MLTE- Part 7

This is the seventh and penultimate Part of "ML:TE".
It was started on 24.09.2023 and finalized on 04.11.2023.
== Plot ==
With the eradication of Damien Grayson's finest lead unit and the death of Delia on their conscience, Will and his allies are forced to rely on the resources that they still have when the mafia decides to invade the capital of Silverdale and hunt them down. Clever tactics are required and there is little time to plan them.
At the same time, Alwyn is forced to face a huge dilemma when he finally reunites with some of his loved ones, most notably his mother- the person who abandoned him so many years ago and ran away from his father, just to save her own life from misery, and his uncle- the CEO of a fabled company, who risked everything to meet the person who was always kept away from him.
All things considered, Damien Grayson- the notorious and powerful mafia boss- is still awaiting their arrival. And keeping him waiting is not wise, as he is still planning to set his wildest plans into motion. Time is short and his enemies are many, so they must make haste before he changes his mind and simply slaughters everything in sight.
The end is near. But for whom?
== Story ==
Alwyn walks up to Nico's corpse and shakes his head.
"I can't believe that someone would dare to harm my aunt, let alone murder her in my absence."- He says- "They think that I'm the bad guy, but they don't know the truth. Looking in the mirror, it'll do them no good."
Then, he bends down and takes a better look at him. That is when he realizes who he really is.
"Wait a minute. I recognize this one."- He says- "His name was Nico. He was a no-good flunky who walked from town to town, pretending to be a helpful person. After he met my father, he felt especially fascinated by his cruelty and wanted to help him out."
He clenches his fists.
"So this is what happened!"- He yells- "He betrayed me and my aunt! He sold us out!"
Will places his hand on Alwyn's shoulder.
"Please, Alwyn. There is no need to feel angry."- He says- "I am sure that we can work out a solution that will-- "
Alwyn angrily looks at Will.
"Don't you understand what's going on?! My aunt is dead! Dead!"- He yells- "If there are spies all around this place, then it means that one of us will be next!"
Will raises his eyebrow.
"But-- "
Alwyn continues to look at him.
"But what if that person's your aunt? Or maybe even your uncle?"- He asks him- "Would you feel the same way? Would you still pretend to be oblivious to pain and suffering?"
Will looks down. He rethinks the situation for a few seconds. Then he sighs. He is ready to change his mind, but he does not do so willingly.
"As much as I hate to say this, you are right. Your aunt was the first victim, and there are many more to come if we do not act, in a fast and decisive way."- He says- "But first, we must make an example out of the man who risked everything to fill his pockets with undeserved money. Are you thinking the same thing, my friend?"
Alwyn nods.
"Indeed."- He says- "Let's purge his remaining fragments of existence. With the power of fire."
Will sighs.
"A hard decision, but a worthy one nonetheless."- He says- "Villains and killers like him do not deserve to be buried. They are not worthy of that honor."
Without any hesitation, Alwyn lights the fireplace. Will helps him move Nico's corpse toward the raging fire. Both of them prepare to throw him in there and get rid of him, at long last.
"By the gods, children!"- Aurelia exclaims- "Do you really want to make him burn? Yes, he was a bad person, but is it really necessary?"
However, one brief look from them silences her. She knows that they have decided what must be done, and they intend to make it happen at all costs. She apologizes and stands back, allowing them to finish the preparations.
The two boys, without any sort of ceremony, throw Nico's corpse into the fire. They watch as his skin is burned away, as his bones become charred. Everytime they hear the flames burn, they flinch a little bit. Such a blunt and straightforward act takes a great toll on their sanity. However, the two of them are powerful warriors. They have endured everything so far, and they will continue to endure it all.
And then, they go downstairs, gather the corpses of all the dead assassins and do the same thing, albeit with far less emotion. Alwyn himself is especially devoid of it, glaring at the remains of the people who attempted to hunt him down as Geralt gathers them with a shovel and, with the help of Mysta throws them in a dumpster outside of the residence.
This is a job that is not done without at least a little bit of remorse. However, Man's feelings prevent him from walking away from his goal. It is a duty that needs to be executed, a lesson that needs to be learned. 
At this rate, fleeing from the inevitable can easily be considered cowardice, if not betrayal. It is best to stay strong, even if the odds are stacked against you. Every true hero has fought until the end, and those two are unwilling to rewrite history, just because they are constantly chased by their enemies.
"Feeling better now?"- Mysta asks Alwyn- "The fools got what they deserved. Your aunt has been avenged. Maybe we can finally continue our mission."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"Continue our mission, yes. But consider the matter settled? No."- He mutters- "The killer of my aunt is still out there. And I know, deep inside, that it was my father. As long as he still lives, I cannot rest and I cannot forgive."
Will nods.
"Then we will find your father and give him some... advice."- He says- "If he thinks that he can just mess with us, he has another thing coming. And it will not be nice, unlike what we did so far."
Alwyn looks at him.
"You mean that we were just being kind to them until now?"- He asks- "How come?"
Will smiles solemnly.
"My uncle is a trained expert in the arts of battle. He has decimated armies of rebellious loyalists, let alone outlaws who put everyone's lives at stake."- He says- "Your father may be a powerful adversary, but he lacks everything that my uncle has. If he is willing to risk a confrontation, then we will give him what he wants. In the morning, that is."
Alwyn gasps.
"Oh yeah! It's still nighttime!"- He exclaims- "Off to bed I'll be, then! Good night!"
Aurelia smiles.
"Good night, sweetheart."- She says to him- "I know that you won't sleep well, but remember. We'll always be protecting you, even in your dreams."
Alwyn nods.
"I appreciate your kindness, Mrs. Kaos."
As he and the rest of the group fall asleep, Alwyn has a dream of his father. He is sitting next to him, surrounded by hundreds (if not thousands) of his loyal followers. Once again, he is bound by magical chains, restrained and helpless.
"So, Alwyn Grayson. You finally decided to show up again."- Damien says and laughs harshly- "My, what a worm you've become. If you were truly something before you ran away from home, there nothing left. You've become the dreg of dregs, just like the people you met."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"You were the one who brought me into this world."- He says- "If I am a bad person, you are worse."
Damien laughs.
"How considerate of you to say that! About your own father, who gave everything to teach you how to survive!"- He says mockingly- "Thank for putting salt in my wound, Alwyn!"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"Enough with your philosophies, father."- He says- "End my life or let me go. I do not wish to see your filthy face any longer than I had to."
Damien smiles.
"Oh, but I won't be the one who puts an end to your miserable existence."- He says- "I already arranged a scheduled assassination. And it starts now."
As Alwyn looks up, he recognizes the person behind him. He freezes, unable to comprehend why this is going on.
"Mother... ?"
Alwyn's mother lifts her staff in the air. Her hands are shaking wildly and she looks like she is about to faint. Against her own will, she is forced to kill the child that she bore and threw away. The son that she never truly loved.
"I-I'm sorry, Alwyn."- Says- "I tried. I wanted to let you go. I failed you all."
Then, she looks away and shakes her head.
"This not my family. Anymore."- She mutters- "Goodbye, my creation."
She swings the staff, causing Alwyn to wake up from the dream. Letting out a single scream, he looks around and realizes that he still away from the mafia headquarters. Far away.
"Was this just a ghastly nightmare? Or was it a dangerous prelude? A foreshadowing, maybe?"- He says to himself- "It doesn't matter, though. One thing's for certain- whatever happened to my mother after she left, it's clear that she is not the same person anymore. If I want to live for long enough to meet my father again, I must avoid capture. Sticking with those people is for the best. I can't run away anymore."
As he stands up, Will stands next to him. He is wearing his full set of studded armor, ready for battle and adventure. Another day is ahead of the group and he is ready to lead them,
"It sounds like you had quite an eventful nightmare."- He says- "I will not ask for details, though. Your inner battles are your responsibility."
Alwyn looks at him.
"Did you... hear it?"
Will nods.
"You were dreaming about your mother."- He says- "You are lucky. You might get to meet her again... unlike me."
Alwyn raises his eyebrow.
"What happened to yours?"
Will sighs.
"A huge mishap caused her to struggle in childbirth, especially as I- the younger twin- emerged from her womb."- He says- "In a few words, me and my brother made it. She did not. Uncle and aunt raised us both ever since we were born. I was the only one who got over it. The one who prevailed."
Alwyn sighs.
"I'm sorry about that."- He says- "What about your father? Is he still here?"
Will sighs again.
"I would... rather not talk about it."- He says- "That topic is a burden for our family. I do not want to make it a burden for anyone else."
Alwyn nods.
"Then... I hope that you can find solace in what you still have."
Will looks around.
"Speaking of what I still have, have you seen my brother Quinn?"- He asks- "Medium blonde hair. Emerald green eyes. I have not seen him since we left."
Alwyn notices someone hiding in a corner. He walks up to him as he starts to shake.
"Are you Quinn?"
The boy trembles, but says nothing.
"Quinn? What happened?"- Will asks him- "Why are you hiding?"
Quinn shakes his head.
"The horrors. The screams."- He says- "I... couldn't save them, brother. I had to... flee."
Will realizes that the death of Delia happened because of Quinn's neglect and cowardice. Without thinking twice, he lunges at his own twin brother and punches him in the face. Then, when he stands back up, he slaps him in the face twice.
"You could have done something good for once! You could have been a hero! But you threw the gauntlet away, just to save your own insignificant skin!"- He yells- "You mean nothing to me anymore, Quinn! What you did today, I will never forget it!"
Shocked by his brother's actions, Quinn curls into a ball and begins to mutter to himself, clearly terrified.
"What kind of a brother are you, anyway?"- Alwyn asks.
Will sighs.
"One that does not take betrayal kindly."- He says- "Life taught me that there are many problems to deal with and many solutions to choose from. Sometimes, you have to be kind. Other times- harsh. But there is one thing that you must remember- people's lives are at stake. Many innocent souls could lose their lives, just because someone was too scared to act. That is the reason why Quinn still has to learn."
As the two of them walk out of the residence alone, Mysta approaches them.
"Umm, friends."- She says- "We have a huge problem. Existential level."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"Another problem?"- He asks- "How bad could this one be?"
As a band of ragged warriors heads toward their directions, Mysta pushes them back and shakes her head.
"The mafia freaks invaded Silverdale last night. Under our noses, I know."- She says- "Your uncle and aunt went to scout the area for possible ways to get out unnoticed. They left me here, in case you didn't know what's going on."
Alwyn looks around, puzzled.
"So you're telling me that we were walking... straight into the raging fire?"
Mysta nods.
"In other words, yeah. That's right."- She responds- "If we don't get out of here soon, they're going to find us. Our discovery is inevitable- one of the citizens is surely going to betray our location. And then, we'll be surrounded and alone."
Then, she looks at her friends.
"So."- She says- "Any ideas?"
Will thinks about the current situation for a brief period of time. Then, he stares at a more secluded part of town and nods.
"There is a way that leads out of this unfortunate predicament."- He says- "I know about the location myself. I can lead us there."
Mysta raises her eyebrow.
"Do you mean the slimy tunnel where we played together as children?"- She asks- "The time when I wedged Quinn's favorite pantaloons in a drain pipe?"
Will smiles.
"You know it just as well as I do."- He says- "So. Are you ready to go?"
Alwyn looks back at the residence.
"What about Quinn?"
Will shakes his head.
"He may look meek and cowardly, but he can handle himself pretty well."- He says- "Especially when someone endangers his precious literature."
The three of them walk for a few miles. As they get closer to the sewer entrance, Will sees the Silverdale graveyard and decides to pay a visit. Giving a few coins to the flower lady and getting an entire bouquet, he approaches his mother's grave and sighs.
"I am sorry that we have to leave you again, mom."- He says and placed the bouquet on the marble lid- "But this is not the right time to be apologetic. I need to carry on with another mission. An inevitable one."
He sighs again.
"Give me your strength again."- He says- "We need it."
Suddenly, the grave starts to glow in an eerie blue light. White sparkles dance around Will as he sees the spirit of his mother. She smiles and hugs him- a sign of her endless love and their unbreakable bond.
"Thank you, mom."- Will says and embraces her- "I knew that you will always be on our side."
Then, just as soon as it happened, the grave stops glowing. Isabella's spirit vanishes, allowing Will to continue his mission. The boy stands up and rejoins his anxious party, wondering if they are annoyed by this sudden intermission.
"So. She's still doing well?"- Mysta says and smiles- "It's a pleasure to see her so... happy. So hopeful."
Will nods.
"Unlike my brother, my mom still believes in the person that I became. And she will never stop doing so."- He says- "This is what makes us so special. A love beyond the boundaries of mortality, untainted by the principles of the modern world. Science means nothing in front of the Great Beyond."
Mysta smiles.
"A bond like that is so rare, even among those of your kind."- She says- "To think that one person could love another so hard. It makes me feel... insiginificant."
Will smiles back.
"Don't worry, Myst."- He says to her- "You mean a lot to me, too."
Mysta nods.
"That's great."- She says- "But I just want to... know that you still know me. That you still want to fight alongside me."
Will nods.
"Obviously, my friend."- He says- "We have been partners for many years. No matter what happens next, I will always respect our bond."
Mysta looks up at the pitch black sky. She nods.
"Bonds beyond everything. Respect for the Other."- She says and sighs softly, in an almost girlish way- "I'll remember that."
Alwyn looks at the two of them.
"Umm. I don't mean to interrupt you."- He says- "But aren't we supposed to be... going?"
Will looks at him and nods.
"Indeed."- He says- "Our mission is not complete yet, so let us proceed."
The three of them triumphantly approach the tunnel. They think that something will go right, for once. However, just as they step closer toward the entrance, a band of assassins emerges from the shadows. At the same time, mafia goons approach them from behind. The three heroes fell into an unexpected ambush and are inevitably surrounded.
"Oh no! Not again!"- Mysta exclaims- "Will! Do something!"
Will draws his blade and glares at the assailants.
"I am not sure if we will survive this one, but we definitely will not give up."- He says- "A fight until the end is going to happen."
As soon as the trio charge, one of the mafia goons behind them yells out in pain. Staring back, they see more of them getting stabbed in the back. And then, projectiles are thrown forward, striking the assassins.
A lone southern warrior, his skin tanned by years of walking in the harsh heat of the wastelands, strikes down the experienced hunters with ease. Even their best attempts to dislodge him are futile in the face of a true warrior. One by one, each of them is stabbed by his sharp weapon- much to the heroes' surprise, a very sharp staff- and struck by the javelins that he hurls at them. In the matter of five minutes, all of them lie dead in his feet.
The warrior approaches the trio. Victorious, he nods at them, attempting to seem as friendly as possible.
"Please don't hurt us!"- Alwyn says, interpreting the situation the wrong way- "We just want to leave this place!"
Will approaches the man and smiles.
"It is good to see you again, Chaka."
Chaka smiles back. Then, he bows his head.
"An honor to be in your presence, Kaos of the north."
Will turns back to his allies.
"My friends, I want you to meet Chaka."- He says- "He is a former slave that I rescued a few years ago, when me and my uncle were on an expedition. In the years that came by, he has been helping me out with minor matters. It seems like he finally has the courage to muster for a huge one."
Chaka extends his hand.
"It is no secret. New friends are helping Will."- He says- "The honor is mine."
Alwyn shakes his hand and nods.
"Thanks for keeping us safe, Chaka!"- He exclaims- "Without your help, we would have turned into refuse ourselves!"
Chaka looks down at the dead hunters. Then, he spits at them.
"You are not the filth. Warriors of the hidden hands are."- He says, in broken English- "Those who dare to harm friends get harmed themselves."
Will smiles.
"I do not want to brag about it, but that is one of the things that I taught him while we were training together."- He says- "Anyway, I sent a message to him, in case the situation spiraled out of control. Which it did. We are lucky that he arrived in time."
Mysta raises her eyebrow.
"I recognize you. Aren't you Chaka, hailing from the biggest desert village in the southern lands?"- She asks- "How is your family."
Chaka nods.
"Family is safe back home. They will not be endangered by political struggles."- He responds- "Chaka had to leave his homeland. To save a friend and be a hero again."
Will nods.
"Anyway Chaka, we are going to cross the sewers to reach a very dangerous person."- He says- "Do you want to tag along?"
Chaka smiles.
"Chaka loves to play tag. Especially when someone else is "it". "- He says- "Very well. I am ready to fight more."
Will pats Chaka's shoulder.
"We are glad that you decided to act against your village's ways and help us."- He says- "It was very honorable of you."
He looks at the tunnel and sighs.
"There are no signs of uncle and aunt anywhere, though."- He adds- "I hope that they're alright."
Mysta smiles.
"They will be."- She assures him- "Knowing what kind of people they are, even large bands of villains like those can't scare them. Or bring them down. They shall prevail."
Will smiles.
"If you say so."- He says- "I can only pray that you are right."
As they walk across the smelly, slimey tunnels, Mysta notices a pair of pants in a drain pipe and smiles.
"Heh. Just the way I left them."- She says to herself- "It's still worth it."
Alwyn looks at Will and shakes his head.
"All my life, I have been living in luxury."- He says- "I never imagined that I would have to do... something like this."
Will smiles.
"Oh, you do not need to worry about it! Those tunnels may be dirty and unsafe, but the only thing that is remotely annoying is the bad smell."- He exclaims- "The worst thing that can happen is the scenario when you catch some sort of an ailment."
Alwyn raises his eyebrow.
"A physical one?"
Will shakes his head.
"No."- He says- "One that affects your mind. Your thoughts."
After half an hour of tireless searching for the fabled exit, Will and his allies finally discover it. Covered in mud and slime at equal rates, the four of them emerge from the filthy sewers. Contrary to Will's warnings, their sanity remains intact and they are able to move on without difficulty.
As they continue their journey, two people approach them. Chaka stands in front of them and draws his weapon.
"Stand back, William."- He says- "Those people reek. I smell taint. Unclean warriors, they are."
Will sighs.
"Well, we will not know who they are until they approach us."- He says- "Let them move."
The two people get close enough for Will to see them, surprising him.
"Uncle?"- He says- "Aunt?"
Geralt takes a good look at Will's team and smiles.
"I see that Chaka wasted no time to find you."- He says- "That is good. We were too slow to help you out ourselves."
Aurelia bends down and stares at her nephew.
"Are you doing well, dearest?"- She asks him- "Did those money-loving monsters harm you? Do you want me to punish them?"
Will shakes his head.
"There is no need for that, aunt. With the help of Chaka, we were able to escape unharmed."- He says- "Besides, their numbers are greatly depleted. Now that we're out of town, we can find our way to the HQ with minimal trouble."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Speaking of the HQ, how can we reach it without encountering at least a few hundred more goons?"
Mysta smiles.
"Now this looks like a job for me!"
She pulls out a whistle, made entirely of an ethereal material. A few seconds later, she blows a long, low tune, filling the air with a mystic melody.
Suddenly, the black skies above and sliced in two by the wings of a white wyvern. It descends to the ground quickly, banishing the dark clouds around itself with ease. Upon closer inspection, our heroes realize that it is made of a mist-like material, as light as cotton.
"A mist wyvern! How brilliant of you, Mysta!"- Geralt compliments her- "This creature is known for its incredible speed. With its help, we shall reach the mafia HQ in no time!"
Mysta smiles and tilts her head.
"Then what are you waiting for, my human friends?"- She says- "Allow me to take you to the endless skies!"
As the group climbs on the mist wyvern, it spreads its pearlescent wings and flies back toward the sky- its true home. Mafia troops notice it and attempt to gun it down, but the creature easily deflects their attacks, destroying them with a few flaps of its wings. Others attempt to chase it, even though they are perfectly aware that they will never reach such a magnificent beast. It does not take long for them to give up.
While the wyvern heads toward its intended destination, Will looks at Mysta and smiles.
"Myst, you saved my life so many times. You taught me that there is a world beyond our primordial understanding, filled with all kinds of wonders."- He says- "What you showed me today, it was truly fascinating. I will never forget this wonderful experience."
Mysta blushes slightly and smiles.
"I only want the best for my favorite humans!"
It does not take long for the wyvern to fly across the miles of war-torn wastes and lush forests, escaping hundreds of mafia hunters and hired assassins in little more than the blink of an eye. Such a journey is most unusual for our heroes, but they manage to get over the feeling of nausea that it normally causes. And then, just as they suspect that there will be more flight in their schedule, the wyvern swiftly lands on the ground below, allowing them to disembark it.
As Mysta slides down from her trusted companion, they stare at each other for a few moments. Mysta pets its head and assures it that her father will not be angry with her. Then, satisfied with her response, the wyvern nods and heads for the skies, leaving them alone in the new destination.
"Well, everyone. I can see the secret entrance to the mafia HQ. It is not entirely visible, but I can still see it."- Will says- "So. Whenever you are ready, we shall go there and send all of those demons back into the underworld where they belong."
Alwyn nods.
"I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time."- He says- "Let's not waste any time! To my father's mafia!"
Will nods.
"As you wish, my friend."- He says- "Our journey begins anew. The road is long, but paved with good intentions."
Then, he takes the first step forward, motivating his allies to do the same.
"We are coming for you, Mr. Grayson."- He says- "Just you wait."
Without wasting any time, the team moves toward their final destination- the mafia HQ. From their current position, it seems easy enough to break in and slaughter all mafia goons who attempt to stop them. However, the truth is different, and they will realize it soon enough.
