Chapter 0043: The storm had only just begun.
Rain poured over the smoldering ruins of the city, steam rising from the charred ground like the breath of a dying beast. The battlefield was silent now—eerily so. But Claire knew better. Silence was never safety. It was the calm before the next storm.
She stood at the edge of what was once the city square, gripping the bloodied dagger in her hand. Alexander was beside her, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. The war had taken its toll, but they were still standing.
"This isn't over," Claire whispered, scanning the darkness. "Damian still has one last move to play."
As if summoned by her words, a slow, deliberate clap echoed through the night.
From the shadows, Damian emerged. His suit was immaculate, untouched by the chaos he had unleashed. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with satisfaction.
"Oh, Claire," he drawled, stopping a few feet away. "You really thought you could win this? That all your sacrifices would mean something?"
Claire clenched her jaw, stepping forward. "We exposed you. Your empire is burning."
Damian chuckled, shaking his head. "And yet, here I stand. And soon, you won't."
A soft beep cut through the night. Claire's heart stopped.
She turned her head—just in time to see the countdown flashing red on the device strapped to the fallen tower behind them.
A bomb.
Set to detonate in thirty seconds.
"You planned this…" Alexander whispered, eyes wide in horror.
"Of course I did," Damian said smoothly. "You think I'd let you take everything from me without having a contingency plan? I don't need to win, Claire. I just need to make sure no one does."
Claire's pulse roared in her ears. They had only moments.
"Run!" she screamed.
Alexander grabbed her hand, yanking her into a sprint as the timer ticked down. 10… 9… 8…
The ground trembled. The fire-lit sky seemed to shudder. This was it.
A gunshot rang out—Claire spun, eyes widening as Damian staggered, a bloom of red spreading across his pristine suit. But he was still smiling.
3… 2… 1…
The world exploded into fire and fury.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Smoke. Silence. Then, a gasp for air.
Claire's eyes shot open. Pain racked her body. She was alive. But barely.
She turned her head, coughing through the dust. A few feet away, Alexander groaned, stirring beneath the rubble.
And Damian…
Claire forced herself up. Damian lay in the debris, his body twisted, his breath shallow. But somehow, impossibly… he laughed.
"You still don't get it," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. "This isn't the end. It's never the end."
Claire's hands tightened into fists. "No," she said coldly. "But it is for you."
She raised the dagger.
Damian's smile didn't falter. "Are you sure?"
A soft beeping filled the silence.
Claire's eyes widened in horror.
There was another bomb.
The beeping grew louder, faster—a cruel reminder that their fight wasn't over. Claire's breath hitched as she spun, searching frantically for the source. The debris shifted beneath her feet, dust clouding her vision. The countdown had started again. Another bomb.
Damian coughed, a smirk still lingering on his bloodied lips. "You didn't think I'd only have one, did you?"
Alexander groaned, pushing himself up, his face contorted with pain. "Claire… we need to move. Now."
But Claire wasn't listening. Her mind raced. Where was it? The sound bounced off the broken walls, making it impossible to pinpoint.
Damian's chuckle was a whisper of defiance. "This city will be your grave. And mine."
Claire's fingers tightened around the dagger. "Not today."
She lunged forward, pressing the blade to Damian's throat. "Where is it?" she demanded, her voice a growl of desperation.
Damian's eyes gleamed, even as blood trickled from his lips. "Too late."
A single, sharp beep rang through the air. Ten seconds.
Claire's heart pounded. The world slowed.
Then—she saw it.
Beneath a collapsed beam, flashing red. Wedged between stone and steel. The final trigger.
"Alexander!" Claire called, sprinting toward it. He was already on his feet, staggering toward her.
Five seconds.
Claire dropped to her knees, hands fumbling to reach the device. Wires, circuits—no time to think. Just act.
Three seconds.
"Cut the blue one!" Alexander shouted.
Two seconds.
Claire took a breath—and yanked the blue wire free.
The beeping stopped.
Silence.
Then, the weight of it all crashed down on her. Her hands trembled as she let go, her breath shuddering from her lips. They had stopped it.
Alexander pulled her up, wrapping her in his arms. "We're alive," he murmured, disbelief in his voice.
Damian let out a weak laugh. "You think this is over?"
