[Gia's POV]Death then proceeded with setting up a small ritual around the altar and began chanting words that were foreign and unintelligible to me. As he chanted his voice began to grow louder and take on an ethereal quality.His body seemed illuminated by an unseen light source and his eyes were momentarily drawn into two bright golden orbs before shifting back again into the deep red that they were prior. The two reapers had begun chanting in unison with him without pause while standing motionless at either side of the altar—staring straight ahead with vacant expressions on their faces.Suddenly the three of them stopped chanting and Death turned towards me with a finality in his expression which felt so ominous that I could no longer keep my fear contained within me.He placed a hand on each of my shoulders and said softly yet firmly, “Now Angel, you must keep your mind calm and still if you wish for this ritual to be successful. Take some deep breaths and focus only on the prese
[Damen's POV] I was in the lead as we ran as quickly as possible to the fortress door. I saw the door in front of me firmly shut, the door was an unwelcoming slab of steel with a dark red fluid running through engraved crevices on it. The moment I went to reach out to grab the door and open it, the force of another ward threw me back. My nostrils flare as I inhale the smell of burning flesh, both mine and the ward. I could almost taste the scorched skin smell on my lips. “Damnit! Get Trinity, there is another ward we need to bring down,” I yelled to Max, Sam, and Jason. The ward left a scorch mark on my right hand and thankfully it is just my hand, which should heal soon. I gathered myself, stood up, and dusted my backside off. Taking a deep breath, I focused on the ward blocking the door. My mind was racing with ways to break into the fortress but none of them seemed viable. Max grew increasingly agitated as time passed, his growls of frustration echoing against the fortress walls
[Elder Braden's POV]“There are too many of them! Get Aeon and Romero in here fast,” I shouted to my guards. “How did they get in here, my love,” I asked Elder Amaria.“I don’t know Braden, but there is no way we can handle this many without Elder Aeon and Elder Romero’s armies. We need to leave. I cannot bear to lose you,” Amaria said to me with fear and urgency in her beautiful elven eyes.“We cannot leave the temple unprotected. We will find a way to be safe. Let’s get to the command center to see how they are getting in,” I pleaded with her, but she froze for a moment with a ponderous look before she finally gave in and followed me down the corridor.The hallway is black marble with gold accents, and it glittered as you walked on it. The walls were lined with large paintings of ancient supernatural ancestors and battles fought and won. The light bounced off the gold in the paintings and made the whole place glow with an aura of timelessness.I looked across the Temple to see demon
[Gia's POV]I followed Death into a large chamber, which was larger than it appeared from the outside. Sounds of a battle rang throughout the round and intricately detailed room like a gong. The room has a smell of fresh paint, metal, and a hint of blood in the air. Death motioned for me to take a seat in the only chair in the room. The chair is a high-back, wide-frame with a large seat cushion for comfort, shaped and padded to fit your body. Made of smooth crimson-red velvet, it radiates an intimidating yet eerily inviting feel and sits directly in the middle of the room. After doing as Death instructed, I looked around the room. The walls had a metallic appearance to them, whether they were made of metal, or a metallic paint was used, I do not know. The floor was mirrored, and had six concentric circles carved into the floor, with the mirrors perfectly placed to appear as a mirage. On closer examination, the six circles appear to be constructed as reservoirs of some kind, but wh
[Gia's POV]As Death pulled the lever, the sound of grinding mechanisms filled the air as several doors were unlocked and revealed hidden chambers scattered throughout the room. Each door was a different size and shape, some adorned with intricate carvings while others were plain and worn. The doors all led to dark, foreboding tunnels and halls, leading to unknown destinations. The chamber doors opened one by one, revealing dark, hooded figures emerging into the room. The reapers were cloaked in black, their faces hidden in shadow. The hooded figures moved with precision, their robes flowing behind them as they formed a perfect circle around the outer ring. Their faces obscured by darkness, they stood tall and imposing. Death stood motionless, a tall figure cloaked in black standing silently by the door. The two new figures that entered the room were also cloaked, their faces hidden in shadow. The atmosphere was tense, and their arrival only added to the suspense making this awkw
[Gia's POV]The darkness seemed to stretch on forever as I flew back, the walls of the tunnel closing in on me until I hit something solid. It was pitch black, but I could faintly make out the outlines of the walls and ceiling. The darkness was so thick that it seemed to swallow every trace of light, the only source coming from a faint glimmer bouncing off the walls. I could see a liquid pooling around my hands, a viscous black substance that seemed to pulsate and writhe in the dim light. Again, in this darkness, I thought as I stood up and wiped my hands on my dress. "It will not be long now, my child," I recognized Hecate's voice as I stood in the darkness. Her words echoed around me, bouncing off the walls and filling the void with her presence. "Hecate?" I called out, my voice trembling slightly. I couldn't see her, but I could feel her energy surrounding me. "Yes, my dear," she responded, her voice coming from all directions. "What is this place?" I asked, looking around in
[Gia's POV]We walked through a different door out of the ritual chamber and entered a long hallway. The air was heavy with incense and the sound of our footsteps echoed against the stone walls. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being watched, that the very walls were observing me and whispering secrets to each other.As we ventured down the hall, the torches lining the hallway seemed to ignite on their own as we walked by. It was both impressive and unsettling, the way they lit up without any physical touch. What type of craft is this-magical motion detectors, I thought with an internal giggle as I followed death with the others in tow. When we reached the end of our path there were doors made of rich, dark mahogany, their polished surfaces glinting in the light of the torches. As Death pushed them open, blinding white light flooded through, temporarily blurring my vision.[Max's POV]Waking up from Cyrstalla’s spell, I felt my wrists and ankles burning from the silver
[Gia's POV]Staring at Kali’s eyes, black as night, glaring back at me with a demonic intensity. They seemed to pulse with dark energy, and I could see the twisted smile on his lips as he spoke. My mind quickly processed his words, “Open the portal, or watch as your mates lose their heads.” Fear gripped me, but I refused to let it show. My mates were counting on me, and I couldn't let them down. With a racing mind, I tried to come up with a plan. I knew I had to open the portal, but at the same time, I couldn't let Kali have what he desired. The triple moon goddesses' instructions were clear - the portal must be opened.Stop it, Gia, I scolded myself within my mind. I couldn't let fear control me or cloud my judgment. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Kali with determination, I can do this. The instructions from the triple moon goddesses flash before me, like a hologram projected onto the air. I can see the glowing images of Hecate and Selene, their expressions solemn and determi