On their way to the hideout, Will pulls out a picture from his pocket and looks at it. It is of his parents- Kaiden and Isabella- when they were teenagers, much like he is right now. They are smiling and holding hands, as if they didn't have a thousand problems on their minds. This carefree attitude slightly bothers their son, but it also makes him miss them even more. Seeing them like that motivates him to be positive and appreciate the little things in his life, even the most insignificant ones.
"Still thinking about them, hmm?"- Mysta says- "I know the feeling. I once lost a parent myself. Mother was a great creature. I wonder how she's doing right now, away from us."
Will shakes his head.
"I have to admit it, Myst. But it is true. Even though you lost your mom, you still had the chance to know her."- He says- "Me? I was living in ignorance my whole life. Everything that I know about my parents was told to me by uncle and aunt. I never had the chance to see them. To be a good son and hug them."
He looks down.
"I just... wish they were here with us."- He adds- "Maybe then, I would feel like family truly matters."
Mysta places her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Aw. I'm sorry about that, Will."- She says- "Even though I don't know your parents myself, I'm sure that they would be proud of you. I mean, if the spirit of your mom is happy, this means that your dad would feel the same way. Both parents are proud of their children, no matter what... even though they have to make sudden decisions sometimes."
She looks down at the palm of her hand. Small wisps of wind float around it, ready to be unleashed.
"Our mother gave birth to me so our family could have a heir who's capable of fighting our numerous enemies with little effort. And my father, he was the one who taught me how to be humble. How to be kind to others."- She says- "Both of them disagreed with me when I risked my life to help human beings. But they never understand what it feels like to have friends like you. And the other mist wraiths? Well, they're just going to hate me for being braver than them, but that's of little concern to me. They don't matter anymore. You do."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"Have you thought about fulfilling the desires of your parents sometime in your life?"- He asks- "You sound like someone who appreciates their opinion, so why would you decide to act against their will?"
Mysta chuckles.
"Heh. That's something that has always crossed my mind."- She says- "Parents want you to be successful, but you can't be successful and happy at the same time. Going to university's not the same as playing a videogame that you like. You can earn money for doing both, but the matter of independence is always in question. My parents, they definitely wanted me to be happy, to be loved. But I always knew, deep inside, that it would drag me away from my true intentions. I wanted to be something better than most mother's boys and girls in our realm. My brother always bended to their desires and pretended that he doesn't care about anything else, but I was better than that. Unlike my servile sibling, I fully understood the concept of the unknown and delved deep into it. My curious self has always wanted to know more about the creatures that we despised. And thus, I came all the way here, to be away from my family and focus on things that actually matter. It's a bad thing to be far from your loved ones, but it's a risk that I'm willing to take to be with people who truly understand me. Like you, Willy."
She pulls out a large, crimson book and shows it to him.
"During my time here, I scavenged for items that might help me understand your kind better. This book was written by one of you humans. It made me curious."- She says- "So I've been reading it. A few months have passed since I started. I read and reread every paragraph that explains what humans are capable of. And you know what? Your kind has something that few other creatures are capable of- a rainbow of emotions. Full sentience. Other members of this world would fight for those things, yet they're innate for your kind."
Will nods.
"And this is what separates us from the creatures that do not possess sentience."- He says- "Having a fully developed mind of your own also comes with countless burdens that the human being must endure. That is what my uncle has always implied as he trained me to become a warrior and what I understood after staring at those who used their mind for something other than making a good example. Correcting others is not our job, but we still do it. Do you know why? Well, it is a wonder for me, too. But what I understood in the years that passed is the necessity to make an example. To lead people toward the right path. Serving as a beacon of hope is a great thing, but it also comes with a cost. If you are unable to handle it, then you are not a true guardian of this world."
Mysta smiles.
"So you're saying that some creatures are better defenders than the beings that inhabit this world?"- She says and chuckles- "I've never seen my own actions in such an advanced way. But, if you say so, I choose to believe you. After all, you know much more about this world than I do."
Geralt interrupts them and points at the large area in front of them.
"Excuse me, children. But we already reached the HQ."- He says- "Can you help us out? Please?"
Mysta sighs.
"But our problems shall soon begin anew."- She says- "You're right. We always have burdens in our lives. But the question is- do we have what it takes to endure them all?"
With that thought in mind, Myst joins Will as they approach the secret hideout. They stare at the hidden entrance, puzzled by the fact that there seems to be nothing in front of them. There are the outlines of a gate, but a large slab of stone is blocking their way into the HQ.
"What a clever way to disguise something in plain sight."- Will says- "From the looks of it, such a contraption could confuse a normal person with ease. We are not normal people, though. We are immune to such trickery."
Alwyn nods.
"I think that I remember this place."- He says- "Long ago, when I was a child, my father used to lock me inside of the main quarters, thinking that I was too rebellious to walk around freely. Whenever he looked the other way, I always dug my way into a secret tunnel and escaped into the lands beyond our HQ, meeting what few friends I had. And the best thing is, he never knew anything about it. For years, it stayed hidden, even from his most experienced hunters and trackers."
He touches the cold stone with a bare hand.
"If what I remember is still correct, then this means that a secret button must be around here."- He says- "Finding it will get us closer to my father. If something else doesn't get us first, of course."
Will nods.
"Then let us make finding that button a priority."- He says- "Inspect every single wall, from start to finish. Do not let any crucial details escape your eyes."
As the heroes start to search the walls for hidden clues, Chaka looks around. He is thinking about the family that he left back home and wonders if any of the mafia goons managed to get to them. He considers apologizing and leaving to protect them, but honor demands that he stays with his friends until the end.
"Hey Will."- He says to his friend- "Do you think Chaka did well?"
Will raises his eyebrow.
"What are you talking about, Chaka?"
Chaka looks down.
"Chaka had to leave home and family to find you again. Had to cross land and sea to rescue you."- He says- "Was it worth it? Is Chaka still fit to be warrior?"
Will smiles.
"I would never dare to say anything to encourage you or demoralize you."- He says- "That is your decision to make. You came all the way here, risking man and country as you went. Only time will tell if your decision was worth it or not."
Chaka sighs.
"I hope you right, Will."- He says- "Chaka will continue fighting bad guys. But home, I still miss it."
Will nods.
"Once this nightmare is over, I assure you that the road home will be easier."- He says- "You will be back soon. I promise."
Chaka nods.
"Chaka understands. Road to glory never easy."- He says- "But family always with me. Friends, too. Together, we will beat all bad guys."
Will smiles.
"That is the spirit, my friend!"
As the two of them continue to search, Chaka feels a brief moment of clairvoyance. He stares at a secluded part of the wall. It takes him very little to realize that there is something there, hidden from plain sight and invisible to anyone, but the most well-trained hunters. 
With little hesitation, he approaches it, intending to be useful to the group until the end. He takes a good look at the weird outcropping, like a wild animal watching something that was previously unknown to it. Gears click inside of his mind as he weighs the possibility and wonders whether it's worth pushing it or not.
"What did you find, Chaka?"- Will asks him- "Some kind of a nice secret?"
Chaka shakes his head.
"Chaka not sure if this is useful. He has seen many weird things in life, but never something so... obvious."- He says- "Push it? Don't push it? Chaka knows not,"
Will stares at the button himself. His mind tells him that something is horribly wrong, but his body tells him to push it and take the risk.
"Although there seems to be nothing unusual about this button, something tells me that an isolated outcropping like this one could mean trouble."- He says to himself- "I do not want to risk it. There is already too much at stake. However, if we do not tempt fate, we will never be able to reach the HQ in time and stop the mafia once and for all. But... is it worth it?"
As Will and Chaka wonder whether it will be a good idea or not, they hear a gunshot coming from behind him. A stray bullet heads toward them, but they are barely able to avoid it. A lucky move but, as it turns out, not so lucky for the object behind them.
It turns out that the bullet managed to hit the button behind them. Whether they wanted to find out or not, they are now forced to face the consequences of another person's action, just like they have always done so far.
Alwyn sees the perpetrator just as he takes another shot. Acting quickly, he pulls out his gun and blows his head off with a single shot, saving the lives of both Will and Chaka. However, the gauntlet has already been thrown. The passage opens soon after deed is done.
Will and Chaka stand in front of the entrance, wondering what is lying ahead of them. Little do they know that, even after everything they did, there are still troubles around the corner. Pressing the button was just a prelude to something worse, and their problems are just getting started.
"Chaka smells trouble just ahead."- Chaka says- "Big Bad Mafia Boss is not going to let this slide. I think."
Alwyn nods.
"You know, I think that I agree with the southerner."- He says- "My father may be an incompetent magnate, but he is not foolish enough to let something slide under his nose. Caution is advised, even in the scenario when there's nothing in sight."
Will shakes his head.
"Danger or not, one thing is obvious. The road ahead is paved with ill intentions and we must fight not to become their victims."- He says- "Keep moving, everyone. We are not out of the waters just yet. Worse, we have yet to sink deeper. Do not lose your focus."
And yet, even their worst fears could come true. A few steps ahead of the entrance, a hidden alarm activates and starts to blare, startling our heroes and forcing them to look around.
"An automatic alarm system, meant to disorient intruders."- He says- "How peculiar. My father is nothing, but humble and predictable."
Mysta raises her eyebrow.
"That's weird. I was expecting an entire squadron of mafia freaks to rush in and surround us."- She says- "What's the catch, Grayson?"
Alwyn chuckles.
"My father's inner circle of warriors is too fat and lazy to make any significant moves against the enemies that happen to stumble into the HQ."- He says- "Only the hunters that they train are capable of dealing real damage."
Although Alwyn's words imply that there is nothing to fear (at least for now), something in the alarm system makes Will feel suspicious. Deciding that it is best if their position is not exposed right away, he hurls a fireball. The blaring source of nightmares is easily shattered, but the feeling of dread does not subside.
It is at this moment that the horrible sounds cease. However, a faint rumbling can be heard coming from nearby, unbeknownst to anyone but Will himself.
"Look out everyone!"
The words come out as quickly as possible. Will attempts to rush toward his allies to save them from the impact, but the trap is triggered way too fast. As he runs forward, Chaka intercepts him and pushes him out of the way. It is only his lightning fast reaction that saves his friend's life.
Unfortunately, such a brave and selfless deed proves to be fatal for him. A lance of fire pierces Chaka's chest leaving behind a charred hole, from one end of his body to the other. There is no point trying to save his life- he was killed instantly by the sudden impact.
"Oh no."- Will says- "This... cannot be. He is gone."
The rest of his allies are, understandably, horrified. Chaka managed to save the lives of everyone else by taking the blow himself. He was not able to speak English very well, but his loyalty toward the people that he trusted was, without a doubt, his most redeeming quality.
As the entire group continues to mourn their fallen ally, his skin starts to get lighter. Will witnesses the same signs that he saw within his girlfriend after her demise- Chaka is close to turning into an Undead. Geralt notices the unease within his nephew and gives him his revolver, allowing the boy to put down his deceased friend before the inevitable happens.
"Chaka. He did not deserve to be treated like this."- Will says- "Everything happened so suddenly. So unexpectedly. By the time I knew what was going on, he was... was... "
Geralt shakes his head.
"I barely knew this kid, but he really made himself known in the circle of heroes."- He says- "May he rest in peace."
Alwyn sighs.
"Another unfortunate victim of my father's dark desires."- He mutters- "When will this end?"
Mysta shakes her head.
"I don't mean to be a bother, but we need to bury him soon."- She says solemnly- "Staying here and mourning for our own will only invite trouble."
As soon as the heroes prepare to bury Chaka's lifeless body, a small gang of mafia goons approaches them. Their leader, his gun drawn, approaches the heroes and draws another gun, aiming both of them at Will and Alwyn.
"If you thought that we forgot about you, think again."- He says- "You're in the deep highlands now. Dealing with our kind'll only get worse."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"Excuse me, but who do you think you are?"- He asks- "You seem to be some kind of important person, but I just cannot put my finger on your name."
The man nods.
"My name's Milo. Expert headhunter and member of Mr. Grayson's inner circle."- He says- "And don't you forget it."
Mysta glares at him.
"Are you the person who rigged those traps and killed our friend?"
Milo nods.
"That uneducated savage? He was a decent warrior, but even he didn't last against the traps that I left for you."- He says- "It's a real shame none of you fell for them, though. Either way, I'm sure you learned the lesson here- no place's truly safe when you're bein' chased by our brotherhood."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"Brotherhood? More like order of the bloodhounds."- He mutters- "None of you were ever brothers of mine, to begin with."
Milo smirks and raises his guns again.
"Now get movin'. "- He says- "I'm tired of all this pointless chatter."
Will angrily clenches his fists.
"And what makes you think that we will listen to your orders, you brute?"- He asks him- "Do you have some sort of determining factor that will turn the tables?"
Milo smiles.
"Why, of course! I almost forgot!"- He exclaims- "In case I didn't prove my point, let me prove it further."
He turns around, his guns still pointed at the team.
"Oh, Iris! Your son is over here!"- He exclaims- "Come and see him, if you dare!"
Much to the surprise of the group, a young woman joins the goons. However, the reactions between her and her son are completely different. While Alwyn is shocked to see his mother again, Iris is completely unfazed by his presence. It is almost as if something drained all good feelings out of her body, leaving nothing but an emotionless shell behind in its violent wake.
"M-mom!"- Alwyn exclaims- "I can't believe it! You're alive!"
Alwyn tries to hug his mother, but she pushes him away and pushes the barrel of her gun against the boy's head.
"Save your tears for the court, my child."- She says- "We gave you too many chances. It's time for you to repent for each one of them."
As she prepares to shoot Alwyn on the spot, Geralt stands in her way and glares at her.
"Excuse me, but who do you think you are, treating this tormented child the way you do?"- He asks her- "A parent you may be, but have you ever been faithful? Is it love when you hate what he has become? Did you ever realize that you were the malefactor that led to his current upbringing? If you had been here for him, was he going to become a rebel and act against his own family?"
For a moment, Iris lowers her gun. She contemplates whether Geralt's statement is right or not, whether the fault is actually inside of her. Motherly feelings start to appear as she looks at her son. Tiny tears appear on her face as she remembers the torment that she had to face, the vicious punishment delivered by her own beloved.
But then, she glares at them again. She blinks a few times, as if to ward away the good still inside of her own heart, then continues to aim her gun at Alwyn.
"I guess some people are beyond help and reason."- Geralt says and sighs- "Fine. Let it be like that. But allow me to warn you- if you ever dare to hurt your own child, we will make sure that you deeply regret it. And it will not matter if you are his mother or not, the stars shall be covered in your blood either way."
Geralt's persistence seems to cause great fear to Iris. Although she does hate her son, she hates being terrified more. She stands behind MIlo as he starts to escort the group through the secret tunnels, his guns drawn on both Alwyn and Will.
Will looks back at Iris. However, instead of being hateful toward her, he is simply curious.
"So."- He says- "If you are Alwyn's mother, does this mean... "
Milo shakes his head.
"No questions!"- He exclaims- "Keep moving, brat!"
Geralt clenches his fist.
"Why, you insolent nobody... "
As the situation starts to escalate, a lone person climbs the pipes around the tunnel. Soon, he manages to get just above Milo, watching him as he draws both of his guns on Geralt. The man attempts to fight back, but Milo uses a tainted chain, slowly draining his energy in the process.
"It seems like you're the nobody, Mr. Big Hero!"- Milo exclaims- "How does it feel to be in the same category as your own enemies?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"You don't know anything about the ways of this world."- He says- "Unhand me, if you know what is good for your measly group."
Milo stares at Geralt for a few seconds. Then, he cackles, in an evil way.
"You really think that this will save my group?"- He says- "Oh, you poor, faded celebrity. Your time to shine came a long time ago, but now you are nothing more than the enemies that you're killing. Look at the trail of blood behind you! You're a killer, hired by the forces of goodness to do their bidding!"
Then, he proudly points at himself.
"We are the revolution that will bring the Known Lands to their knees!"- He yells- "We are the angels of demise! We are the end of the-- "
Suddenly, a pair of daggers gets thrown at the back of Milo's neck. He falls to the ground, choking on his own blood, as our heores draw their weapons and strike back against his group without any remorse.
As Milo looks around, hoping to find his assailant before he does, a lone human leaps down from the shaft above his head. Once he lands on top of him, he raises his laser gun and fires it at a screaming mafia goon, saving Alwyn's life.
"Arnaud?"- Alwyn says and smiles- "Is that you?"
Arnaud smiles back.
"Bonjour, monsieur Alwyn."- He says- "It is good to see you again."
Then, he points his laser gun at another charging mafia goon and guns him down with two precise shots in the chest.
"But I fear that your clan is not so... welcoming."
Alwyn sighs.
"I guess that you're right."- He says- "Can you get us out of this mess?"
Arnaud nods.
"I got you out of a mess once."- He says- "Do you think that I can do it again?"
Alwyn smiles.
"Well, I'll be glad to see you in action."
The two boys work together, gunning down mafia goons with their high tech guns. A few of them get dangerously close, but are easily annihilated by Will's magic and thrown away by Mysta's magical winds. Soon, most of the assailants are either dead or barely alive on the floor below.
Another small group of mafia goons yells and charges toward them. Arnaud looks around and smiles.
"Ah. You have managed to find the secret tunnel once again."- He says- "There is a bundle of secrets I never showed you, though. Now, if you may kindly step back... "
Seeing that things are about to get dangerous in their current spot, Will escorts his allies a safe distance away from the blast radius. And soon, true to his word, Arnaud unleashes a barrage of dangerous traps, each meant to demoralize their enemies.
First, a secret bomb trap is set off, blasting a large number of bandits and incinerating them to the bone. Their charred, skeletal remains fly around as their allies realize how quickly this event actually happened.
The second one is much more straightforward. As the remains of the pitiful mafia assault band approaches Arnaud, a large trapdoor opens up behind their feet. They fall into a large pit of spikes, their entire bodies pierced almost instantly. It may not be very original, but it is a very painful way to go. That cannot be denied.
Finally, the third trap opens two secret doors nearby, revealing a deadly duo of huge golems. They approach the final members of the mafia hunters as they attempt to make a last stand, pounding each one of them to dust. And then, they dutifully mop up the disgusting mess and throw it into the nearly spike pit. Once their job is done, they return to their spots as the secret doors close behind them, becoming inactive soon afterwards.
"Well. That was very innovative."- Will says and smiles- "My augurations, young warrior. What you did here was, without a doubt, an impressive show of modern guardianship."
Arnaud smiles back.
"My name is Arnaud, by the way."- He says- "I'm Alwyn's best friend. My friend fled from the HQ some time ago and I felt compelled to find him. Duty calls, you know."
Then, he turns to Alwyn and pats his shoulder.
"I'm glad you found some new pals, little lion."
Alwyn smiles.
"It's true. I found a lot of new faces along the way."- He says- "But I could never forget yours, little eagle."
As the two boys start to joke about their current situation, they notice Iris just as she starts to run away from the scene. They attempt to give chase, but Will stops them, shaking his head as the trio watches her run away, like a true coward.
"There is no way to hunt for the condemned."- He says- "If we fail to get her, somebody else will. The world is full of heroes, and none of them will allow someone like her to insult them with her presence."
Alwyn's eyes fill with tears.
"But... she's my mother!"
Will shakes his head.
"She does not deserve you, Alwyn. Let her go."- He says- "You have a new family now. And we will not let her harm you, ever again."
Without a single word of command, Geralt raises his bow and fires a warning arrow, startling Iris and almost making her trip.
"I do feel bad about her current predicament, though."- Will continues- "I mean, I really wish we could have saved her. Maybe she is not as bad as she seems to be."
Arnaud shakes his head.
"She and Mr. Grayson beat Al when he was a kid. They neglected him 24/7, pretended that they are the lights of his life and punished anyone who dared to say otherwise."- He says- "That's the reason why so many children turned into orphans. Their parents tried to teach them how to be proper parents, only to be shot in the back a while later. We, the children, are the only survivors of the ensuing manslaughter. We tried to warn everyone else... but their desire to change the ways of our leader overwhelms the possible danger."
Will nods.
"And has anyone done anything to prevent this monster from killing anyone else?"
Arnaud sighs.
"Sometimes, I wish they actually cared about us."- He says- "But the truth is different. We were born orphans... and orphans, we shall remain."
Alwyn looks down.
"I'm sorry, Arnaud."
Arnaud shakes his head.
"No need for regret, little lion."- He says to him- "Bad memories are not meant to drag us down. They make us stronger. We hone our skills thanks to them."
And then, the group hears a faint voice, filled with malice, coming from nearby.
"Alwyn... "
Will looks up.
"It sounds like the main troublemaker is near."- He says- "Come on, everyone! Do not falter! The sooner we reach the end of the road- the sooner we shall be rewarded with freedom!"
And then, he leaps forward, following the voice as best as he can.
"Wait, Will!"- Alwyn exclaims- "From the looks of it, this sounds like a trap. Maybe we should-- "
*SLAM*
Three huge gates surround them, blocking their way. Vaulting over them is not an option- they are almost as tall as walls and as slippery as a giant slime on a sunny day. Their only option is to walk forward.
"Argh! "- Alwyn exclaims- "I almost forgot about this one!"
Will looks at him.
"What are you talking about, my friend?"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"Father left a few defensive mechanisms behind when I left. This is one of them."- He says- "It's a complex gate puzzle, meant to baffle the young, untrained mind. Fortunately, I have experience getting out of mazes, so I'll lead us both out of this."
He looks back, beyond the side gate, and sighs.
"As for the others, I'm not quite sure if they'll be lucky like us."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"What about that Milo person?"
