MLII C8, P10- "A Journey's End"

"A Journey's End" is the tenth (and final) Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's eighth Chapter, as well as the last Part of "Miracula Luxia II" overall.
It was released on 22.08.2021.
== Plot ==
Seven years have passed since the untimely demise of our hero's dear sister- Marinette.
The world has changed completely. Even though there are still some villains left, stragglers from the previous wars and other troublemakers who try to disrupt the peace, they are nothing but a remnant of what was once a mighty force of evil.
Jared and his wife have made a hard decision to live somewhere else, but not before taking their entire family with them. Leaving their past behind, they arrive in the subterrenean lands of Avernum, claim them as their new home and begin to pursue the path towards their brighter future.
It is clear that most people have changed since the last war ended. They have become more serious, more determined and united, wishing to fight side by side against future threats. This means that Jared's attempt to unite everyone has finally turned out to be successful.
However, even though everyone is staring at the future ahead of them, there is still an aura of tension that is clouding their minds. Even though they are trying their best to avoid it, they still cannot forget the events that happened years ago. 
And, most importantly, they will never forget the people who risked so much to save them and the entire world from evil. Including those who are not around anymore.
== Story ==
Jared continues to stare at the lands ahead of him. 
Having decided to help his fellow warriors to defend the lands from evil once again, he is now standing beside them and waiting for its forces to arrive.
"Are you sure there's still more of them, sir?"- One of the soldiers asks him- "It's way too quiet. Maybe we should-- "
However, he is quickly cut off mid-sentence as a small band of demons runs towards the open gates.
"I knew it!"- Jared exclaims- "Soldiers, get ready. Defend our hometown!"
The soldiers salute him and draw their weapons.
"Yes, sir!"- They yell and charge.
It is clear that the demons have a mission on their minds. They want to enter the city and wreck havoc among the populace.
However, their attempt proves to be an utter failure when Jared and his allies intercept and slay each and every single one of them without mercy.
Once all of the demons are dead, the soldiers retreat into the safe confines of the city to rest.
A few guards remain on the walls as the rest of the force is ordered to go towards the other gates, to make sure that there won't be any problems.
Taking one last look at the open gate, Jared sighs and sheathes his weapon.
"The city is not safe. Yet."- He says to himself- "As long as there are still any of those fiends out there, we will never be able to sleep well."
He sighs again. Wistfully.
"Maybe I should finally meet up with John."- He continues- "He said that he wanted to see me and tell me something very important. I wonder what it is... "
Having said that, he approaches Paris' command center and opens the door.
Inside, he sees that there is only one person. And it is his best friend- John Braveheart,
At first, he does not seem to notice him. But once he clears his throat, he looks up.
Seeing that Jared has finally arrived, John immediately drops his papers on the desk in front of him, stands up to greet his closest friend and pats him on the shoulder.
"Ah, Jared. You have finally arrived."- He says to him- "That's good."
Jared nods.
"Earlier, you told me that you want to see me."- He says- "Do you need any help?"
John shakes his head.
"Fortunately, not right now. Not yet."- He responds- "I don't need you to help me. Right now, I want to help you."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"You want to help... me?"- He repeats- "And how, if you do not mind me asking?"
John smiles.
"Jared, we have a massive opportunity on our hands. If we make it happen, we're going to be finally safe! Both of our families can finally live their lives in peace!"- He says excitedly- "When you left the building a few hours ago, a messenger of King Starrus came into my office. He asked for you, but I told him that you are absent and that I am your official representative. So, he notified me that King Starrus is retiring from his job as the King of Avernum. Since his son died not too long ago, he was forced to select his descendant from a long line of heroes who reside in Avernum and the Surface. Someone who can lead Avernum for a very long time, chosen by the Council and the residents of Avernum, as well as King Starrus himself."
He smiles again.
"And you know what?"- He says- "I think that you'll be very happy to hear the name of the lucky hero."
Jared shakes his head.
"I do not have time for those things, John."- He says to him, eager to return outside- "I have a family to feed and people to protect. Say what you have to say and let me return to my work."
