A/N: Hi everyone! I really apologies for pro-longing this story for so long, I feel really guilty! I know I'd say I'd be back in June, but I lied! (June is close enough right?)

So, this is the FINAL chapter, I'm sad to end it, but I think it's time, It's ran as far as I could take it and honestly, I'm incredibly satisfied with the end result. If I decide to, further it in the summer, I may make a sequel, I think I leave room for one at the end?

I want to thank all my dedicated readers for sticking with me, and waiting for my updates! This won't be the last of this story, I promise.

Thank you all again, I really mean it, you guys helped me to keep writing this!

And enjoy the Final chapter, chapter Twenty One!

Seconds later, they were engulfed in a blinding, green astral light.

Azmaria whimpered as she closed her eyes. She was both utterly terrified but completely sure at the same time. She squeezed Rosette's hand, then Joshua's for one last comfort.

The light seemed to knock the conscious out of everyone in the room, as they all lost the deep connection to their realities, and were sent flying backwards, scattering like pieces of a bomb that has just exploded. Azmaria felt, as if she was literally tripping on some drug trip gone horribly wrong. Time was ticking inside her head, the sick rhythmic noise echoing through her scull, the slow tick..tick..tick..that slowly pined her life away.

Then she felt as if something was strangling her, like invisible hands, forming a chokehold around her little throat. She gasped, desperately for air, as she felt the fingers tighten. When she did her eyes flew open and her reality began to recollect like pieces of the puzzle. As she glanced around she noticed she was pinned against the staircase, mouth gaping for air, the pain still stabbing at her throat.

On the opposite side of the wall was Rosette, her chin touching her chest, and her olive green pistol beside her. Chrono was lifelessly sprawled across the floor, his hand open, claws extended, his purple hair sprawled out of the floor like someone had spilt purple paint. His red headband covered one of his eyes, and his mouth was locked closed. Yet the most important person, that caught her eye was Joshua. He was resting next to Chrono; just as lifeless as he, looking almost if they were friends, just sleeping next to each other. His blonde hair in front of his crystal eyes, a content look across his face, and an almost boyish charm emitting from his lifeless body.

"Joshua!" Azmaria squeaked out, as she helplessly rolled over to one side, extending her arm. She heard her own voice; and she was shocked to hear that it was nothing more than a dull whisper, as if someone had kicked her in the throat, or strangled her…

Efren awoke at last, his ears ringing with the sick silence that filled the room. He glanced around to see the house, and it's guests in shambles. He felt the sick stab of a sob rise in him, as he saw his helpless little sister, poking her face through the bars of the stairway like an orphaned child.

Her crimson eyes were large, like pools of flowing, pulsing, blood, circulating in her eyes, staring helplessly; desperately at him. Efren mustered his strength together; he knew he must, and crawled over to his sister. He dragged his leg behind him, it was broken; he was highly aware of that fact, and each stab of pain reminded him, yet his mind beat against stopping. He finally reached his sister, taking her into his arms slowly prying her from her grip hold against the bars. He took her, as her little body rippled with sobs, and he hugged her, because she was the closest thing to his reality, that hadn't fallen apart.

Azmaria raised her hands to her throat, gently touching it with her thumbs, she felt a wound, a bump that wasn't there before. She traced it, it started at top, then fell, then went left, and right, perturbing outward. Panic ran through her, as she lifted herself up to the mirror on the wall. Her eyes were directed to the bulging shape in her throat, her hands then flew up to her throat, concealing, and clutching the wound. Tears began to well inside her, as hot rage boiled inside. "This is my contract?!" She screamed inside her head, staring at what looked like a cross lodged in her throat. She was enraged, and utterly crushed at the same time.

As she squeezed harder on her throat, she felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Joshua, and his once Crimson evil eyes, had subdued, as if someone had put ice on the fire, calming it to his deep blue eyes that they had once been. Azmaria collapsed in his arms, as he placed one arm around her, and one hand on Azmaria's perturbing abdomen.

Azmaria finally felt at ease.