Alwyn sighs.
"He probably bled out five minutes ago. Or something to that extent."- He says- "Now come on. We need to get moving. The wheels of fate cannot turn without our help."
The two heroes pass through the pathways that are still open for them. Gates open and close behind them, threatening to trap them forever in a neverending maze of madness, But that is not enough to break them down. Nothing will ever shake their will, even if their backs are against the walls.
In one of the passages, the duo discovers a pack of peculiar hounds. Their fur is crimson red and their eyes are flashing with the color of blood. Worse, their entire bodies are on fire, threatening to both maul our heroes and burn them to death at the same time.
"What in the world?!"- Will says- "I have seen a lot of strange creatures, but this one? It is completely new to me."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"Those... things... are called hellhounds."- He says- "Nasty, flaming beasts, with the sad tendency to set everything around them on fire. They're almost always feral and leap at anything they consider to be food. My father loved them when I was a child."
He stares at the growling hellhounds and sighs.
"And it seems like his obsession did not fade away with time."- He says- "Predictable as ever. That's what he is."
As the hellhounds advance upon them, Will takes a step back and smiles.
"Well. If what you are saying is true, then I reckon there is only one weakness in their DNA."- He says- "Can you make a guess?"
Alwyn raises his eyebrow.
"I don't know, buddy. I'm not the one who has dedicated his time to master the magical circles."- He says- "So, I'll just watch and see what happens. If you don't mind."
Will looks at him.
"Why are you acting like this?"- He asks him- "Are you... afraid?"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"Not quite."- He says- "I'm just... disgusted by the way they treat every living creature. Many times, I told my father to keep them outside, but did he listen to me? Of course he didn't. Just staring at them fills me with anger. Disgust too, of course."
Will sighs.
"Either way, there is only one way to deal with creatures attuned to the element of Fire."- He says- "Watch closely."
Will channels his inner water magic. A small stream of water appears in his hands moments later. Then, he directs it toward the nearest water fountain, absorbing its energy and making the stream much stronger.
Finally, he hurls it behind the unsuspecting hellhounds. Just as they pounce, a small tsunami appears and washes them away. The duo listens as their pained howls fade away into the night, never to be heard again.
"For a young and untrained rookie, you're pretty good at magic."- Alwyn says and smiles- "I'll never be able to learn any myself, but it's always good to see an expert in action."
The drained body of a hellhound survivor washes up in front of Will's feet. It pathetically snaps at him, in the hopes of taking a bite before it falls, but Will murders it by plunging his sword between its jaws, breaking them in the process.
"We may have won this battle, but there is still one more that we must take care of."- He says- "Come on, my friend. We are getting closer to the core."
Alwyn clenches his fists.
"I can't wait to meet that father of mine."- He says- "Again."
However, just as they prepare to leave the area, something grabs Will's foot. He tries to shake it off, but the unknown being is just too powerful. When he looks back, he realizes- shocked- that Milo managed to survive.
"Milo?!"- He exclaims- "I thought that you-- "
Before he can do anything to stop him, Milo pulls out a rusty dagger and stabs him in the leg. Then, as the hero falls to the ground, he stabs him in the shoulder, making him lose a lot of blood in the process.
Will does his best to grab his sword and stab Milo back. However, the crafty huntsman soon finds a weak spot and knocks the weapon away, next to the stone statue of a long lost hero of the old mafia.
"Is that Benedict Grayson, my great-great-great grandfather that my father always despised?"- Alwyn says to himself, confused- "What is he doing here?"
Milo coughs blood as he points both of his guns at Will's skull.
"You thought that you made a fool outta me. Thought that you could get away from the harbringer of doom."- He says- "Tough luck, sport. I ain't having any of this."
Will struggles against his opponent, but soon realizes that it is futile. His enemy has got him trapped into an unbreakable chokehold and he is too weak to fight back. Thus, he is forced to search for another opportunity to free himself from Milo's grasp.
And then, he takes a look at his sword and the statue near it. He notices that its eyes have started to glow white. A sure sign of real trouble. But, perhaps, not for him, if he manages to play his cards right.
Realizing what this means, Will looks back at Milo and sighs.
"So, Mr. Milo."- He asks- "Have you ever wanted to see one of the founding fathers of your beloved mafia? In person?"
Milo raises his eyebrow
"What in the seven blazing guns are you talking about?!"
Will continues to smile.
"I think that looking back right now might be a bad idea."- He continues- "You might regret it."
Out of curiosity, Milo does the exact opposite thing. As he stares back at the awakening statue, he realizes that it has gotten free from its pedestal. Terrified, he tries to run away, but the statue uses its magic to turn his feet into stone, effectively paralizing him in place.
The living statue takes a look at the area around it, littered with the corpses of charred mafia goons and withered hellhounds alike, and makes a noise that certainly sounds like pure, unrestrained disapproval.
"Is this what my dear mafia has turned into? After all the years that I spent working to turn us into a vigilante society?!"- The statue yells, its voice eerily humanlike- "Now you shall experience the rage of the forgotten!"
Before Milo can even say a single word of defiance, the living statue raises its hands. Suddenly, the entire body of the hunter is turned into solid stone! Will and Alwyn are surprised by the fallen mafia master's powers, but not entirely shocked by them.
As the lead hunter's faint muffles are heard behind the unbreakable prison of stone, the living statue sighs and shakes his head.
"No. You don't deserve to die like this. I am being far too merciful."- He says and waves his earthern arms- "I shall let the younglings judge you, traitor!"
Then, in the blink of an eye, the stone covering Milo's entire body explodes, sending the foul hunter flying into a hanging crane hook, piercing his back and mortally wounding him. Even if he wanted to, he cannot escape from that predicament.
Satisfied with a job well done, the living statue nods to the duo.
"If what I am led to believe is true, you are the new, untainted heir of the Grayson legacy."- He says- "Good luck, kid. If you want some advice, you know where to find me."
Then, he steps back on his pedestal, his entire body becoming inanimate almost immediately afterwards.
"It looks like some of your ancestors do not approve with your father's ways."- Will says- "We are not alone in this place, Alwyn."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"I heard many things about the renegade mafia master, born long before the concept of the modern mafia was implemented."- He says- "To think that he actually tried to prevent the corruption of our clan is astounding, at least for me."
Will nods. Then, he approaches the feeble huntsman and sighs.
"It looks like the coin of Life had two sides, Milo."- He says- "And on the other side was your weak part. Once exposed, you turned into another cowardly fool."
He glares at him.
"I want to end your life myself. I really do."- He continues- "But this is not the way I do my duties. Unlike you, I am not a heartless killer, nor a cold tyrant. Even though you did so much to harm all of my friends, I will not allow myself to hate you, nor your master."
Then, without any hesitation, he turns his back on him.
"I will allow the gods to judge your corrupted soul."- He finishes- "Whether you will go to Heaven or Hell, it depends on them."
As Will joins Alwyn, numerous insults can be heard from Milo's mouth, some of them fiercer than anything both children have ever heard in their entire lives. However, they do not allow themselves to fall victim to their own rage, vowing to leave the insane huntsman instead.
However, just as they prepare to leave the area, Milo breaks free from his restraints. Miraculously, despite being mortally wounded, he lunges at Will and trips him. He angrily shoots at the ground next to him, narrowly missing every single shot.
Before he can finally deliver a clear blow, a stray laser bullet hits him in the ribs. Then, another hits him in the chin, making him choke on his own blood. He falls to the ground, barely believing that he has been defeated.
Will and Alwyn look back, surprised that someone is helping them out. That is the moment when they see Arnaud smiling at them.
"Keep moving, friends!"
Alwyn smiles back.
"Thank you, Arno."
Alwyn helps Will stand on his feet and briefly tends to his minor wounds. As they prepare to leave, Will points his gun at the recently deceased Milo's head, deciding to put him down, despite the fact that he is directly responsible for his friend's demise. However, before he can take the shot, Alwyn places his hand on his shoulder and shakes his head.
"There's no reason to feel pity for the wicked. Leave him be."- He says to him- "More of my father's goons are coming this way. When they arrive here, they shall receive a very unpleasant surprise. And, believe me, none of them have ever shot a man in the head before."
Will shakes his head.
"Nobody deserves to end up as a hideous undead."- He says- "Even absolute filth like him."
Alwyn sighs.
"I won't force you to do anything."- He says- "It's your choice whether to end his existence or not. As much as I hate him, I won't interfere."
Then, true to his word, he turns around and takes a few steps away from him, allowing him to make the hard choice alone.
Will continues to point his gun at Milo's corpse. Then, just as he prepares to pull the trigger, he remembers how the man's trap managed to kill his friend- Chaka. He sees the exact same moment that he saw an hour ago, except that he is in Chaka's shoes. He feels the pain that Chaka felt as he was struck by the lance of fire, sees as his vision is clouded by his own blood. Even though his friend's demise was instant, it was far from painless.
Remembering what his uncle said earlier, Will stands up and shakes his head. He pulls his gun away and takes Milo's weapons.
"You are right, Alwyn. People like him do not deserve to be spared."- He says- "Come on. Let's get going."
Just as they walk through another gate, Milo inevitably reanimates. His undead self stands back on his feet, then hears the sounds of battle in the distance and shambles away. Will watches him briefly as he leaves, stoic and composed. Then, he joins his friend as the duo finally reaches the end of the nightmarish maze.
As the two of them step past the hellhound remains and through the final gate, a wave of light washes over them. They stumble into a large chamber, resembling the glory of Nature itself, almost making them think that they made it outside.
"It seems like we made our way to Heaven!"- Will exclaims- "Everything is so... beautiful!"
And then, they hear the angry yell of the zone's guardian. A nearby bush is set on fire, to prove the point.
"Or Hell!"- Alwyn corrects him- "Hell's a better word for this!"
As they wonder what will happen next, a young woman descends from a nearby pillar. She glares at the two boys, clearly loathing them for entering her lair.
"Natura Perdet Te!"- She yells. (Translation: Nature Will Destroy You!)
Will looks at the young shaman.
"Umm. Excuse me, miss. Are you the keeper of this realm?"- He asks her- "We are a group of friendly heroes. We do not wish to hurt anything here. Can you direct us toward the nearest mafia warlord? I promise that we will leave you be as soon as possible."
The woman shakes her head.
"You will not leave this realm alive, invaders!"
As the shaman starts to mutter a spell, her eyes start to glow light teal, surprising both children and resonating with her bright teal hair. Spirits start to whisper around them as she prepares to command them.
"No way!"- Alwyn exclaims- "Is that you, Aya?!"
Will looks at him, surprised.
"Do you know this person?"
Alwyn smiles.
"Of course!"- He says- "Aya has been a friend of mine ever since we were children. She was always faithful to me. We always played in the gardens above the mafia headquarters, away from our duty-bound fathers. When they were still around, that was."
He looks at her, evaluating the team's chances for survival.
"It seems like she has fully dedicated herself to Nature. The loss of the gardens above must have been quite a blow for her."- He adds- "I wish I could go there and comfort her, but it's way too dangerous. Our best bet, at least for now, is to brace for impact and hope for the best."
Will shakes his head.
"If this person is a friend of yours, I refuse to fight her."- He says and sheathes his weapon- "No friend of my friends is an enemy of mine."
Alwyn smiles sadly.
"Rest assured that I appreciate it."- He says and looks at the infuriated shaman- "However, I don't think Aya feels the same way."
As vines rise from the ground, Will raises a magical shield, protecting both himself and Alwyn in the process. The large creations of Nature whack against the magical barrier, successfully forming cracks on its surface.
"You are powerless against the defenders of Nature, invaders!"- Aya yells as she summons a host of spirits to weaken the barrier further.
Will looks back at Alwyn and shakes his head.
"Alwyn, I don't think I can keep this barrier around for much longer!"- He yells- "You have to go and slay your father alone!"
Alwyn gasps.
"What are you talking about?!"- He exclaims- "You said that you'll be there when the time finally comes! Why are you bailing out at the end of the road?!"
Will smiles serenely.
"Believe me, I would love to see the look on the old man's face as you crush his empire."- He says- "But I am far too preoccupied right now. I cannot help you. So, as much as I hate to say it, you are on your own. My friend."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"No! I won't do this!"- He yells- "You helped me out so many times! It's my turn to repay you for your a-- "
Suddenly, the magical shield protecting both children breaks. Will is entangled in the vicious vines and cannot help but watch as a huge thorn flies forward and pierces Alwyn's chest, sending him to the ground like a brave soldier, struck by the enemy's foul bullets.
"Alwyn!"- Will screams as he attempts to free himself- "No! NO!"
Aya prepares to cast another powerful spell, but Will's scream puts her rage to a halt. She listens, in horror, as the boy cries out his friend's name and immediately realizes what she has done.
"Alwyn. "- She mutters- "Alwyn... Grayson?"
Then, she takes a better look at the wounded boy and immediately recognizes him.
"Al!"- She screams as she takes him in her arms, starting to cry almost immediately afterwards- "By Nature's glory! What have I done?!"
Despite being trapped by huge vines, Will is still capable of using his magic. The temperature of his body rises greatly, melting the powerful restraints almost instantly as he runs forward and angrily grabs Aya by the neck.
"Normally, I do not intend to harm the friends of my allies! But this! This is where I draw the line!"- He yells- "Why would you do such a thing?! What is wrong with you?!"
Aya shakes her head.
"I'm so sorry!"- She exclams- "I didn't know... "
Will angrily shakes his head.
"Apologizing will not save him!"- He yells- "If you are a true friend of Alwyn, do not allow him to die!"
Aya nods frantically.
"I won't! I won't!"- She exclaims- "I promise!"
Using Nature's powers, Aya reaches deep into Alwyn's wounds and starts to heal them. However, despite the girl's best efforts, the wounds continue to open after getting sealed. Even her incredible magic is not enough to keep Alwyn from bleeding out.
Defeated, Aya rests her hand on Alwyn's chest and starts to cry again.
"Forgive me, my dear friend!"- She wails- "It's my fault! My fault!"
Just as she thinks that everything is over for her friend, she starts to hear a faint heartbeat once again. Looking up, she realizes that Will is using his meager skill in healing to prevent his friend from leaving this world.
"I have got you covered!"- He exclaims- "Keep working!"
Aya stands up and nods.
"T-thank you!"
The two of them do their best to seal Alwyn's wounds, slowly bringing the young warrior back to life. With each second, his condition keeps getting better and better, giving the two young healers hope for salvation.
Finally, after ten minutes of hard work, Alwyn opens his eyes and starts to breathe again. 
Will stands back and smiles.
"He will live."
Overjoyed to see her friend alive and well, Aya runs into his arms and hugs him.
"Al! I thought that I lost you for good when you left!"- She exclaims- "I can't believe it! You're back!"
Alwyn smiles and lies in Aya's arms.
"It feels so good to see you again, Aya."- He says- "Your warmth, inside and outside, is making me feel so... peaceful."
Aya grabs his face and shakes her head.
"Don't you dare fall asleep!"- She exclaims- "Don't you dare leave me alone in this world!"
Will stares at the two of them, remembering how he and his late girlfriend- Stella- had a similar relationship. 
"They have such a wonderful relationship."- He says to himself- "Is this what love feels like?"
Then, much to his surprise, he sees Stella's spirit in front of him. Unlike what he thought before, she is completely grown-up. A beautiful teenager, just like Will himself, is standing in front of the young hero, smiling serenely.
"Stel, my dear."- He says- "You... will not leave me again, right?"
Stella smiles and embraces her boyfriend, compelling him to do the same.
"I love you, my little starling."
Then, the two of them kiss, showing that Will's love for his girlfriend never faded away. He has always adored the young woman, and their kiss is starting to feel very real. A truly heartwarming moment happens to them, but it will be over soon.
Then, without a warning, Stella embraces her beloved once again and fades away, leaving nothing but tiny pieces of stardust behind.
"You were with me during the worst childhood nightmares. You helped me face them, fearless and resolute. And you never truly faded away."- Will says to himself- "I will never stop loving you, Stel."
He opens his eyes just as Alwyn and Aya stare at him.
"Well, my friend?"- Alwyn says- "Are you ready to go?"
Will blinks a few times, readjusting his eyes to the light. He looks around and nods.
"What are you talking about, Alwyn? I am always ready."- He jokes- "So. Is our plan still the same?"
Aya clenches her fists.
"I'll make Mr. Grayson suffer for making me hurt my dear Al!"
Alwyn nods.
"In other words, it is."- He says- "Whever you're ready to go, we'll launch a quick and lethal raid. With all of his finest hunters gone, father won't know what hit him."
Will smiles.
"Then the stage is set."- He says- "There is no need to wait any longer. Let us proceed toward the end of the road. Together."
Will and his allies step through the gate, stumbling into another hall. Confused, they look around, realizing that the scenery around them has changed.
"I didn't see this earlier."- Aya says- "What in the name of Nature is going on?"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"It seems like my father is trying to confuse us. Trap us in a neverending maze, like a bunch of helpless rats."- He says- "In his eyes, we are nothing more but worthless peons. It is no surprise that he could use something like this against us."
Then, he walks up to a seemingly uninteresting wall and touches it. A way forward is revealed not long afterwards.
"But even his best effots will not stop me."- He says- "Come on. Let's finish off the cornered prey."
As the trio proceeds, a giant wall mace swings toward them. Will attempts to protect his allies with a magical shield, but it turns out that it is not strong enough, so Aya reinforces it with the power of Nature. Working together, the two of them deflect the mace's attack and direct it toward a nearby wall, shattering it and revealing a new room in the process.
"You gotta watch out for those."- She says- "Mr. Grayson doesn't take intrusion lightly. His traps are everywhere."
Will shakes his head.
"As far as I know, every villain lair has them."- He says- "It is of no surprise to me that this freak uses orthodox methods to deal with his problems."
Alwyn sighs.
"Sometimes, I advised my father to cease his obsession to place traps everywhere. Our defenses had gone through the roof, but his foolish behavior caused the mafia's finances to drop."- He says- "If only he was willing to listen to reason."
He longily stares at the passage, then sighs again.
"Come on. We're burning daylight."- He says- "My father won't destroy himself, you know."
As the trio squeezes through the small hole, Will looks at his friend. For some reason, he seems to be slightly concerned about him, probably because of his desire for vengeance.
"So, Alwyn."- He says to him- "If we manage to make it to the throne room, do you have any plans? What are we going to do with your father, once his life is on the line?"
Alwyn sighs
"When I escaped from the mafia, I wanted to make him pay for what he did to me. I dreamed of strangling him slowly, watching as his life was drained away. The way he treated his family and friends was unacceptable. He had to pay a hefty price."- He says- "But now, I'm not exactly sure. I really want to make him pay. But a small part of me, probably the wiser one, tells me that he is still family. That he's not truly evil, just a man who lost his mind and humanity while trying to change the future. And then, I keep asking myself- Is it worth it to become a killer, just to silence the cries in my own heart?"
Will nods.
"No matter what you do next, the confrontation is going to reach its climax. Regardless of whether we help you out or not, the fate of the mafia and your father lies in your hands."- He says- "Responsibility is always important. The things that you do, the people that rely on you, all of them are connected. Think of it as a complicated puzzle, woven out of the dreams and hopes inside of your heart. Every little thing that you do can place a brand new piece on the table. But you should always be warned. Even the slightest disruption can have catastrophic consequences. And then, everything in front of you can fall apart, just like a house of domino in the middle of a warzone."
Alwyn smiles.
"That... makes perfect sense. The way my life has been, this says quite a lot."- He says- "Thank you, Geralt. Your words give me a lot of ideas."
He turns around and takes a step forward.
"I'll keep my feelings to myself, at least for now."- He adds- "But that doesn't mean that I'll shy away from my own destiny. Far from it."
Aya sighs.
"Just don't overexert yourself, Al."- She says- "Karma played bad cards for you in the past. I don't want to see you suffer again."
Alwyn smiles.
"As long as I have you by my side, I won't stop believing."
Aya smiles back.
"I'm glad that we're together again, my l-umm, friend."
Then. she takes his hand in hers, continuing to smile.
"Can I... hold your hand while we move forward?"- She asks- "That's a thing that friends do. I think."
Alwyn blushes. A tiny bit.
"Umm, sure."- He says- "If that's what you want... "
Will looks at them.
"So."- He says- "How did you two come to know each other?"
Aya looks at Alwyn, then at Will.
"Childhood is the period when we met for the first time. Our fathers are influential people, albeit in different circles of power. As we grew older, we realized that we had so much potential in our hands. He had his mafia to rely on, and me- Nature itself."- She says- "And yet, even though we were drastically different, we quickly became friends. We soon realized that we had much in common."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"Is that so?"- He asks- "But what could a maiden of nature and a mafia heir possibly have in common?"
Aya smiles.
"Quite a lot, to be honest!"- She says- "For example, he likes to talk to his deceased grandmother from time to time. I do the same thing, except with my grandpa. He loves tiny animals as much as I do. And then, it's worth noting that we both love nature, even though Alwyn's sinful father does his best to colonize and enslave it. And yes, I'm not afraid to say it, even though his cameras might be watching us at this very moment."
Will looks at Aya.
"You sound like a person that I once loved with all my heart."- He says to her- "I think that we will be great friends."
Aya blushes slightly.
"Do you... like nature?"
Will nods.
"Of course I do!"- He exclaims- "Uncle taught me that all beings on our planet are children of Mother Nature herself, even the tiniest and most insignificant of them. My uncle himself is the shaman of the world's calmest, sleepiest little town. So, it is never wise to lash out at her, even during the dark times when everything is wrong."
