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Chapter 25: The point of no return
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-06 09:04:30
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The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 26: Breaking the Council’s Chains
Maxwell stared at me, and so did Jameson, both of them processing what I had just said in their own way. I could see the storm brewing behind Maxwell’s eyes, how his jaw clenched as if he were physically restraining the words. Jameson’s face, though, was inscrutable.I swallowed hard. “I’m aware this is not a perfect plan. I know it’s dangerous. But what choice do we have?”Maxwell raked a hand through his hair, breathing hard. “You keep saying that, Lena. It’s literally this or total annihilation. But you’re asking us to bet everything on a hunch.”I looked up at him, anger surging through my chest. “No. I’m asking you to risk it all on the truth we just discovered. You are fed on something that predates time itself. Because they just will keep sacrificing people so that they can stay in power if we don’t stop them.”Maxwell shook his head. “And you think we’re just going to… what? Break this deal? Kill the Council and pray whoever they’re bound to doesn’t kill the rest of us in the
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-06The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 27: The Road to Shadow's end
The morning came too quickly.I hadn’t slept much — none of us had. We could not bring ourselves to rest under the weight of what we were about to do. Shadow’s End. A place that — as Jameson came to write — was not merely dangerous but wrong.And yet that’s where we needed to go.Maxwell spoke first as we gathered in the kitchen of Jameson’s safehouse. “I hate this plan.”Jameson took a sip of his coffee and smiled. “You hate all our plans.”Maxwell shot him a look. “Yeah, but this one? This one is particularly bad.”I sighed, rubbing my temples. “We don’t have a choice. Soraya is the only one who might have answers. If she is alive, she is in Shadow’s End. And if she isn’t…” I trailed off. “Then at least we’ll know what became of her.”Maxwell stopped and exhaled sharply, walking the length of the small room. “That is assuming that we return.”I looked at him and kept my voice even. “We will.”He halted his pacing, fixing me with an intent stare. “And what if we don’t?”There was a c
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-06The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 28 : The Whispering Dark
Soraya’s words hovered above us like a portent we weren’t equipped to receive."It’s already too late."The wind shrieked through the desolate streets of Shadow’s End, rattling broken windows and kicking up dust that swirled in unnatural patterns. The town itself felt alive and breathing around us, shifting, waiting.My wrist was in the grip of Maxwell’s hand, a silent grappling hook. “What do you mean?” His tone cut, authoritative. “Too late for what?”Soraya didn’t answer. All she could do was stare wordlessly at us with those empty, haunted eyes, twitching her fingers at her sides like she was choosing between running or running.Jameson edged forward, hands held high as if in surrender. “We didn’t come here to harm you, Soraya. We need your help.”She made a short, mocking sound of laughter. “My help?” She shook her head. “I told you not to come here. You don’t know what this place is.I swallowed hard. “Then tell us.”Her eyes flicked to me, measuring. “You think you can fix this?