----

Days later, after the fight, the adults met downstairs for their final meeting. The children were upstairs recovering from something that had altered them forever.

Rosette and Chrono were beside each other, Rosette looking sadly into Azmaria's eyes, she and Azmaria both knew what needed to be done, but neither wanted to do it. Chrono was bandaged up a little, he looked as if he had fallen down a well, and in a comedic way, he looked pretty adorable. Rosette squeezed Chrono's good hand, when Joshua returned to the sitting room, now they were ready to discuss the deal.

Rosette looked down, then cleared her throat.

"Azmaria, Joshua, the events that happened before, cannot happen again, it seems like since we've returned nothing but misfortune has met out children." Chrono started.

Joshua sipped his tea nonchalantly, as he nodded his head.

Azmaria sighed, "I understand where your coming from, but do you really think leaving them is best?"

Chrono nodded. "We knew what we were getting into when we decided to have children. Hell, we knew when we were getting married, but we never took into thought this may happen, and I can't live with myself knowing that Rosette and I are the reasons these kids live in fear."

"It's not just you!" Azmaria interjected helplessly. Joshua put a hand on hers, shaking his head.

Azmaria seated again. "Please reconsider?"

"I'm sorry, but were going to have to leave them in your care, we've gotta' make this quick, and as easy as possible."

Rosette burst into tears.

"But what if they get hurt again!?"

"We'll watch them, and try to help, but I think once were out of the picture, you'll have nothing to worry about anymore."

Azmaria as well began to burst into tears, as Joshua motioned for the children to come down the stairs.

For the rest of his life, Efren would never understand what happened, Chezel always had blamed herself, but Efren, deep inside had some sort of respect for his father, and knew what had to be done. Rosette hugged her children one final goodbye, as she rocked them, sobbing outwardly. Efren could only hug her back, each one of her sobs another pang to his heart. Chezel was more confused and upset than any of them, and was never comforted.

Rosette always felt as through she was abandoning them, and always wanted to live like the happy family she always wanted them to be, but they'd be anything but ordinary. Rosette knew it, and everyone knew it. For the children's safety, Rosette knew that doing the right thing would be to watch them, and only interject if they really needed her, but only for a short time.

One last goodbye served one last purpose before Chrono and Rosette made their departure for their old cabin…

Rosette reluctantly walked up to the cabin, feeling her mortal body become weak once more. She felt fatigued once again, as she had felt the last time she was here. Hand in hand, only the bitter sweet lighting of the sunset ahead of them. Rosette felt more sobs swell inside her, but she shoved them back inside.

Chrono gave her an unsure smile, as he lead her up the steps.

"Chrono this is.." Rosette started.

Chrono let a tear run down his cheek as he continued to guide her in the cabin. "I know Rosette, I know."

They walked around the old dusty cabin once more, letting every memory flood back to them. Rosette picked up something, on the floor, as it was covered in a film of dust. She blew it off gently, and as she focused her let out a moan of sadness, which was met with a stream of tears, and a fit of sobs.

Chrono began to cry as well, as he looked at what his wife was holding. It was the picture..the picture of them, at the fair; the last night everything was well. Chrono took it from her hands, as Rosette replaced those empty hands with her head, sobbing violently.

Chrono placed the picture on the table, then dug into his pockets. He pulled out the family portrait from Christmas, when everything was as well as it looked, placing it side-by-side with the old picture. He smiled, but it never reached his eyes, instead he felt as if he had been stabbed in the gut.

For the last time, Chrono and Rosette sat, watching their final eternal, immortal sunset, just as they had so many years ago. Rosette rested on Chrono's chest, still sobbing, he held her, stroking her angelic golden hair, a smile reluctantly plastered on his face, yet tears running down his cheeks. "Chrono, I don't want to go, not yet, not like this." Rosette said between sobs, hugging him closer.

"I know, but our time is really up this time Rosette, we've served out purpose. Brining back the happiness to our lives, and our friends, keeping the mortal world safe, and leaving out imprint on the mortal world forever. Efren and Chezel can fill our spots now."

