THE LAST BELL

The sword bearer.

The sword glowed bright in Lena’s hands. She swung it with all her strength, and each strike cut deep into Damian’s monstrous body. His skin burned, smoke rose from the wounds, and he let out a terrible roar.

“Keep hitting him, Lena!” Ethan shouted, his voice full of fear.

“I can’t stop!” Lena cried. The sword seemed alive. Every time she swung it, she felt pain rush through her arms. Blood dripped from her hands where the sword bit into her skin. The weapon was not just fighting Damian—it was feeding on her.

Damian staggered back, his body shaking. “You think this sword can end me?” he hissed, his voice low but full of rage.

Lena screamed as she swung one final time. The sword cut through Damian’s chest. His body cracked, split, and then fell into ash. His scream turned into laughter, echoing around them even though he was gone.

Ethan rushed to Lena and grabbed her arms. “Drop it, Lena! Drop the sword!”

“I can’t,” Lena whispered, shaking her head. Her hands were stuck to the hilt as if the weapon had chained itself to her.

The sword glowed brighter, and a voice hissed in her mind. You are mine now. My chosen bearer.

Lena’s eyes widened. “It’s talking to me,” she whispered.

Ethan looked at her in horror. “What do you mean it’s talking?”

“It says… I belong to it.” Tears rolled down her face as her hands bled even more.

Ethan pulled hard, trying to free her grip, but the sword burned his skin when he touched it. He pulled back with a cry of pain. “It doesn’t want me near it. It only wants you.”

Lena trembled. “What if I can’t control it?”

“You can,” Ethan said quickly, holding her face so she would look at him. “You’re stronger than this sword. You’re stronger than all of them. Just stay with me.”

Her heart beat fast as his eyes met hers. For a moment, even with blood dripping from her hands, she felt safe. She whispered, “Don’t leave me, Ethan.”

“Never,” he said.

But above them, chaos was breaking.

Sophia stood at the top of the ruined gym, her arms stretched high. Her skin was pale, her eyes glowing like fire. Around her, hundreds of infected followers roared, their mouths dripping black blood.

“March!” Sophia shouted. “March for your queen! A new queen rises tonight!”

The horde screamed and began to move toward the gym. Their footsteps shook the ground.

Down below, deep in the tunnels, Mason knelt on one knee before Chloe. His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with madness. “You are my partner in destruction,” he whispered.

Chloe tilted her head, staring at him with cold eyes. “Partner?”

“Yes,” Mason said. “Together we will burn everything. The world will kneel to us.”

Axel stepped forward quickly, his voice desperate. “Chloe, don’t listen to him! You know what he is. You know what he’s done!”

The old Keeper, standing in the shadows, spoke in a low voice. “One will always betray the other. That is the rule of darkness. Remember this, boy.”

Axel’s hands shook as he reached out. “Chloe, please. Come with me. Don’t choose him.”

Chloe’s eyes flickered. For a second, it looked like she would reach for Axel. But then the ceiling above them cracked, and dust rained down.

The infected had broken through. They poured into the tunnels like a flood, their screams filling the air. Sophia’s voice rang out from above. “Bow to your queen!”

Chloe turned to look at them. Her eyes began to glow. Slowly, a smile spread across her face.

“Chloe?” Axel whispered, fear in his voice.

She stepped closer to Mason, her hand brushing his. “Maybe he’s right,” she said softly.

“No!” Axel shouted. “That’s not you!”

Lena, still clutching the sword, stumbled into the tunnel with Ethan beside her. She saw Chloe standing with Mason and froze.

“What are you doing, Chloe?” Lena cried. “You can’t join them!”

Chloe’s smile grew wider. “Maybe I can.”

Ethan pulled Lena back. “She’s changing sides. Look at her eyes!”

The sword in Lena’s hand pulsed, its voice whispering in her head again. She is the enemy now. Strike her down. Feed me her blood.

Lena shook her head violently. “No! She’s my friend!”

Ethan looked at her. “What’s it saying?”

“It wants me to kill her,” Lena admitted, her voice trembling.

Axel pushed forward, his voice breaking. “Chloe, please! Remember us. Remember what we fought for. Don’t leave me for him!”

Chloe’s glowing eyes locked on Axel. For a moment, her smile faded. “Axel…” she whispered.

“Come back to me,” he begged.

Mason laughed darkly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “She’s not yours anymore. She belongs to me.”

Axel’s fists tightened. “No. She belongs to no one.”

Sophia’s laughter echoed through the tunnels as the infected filled every space. Her voice boomed. “The world belongs to me now! And soon, so will all of you!”

Ethan gripped Lena’s arm. “We can’t stay here. We’ll be surrounded.”

Lena stared at Chloe, her heart breaking. She wanted to believe her friend was still there, trapped under the glowing eyes and the dark smile.

“Chloe, please!” Lena screamed. “Don’t do this!”

The sword whispered again. Strike or be struck. She has chosen her path.

Lena fell to her knees, tears mixing with the blood on her hands. “I can’t… I can’t kill her.”

Ethan crouched beside her. “Then we find another way. Together.”

But Chloe’s voice cut through the air, soft yet chilling. “Maybe there is no other way, Lena.”

Everyone froze. Her glowing eyes stared at them all, her smile calm but full of power.

“Maybe I was never really on your side,” she said.

Axel’s heart sank. “Chloe…”

The tunnels shook harder as the infected screamed louder, waiting for her command.

Chloe lifted her hand, and the horde fell silent.

Then she whispered words none of them expected.

“Bow to your queen.”

The infected roared and fell on their knees. Mason smiled proudly. Sophia laughed from above, her voice echoing with triumph.

But Axel, Ethan, and Lena stared in horror.

Was Chloe truly aligning herself with Sophia and Mason?