The air inside the SUV was thick with smoke and tension. The gunfire had ceased, but the echoes of violence still reverberated through the narrow cabin. Maya's hands trembled as she clutched the glowing locket, its light now pulsing with an almost sentient rhythm—like a heartbeat syncing with her own.
Liam's eyes flicked sharply between the rearview mirror and the masked attackers disappearing into the night. His jaw was clenched so tight the veins in his neck throbbed.
"We can't stay here," he hissed, voice tight with urgency. He started the engine, the rumble vibrating beneath their feet.
Selene's pale face was drawn tight with exhaustion and fear. "The locket… it carries the curse of the Bloodline. My mother told me stories — legends about the price paid for power."
Kai's dark eyes were unreadable as he leaned forward, voice low. "What kind of price?"
Selene's gaze locked on Maya. "Sacrifice. Loss. Madness. The curse doesn't just threaten the holder — it corrupts everything they love. It's why your mother vanished."
Maya swallowed hard, feeling the weight of those words settle like a stone in her chest.
Outside, rain hammered harder, each drop striking like a tiny bullet against the SUV's armored shell. The windshield wipers thrashed in desperate rhythm, but the world beyond was a blur of gray shadows and flashing neon.
Liam reached out, brushing a damp lock of hair from Maya's forehead, his touch brief but electric. "We'll face this together. But we need to understand it — fully."
Suddenly, the locket flared, a searing pulse of crimson light flooding the car's interior. Maya gasped, dropping it into her palm. Her fingers burned, tingling as if alive.
Kai's voice was a harsh whisper. "It's reacting to your blood — your connection."
Maya's eyes widened. "What does it want from me?"
Before anyone could answer, the car jolted violently—an explosion rocked the street ahead, sending a shockwave through the metal frame. Tires screeched as Liam swerved sharply, dodging debris and plunging into a narrow alley.
The moment hung suspended — the pounding rain, the deafening silence inside the SUV, the glowing locket—and then a chilling voice crackled through the radio.
"Maya… the time has come. Choose wisely. Or lose everything."
A cold shiver crawled down Maya's spine. The curse wasn't just a story. It was a warning. And the true battle was only just beginning.