Claire turned, exhaustion and fury swirling in her gaze. "It is for you."
She raised the dagger one last time.
Damian closed his eyes.
The blade plunged.
And just like that, the war ended.
The sun rose over the ruins of the city, painting the sky in hues of gold and crimson. Smoke still curled from the wreckage, but the battle was done.
Claire stood at the edge of it all, Alexander beside her. They had won. But at what cost?
She exhaled. "It's over."
Alexander took her hand. "We rebuild."
She nodded, gripping his fingers tightly.
It wasn't just survival.
It was the beginning of something new.
The city still smoldered, the echoes of battle lingering like ghosts in the air. Claire stood atop the shattered remains of the once-great stronghold, the weight of victory pressing down on her shoulders. But something felt... wrong.
Alexander's grip on her hand tightened. "It's over, Claire. We did it."
She nodded absently, her gaze scanning the ruins below. The sun had risen, painting the world in deceptive peace. Yet, a nagging unease crawled up her spine.
A sudden gust of wind carried a whisper—faint, barely there. A voice.
"Claire…"
She froze. That voice.
Alexander stiffened beside her. "Did you hear that?"
Before Claire could respond, a shadow moved in the wreckage. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she turned—eyes locking onto a familiar figure emerging from the debris.
Damian.
But it couldn't be. He was dead. She had ended it. She had seen him take his last breath.
And yet—there he stood.
Bloodied, broken... but alive.
"You should have finished the job," he rasped, a slow smirk tugging at his torn lips.
Claire's stomach dropped. The dagger was still clutched in her hand, its blade stained with his blood. But it hadn't been enough. He had survived.
"How?" she whispered.
Damian chuckled darkly. "You really thought I wouldn't have a contingency?" His gaze flickered past her, to the ruins of the stronghold. "This isn't over. Not yet."
A low hum filled the air.
Claire's breath caught as realization slammed into her.
Another detonation.
"RUN!" Alexander shouted, yanking her backward as the ground beneath them erupted.
Flames roared to life, swallowing the ruins in an instant. Claire tumbled backward, the heat scorching her skin. The explosion rattled the earth, sending shockwaves through the air.
When the smoke cleared—Damian was gone.
Claire pushed herself up, coughing against the dust. Her pulse thundered in her ears. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no."
Alexander reached for her, but she pulled away. Her mind raced. He was still out there. And he wasn't finished.
A chill settled over her. This war wasn't over. Not yet.
She turned to Alexander, fire burning in her eyes. "We end this. For good."
He nodded. "Then let's hunt him down."
Claire exhaled sharply, gripping the dagger tighter.
Damian had escaped death once.
But he wouldn't escape her again.
The air was thick with smoke and uncertainty. The city still smoldered, but something felt... off. Claire tightened her grip on the dagger, her instincts screaming that the battle wasn't truly over.
Alexander sensed it too. He scanned the ruins, his jaw clenched. "Something's not right. Damian wouldn't go down this easily."
Before Claire could respond, a chilling sound cut through the silence—a slow, deliberate clap. The hairs on the back of her neck rose.
From the shadows of the wreckage, a figure emerged.
Claire's breath hitched. It couldn't be.
But there he stood.
Damian.
Bloodied, broken—but smiling.
"You should know by now," he rasped, his voice dripping with malice. "A king never falls without his final move."
Claire's heart slammed against her ribs. No. She killed him. She saw the life drain from his eyes.
"Impossible," Alexander muttered.
Damian chuckled, stepping forward. "You thought you won? That was only the beginning."
A low hum filled the air, growing louder with each passing second. The ground beneath them trembled.
Then—a blast.
A deafening explosion tore through the ruins, sending Claire and Alexander flying. Heat scorched her skin as she hit the ground, her vision blurred by smoke and dust.
Gritting her teeth, Claire forced herself up, coughing. Through the haze, she saw Damian standing tall, unharmed.
"Did you really think I'd let you walk away that easily?" he sneered.
From the shadows, dozens of figures appeared. Armed. Ready.
Claire's pulse pounded. An ambush.
Alexander staggered to her side, his hand gripping his gun. "We end this. Now."
Claire wiped blood from her lip, determination burning in her eyes.
"Then let's finish it."
The final battle had just begun.
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(To be Continue...)