My mates in Beastworld

Lucas POV

I rushed towards Damon, my heart pounding in my chest as I saw him lying there, blood still trickling from his back where his wings had been. His face was pale, his eyes half-closed, but when he saw me, he weakly lifted his head. I could see the pain etched across his face, but also a strange calmness that made everything worse.

"You... you really..." I couldn’t finish the sentence. The lump in my throat was too heavy, and my chest felt tight as I knelt beside him. My hands hovered over the wounds on his back, trembling. Damon, one of the strongest beastmen I knew, had actually clipped his own wings. For a bird-like beastmens, wings were everything—freedom, power, life itself. And yet, here he was, having given them up like they were nothing.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I couldn’t help it. Damon loved Kyra so much that he’d do something unimaginable. It wasn’t just an act of sacrifice—it was proof that his love was deeper than anyone could have understood. No wonder Kyra loved him back. No wonder...

Damon caught my eye and, despite everything, he smiled weakly. "It’s fine," he said in a raspy voice, so weak it barely reached me. "Those wings... they’re just secondary wings. Nothing to do with my original ones. I’m happy getting rid of them... for her. For the person I love." He gave a faint chuckle, though it was clear he was fighting through the pain. "Go," he urged, giving me a feeble push. "Get the world key... and save my little thing. I can’t wait..."

I bent down, grabbing his arm to help him sit up a little. "Damon, don’t talk. You’ve lost too much blood."

But he just smiled at me again, as if all of this was nothing. "I’ll be fine. You have more important things to do. She’s waiting, Lucas. Go."

Simon, who had been watching silently, finally stepped forward. "I’ll take care of him. You and Ocean need to go get the world key." His voice was calm, but there was an urgency beneath it. I nodded, knowing I couldn’t waste any more time. We didn’t know how long Kyra had. Damon had made his sacrifice—now it was our turn to make it count.

"Thank the stars Ocean always carries herbs with him," Simon muttered, as Oceanus pulled out a small, hanging pouch from his waist. Without a word, he tossed it to Simon, who caught it with practiced ease. Then, Oceanus bent down and picked up Damon’s severed wings, the ones that had once shimmered with power and beauty, now lifeless and limp.

Oceanus carried the wings over to the round stone structure. There was a tense silence as he carefully placed them over the stone wings carved into the structure. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a low hum, the stone wings absorved Damon’s wings. There was a strange sound, like the grinding of ancient gears, and the wings vanished as if they had never existed.

The ground trembled beneath us, and with a deep rumble, the stone gate began to open. A blinding light flooded the open space, illuminating everything in a warm, radiant glow. The air itself felt different, heavier, as if we were on the threshold of something powerful.