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-07The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 29: The Voice in the Dark
The blast, a cacophony of light and noise.One minute we were in that dimly lit room, and Soraya’s warning loomed like gravity. The next, the bulbs shattered overhead, blotting us out in darkness. The impact sent shards of glass cascading, the walls rattling as though the house itself, were alive, responding to the presence outside.Then—silence.Thick, suffocating silence.Maxwell’s fingers closed more tightly around my wrist. He was breathing evenly, but I could sense the tension in his stance. Jameson still had a death grip on the journal, his knuckles white. Soraya didn’t move.And then, the voice returned.“You can’t hide from me, Lena Weber.”The way it said my name gave me a sick sort of chill in my spine. It wasn’t merely sound — it was a presence, something immense and primal wrapping around the syllables, like it was tasting them.Jameson said under his breath. “This is bad. This is really bad.”Soraya’s voice was hardly above a whisper. “It knows you now.”I swallowed hard.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-07The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 30 : The Maze of Darkness
The laughter slithered through the vacant streets, curling around us like invisible hands. It was not emerging from only one place — it was omnipresent, resonating off the buildings, vibrating through the air.I drew in a sharp breath and pounded pulse. My body was still rocking from the mirage. The smells of my childhood home lingered in my nose, my father’s too-wide smile seared into my mind like a brand. I could still hear him, his voice smooth and coaxing.“It’s time to come home, sweetie.”But he hadn’t been real.None of it had been real.Maxwell’s grip was solid on my shoulders, his gaze hard on my face. “Lena. Talk to me. What did you see?”I swallowed hard, attempting to ground myself. “It—” My voice broke, but I made myself say the words. “It showed me my father. My home. It wanted me to stay there.”Maxwell’s jaw tightened. “It’s trying to break you.”I shook my head. “Not just me. Us.”Jameson swore under his breath, scanning the darkened streets nearby. “It’s shifting the
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-07The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 31: The Shadow’s Mark
With each passing moment of sober reflection, however, the gravity of what had transpired sunk into my bones like iron shackles. We had won, but Shadow’s End had let us go — but not because we had won. No, it had freed us because now it had me. Because it had snuck into the fissures of my mind, wrapping itself around my thoughts, my memories, my soul.And the worst part? I could feel it.The others observed me in silence, their faces knotty with unease. I could see it writ large in their eyes — what now?The first to speak was Maxwell. He leaned in closer, his voice low but determined. “Lena. Talk to me. What’s happening?”I faltered, my breath shaky. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I just… I feel it. Like something’s lingering. Not behind us—inside of me.”Jameson shot a nervous look at Soraya. “That thing doesn’t take human beings, too. It changes them,” he said quietly. “It disassembles them a little bit and a little bit until all that’s left is it.”A shudder ran down my spine. “And
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 32: The Expense of Knowledge
The church was quiet except for my breath, still gasping, still rattling in my chest like something had jarred loose inside me. The shadows of Shadow’s End had tried to claim me, to take me under and drag me down to make me theirs, and I had barely — barely — fought my way back.My shoulders hadn’t shaken free of Maxwell’s grip. His gaze never left my eyes, surging as if he wasn’t really convinced that I was back.I let out a slow breath, and forced steadiness into my voice. “Max, I’m okay.”His jaw tightened. “You weren’t.”I swallowed hard. “But I am now.”He didn’t let go. “What did it do to you?”I paused, as the heft of the experience bore down on me, pressing against my ribs. “It tried to keep me there. It gave to me an image of my father, my home. It wanted me to stay.”Jameson cursed, pacing back from us. “That’s what this place does. “It goes right for your weak spot and settles in.”Soraya crossed her arms. “And if it had almost gotten Lena, then we’re out of time.”Maxwell
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-10The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 33: The Weight of Power
The words We kill that too still lingered in the air, but I wasn’t sure, even as I spoke them, how much of it I believed.Because how do you kill something that never really lived? Something that transcends flesh and bone, that transcends time itself?”Maxwell didn’t seem convinced, either. His jaw tightened, his eyes sliding over my face as if hunting for a clue. “And how do you plan to do that, Lena?” His voice was low, even, but there was something boiling just underneath.I swallowed hard. “I don’t know yet.”Jameson scoffed. “Great. “So, if I understand correctly—we’re going to destroy an ancient Council that has been running the supernatural world for centuries, and at the same time, fighting off some kind of primordial horror that happens to be living in Lena’s head at the moment?”I sighed. “That about sums it up.”Jameson rubbed a hand over his face. “Fantastic.”Soraya, who had so far kept quiet, sighed. “It’s possible.”Jameson looked at her, raising his brows. “Is it? Beca
