THE LAST BELL

The Twin Flames.

Axel fell hard on the cold stone floor. His chest ached. His heart felt like it was breaking into pieces. Betrayal was heavier than the sword that once guarded his people.

He looked up with weak eyes and saw Sophia standing over him. Her lips curved into a cruel smile.

“You are weak,” Sophia said. Her voice was sharp like a blade. “You are not fit to rule. You never were.”

Axel’s eyes shook. “Sophia… why?” His voice cracked.

Mason stepped closer. His smirk showed his pride. He placed a hand on Sophia’s shoulder as if she now belonged to him.

“She made the right choice,” Mason said. “She chose strength. She chose me.”

Sophia leaned into Mason, laughing, but her laughter echoed darkly in the chamber. The torches flickered as if even the flames feared her.

Yet not everyone laughed.

Chloe’s body trembled. Her face was pale, her lips quivered. She held her stomach, and a scream almost escaped her throat. The curse inside her was tearing her apart.

“I… I can’t…” Chloe gasped. Her body bent like fire was eating her from within.

The Keeper’s old voice filled the chamber, heavy and cold. “Balance must be kept. Two heirs cannot exist. One must destroy the other, or both will fall.”

Everyone turned toward Chloe. Her eyes burned red, her hands shaking. The curse demanded blood.

Aboveground, Lena was not in the chamber, but she felt it. Her hand touched the sword she carried, and it pulled her. It whispered inside her mind.

Come. Only you can end the blood moon curse.

Her steps grew faster through the forest, her body already bruised and tired. Ethan ran after her, his voice desperate.

“Lena, stop! You need to rest. You will collapse!”

“I can’t stop, Ethan,” Lena said. Her eyes were fixed forward, glowing with strange light. “The sword is calling me. I have to go. This is my fight.”

Ethan caught her arm, his chest heaving. “But you are bleeding. Look at you! If you fall, I will lose you.”

Lena’s face softened for a moment. Her eyes met his. “If I stop, everyone loses. Don’t you see? If I don’t go, Axel dies. The world dies.”

Ethan’s hand trembled on hers. His heart wanted to keep her safe, but her words cut deep. Slowly, he let go.

“Then I'll go with you,” he whispered.

Lena nodded and pulled him along. The earth below them rumbled as if something ancient waited for her.

Back in the tunnels, chaos grew. Evelyn, loyal and fierce, stood in front of Axel’s broken body. She raised her blade, her arms shaking but steady enough to defend him.

“You will not touch him,” Evelyn said. Her voice was sharp with anger.

Sophia raised her hand. Her eyes glowed red. “Tear her apart,” she ordered.

The infected surged forward, shadows with twisted faces, claws dripping with black slime. They charged toward Evelyn.

Evelyn swung her blade, cutting down the first shadow. But there were too many. Claws ripped her arm. Blood sprayed on the stone walls. Her scream filled the chamber.

“Evelyn!” Axel cried. His body shook as he tried to stand. His arms pushed against the ground, but weakness dragged him down.

Another slash cut across Evelyn’s side. Blood spilled. Her knees hit the floor. She turned her head toward Axel, her eyes soft even in pain. “Live… Axel…”

Sophia’s laughter echoed again. “Pathetic. All of you.”

“Stop!” Axel roared, but his voice cracked.

The shadows pounced on Evelyn, and blood sprayed across the chamber. Axel’s eyes widened, his scream louder than before.

Something inside him snapped.

His chest burned. His mark, the one he carried since birth, spread across his skin. It grew wider, darker, until it covered his entire chest. Black fire sparked, flames licking his body but not burning him.

The chamber shook.

The shadows that once obeyed Sophia froze. Then they bowed, trembling as if they were before a king. The fire roared louder.

Sophia’s smile vanished. Her eyes widened for the first time. “No… this can’t be.”

Mason stepped back, his smirk fading into fear. His hand left Sophia’s shoulder. “What… what is this?”

Axel stood, the black fire swirling around him like living wings. His eyes glowed brighter than the torches. His voice thundered through the chamber.

“You think I am weak?” Axel said. His voice was deeper, darker. “You will see my true power.”

The shadows bowed lower, their heads touching the ground. The chamber shook again, stones falling from the ceiling.

Sophia clenched her fists. Fear flickered in her eyes, but she masked it with anger. “No! This power is not yours. It’s mine! It should have been mine!”

Axel stepped forward, every step heavy, every flame shaking the walls. Evelyn’s blood still stained the floor, and his rage burned brighter than ever.

“Your betrayal gave me strength,” Axel said. “And now, Sophia, you will pay.”

Sophia raised her hand, trying to summon her own dark fire. The air around her crackled, but it was weaker than before. Her flames flickered, almost afraid of Axel’s.

Mason moved closer to her, whispering, “We need to run.”

“No!” Sophia snapped. “I will not run from him.”

But her hands trembled.

Chloe screamed again. Her body fell to her knees. The curse inside her demanded blood. Her eyes turned black, her skin cracked with glowing marks.

“The curse!” the Keeper warned. “It chooses now. One heir must die. If not, both will be destroyed.”

Axel’s black fire roared louder. Sophia’s weaker flames shook. Chloe’s screams grew as her body broke.

Aboveground, Lena and Ethan reached the tunnel entrance. The sword in Lena’s hand glowed brighter, pulling her down.

“Do you feel that?” Ethan asked, fear in his voice.

“Yes,” Lena whispered. “The power… It’s Axel.”

They ran inside. The tunnels were hot, fire and shadows dancing on the walls.

When Lena saw Axel from a distance, her eyes widened. His chest burned with black fire. The shadows bowed to him. Evelyn’s blood covered the ground. Sophia stood frozen. Chloe screamed, broken by the curse.

“Axel…” Lena whispered. Her heart ached at the sight.

Axel turned his head slightly, and for a moment, his glowing eyes softened when they met hers.

Sophia saw it too. Jealousy twisted her face. “You still care for her,” she hissed. “Even now, you look at her!”

Axel’s fire flared again, answering her words with fury.

The chamber shook harder. Rocks began to fall.

Mason pulled Sophia’s arm. “We must go, or we die here!”

But Sophia tore her arm away. “No! I will not lose to him!”

Chloe’s scream turned into a growl. Her body shifted, half-human, half-monster. The curse demanded she kill or be killed.

The Keeper’s voice echoed. “The choice is here. Balance or destruction. One heir must end the other.”

Sophia’s eyes glowed with madness. Chloe’s body shook with rage. Axel stood in black fire. Lena held the sword that whispered it could end the curse.

Ethan grabbed Lena’s arm. “If you go to him, you may have to kill him. Can you do it?”

Lena’s heart pounded. The sword pulsed in her hand. Axel’s eyes were on her, full of fire and pain.

Her lips parted, but no words came.

Could she kill the man she loved to save the world?

Would Lena raise the sword against Axel, or would love blind her to the curse that demanded his death?