Aya raises her eyebrow.
"And who might you be talking about?"
Will smiles.
"My uncle's name is Cyrus Braveheart."- He responds- "As the shaman of Canonia, he has devoted his life to teach people how important it is to love nature. Or, at the very least, respect it for giving us a place to live."
Aya gasps.
"Mr. Braveheart? I know him!"- She exclaims- "He and his mother are my mentors! They've been teaching and advising me ever since I was a child!"
Will looks at her, surprised.
"So, you are the person that they have been talking about?"- He asks- "No offense, but I thought that you are... older than this."
Aya chuckles.
"It's the way of nature."- She says- "The power that was bestowed upon me grants my body vivifying properties. Even after I turn old, I will still possess the looks of a teenager. That's what makes us shamans so special."
Will nods.
"Just like uncle Cyrus himself."
Alwyn looks at his friend.
"What about your uncle?"- He asks- "His experience says that he's in his early 40s, but he looks so... young."
Will smiles.
"My uncle once obtained the power of immortality. Time stopped for him and aunt, keeping their bodies in the same state for many decades."- He says- "Even after he grew a beard and allowed his hair to grow even more, he still looks like a person in his 20s. And, truth be told, that might actually be true."
Aya nods.
"I might have to see for myself."- She says- "To think that someone could achieve the dream of immortality, it's very inspiring."
Will smiles again.
"Once the battle is over, I will gladly present him to you!"
Aya tilts her head to the right and smiles.
"That's very kind of you, new pal."
As the trio makes their way through two lines of gargoyle statues, one of them pops out of their pedestal and attacks them. Most of them soon follow its lead, surrounding them with little effort.
"What kind of a trap is this?"- Aya asks- "I never imagined that he could place souls inside of statues!"
Alwyn sighs.
"Creatures made of living rock, infused with the souls of the wicked."- He says- "My father knows how to make tireless guardians. Gargoyles, unlike most members of our organization, are made to last. Not only are they powerful and determined, they also keep fighting until they're turned into mounds of rocks. Fatigue is a concept that's completely alien to them."
Will nods.
"That explains their heartless behavior."- He says- "I guess."
As the trio prepares to defend themselves, a volley of magical arrows flies forward. However, the group soon realizes that they are not directed toward them. The gargoyles are struck instead, falling to the ground and turning to dust.
Cleaning the rubble on their bodies, the trio looks up and realizes that a new person has joined them.
"Scott?"- Alwyn asks- "What are you doing here?"
Scott looks at Alwyn and smiles.
"Well, that's quite unexpected."- He says- "Welcome back, old pal. I missed you. You too, Aya."
Then, he stares at Will, slightly suspicious.
"So, who's the new kid?"
Will stares back.
"My name is Will."- He says- "Alwyn got in trouble on the surface, so I helped him out and accompanied him on his journey home. I am one of his newest friends."
Scott smiles and shakes his hand.
"Any friend of my pal's a friend of mine."- He says- "Sorry for all of the traps, by the way. Mr. Grayson's been busy reinforcing our defenses. He didn't realize that we would have... visitors."
Aya leans close to Will.
"I don't think he means well."- She whispers to him- "Keep your eyes open. Don't let him out of your sight."
Will nods.
"I will do my best."- He whispers back- "In the meantime, make sure that we do not stumble into an ambush."
Scott nods.
"What are we doing here, though?"- He asks- "Come on, friends. Mr. Grayson is waiting for you."
Alwyn raises his eyebrow.
"My father... knows that we're here?"
Scott nods.
"Of course. Nothing can escape his ever-vigilant gaze, even the tiniest of flies."- He says- "But fear not. Even though he is very angry, his anger is not directed toward you. He misses you and wants you back. You mean a lot to him."
Alwyn looks down.
"Wants me to continue his wicked legacy?"- He says to himself- "Hmph. How predictable."
Will looks at Scott.
"By the way, have you seen my uncle?"- He asks- "He and my friend disappeared not long ago. We have been trying to find them."
Scott smiles.
"Oh. You shouldn't worry about them."- He says- "Mr. Grayson took them in. They're his... honorary guests. They're being treated well and eat a lot of good food."
Will and Alwyn stare at each other. Even though neither of them says anything, it is perfectly clear that they do not believe a single word that comes out of Scott's mouth. The man is certainly leading them into a trap, so it is wise for them to stay vigilant and prevent themselves from getting into immediate trouble.
Aya glares at Scott behind his back. She knows that Scott is being very suspicious, just like her friends. She wants to use her powers to strange and kill him, preventing the trio from making a bad decision. However, she cannot bring herself to do it. Scott is also a friend of hers, and the decision whether to trust him or not is much harder than it usually is. So, after a while, she decides that it is best if she stays neutral, allowing her friends to deal with this situation themselves.
"Well. On we go, then!"- Scott exclaims- "Whenever you're ready, of course."
Will nods.
"In the name of me and my friends, I say that we are."- He says- "Lead the way, Scott. We would love to meet your master."
As the four of them move forward, Scott looks back at Will. It is almost as if he knows who he really is, as if he is deciding what to do with him. In the end, however, the wiser side prevails and he decides to simply talk to him instead.
"So, William. If that's your name, of course."- He says- "How did you manage to find Alwyn? Did something bad happen to him?"
Will shakes his head.
"Alwyn was being chased by some... shady characters. And let me tell you, they did not mean well."- He says- "I had to step in and... take care of them."
Scott nods, though he seems unconvinced.
"I understand."- He says- "Did you have any trouble making your way here?"
Will decides that it is best if they lie to Scott. After all, he is a suspicious character himself.
"Mr. Grayson sent us a message. He welcomed us in the undercroft and promised a safe haven for his renegade child."- He lies to him- "I wanted to see the place myself, so me and my friends joined him on the way to the capital. The journey itself was not that difficult. We met several nice people, but nothing was out of the ordinary."
Scott stares at Will's hands. He sees that there are several drops of blood on them. He nods, but he knows better than to trust them completely.
"Well, I'm glad that the boys understood the master's order."- He says- "There would've been a lot of trouble if they acted against it, y'see."
Will nods.
"At least they know what must be done."- He says, but does not elaborate.
At last, the four of them reach the gate that leads to Damien Grayson's "throne room". Scott motions for the team to stop and approaches a nearby wheel. While he turns it, our heroes look around, suspicious that an ambush might happen anytime soon. And yet, much to their surprise, it does not.
"Well, the way to Mr. Grayson is clear."- Scott says and smiles- "You seem to be very anxious. Why don't you move on? I'll join you, soon."
Will shakes his head.
"I am sorry, but we are only the guests here."- He says- "You are the one who invited us, so why don't you enter first? I am sure that Mr. Grayson would love to see you again."
Torn by his respect for the mafia leader and the desire to lead our heroes somewhere in a safe fashion, Scott finally decides that it is best if he does not disappoint his master. He nods and steps forward, motioning for the three of them to follow.
The area around them lights up as they finally step out of the darkness of the tunnels behind them. No matter what happens next, they will never see that place again. And yet, the feeling of dread does not wash away, even as they step into the main part of the mafia hideout.
As our heroes move forward, they find themselves in a large room, surrounded by members of the mafia. In the middle of it, they see their mighty overlord, sitting on a gilded throne and awaiting new visitors.
Damien Grayson smiles at the trio as they glare at him. Then, he stares at Scott and nods.
"Ah, yes. Thank you for your unwavering loyalty, my boy."- He says to him- "And to think that you wouldn't succeed. How did I find the strength to doubt you?"
All three heroes stare at Scott in disbelief. They are surprised that, despite his friendly demeanor, he was still serving his master and committing crimes under his command. They attempt to step back, but a small group of mafia goons apprehends them and forces them forward.
"Why would you do such a thing, Scott?"- Alwyn asks him- "I thought that you were a friend of ours, not a traitor in saint's clothing!"
Scott stands next to Damien and smiles.
"Well, I don't know what you're talking about."- He says- "I led you back to Mr. Grayson unharmed, didn't I? 
Aya shrugs.
"I hate to say it, but he's got a point."
Damien chuckles.
"Yes. He came back with all of his limbs intact."- He says- "But that will not last for long."
As the mafia goons force Alwyn forward, Damien looks at his allies and smiles.
"It seems like you've been trying to lead a revolution against me. How... thoughtful of you, clueless one."- He says- "And yet, there's one thing you didn't anticipate. Everything that you did on the way to my capital, I've been monitoring it. That's why I sent Milo to get rid of you before you could even get close. It's a shame that he was no match for that friend of yours, though. He was too powerful for the likes of him."
Alwyn glares at his father.
"Where is Arnaud?!"- He yells- "Where did you take him?!"
Damien continues to smile.
"You're being too paranoid. Your friend's fine... for now, at least."- He says- "I could say the same thing about the rest of your "pals". All of them ended up in my hands, like a bunch of rowdy insects in an impenetrable spiderweb."
As Damien continues to talk, mafia goons bring the rest of Will and Alwyn's allies into the room, Arnaud included. The two of them stare as each of them is lined up, daggers pointed at their necks as if they are a bunch of wild animals.
"None of them deserve this kind of treatment!"- Alwyn says- "You're being a tyrant again, father! Let them go!"
Damien shakes his head.
"No can do, son of mine."- He responds- "Those fools willingly threw themselves into the fire, pretended that they could actually defeat me. Now, look at what happened to them. They're no better than you are."
Hearing those words fills Alwyn's heart with rage. Those people are his new family, and hearing his own father speak ill against them almost drives him berserk.
"But I am a reasonable man. Time and time again, I tried to show you. Too bad you were never willing to listen."- He says and smiles- "I can spare your life. You have the chance to return to your old ways, sit in your room and do nothing to harm yourselves, or your loving parents. However, all good things come with a cost. To make it happen, all of those people, each and every single one of them, will end up on the executioner's table. Each of them will suffer a grisly fate and suffer for daring to support you on that futile journey of yours. And then, when the rivers run red, I shall put you back in your place, where you belong."
As Alwyn stares at his father, Damien smiles.
"Well?"- He asks- "What say you?"
Alwyn is surprised that his father would dare to step so low, that he would suggest such an insane preposition. Clenching his fists, he points his gun at his father, getting the attention of every person in the room. Even the eternal rocks outside, wise and old as they are, would gasp at the thought that Alwyn would dare to rebel against his father.
"You are despicable creature. A vile fiend in angel's clothing. All that you have done in this miserable life of yours is control others and force them to do their bidding. You never truly understood them."- He says to his father- "Tell me, father of mine. Have you ever truly loved anything in this world, human or otherwise? Have you ever tried to put yourself in another person's shoes? Did you even consider listening to reason, hearing the pleas of the people that you have tortured for so long. Because, in my eyes, you are nothing more than a corrupted fabric in the face of reality itself."
As Alwyn attempts to gun Damien down, the man picks up a goblet from a nearby table and throws it at him, knocking the gun out of his hand. Then, as Alwyn attempts to pick it up, he is apprehended by the mafia goons again.
"I guess that it's a no, then."- He says- "Oh well. Maybe this will make you listen, at long last."
As Damien claps his hands, two people approach his throne. One of them is bound in chains, while the other is free to roam. Both of them stare at Alwyn, albeit one of them does it with a glare.
"Do you know those people, son?"- Damien asks him- "Are you familiar with them?"
Alwyn stares at both people in disbelief.
"Why would you choose my mother and my best friend?"- He asks- "What were you thinking?"
Damien chuckles.
"Sometimes, I wanted to teach you a lesson. To let you know how it feels to be betrayed."- He elaborates- "Many times, I had to face it firsthand. And yet, it never broke me more than your betrayal did. You allowed yourself to be consumed by your petty desires and you failed to live up to my expectations. So now, I will show you what it means to be on the edge of oblivion."
Then, he orders Scott to apprehend Arnaud. He does this without any hesitation and points a gun at his chin.
"Say your prayers, pretty boy."
Alwyn attempts to run forward, but stops when his own mother points a shotgun at his face.
"Sorry, love. That ain't your fight."- She says- "You've got family business right here."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"I can't believe that you turned against me too, mom."- He says- "I thought that you, of all people, could forgive me for my sins."
Iris sighs.
"Believe me, I tried. Many times."- She says- "But I got tired of your selfish ways. All that you did in the past few days was to appease your own lust for adventure. You never thought about family, nor friends. You just wanted to be yourself."
Alwyn glares at her.
"So what's the problem in that?"- He asks- "I wanted to know what the world looks like. And that is something that you never allowed, mother."
Much to everyone's surprise, Iris hits her son with the butt of the shotgun.
"Silence, you loudmouth!"- She yells- "All this time, I tried to spare you! I tried to show you love! And how did you thank me? By turning your back on your loved ones?!"
Aya looks at Will and shakes her head.
"Ms. Iris wasn't always like this. Long ago, when Al was still a child, she had a heart of gold."- She whispers to Will- "Always looking out for her son. Making sure that she gives him all the love that his own father took away. But after she was kicked out of the family, she became a different person. I guess that she fully succumbed to her own madness, after all."
Will shakes his head.
"Isn't there something we could do for her?"- He whispers back- "She seems to be a genuinely good person, thrown on the rails by a heartless tyrant. Can't we convince her that she is not doing the right thing?"
Aya sighs.
"I wish I could say yes. But she's gone too far."- She whispers- "At the cost of sparing her son's mind, she lost her own. And now, the only thing that awaits her is her own demise. There's nothing else that we can do."
Will shakes his head again.
"No. There must be another way."- He whispers- "Innocent people do not deserve to be manipulated like.., like this."
Ignoring his mother's heated yells, Alwyn steps forward and glares at his father.
"Alright, father. You got me. You were right and I was wrong."- He says- "But I will not allow my new family to crumble. Instead of throwing them into the chasm to save my own skin, I shall do it myself."
He stares back at his shocked allies and shakes his head.
"I am the only one who deserves punishment."
Will attempts to run toward his friend, but the goons pull him back.
"Alwyn, no!"- He yells- "Do not do this!"
Alwyn sighs.
"I'm sorry, Will. I really am."- He says- "You did so much to help me out. Instead of leaving me in a gulch somewhere, you gave me the strength to fight back against my demons and inspired me to not be afraid of them. Or my father."
Then, he turns around.
"So, what I'm doing right now... is in the name of all the people who believed in me until the end. Especially you, Will."- He says- "Farewell. I hope that... you have good lives ahead of you."
Damien chuckles and stands up.
"Oh, how touching. The power of light that rends the darkness is truly within you, son of mine."- He says and grabs his neck- "But that spark of yours will not burn forever, no matter how hard you try. And in the end, I'll be the one who nails your hands to the cross."
As Damien points his revolver at Alwyn's chin, the boy smiles unexpectedly.
"Before I leave this world, however, I want to reveal one of the horrible things that you did."- He says- "Something that I'll never forgive."
Then, he turns to the people behind him.
"My friends!"- He yells- "Right now, you are staring at the monster who claimed the soul of my aunt- Delia Grayson!"
Everyone in the room gasps. Iris's finger starts to slip away from the trigger of her shotgun.
"What in the world are you saying, hon? Are you drunk again?"- Iris asks- "Your father would never do such a thing! Aunt Delia is safe and sound!"
Alwyn glares at his mother.
"You are a blind woman, mother!"- He yells- "Aunt Delia came with me when I was running away! I didn't want her to join me, but she did! And do you know why she left the safety of the mafia? It's because she loved me! Because she wanted the best for me, unlike you and that pathetic excuse of a father! She went out of her way to stand against the forces of evil and ensure that I will return and put an end to the tyrant, to the murderer in front of you!"
Iris stares at the man whom she once loved. In his eyes, she sees endless hatred, desire to burn everything down. It is at this moment that she finally realizes the truth- her son, little Alwyn, is not lying to her. Damien is the murderer.
Infuriated, Iris turns her shotgun toward Damien, forcing all of his goons to draw their guns on her.
"You wretch! You insolent outlaw!'- She yells- "I came back because I thought that you changed, but you went and ended the life of my sister! I'll make you pay for that, even if it's the last thing I'll ever do!"
Damien smiles.
"That's very thoughtful of you, Iris. Siding with your only child, the traitor in our noble ranks, was very wise of you."- He says- "But that changes nothing. He is still going to die. And so is his dear friend."
As Scott pushes his gun closer to Arnaud's chin, he smiles.
"Looks like we're about to cut the rope after all."- He says to him- "Farewell, friend."
As two executions are about to happen, a single bullet flies forward and strikes Scott in the arm. As he yells out in pain, another bullet strikes him in the shoulder, making him fall on his knees as the goons stare, shocked.
"What?"- Damien says, genuinely surprised- "What's going-- "
Suddenly, Iris leans forward and shoots Damien in the loins, completely destroying his chance to make other children and causing him an immense amount of pain.
"This is what you get for making me bring a child into this world!"- Iris yells- "You worthless box of rocks!"
As Damien moves forward to attack, Iris gives her shotgun to Alwyn and he guns down both of the goons that are attempting to hold him down. Then, he leaps back and fires at the chandelier above his father's head.
The entire ceiling comes crashing down, collapsing on top of Damien as he attempts to kill his son. Although the ensuing impact does not kill him, it still manages to severely wound him.
Taking the hint, Will glares back at his captors. Suddenly, his arms grow very hot, forcing the goons to let him go. Then, just as they attempt to apprehend him again, he casts a spell at the land below their feet. As soon as one of them moves, the ground cracks, sending all six of them to their inevitable demise.
Inspired by the fact that their allies are fighting back, the rest of the heroes continue their revolution against the mafia, swatting down the goons like a bunch of noisy, annoying gnats. And, truth be told, it is not a pretty sight.
Helped by Will and his mother, Alwyn sits on the throne, the place that formerly belonged to his father. Motivated to put an end to Damien's legacy, he stares at the surviving goons and sighs.
"My friends. Today is a bad day for our humble organization. We finally learned the truth behind my father's crimes and realized what must be done."- He says- "But this is not the right time to conspire against each other. There are no enemies in this very room. So please, listen to the voice of reason and stare at us in a different way. Maybe you will see that you are the ones who have been hurting others, not the other way around."
Damien shakes his head.
"Don't listen to that brat!"- He yells- "He's just trying to trick you! There's no salvation at the end of the rainbow!"
Alwyn smiles.
"Sorry dad, but your reign of terror is over."- He says to him- "I am not joking. Those people want a leader to treats them right, not a tyrant who treats them like dirt on his shoes."
One of the goons decides that the fight is not worth it. He steps forward and surrenders his weapon, making everyone else surprised. And he is not the only one who is willing to give his heart a second chance.
Suddenly, more and more goons make the decision to give up and join Alwyn's side. With each passing second, Damien's army grows smaller and smaller. No matter what he does, he is the one who loses something important to him- the trust of his own people.
"You said that I should feel bad about being betrayed. I did, but what you didn't realize is that nobody was truly on your side."- Alwyn says to his father- "Now the sting of betrayal faces the other way. The poison has been planted deep inside of you, draining your energy even as we speak. You are a dead man walking, dad. There is nothing you can do."
As the last goon surrenders, Alwyn stares at them and smiles.
"Good job, my friends."- He says to them- "Now, if nobody else has a problem-- "
Suddenly, a lone person pushes his way through the crowd and glares at Alwyn.
"Excuse me!"- He yells- "I've got a problem!"
Alwyn stares at him, shocked.
"Scott?"- He says- "But why? Why are you doing this?"
Scott shakes his head.
"Alwyn, you're no hero. All that you've done is convince a bunch of mindless goons to believe in something that'll never happen."- He says to him- "And what exactly are you planning to do? Overthrow a government that has lasted for centuries? Hah! You've always been quite the dreamer, kid!"
Alwyn looks down.
"Scott... "
Seeing that his friend is becoming demoralized, Will steps in and glares at Scott.
"If you think that you are such a shining savior, why don't you try explaining it to the people that you murdered with your own hands?!"- He yells- "Many people died because they didn't listen to your master! Many children lost their homes because they wanted to be free! And do not get me started about the foolish laws that you tried to force upon all of them! Every lie that you utter, every drop of blood that you draw, they only make those people stronger! And none of them will ever forgive you!"
Scott smirks.
"So what? I don't want them to forgive us!"- He yells- "We're on the edge of creating something new! Forging a new future! And all that you do is ruin it all!"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"Please, Scott. I don't want to do this."- He says, hesitating to point his gun at his old friend- "You don't have to throw your life away for my father. Please, listen to the voice of reason. We're friends, right? Right?"
Scott glares at him and shakes his head.
"No, Alwyn."- He says stoically- "We... have never been friends."
Alwyn gasps and stumbles back.
"What are you talking about?!"- Will yells- "Explain yourself, Scott!"
Scott raises his hands in the air.
"That's the truth, you fools! I said it!"- He yells- "Alwyn has never been a friend of mine! I only pretended to be his pal because I wanted the power that he possessed! The gold that his parents had saved for him! I wanted to put it all back in my master's hands! And one day, I could have done it, were it not for that brat and his meddling-- "
Suddenly, a lone undead grabs Scott and bites him on the neck. Scott pushes it away, but it attacks him again, biting him numerous times as the people in the room watch him struggle. 
It soon turns out that, regardless of his tough demeanor, Scott can't even defend himself against a single enemy. As everyone else watches, the undead man trips Scott and viciously mauls him.
"Scott."- Alwyn says and pulls his gun away- "I'm sorry."
