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She holds an ornate dagger, its blade gleaming ominously. As she approaches the brother, she mutters, “For power to be birthed, a sacrifice must be made.” With a swift, decisive motion, she plunges the dagger into his heart. His gasp is sharp, echoing in the chamber, and then he falls, lifeless, at her feet.
“Upon the crescent moon's bright shine, in shadow's heart, a plan divine. A maiden's life, to alter fate, a bloodline pure, to consecrate.
The God's essence in innocent guise, her sacrifice the immortal's demise. A bond of blood, a secret kept, in the heart of Hades, long it slept.”
“Bathed in blood of divine sire. Shadows cast and secrets spoken, by God's blood, the eternal is broken.” Stellara laughs despite her grief, and Celeste stops. It takes her a few moments to realize that by sacrificing one, she wasn't obtaining his power at all like she’d hoped. In fact, she felt nothing.
But as the life drains from him, the unexpected occurs. A brilliant light emanates from Stellara, enveloping her brother’s body. It's mesmerizing and intense, and I can barely keep my eyes on it. The very air seems to pulsate, charged with raw energy. And then, in a breathtaking moment, I see it: the soul of the brother, a luminous entity, being absorbed into Stellara. It's as if they were always meant to be one, two halves of a whole. Only then did she realize how Hades managed to save his son that night.
He tethered his son to his daughter, and that explains why they can’t survive in the underworld now. Their souls are linked, so was their magic, and now she is realizing why. To save one, he also has to sacrifice the other, removing half her power to give to the other, Hades's children are no longer gods and goddesses. Stellara had sacrificed her goddess life force for her brother, splitting it in two, creating two Demi-Gods.
“No!” Celeste screams just as Stellara collapses, having absorbed her brother's power. She glares up at Celeste, who stops and smiles cruelly. “I needed one sacrifice, but I suppose two will do, your father is a cunning man, ensuring your brothers' power went to you, but he forgot one thing, I only need to kill you both to take it!”
Stellara, though filled with grief and anger, stares at her dead brother, her other half, her twin, yet his power now runs through her veins, and she now has her full power back.
Celeste stumbles back, her eyes wide in shock, unprepared for this twist. Her spell, meant to harness their power, has gone horribly wrong. The chamber is filled with an overwhelming surge of energy. Cracks appear on the walls, and the very foundation seems to shake.
“What have you done?!” Celeste screams at Stellara, her voice echoing with fury and fear. But Stellara, now empowered with her brother’s essence, stands tall. Her gaze is unwavering, filled with sorrow and newfound strength.
“You may have taken him from this world, but he lives within me. We are bound eternally,” she declares, her voice steady.
The consequences of Celeste's actions become apparent as the chamber continues to destabilize. I can feel the weight of her regret, but also Stellara's immense grief and power.
The vision fades, but the emotions linger. I'm left with a heavy heart, pondering the depths of the bond between the twins and the unpredictable nature of magic. Celeste, for all her might and knowledge, can not foresee the soul bond between siblings, a bond that transcends life and death. Celeste's quest to obtain power unknowingly created the first Gemini Twin.
ChapterEighty
Rose
The stillness of the night is too much. The quiet that should bring comfort only fills me with a dread that tightens in my chest. Every creak of the house, every soft rustle of the leaves outside feels amplified. I used to wish for nights like these, free from the looming threat of Vince's unpredictable temper. But now that I have it, the peace feels unnatural, like the silence before a storm.
Turning restlessly in bed, I try to close my eyes and find sleep. But my mind won’t quieten. I hear a soft sound coming from the other room. It’s just Casen. I know that. Although sometimes, just sometimes, his movements or the way he says something is eerily reminiscent of Vince. It’s hard to forget, even if I desperately want to.
The sun isn't even up yet, and today we're heading to the city. Marabella had invited us ages ago, and I had so happily agreed back then. But now, thinking of mingling with people and pretending that all is fine sends my heart into a frenzy. It's too soon, it feels wrong. How can I pretend we aren't in danger from Vince?
I hear footsteps approaching the bedroom. I pretended to be asleep when he got up earlier; he does this every morning around the same time. He thinks I don't know, but I've always been a light sleeper, so I hear him checking to make sure the house remains secure through the night. Casen leans against the doorway, watching me with soft eyes. “Can't sleep?” he asks. I lay there for a moment without answering.
“I know you're awake, Rose. I can feel your worry,” he murmurs, and I open an eye. He smiles and shakes his head.
“Why do you do that? If you're scared, just say so, there is no shame in it,” he tells me.
I shake my head, pulling myself to sit up. “It just… feels too soon, you know? Going out, acting like everything's okay.”
Casen moves closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You can't keep waiting for the sky to fall, Rose. It's a school event. There'll be so many people… Vince wouldn’t dare do anything.”
Sighing heavily, I nod, thinking of Casey's excited eyes at the mention of the fêstival. “I just want her to be happy. I don't want my fears to hold her back.”
A soft smile appears on Casen's lips. “We’ll be there with you. And it might be good for you to get a dose of normalcy. So get dressed, we have to leave in a couple of hours anyway, traffic is horrendous this morning, and we don't want to be late.”
I nod in agreement, knowing he's right. It's time to push past my fears for the sake of my daughter. Getting dressed, I try to shake off the feeling of unease that lingers within me. When I am done, I help Casey get ready while Casen makes her breakfast. Finishing her hair, I sit her at the table so she can eat while I grab her shoes.
“Could you grab those tickets Marabella sent over? They're on the fridge,” I tell Casen while retrieving her shoes that are by the front door. Kneeling next to Casey, I begin helping her into her shoes while Casen heads to the kitchen. A moment later, his voice floats in, slightly baffled. “They're not here. Are you sure they're on the fridge?”
Exasperated, I quickly tie her lace and join him, taking down the basket, but they're gone. Panic wells up in me. “I remember putting them right here,” I say, my voice shaking.
Casen looks thoughtful. “Maybe you put them in your bag?”
He fetches it, but the tickets aren’t there. A chill runs down my spine. “What if Vince has been here?”
