Bloodlines of Betrayal-Chapter 12: Part : The Relic’s Secret

Title : Bloodlines of Betrayal

Written By : Reviline James Wang

Genre : Paranormal Romance | Alpha Werewolf | Billionaire | Vampire | Family Drama.

Bloodlines of Betrayal

The silence in the chamber felt oppressive. Celestia's breath echoed off the walls as she stood, her body trembling with exhaustion. The dark figure the Original was gone, but its presence lingered in the air, like a shadow that refused to fade. The power she had unleashed felt foreign, overwhelming, and yet it pulsed with a strength she hadn't fully understood until now.

Draven approached her slowly, his eyes scanning the room as if waiting for something else to emerge. "We did it," he said, his voice quiet but laced with disbelief. "I didn't think you could do it alone."

Celestia didn't respond right away. Instead, her gaze was drawn to the pedestal at the center of the room. The stone sphere that had rested there glowed with a soft, hypnotic light. She could feel its pull, a call deep inside her blood, urging her forward.

"Celestia," Draven's voice broke through her reverie. "We need to be careful. Whatever that is, it might be more dangerous than anything we've faced so far."

But Celestia's eyes were fixed on the sphere. There was something about it a recognition, a bond that she couldn't explain. The power of the Lost Tome thrummed in her veins, and she knew, deep down, that this was the next step in her journey. She had to take it.

With a shaky breath, Celestia stepped forward. As her fingers brushed the surface of the sphere, the room seemed to hum, the air around them vibrating with an ancient energy. The light from the sphere intensified, swirling around her hand like liquid fire.

"What is this?" Draven murmured, his voice tinged with awe. "Celestia, be careful."

Before Celestia could respond, the sphere cracked open with a soft, yet thunderous sound. The fragments of stone fell away, revealing a crystal at its core-a crystal that pulsed with an eerie, almost sentient glow.

The moment her fingers touched the crystal, a vision slammed into Celestia's mind. It was overwhelming-flashes of ancient battles, forgotten gods, and twisted figures whose faces were hidden by shadows. She saw bloodlines stretching back through the ages, intertwined with destiny, their power so vast that it felt like the very earth trembled beneath it.

In the center of it all was her.

Celestia.

She saw herself her bloodline shattered and rebuilt through centuries of betrayal and loss. The truth behind the Originals, the hidden war that had been fought in the shadows of history, was now clear. The relic she had unlocked was no ordinary artifact; it was the key to her destiny, a power that had been waiting for her to awaken it.

But with the truth came a choice.

The vision showed Celestia two paths: one where she embraced the power of the Originals, aligning herself with their ancient darkness to reshape the world in their image. And another where she could stand against them, wielding the full force of her bloodline, and restore balance to the world.

Both paths were fraught with sacrifice. Both were deadly.

As the vision faded, Celestia stumbled back, her hand still gripping the crystal. Her heart was racing, her mind reeling from the weight of what she had seen.

Draven was at her side in an instant, his hand on her shoulder. "What did you see?" he asked, his voice urgent.

Celestia's eyes met his, her expression torn. "I saw everything... the truth about the Originals. The power, the war... and the choice I have to make."

"What choice?" Draven demanded. "What are you talking about?"

Celestia took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "The relic... it's not just a weapon. It's a key. A key to my bloodline's true power. But with it comes a decision I have to make. I can join the Originals and take their power for myself, or I can stand against them, but either way, it will cost me everything."

Draven's grip tightened on her shoulder. "You're not alone in this, Celestia. Whatever choice you make, we fight together."

Her gaze softened as she looked at him, grateful for his support. "But this isn't just about us anymore. This war... it's bigger than both of us."

The crystal in her hand pulsed again, and Celestia felt the weight of her decision press down on her. The power was intoxicating, but it was also dangerous. The path ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear there was no turning back.

She glanced at the relic, her thoughts racing. "I need time to think. This power... it's more than I can comprehend right now. But I know one thing I'm not giving up. Not now, not ever."

Draven nodded, his expression resolute. "Then we'll figure it out together. We always do."

Just as they were about to leave the chamber, the ground trembled once again, but this time, it wasn't the distant rumble of an approaching enemy. It was something else. The stone walls began to glow with an eerie light, the ancient runes etched into the walls lighting up in response to the crystal in Celestia's hand.

"We've triggered something," Celestia whispered, her voice tense.

Draven's eyes narrowed. "We need to get out of here. Now."

But before they could make their move, the air around them grew heavy with an ominous force. A dark shadow rose from the depths of the temple, swirling around them like a storm. The ground beneath their feet cracked open, and from the fissures emerged dark figures, their eyes glowing with malice.

The Originals.

More had arrived, drawn to the power of the relic.

Celestia tightened her grip on the crystal, feeling the surge of power within it. It was her time to decide to embrace her bloodline's power, or to fight against the darkness.

With a fierce cry, she stepped forward.

The Rising Tide

The air grew thick with the weight of impending battle as Celestia stood firm, her eyes locked on the dark figures that emerged from the shadows. The Originals-those ancient beings who had lived through centuries of bloodshed now stood before her, drawn to the power of the crystal she held in her hand.

Draven stood by her side, his body tense, ready for whatever would come. His sword gleamed in the dim light of the chamber, and his eyes were filled with determination. But even he knew they were outnumbered.

The figures before them were not human. Their eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, their skin pale and almost translucent, like the remnants of forgotten souls. Their presence was suffocating, and the weight of their power sent an eerie chill through the room.

