Novel & Cerita The Bell

"Claire! Where are you? You can't just vanish on our wedding day. If you miss today, there's no do-over!" "Who says I'm missing anything?" My voice was a whisper, a phone in my hand. The grand church music played through the call, freezing Samuel in place. "Where are you? What are you doing?!" A faint smile crossed my lips. "I'm getting married."

I push it away as I want to enjoy this moment and memorise every single thing about this first time. Bellatrix and my mobile starts to ring, what the fuck, I growl as I snatch my phone, and Bell puts her dress down before grabbing hers. Even though I am annoyed the moment I notice my fathers name I know something is wrong, my eyes flick to Bell who has the same worried look on her face as she looks at her phone. Shit!

She walked back to her chair, picked up her knitting, and began again. Not with the same pattern. Not with the same colors. She was weaving something new now. Something meant for war. ★★★ ★★★ The iron bell tolled across the spires of Ashmoore—four times, slow and deep. It wasn’t a usual bell. Not the one for meals. Not the one for combat drills. This bell was older. And it meant gathering.

The bell in Saint Varyn’s tower rang the way bad news always did. Slowly, deliberately, and without apology. Alina of Brackenmere hovered around the edge of the herb garden, her fingers still wrapped around a stem of basil. The leaves were warm from the sun, their scent sharp and clean, but the sound of the bell cut through everything else. It moved over the palace walls and into the city beyond, heavy enough to settle in her chest. Three tolls.

"In that case, I will have to rely on… divine power!" Suddenly, Alex took out a wooden bell, the very same one that he snatched from Shirley. This wooden bell was from the Dairaionji Temple… It once existed in another heaven and earth. As a result, it was taken out before changing hands to Alex! He had seen the power of the wooden bell. With the sound of the wooden bell rising and falling, Alex's spirit in this spiritual realm also got better, and his mind was clear. "This wooden fish, it's terrific!"

The bells rang at midnight. Not the sharp, urgent peal of alarms, nor the celebratory chime used for festivals—but the slow, measured toll reserved for declarations. One strike for each district. One strike for each voice counted. Garden Metro went silent as the final bell echoed across stone and steel.

I am already curious about the third floor, the red phone and why some doors must remain closed. I quickly turn to the next page to see if there is an explanation, but I don't see it. I see something else instead. ✦ NOTES ON THE SUMMONING SYSTEM ✦ The Bell is forged from melted bullets, hanging in the main hall. It is only rung by the Head, the Consigliere, or the First Son. It has three distinct tones: One Chime – Minor Assembly (briefing, security updates, interrogation, visitor warnings) Two Chimes – Formal Family Gathering (strategy, decisions, oaths)

That night, as I tossed and turned in bed, my phone suddenly rang nonstop. It was my high school alumni group chat, which included a few classmates who had gotten into the same university as me. [Oh my god, you guys haven’t seen our school’s goddess, Eira! It’s been almost a week of orientation training, and we’re all sunburned to a crisp, but she’s still glowing white! She looks like a fairy!]

I let out a sigh again, leaning on the couch but I knew I wouldn't be able to take a nap as my mind has too much to think about to take a break. The door bell rang loudly, startling me and I got myself off of the couch in confusion as I knew it wasn't Hayden as he'd never knock or ring the bell. When I was about to open the door, the door bell rang again which pissed the shit out of me, as I already wasn't in the good mood to begin with. "What the fu- Bella?" "Hey Em!" Bella chirped, carrying Haley, her second daughter, and I could tell she must be the one who pressed the bell so hard.

It’s finally time to end this-- Bang! The sharp clang of a bell snaps through the air. I’m not the only one who turns his head, staring wide eyed at the top of the tower, where another clang echoes, like a falling boulder. The solemn gong of the elder bell follows. I know this sound, I have heard it before but its not supposed to ring until after the Church’s decision has been executed. But it rings ahead of time, the bell is moving, faster by the moment, the chime an alarming wail now.