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Chapter 88: Hands of Fate: The Fusion of Light and Shadow

The air was tense. Everyone watched, barely breathing. Angeleva and Safari's hands trembled as they hovered close, but every attempt they made to connect had failed.

Sparks flew, crackling and bursting apart as their opposing energies clashed once more.

"Damn it!" Safari grunted, his body slumping. The energy backlash had weakened him further. His breathing grew ragged, and beads of sweat formed on his pale skin.

"Safari!" Angeleva reached out, worry etching deep lines on her face. "You're too weak! You can't keep pushing like this!"

"I can." Safari's voice was hoarse, but his eyes burned with resolve. "I'll try again."

"But-"

"One more time." He met her gaze, his jaw clenched. "If this is my only shot, I'm not giving up."

Angeleva's hands trembled, her heart pounding. She could see how fragile he was, his body barely holding on. But his determination, even on the brink of death, was unshakable.

"Fine," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "One more time."

The family held their breath as the two reached toward each other once more.

Angeleva's hands shook as she extended them, the glow of her pink energy illuminating the dark chamber. Safari's rough, trembling fingers moved slowly toward hers, his demonic green aura flickering like a dying flame.

But this time, something was different.

Angeleva's tears dripped down her cheeks. She wasn't holding back her emotions. Every ounce of her heart ached for Safari. She didn't see him as a devil. She saw him as her family.

"Please," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Come back to us."

Safari's gaze softened. The pain, the agony - none of it mattered in that moment. He no longer saw Angeleva as merely a stubborn fairy or an ally. She was his family. She had fought for him, cried for him. And now, he would fight to stay.

He slowly lifted his hand.

Angeleva's slender fingers reached forward.

The moment their hands touched-

A flash of white and black erupted around them. Light and shadow danced together, intertwining in a chaotic storm. The chamber trembled, cracks forming in the walls as the force pulsed outward.

Zack, Jen, Olive, and Ian shielded their eyes. The energy twisted and spun, colliding violently-

But then...

It shifted.

The auras didn't repel each other. They swirled, merged, and fused. Dark and light no longer fought - they balanced.

An overwhelming sense of calm washed over the chamber. The unstable pressure lifted. The air became still.

Safari's body stabilized. The cracks in his skin began to fade. His breathing evened out, and the once-dull glow in his eyes returned. The agonizing pull of the planet's positive energy no longer tore at him. He was...free.

Angeleva opened her eyes, her breathing uneven. She was still holding Safari's hand. And for the first time, the touch didn't burn. It didn't reject.

"It... worked," she whispered, tears of relief streaming down her face.

Safari blinked, disbelief flooding him. His chest no longer felt like it was caving in. His limbs no longer screamed in agony. The constant suffocation was gone.

He flexed his fingers, a faint chuckle escaping his lips. "Guess I'm not dying today."

Angeleva grinned through her tears, squeezing his hand. "No. You're not."

The family erupted with joy. Zack's eyes gleamed with triumph. Jen wiped her tears, her smile beaming. Olive shook her head, though a rare grin tugged at her lips. Ian, however, puffed out his chest, flashing a cocky grin.

"Well, of course it worked! I'm a genius!" Ian flipped his hair dramatically, savoring his moment of glory.

"Yeah, yeah," Olive scoffed, but even she couldn't deny his plan had worked.

Safari exhaled, finally at ease. But even as the laughter echoed around him, a lingering thought weighed on his mind.

Angeleva and Safari exchanged a glance. The question was unspoken, but it was there. How had their opposing energies - once so volatile - suddenly fused in harmony?

The family pondered the same. Zack furrowed his brows. "You two tried using your powers together before, but it never worked like this. Why now?"

Angeleva's eyes darkened in thought. "Back then... we didn't trust each other. We fought together, but only for the family's sake. We were allies, nothing more."

Safari nodded slowly. "I didn't rely on you. I thought I had to carry the burden alone. And you... you didn't see me as someone who needed saving."

"But this time was different," Zack realized, his voice softening. "You both wanted to protect each other. No pride. No hesitation."

Angeleva's heart ached as she recalled the moment Safari said he was ready to die. The fear of losing him had shattered every barrier within her. And for Safari, seeing Angeleva's unwavering determination to save him had finally broken through his own stubbornness.

"I trusted you," Safari admitted, his voice low. "And you trusted me."

