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There was no time to think, only to react.

My Celestial sword materialized in my hand, muscle memory guiding me as I pivoted and swung upward to meet Rhodes's descending blade.

The clash of weapons sent vibrations down my arm, the impact jarring my shoulder as I struggled to deflect the killing blow.

Rhodes's face contorted with hatred, his superior strength forcing my blade back inch by inch.

I could feel my feet sliding on the marble floor, my stance weakening as he pressed his advantage.

His eyes burned with a manic light, all pretense of nobility and righteousness stripped away to reveal the raw ambition beneath.

“You should have joined me,” he snarled, his face inches from mine. “We could have reshaped Elysium together.”

“Into what?” I gasped, my arms trembling with the effort of holding him back. “A prison? A dictatorship?”

“Into a power that all realms would fear!” He shifted his weight, preparing for another strike. “Instead, you'll die a traitor's death, forgotten and reviled!”

He disengaged suddenly, stepping back only to launch a new attack from a different angle. I parried desperately, knowing I couldn't match his centuries of experience in swordplay. Each blow drove me further back, my defense weakening with every strike.

Across the room, I could see Levi still grappling with Haines, their struggle keeping him from coming to my aid.

Lacey was pushing herself up from the wall, blood trickling down her face, but still too dazed to help.

Abbie was frantically weaving a spell, but I could tell from her expression that it wouldn't be ready in time.

Rhodes pressed forward, his sword a blur of motion as he hammered at my defenses. I stumbled over a fallen bookshelf, my balance faltering for a crucial second. Rhodes saw the opening and lunged, his blade aimed for my heart.

In that moment, instinct took over. I twisted to the side, letting his momentum carry him past me, and thrust my sword upward in a desperate counterattack.

The blade slid home, sinking deep into Rhodes's stomach.

Time seemed to freeze. Rhodes's eyes widened in shock, his forward motion halting abruptly as the sword impaled him. Dark blood spilled over my hands, warm and bright. His mouth opened, but no sound emerged—just a soft exhale as the light in his eyes began to dim.

I released my grip on the sword, stepping back as Rhodes sank to his knees, the weapon still protruding from his body. His hands clutched weakly at the blade, but he lacked the strength to pull it free. With a final, rattling breath, he toppled sideways, his wings sprawling lifelessly behind him.

The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the distant sounds of fighting elsewhere in the tower. I stared at Rhodes's body, at the blood pooling beneath him, unable to fully process what had just happened.

I had killed an archangel. Not in the heat of battle against an anonymous enemy, but in close combat, looking into his eyes as life left his body. The weight of it settled over me like a physical burden, making it hard to breathe.

“Ariella.” Levi's voice, gentle but urgent, broke through my shock. He had subdued Haines, who knelt silent and bound, his face a mask of cold resignation as he looked at his fallen leader.

I nodded shakily, trying to pull myself together.

My hands trembled as I looked down at them, stained with Rhodes's blood.

Though I had hated him for what he'd done, though I had known this confrontation might end in death, I had hoped for justice—a trial, a chance for all of Elysium to learn the truth of his betrayal.

Instead, that choice had been taken from me. I had defended myself, as any warrior would. But the knowledge brought little comfort as I stood over the body of an angel who had once been revered as one of Elysium's greatest guardians.

The library doors burst open once more, and I turned, my sword materializing once more in my hands, before recognizing Kadriel and several members of the Lost Legion. They took in the scene with experienced eyes—Rhodes's body, Haines bound and subdued, the destruction around us.

“We're too late,” Kadriel said, her gaze lingering on Rhodes before shifting to me. “Are you alright?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice. The dagger still pulsed in my hand, a constant reminder of all that had led to this moment.

“Adona,” Kadriel continued, her expression grim. “She's tearing the tower apart. We've managed to contain her to the upper levels, but she's killed several warriors already and injured many more. If we don't do something quickly, she'll bring the entire structure down around us.”

The urgency in her voice snapped me out of my stupor. There would be time later to process what had happened with Rhodes. Right now, there were lives at stake—innocent angels caught in the chaos of a battle not of their making.

“Take him,” I said, gesturing to Haines. “Make sure he's secure. We can't risk him escaping.”

