Carson's POV

"Rise, my son."

My eyes fluttered open to see the opulent and ethereal beauty of the Moon Goddess- Mom- standing over me with a look of content on her face. "How long was I out?" I yawned, standing up to stretch my legs.

"You were only asleep for a while," she said, "but in Earth time, you were out for two weeks, give or take a day. But it was long enough for you to renew your strength and prepare you for your imminent return."

I blinked at her, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "But what about Regan?" I asked.

She motioned for me to stand next to her as a good part of the ground beneath us revealed the souls of the damned- those who have committed heinous acts that resided in there. Their screams of agonizing pain from the uncaring fires were mingled by the dark waves of laughter of the hellhounds that ruled the realm. "He is there," she intoned.

"Whoa," I breathed, my eyes now locked on the boy who shattered my heart and set everything into motion. His tears were endlessly flowing as two hellhounds were beating him with silver-laced whips. "Carson!" he cried. "Carson, I'm sorry!"

I knew that he was. I knew that after all this time, he was finally seeing the light. Even so, it was too little, too late. "Mom, can I sing something to him- a song of farewell?" I asked her. "I know that he's forever damned, but I need to finally get some closure before I-"

She smiled softly. "But of course," she said. "Do you know the song?"

I nodded, already hearing the familiar melody in the wind. "Yes," I replied.

Looking down at Carson below, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and let the first bars of the music played by the nymphs help me begin my song of goodbye.

Take your eyes off of me so I can leave

I'm far too ashamed to do it with you watching me

This is never ending, we have been here before

But I can't stay this time cause I don't love you anymore

Please stay where you are

Don't come any closer

Don't try to change my mind

I'm being cruel to be kind

I can't love you in the dark

It feels like we're oceans apart

There is so much space between us

Maybe we're already defeated

Ah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah everything changed me

You have given me something that I can't live without

You mustn't underestimate that when you are in doubt

But I don't want to carry on like everything is fine

The longer we ignore it all the more that we will fight

Please don't fall apart

I can't face your breaking heart

I'm trying to be brave

Stop asking me to stay

I can't love you in the dark

It feels like we're oceans apart

There is so much space between us

Maybe we're already defeated

Ah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah everything changed me

We're not the only ones

I don't regret a thing

Every word I've said

You know I'll always mean

It is the world to me

That you are in my life

But I want to live

And not just survive

That's why I can't love you in the dark

It feels like we're oceans apart

There is so much space between us

Maybe we're already defeated

Cause ah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah everything changed me

And I-I-I-I-I don't think you can save me

The music faded, my heart now open as I faced down at my mate. "Dear Regan," I began. "I guess that after hearing this song, the message can't be any more clear as daylight. You had a chance to make things right and accept me as your mate two years ago. You could've enjoyed being mated to royalty and we might have had it all. But you stood by your actions and chose to remain cold-hearted. And you even swore to have me and every omega in the world killed off."

"I didn't know," I heard him sob. "Please have mercy, Carson! Please!"

I shook my head. "You should already know that the barrier between the skies and the damned can't be broken at all. You have to stay here while I have to go back and fulfill my destiny," I replied. "You showed everyone nothing but evil and you earned your fate. I, on the other hand, never had a chance to live because of those who blindly followed you like sheep. And I have people who want me back. So, consider the song and these words I speak to you the last thing you will hear from me. Because there is nothing left between you and me. And as I wrote in my letter, I say these words to you once again: uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Thank you, Regan Zallenda, for realizing too late that I was your mate. But now, I go back to life and back to reality. Goodbye."

"NO!!!" Regan screamed as the earth beneath my and Mom's feet shut him up. And just like that, it was finally over.

"Well said," the Moon Goddess noted. "How do you feel?"

I took a deep breath, willing myself not to cry though I was devoid of tears at the moment. "I feel... like I'm finally free," I replied. "Are you sure that it's time for me to go?"

She nodded. "More than you realize," she replied, turning me around to face a young woman who looked as if she was dressed for a date. "This is Arianna, a Hunter's sister. She is one of the many comatose and newly-dead people who time has not yet come to cross over to Elysium. By returning now, you will trigger a major resurrection as part of unleashing the first wave of your powers."

"My sister needs you," the young blonde known as Arianna replied. "Bianca is by your bedside as we speak and she and her friends all want you to be your friend, you know."

A little boy dressed in dinosaur pajamas- a vampire- joined her. "My daddy is all alone," he said. "Carson, everyone is waiting for you."

As more and more faces appeared and I saw the vision of my mates and family surrounding my bedside, I knew what I had to do. I needed to own my words and show Regan that I wasn't going to be scared away from staying here. I needed to work my grace and own up to my role as the Moon Wolf. "I'm ready to go back," I said, facing my mother. "I need them as much as these people need their loved ones."

"Good," my mother said, her heavenly smile illuminating the void. "By choosing to go back now, you proved to me that you are ready to begin your new life."

"How do I go back?"

A strong wind began to blow wildly as her glory began to fade. "You already are," she heard. "Know that I will be by your side, my son. Know that you are loved. Close your eyes and let yourself be back home."

The last thing I felt was her signature kiss being placed on my head before her light gave way to black, then ebon, then gray. Soon, there was a whirlwind of many colors that swirled and danced around me with sounds of alarm and voices of shock and surprise filling my ears.

And I opened my eyes...

**************

And I gazed up into the relieved and overjoyed copper eyes of Fianna as she hovered over me. "Welcome back," she said. "Welcome back, Carson."

Taking a deep breath, I said the first words that popped into my head. "I'm glad to be back home."

And that was the truth.