Damien stares at the undead, shocked and surprised.
"No way!"- He exclaims- "Milo?!"
The undead Milo does not react.
"I order you to stop, Milo!"- Damien yells- "Scott's an ally! Don't you dare!"
Milo looks at him for a few seconds, growls at him, then continues to maul Scott as if he heard nothing.
"Grr! That's it!"- Damien says and points his revolver at him- "If you're not going to obey me, then I'll just end your existence! Here and now!"
As Damien attempts to put Milo down, Iris shoots him in the arm, watching coldly as he falls back to the ground.
"Not this time, honey."
As the undead Milo finishes mauling Scott, he slowly stands up and shambles toward the crowd. To prevent him from hurting anyone else, Mysta uses her magic to push him back into the hall from whence he came, never to be seen again.
Infuriated by the fact that his most loyal ally is dead, Damien pushes Alwyn out of the throne and raises his gun in the air.
"You spineless cowards! I gave you everything you wanted, and this is how you thank me?!"- He yells- "Oh, I'll make sure that you pay for this insolence! I've had enough of watching from afar! Now, I will-- "
It is at this moment Scott reanimates and grabs Damien. The vile mafia master attempts to gun him down, but the undead is quicker, biting his right arm before he could even aim his gun at him.
As the undead Scott feasts on Damien's injured arm, Alwyn sadly points his weapon at his former friend. Despite the fact that he stayed loyal to his father until the very end, he still wants to put an end to his miserable existence. However, moments before making the deed come true, he lowers his gun and sighs.
"This... this is not right. I shouldn't have allowed this."- He says- "I'm sorry, Scott. I can't do this."
Then, he hears someone stepping forward and throwing something. A beautiful sword flies forward and strikes the undead Scott in the skull, putting him down. And soon, its owner is revealed.
"I hate watching villains end up like this."- Geralt says as he picks his weapon up- "Even if they truly deserved it."
Alwyn looks at Geralt and smiles.
"Thank you, sir."
Geralt smiles back.
"You are welcome, kiddo."
In the heat of battle, Damien leaps back to his feet. Seeing that his enemies are distracted, he decides that his mighty mafia has finally been conquered and runs for his life, putting his life first once again.
"That criminal is running away!"- Will exclaims- "Uncle, we need to do something!"
Geralt nods.
"And do something we shall."- He says- "Come on, everyone. Join me."
As Will and Alwyn approach Geralt, he whistles for someone. The room grows quiet, as if anticipating the arrival of a new entity, much stronger than Damien and all of his unholy comrades. The two boys wonder whether he is just trying to show them something else.
Then, much to the surprise of everyone in the room, the giant glass window behind Damien Grayson's throne shatters. A giant dragon swoops into the room, landing next to Geralt and looking at the boys, terrifying them slightly.
"Ah. I see that you need my help again."- The dragon says- "What is it this time, slayer of Redmark?"
Geralt turns to the terrified children and smiles.
"Boys, this is Melanchion- an old ally of the Kaos family."- He says- "He has seen generations of heroes come and go, and helped them achieve their goals to ensure the safety of his kin. He might look scary, but he means well."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"Will Mr. Melanchion help us catch that man?"
Melanchion grins, revealing a toothy grin, filled with very sharp teeth.
"I would love to make another no-good weakling suffer for his crimes."- He says and bends down. "There is no time to waste. Join me if you want to put an end to him."
Will smiles.
"This will be interesting."- He says as he and his comrades prepare to ride the mighty beast.
With all of the renegade mafia members staring at them, the heroes bravely plunge themselves into the dark mist of the night. Seconds later, Melanchion hears the sound of a car and heads toward it.
However, much to their surprise, the car is inhabited by a pack of mafia goons- the last warriors of Mr. Grayson. It turns out that he was one step ahead of them, releasing his loyal fiends before heading off to God knows where.
"That filthy cheater."- Mysta says and shakes her head- "He promised us a fair fight, yet runs away like a coward."
The mafia goons sneer.
"Mr. Grayson doesn't have time for the likes of you!"- The frontmost one exclaims- "Begone, interlopers!"
Suddenly, the seemingly calm and composed Alwyn snaps. Hearing that he is not welcome in the place where he was raised fills him with boundless anger.
"Agh! That does it!"- He exclaims- "Prepare to feel the wrath of the exile, wicked ones!"
As the goons pull out machine guns and start firing at Melanchion, the dragon does nothing but smile. His tough scales deflect the incoming bullets with ease and he spends little effort to protect the heroes, because they are more than capable enough of protecting themselves. It is a truly terrifying moment.
"Umm. Mr. Melanchion?"- Will says- "Aren't those bullet supposed to, you know, hurt you?"
Melanchion continues to smile.
"Struck down by mere bullets? Hah."- He says- "This is one of the dragon's worst nightmares, boy. But the special thing about our kind is that we can make them a reality... for someone else."
As the goons continue their futile attack, the mighty dragon's smile does not fade away.
"Har har, humans. Well done."- He says to them- "Now let me show you something else. And, believe me, it will be something that you'll never forget."
Inhaling as hard as he can, Melanchion soon unleashes a powerful barrage of fireballs. Surprisingly, all of them reach their targets, blowing the car to smithereens and completely incinerating the goons within. 
Melanchion lands on the ground, seeing that one of the goons has managed to survive. He feebly attempts to shoot the dragon, but he shakes his head.
"A mission of justice is never complete unless all villainy is purged from the face of the earth."- He says- "If you refuse to accept the inevitable, you shall become bound to your fate."
Without another word, Melanchion stands uncomfortably close to the goon. As the terrified man attempts to shoot him in the face, he unleashes a brief gout of flame, incinerating his gun almost immediately.
"It seems like you have lost your gun."- Melanchion says, taunting him- "What shall you do now, O Insignificant One?"
The man yelps, leaps to his feet, and decides that he prefers to be killed by his boss for disobeying that being incinerated by a 6-feet legendary dragon, with scales made of steel. As Melanchion starts to smile again, the goon screams and heads toward the other direction, abandoning all of his hopes and dreams in an instant.
"Ugh. That's going to leave a scar."- Mysta says- "I hope that I don't end up like him."
Geralt shakes his head.
"Being humiliated by a creature much bigger than you is truly horrible."- He says- "Well done, my friend."
Melanchion nods.
"No matter what they do, they always end up the same way."- He says- "Broken on the inside... or the outside."
Will sighs.
"Well, you were faithful to your promise."- He says- "Those fools will definitely remember you."
Melanchion grins.
"Those who survived will see me in their dreams soon."
Alwyn turns away.
"I may not be an enemy, but I definitely won't forget this one."
As Melanchion flies up in the air, Will positions himself close to his head.
"So, how did you end up teaming up with our family?"- He asks him- "Is there some kind of a backstory that we should know?"
Melanchion lets out a deep, heartfelt sigh. It is almost as if he is fondly reminiscing the past.
"Mere years ago, your great-grandfather helped me conquer my fear of humans and the world around me. His words showed me that there's something truly worth fighting for, more valuable than an entire horde filled with precious supplies. A while later, your grandfather helped me purge the evil inside of our family, allowing it to start anew. I have a great debt toward the Kaos family and, like your grandfather said years before, it will take me whole decades to pay it all back. I hate to admit it, but he was right."- He says- "But that is not the only reason why I am helping you out. Throughout the years, I realized that this world is governed by Light and Darkness. Each of them splits to Good and Evil. And your family, it is definitely on the side of goodness. Though I once refused to admit it at first, me and your uncle are friends. And the members of dragonkind greatly value those whom they consider their friends."
Geralt nods.
"Even though I am a prominent figure in the modern world, I never would have gotten where I am without the help of my allies. Each one of them offers strength that I could never unearth with my own hands, fragments of hope that complete my moral compass."- He says- "Many times, Melanchion has aided me in planting seeds of terror into the hearts of our common enemies. He and I share one common interest- purging evil from the face of our world. And I will proudly admit that we have been quite effective so far."
Melanchion turns his head back.
"Do not overdo it, champion."- He says- "You are strong, but you are not invincible."
Geralt sighs.
"You are right, Melanchion."- He says- "Maybe I should nurture the seeds of the future instead of worrying about how to shield them from the acidic rain."
As the dragon continues to fly, Alwyn sees something peculiar below. A flickering light pierces its way through the dark mist, illuminating the area around the ground with a faint, yet powerful light. The boy feels a kindred presence, beckoning him to get closer.
"There is someone down there."
Mysta raises her eyebrow.
"Is it another enemy?"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"I'm not sure yet."- He says- "But it feels rather... familiar."
Melanchion nods.
"Then we shall embrace it."
As the heroes head down, they realize that the mysterious presence belongs to Iris- Alwyn's own mother. 
The boy leaps down from the dragon to hug her, but she doesn't hug him back. Maybe it's because she's still growing accustomed to love someone, other than herself. Or maybe she is feeling guilty about something that happened in the past?
"Your father's still out there."
Alwyn sighs.
"I know."- He says- "I failed to kill him."
Iris shakes her head.
"Just like I failed to support you."
Will looks down, remembering that his own parents failed him in a similar way. However, unlike Alwyn's, Kaiden and Isa left Will in his uncle's care out of love, not neglect.
"Anyway, I think that I discovered the exact location of that wretch."- Iris says- "However, he's escaping quickly. If we don't act soon, it'll be too late."
Alwyn smiles.
"That's why we have a giant dragon on our side."- He says and looks up at him- "Right, Mr. Melanchion?"
Melanchion stares at the mist ahead of him. Despite being a powerful being, something in his brain makes the gears turn again. A mysterious force is destroying his noble ego, turning him into the secluded creature that he once was.
And then, he hears the sound of laughter coming from nearby. The sound of multiple vehicles can be heard on the roads all around them. Mafia goons are coming from all directions and it is only a matter of time before they reach them.
"I fear that my journey ends here."- He says- "Those villains need to be purged. I can't let them chase you, not after everything that you've done."
Geralt nods.
"I thank you for answering my call, ancient one."- He says- "May your path be illuminated by the holy fire within your soul."
Melanchion nods back.
"Safe travels, holy messenger of humankind."- He says- "Never shed that humanity of yours. Always fight for the light."
Geralt smiles.
"I will do my best."
As Melanchion rises into the sky like a majestic phoenix, breathing pain on his enemies as they foolishly approach him, Will and Mysta stare at each other.
"Wait a minute."- Will says- "If Mr. Melanchion is not going to take us to Mr. Grayson, who is going to replace him?"
Iris smiles.
"Kid. That's the least of our worries."- She says and motions for a nearby vehicle to come closer- "Behold. Our ride for the day."
An armored jeep parks next to the heroes. The driver's window goes down, revealing the face of a young, handsome adult. He seems to be in his mid 20s, but looks can be quite deceiving, especially if a person is part of a mysterious and powerful organization. His hair blonde and well-kempt, his eyes a gorgeous shade of bark brown. Even though his outfit is meant for a businessman, his muscles indicate his experience as a warrior. This means that he is more than just a simple accountant.
The man smiles and shakes Alwyn's hand.
"Long time no see, little man!"- He exclaims- "How's life treating ya?"
Alwyn smiles.
"So, the rich life didn't make you forget."- He says- "It's good to see you, uncle Rick."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"Uncle Rick?"- He asks- "This man is your uncle?"
Rick nods.
"Me and Alwyn have a long history behind us. If I think about it, I think it dates ever since his mama brought him to our world."- He says- "Long story short, this kid's gotten himself into a lot of trouble. Much like myself, he's more bark than bite. Were it not for him and his friends, my brother would have done much more than just feebly threaten the society outside of his walls."
Geralt smiles.
"Well, would you look at that. Good old Rick Grayson, back on track like he never left."- He says and pats Rick's shoulder- "Welcome back, old friend. It has been really boring without you."
Will and Alwyn stare at Geralt.
"You know my uncle?"- Alwyn asks.
Geralt nods.
"Yes."- He responds- "We have been friends since early college, around a decade or so ago. He used to manage our class's financial reserve. Maybe he was not the best at sport and swordplay, but he made his mark by making a fool out of his unstable brother. Even though he was the one who inherited the role of mafia leader, he was never the same afterwards."
Geralt looks up.
"This brings me back to the time when Mr. Grayson unknowingly made fun of his own ego."- He adds- "That one is a straight A in my book."
Rick smiles.
"Or when he confessed to the prettiest girl in our class and she slapped him with a fish?"- He says- "Maybe even the time when his toaster exploded?"
The two of them chuckle for a while, as if they are a bunch of young praksters. Remembering how foolish the mafia boss used to be brings back the old energy that they used to have.
"Umm. Mr. Grayson."- Will says- "I have a question."
Rick turns to him.
"What is it, boy?"
Will raises his eyebrow.
"When we last met your brother, he was bitten on the arm by an undead."- He says- "Isn't he... supposed to be dead by now?"
Rick sighs.
"I wish that were the case. Infection is a deadly tool, after all."- He says- "But unfortunately, it's not. Even if there is infection inside of him, he can still find a way to cut his arm and ward away the worst of it. And even if he doesn't, it would take a fairly long time for the infection to end his existence. By that time, he would likely find a successor and pass the torch to someone even worse than him."
He revs up the engine of the jeep.
"And that's why we must act quickly."- He adds- "One wrong move, and the entire future will collapse on our hands."
Alwyn looks at his uncle.
"Like Dr. Thalos's workshop four years ago?"
Rick smiles.
"Oh yeah."- He says- "That one I won't forget."
Somewhere in the distance, Melanchion is still fighting the remaining forces of the mafia. Even though he is a lone dragon, he is still managing to mow down the resistance in front of him. Truly, nothing can stand in his way.
Meanwhile, a large force of allied soldiers heads toward the middle of the field. A messenger approaches our heroes, most likely to ask for orders.
When he finally gets close, he falls on his knees and starts to pant.
"Sire, we h-have arrived! Your order h-has been heard!"- He exclaims, with as much enthusiasm as he can- "Your loyal soldiers are waiting to-- "
Suddenly, two shots strike him in the back of the head, killing him instantly. 
But his killer does not stop there. Once he has fired the first shots, he fires ten more, forming a huge hole in the back of the poor soul's head. This, justifiably, terrifies our heroes as the villain aims his gun at them.
"This... was not meant to happen."- Rick says quietly- "My friends were supposed to fight back against my fiendish brother, not the other way around."
Mysta shakes her head.
"Poor guy."- She mutters- "He deserved better than this."
Will clenches his fists. He has seen a lot of horrible things, but seeing an innocent person die in such a brutal way breaks the orb of patience inside of his mind. 
Instead of begging his killer not to shoot, he angrily steps forward, grabs one of the mafia's tattered flags and glares at the perpetrator.
"How dare you kill this man?!"- He yells- "He probably had a family! A wife! Little children! And you... you stripped him away from them! What kind of a moster are you?!"
As the villain continues to fire more shots at Will, he swats them away with the metal pole of the flag, sending them toward the mafia goons around him. Then, when he gets close enough, he sets the flag on fire, then bashes the gun out of the villain's hand.
Without feeling the least bit remorseful, he smacks the man with the flag, then smacks him harder. As he falls to the ground, he points the sharp side of the pole toward the man's chest, making him terrified of the person that he is staring at.
"You mafia freaks are so predictable. Throwing your own lives away for a seemingly noble cause must be daily routine for you."- He says- "But have you ever considered how dear the lives of other people are? Have you ever tried to see the situation through their own eyes, felt the pain as they died, when the blame was in your hands?"
The man shakes his head.
"Answer me, you lawless beast!"- Will yells, the angriest he has ever been- "How can you live with the monster inside of you?!"
Then, the man smiles. A helicopter stands above Will's head as commandos jump from above. 
Forcing the young hero to defend himself, they fire high accuracy laser rifles at him. Even though the boy is capable of avoiding the worst of the pain, the fact that he is the one on the ropes fills him with doubt.
And then, one of the shots strikes him in the shoulder. As he stumbles back, he gets shot again, this time in the stomach. 
The man on the ground laughs as Will becomes a source of target practice for the young evildoers.
"There's too many of them!"- Mysta says. attempting to blow the villains away- "I can't stop them!"
Geralt shakes his head.
"Neither can I!"
Rick clenches his fists and steps out of the armored jeep.
"I'm done pretending to be on someone's side!"- He yells and pulls out a huge bazooka from the back of the jeep- "You serve the tyrant, so you'll suffer the same fate as him!"
As the man orders the commandos to open fire on Rick, the man launches a single missile, obliterating the squad with just a single blow. Then, he fires another one, to make sure that there are no survivors (aside from Will).
Miraculously, Will manages to survive both blasts completely unharmed. The reason for that is because he warded the explosion away with a magical shield, surviving the worst part of the impact. Though his form of defense seems to be very feeble, it is actually sturdier than a wall made of titanium. Even a giant explosion cannot knock him down.
Unfortunately, the primary villain survived, as well. He feebly attempts to fire at Will as he approaches him, refusing to surrender.
But this time, Will means nothing more than business. He does not try to lecture the villain and try to make him see his own mistakes. He does not attempt to spare him, no matter how much he once wanted to do so. He does not mourn the deaths of his comrades. Instead, he makes the inevitable happen faster. 
When the man attempts to fire a bullet at Will's chest, the boy deflects it and raises the burning flag in the air. Then, with a single swift, firm motion, he plants the flag into the villain's skull, violently ending his life and mounting his lifeless body on a pole.
"And so, the enemies of the world shall stand still. Stuck on the pole of destiny, they shall see the demons with their own eyes and experience an agony worse than a thousand screams in the Abyss. In the depths of their hearts, they shall fear the fire of justice, burning away the wicked elements inside of them."- He says and bows his head- "Amen."
The rest of his allies do the same.
"Amen."
Alwyn stares at the dead man, barely believing what he is seeing.
"No way."- He says- "Another one... has fallen."
Mysta sighs.
"Don't tell me."- She says- "Another old friend?"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"This man used to be one of the lead commandos in the mafia. He even had his own squad, small but deadly."- He says- "And the worst part of it is, I used to know him. Sure, he treated me like an unwanted pebble. Like a worthless trinket. But he was still a man. To think that he died for my father's cause, it is... horrifying."
Will places his hand on Alwyn's shoulder.
"It is not more terrifying than the consequences of his own mistakes, though."- He says- "This man lived to punish others. To be punished in such a painful way is only fair, if a little late, justice for the heinous crimes that he committed. It is good to feel bad about our enemies, but you should not pity them. Because if you allow your sense of sympathy for the wicked to cloud your mind, then you are no better than the people that you are killing."
Rick sighs.
"I hate to say it, my boy, but the young one's right."- He says- "At the end of the day, this man's just another peon. A useless piece of fabric, discarded and forgotten forevermore."
Alwyn looks at his uncle.
"But... what should we do about the rest of them?"
Rick shakes his head.
"Let's just head into the car. Allow our minds to wander away."- He says- "Maybe then, you'll remember about our real enemies."
As the car travels on the ruined road, Rick explains how he came to be in this situation. It turns out that Rick was the primary heir of the mafia throne, Their father was planning to give him the role after he retired. However, his older brother wouldn't have it like that. He openly despised Rick and wanted to undermine him in the worst way possible. One day, he told a lie so severe that people forgot what kind of a monster he really is. As a result, Rick was framed and kicked out of the mafia, with Damien taking his place on top of the mafia hierarchy.
And yet, Rick did not hold a grudge against his own brother. Instead of inciting a revolution to dethrone him, he simply continued his life elsewhere. Mafia disputes were too dirty for him, anyway. Eventually, he became a very successful businessman, earning enough money to make Damien extremely jealous. The man had never seen a huge amount like that in his life and, arrogant and greedy as he always was, wanted it all for himself. Thus, he instructed a trained group of assassins to find his brother and execute him.
Unfortunately for the mafia leader, Rick had already predicted this major issue. During the time when he worked on his projects, he trained under the wing of a wise master, learning the way of the staff. When the mafia's assassins confronted them, he surprised them by parrying their attacks and, eventually, overpowering them. 
Feeling that he needed to send his wicked brother a message that he would understand, Rick used his staff to engrave a letter on each assassin's chest. When the goons returned, wounded but alive, Damien finally realized what his brother meant- "Run". Although the message itself left Damien unfazed, the fact that his own brother was capable of fighting back took him by surprise. Afraid of retaliation, he even baricaded himself for several weeks.
Ever since then, Damien never dared to mess with Rick. Regardless of the fact that he was his little brother, he was still afraid of him and the things that he could do to him. Truce was declared between the Grayson siblings, and each of them resumed with their original activities.
"It sounds like Mr. Grayson underestimated you."- Will says- "Both as a person, and as a warrior."
Rick chuckles.
"That's a plausible statement, my boy!"- He exclaims- "But it's not surprising. Danny was a snotty, entitled brat ever since we were children. It was only a matter of time before he reached the rock bottom. The abyss inside of his own heart has always been the perfect place for him."
Alwyn raises his eyebrow.
"But why didn't you go to the mafia and attack him back?"
Rick shakes his head.
"Because I'm not that kind of person."- He says- "Just because someone annoyed or angered me, I wouldn't try to kill them. Especially if that person is my own brother."
Mysta looks at him.
"So. Let me get this straight."- She says- "You claim that your brother ruined your life in the mafia. And yet, you still love him. Is that so?"
Rick sighs.
"You misunderstood me, little lady."- He says- "It's true. I forgave my brother. I still love him, to a certain extent. But am I willing to watch him commit all of those crimes against humanity? Far from it. I only love my brother because he's a part of my family, not because he means something to me."