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-10
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The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 146: The Ash Beneath
The words that hung in the air settled heavily. I looked at Lior, and then at the others in the tent. They were all waiting, no longer with mere curiosity but with the weight of their expectations. What would I do now? Would I continue to walk this fragile line alone, or would I listen?I exhaled sharply, feeling a mix of frustration and understanding in equal measure. He was right in some ways, but the urgency of the hour didn’t leave room for hesitation or second-guessing. Yet, this wasn’t just about me anymore. This was about all of us. About the future we were building—together, or not at all.“I never intended to be the only one making decisions,” I said, my voice more controlled now. “The sanctity of this place was never meant to be mine alone.”Lior raised an eyebrow. “Then why are we here? Why are we sitting here while you lay the foundation with the very hands that will one day destroy it?”“Because I was trying to protect us all,” I responded, my eyes flicking to the others
The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 145: The Word Burned
The word LIAR still smoldered on the earth.Not from magic, but from intention. The burn was too crude, too human. There was no sigil or mystical flair to hide behind. No illusion. Just a raw accusation, left like a scar on sacred ground.Someone hadn’t just defaced the stone—they’d made a statement. And they’d made it here, at the heart of everything we were trying to build.I stood over it for a long time. Too long. I could feel the others watching me—Barin, Maxwell, Elara, even some of the apprentices who had come to help reinforce the foundation wards. They waited for a command, a reaction, anything to show them what I would do now.I didn’t give it to them.Not yet.Because inside me, there was a storm I couldn't afford to unleash—not until I knew where the crack had started.Maxwell stepped closer, voice low. “You think it’s someone inside?”I didn’t look at him. “If it were an outsider, the outer wards would have flared.”He swore under his breath. “Then we’ve been infiltrated.
The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 144: A Covenant of Fire
“You called me reckless,” I continued. “You sent dreams and threats and doppelgängers to test my integrity. And I passed. Not by your standards—but by surviving, intact, through the kind of grief most of you would’ve buried. I faced my worst self and didn’t break.”A pause.“Can any of you say the same?”Silence.Then Elias spoke again, quieter. “And what do you propose, then? A Council of one?”“No,” I said. “A new covenant. Shared authority. A seat at the table for those you’ve excluded. A place where power isn’t feared—but shaped, taught, and trusted.”He didn’t move. “You’re asking us to rewrite centuries.”“I’m telling you,” I said, “they’re already rewriting themselves. You can participate—or you can be left behind.”The room held its breath.Then Elias smiled.It was small. But real.“You’ve grown,” he said. “Far more than we expected.”“I’m just getting started.”The chamber stayed silent for a moment after I spoke those words, but it wasn’t the silence of resistance—it was th
The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 143: The Right to Rise
We didn’t wait for permission.By the next morning, the word was already spreading—not as a rumor, but as a declaration. The sanctuary would rise.No more retreating. No more hiding our power behind broken seals and inherited shame. We would build a space tethered to the ley lines, reinforced with intention, rooted in the truth of who we were becoming. And more than that, anyone with power, hunted or not, would be welcome. Not just Guardians. Not just wolves.Everyone.The response was immediate.Some sent their support—ancient names I barely recognized, offering blood, stone, and spell to help raise the walls. Others sent silence. The kind that carried the weight of a thousand threats.But it was the Council that answered first.I had barely finished marking the boundary runes when a crow landed on the stone in front of me. No scroll, no flare of magic. Just a voice—projected, cold and clear—from the bird’s beak."Lena Weber. The Council calls you to stand before the Elders within th
The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 142: The Sanctuary We Shape
