Chapter 9 – The Crimson Divide
The Blood Moon faded at dawn, leaving behind a sky that refused to turn blue.
Clouds glowed with a dull red light, and the wind carried the stench of ashes.
The world was no longer the same — it was divided.
Kael stood on the remains of a skyscraper, overlooking what used to be the capital. Fires still burned in the distance. The roads were cracked, the cities broken, and the silence between explosions felt heavier than death itself.
He looked down at his trembling hands. The veins beneath his skin glowed faintly silver, spreading up to his arms like creeping lightning. Every heartbeat echoed like thunder in his chest.
He could still feel Riven's energy inside him — wild, powerful, and distant.
> "The curse doesn't split brothers… it consumes them."
The words of the ancient scroll echoed in his mind.
Kael clenched his fists. "I won't let it win."
Below, humans worked to rebuild a small base — broken cars turned into barricades, shattered drones repurposed into defense turrets. Soldiers, doctors, scavengers — all working in silence. Every face looked haunted, yet hopeful.
And among them was Lira, one of the few who dared to approach Kael. She was once a combat medic — now a fighter who had seen too much death to fear anything.
She climbed up to where Kael stood. "You're the only one keeping the zombies from overrunning us," she said. "But… your eyes. They're changing."
Kael didn't answer. He stared at the bloodstained horizon.
"I can feel him," he whispered. "Riven's awake."
---
Far away, beneath the ruins of the old city, Riven opened his eyes.
The once bright blue glow of his aura had turned crimson. He sat upon a throne of bone, surrounded by shadows that moved like living things.
Hundreds of vampires knelt before him — warriors, assassins, and hunters reborn by the eclipse. Their fangs glinted under torchlight, their loyalty burning like fire.
"Rise," Riven commanded. His voice was calm — too calm. It carried both power and emptiness.
They stood in silence.
> "The humans rebuild their walls," Riven continued. "They pretend they can survive the Blood Era. But they've forgotten who brought them fire… and who can take it away."
The army roared in unison, their voices echoing through the catacombs.
Riven stood, the crimson mark on his chest glowing brighter than ever. His shadow stretched across the floor — vast and monstrous, twisting like the shape of a beast waiting to be unleashed.
He walked through his army, touching the forehead of one of the vampire captains. Instantly, the soldier's eyes turned blood-red. His strength doubled.
"This is evolution," Riven said quietly. "And Kael… will try to stop it."
He looked up at the ceiling, eyes reflecting the faint light above. "My brother," he whispered, "you chose the light. I chose survival."
---
Meanwhile, Kael gathered his human allies. Around a flickering holographic map, the Resistance planned their next move.
"The vampire territories are expanding faster than we thought," Lira said, pointing at red zones on the map. "Every night they take another city."
"And the infected?" Kael asked.
"Still spreading in the southern ruins," another soldier replied. "The zombies are hunting anything with blood — even the vampires."
Kael studied the map. "Then that's our advantage. We strike between them. If we play it right, we can destroy both."
The humans nodded — but Lira hesitated.
"Kael," she said softly, "what happens when you lose control again?"
Everyone fell silent. The question hung in the air like smoke.
Kael turned away. "Then you'll do what must be done."
---
That night, the Blood Moon rose again — smaller, weaker, but still watching.
Kael and his squad moved through the ruins of the old metro tunnels. The air was thick with rot. Every sound — dripping water, creaking pipes, distant growls — could mean death.
Suddenly, something darted across the shadows.
"Contact!" a soldier yelled.
Zombies rushed from the darkness — crawling, sprinting, screaming. Their claws tore through armor, their teeth snapping like metal. Gunfire lit up the tunnels, echoing like thunder.
Kael moved like lightning, his blade slicing through the horde. Each strike unleashed waves of dark energy that shattered concrete. His aura flared — too bright, too violent.
The humans behind him screamed as the shadows pulsed around Kael. His eyes turned silver again.
He was losing control.
"Kael! Stop!" Lira shouted, but he didn't hear her.
Power roared out of him — a storm of silver fire that vaporized the zombies in seconds. When the light faded, the entire tunnel had collapsed. The humans stared at him in terror.
Kael fell to one knee, gasping. "No… not again…"
Lira ran to him. "You saved us," she said, "but if this keeps happening—"
"I'll become like him," Kael finished, his voice hollow.
---
Miles away, Riven stood before a giant mirror made of bloodstone.
Through it, he could see Kael — broken, trembling, trying to fight fate.
Riven smiled faintly, but it wasn't a smile of joy. It was sadness wrapped in power.
"You were always the light," he said softly, "but even light casts a shadow."
Behind him, his general approached. "My king, the humans are gathering in the west."
Riven turned. "Let them."
He raised his hand — and from the darkness, thousands of vampires rose, their wings unfolding like blades.
"It's time the world remembers why the night belongs to us."
---
The next morning, smoke covered the sky. The first true war between humans, vampires, and the cursed dead had begun.
Kael watched from a cliff as explosions lit up the horizon. "Riven…" he whispered. "If you can hear me… I'll find you. And I'll end this."
The wind carried the echoes of battle.
Two brothers — once united — now leading armies that would shape the fate of the world.
And above it all, the Blood Moon smiled.
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