Will involuntarily shivers a little bit.
"That is cold, sir."
Rick smirks.
"Just like my brother."
Moments later, Rick looks back at the road and realizes that the environment is not changing. Despite the fact that the jeep is seemingly intact, it does not move forward. A truly peculiar situation, potentially capable of causing a disaster.
As Rick emerges from the car, Alwyn joins him. The two of them find out that someone popped all of the jeep's tires, effectively rendering travel on the road impossible.
"It seems like there are still vultures around here."- Rick says to his nephew- "Watch out for danger, Alw-- "
Suddenly, he feels cold metal against his neck. He looks up and sees one of the surviving mafia goons, pointing his blade at him. The situation is the same for young Alwyn, but instead of one goon, a whole group of them are holding him still.
Meanwhile, a muscular woman climbs on top of a stack of crates. She has tar black, curly hair, a skull tattoo on her right hand, and a crown tattoo on her right thigh. From the outside, one could tell that she is very beautiful, but her attitude makes it clear that she is not a good woman.
"Ill met, Richard Grayson. So, traitor has finally returned."- She says to him- "I thought that you'd be wise enough to keep your distance, but I was wrong. You've always been salt to my master's wounds, so I must eradicate you. Once and for all."
Rick glares at the young woman.
"I would never ignore a chance to teach my brother a lesson."- He says- "Especially if it involves humility and reason."
Then, he takes a look at the woman and shakes his head.
"You have really fallen apart, young lady."- He says- "The way you talk, it almost makes me forget what you did with my brother."
Irritated, the woman pulls out a huge machine gun and points it at Rick.
"If you spill the secret, I'm gonna spill your brains!"
Rick sighs.
"You threaten to spill something that you never had yourself?"- He asks her- "The chemicals inside of your brain have finally made you crazy. That, I can tell. But they were never in order to begin with. After you gave birth, you never thought of anything else than your master and your extended family. Nobody else mattered to you."
The woman shakes her head.
"Did you forget about my hatred for your nephew's mother? The woman who ruined my life?"- She says- "Well, unlike her, I've always been trusted by my wonderful leader. At a certain time, we were genuinely in love. The only reason why Alwyn was conceived was out of hate. My child was made with love."
Suddenly, Iris climbs on top of the jeep and angrily points her gun at the woman's face.
"So you admit it!"- She yells- "Damien cheated on me because of you!"
Both Rick and the woman turn to her, surprised.
"Wait! You're alive?!"- The woman exclaims- "But... I thought that he got rid of you!"
As everyone else gets out of the jeep, Iris continues to glare at the woman.
"You were always the type to train things, in the name of the "greater good". You taught your apprentices how to hate everyone else. You taught your pets how to crave the meat of innocents. And, worst of all, you taught your daughter how to be miserable!"- She exclaims- "Maybe Damien forgave you for being a monster in disguise. But in the eyes of everyone else, you're a disgusting wretch that preys on the weak."
The woman shakes her head.
"Stop pretending that you're the pinacle of all goodness. You were not better than me."- She says- "We were both in love with the same man. He just liked me better."
Iris glares at the woman.
"Oh yeah?"- She says- "Then I'll like it when I fill your pretty body! With pretty bullets!"
She points her gun at her.
"You'll never be able to make another child!"- She adds- "Mark my words!"
The woman smirks and points her machine gun at everyone around the jeep.
"That's right, you succubus. Come at me."- She says- "Once I obliterate you, my beloved leader will give me a raise. And then, perhaps, he will love me again."
Will shakes his head.
"I hate to be the advocate for something cruel, but this woman has truly lost her mind."- He says- "My advice is simple- put her out of her misery. This way, nobody will have to feel what Miss Iris once did."
Iris grins.
"It's been a few hours since I met you, but I already like the way you think!"- She exclaims- "Let's fill that man-stealer's mouth with the taste of revenge! And bullets!"
As the mafia trainer starts firing her machine gun at them, Will protects his allies with a magical shield. Then, he sets the ground below everyone's feet on fire. While his allies remain unharmed, his enemies start to feel extreme heat, forcing them to unwillingly stumble back.
And then, just as they stumble farther away, Rick chants a brief incantation. Suddenly, the ground behind them opens, swallowing them in one bite.
The woman sends more loyal soldiers against their enemies. Some of them have leashed monsters, unleashing them almost immediately after they receive the order to attack. Some of those creatures are basilisks- vicious members of the Lizard archetype, capable of petrifying almost any creature they consider to be their prey. And, right now, it seems like their current targets are our heroes. A truly unfortunate timing.
"A bunch of creepy blue lizards won't scare us!"- Iris yells and points a finger at the woman- "I'll turn your own trickery against you, man-stealer!"
However, just as she is about to cast a spell herself, three of the lizards start to glare at her. Slowly, Iris's entire body starts to turn to stone, inevitably setting her up for a very, very painful ending.
Iris attempts to shoot them down, but both of her arms are petrified mere seconds later. Then, they are followed by her stomach, chest and neck, until the piercing gaze stops close to her head.
Just as the basilisks start to glare harder to speed up the process, Will and Alwyn lunge forward to save Iris. Fearless, they get the attention of the basilisks and viciously stab/shoot them with their weapons.
Realizing that her allies failed to do the job, the woman starts to shoot them with her machine gun again. However, Alwyn grabs a deflated tire and throws it at her hand, forcing her to drop her weapon on her foot. And hurt herself a lot.
Just as the woman yells out in pain, Will lunges forward and hurls a barrage of fireballs. In two brief seconds, the stack of crates helping the trainer stand tall is crushed, sending the woman to the ground, like a king who never expected his own downfall.
Desperate to make her nemesis pay, the woman jumps to her feet. Unbeknownst to the group, she was carrying a single grenade in her pocket. Once unleashed, it throws her enemies back, giving the woman enough time to pull out a smallgun and shoot Iris in the stomach.
But Iris herself also has an unbreakable spirit. Instead of whimpering like a little girl, she stands back up and spits blood on the ground.
"Not even close, darling."
As the woman searches for her machine gun in the wreckage of incinerated crates, Iris grabs a sharp stick and throws it at her enemy, just like a javelin. Before the trainer can react, the stick pierces her back, making her eyes open wide. But then, she pulls out the bloody tool of nature and lunges at her, throwing her to the ground with just a single blow.
Iris attempts to defend herself, but the vengeful woman stabs her in the shoulder. She kicks her to the ground, but is soon stabbed again. Time and time again, her enemy is finding new ways to make her weaker. And worse, she is succeeding.
Seeing that his mother is in danger, Alwyn grabs a giant rock, violently pulls the trainer a safe distance away from her and starts bashing her pretty face, in a very merciless way. Even though his allies tell him to stop, he has no intentions to do so.
Finally, thanks to the physical interference of Will, Alwyn realizes that he has gone too far and willingly pulls himself back. By that time, he has managed to disfigure the left part of the woman's face and knock out two of her front teeth. An undisputable show of inner power, though not in the most moral of ways.
"Hnng. You freakish child."- The woman says- "I knew I should've put you behind bars when I first saw ya."
Then, much to Alwyn's surprise, she pulls out a big whip. When he tries to take a step back, she hits him with it, making him fall to the ground. Then, when he's most helpless, she entangles him with it, effectively hindering any kind of movement.
"You coward!"- Will yells- "I knew that you were a cheater, but this has gone too far!"
The woman smiles.
"And what are you going to do about it, big boy?"- She says- "Come on. Punish me, if you dare. It won't matter either way."
Will shakes his head.
"Lady, I do not want to hurt anyone of the opposite gender."- He says- "But you give me no choice. I cannot hold back anymore."
As the woman aims her smallgun at him, Will casts an electric spell on the ground. The wet sand below his enemy's feet starts to rumble faintly.
"Hah!"- The woman exclaims- "What? You thought that a little bit of combustible light can stop m-- "
Suddenly, huge sparks emerge from the ground. The mafia trainer is electrocuted almost instantly.
This gives Alwyn the chance to free himself from the evil woman's grasp. When she attempts to hold onto him, he hugs her, making his mom a little jealous. Then, when she looks up, he hugs her much harder, causing her to have a shortage of breath. Then, without any hesitation, he throws his mother's attempted murderer to the ground and stabs her in the cleavage with his dagger, making her lose a valuable advantage- the hostage in her hands.
After Alwyn tosses the woman's gun to his mother, Iris shoots the woman in the skull, watching as a small part of her eyes get wider for a moment. But then, the woman stands back to her feet, making our heroes very surprised by her prolonged survival.
"Vengeance's like a cold drink, my dear."- She says as she pulls out the bullet and tosses it to the ground- "You either serve it cold... or you don't serve it at all."
Suddenly, her eyes turn ice blue. Her unforgiving gaze pierces its way through Iris's fiery personality and into her burning heart. Watching as the previous mafia first lady is being humiliated by the most recent one is quite horrifying.
Will and Alwyn attempt to keep the trainer away from Iris. However, as soon as they get within range, the woman glares at them, causing a massive icy explosion that throws them back and covers them with snow.
"This is the gaze that knows how many people you fooled, Iris Shaw."- The woman says and turns back to Iris- "Now prepare to meet your ending."
As the trainer glares at her prey without any mercy, Will discovers that the two of them managed to break one of the jeep's larger windows while getting pushed back. Working alongside his friend, the two of them manage to form a crude mirror out of the discarded glass shards. And then, Will tosses it at Iris, who takes it without any hesitation.
"Not yet, you cold-loving anaconda!"- She yells- "Take this!"
Carefully aiming the makeshift mirror at the trainer, she manages to push her own gaze back at her. Just like Medusa in the stories of old, the wicked woman turns into stone, with the only difference being that her head is still intact.
"For a second, I thought that you had gotten smarter, darling. Maybe Damien taught you some kind of a secret trick that I never knew myself. Or perhaps he unlocked some kind of hidden potential within you."- Iris says as she calmly approaches her helpless enemy- "But that doesn't matter. The hunter has finally found her ending at the hands of her prey. You should have seen that coming."
The mafia trainer shakes her head.
"You won't get away with this!"- She yells- "Once my holy master finds out what you did, he'll rip you to shre-- "
*SLAP*
Iris wastes no time to shut her nemesis up. She swiftly drives the palm of her right hand across her face, causing her fearfully look back at her. It is this action that makes the foolish woman realize how truly doomed she is.
"You've always been quite the charmer. Every man wanted you in their bed."- Iris says and shakes her head- "In fact, I'm certain that you've been pregnant with much more than just one child. You filthy cheater."
The trainer raises her eyebrow.
"What makes you think you're better than me?"- She asks- "Haven't you cheated on him, too?"
Iris shakes her head.
"Truth be told, I never wanted to be with him in the first place. After I left, I never seeked another man. I knew that I was all alone in this world, so I embraced my destiny."- She says- "But do you know what drove me back? The son that I made, the only thing that truly mattered to me. It's true, I ended up betraying him. I tried to hurt him. And, had it not been for his new friends, I would've succeeded. In the end, however, I made amends with the pure angel that I forcefully brought into this world, left all of my hatred in the past where it belongs. But that isn't what I'm trying to say. What I'm trying to drill into that egg-like head of yours is that you never loved your own daughter!"
The woman shakes her head.
"Nonsense!"- She lies- "I've always been on my girl's side!"
Iris nods.
"Yes. You've always been there. To torture her. Demoralize her. Maybe you even crushed all of her dreams. What if the girl wanted to become a princess? Or, I don't know, maybe even a dragon? You ruined it all, and everybody knows it. Even you."- She says- "Face it, you fallen, ungrateful beauty. You failed everyone that you pretended to love, then you failed yourself. You used your sexy body to get what you wanted, then inadvertedly threw it all away."
Iris raises her hand. The stone rises up to the trainer's neck and starts to choke her.
"But, on the way toward money and fame, every Beauty becomes a Beast."
The mafia trainer struggles as her lungs are slowly stripped of air. She defiantly spits at Iris, but this does her no good.
"Cursse... you... Iris!"- She says, almost out of breath- "I'll... be... back!"
Iris shakes her head.
"Your beauty won't save you this time, honey."- She says, certain that her words hold fragments of truth- "Even though you will come back, the weight of your own mistakes will still be crushing you. There's no way out of this maze."
The mafia trainer, last guardian of Damien Grayson, falls limp. It does not take long for her eyes to glaze over, indicating that she finally lost her life. The jaws of her enemy were far too strong for her. She never stood a chance.
"Hmph."- Iris says and turns away- "Pathetic moneysucker."
As our heroes stare at the trainer's lifeless corpse, she reanimates. Then, as if knowing about the woman who just murdered her, she attempts to bite her neck. However, just like last time, Iris slaps the undead's face, causing her to become temporarily paralyzed.
"Oh my lord, mom."- Alwyn says and smiles- "You are such a powerful woman."
Iris smiles back at her son.
"The Shaw family has never raised weaklings, sweetheart."- She says- "Everyone has fragments of bravery inside of their heart."
As Will attempts to put the undead trainer down, Iris sees this and knocks the sword out of his hand.
"Don't. Even. Try it."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"Why?"- He asks- "Nobody deserves to live like this."
Iris shakes her head.
"That's exactly what this witch was. She was a huge nobody."- She responds- "That's the reason why she doesn't deserve mercy. Even a little bit of it."
Will picks up his blade and nods.
"I understand, Miss Iris."- He says, the undead trainer still growling behind him- "I will try to supress my own emotions next time."
Iris smiles.
"You don't need to do that."- She says- "Just ask yourself if that person would do the same for you. That should do the trick."
Then, she grabs a nearby flag of Damien's mafia and impales the undead trainer with it, binding her in the same spot for good.
"Maybe then, you'll understand why your daddy left you behind."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"What do you know about him?"
Iris smiles.
"I met him while I was still young. I think it was around, say, fifteen years ago. He was a really charming young man. His charisma levels were over the roof. Always had a smile on his face, even though everyone knew that it was fake. Had a lot of emotions swirling inside of his head, but never dared to admit it. I think that I even fell for him, a little bit."- She says- "He was escorting a passing caravan, trying to help them load for a terribly difficult journey to what used to be no man's land. Their mission was to supply a group of settlers from the mainland with essential resources, and young Kaiden served as their guardian. I learned that his name was Kaos after he looked at a picture of himself and what I thought was his wife. Or maybe girlfriend, I don't know. Either way, he said that he had a son. Though he never saw him, he really wished that he could. Said that there was another one, but he knew that he was a lost cause. The first boy was the one that truly mattered to him. But he didn't have a lot of time for explanations. He had to join his people, so he bid me farewell and embarked on his fateful journey."
She sighs.
"Do you know what I learned from him?"- She adds- "Though there are many people in this world, there is something that they all have in common- they have families. No matter what kind of people they are, they always care about them and make sure that they're protected from the vile elements of the world."
She takes a look at him.
"And I can tell that Kaiden did a good job."
Will stares back at Iris.
"Do you think that he will come back?"
Iris smiles and shakes her head.
"That, I don't know."- She responds honestly- "Only time will tell whether he wants to return or not."
Geralt nods.
"If your claims are true, then my brother will come back to us."- He chimes in- "Even though he has proven that he can be volatile and eccentric, he is not completely heartless. Time and time again, he put family first. I am sure that he would gladly do it again."
Before Iris can respond, she hears gunshots coming from the beach ahead. After shoving a giant rock into the undead trainer's mouth. to ensure that she does not harm anyone else, she turns to Will, expecting instructions. This prompts the rest of the group to do the same.
"From what I've seen so far, I can tell that you're the chosen one of those people."- Iris says- "The evidence is clear. My wicked lover is hiding somewhere nearby, and he seems to be in big trouble. His fate lies in your hands. Should we execute him, or should we allow him to suffer a little bit longer?"
Will looks at everyone else and shakes his head.
"You want me to make a decision?"- He asks, barely believing what is happening- "But I am just a warrior! I never tried to lead anyone into battle! They just followed me all the way here!"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"I'm sorry to say this, but you couldn't be more wrong than this."- He says- "Remember the time when I was saved from those relentless hunters, the ones who almost took my head off? When the people of the world received a second chance to fight back against my father's group? Those precious few moments when my father's own people turned their guns on the hand that was feeding them, just because someone promised them that there is salvation for their souls. And I think that you know very well who I'm talking about."
Will sighs.
"Maybe I did all that. I am the hero, in the eyes of several people."- He says- "But does that mean that I am capable of leading a group, even if it is toward their inevitable doom? I cannot bear the thought of losing you... "
Geralt stares at his nephew.
"My boy, you are forgetting what I taught you years ago. As long as you don't lose yourself, you will not lose others."
Will shakes his head.
"Both of us know that it's a lie."
Geralt nods.
"Perhaps it is true."- He says- "But my point still stands. You lost a piece of yourself. And then, before you know it, the whole tower will start to crumble. Everything that you love will faill in ruins, just because you were indecisive. People need you, not because the responsibility of leading has fallen into your hands, but because you are Heaven's soldier. You are the spark that can easily light a fire. You can burn everything, then put it out. You have the power to shape the world to your liking, yet you hesitate because you're afraid."
As Will looks down, Geralt stares at him.
"So tell me, nephew."- He adds- "Who are you?"
Will shakes his head.
"I... I do not know... "
Geralt continues to stare at him.
"I do not like repeating myself."- He says- "Tell me. Who are you?"
Seeing how serious his uncle is, Will looks up again. His previous iron resolve has returned. Even though he says nothing, the people around him can feel his power. His unbreakable will. At last, the old William has returned, and there is no stopping him now."
"My name is William Kaos. In the eyes of those who believe, I am an ally of justice, disciple of light. I am the land, and the land is me."- He says- "In my veins flows the blood of a legendary family, a timeless legacy. My sword is stained with the blood of those who were tainted by the shadows. I fight for the people, even though many of them do not fight for me."
He circles his head, staring at all of his allies.
"I will not hold back anymore."
Geralt nods.
"Then your vision is clear. At long last, we can proceed."- He says- "In the name of my nephew, I say that we are ready for what comes next. So, let's go."
As the heroes approach the beach, they realize that a huge battle is happening. Apparently, the group's remaining forces managed to locate Damien's group before them and is making sure that they pay for the chaos that they caused. Many of the mafia goons are dead, some have managed to turn and kill their former comrades, and those precious few who still have lives inside of their bodies are close to breaking down.
Meanwhile, Damien stands on the largest rock nearby, shouting at his allies to continue fighting in the name of his "noble" cause. Members of the heroic posse are attempting to bring him down, but he uses his gun to fill them with bullets instead. Even though he refuses to surrender to his enemies, his ammunition is running low and his bite is worse than even. It is only a matter of time before he falls, but he will definitely do his best to eliminate as many enemies of the mafia as he possibly can.
"Justice is just an illusion, created by your foolish government! Your heroes have all fallen apart!"- He yells- "You can still pretend, but for how much longer?!"
As Arnaud continues to shoot at his enemies, he glares up at Damien.
"Says the one who left his own people for the vultures."
Damien shakes his head.
"You'll never understand what I'm capable of!"
Arnaud sighs.
"And that's why you'll always be a madman in our eyes."
Angered by Arnaud's words, Damien shifts his focus toward him. He aims his gun, ready to gun him down.
"I should've finished you off when I had the chance."- He mutters as he glares back at him.
And yet, fate plays another bad card for him. When he tries to pull the trigger, a loud popping sound emerges from the crowd. Like a lead bee out of the nightmarish underworld, a bullet makes its way through the horde of fighters, striking Damien in the palm of his hand and making him drop the gun.
Unfortunately for him, the gun goes off as soon as it starts to fall, striking him in the right leg as he attempts to find his attacker, making the insult to injury even greater than it was supposed to be in the first place.
As the battle continues to rage around them, Alwyn angrily pushes his way through them and tackles his father. He punches his twice in the face, then throws him into a giant rock, damaging his spine in the process. 
But he doesn't stop there. As soon as the man stands up, Alwyn grabs a nearby rock and throws it at his head. Given his distance from his opponent, this shot is enough to kill him instantly. But Alwyn makes sure that his father remains alive to witness the chaos around him.
An undead mafia goon approaches Damien, snapping his teeth as he gets closer. Alwyn decides to allow him to bite his father and turns away, unaware that his father just pushed the undead toward him. When he finally hears the creature growl behind him, it is too late. Soon, it trips him and attempts to bite a chunk out of his throat. Damien snickers as his son struggles to clinge onto dear life, apparently enjoying the fact that vengeance is finally happening.
Just as the undead gets close enough to bite Alwyn, Will rushes into the battle and slices its head in half, saving the young man's life moments before his inevitable demise. Then, he attempts to charge at Damien, but gets shot in the shoulder by one of his goons.
Though Will is capable of stabbing his enemy in the chin, he is not fast enough to prevent Damien from shooting his son. Fortunately, thanks to his fast reflexes, Damien only manages to shoot him in the stomach, though the shot itself is more than capable of murdering him.
Infuriated that he would try to kill his friend, Will wrestles Damien's gun away and grabs him by the neck. He attempts to toss him in the nearby river, but the mafia leader uses his dark magic to shackle Will's hands, causing him a lot of pain. Then, when he tries to free himself, he makes the shackles explode, throwing him back in the process.
As Damien attempts to run away from the ensuing battle, Will grabs his sword and attempts to chase him down. However, he is stopped by his aunt- Aurelia.
"What in the world are you doing, honey?"- She asks him- "The fate of that man has been decided! It's no use!"