The connection they had forged wasn't one of necessity. It was born from genuine care, mutual reliance - a bond far stronger than they had ever realized. Their energies had found balance, not because they were forced to, but because they wanted to.

Angeleva gave a small smile, still gripping his hand. "That's why we're family."

Safari chuckled. "Guess I owe Ian one."

"Damn right you do!" Ian grinned, pointing at himself dramatically. "You're alive thanks to my photographic-level intelligence!"

The family burst into laughter. Even Safari, despite the lingering aches, couldn't help but laugh.

They had done it. Safari was safe for now.

The family now stood in the cracked remains of the underground prison, the last of its flames flickering out. Safari's breathing had steadied, and his body felt more stable than it had from the planet's atmosphere. But Ian, of course, had other concerns.

"Alright, listen up!" Ian declared, dramatically flipping his hair. "Safari big bro, Angeleva big sis, you two cannot let go of each other. Not even for a second."

Safari frowned. "What? Ian, we're not toddlers."

"Yeah, what are we? Children in a buddy system?" Angeleva crossed her arms. "We can't fight like this."

Ian grinned slyly. "Exactly. That's why I came prepared."

From his backpack, Ian pulled out a thick roll of silver tape, gleaming like it was his prized possession. He held it up like a trophy.

"Behold! The legendary 'Binding Tape of Ultimate Genius!'"

Olive sighed. "It's literally just duct tape."

"Silence, non-believer!" Ian shot back, dramatically unraveling a length of the tape.

Before Safari and Angeleva could protest, Ian swiftly wrapped their hands together - fingers intertwined, palm to palm. He circled the tape tightly around their wrists.

"There! Now neither of you can accidentally break the bond and kill big bro in the process! You're welcome."

Safari yanked at the tape, but Ian had done a disturbingly thorough job. "This is ridiculous."

"Yeah, and humiliating," Angeleva added, glaring at Ian.

"Humiliatingly effective!" Ian said proudly. "You two are basically a walking energy generator now. Call it... the 'Fairy-Devil Combo!'"

Olive rolled her eyes. "I hate that I'm impressed."

Despite their protests, Angeleva and Safari had no choice. Hand in hand, bound together by Ian's stubborn invention, they began their ascent. The path that once dragged them through endless pain now felt like a mere inconvenience.

"Woah," Jen murmured. "It's like the air's not even pushing against us."

Safari noticed it too. The crushing positive energy that had threatened to tear him apart before was gone. Instead, the atmosphere felt balanced, no longer rejecting him. The bond he shared with Angeleva shielded him, the opposing forces harmonizing.

"That's... different," Safari muttered.

"Feels kinda nice, actually," Angeleva admitted, though a faint blush tinged her cheeks.

But for Safari, the warmth in his hand was impossible to ignore. Angeleva's fingers, slender and soft, were wrapped firmly around his. Every step they took together felt unified, as if their bodies moved as one.

He had never felt anything like it before.

And neither had Angeleva.

Her wings occasionally brushed against Safari's back, but the contact didn't bother her. Instead, an unusual warmth settled within her chest. The heat wasn't from embarrassment or annoyance. It was something gentler - something she couldn't explain.

"Don't tell me you two are enjoying this," Ian teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

Angeleva shot him a glare. "Shut it."

Safari grunted, his blush deepening. "Let's just keep moving."

The demons and angels who had once stood in their way were nowhere to be seen. Fear had spread across the prison. After Angeleva's devastating display of power, no one dared stand against them. The few lingering demons scurried away at the mere sight of her glowing pink wings.

"They're scared," Zack observed, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Smart move," Olive said, resting her weapon on her shoulder. "They know they don't stand a chance."

With no obstacles left to stop them, the family climbed without resistance. The cracked stairways led them higher and higher, the oppressive darkness of the prison beginning to fade. Every time Safari stumbled, Angeleva was there, pulling him forward.

"I guess Ian's tape wasn't completely useless," Safari muttered.

"Say it louder for the camera!" Ian shouted, gleefully recording their progress.

After what felt like an eternity, the family finally reached the surface. The shattered remains of the prison gate groaned as they pushed it aside. A wave of cool air washed over them as the blinding light of the sky greeted them.

Freedom.

Safari stumbled slightly, but Angeleva quickly caught him. Their hands were still bound, the warmth lingering between them.

"We're out," Safari murmured.

"But we're not done yet," Angeleva reminded him, her eyes locked on the massive church looming in the distance.

Lucifero awaited them.