John frowns.
"I can tell that you're eager to do what you have been doing until now. However, destiny has something else in store for you."- He says.
He takes a deep breath and reveals the truth.
"It's you, Jared."- He continues- "His Majesty wants you to be the King of Avernum."
At first, Jared is not able to comprehend those news properly. He is not sure how to react. However, he soon realizes what is happening and gasps.
He takes a step back and looks at his best friend. He notices that he is smiling from ear to ear.
"And you want me to go over there and lead an entire nation?"- He says in disbelief- "This is madness!"
John shakes his head.
"No. This is an opportunity for all of us. And we must use it in our favor."- He says- "You can't just give up like this."
Jared shakes his head.
"John, this is not the life that I want to have."- He says- "I have a family. I have allies in this city. I cannot leave them behind when they still need me."
He looks down.
"Plus, there are heroes who are much more competent than me. Much more able to lead an entire nation."
John stares into his eyes and sees his uncertainty. 
"Jared. I... I understand that you're worried about this. I know, it's too much responsibility for someone like you."- He says to him- "But, please. Try to see the world from my eyes. At least for a minute. And then, you will realize that some things in life are best not to be avoided in such a cowardly way. If the people of Avernum and King Starrus himself trust you to do such an arduous task, then I trust you twice as much."
He smiles.
"I spoke with Meggy about this just before you arrived. She is thrilled by the news and awaits your response."- He continues- "So, go back there and make her happy. Don't disappoint her. She's your wife and I know that you love her very much."
Jared smiles and hugs his best friend."
"Thank you for believing in me, John."- He says to him- "Yes. I will travel to Avernum and become their king. However, there is a single condition for that."
John raises his eyebrow.
"As you can see, I am all ears."- He says- "What would you like me to do for you?"
Jared smiles.
"I want all of you to come with me."- He responds- "I know how much you will miss me and I do not want you to be alone. It is the only reason that will allow me to become the one whom I am destined to be."
John sighs.
"I really want to. But, you see, it ain't quite as easy as you think."- He says- "I have a family, too. I have a wife. A child. I have to take care of them and I can't just leave them alone."
Jared smiles again.
"And that is why you can take them with you."- He says- "Maybe you can find a new job as a bureaucrat at the Castle!"
John looks up and smiles.
"You know, that actually doesn't sound so bad!"- He responds- "A few days ago, I heard that they're looking for a librarian at the Castle. Maybe I can apply for the job."
Jared smiles and pats him on the shoulder.
"And that is why you are my best friend, John."- He says- "You always find a way to make a living. And that is really motivational for all of us."
John nods.
"So."- He says- "How long will it take you to prepare for the journey?"
Jared thinks about this for a few seconds. Soon, he comes up with an answer to John's question.
"Three days."- He responds- "Three days will be enough for all of us to prepare. In the meantime, I want you to tell the rest of my family about this. I want them to know what is going on."
John nods.
"Very well."- He responds- "I will let them know."
Satisfied with John's response, Jared waves at him and leaves the command center.
Just outside the Kaos residence, he comes across Meggy, who seems to be very excited about something.
When she sees that her husband has finally come back, she approaches him and hugs him.
"Oh, my dearest. I'm so happy for you!"- She says to him- "You're gonna be a king!"
Jared smiles.
"I know, my dear."- He says- "And that is why you will be surprised to learn that I will be taking all of you with me."
Meggy raises her eyebrow. She seems to be surprised by this.
"Really?"- She says- "This... this is amazing!"
Jared smiles.
"I know."- He responds- "Adam is finally going to have a much brighter future. He will not stay in this boring city anymore."
Meggy nods.
"He's going to be the Prince of Avernum."- She says- "It'll be an honor for him. That's for sure."
She looks up at him.
"So."- She continues- "Have you picked your queen from the list of heroines?"
Jared smiles again.
"You know that I will not choose any other girl. Right dear?"- He says to her- "You are my most precious thing in the entire world. More valuable than the rarest diamond, than the most beautiful necklace. Your light is always the brightest, no matter how dim our enemies try to make it."