Rosette smiled thinking of her children, her beautiful, innocent children. She smiled, and that smile stayed on her face, for the last seconds, as the red glow of the sun shone of her face, Finally, her clock stopped, and the pain stopped too, left only with the smile on her face, and her last thought, her children. Chrono felt her grip slowly loosen, he knew she was gone, but he knew he wouldn't be long himself. He knew his life was ending, after these last few..seconds..

He knew he'd see her again, thinking of Efren, Chezel and Rosette he smiled to himself and closed his eyes..feling the warm sun go into the cold night's sky….

Knowing inside there is always, life after the last second…

{epilogue: Six years later)

An alarm rang loudly. The angry scream of the bell filling the once quiet room. Efren Christopher grumbled, as he jabbed his hand from under the covers, slamming it on the alarm clock. He then uncovered his head, exposing his horrible case of bed head. His focus was blurry at first, then he focused his eyes on the clock. "Too damn early to be alive." He grumbled, rolling over to continue sleeping.

As he rolled over, a blonde haired girl popped up from the floor, her face beaming. 'Morning sunshine!" She beamed.

Efren jumped up, covers flying into the air. "Who the devil?!" He shouted. Chezel giggled, waving to him playfully. "what's the big idea?!" he barked.

Chezel just laughed, then skipped down the stairs.

Efren grumbled something else, then followed his sister down the stairs.

Since the six years that passed, a war had begun, in the world, but a war at the Christopher house had finally subdued. Joshua sat at the table, newspaper extended, reading out loud the new reports of the war to his wife Azmaria, cooking a small portioned breakfast, pretending to listen. She wasn't fond of war stories.

Azmaria waited for Joshua to stop talking then interjected irritated. "Should you be saying these things in front of Augusta, your daughter?!

Joshua lowered his paper and cocked his eyebrow up. "Don't I every morning?"

"And Don't I tell you the same thing every morning?" Azmaria said, exasperated, as she plopped the breakfast plate in front of Joshua; a steaming plate of eggs.

At Azmaria's feet was a little silver haired child, slamming a wooden spoon into a metal pot, screeching a loud a tune, only a child could muster up, then laughing lightly about the noise she made.

"She can't hear me anyway through her music lesson." Joshua said with a smirk. Azmaria smiled at her daughter, then to Joshua.

Efren and Chezel walked in, adding to the family atmosphere, each a smile on their face. They kissed Azmaria goodbye, and Chezel hugged Joshua. Both mused Augusta, and hugged her tight, then went off to school, like they had been doing all along. Chezel walked ahead, her summer dress swinging behind her brightly, swaying side to side like the innocent hem it was.

Efren started walking, books under the arm of his new button up shirt, but as he started, he stopped in his tracks, throwing his head up into the sun, basking in it's warm light. He then focused on the clouds, smiling to himself, knowing deep inside, two people were smiling back at him, two people, that were so alive inside him and his sister, he could almost feel them there again, his mother, wrapping her arms around him, and his father as well. He knew Rosette Christopher, and her demon assistant Chrono were going to withstand the test of time with him, and his sister. He knew it, she knew it and they all knew it. No one would forget.

They proved something to him, as they influenced his years, and his sister's.

They proved their was always life, after the last second

Efren brought his head back down, and began running off after his sister, running into the blinding sunlight…running to the rest of his life.

{Concluding, life after the last second; the end.}

That's it! That's the end of a series that almost ran an entire year! I'm incredibly proud of how it really came out. My intentions writing this story were far exceeded once I saw how much everyone actually liked it. I hope all of you liked the ending, I know this chapter, for being an ending chapter was depressing, but all endings usually are, and this one was really a bitter-sweet ending for the most part! When I look back, and read the first chapter, I remember how much effort I put into this, and how much it's really improved. I'm really sad to close this one, but all good things must end!

Thanks so much to everyone that supported this story, I really appreciate it. I'm happy to see so many fans for such a great series. I hope you enjoyed reading this, as much as I enjoyed myself writing it.

Maybe a sequel will be in the works..?

Thank you again, this has been Meghan. R