo added, "the cosmos knows what I'll do to her once I find her."

  "She would be proud of you," Skorpius uttered, careful to avoid saying her name, "I know I am." and was no longer hiding his scar anymore. I never got to ask him about how he got it and who Orion was, but maybe that would be a different story—who knows?

  "We all are," Parthenos said and Leo joined him. Their time was up too, only unlike mine, theirs was more involuntary. The Zodiac's essence waned after seven days on earth and they would be returned to their home world—Astra—high up with the stars. They had the gods to thank for that but if Aries had managed to beat that limit, maybe one day they too would find a way and one that didn't involve mass genocide.

  Skorpius approached me and patted me on the shoulder. " Till we meet again." His form turned to star dust and so did Parthenos and Leo. I watched their essences float into the sky until the mystical powder had vanished into the air. They had gone home. It was now my time.

  "How long do you reckon it will take them?" Zak joined me in looking up to the heavens. "It's been. . .awesome, mate," he turned, extending his hand.

  "Did I get it right?" he grinned, his blond hair glowing in the sun.

  "You awesomely did, Garuvir Belzak." I shook his hand, properly this time. "Still don't know what you're gonna do now?"

  "Well," Zak sighed, "as per my early retirement, figured I'd explore the waters, see new lands. Some dragon hunting maybe, you know, just something casual."

  "Sure, that's casual," I muttered mostly to myself then, out loud, "Take care of Jon for me." He smiled towards the sea. I knew the stallion would've followed me in the water, plus I doubt I would've kept it together letting him see me off.

  "Oh, enough with all the touching heartfelt moments!" Ethel cut in and I'd almost forgotten she was there. Her gray dreadlocks flowed lightly over her shoulders as she cast her staff towards the sea. "About to make me all teary eyed now, are ya?"

  "Best be on your way now," Ethel tasted the air with her tongue, "the tides might change in an instant and we wouldn't want that."

  "What, why?" I asked, getting nervous.

  "Quit scaring him," Valeria chimed. She was still holding hands with Despyon and as I looked at them, the two made quite the pair.

  "Don't screw that up," I said to Despyon, and, for once, he had a genuine smile on his face.

  "Alright, cast the bow into the water," Ethel said.

  "Like throw it or just settle it down nicely?"

  "Whatever you like, doesn't matter."

  I lowered the bow towards the water until the one end's tip touched the surface. Nothing happened. I lowered the bow some more. Still nothing.

  "Am I doing this right?"

  Ethel exhaled, stretching herself, "You may see now that the prophecy has been fulfilled but you still have to pay attention to the little things."

  I realized what the Seer was actually doing. She wasn't stretching. She was—Oh no! I was shoved into the water.

  "The little things!" that was the last thing I heard as the Seer's voice became distant and I plunged further into the water.

  I gasped, taking in deep breaths after I managed to pull myself back to the surface. I lay with my back to the ground. I felt angry.

  I coughed and was getting up to rave at Ethel for throwing me in the water but she was not there. No one was, at least no one I knew. Zak was gone. Despyon and Valeria were gone. The whole of Abinor was gone. I sat up, ignoring my drenched T-shirt and jeans—wait, why was I in a T-shirt and jeans?

  The sun shone in my face. It was afternoon. A boat sped past me. I followed it as it cruised along the river under the Tower Bridge. I was back. I was back in Sacramento. I was home.