He looks at her.
"And I am sure that you are going to be the perfect queen for Avernum."- He continues- "The entire nation is going to love you."
Meggy nods.
"I'm not so certain about that, but I'll try my best to be useful."- She says- "I know how much of a responsibility it is and I'll do my best to make those lands flourish."
Jared nods.
"Well said, my dearest."- He responds- "Now then. Shall we be on our way? It is getting a little late right now."
Meggy sighs.
"I know, but I already put Adam to sleep."- She says- "He's very tired after his first day at school. Very tired."
Jared nods.
"I know how tiring it must be for him."- He says- "However, it will be much better once we arrive in Avernum. You will see."
Meggy sighs again.
"I hope so!"- She exclaims- "All this time, I've been thinking about him way too much. You see, I'm very worried about his safety. What if monsters attack Avernum again? What if he gets hurt? What if... if... "
Jared approaches her and kisses her on the forehead.
"Shh. It is alright."- He says calmly to her- "Everything is going to be alright."
Comforted by her husband's words, Meggy immediately falls into his arms.
"Let's go home."- She says- "I feel... tired."
After hearing her yawn, Jared realizes that she is also very tired.
"Alright."- He responds- "Let us go back there."
Having said that, he opens the door leading towards the Kaos residence and takes her in.
The two of them go upstairs and approach Jared's former room. They open the door and see that Adam is sleeping on his bed.
"What a sweetheart."- Meggy whispers to Jared- "He's sleeping so soundly. So calmly."
Jared nods.
"Let us leave him alone."- He whispers back- "I do not want to disturb him."
Meggy nods.
"And neither do I."- She says and closes the door.
Then, they approach the door leading towards their room, open it and go inside.
Once they lay on their bed, Meggy looks at Jared.
"I'm so glad that everything is going well for you now."- She says to him- "So. When will we travel to Avernum?"
Jared nods.
"In three days."- He responds- "I hope that you are ready for this, because it is going to be quite a long one."
Three days later, the entire Kaos family, as well as the Braveheart family are near the portal that leads to Avernum.
"Well, everyone. This is it."- Jared says and looks at them- "This is the way towards a new journey. A new life for all of us. Are you ready for it?"
Everyone nods.
Jared smiles.
"Very well."- He continues- "Then let us begin. Our new future awaits us. And we should not keep it waiting. Not anymore."
Having said that, he approaches the portal, being the first one to step through it. Soon, he is joined by everyone else.
It takes them a few hours to leave the safety of the city of Formello and begin their journey towards the Castle, as well as a few more hours to pass through the toll gates of Almaria.
One day later, they are finally at the gates of the Castle. 
Once the soldiers see who is in front of them, they open the gates immediately and let them in.
Inside, they find themselves welcomed by the Castle's representatives and escorted to King Starrus's throne room by his personal guards.
Meanwhile, King Starrus stands up from his throne, approaches Jared and shakes his hand.
"I am glad that you responded to my message, Jared."- He says- "As I mentioned before, I wish to pass the torch on to you. Me, the council and all of the people of Avernum have made the mutual decision to make you the new King of Avernum. And so, it shall be you who will lead everyone towards a brighter and safer future. Not me."
He takes the royal crown from a nearby table and hands it to him. 
When Jared puts it on his head, he smiles.
"Congratulations, dear Jared."- He says to him- "In my status as the current King of Avernum, I hereby declare you the new King of this sacred land! Use your powers well, my child."
Jared bows down to him.
"It is an honor for me, Your Majesty."- He says to him- "I promise that I will do my best to lead this nation and to help its army become one of the most powerful and respected forces in the entire world. I will not stop until they are all safe from evil. Mark my words."
Seeing that Jared is bowing down to him, King Starrus shakes his head. Then, he bows down himself.
Confused, Jared takes a step back. He has never received such a high honor before.
"Umm."- He says- "Why... are you bowing down, sir?"
King Starrus looks up, stands up and smiles.
