[Ravenfall: Hydra(luce), Leviathan(lev), Phoenix(ishaan), Griffin(veer), Valkyrie(avni), Cerberus(sayaka), Kraken(erik), Wyvern(raiden), Nymph(saira), Sphinx(dev). Others: Amber(isolde), Azure(damien), Chimera(elior), Basilisk(Vance), Pegasus(Sol)]
The sky above the Grand Arena lit with colors as the fireworks began—Phoenix’s grin so wide it looked ready to split his face. “Finally!” he shouted over the roar, clapping Griffin on the shoulder. “Told you it’d be worth it.”
The next second, the world split apart.
A concussive blast tore through the arena. The ground buckled. Screams ripped through the air as fragments of stone and steel rained down.
“Down!” Hydra’s voice cut through the chaos.
Another explosion. Louder. Closer. The shockwave threw people like rag dolls—spectators, fighters, guards—everyone scattered.
Shades hit the ground hard. Leviathan shielded Valkyrie with his body, Cerberus yanking Nymph into cover. Wyvern was already dragging Sphinx away from a collapsing wall.
The third blast came with a sound like the earth itself was breaking. The screams changed pitch—more panic, more terror. Ravenfall was close to the center. It hit them harder than most.
Hydra slammed against the ground, ears ringing, vision spinning. The noise faded into a dull throb. All around, people were sprawled, unmoving.
Amber’s voice was somewhere far away. “Damien! Get to the Shades—now!”
Azure’s boots pounded against stone. “I’m here! Stay with me!” His voice cut sharper when he counted. “One… two… three—twelve?!” He froze. “Where the hell is Chimera?!”
Amber didn’t answer. She was already moving, shoving through rubble and bodies, shouting Elior’s name. The stadium reeked of smoke and scorched metal.
Emergency teams rushed in. Medics hauled the Shades away, all bruised, bleeding, most unconscious. Concussions. Shock. The air was thick with the stench of burnt gunpowder and fear.
They searched for Chimera for days. Nothing.
Cut to elsewhere.
A dim, private bar.
A man with golden hair and hazel eyes sat alone, nursing a beer. The resemblance to Hydra was uncanny—the same sharp jawline, same piercing gaze—but his smile was colder, almost bored.
On the screen above the counter, replay footage of the explosions looped. He sipped slowly, watching the chaos frame by frame. Then he smirked.
Valken approached from behind, expression unreadable. “Finished,” he said. “But she doesn’t know anything.”
The golden-haired man didn’t even turn. Just lifted his hand in a lazy wave.
Valken’s voice hardened. “End it.”
Two men slipped into the shadows.
Later, in a blood-slick room, Elior screamed once—cut short. The sound of steel tearing through flesh filled the air, over and over, until nothing was left but ragged silence.
The infirmary smelled of antiseptic and quiet despair. All twelve Shades lay in rows, monitors beeping steadily. Most were still asleep—deep concussions keeping them under for three… five days.
Hydra sat beside Leviathan’s bed, not moving much. Griffin kept pacing between Phoenix’s bed and the window. Basilisk had his head down, eyes shut, one hand clenched tight.
The doctor’s voice was grim. “If Phoenix doesn’t wake up now… he never will.”
The air turned cold. Griffin froze mid-step. Hydra’s gaze flicked toward Phoenix’s still form. Leviathan’s jaw tightened.
Then—
A long, lazy yawn.
Heads whipped around. Phoenix stretched like he’d just woken from a nap, eyes half-lidded. “What? Why’s everyone looking like someone died?”
“You were asleep,” Kraken said flatly. “Three days.”
“Not coma. Sleep,” Phoenix corrected, rubbing his eyes. “Big difference.”
Basilisk broke the silence first. “…Where’s Chimera?”
The room stilled.
Hydra’s voice was quiet. “She’s missing.”
Azure and Amber stepped inside. “Rest,” Amber said firmly. “We’ll talk later.”
Night fell.
A knock echoed through the quiet ward.
Valkyrie and Wyvern exchanged glances, moving to the door. Outside, the moonlight spilled over a black coffin. Tall. Heavy. Blood leaked from its seams, dripping onto the floor in slow, terrible beats.
Wyvern’s hand hesitated at the latch. Valkyrie opened it.
Inside—
Elior.
Or what was left of her. Her body was torn, deep gashes slicing across her limbs and chest. Her eyes were closed, lips pale. Blood pooled beneath her, the copper scent hitting hard.
Valkyrie’s breath hitched. Wyvern’s jaw clenched.
The cry tore from Phoenix before anyone could speak. “Elior—NO! No, no, no—” His voice cracked, raw.
Hydra’s voice cut sharp. “For fuck’s sake, leave us alone!”
But the room was already filling—Azure, Amber, the other Glooms stepping in, stopping dead when they saw her.
No one moved. The air thickened with the weight of memory. Their first mission together. The arguments. The victories. The fights. Elior’s laugh in the middle of it all.
Kraken turned away, jaw trembling. Leviathan closed his eyes. Nymph’s hand tightened on the bedsheet until her knuckles went white.
Phoenix stumbled forward, collapsing against Hydra’s knees. “Luce… I don’t care about anything else. I want revenge. I want their blood.” His voice broke again, quieter. “Please.”
Hydra’s hand tightened around Phoenix’s shoulder before letting go.
Basilisk stood silent, his gaze locked on Elior’s face, unreadable. Pegasus’s hands shook at his sides, lips pressed tight.
The Trio was no longer a trio. Nothing could fill that gap.
Hydra’s voice was steady when it came. “Vance. Sol. Prepare for the funeral. All the arrangements. After that—” His eyes swept across Ravenfall, then the Glooms. “We’re going somewhere.”
No one questioned it. Not yet.
ns216.73.216.33da2
and then Add to home screen.