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One of them, a tall figure draped in dark robes, stepped forward. Its voice was smooth, almost hypnotic. "Celestia Elizabeth Moonviel... You are more powerful than we ever imagined. The relic calls to you, doesn't it? You feel it, don't you? The power that could remake the world in our image."

Celestia's grip on the crystal tightened. "I don't need your power. I don't need to join you."

The figure chuckled darkly, a sound that seemed to reverberate through the very walls of the temple. "You may not need us, but you will need the power to stop us. You're already connected to it, Celestia. You were always meant to join us. Your bloodline is tied to ours, and there is nothing you can do to escape that."

"That's a lie," Celestia spat, stepping forward, her heart racing with the strength of her defiance. "I will never join you."

The figure's eyes narrowed, and the others around it stirred, their gazes locking on her like vultures circling their prey. "Then you will die, just like the rest of them."

Before Celestia could react, the Originals surged forward, their movements swift and deadly. Dark energy radiated from them, and the ground beneath her feet cracked open with the force of their approach.

But Celestia was ready.

With a roar, she lifted the crystal high, her entire body burning with the energy she had absorbed from it. The temple seemed to respond to her, the ancient walls shaking as the relic's power surged through her veins. She could feel the weight of the decision she had made the call to fight, to stand against the Originals, to defend the world that she had sworn to protect.

The energy radiating from her grew so powerful that it lit up the room in a blinding flash. The Originals recoiled, their dark energy struggling against the force of the light that Celestia unleashed. But the power within her was still raw, untamed, and it wasn't enough to stop them. Not yet.

Draven was by her side, his sword flashing as he cut through the dark figures that approached. He moved with precision, his strikes quick and deadly, but there were too many of them.

"Celestia!" he called out, his voice tight with urgency. "You need to control it. Focus the power!"

She nodded, her mind racing. She could feel the crystal pulsing in her hand, the energy inside it surging. It was so much power too much. But she knew she had to harness it. She had no other choice.

Closing her eyes, Celestia focused, allowing the power to flow through her, trying to control it, shape it into a weapon. The energy hummed in the air around her, crackling like a storm on the verge of breaking.

For a moment, nothing happened. The Originals continued to advance, and Draven fought valiantly beside her, but Celestia's concentration was slipping. She could feel herself losing control, the power threatening to overwhelm her.

And then, with a deep, forceful breath, she reached for the core of the energy. She called upon the power of her bloodline, her connection to the Lost Tome, and she focused it all into the crystal.

A brilliant burst of light erupted from her hand, and the world around her seemed to freeze. The Originals faltered, their dark energy dissipating under the force of Celestia's light. The crystal glowed so brightly that it burned the shadows away, forcing the Originals to retreat.

But it wasn't enough to defeat them. Not yet.

"You think you can defeat us with mere light?" the tall figure hissed, its voice thick with anger. "You are nothing."

Celestia's eyes flicked to Draven, who was panting, his movements slowing as the Originals pressed their attack. He was holding his own, but the pressure was mounting.

"Draven," she whispered, her voice strained. "We need to end this now."

Draven nodded, understanding the urgency. He took a step back, creating space between them and the Originals. "What do we do?"

Celestia's mind raced, her hands still gripping the crystal tightly. She needed to tap into something deeper, something beyond the power of the crystal. Something ancient.

She turned to the pedestal, the ancient energy around it still humming, still alive. The room was filled with the presence of untold power, and Celestia realized what she needed to do.

With a decisive motion, she thrust the crystal into the stone pedestal. The ground trembled as the pedestal reacted, the energy from the crystal fusing with the ancient relics stored within the temple. A deep rumbling shook the temple's foundation, and the walls began to glow with an eerie, pulsating light.

The Originals paused, their eyes wide with realization. "No... you cannot "

But it was too late.

The energy that Celestia had unleashed now surged beyond anything they had anticipated. The chamber around them cracked open, revealing an immense torrent of power that exploded outward like a tidal wave, engulfing the Originals in a blinding flash.

Time seemed to stop. The air grew thick with the scent of burning magic as Celestia felt the weight of the power surge through her. The force of it was overwhelming, but this time, she controlled it. She channeled it.

The Originals screamed as the light consumed them, their bodies disintegrating into nothingness, their dark forms dissolving into the ether. The chamber trembled with the force of their demise.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the storm of power ceased.

The temple fell into an eerie stillness. The glow of the crystal faded, leaving only the soft hum of ancient energy in the air. The remnants of the Originals were gone, and the room, once filled with darkness, was now quiet.

Celestia stood, panting, the weight of the relic's power still pressing down on her. The air felt thick with the aftermath of the battle, and the adrenaline was slowly fading, leaving her feeling hollow.

"Did we... did we win?" Draven's voice was strained, and Celestia could hear the disbelief in his tone.

She nodded slowly, her gaze still fixed on the now-empty chamber. "For now. But this is just the beginning."

The power she had unleashed was immense. She had destroyed the Originals at least for the moment but she knew this victory was only a small step in a much larger battle. The truth of her bloodline, of the forces at play in the world, was only beginning to reveal itself.

Celestia turned to Draven, her face hardening with resolve. "We need to find out who is behind all of this. We need to stop it, once and for all."

Draven gave a small nod, his expression mirroring her determination. "We'll stop it, Celestia. Together."

And with that, they stepped out of the temple, ready to face whatever lay ahead.