Chapter 61: The Price of a Brother

For a moment, the bunker was silent.

No sparks.

No alarms.

No roaring purge energy.

Just breathing.

Two heartbeats.

Alexander froze, still kneeling on the floor, Elias’s lifeless body heavy in his arms. His eyes were wild, red, drowning in grief—

—until Lena whispered his name.

“Alex…?”

Her voice was fragile, trembling, uncertain.

Alexander’s breath hitched so sharply it hurt. He turned toward her, every movement slow, like he was waking from a nightmare.

Lena blinked at the harsh overhead lights, confusion clouding her eyes.

She touched her chest.

“It’s… gone,” she whispered. “The burning—it’s gone.”

Alexander set Elias gently on the floor and crawled to her, hands shaking. He cupped her face, desperate, terrified to believe what he was seeing.

“You’re alive,” he whispered, voice cracking. “God—Lena, you’re alive—”

Lena’s eyes filled instantly.

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a trembling embrace.

“Alex—what happened? I remember the light—the pull—and then—”

She stiffened.

Her voice fell to a whisper.

“Where’s Elias?”

Alexander froze against her shoulder.

Lena pulled back slowly.

Her gaze dropped to the floor behind him.

To the still body on the cold metal.

The glow gone from his veins.

His eyes closed.

His skin pale.

Lena’s lips parted in horror.

“No…”

Alexander closed his eyes, fresh tears streaming uncontrollably.

“He anchored the purge,” he whispered. “He saved us. He saved YOU.”

Lena’s hand flew to her mouth.

“No—no—no, that’s not—Elias—”

She crawled toward him, heart pounding.

“Elias, wake up—please—wake up—”

She grabbed his shoulder, shaking him gently.

“Elias—don’t do this—don’t leave us—”

She pressed her ear to his chest.

Nothing.

She looked up at Cassandra desperately.

“Fix him—please—Cassandra—help him—”

Cassandra didn’t move.

Her expression was tight, haunted.

“I can’t.”

Lena sobbed. “Why? Why can’t you?!”

Cassandra inhaled shakily.

“Because he isn’t dead.”

Lena and Alexander both froze.

Alexander turned sharply. “WHAT?”

Cassandra knelt beside Elias’s body, her fingers hovering over his chest—careful, wary.

“The purge didn’t kill him,” she said. “It consumed him.”

Lena’s breath trembled. “Consumed? What does that mean—?”

Cassandra lifted her eyes, voice grim.

“His body is gone. His soul is… inside the purge.”

Alexander shook his head violently.

“No. No, that’s not possible—”

“It is,” Cassandra said. “Your mother knew it. His mother knew it.”

She touched Elias’s shoulder, her voice softening.

“Elias isn’t dead. But he’s not alive either.”

Lena swallowed hard, terrified. “Then where is he?”

Cassandra stared at Elias’s unmoving face.

“He’s in the purge,” she whispered. “Merged with it.”

Alexander felt sick.

His stomach twisted.

His ribs constricted until he could barely breathe.

“He saved her,” Cassandra said, “by letting the purge take him. He offered himself as the vessel.”

Lena’s tears fell onto Elias’s shirt.

Her voice was a broken whisper.

“Bring him back.”

Cassandra closed her eyes.

“I can’t.”

Alexander slammed his fist into the metal wall, shouting—

“THERE HAS TO BE A WAY!”

But Cassandra didn’t flinch.

“There isn’t. Once someone becomes the purge… they either burn away completely—”

She looked at Elias.

“—or they become something else.”

Lena wiped her tears with shaking hands.

“SOMETHING ELSE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN—?”

A low hum filled the bunker.

Alexander froze.

Cassandra turned sharply.

The lights flickered.

Lena looked at Elias’s fingers—

still.

Silent.

Cold.

Then—

They twitched.

Alexander inhaled sharply.

“Elias…?”

Lena grabbed his hand, whispering frantically.

“Elias, please—please—can you hear me—?”

Elias didn’t move again.

But the lights continued to flicker.

The hum grew louder.

Vibrating through the floor.

Every metal panel.

Every wire.

A sudden jolt shot through the bunker—

a pulse of golden electricity—

and every machine lit up with a gold glow.

Cassandra whispered, horrified:

“Oh no…”

Alexander stepped back.

“What? What’s happening?!”

Cassandra turned to them, face pale.

“The purge is awakening.”

Lena backed away from Elias’s body, fear flooding her features.

“What does that mean?” she whispered.

Cassandra pointed tremblingly at Elias’s chest.

A soft glow began to bloom beneath his ribs.

Small.

Faint.

Growing.

“It means,” Cassandra said,

“Elias might be coming back.”

Alexander stared.

Lena stared.

The glow grew brighter—

spreading through his veins,

lighting his skin like molten gold.

Lena grabbed Alexander’s arm, voice barely audible.

“Alex… that’s not just Elias.”

Alexander swallowed hard.

Eyes fixed on his brother’s glowing body.

“No,” he whispered.

“That’s the purge.”

Elias’s chest rose—

once—

trembling—

and his eyes flew open—

GOLD.