Constant lay on the cold forest floor, unconscious since Candy's spell had knocked him out earlier.
The distant sounds of battle had faded.
The air was still.
Then—
GASP—!
Constant's eyes flew open.
He shot upright, clutching his head.
"What the—? Why does my brain feel like it got punched by a unicorn…?"
His vision was blurry at first…
but he could make out silhouettes up ahead — Blood Reaper, Destiny, and Keuirseu walking deeper into the forest. The enormous full moon framed them, lighting their silhouettes like a painting.
He blinked, confused.
Something felt… wrong.
Off.
A pressure in his chest he couldn't name.
Like the forest was holding its breath.
Like something ancient had just died.
Constant scooted back instinctively, his spine pressing against a tree.
That's when the wind shifted.
The air grew colder.
He smelled silver.
Moonlight thickened into a beam.
WHOOM—!
Two figures dropped from the sky, landing near Sol's corpse.
Constant froze, not daring to breathe.
Two women.
Tall.
Regal.
Terrifying.
Wings like obsidian silk.
Hair glowing like lunar halos.
Their eyes were white like eclipsed stars.
They were Moon Queens.
Sol's sisters.
The older of the two knelt beside Sol's corpse, brushing a strand of black hair away from her lifeless face.
The younger queen scoffed, folding her arms.
"Look at her," she spat.
"Killed by a half-broken vessel."
The elder queen's jaw twitched.
"Her arrogance clouded her judgment."
She lifted Sol's body with ease — as if lifting a child.
"But she died as we all will… when this wretched planet burns."
Constant's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
The younger queen kicked aside a charred demon skull.
"I cannot WAIT until this planet is destroyed," she hissed.
Her voice dripped venom.
"Humans are no different from bugs — screaming at shadows they don't understand."
The elder queen nodded once.
No sorrow.
No remorse.
Only cold duty.
They lifted Sol's body between them.
The moonlight bent, forming a luminous doorway of silver and black mist.
"Come, sister. Let us take her home."
The younger queen paused, glancing around as if sensing something… or someone.
Constant held his breath, flattening himself against the tree trunk like a terrified squirrel.
After a tense moment—
She smirked.
"Cowards run. Let them."
With a single flap of their radiant wings, the Moon Queens stepped into the portal —
and vanished.
The doorway snapped shut behind them, plunging the forest back into darkness.
Constant waited.
And waited.
When he was sure they were gone, he slowly, shakily stood.
"…Nope," he muttered under his breath.
"Nope. Nope. Nope. I'm not following them."
He watched the path Blood Reaper and the others had taken — only shadows now.
For the first time in a long time…
Constant felt fear.
Not of demons.
Not of angels.
Not even of Blood Reaper.
But of what had just arrived and left.
He swallowed hard.
Then turned and walked the opposite direction.
A different path.
A quieter one.
One he hoped wouldn't get him killed before sunrise.