All Chapters of THE BLOODBOUND CHRONICLES : Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

The descent from the cliffs was a nightmare of jagged rock and freezing mist. Below them, the village of Oakhaven—Seraphina’s home—was barely visible beneath the shadow of the massive, obsidian tower that had ripped through the earth. The air tasted of ozone and burnt sugar, the unmistakable scent of souls being harvested.​"We have to move faster," Seraphina urged. Her voice sounded strange to her own ears, like two people speaking at once.​Kael grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to stop near a cluster of pine trees. "Seraphina, look at me. Your eyes... they’re losing their color."​She blinked, and for a second, she couldn't remember the name of the woman who taught her how to bake bread in the village. The memory flickered and died like a candle in the wind. "I'm fine," she lied, though her heart felt like a hollow chamber. "We have to stop him."​Arion, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, pointed toward the base of the tower. "The perimeter is guarded by Wraiths, but they are

The white light didn't burn; it felt like being pulled through a narrow straw.​Seraphina hit a hard, cold floor with a gasp. The air was no longer sweet mist. It was the familiar, heavy scent of sulfur and expensive wine. She scrambled to her feet, her hand instinctively going to her wrist. The violet glow was gone, replaced by a dull, throbbing ache.​"Kael!" she called out, her heart hammering against her ribs.​"He's fine. Mostly," a familiar, lazy voice answered.​Seraphina spun around. She was back in the Blackspire Keep, but not in her bedroom. This was a massive, underground vault filled with gold coins, ancient statues, and racks of forbidden weapons.​Arion was leaning against a pile of gold, tossing a small, glowing coin into the air and catching it. Kael was a few feet away, slumped against a stone pillar. He was conscious, but he looked like he had been drained of all his energy.​"What did you do?" Seraphina demanded, her eyes flashing with a spark of blue light.​"I sav

The world inside the mirror didn't just collapse; it exploded.​Seraphina’s scream was ripped from her throat as countless shards of red light slammed into her. The faces of Eris and Malphas, twisted in agony and betrayal, flashed through her mind. Then, silence.​She gasped awake, lying on the cold, hard floor of the vault. Her body ached as if she had been run over by a carriage, and the air tasted of copper.​"Seraphina!" Kael’s voice. He was kneeling beside her, his face a mask of frantic relief. He reached out to touch her cheek—​She flinched violently, slapping his hand away.​Kael froze, his red eyes wide with hurt and confusion. "What's wrong?"​"Don't touch me," Seraphina said, her voice flat, devoid of emotion. She pushed herself up, staggering back until her spine hit the cold, hard wall of the vault.​Her blue tattoos were no longer just glowing; they were pulsing with a cold, silver light that seemed to eat the warmth from the air. She felt powerful, more powerful than s

The deeper they descended into the mountain’s Heart, the more the air changed. The suffocating heat of the lava vents was replaced by a cool, humming resonance. The walls here weren't obsidian; they were raw, uncut crystal that glowed with a soft, pulsing violet light.​"Wait," Seraphina whispered, stopping at the mouth of a massive cavern. "I hear... singing?"​It wasn't a song of joy. It was a low, rhythmic hum—a thousand voices vibrating in sync with the mountain itself.​As they stepped into the cavern, the sight took Seraphina’s breath away. Built into the giant crystal pillars were homes, bridges, and gardens of glowing moss. And the people... they weren't just demons, and they weren't just witches.​She saw children with small, curled horns and glowing blue fingertips. She saw warriors with charcoal-gray skin and eyes like silver coins.​"The Unseen," Arion whispered, his eyes wide. "The legends were true. The children of the Forbidden Bonds... they didn't all die in the purges