The mountain was dying.
Cracks tore through the chamber like veins splitting open, chunks of stone collapsing as the ceiling groaned under the weight of destruction. Dust filled the air, thick and choking.
But no one moved to escape.
Because this fight—
Had reached its end.
The Final Push
Leila stepped forward, her body blazing with power.
Not just the First Bloodline.
Something deeper.
Something raw.
Dominic felt it immediately.
"This isn't just your bloodline anymore…"
Leila didn't respond.
Her eyes were locked on the beast.
"I won't let it take anything else from us."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
Dominic moved beside her, shadows curling tightly around his form.
"Then we end it together."
Behind them, the remaining Alpha Killers rose again.
Wounded.
Bruised.
But standing.
Marcus tightened his fists.
"One last round, yeah?"
Kael nodded.
"One last."
Coordinated Destruction
Leila's power surged outward again—
But sharper this time.
More focused.
Now.
The command echoed in every mind.
Dominic moved instantly, launching forward with terrifying speed. His claws tore across the beast's side, reopening the wound he had created earlier.
The Alpha Killers followed, striking in perfect synchronization.
The beast roared in fury, its body lashing out violently—
But this time—
They were ready.
Every attack it made was anticipated.
Dodged.
Countered.
Leila saw everything.
Every movement.
Every weakness.
"Left side—now!"
Two Alpha Killers struck instantly, forcing the creature to shift its weight.
"Dominic—upper chest!"
He didn't hesitate.
His claws drove deep—
And this time—
The beast staggered.
The Turning Blow
"Again!" Leila shouted.
Everything surged forward.
Dominic.
The Alpha Killers.
The pack.
All of them striking together.
And finally—
The beast dropped to one knee.
The ground cracked beneath its weight.
Marcus laughed breathlessly.
"YES! That's it!"
Kael's eyes stayed sharp.
"Don't celebrate yet."
Malachar Interferes
From the edge of the разрушed chamber—
Malachar moved.
For the first time since the fight began—
He stepped in.
His hand lifted slowly.
And the runes along the walls ignited.
Bright.
Violent.
Unstable.
Leila felt it instantly.
"No—"
The beast's body froze.
Then—
It changed again.
The crimson veins flared violently, spreading faster, brighter—
Out of control.
Dominic's eyes widened.
"He's forcing it to overload!"
Kael shouted.
"Everyone back!"
But it was too late.
The Explosion
The beast roared—
Not in anger.
In agony.
Its body began to crack.
Energy poured out of it like a collapsing star.
Leila's heart pounded.
"He's going to destroy everything—!"
Malachar's voice echoed coldly.
"If I cannot control it—"
His eyes gleamed.
"Then neither can you."
The beast exploded.
A massive wave of raw energy tore through the chamber, ripping through stone, shattering pillars, collapsing everything in its path.
Leila froze.
There was no time.
No space to escape.
The Sacrifice
"Leila!"
Dominic moved.
But he wasn't fast enough.
The explosion was already there.
Already consuming everything.
Then—
Someone stepped in front of her.
Kael.
Leila's eyes widened.
"No—!"
He didn't look back.
"Protect them."
His voice was steady.
Calm.
Certain.
The energy hit.
Silence
For a moment—
There was nothing.
No sound.
No movement.
Just light.
Blinding.
Endless.
Then—
Darkness.
Aftermath
When the dust settled—
The chamber was gone.
Collapsed.
Destroyed.
The mountain had partially caved in, leaving only fragments of what once stood.
Leila lay on the ground, her body weak, her power flickering.
"…Kael…?"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Dominic pushed himself up nearby, blood running down his face.
His eyes scanned the разрушed battlefield.
The Alpha Killers were scattered.
Marcus groaned somewhere in the distance.
But Kael—
Was nowhere.
Leila's breath hitched.
"No…"
Her body trembled as she tried to stand.
"Kael!"
No answer.
Only silence.
The Truth
Dominic's jaw tightened.
He knew.
They all did.
Leila dropped to her knees.
Her hands clenched against the broken ground.
Tears blurred her vision.
"He… he was right there…"
Her voice cracked.
"…He told me to protect them…"
The First Bloodline pulsed weakly inside her.
But this time—
It didn't feel powerful.
It felt…
Heavy.
Painful.
Dominic stepped closer slowly.
For once—
He didn't have words.
The End of Control
A slow clap echoed through the разрушed silence.
Leila's head snapped up.
Malachar.
Still standing.
Unharmed.
Watching.
"You see now?"
His voice was calm again.
Cold.
"Power always demands a cost."
Leila's eyes burned.
Not with light.
But with something darker.
"You did this."
Malachar tilted his head slightly.
"No."
His gaze shifted to the разрушed battlefield.
"You did."
Something inside Leila broke.
Not her strength.
Not her will.
But something deeper.
Something human.
The Beginning of Something Darker
She rose slowly.
Her body trembling—
But her presence…
Changing.
Dominic felt it instantly.
"…Leila."
This wasn't the same power as before.
This wasn't balance.
This wasn't control.
This was something else.
Something dangerous.
Leila's eyes lifted to Malachar.
Completely cold.
"You're going to pay for this."
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it carried.
Heavy.
Final.
Malachar smiled faintly.
"Good."
His eyes gleamed.
"Show me how far you're willing to go."
The mountain continued to crumble.
The war was no longer just about survival.
It had become something else.
Something personal.
Something darker.
And Leila—
Was no longer holding back.