Will shakes his head.
"That person tried to kill a friend of mine."- He says- "I will not rest until he gets what he deserves."
Deciding to keep chasing Damien, Will lightly pushes his aunt back, hugs her and runs forward, his heart seemingly blinded by vengeance for his wounded comrade.
"Damien Grayson. You are a demon in disguise, the incarnation of darkness in plain sight."- He says to himself- "You claim that you know a lot about justice, but you have never faced it yourself. Well, that is going to change. Prepare yourself, because I am going to make you repent for your sins."
As Aurelia tends to Alwyn's wound, Geralt looks at his nephew and sighs.
"Look at him go."- He says- "Six years ago, he barely knew the definition of the word hero. And now, he is the embodiment of it."
Aurelia looks up at him.
"Aren't you going to help him out?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"He doesn't need me."- He replies- "He chose his path. There is no point to ruin the pieces of the puzzle, like Life itself did for me years ago."
He looks at his wife and hugs her. Then, the two of them kiss, standing in the middle of a raging conflict, unbothered by the carnage happening around them.
"No matter if we are facing a pleasant dream or an eternal nightmare, I will love you forevermore."
Aurelia smiles and rests her head on her husband's shoulder.
"Thank you, my prince."- She says- "You gave me the strength that's been absent for so long. Your words gave me hope, your actions bravery."
She looks up.
"We'll always be together."- She says- "Even when the world falls apart."
The two of them watch as Will runs after his enemy, confident that he will fight until the end.
"What about Alwyn?"- Geralt asks- "Will he survive this?"
Aurelia chuckles.
"Are you kidding me?"- She says- "This kid managed to escape a total manslaughter. He was scorned by his peers, hunted by the people that he used to call his family. Do you really think that a little bullet will end his life?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"Of course not."- He replies- "Alwyn is a true warrior and a noble ally. If he was fortunate enough to survive against his own father, then he will continue to be lucky."
Aurelia nods.
"And we'll make sure of that."
Meanwhile, Will continues to hunt down his enemy. Even though he is all by himself, his adrenaline has yet to rise, His anger does not subside, even though he is far away from the main battlefield. In his eyes, it is clear that he can separate the true enemy from those who are forced to act against him. And he is ready to do his best to bring him to justice.
As Damien continues to run away, Will gets close enough to use a spell. Unleashing a powerful energy wave, the mafia leader is violently thrown forward, spinning like a ballerina in the middle of a field of despair. He crashes into a rock as Will continues to run toward him.
Damien pulls out his gun, but Will knocks it out of his hands. He lunges forward and kicks the mafia master in the stomach with three precise, very sharp hits. And then, he continues to kick him, even though he is already on the ground.
When he realizes that his allies are coming, he steps back to join them. All of them glare at Damien as he stands up and laughs.
"You're such an amusing pack of insects!"- He exclaims- "Do you really think that the world trusts you? Are you actually helping it out?"
Will shakes his head as he points his sword at him.
"Look at the damage that you've done! Many people lost their lives, just because they refused your conquering persona! Children cried for their parents as their homes were torn apart by the horde of insane monsters that you led to their settlements!"- He yells, his face slowly turning red as he continues to speak- "You claim that you care about the people who are willing to employ you, but the only ones that you care about are yourselves! Are you really foolish enough to deny the words of the higher deities, just to fill your own pockets?!"
Damien laughs, not in a kind way.
"Oh, you ignorant brat! There are no gods left!"- He exclaims- "This world's meant to be only for the worthy ones! Nobody else deserves to bask in the glory of-- "
Suddenly, a huge lightning pierces the dark sky and strikes Damien in the head. He falls to the ground as more lightning bolts strike the ground around him, indicating that his atheistic views are not correct.
"Perhaps the deities are not what people believe them to be. They cannot come to our planet and solve all of our problems. They are immortal, but they are not omnipresent. Every sane person knows it."- Will says- "But that doesn't mean that they will allow you to insult the true image of this world!"
Damien looks up and smirks.
"You think that those ambrosia-loving ethereals can save your lives?"- He asks- "Well, maybe you should check your schedule. Want to know why? Because a whole tsunami's comin' your way!"
As the heroes wonder what he is talking about, the sea around them starts to roar. A huge tsunami rises, just as Damien predicted, bringing a massive new problem with itself. Moments later, a megalodon leaps in the air and, before the heroes could even take a few steps away, devours them all in a single bite.
"Hah! Serves you right!"- Damien exclaims as he puts his gun back on his belt- "Enjoy your fate as fish food, traitors!"
Will, Mysta, Alwyn, Rick and Iris quickly end up inside of the megalodon's stomach. Will attempts to stab his way through the huge fish's steel-like skin, but Rick places his hand on his shoulder and shakes his head.
"Even if you could do that, unlikely as it is, we're in danger of drowning."- He says- "No matter if it's by the dark, unforgiving sea, or the digestive system of a large predator, our fate's still the same."
Will looks at him.
"But... isn't there anything else we could do to escape?"- He asks- "We can't just sit here and wait for something that we can avoid!"
Rick sighs.
"An aquatic predator's body is like an unbreakable sanctuary."- He says- "Even the strongest blows will never break it."
Alwyn sighs.
"At least we should feel comfortable while we wait."- He says- "Come on. Let's light up this place a little bit."
As the group gathers around a small orb of light. Iris stares at something in her pocket. Just as Alwyn looks at her, she hides it deeper, as if fearing that he will judge her for something that she is hoping to keep a secret.
"Brr!"- Mysta exclaims- "It's cold like a tyrant's heart in here!"
Will shakes his head.
"Not every place is Heaven, Myst."
Mysta sighs
"Sometimes, I wish I stayed back in my father's realm."- She says- "At least it was warm and breezy up there."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"And I wish that I never returned to my own father's lands."- He says- "Living in ignorance was much better than living in constant fear of the unknown."
Rick chuckles dryly.
"Welcome to the new world, kid."
Will sighs.
"You know, I always thought of the heroic ways a do-gooder could fall victim to. All of the horrible things that could happen to him."- He says- "And you know what? I think that this one takes the first place. Never, even in my wildest dreams, have I imagined that I would perish inside of the digestive system of a massive monster."
Alwyn nods.
"Now we know what those fishermen felt three years ago."
Mysta shakes her head.
"I can't imagine becoming the food for a creature of the sea."- She says- "No offense, but my kind hunts them down. None of us have ever experienced something like... this."
Rick sighs.
"You'll get over it."- He says- "In the next life, you'll be more careful."
Mysta looks at him, shocked.
"Next life?"- She asks- "But I've barely enjoyed this one!"
Rick shakes his head.
"The predator doesn't pick his next meal."- He says- "Every person can become a victim, if they're unwise enough."
Iris sighs.
"And yet, even the predator... can become a victim."
Everyone turns to look at her. They are surprised to see that she is holding a small, spherical object in her hands. It is beeping slightly, as if waiting for the smallest disruption to detonate and destroy everything.
"Even in the darkest shadows, there's a ray of light."
Alwyn stares at his mother. He knows what she is trying to do, but he barely believes it.
"Mom?!"- He yells- "Have you gone mad?"
Iris shakes her head.
"It's the only way."- She says- "We either die when the timer runs out... or one of us risks everything to allow everyone else to survive."
Alwyn raises his eyebrow.
"But why?"- He asks- "I thought that you wanted to live as much as we do!"
Iris chuckles.
"I would love to be a part of this wonderful, screwed up world."- She says- "But I've already been marked for death."
Much to her son's shock, she pulls up her shirt, revealing a bite on her chest. Blood is still seeping from it, though the blood loss caused from the pressure that Iris is facing has mostly subsided. Judging from the infected skin around the bite, it is clear that she does not have a lot of time left.
"You know. When I saw your face again, I thought that you might be the edge that this kingdom of darkness needs to be cleansed. That you would be a better leader than your father could ever be."- She says- "I'm glad that I was not wrong."
Iris shakes her head.
"I die with few regrets."- She says- "But the thing that brings me the most shame... is that I treated you like trash. I played with your feelings as if they didn't mean anything to me. I forced you to bow down, when it should have been those fools to do that instead of you. And the worst of it is... that I never had the chance to be a proper mother."
Alwyn looks down.
"Mama... "
Iris sighs and looks at her son.
"Your ride awaits you, young prince!"- She exclaims- "Go ahead and take the crown! It's all yours!"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"I can't do it."- He says- "Not when I know that you won't be around to support me."
Iris sighs.
"Kiddo, that's not the attitude that won you the respect of the world."- She says- "Do you think that your aunt would agree with the person that you've become? She was always supportive of your decisions. You carry a huge fragment of her spirit inside of you. You won't let that die here, will you?"
She looks around and smiles.
"Besides, this is not the worst way to go."- She says- "There are far more horrible ways to feel pain and suffering."
Alwyn stares at his mother, his eyes filled with tears.
"Mama... "
Seeing that the megalodon's body is starting to rumble, Iris uses her magic to throw a rope made of plasma. As it descends lower, she hugs her son and kisses him on the forehead.
"I know that I never had the chance to love you. Sometimes, I wonder if I could even call myself a mother."- She says- "A brilliant angel such as yourself doesn't deserve to be dragged down by the darkness inside of his parents' hearts. Live a good life, my little Alwyn!"
Alwyn attempts to stop his mother, but his hand is soon grabbed by his uncle. They stare at each other as he shakes his head.
"Life sometimes gives you missions that are impossible achieve. This is one of them."- He says- "If you want to live, get out as quickly as you can."
Iris waves at her son as he ascends toward the hole on top of the megalodon, making sure that he and his allies are safely out of reach. Then, she reveals the spherical object in her hands- an ion grenade. From the looks of it, it has been enchanted with a huge surge of elecricity, making it even more volatile and dangerous than it usually is.
"We've won this battle, Damien!"- She yells as raises the object in the air- "My heart and soul shall carry on with those people! They'll be the ones who will defeat you!"
With a single, defiant yell, she throws the grenade on the floor. Then, she pulls out the gun. Without thinking twice, even for a moment, she proudly fires a bullet into the grenade's detonator, creating an irreversible chain reaction that is primed to destroy everything in its path.
The resulting explosion not only obliterates the mighty megalodon and sends out heroes flying back to the surface, it also creates a huge mix of tsunami and firepower, giving birth to a brief but extremely powerful shockwave that annihilates all of the remaining goons, still loyal to their wicked master.
As for the master himself, he can only watch in fear as his enemies fall back on the beach, bloodied but still alive. They glare at him as they draw their weapons, preparing to execute the foul mafia master for his inexcusable crimes.
Wisely deciding that his life is more important than those of his allies, Damien attempts to run away. However, it is at that moment that Iris's body is launched forward, falling on top of him a few seconds later. When our heroes go to check up on her, they realize that she is still alive, but she does not have a lot of energy left inside of her. Demise approaches quickly as multiple wounds make her lose a lot of blood.
"Richard."- She mutters- "Come here."
Rick obeys the woman's command.
"Yes, dear Iris?"- He asks- "What... do you want from me?"
Iris smiles.
"Take care of... my little Alwyn. Treat him as if he were... your son."- She says- "His father... never deserved him, and neither did his dark mafia. Once this mess is over, make sure to take him to a safe, peaceful place. My baby deserves... no less than this."
As if feeling Iris's pain, Alwyn points his gun at his mother's head. He wants to make sure that she does not suffer, even if he has to suffer himself. However, despite his best efforts, he is unable to pull the trigger, falling to his knees and starting to cry.
Equally saddened, Rick pulls out his gun and points it at Iris. The two of them share one brief glance as the mother passes the torch to her worthy successor. Then, Rick closes his eyes and tearfully puts an end to the life of the woman who has always been like a sister to him.
As chaos happens all around them, uncle and nephew embrace each other. Damien is left temporarily paralyzed during the aftermath and Will immediately joins his friend to console him. And, as the cherry on top, Mysta watches the ruined world around her, finally understanding that this is the new world that her father talked about. There is no peace, no prosperity anymore. The only heroes left in this world... are the ones who are truly capable of living their lives to the fullest.
Damien witnesses the entire event with his own eyes. Despite the fact that he is cold and heartless, he manages to feel a chill down his spine. Realizing that everyone has survived makes him feel very small. And it soon becomes clear that the end of his tyrannical reign is near.
Alwyn cradles his late mother's corpse with his bloody hands. Tears run down his face as he attempts to comprehend the severity of this situation. At this moment, despite the fact that his mother was never close to him, he feels incredibly traumatized and guilty that he was unable to save her. In fact, it is the same feeling that he experienced when his aunt perished in his arms not too long ago. Once again, history repeats itself... and it is not kind to the people who keep the light of the world alive.
But Alwyn's grief does not last for long. When he looks up at his father, the feeling of sadness swiftly turns into rage. He gently lays his mother's body in his uncle's arms, then draws his gun and rushes toward his father.
"Father! You made this happen!"- He yells- "It's... your fault! Your fault!"
Damien attempts to run away, but it soon becomes clear that he was wounded by the blast. His injured leg starts to hurt and he falls to the ground mid-flight. It does not take long for his vengeful son to catch up.
"You unruly little fool."- Damien mutters- "Why don't you leave me alone?"
Alwyn glares at his father.
"After what you did to the people I love, you should be glad that I didn't chop you into pieces when I had the chance."- He says- "But don't get me wrong, father. I'm not just doing this for them. Many people have been hurt by your megalomaniacal schemes. Children are living in misery and poverty because you drained the finances from their families to build your pseudo mercenary organization. And that's the reason why everyone hates you!"
Damien looks at his son, in an incredulous way.
"They... hate me?"- He asks- "But I'm the most powerful leader of all time! There's no way they hate me!"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"That's what you think."- He says- "And yet, you didn't expect the mutiny. Just like you will not expect this!"
Before his father can react, Alwyn rips off a large board from the nearby dock and strikes Damien in the head twice. When he attempts to get back up, he mercilessly strikes him again. The result is all-too-familiar and pathetic.
"Of all the things that you've done, getting mom and aunt killed was your biggest mistake!"- Alwyn says- "Sure, there were many differences between each of them. Aunt was a loving, faithful and caring person. Mom had lost both love and faith, but still had a duty in her life. And you took them both away from me!"
Damien, feigning innocence, stands up and shakes his head.
"None of this... was meant to happen."- He says- "I mean, sure, I had to punish Delia for allowing you to run free. But Iris, the person who gave birth to you? I didn't want it, Alwyn. I'm sorry."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"Watching you crawl and pretend that you care is so humiliating."- He says- "You are such a replacable liar, father."
Damien smiles.
"And what makes you think that you're not?"- He says- "You've done a lot of horrible things, too."
Alwyn raises his eyebrow.
"Like what?"
Damien continues to smile."
"For example, you abandoned your ancestral home, just to go out and see the world with your own eyes. Very selfish of you, if I may say so myself. Without your presence, the warriors were no longer motivated. Many of them wanted to desert like you did."- He says- "In addition to that, stealing a sizable amount of our supplies caused our headquarters to get raided by a particularly nasty group of marauders. Yes, the ones who genuinely love to take away from others. Because of your treachery, they nearly seized the capital. And, had we not repulsed them, you would have ended up in the middle of a much more fearsome conflict. For that, you should be grateful to me- your father."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"No. I curse you for everything, especially for bringing me to this world."- He says- "But that does not matter. I'm here and so are you. Our fates have intertwined once again."
Damien smirks.
"Maybe you're here."- He says and smugly stares at his son's allies- "But are your closest folks glad that you are?"
Will walks forward, stands next to his friend and nods.
"Alwyn is an irreplaceable friend of mine. Of ours. He has walked through fields of fire, fought with the fiercest of enemies, just to teach his foolish father a lesson. For that, he will always be a part of our big family. And our family does not forgive anyone who takes away people that we care about, no matter how apologetic they may be."- He says- "On a side note, you should stop pretending that your group has always been united. From what I read about your group's reports, there have always been conflicts during your reign. You claim to be the best leader, but history says otherwise."
Damien looks at him, shocked.
"How do you know that?!"
Will pulls out a piece of newspaper and shows it to him.
"See for yourself, tyrant."
Damien incredulously stares at the piece of paper. His eyes go wild as he slowly realizes that it was written by one of the most famous newspaper agencies. Here, they note all of the heinous crimes that Damien and his allies performed, including the time when they captured ten innocent children from a small, poor village, and forced them to work in the nearby mines, to collect iron for more weapons and ammunition. In addition, the newspaper features one of Damien's biggest financial crimes- the time when his allies unearthed an ancient city and exploited it for their own personal gains, angering the spirits of the ancients who attacked and nearly killed everyone in the capital.
And the worst part is- the newspaper was printed exactly a decade ago- around the time when the most terrifying event happened. This means that a traitor in Damien's ranks attempted to assist the newspaper masters in exposing his vile master. Judging from the circumstances, he was likely captured and executed for his betrayal. However, Damien's goons failed to dispose of the evidence in time, forcing them to hide it in a semi-secure place. Everything was going according to plan... until Will discovered the secret combination and looted the remnants of the sacred evidence.
Realizing that he has been exposed, Damien rips the newspaper into hundreds of pieces. However, this does him no good. The simple thought that the world already knows about his (seemingly private) crimes fills his evil heart with fear.
"Well?"- Will asks- "How does it feel to finally know the truth?"
Damien shakes his head.
"I can't come back. Not like this."- He mutters- "Even if I try to bring my mafia back to its rightful place, the vengeful families will eventually dethrone me. And my own son, he'll be in the front ranks of the mutiny, ready to stop me."
Then, he looks up, his eyes filled with a frightening amount of hatred.
"But I won't go down without taking you all with me!"
Much to everyone's surprise, he pulls out an enhanced flashbang- a revolutionized version of the old and boring flashbang- and throws it on the ground. In a few moments, the area around his enemies is filled with an extremely bright light. This allows the mafia leader to relocate elsewhere, away from all the chaos.
"Hah!"- He exclaims- "See ya, fools!"
He attempts to dart away as quickly as possible, but his vengeful son quickly follows suit. Although he is blinded by the flashbang's contents, he is still capable of sensing his father's motives and pursuing him before he goes too far.
Will and Geralt, completely unaffected by the assault, watch as the boy runs after his father. His friend attempts to help him out, but Geralt pulls him out of the way.
"This is not our fight anymore, my boy."- He says- "We managed to give Alwyn what he wants- his father is within his reach. The things that we have left to do are, unfortunately, trivial. We did our best."
Will shakes his head and pushes his uncle's hand away.
"You are wrong, uncle. His battle is mine, as well."- He responds- "Do I have to remind you that this man nearly burned our hometown to the ground, just to bring his son back? Worse, he even got one of my most loyal friends killed in a very brutal way, just because his fiendish hunter refused to surrender."
He sighs.
"No. I cannot forgive a man whose sole goal is to enslave and murder."- He says- "My friend is not out of the dark waters yet. I must keep him afloat."
Geralt nods.
"I completely understand your grief, Will. This man has caused too much damage. His sins are too many to atone for, even if he was willing to change his ways."- He says- "This mission is your duty. Get that fiend and save the world."
As he starts to go toward his allies, Geralt looks back at his nephew and smiles.
"Oh. And, in case you didn't know, I love you."
Will smiles back.
"I love you too, uncle G."
Uncle and nephew hug each other. During the few precious seconds that they spend together, time seems to stop. It is almost as being near his uncle fills Will with determination beyond comprehension. He has a reason to fight and a person who is truly proud of who he is. 
With that thought in mind, Will runs after his friend. Soon, he manages to join him in the hot pursuit.
"Well, I'm glad that you didn't get blinded like everyone else."- Alwyn says- "Do you have any idea how we're going to take my pappy down?"
Will smiles.
"Did you think that I would be clueless?"
When Alwyn sees the flames in Will's hands, he shakes his head.
"I never had a doubt."
Will nods.
"Once we get close enough, I will set the grass on fire."- He says- "Since the greenery in the wastelands is highly combustible, this will cause a chain reaction that turn the whole place into a battlefield. And once that happens, it will be wise for us to reach our target as soon as possible, lest we will risk allowing him to lose his life in a... less painful way."
Alwyn grins.
"You know. For a person who loves the law, you have a pretty chaotic way of dealing with your problems."- He says- "Perhaps I chose well when I decided to trust you."
As the duo prepares to strike, Damien looks back and laughs.
"Did you really think that I wouldn't anticipate that?"- He says- "Hah! Let's see what happens when I turn the heat up!"
To prove his point, he raises his hands in the air. Suddenly, a tall skyscraper rises below his feet. In a few seconds, Damien is high in the sky.
"Oh no, you don't."- Will says- "You will not escape from the hands of Justice."
Making sure that his friend is close, Will casts another spell. A few moments later, a magical rope is thrown from the top of the building. Will and Alwyn both grab it without hesitation, activating the movement mechanism which pulls them up very quickly.
Damien is shocked that the two boys have managed to reach him so quickly. He silently curses the wonders of modern magic, then forces another skyscraper to rise up from the wasteland's dirt. Then, he pulls out a hidden hook and makes his way toward the next destination.
As if sensing that Damien would perform a similar trick, Will runs forward, calmly pointing his hands at the ground as he does so. Miraculously, a bridge of light suddenly appears on his feet, sturdy enough to carry an entire army across. While he does so, Alwyn notes his friend's skills and knows who he should ask for help if the mafia's magical infrastructure turns out to be too unstable.
