NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35: The Crimson Pact
"Blood remembers. Even when you forget."
🌌 Setting: The Lost City of Velshara
The Tower shifted again — this time, violently.
When Jemil and his wives awoke, the world had changed.
They stood beneath a blood-red sky, surrounded by towering obsidian spires and empty roads. The air shimmered with ancient magic, and in the distance, chanting echoed through the dead city.
A cracked sigil glowed beneath their feet — the mark of the Crimson Pact.
"This place… it's cursed," Kaelara whispered.
"No," Elavira corrected, eyes glowing faintly. "It's forgotten."
🩸 The Blood-Tied Wife
As they explored the ruins, something moved in the shadows — fast, but graceful. Every step echoed like a whisper in their bones.
Suddenly, a figure appeared.
She wore crimson robes stained darker with dried blood. Her black hair fell in waves, and her golden eyes burned with recognition the moment they landed on Jemil.
"You came back," she said, almost too softly.
Jemil froze.
"Arishka…"
🗡️ Arishka, The Blood Oath Sorceress
Jemil's memories returned like a thunderclap. Arishka had once been the Tower's most feared blood mage — a woman who could bind enemies, heal allies, or destroy armies with a whisper.
But she was more than that. She had loved him so deeply, she offered her very blood to strengthen him.
And when the Tower fell, Jemil vanished — leaving her surrounded by the cult she'd betrayed for him.
"They branded me traitor," she said, lifting her arm to reveal a sigil burned into her flesh.
"I looked for you," Jemil said, stepping forward.
She laughed bitterly.
"So did they. And now, they're here."
🔥 The Crimson Cult Arrives
The chanting grew louder — dozens of robed figures emerged from the ruins, blades and sigils in hand.
A man stepped forward — tall, draped in robes of blood-soaked silk, his face hidden by a porcelain mask.
"You defiled our pact, Arishka. And you… Jemil… were the reason."
He raised a hand. "She dies. You die. The Tower resets."
Jemil drew his blade. "Not today."
⚔️ Battle: Pactbreakers vs. Crimson Cult
The fight ignited instantly. Kaelara dashed through enemies with flashing daggers. Elavira twisted illusions into traps. Zhera's assassin blades danced.
But it was Arishka who stunned them all — her hands glowing with living blood, she whispered ancient spells that twisted flesh, shattered weapons, and turned enemies against each other.
"They made me a monster," she said, "but I'm yours."
When Jemil stood back-to-back with her, a powerful blood circle formed beneath them.
Their magic combined — and erupted.
BOOM.
Half the cult was obliterated in a red storm.
The masked leader stumbled — his mask cracking.
"You think this is over?" he hissed. "You betrayed us, Jemil. I was your brother!"
🧩 Reveal: A Familiar Enemy
The mask fell.
It was Dairon. Jemil's former right hand in the Tower's rise. The one he believed dead.
"You left us," Dairon said, fury in every word. "I bled for your crown."
"I never wanted the crown," Jemil replied, raising his sword. "I just wanted to protect them."
Dairon vanished in a flash of smoke — but not before whispering:
"Then protect her… from me."
❤️ Aftermath: A Bloodbound Reunion
Arishka knelt, exhausted.
Jemil caught her, pressing his forehead to hers.
"I failed you."
"Then never fail again," she whispered. "Hold me… or kill me. But don't walk away this time."
He embraced her.
"Never again."
She melted into him.
A crimson flower bloomed where they stood — the Tower acknowledging their bond restored.
📣 Call to Action
🩸 Who is the one person you'd take back if you could?
⚔️ Drop a power stone for Arishka's blood magic supremacy
🧠 Comment: Would you forgive Jemil in her place?