"Why, you ask? It's because you are the King now, my child!"- He responds- "From now on, you will be the one who will lead those people. You will be the one who will bring them light, peace and hope. You are going to be the one who will lead them towards the right path. And there is a good reason for everyone to bow down to you."
He looks at everyone else and smiles.
"Well then. What are you waiting for?"- He asks them- "Do the thing that is your sacred duty. Bow down to your new king."
Hearing His Majesty's words, everyone bows down to Jared.
Meanwhile, as he and KIng Starrus leave the throne room, everyone else also bows down to him.
"Amazing!"- Our hero says to himself- "Is this what it feels like to be the King?"
King Starrus turns around and looks at Jared.
"It was an honor for me to crown you as the new King of Avernum, my boy. However, I am afraid that it is time for me to take my leave."- He says to him- "Even though my eldest son is dead, I still have a family to take care of. And I want to do my best to be of service to them."
Jared smiles and bows down to him.
"Thank you for your service, Your Majesty."- He says- "I promise that I will continue your legacy and make this world a much happier place. For all of us."
King Starrus smiles.
"I am positive that you will succeed, my boy."- He responds- "The whole nation... no, the whole world is counting on you right now. And I am sure that you will not let it down."
Jared nods.
"I am a man of my word, sire."- He says to him- "And I will keep my promise at all costs, even if I must risk my own life to do it."
King Starrus nods and pats him on the shoulder.
"Good luck, my child."- He says to him- "There's a really bright future ahead of you."
Having said that, he turns around and leaves.
Meanwhile, Jared enters the throne room again and rejoins his allies.
"So. You are the King of Avernum now, child."- Seiko says to him- "What's going to be the first thing for us to do for you?"
Jared nods.
"The first, and foremost, thing to do is to make those lands a better place."- He says- "So let us go ahead and forge our way towards a brighter future."
A few months later, Adam enters his father's throne room. He sees him sitting on the throne, lost in thought.
Seeing that he is busy, Adam turns to leave. However, he is soon called back by his father.
"What is it, child?"- He asks him- "Is there something that you want to know?"
Adam looks down nervously.
"Oh. N-nothing really important dad."- He says- "I was just wondering if you are still doing well.
Jared smiles.
"I am doing well. Thank you for asking."- He responds- "And now that you are here with me, I am feeling much better."
Adam looks up and smiles.
"You're always so positive, dad."- He says- "That's why I've always wanted to be like you."
Jared smiles again.
"And I am very glad to have a son who wants to be like me."- He says- "Now then. Is there something else that you want to tell me? Time is of essence and I am afraid that I still have a lot of things left to do."
Adam looks at his father.
"So. Um... you are the king now. People depend on you and smile whenever you bless them with your presence."- He says to him- "But I can tell that it's really weighing you down. Is it true that it's hard to be the king?"
Jared thinks about this question for a few seconds.
"It depends on your way of seeing the current situation."- He responds- "Whenever you do something for those people, you risk your own life. You do something that they might not thank you for in the future. And, well, it is not fair when that happens, to be honest. But do you know what is the most important thing for me? The fact that they are going to be truly safe, that they are going to have smiles on their faces, not whether they will be thankful or not for what I did for them. I am doing this because they are my people, because I am bound to protect all of them as their King. That is the way of every King of Avernum and that is how it will always be. For many years to come."
Adam nods.
"Do you think that I will become a worthy king one day?"- He asks him- "Do you think that I can lead those people like you do right now?"
Jared nods and smiles.
"I am certain that you will, my son."- He says to him- "You are such a caring, respectful child. One of the nicest children that I have ever known. And I am sure that you will be the best king that has ever existed, even better than I am right now. Your rule will be absolute and your presence shall be respected by everyone. You will be the most beloved king that has ever ruled in the entire history of Avernum. Mark my words."
Adam cannot hold his tears back anymore. He runs to his father, hugs him and starts to cry.
"Thank you, dad. Thank you for believing in me."- He says to him- "I promise that I will be the best leader of those lands. I will make you proud!"
Jared nods, smiles and hugs him back.