Angered by the children's persistence, Damien glares at them for a few seconds. Then, he pulls out a smoke bomb, throws it on the ground, then enters the inner section of the building via a hidden passage.
"I already told you, Mr. Grayson."- Will says- "You are a hunted man. And there is nothing you can do to escape this fate."
Then, he takes a few steps back, analyzes the amount of smoke around him, and starts to cast a wind spell. In the blink of an eye, all of the smoke is blown away, as if by a giant fan. And, to make sure that nobody tries to attack them from behind, the young hero directs the smoke toward the nearest pipe, making a hidden band of goons to start choking.
When he starts to descend into the hidden passage, he hears a loud cough behind him. Looking back, he realizes that Alwyn was greatly affected by the smoke, having inhaled a sizable amount of it. This has caused him to start coughing uncontrollably, as if he is still somewhere inside the vile cloud.
"Are you alright, my friend?"- He asks him- "We can stop for a while, if you want to."
Alwyn shakes his head.
"I'll be fine."- He says- "Catching my father's our utmost priority. We shouldn't slow down, even to take care of ourselves."
Will approaches his friend and shakes his head.
"No. I insist."- He says defiantly- "Your condition matters more to me than a power-loving maniac who wants to have all the money in the world."
Then, with a swift motion of his hands, Will positions his palms near Alwyn's throat. Then, he casts a potent healing spell, easing his friend's pain and successfully drawing out the poison from his struggling body.
"Woah. That was intense."- Alwyn says and smiles- "Once again, you managed to save my life. I just can't thank you enough."
Will smiles back.
"I would do anything for the good people of this world."- He says- "Especially for those whom I consider my friends."
Alwyn's eyes light up, looking at Will as if he were a little, excited child.
"So... I'm your friend now?"
Will continues to smile.
"Of course you are!"- He responds- "Ever since we met each other, I always felt a certain kind of bond between us. I am glad that I didn't give up on you."
As he turns back to the passage, he looks back at his friend.
"Besides, finding friends like you is a confirmed rarity."- He adds- "You are truly one of a kind."
Alwyn smiles as he watches his friend descend.
"Well, so are you!"
The duo manages to catch up with the fleeing Damien. They soon realize that he didn't run away because he was struggling with a small group of undead. It is a miracle that he did not get bitten in the process, what with all of the hungry creatures trying to tear him apart.
Not wanting his friend's mischievous father to perish easily, Will steps forward and takes down all of the undead, putting Damien in another perilous situation not long afterwards.
"You are outnumbered, criminal."- He says to him- "Surrender, or the consequences of your defeat will echo all the way to the Unknown Lands."
Damien looks at him.
"But we are in the Unknown Lands!"
Will nods.
"Exactly."
Realizing that Will is right, Damien rips out a nearby fuse box and threatens the two boys with it. Although it is clear that he has been trapped like the unfortunate prey in the wildlands, he refuses to simply give up.
When Will attempts to reason with him, Damien laughs and throws the sparking fuse box at him. Alwyn immediately takes action, grabbing a large chair and whacking the fuse box back toward its sender.
Damien is, as expected, immediately electocuted when the sparking cables reach his skin. The result reminds Will of a light show that he and his caretakes watched when he and Quinn were six years-old. Seeing all of the lights and flames, his twin brother almost peed his pants, causing little Will to make fun of him for weeks. 
Although this sudden event disgusts him nowadays, he still has to admit something- humiliating or not, it was truly a show to behold. And for that, he is truly thankful to his uncle for bringing him to such... educational events.
Much to the children's surprise, Damien slowly rises to his feet not long afterwards. Despite the fact that a large part of his chest was severely burned, he still managed to endure the pain and survive this sudden attack.
"Surprised, aren't we?"- Damien says mockingly, his voice still loud and clear- "The mafia didn't raise a fool to lead it. I was trained by the finest masters of our lands."
Will and Alwyn ready their weapons.
"Then get ready to be turned into a fool."- The two of them say simultaneously.
Seeing that he has no other choice, Damien chooses to use his dark magic to blow a hole in the ground and safely descend on the lowest floor. However, he completely underestimated the abilities of his son and his friend, seeing them both approach him very quickly from the sky to the left.
Once his feet reach the ground, Damien decides that his only choice for survival is to run for the hills. While running away from his pursuers, he forms small monuments to slow them down. However, the young warrior known as Will uses his magical sword to shatter each of them with a single hit.
"I feel terrible about destroying such works of art."- He admits to his friend- "But keeping the law requires several crucial sacrifices. Unfortunately, this is one of them."
The three of them soon reach a huge volcano. Damien is forced to climb it with his bare hands while Will shapes the ground below his feet in a stair-like way, allowing him and Alwyn to catch up with the boy's malicious father.
As soon as each of them reaches the top, Damien lunges forward and kicks his son down the rocky hill, watching as he presumably falls to his death. Then, he grabs Will by the neck, using a choke that prevents him from using both swords and spells.
"Well, mister Kaos."- He says mockingly- "How does it feel to be in the core of the burning land?"
When he pushes Will next to the bubbling lava, he looks down and laughs.
"Oh! I know!"- He exclaims- "You must be feeling very hot and bothered!"
Although Will is unable to fight back, he still has enough energy to defiantly speak against his enemy. When he hears his mockery, he lets out a faint sigh and shakes his head, clearly annoyed by Damien's choice of words.
"Mr. Grayson."- He says- "I always thought that you were bad at jokes. But today, you finally hit the rock bottom."
Triggered by Will's sarcastic words, a crowd of visiting fire sprites starts to laugh. This makes Damien feel proud and embarassed at the same time.
"St-stop it!"- He exclaims- "I never meant to be a joker! Back down!"
The fire sprites shake their heads.
"Man."- They say, deciding to be honest with him- "You're no fun."
As the sprites leave, Damien looks back at his helpless opponent. His eyes are turning red because of the extreme heat and the volcano is slowly draining his energy. If a miracle does not happen soon, he is doomed to be turned into toast. One way or another.
"Did you really think that your petty tricks could affect me- the master of our sacred mafia?"- He says to him- "Hah! Even one of our children could've predicted your moves!"
Will shakes his head.
"My friends will make sure that I am avenged,"- He says defiantly- "My faith in the future will not fade away, just because you want to break me."
Damien laughs.
"Oh really?"- He says- "And where are your friends, if I may ask?"
Will looks around, unsure how to respond.
"Face it, kiddo. They betrayed you, just like mine betrayed me."- Damien says- "We're lone wolves. Though we pretend to fight for others, we only fight for ourselves."
Will shakes his head.
"Unlike you, I genuinely care about the people of this world."- He retorts- "People are capable of trusting me. And, best of all, I have genuine friends. Unlike a certain mafia predator."
Damien laughs again.
"And you think that a bunch of clueless fools will save you from an alpha like me?!"- He says and beats his chest with one hand- "I am invincible! I am undefeatable! I am-- "
All of a sudden, a giant eagle emerges from the nearby clouds. It flies forward, strikes Damien in the back and caws as he barely manages to hold onto the nearby ledge. He attempts to gun down the creature, but it suddenly starts to shoot magical lasers from its mouth, knocking one of Damien's precious guns into the lava and preventing him from drawing his last one. On the eagle's back, Alwyn and Arnaud congratulate themselves for a job well done.
"Curse you, servants of the wilds!"- Damien yells- "I was doing so well!"
Unfortunately, the force of the blow was enough to knock Will into the volcano. But that is not a problem for him. As soon as he starts to fall down, he casts water magic on the walls of magma, successfully cooling them down. Then, he connects a magical rope to the top of the volcano and climbs toward it with ease, continuing to cast the same spell along the way and amazing his two friends.
As he reaches the highest point of the volcano, the three of them watch Damien as he struggles for his life. He yells, thrashes his legs like a little child and begs for mercy. In their eyes, the once proud and seemingly undefeatable Damien is now a pathetic, pointless element that should be eliminated, in the name of the world's unstoppable evolution.
"What a pitiful way to end a life."- Will says and looks at Arnaud- "How did you manage to find us, anyway?"
Arnaud smiles.
"Even though many people understimate them, eagles have ears. They can fight. They can risk their lives. They always search far and wide for their prey. And they are always loyal to their allies, just like I am loyal to my friend Alwyn."- He says- "I have to thank you, monsieur Kaos. Had it not been for the wind spell that you cast not long ago, I would have arrived late. And then, only the celestials will know what was going to happen."
Will smiles.
"Well, my magic is always very innovative."- He says- "When it comes to working with my allies, I always find new ways to adapt and overcome."
Alwyn looks at the two of them.
"That's really great."- He says- "But aren't we going to do something about him?"
The three heroes look down at Damien. He is close to falling into the large pool of lava below, screaming like a little girl as his fingers slowly lose their grip.
"Umm."- Will says- "I thought that you wanted him dead?"
Alwyn nods.
"Of course I do!"- He exclaims- "But we need to take something that belongs to him, some kind of a memento that will convince the rest of his foolish freaks that we defeated him! Otherwise, we might as well be aiming for the unknown!"
Arnaud sighs, knowing that his friend is too stubborn to leave without achieving his goal. He reaches for Damien's pocket, grabs his prized pistol, and hands it to Alwyn.
"Will this be good enough for you, Captain Pretentious?"
Alwyn raises his eyebrow as he looks at his father's gun.
"I,.. guess that it should be enough."- He says- "Come on. Let's leave."
As Alwyn and Arnaud board the giant eagle, they look back and realize that Will has not joined them. They approach him and realize that he is glaring at the struggling Damien. It is almost as if he is weighing his sins, deciding whether he deserves to die like this or not.
"Monsieur Kaos?"- Arnaud says- "Are you really considering to spare such a terrible villain?"
Will shakes his head.
"I am not sure."- He says- "This man has burned down many settlements. Destroyed many families and traumatized many innocent people. And yet, even the worst of villains do not deserve to die in such a painful way... "
Alwyn sighs.
"Any evidence of what my father used to be will be washed away."- He says- "There will be nothing left for his goons to bury. It's best if we leave him like this."
Will decides that it is for the best if he and his allies allowed Damien to fall in the lava. However, just as he leaves, the words of Alwyn echo in his mind. He remembers his own father, noting that he vanished from existence as well, even though news of his demise never reached his ears.
"Evidence... nothingness... "- He mutters- "No one deserves to be forgotten. Even the most horrible villains... need to be remembered by someone else."
Jumping down from the eagle, Will runs toward the end of the volcano.
"Will! What are you doing?!"- Alwyn yells- "Stop it! He doesn't deserve to be saved!"
Will refuses to listen to his friend. Using his magic, he wraps a rope around Damien's neck and swiftly pulls him up, saving his life just as the lava starts to reach his toes. He remains shocked, even after Will pulls him back to the surface.
Then, realizing what just happened to him, he laughs.
"Oh, my hero! You were so brave!"- He says and prepares to lunge forward- "Allow me to thank you properly!"
As he runs toward him, Will casts a spell. Suddenly, the mossy ground below his feet turns into vines, entangling the vile mafia boss. However, it soon turns out that they have a certain amount of magic inside of them, turning half of Damien's body into stone.
"Gah! I can't believe it!"- He exclaims, shocked that the heroes just won- "I... I lose?!"
Bewildered by the fact that Will just saved his father, Alwyn jumps down and grabs him by the neck.
"Why?! Why did you save him?!"- He yells- "He was so close to receiving a proper punishment! And now, you ended it all! What's wrong with you?!"
Will stares at him calmly.
"And I want to ask you- what is wrong with you?"- He says- "I have faced countless villains. Many of them were cold and heartless. Even so, I think that none of them deserve to end up like this, dying in one of the most painful ways known to Man."
He continues to stare at him.
"Do you think that casting a villain into the fiery depths below would be the best way to cleanse the evil inside of their souls?"- He asks- "Sure. It is justice, without a doubt. But is it fair, even if the villain in front of you is the worst type of scum that has walked in our world?"
Arnaud shakes his head.
"Nothing in this world's fair anymore, monsieur Kaos."
Will nods.
"Exactly, my friend."- He says- "And this is why I decided to give our enemy a punishment that he will witness and never forget."
He looks back at the terrified Damien, noticing that he is justifiably startled.
"You shall rot in the darkest of dungeons for the rest of your life, destroyer of families."- He says- "Nobody will ever hear your voice again. Only the demons themselves shall be your companions. And, even if you manage to escape, you will find that the rest of the world is harsher than I will ever be. So, heed this warning and listen to the cries in your heart."
Dejected, Damien bows his head, finally admitting his defeat.
"Yes, William. I'm sorry."- He says- "I... I will serve my sentence."
Will smiles.
"Thank you for cooperating, sir."
The three heroes turn to the giant eagle and realize that he has grown very tired. This is probably due to the fact that he has flown for many miles to reach the fiery wastelands. Arnaud shakes his head and motions for the creature to fly away without them.
"Umm."- Alwyn says- "You just sent away our only way to escape this place alive."
Arnaud sighs.
"I did not want to risk his life."- He says- "Poor Whirlwind has always been a loyal companion of mine. He has gotten himself in more trouble than I ever could."
Will nods, clearly agreeing with Arnaud's decision.
"It was very humane of you to spare that poor beast's life."- He says- "Even the mightiest of the world's warriors are mortal. in their own way."
Damien looks at them, puzzled that they are not noticing the flowing lava behind them.
"Speaking of mortality, I think that you guys are being very calm about the lava over there."- He says- "Are you really going to let this happen?"
Will turns back to Damien and smiles.
"You should not worry about that, Mr. Grayson."- He says- "In this world, there is one kind of creature that adores fire and is one and the same with it. Fortunately, you are lucky enough to stick around and find out what it is!"
To prove his point, Will pulls out a dragon-shaped whistle and plays a brief, calm tune. Mere seconds later, a large dragon flies on the mountain, bends down and stares at each of them with great interest.
Alwyn quickly recognizes Melanchion- the dragon who helped them out earlier.
"What is it this time, my friends?"- Melanchion says and grins, revealing his sharp white teeth once again- "Shall it be a ride a Life... or a ride to Death?"
Damien is, understandably, terrified by the sight of an actual dragon.
"Well, Mr. Grayson."- He says to him- "Now, I am certain that you will never mess with us again."
Melanchion- mighty dragon of the underworld- easily takes our heroes far away from the lava mountain. Once they finally reach safe and solid ground, a group of former mafia warriors arrives. They ask Will why he spared their leader, surprised that he would do such a thing. However, unlike Alwyn, they are much more understanding, agreeing with the young hero's decision. They ask for his permission to take Damien away and he grants it, watching as the former mafia leader is taken away to lands unknown.
As the rest of their allies arrive to congratulate them, Alwyn turns back to Will and sighs.
"I owe you a big apology, Will."- He says- "Today, I learned that there are many ways to punish an evil person. Tossing my father into a volcano was far too merciful for someone like him. And I think that I finally agree with you. Some villains deserve to be punished in a way that does not necessarily kill them."
Will smiles and pats his friend's shoulder.
"You owe me nothing, my friend."- He says- "After everything that we have been through, worrying about the fate of a single man is not something you should be concerned about. The life of your daddy is not in our hands anymore. And, if the good people of this world decide that he must be punished harshly, they are free to carry it out themselves."
Arnaud raises his eyebrow.
"Do you think that monsieur Grayson is going to die, mon ami?"
Will shakes his head.
"To be honest, I am not quite sure."- He admits- "Maybe someday, the good folks will get tired of Mr. Grayson's rambling and end his bickering forever. Or maybe they will leave him in his cell, allowing him to go mad. Either way, the mafia has just lost its leader. Mr. Grayson is, without a doubt, done for."
Alwyn nods.
"Until something is decided, I'll keep visiting my father."- He says- "Don't worry. I'll make sure to remind him what kind of a monster he really is. Maybe that will bring some color in his pathetic, monotonous life."
As Alwyn turns around to speak with Mysta, Geralt and Aurelia approach their nephew and hug him.
"Goodness, dearest! That was a battle that will be remembered for decades to come!"- Aurelia exclaims- "The way you ran after that villain, the way you fought the darkness with your bare hands... it was almost as if I was watching some kind of a magical movie!"
Will smiles.
"Well, auntie. To be honest, my entire life is like a movie."- He says- "So, that is not surprising at all."
Geralt looks around. After making sure that everyone is safe and sound, he looks back at his nephew and nods.
"My boy."- He says- "It is time to go home."
Will looks at his uncle, mildly disappointed.
"Aww."- He says- "Aren't we going to visit our new friend, at least for a single day?"
Geralt sighs.
"I would love to spend some time with this wonderful boy."- He says- "However, you know how it is. Duty calls. And when it does, you have to answer it."
He turns around.
"So."- He adds- "Shall we?"
Will lets out a deep sigh. Then, he takes a step forward, seemingly determined to begin another journey, this time toward his home.
"As you wish, uncle."- He says- "Dearest home, here we come."
As they start to travel toward their new destination, Will looks back at his uncle.
"By the way."- He says- "Did you make sure to take Chaka back to his village? I want to grant him a hero's burial for his services to mankind."
Geralt smiles sadly.
"Rest assured that the man shall be buried with the highest of honors, belonging to the greatest of heroes."- He says- "Also, yes. I managed to arrange a caravan to take his lifeless corpse back to his hometown."
Will smiles as well.
"That is good."- He says- "It makes me feel happy that my friend will not end up like the rest of the bones around here."
Geralt shakes his head.
"I would never allow one of our own to join the remains of the unknown in this desolated land."
With that matter settled, our heroes are free to return to the sacred land, finally free of the darkness that used to float over their holy minds. And it soon turns out that the rest of the journey is very light. No enemies attack them on the roads and those who are willing to do so immediately flee when they see how battle-hardened and serious they really are.
However, their troubles are far from over. As soon as they make the first steps into the settlement, a smell of smoke washes over them. Immediately, it becomes clear that the place was attacked in their absence. Despite the fact that the guards are strong and capable of defending it, many of them have perished and many others fled to escape with their families. In a short amount of time, the beloved home of the Kaos family has become similar to the war-torn wasteland where our heroes fought Damien Grayson and his allies.
Barely able to comprehend the sight in front of him, Geralt falls to his knees. He is clearly shocked that the settlement of heroes fell so easily to a group of villains, no matter how mad and disorganized they were.
"Everything that I fought for. The future that I tried to build for my family. It is all... gone."- He says and shakes his head- "It is my fault. I should have stayed behind."
Will shakes his head.
"The only ones who should be blamed for this are Mr. Grayson's fiends."- He says- "Do not blame yourself for everything, uncle."
Geralt looks at his nephew and shakes his head.
"No. You don't understand."- He says- "This place was the fruit of my labor. The shining tower in the sea of darkness. I was going to turn this place into a metropolis of hope and peace. And now... it is all over."
Behind the two of them, Alwyn stares at the destruction all around him. His fists are clenched and, without a doubt, he is very angry."
"Curse you, father!"- He says to himself- "Look what you did to them! Are you happy?!"
Aurelia looks around, seemingly looking for something.
"Is something wrong, Mrs. Kaos?"- Mysta asks- "What's on your mind?"
Aurelia continues to search frantically, as if she lost her favorite earrings.
"Where are Kiara and Sophia?!"- She asks- "What happened to my niece?!"
Geralt looks up, surprised.
"You mean that... they didn't find us?"
Soon, he joins his wife, searching for his sister like a maniac. The thought of losing one of the dearest people to him to the omnipresent darkness fills his heart with fear. He does not want to experience the same event that took Kiara away from him decades ago.
"Kiki? Kiki, are you here?!"- He yells- "Please, come out! I am worried about you!"
However, yelling at the air is like yelling at a wall- completely pointless and time-consuming. Even so, they continue to search for the rest of the family, clearing away every little bit of rubble to find them. And yet, this earns them nothing and makes them even more worried. It is almost as if Kiara and her family vanished from existence, never to return.
"Maybe there is a solution to our problem."- Rick says and shows them a rod that he was holding in his pocket- "This object was given to me by Alwyn's mother before she died. It's used to open the way to her true sanctuary- Rainbow Keep. For the time being, we can use it to hide from the forces of darkness. Then, we can decide what to do next."
Geralt looks at Rick.
"I appreciate the offer. I really do."- He says- "However, I cannot leave without my sister. What if she comes back to look for us? The dark ones will overwhelm her!"
Rick stares at the ruins all around him. Afraid to tell a lie that will demoralize his friend, he decides to give him some hope instead.
"Your sister is probably far from home by now. From the looks of it, she and her family must have left with the first waves of refugees."- He says- "I know not where she is. However, the mafia's motion trackers might help us detect any signs of life in the wastelands. Maybe she heard where we were going and decided to assist us?"
His heart filled with hope, Geralt stands on his feet and nods.
"If that is the case, let us head toward the promised paradise."- He says and leans close to Rick- "You better not be using my sadness for your own benefit, though."
Rick shakes his head.
"You know me, Geralt."- He says- "I would never do such a thing. Especially to a man like you."
Geralt smiles.
"I know, Rick."- He says- "I do not doubt your skill. Of course I can trust you."
It takes them a few days, but they finally reach the fabled Rainbow Keep. It is a huge tower, home to the most brilliant lights and sparkles our heroes have ever seen. Unlike most tall towers, it fills them with joy and hope, giving them the strength to believe that anything is possible.
"Well, everyone. Here we are."- Rick says and smiles- "Welcome... to Rainbow Keep."
== Trivia ==
* This is the longest part in the "Miracula Luxia" history overall.
** It is also the part which has taken the most time to be created (almost two months, if you can believe it).