Lahat ng Kabanata ng Bound by Blood, Fated to the Two Alphas : Kabanata 191 - Kabanata 200

ELARA'S POVThe central chamber was massive, ancient and it was older than anything I'd ever seen before.We stood together in the middle of it, all three of us, changed.I could feel them now. I really feel them. Not just through the bond like before. Deeper than that.Kael's steady determination flowing through my veins like a second heartbeat. Ronan's fierce protectiveness wrapped around me warm and solid.And they felt me too. My thoughts. My emotions. Everything.The trinity bond had snapped fully into place finally. Complete. Unbreakable."This is different," Kael said quietly. Touched his chest where the bond pulsed bright. "Stronger.""The trials fixed us," Ronan added. His voice was steadier than I'd heard in months. "Fixed what was broken."I nodded slowly. Placed my hand over my belly. Our daughter glowed contentedly inside. Happy. Like she'd known this would happen all along."She knew," I whispered. "Our baby knew we needed to be broken apart to be put back together right

ELARA'S POV"Trust me!"My voice echoed loud through the massive chamber, it sounded desperate and urgent.Kael froze mid-strike. The trinity blade still raised high above his head, ready to come down hard on the nearest shadow head."What?" he shouted back. Confused. The beast was right there. Attacking. How could we not fight it?I pulled deeper on the moon magic flowing through my veins. Let it fill me completely. The revelation was so clear now. So obvious. Why hadn't I seen it before?"The moon goddess told me something," I said fast. Words tumbling out. "In my trial. Shadow beasts weren't always monsters."The beast lunged at me again. All six heads striking together. I quickly threw up another barrier. Silver light barely holds."They were light beings once," I continued. Speaking through gritted teeth. Holding the barrier took everything I had. "Guardians. Protectors. But they fell. Got corrupted by darkness over centuries."Ronan pulled himself up slowly against the wall. Sti

ELARA'S POVThe portal spit us out at the base of the mountain, ground solid under my feet, it was a real ground, not shadow and not corruption.I took a breath, clean air, it was cold but clean.I looked back, and the Death Peak loomed behind us, it was still dark, still forbidding. But different somehow, less oppressive. Like something heavy had lifted."Where are we?" Kael asked.Scanned the area. Trees ahead. Path winding through them. Smoke rising in the distance."Village," I said. Pointed at the smoke. "That way."I started walking. Others followed. A baby guardian nestled in my arms. Warm. Still glowing softly.Ronan walked behind me. Quiet. Hadn't said much since the purification. My face is still pale. Eyes distant."You okay?" I asked. I kept my voice low.He looked at me. Took a second to focus. "Yeah. I think so."Didn't sound convincing. But I pushed it aside for now. I had to keep moving.Path opened up. The village came into view.Stopped cold.It was bad. Worse than I

RONAN'S POVSaw the wall before the town. High, stone and it was built to keep things out Or maybe to keep things in.Darkness hung over it, not natural darkness, not night, it was something else, something thick and oppressive.Felt it in my chest, the shadow corruption, how heavy and concentrated it was, worse than anything we'd seen."That's not right," Kael said. Stopped walking. Hand on his sword."No. It's not." I could taste it. Like metal on my tongue. "There's something in there. Something big."Elara shifted the baby guardian in her arms. The little one wasn't glowing. Dimmed herself. Like she was afraid.We approached the gate. Two guards standing there. I looked sick. Pale. Hands shaking on their spears."State your business," one said. My voice is weak."We're here to help. We've been following the purification from Death Peak—""No outsiders." The guard cut Elara off. "Town's quarantined. No one in. No one out.""People are dying in there," I said. Felt the shadows writh

KAEL'S POVThe hymn shook the walls, there were old words, in a simple melody but powerful.Felt it in my chest, in my bones, it was like something ancient was waking up.The beast-child writhed, tendrils pulling back, light from the baby guardian cutting through its form.But it wasn't just her light doing this.It was them. The people. Their voices joined together. Their choice to hope instead of fear.Communal faith. Strong as any magic I'd seen.Looked at Elara. At Ronan. Our trinity bond hummed. Active. Alive.We joined the song. I didn't know the words but hummed the melody. Let the bond channel our power into it.Silver light from Elara. Shadow knowledge from Ronan. My own strength flowing through the connection.The baby guardian responded. Grew brighter. Fed by the voices. By unity. By the collective rejection of fear.Each person who sang made her stronger. Made all of us stronger.The beast-child shrieked. "Stop! You don't understand! I need—""We understand," I said. Keep