The circle dimmed. The night resumed its breath.Maxwell appeared at the edge of the trees, his eyes wild with concern. He didn’t speak. Just waited.“I’m okay,” I said, voice hoarse.He walked up to me slowly. “You don’t look okay.”“No,” I said, leaning into his chest. “But I know what I’m doing now.”He held me for a long moment. Then asked, “And what’s that?”I looked toward the stars, toward the seal humming faintly in my chest.“I’m going to stop surviving,” I said. “And start building.”Maxwell didn't speak right away. He studied me like he was seeing something different—something unfamiliar but necessary. The kind of change you don't celebrate with cheers, but with silence, because you know it’s real.“Building what?” he asked finally.I let the question hang in the air for a moment. “Something that doesn’t depend on fear. On reaction. On waiting for the next attack. Something rooted in intention. In choice. We keep surviving crisis after crisis, and we forget to imagine what
The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 141: The Path Not Promised
She stood there—older, wiser, with a weight in her gaze that I hadn’t yet earned but could already feel settling in my bones. She didn’t move like someone who wanted to be revered. She moved like someone who had been forged—bent, shaped, nearly broken—and survived because no one else knew how to carry what she carried.The silence between us stretched longer than it should have, but she didn’t rush me. That was something else I recognized in her—patience. Not passive, but deliberate. A discipline I hadn’t yet mastered.“I didn’t think I’d ever meet you,” I finally said.She gave a small smile. “You don’t. Not in the way you’re thinking. I’m not a memory or a ghost. I’m not even truly real. Just an echo from one potential. One of millions.”“And yet,” I said, stepping toward her, “you’re here.”“Because the seal responded,” she said. “It recognized your convergence. The self that faced grief, the self that faced guilt, the self that faced truth. And now it offers a glimpse of what’s wa
The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 140: The Pulse Beyond
The nights had been still lately—too still. Even after the encounter with my doppelgänger, even after the fire and the whispered threats in ash, the silence that followed felt wrong. It wasn’t peace. It was the pause before an avalanche, the long breath held before a scream.And then the seal pulsed.Not like before—not a flare of warning or fear. This was different. It was deep, rhythmic, almost like a heartbeat. It throbbed through my chest, echoed in my bones, and I knew—whatever had awakened within me during the merge with my other self, it had reached the other side.Something had seen it.Something had responded.The pulse spread through the ley lines like a ripple, invisible to most, but I could feel its journey. It traveled through roots and rock, through the thin air above mountaintops, through the marrow of the oldest bones buried beneath our feet. And everywhere it went, it left doors ajar.By morning, the world had changed.The first signs came quietly—messages from nearby
The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 139: The Conversation Within
I stood alone in the center of the circle we had carved days ago, the ley lines still raw from recent shifts. The ash from the eastern watchtower had long since scattered into the wind, but its message still pulsed behind my eyes. You will break. Or you will become.Tonight, I wasn’t going to run from that. Tonight, I would invite it in.I had told the others to stay back—something I knew Maxwell hated. He’d argued for hours. Not with words, but with silence, pacing, the set of his jaw, the way he stood near the doorway like he could stop a god with his bare hands if it came to that. But in the end, he let me go. Because he knew I had to.The fire crackled low. The ley stones hummed beneath my bare feet.And I called her.Not with words. With intent. With the shape of my memories, my regrets, the pieces of myself I had never forgiven.She came like a ripple. A subtle distortion in the air, like heat rising off pavement. Then she was there. Not a projection. Not a monster.Just… me.“I
The Blood Bound Legacy Chapter 138: The Self Divided
We stood in the wake of that light, hearts pounding, silence clinging to the air like fog. The figure that had worn my face—my perfect mirror—was gone, but its presence lingered. Not just as memory. Not just as a threat. As residue. The ley lines around us had twisted, not fractured but reformed. Like the very pattern of reality had shifted to accommodate that presence.No one spoke for a while. Even Maxwell, always the first to break tense silences, had nothing. Maybe because there were no words big enough to contain what we’d seen.Finally, Nima said quietly, “It didn’t disappear. It just… stepped back.”I looked at her, not answering. Because she was right. That version of me hadn’t been defeated or banished. It had retreated. Like it had learned something. Like it was waiting.Barin exhaled hard, pacing. “That thing—— whatever it was—— it wasn’t just a projection. It carried intention. It believed what it said.”“And it felt,” Maxwell added, his voice low and rough. “That’s what s
