A green streak rose high into the air and exploded into a series of white lights. Hope died with the lights, leaving behind only a deeper darkness.

“That’s it then?” Chancellor Valera asked, turning to Astor.

“Yes.” The high-elf seemed shocked making him look even older than his five-hundred years would suggest.

“It was a desperate chance. No one really believed it would work.” Valera said.

“I did.” Astor said.

“Come, our respective people need us. Where will you take yours?”

“We’ll follow our strengths.”

“The Summer lands then?”

The old man nodded. “Yes, necessity guides us. You?”

“We don’t have the options you do. Humans aren’t meant to survive in either of the mirror planes. We’ll run to the ends of the world and pull the mountains down behind us. Maybe that will slow them down.”

Astor held out his hand. “Goodbye.”

“Until we meet again, in this life or the next.” Valera clasped Astor’s forearm and squeezed it sadly. They were abandoning the world to evil but there was nothing else they could do.