The fountain glowed as though it had swallowed moonlight whole. Strange symbols pulsed across its cracked surface, burning a faint violet, the light seeping into the ground beneath their feet. The whispers in the air grew louder, sharper, as if countless voices were speaking at once.
Elena stumbled backward, pressing a hand to her ears, but the sound was inside her head, not outside. The voices weren't in any language she knew, yet she understood fragments—power, vessel, chosen.
"Stay behind me." Adrian's arm was suddenly in front of her, his body taut with tension. His aura surged, shadows curling tight around them both like a shield.
Damian barked a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Oh, now you're protective? Look around you, Adrian—your cage has cracks." His eyes glowed a deep red as he lifted a hand, crimson energy sparking across his fingertips.
The ground split with a sudden crack. From the fountain's heart, a hand—gnarled and clawed—broke through stone, followed by another. A figure dragged itself upward, its form twisted, eyes glowing hollow and hungry. More followed, crawling out of the seal as though it were a doorway torn open.
Elena's scream caught in her throat. These weren't shadows—they were demons.
Adrian's voice dropped into a tone colder than ice. "Someone weakened the barrier. These creatures should never have been able to pass." His gaze cut toward Damian. "Your meddling has consequences."
Damian snarled, his crimson aura flaring brighter. "Don't waste time blaming me. Fight."
The first demon lunged, claws slashing. Adrian stepped forward, shadows slicing out from his hands like blades, severing its limbs in a single fluid motion. Another creature barreled toward Elena, but Damian intercepted, his crimson flames scorching its body to ash.
For a moment, the rivalry between them dissolved into raw survival. The courtyard erupted into chaos, shadows and flames clashing against writhing monsters, the night lit by power and destruction.
Elena pressed herself against the fountain's edge, trembling. But even as she tried to stay out of the way, the voices returned, louder now, drilling into her skull. Vessel… awaken…
Her knees buckled. The ground beneath her flared with light, symbols glowing brighter where she stood. She gasped as something surged up through her body, hot and cold all at once, like she was being filled with power that wasn't hers.
Adrian whirled toward her, his expression flashing with alarm. "Elena! Don't move!"
But it was too late. The seal's energy was reacting—to her.
Damian's eyes widened, realization dawning. "It's her. She's the key. That's why the seal broke."
Adrian's shadows flared violently, lashing at another demon. His voice shook with a fury Elena had never heard before. "No one touches her. Not them. Not you."
The demons didn't stop. More crawled free, their grotesque forms circling like vultures. Elena clutched her chest, the strange energy writhing within her. It felt as though the seal itself was trying to root inside her soul.
"Adrian!" she cried, her voice breaking.
He was there in an instant, pulling her close, shadows wrapping around her like armor. But Damian stood on her other side, flames crackling at his hands, his face grim.
For one breathless moment, the three of them formed a strange circle—Adrian's darkness, Damian's fire, and Elena's trembling light in the center.
Adrian's jaw clenched, his words aimed at Damian, venom lacing every syllable. "If you think for a second I'll let you use this chaos to steal her from me—"
"Shut up and fight!" Damian snapped, blasting another demon into ash. His crimson eyes flicked to Elena, softer for only a heartbeat. "She doesn't survive this if we don't work together."
The ground shook again. The seal wasn't done breaking.
And Elena, caught between them, realized this battle wasn't just about survival anymore—it was about her. The seal had chosen her, tied its awakening to her soul.
Which meant, no matter who won their rivalry, she might be the one to lose everything.