Two of the Lost Legion moved to flank Haines, hauling him to his feet. He went without resistance, his eyes fixed on Rhodes's body with an unreadable expression.

“We'll handle this,” Kadriel assured me, her voice softening slightly. “Go. Stop Adona before more lives are lost.”

Levi moved to my side, his hand finding mine. “Are you up for this?”

I looked down at the dagger, its red gem still pulsing with malevolent light. “Do I have a choice?”

His fingers tightened around mine. “We always have a choice, sweetheart. That's what makes us who we are.”

I managed a small, tight smile, drawing strength from his presence. “Then I choose to fix this. To save Adona, if I can.”

We left the library, taking flight through the shattered dome ceiling.

From above, the Celestial Tower looked like a wounded creature, its crystalline spires cracked and broken, smoke rising from various levels.

Angels flew in panicked formations, some fighting, others fleeing, their wings flashing like silver fish in a disturbed pond.

We angled our wings, soaring upward toward the chaos.

As we drew closer, I could make out the transformed Adona, her massive form rampaging through what had once been the observatory at the tower's peak.

The circular chamber, with its glass dome and intricate star maps, was now in ruins, its beauty reduced to rubble beneath Adona's clawed feet.

Our allies fought desperately to contain her, though it was clear they were avoiding lethal force.

Farrah had created barriers of ice that momentarily slowed Adona's advance before shattering under her raw power.

Wyatt, partially shifted into his wolf form, darted between her legs, distracting her while Erin and Rey attempted to bind her wings with enchanted chains from their demon-hunting arsenal.

Tarek and the other Lost Legion angels flew in coordinated patterns around her head, drawing her attention upward and away from those fighting on the ground. Aspen and Boise maintained a shimmering barrier around the chamber's perimeter, preventing her from escaping to other parts of Elysium.

But despite their efforts, Adona was winning. Her transformed state gave her strength and speed beyond even an archangel's normal capabilities, and the dagger's magic had stripped away her reason, leaving only primal rage.

“We need to get closer,” I shouted to Levi over the din of battle. “I need to use the dagger on her, try to reverse what Rhodes did!”

He nodded, darkfire already crackling around his free hand as he prepared to create an opening. “Follow me!”

We dove into the fray, Levi unleashing a barrage of darkfire that momentarily drew Adona's attention. Her golden eyes fixed on us, a feral growl rumbling from her throat as she swatted at us like insects.

“Everyone!” I called, my voice carrying over the chaos. “I need you to hold her still! Just for a few moments!”

Understanding dawned on their faces. Farrah immediately redoubled her efforts, creating thicker, more elaborate ice formations that wrapped around Adona's limbs.

Wyatt, Rey, and Erin moved in perfect synchronization, using their chains to bind her lower body while the Lost Legion angels focused on restraining her wings.

“Hurry!” Farrah shouted, her face strained with the effort of maintaining so much ice magic. “We can't hold her for long!”

I approached cautiously, the dagger held before me.

Up close, Adona was even more terrifying—her transformed face barely recognizable, her golden eyes burning with mindless fury as she struggled against her bonds.

One of her massive hands broke free, swiping at me with claws that could tear through stone.

Levi intercepted, catching her wrist with both hands, his partial demon form giving him the strength to momentarily check her movement. “Now, Ariella!” he grunted, muscles straining as Adona fought to break his hold.

I darted forward, pressing the dagger against her chest, right over her heart where Rhodes had first used it. The red gem flared with angry light, and I felt a surge of power flow through the blade into my hand, burning like liquid fire in my veins.

“Restore her,” I commanded, focusing all my will through the dagger. “Return Adona to her true form, to her true self!”

The dagger pulsed once, twice, then began to vibrate in my hand, the sensation growing increasingly violent until I feared it might shatter.

The red light from the gem spread along the blade, then into Adona where it touched her skin—but instead of seeping in as it had before, it seemed to be drawing something out, pulling threads of crimson energy from her body back into itself.

Adona threw back her head and roared, the sound so deafening it shook dust from what remained of the ceiling. Her struggles intensified, nearly breaking free of the restraints our allies had placed on her.

