After a while, Jim's breathing steadied.
He slowly pulled back, his eyes staring at Tim and Rei.
"...Thank you."
Tim grinned, rubbing his knuckles against Jim's head. "That's what big brother is for."
Rei smiled softly. "And big sister."
Jim let out a breath-not a sigh of despair, but something different.
Something lighter.
Sheila stepped forward. "Jim..."
Jim turned.
She stared at him for a long moment-then smiled. "Welcome back."
Jim's eyes widened slightly.
Then, for the first time in what felt like forever...
He nodded.
After a few minutes...
Jim stood there-surrounded.
Not by enemies.
Not by death.
But by his people.
Tim and Rei still had their hands on his shoulders, their warmth keeping him steady.
Then, Henry and Marie stepped forward.
Henry's voice was gentle yet firm. "Jim, you're not alone in this pain."
Marie nodded, her eyes misty. "Your parents... they meant so much to us too." She placed a hand over her heart. "We lost family today. But we still have each other."
Jim's chest tightened-but not with sorrow.
With something else.
A realization.
His parents were gone... but his family wasn't.
Sheila came next, standing beside him.
Her usual fierce expression softened. "You saved us, Jim. And you've lost more than anyone should bear. But even now..."
She placed a hand on his back. "...We're here."
Jeromy crossed his arms. "And we're not going anywhere."
Then came Aron.
The doctor smiled, shaking his head. "You've given me more work than I can handle, kid."
Jim let out a small, shaky breath. "...Sorry."
Aron chuckled. "Don't be. I'm just glad you're still breathing."
Then-the kids ran up.
Darren grabbed Jim's hand, staring up at him. "You're really strong."
Maria clutched his arm. "But you don't have to be strong alone!"
Jim froze.
For a moment, the warmth in his hands-the tiny grip of their fingers-reminded him of something.
A distant memory.
Himself... clutching his mother's hand.
His father's voice saying, "You're not alone."
He swallowed hard, then slowly... squeezed their hands back.
Then-the soldiers and survivors gathered around.
The Resistance. Celestic Justice. The Solunar people.
They stood together, forming a protective circle around Jim.
Even Gravik sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright, enough emotional speeches! You're making me feel things, and I hate that."
He clapped Jim on the back-a little too hard, making Jim stumble forward.
Jim glared at him. "Ow."
Gravik smirked. "Oh, my bad. You're too weak to stand straight now, huh?"
Jim was about to retort-but then he saw everyone laughing.
Tim. Rei. Sheila. The kids. Even the soldiers.
Even himself.
He realized-he was smiling.
For the first time in what felt like forever.
Jim exhaled.
He still couldn't fight as a warrior.
But he could still fight as family.
He looked at Tim and Rei-then at everyone else.
"...Then let's do this. Together."
And for the first time, the survivors cheered.
After a few moments...
Step by step-they marched.
Through the ruins of Soluna.
Through the ashes of what once was.
But hope still burned.
At the front, Jim, Tim, and Rei led the way-marching with unwavering determination. Behind them, the united army followed.
Celestic Justice. The Resistance. The Solar and Lunar people.
One force.
Jim felt lighter. For the first time in a long while, he wasn't walking alone.
The march wasn't just about facing Dark Void.
It was about rescuing their own.
With every step forward, they found more survivors.
-A Lunar Man from their army suddenly muttered pointing at a specific direction."My wife and kids...they are alive..."
The group's gaze fell in that direction as they saw—
A Solar mother trapped beneath rubble, clutching her wounded Solar and Lunar children.
With a lot of effort from the Solunar people and combined force of Justice and Resistance, they were able to bring them back to him.
- Next they found a Lunar elder, barely breathing, eyes filled with fear.
-Groups of wounded Solar and Lunar warriors, once thought lost, struggling to move.
They weren't left behind.
Tim and Rei led the rescue efforts.
Tim lifted a massive boulder, freeing a group of Solar and Lunar civilians.
Rei shielded a group of survivors from collapsing debris, pulling them to safety.
Sheila helped by shielding survivors from falling boulders,also shielding her kids and Aron so that he can heal without worrying about his surroundings.
Aron worked tirelessly-his equipments glowing as he healed the wounded. "Stay with me! You're not dying today!"
Gravik moved beside him, channeling his power into the exhausted survivors. "Come on, get up! You're not out of this fight yet!"
Celestic Justice and Resistance spread out, using their skills to help.
-Some created barriers, shielding the weak from collapsing structures.
-Some enhanced their strength, pulling people from wreckage.
-Some used their Celestic Barrages to destroy boulders to free there way.
With every person they saved-their numbers grew.
With every step-they became stronger.
The march of a broken world was slowly turning into a march of rebirth.
Jim glanced around him-watching the unity unfold.
His heart swelled.
This... This was what he always believed in.
Not just Solar and Lunar.
Not just Celestic Justice and Resistance.
But all of them-together.
For the first time since his parents' death, he felt alive.
And at the end of this march-Dark Void waited.
Jim clenched his fists.
They walked together-one force, one people.
Through shattered landscapes.
Through the ruins of their history.
Through the devastation left in Dark Void's wake.
And yet-they kept moving forward.
At the front, Jim, Tim, and Rei stood tall.
Behind them, the united army stood strong.
They weren't just marching to battle.
They were marching for survival.
For every life lost.
For every home destroyed.
For every child who would never see tomorrow.
This wasn't just a fight.
This was a war for existence.
As they moved, speeches of encouragement echoed through the ranks.
Sheila raised her twin-sabers, her voice sharp as steel.
"No more running! No more fear! Dark Void thinks he can erase us-let's show him he's wrong!"
Jeromy stood beside her, eyes burning with determination.
"Every person here matters! Every life is worth fighting for! We stand together, and together, we will reclaim our future!"
Aron stepped forward.
"You are not alone! No matter how broken, no matter how wounded-if you can stand, stand with us!"
Gravik smirked, arms crossed.
"I don't do emotional speeches, but I'll say this-let's go beat the hell out of that bastard!"
The soldiers roared in agreement.
The survivors clenched their fists, newfound courage burning in their hearts.
Even the children, watching from the protective barriers, whispered to each other.
"They're going to win... They have to!"
One Hour Later...
They reached the heart of destruction.
And then-they saw him.
Dark Void.
A towering figure of chaos in the distance, standing amidst the ruins.
Destroying.
Annihilating.
Oblivious to them.
His eyes held no focus-only a manic hunger for destruction.
He raised his hand, unleashing a devastating blast-erasing entire sections of Soluna in an instant.
He whispered to himself, his voice filled with obsession.
"How much more...?"
"How much more must I destroy?"
"When will the limits break?"
"When will the Solunar God appear?"
The Army Stood Still.
Looking at the absolute devastation.
Looking at the god of destruction before them.
Jim narrowed his eyes.
Tim clenched his fists.
Rei silently observed.
Sheila and Jeromy raised their weapons.
The soldiers readied their stances.
The survivors steeled their resolve.
No one spoke.
No one hesitated.