"I am sure of it, dear son."- He responds- "The world that I have created for you. It will soon be your home. The place where you will meet many new friends and learn how to become a hero. And I am sure that you will make me very proud of you. I have no doubt."
----And so, many years pass in the lands of Avernum. All of the people are amazed by Jared's iron grip and his absolute rule over the subterrenean lands. Unlike what he thought at first, they are very thankful to him and some of them even see him as a god who has come to help them out and make their world a better place.
As for his family, they remain safe for the entire time. All of them are protected by the brave hero and his valiant and ever-vigilant guardians. Even better, they remain happy during the entire time, finally realizing that Jared was right about his way of seeing the world in a better light.
Meanwhile, John and his family make the hard decision to leave the Castle and seek their own fortunes elsewhere. Soon, news reach Jared's ears and he realizes that they moved in the mighty city of Almaria. On many occasions, he has made the decision to leave the safe premises of the Castle and his guards behind for the time being and see how his friends are doing. While staying there, he makes sure that everyone treats him as a normal person, not as the king that he is and is satisfied to know that everyone is obeying his orders.
Jared's good deeds spread quickly among the rest of the lands above. Soon, minstrels around the world start to sing about the hero who killed the evil demon known as Grah-Hoth and brought peace to this world with his actions. Parents tell legends about the one who was destined to save the world and about the numerous good deeds that he has done to ensure its safety.
Speaking of his actions, everything that he did for the people of this world has earned him quite a lot of prestige among the commoners. Soon after he and his family move to Avernum, builders start to build a massive monument to commemorate the hero's good deeds. A year later, a massive statue illuminates our hero's entire hometown and gives hope to everyone that sees it, no matter how far away they are from it.
It turns out that Jared's attempts to cleanse this world from evil have been completely successful. All of the villains that hear his name quiver in fear and realize that there is one hero whom they can never defeat. Soon, all of the evil creatures who tried to attack the settlement above disappear without a trace and leave everyone else alone. And it is the same for those in Avernum.
In other words, it is clear that our hero has rightfully earned his status as the greatest hero in this world. A bright light that has shined ever since the beginning has grown even stronger, destroying the darkness and bringing peace in this world. A ray of hope that has pierced the darkness and brought joy and prosperity to everyone. A hero who tirelessly defeats the enemies of the world and is always ready to protect everyone from evil. 
And so, the epic story of our legendary hero... has come to an end. His sacred promise has been kept and the entire world is safe thanks to his good and brave deeds. Even if there is still evil in this world, they will never be able to defeat everyone, because there is one person who will always protect them.
And when a single star reaches the end of is glory, another one rises up to take its place and shine bright. A new hero who is ready to protect this world from evil at all costs. Perhaps that hero will be Jared's son, who knows?
Either way, all good things must come to an end. Every story has its ending. Every chapter has its conclusion. And thus, this is how this small story concludes. This is how it will be and how it will remain.
Thank you for being a part of our journey. Thank you for believing in us and for making this Story happen. Just like Jared, all of you are heroes who are doing a lot of things for their own world. Who are inspired by small stories like this one and are excited to learn more and more.
And so, this is the time when we shall bid farewell to each other. We hope that your day is a bright one and that the light within your soul will always shine and remind you of who you are. Because there is nothing better than reading a good book or watching an interesting show to educate yourself and learn more about the people in this world.
So, do not give up. Keep on doing what you love. Always believe in yourself. And when your thoughts become clouded by the darkness, always think about this story and how it has been made to inspire those who read it. Our advice for you is to read and keep reading. All of this knowledge will help you see the path towards the light.
It is time to go, but do not think of this as our final goodbye. We shall come back in the future and we will be better than ever.
So, farewell. See you on the next one. Stay strong... and safe.
~ The End ~
== Trivia ==
* Fun Fact: This Part has been posted on the creator of the Story (AleksProdzBG)'s birthday- 22.08.2021.
* This is the final Part of "Miracula Luxia II".
* This Part has been named after "Terraria" 's final update- "A Journey's End".