The sun never rose in the cursed lands. Only a sickly haze hung in the air, as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to shatter the stillness. In the wake of Lorenzo's haunting return, Selena and Dante had returned to the safe house hidden deep beneath the catacombs of the old Valerio estate. But there was no peace. No silence. Not anymore.
Selena sat near the fireplace, arms wrapped tightly around herself, though no flame could warm the chill that had crept into her bones. Her mind reeled with the memory of Lorenzo—the cruelty in his smile, the blood on his hands, and the terrifying realization that Dante's curse had birthed something far more malevolent than either of them had imagined.
Dante paced behind her, shirtless, sweat glistening on his skin as though he'd been fighting ghosts. Maybe he had.
"You haven't said a word," Selena finally whispered.
His steps halted. "Because I don't know what to say."
"Start with the truth."
He faced her slowly, ember eyes flickering like dying stars. "Lorenzo died because of me."
Selena stood. "You said that already. But how did he come back? How is that even possible?"
"The curse... it isn't just a brand on my soul. It's a door. A tether to something older than time."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"There's something ancient trapped beneath the Valerio estate. The elders called it 'The Crimson Core.' They feared it. Worshipped it. My family made a pact generations ago—blood in exchange for power. That's how the Valerios rose to dominance."
Selena's stomach churned. "So you're saying your power—your curse—it came from that... thing?"
He nodded. "And when the fire took Lorenzo, the Core took him too. But unlike me, he wasn't cursed. He was reborn. As its true heir."
"Why him?"
"Because he chose it. He welcomed the darkness. I fought it. I still do."
Selena moved toward him, taking his hand in hers. "Then we fight it together."
He gripped her fingers tightly, eyes searching hers. "There's something else."
Her chest tightened. "What is it?"
"You felt something... after Alara's attack, didn't you? Like something inside you was changing?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes. I thought it was fear. Or trauma. But it felt... alive."
"It's not just the curse reacting to you. It's the Core. You're tied to it now. Just like me."
Selena staggered back. "No. That's not possible."
"I felt it the moment you touched me that night in the cathedral. The bond awakened. And now, it's feeding off us both."
Her voice was hollow. "So what does that mean?"
"It means you're no longer just human. You're a vessel."
The air turned colder, heavier.
Selena backed away, shaking her head. "No. No, this can't be happening."
Dante stepped forward. "We can fight it, Selena. But we have to be honest. With each other. With ourselves."
"Then tell me what's next," she demanded. "Tell me how we stop your brother. How we end this curse."
"There's an ancient text, hidden in the Temple of Ashes. It's said to contain the ritual that sealed the Core centuries ago. If we find it, we might be able to use it to bind Lorenzo. Or destroy him."
Selena's eyes hardened. "Then we find it."
---
The journey to the Temple of Ashes was not a simple one. It lay hidden in the heart of the Whispering Mountains, shrouded by illusions and guarded by remnants of the old world—creatures twisted by forgotten magic.
Dante and Selena rode under the cover of dusk, cloaked figures against a landscape that seemed to shift with every mile. Selena could feel the Core's pull growing stronger the closer they got, a throbbing heat beneath her skin that flared whenever Dante drew near.
"Do you feel it?" she asked as they dismounted before a jagged mountain pass.
He nodded grimly. "It's calling to us."
Stone statues lined the entrance—guardians carved with grotesque faces and ancient runes. Selena traced her fingers along one, flinching as the stone pulsed beneath her touch.
"The temple knows we're here," Dante said. "We have to move quickly."
Inside, the air was thick with dust and magic. The walls glowed faintly with crimson glyphs that pulsed in time with Selena's heartbeat. It was disorienting, like walking through a dream half-remembered.
They moved in silence, deeper into the temple until they reached the Hall of Echoes. Mirrors lined the walls—hundreds of them—each reflecting twisted versions of themselves.
Selena stopped. "Dante... they're not just reflections."
He stared into one, his image warped and bleeding shadow. "They're visions. Warnings. Or temptations."
Suddenly, the mirror nearest Selena shimmered.
In it, she saw herself—not as she was, but wreathed in flame, eyes glowing red, wings of shadow spreading from her back.
She gasped and stepped back. "That's not me."
Dante grabbed her hand. "It could be. If we fail."
As they moved past the mirrors, whispers filled the hall—taunting voices, familiar and cruel.
He will betray you.
She will burn you from within.
The Core owns you both.
Selena clenched her fists. "They're lies."
"Then don't listen," Dante urged. "Focus on the goal."
They reached the final chamber—a vast cavern with a black altar at its center. Upon it lay a tome, bound in what looked disturbingly like human skin. The Book of Cinders.
Dante approached slowly. "This is it."
Selena followed, heart hammering. "What now?"
He opened the book. The pages writhed, symbols crawling across them like living things.
Then the ground shook.
A roar echoed from deep within the temple.
Dante's face paled. "He's here."
Lorenzo.
The chamber exploded in black flame as Lorenzo emerged from the shadows, a twisted crown of fire upon his head.
"Well done, brother. You've brought me exactly what I needed."
Selena stepped forward, defiant. "You won't take this power."
He grinned. "Oh, I don't want the book. I want you."
Dante moved between them, wings of flame erupting from his back. "You'll have to go through me."
Lorenzo laughed. "Gladly."
The battle ignited—fire against fire, brother against brother. Selena watched in horror and awe as the two forces clashed, their power shaking the very walls of the temple.
She knew she had to do something. She couldn't stand by.
The book.
She ran to it, placing her hand on the page as ancient power surged through her.
Pain.
Heat.
Memory.
Visions of the past—of the first Valerio, of the Core's true form, of the curse's origin—flooded her mind.
She screamed, but didn't let go.
The glyphs crawled up her arms, searing into her flesh.
Dante saw her and roared, "Selena, no!"
But she held firm.
The book responded to her will. The chamber lit up with crimson light.
Lorenzo faltered, his power wavering.
Selena's voice rang out—not her own, but layered with something older, deeper. "By the blood that binds and the fire that scars, I call upon the Core. I invoke the Crimson Oath!"
A vortex of fire erupted from the book, engulfing Lorenzo.
He screamed, writhing in agony. "This isn't over!"
And then—he vanished.
Silence returned.
Selena collapsed. Dante caught her just before she hit the ground.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Did it work?"
He nodded, brushing the hair from her face. "You banished him. For now."
Tears slipped down her cheeks. "I felt it, Dante. The Core. It's inside me now."
He held her tightly. "Then we'll find a way to protect you. To contain it."
She looked up at him. "We started this journey cursed. But maybe we can end it something more."
He kissed her forehead. "Then let this be our awakening. Not of pain. But of purpose."
And as the temple crumbled behind them, Selena and Dante stepped into the storm—reborn, bound not by fate, but by fire and choice.
Their war was far from over.
But together, they would rise.