The scroll trembled in Aria's hands, pulsing faintly with a deep crimson glow. She traced the ancient runes with a trembling finger as Kael studied it beside her.
> "When blood cries for vengeance… the soul seeks rebirth."
—The Prophecy of the Crimson Spiral
Kael clenched his jaw. "He's not trying to survive. He's trying to transcend death."
---
🔥 Meanwhile, in Riven's Lair…
Riven stood shirtless in a circle of floating crystals, ancient blood sigils glowing on his skin. The forbidden ritual—The Crimson Spiral—had begun.
His voice echoed across the chamber. "If I must die… I will be reborn in the blood of my enemies."
Beside him stood Elira, eyes vacant, her soul slowly siphoned into the ritual. She was becoming his vessel—a backup for his soul.
Suddenly, Riven collapsed, coughing blood. The ritual wasn't complete—he needed one last component: Kael's blood, willingly offered or violently taken.
---
⚔ Kael's Counterstrike Begins
Back in the city, Kael struck the first blow. He released confidential documents stolen from the biotech vault—details of Riven's experiments on civilians. Panic gripped the city. Riven's carefully curated image of a philanthropist crumbled.
His allies turned on him. His funding collapsed. But Riven didn't care. "Let it all burn," he whispered. "I only need one thing now."
---
💔 A Personal Blow
In the midst of their planning, Kael and Aria received word: the second lead couple—Kael's cousin Lys and Aria's friend Teren—had been ambushed.
Lys was dead. Teren was missing.
Kael's fists shook. Aria wept in silence.
"I brought this to them," Kael muttered. "My revenge is costing too much."
Aria touched his cheek. "Then let's end it. But don't lose yourself in the fire."
Their connection deepened. That night, under moonlight and mourning, they shared their first kiss—one born not of passion, but of shared pain.
---
🧩 A Glimpse into the Past
As Kael meditated on his next move, a vision overtook him. A memory from Riven's childhood.
He saw a young Riven, crying beside his dying sister. "If I had power… I could have saved her."
The scene shifted. Kael saw himself, younger, extending a hand to Riven. "We'll grow strong together. You and me."
But Riven had lied. Always.
The betrayal had started long before Kael even knew.
---
🕳 The Trap Is Set
Kael leaked false information—claiming he had the final relic Riven needed for godhood.
The bait was taken.
Riven sent Elira to retrieve it, but this time, Aria was waiting. Sister vs. sister—again.
They fought bitterly. But Elira, still holding fragments of her past, faltered. Aria whispered, "You can fight him. You are not his puppet."
Tears slid down Elira's cheek. But before she could respond, a shard of darkness impaled her from behind.
Riven stood at the doorway. "Weakness disgusts me."
---
Elira's dying words: "You don't understand... He's not bound to this world anymore... He's already begun to exist in the next..."
Kael stepped forward, eyes blazing.
> "Then I'll follow him into hell if I have to."