Damian fell to the ground. His whole body shook as if something was tearing him apart from the inside. His fingers clawed into the dirt, his jaw clenched, and his breath came out like growls.“Damian!” Axel shouted, trying to step forward.Chloe grabbed his arm hard. “Don’t! Don’t go near him, Axel! Look at his eyes—something’s wrong!”Axel froze, his heart racing. Damian’s body stopped twitching for a moment, and then it went still. His chest did not rise. His skin turned pale. For one terrifying second, it looked like Damian was gone forever.Chloe whispered, her voice trembling, “He’s… dead.”But then Damian’s eyes snapped open.They glowed red.Chloe gasped and stepped back, dragging Axel with her. “No… oh no… not again. Not like Mason.”Damian pushed himself up slowly. His movements were unnatural, too sharp, too strong. But when he spoke, his voice was steady, cruel, and mocking.“Well,” Damian said with a twisted grin, “it seems I’m not as dead as you hoped.”Axel felt a shiver

The night outside Ravenswood was dark and heavy. The moon hid behind thick clouds, but its red glow still managed to pierce through. The silence aboveground felt uneasy, broken only by the cries of distant creatures and the echo of chaos spreading inside the school.Rowan stood at the broken window of her office, staring at the blood moon. Her face was pale, and her hands shook as she clutched the edge of her desk. Evelyn entered the room, her steps firm but filled with fear.“Rowan,” Evelyn said. “Tell me the truth. This is not just a sickness. I can feel it. What is really happening here?”Rowan’s lips trembled. “You don’t understand, Evelyn. Ravenswood was never just a school. It was built on ancient ground… a burial ground. Long ago, a cult worshiped the blood moon right here. This sickness… It is not a sickness at all. It is a curse.”Evelyn’s eyes widened. “A curse? You mean… everything we’ve seen, the dead rising, the whispers, the bites—this is not science? Is it something da

The stairs creaked under Axel and Chloe’s feet as they walked deeper into the darkness. The air grew colder, and the sound of dripping water echoed off the stone walls.“Axel… where do you think this leads?” Chloe whispered, her voice shaking.“I don’t know,” Axel said, holding the torch higher. “But if the curse started here in Ravenswood, then maybe the answer is down here.”The stairs finally ended, and they stepped into a wide chamber. Chloe gasped, her eyes wide.It was a library.Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, filled with books that looked older than the school itself. Dust floated in the air like tiny ghosts. The smell of old paper and smoke clung to their clothes.“Wow…” Chloe whispered. “I didn’t even know this was under Ravenswood.”Axel slowly walked to the nearest shelf. The books were cracked and dry, some pages half-burned. Strange symbols were drawn on the covers—moons, wolves, and shapes that looked like people turning into monsters.“Look at this,” Axel said

The ground shook as Axel stepped into the chamber. Shadows moved around him, curling like black smoke. They bent low, bowing before his presence, as if they knew he was their master.Chloe held tightly to his arm, her fingers digging into his sleeve. Her face was pale.“Axel… they’re listening to you,” she whispered. “Why are they bowing like that? What’s happening to you?”“I don’t know,” Axel said, though deep down he feared he already did.From the darkness ahead, the Keeper appeared. Its voice was rough, filled with power that shook the walls.“Power demands sacrifice,” the Keeper said. “The curse chose you, Axel. You cannot run from it. If you resist, it will not spare you. It will consume you instead.”Chloe flinched at the sound of the Keeper’s voice, but she refused to let go of Axel.“Don’t listen to him,” she said quickly. “You are stronger than this curse. You don’t need to obey it.”Axel’s chest tightened. He wanted to believe her, but the shadows crawling at his feet told

Axel fell to his knees. His chest burned as the dark mark spread from his arm across his skin. He gasped for air, his body shaking like it no longer belonged to him.“Axel! Please fight it!” Chloe cried. She ran to him and held his face in her hands. Her tears dropped onto his skin.He looked at her, his eyes dim, his lips trembling. “Chloe… I can’t… the voices… they won’t stop…”Inside his head, whispers circled like snakes. Give in… you are ours… the oath binds you… surrender.“No! Don’t listen to them!” Chloe shouted. She pressed her forehead to his. “You are stronger than this. You are not theirs.”But Axel’s body shook harder. His veins turned black.The Keeper, standing in the shadows of the underground chamber, finally spoke. His voice was calm but cold.“He cannot resist. Axel carries the oath of his blood. Long before his birth, his ancestors made a pact with us. His fate was sealed.”Chloe turned to the Keeper, her eyes blazing. “What are you saying? He didn’t choose this!”