“I can't hold this much longer!” Farrah cried, her ice barriers already cracking under the strain.

“Almost there,” I gritted out, my entire arm now burning with the effort of maintaining contact with the dagger. “Just a little more!”

The red energy continued to flow from Adona into the dagger, each pulse removing more of Rhodes's corruption from her system. But the process was agonizingly slow, and I could feel our allies weakening around me as they fought to keep her contained.

“Come on,” I whispered to the dagger, to Adona, to myself. “Come back to us.”

As if in response to my plea, the dagger suddenly flared with blinding light, the red gem turning pure white for a brief, brilliant moment. The energy that had been trickling from Adona now rushed out in a torrent, flowing into the dagger so quickly that my hand went numb from the sensation.

Adona's body began to change, shrinking and shifting back toward her original form.

Her extra wings receded, her claws retracted, her feral features softening into the familiar, noble countenance I remembered.

The golden glow in her eyes dimmed, replaced by the clear blue that had always radiated wisdom and compassion.

With a final surge of power that nearly knocked me off my feet, the transformation completed. The dagger went dark in my hand, the gem now a dull, lifeless gray, as if it had expended all its power in the reversal.

Adona swayed on her feet, her wings drooping with exhaustion, her eyes unfocused but recognizably herself again. She would have collapsed entirely if not for Tarek, who moved swiftly to support her.

“Easy, my lady,” he said, his voice gentle with respect. “You're safe now.”

Adona blinked slowly, her gaze traveling around the ruined observatory, taking in the destruction, the injured warriors, the faces both familiar and strange.

“What … what has happened?” she asked, her voice hoarse but steady.

“The last thing I remember is Rhodes with the dagger, and then… darkness.”

“Rhodes corrupted you with the dagger,” I explained, stepping forward cautiously. “He tried to bend you to his will, but something went wrong. You transformed into something else.”

Understanding dawned in her eyes, along with horror as she processed the implications. “Where’s Rhodes?”

“Dead,” I said, no hesitation.

Adona pressed her lips into a thin line. “I see.” She held her breath. “Did I harm anyone?”

I hesitated, unwilling to burden her with the full truth while she was still so weak. “There will be time for explanations later. Right now, you need to rest and recover your strength.”

She shook her head, a hint of her natural authority returning despite her weakened state. “No. The fighting must stop. Now.” She straightened, drawing on reserves of strength I hadn't realized she still possessed. “Help me. I must address what remains of my people.”

Tarek and I exchanged glances, then nodded.

Together, we supported Adona as she moved to the edge of the ruined observatory, where a balcony overlooked the central courtyard of the Celestial Tower.

Below, angels still fought in scattered skirmishes, Rhodes's supporters battling those who had rallied to our cause.

“Angels of Elysium,” Adona called, her voice amplified by magic to reach every corner of the tower. “Lay down your weapons. The fighting ends now.”

Her voice, familiar and beloved to all of Elysium, caused the combatants to pause, looking up in shock and disbelief. A murmur spread through the crowd as they recognized their leader, restored to her true form.

“Rhodes is dead,” she continued, her voice steady despite the weight of the words. “His deception and betrayal have been revealed. Those who followed him were misled, but there can be forgiveness for those who seek it. Elysium must heal, must remember its true purpose.”

I watched as the fighting gradually ceased, weapons lowering, wings folding as the angels below absorbed Adona's words. Some of Rhodes's more fanatical supporters broke away, fleeing toward the edges of the city, but most remained, their expressions confused but hopeful.

“It's over,” I whispered, the realization finally sinking in. “We won.”

Levi moved to my side, his arm sliding around my waist as he supported some of my weight. I hadn't realized how exhausted I was until that moment, my body suddenly heavy with fatigue.

I looked around at our allies—Farrah leaning heavily on Wyatt, her energy depleted from overusing her ice magic; Erin bandaging a nasty cut on Rey's arm; Lacey and Abbie supporting each other as they surveyed the destruction; the Lost Legion angels, some injured, all exhausted, but alive.

We had survived, but the cost had been high. Lives lost, trust shattered, a realm brought to the brink of civil war. And the scars—both physical and otherwise—would take time to heal.