Chapter 152 chapter 152

Chapter 152 chapter 152
Carlota’s POV

The dual bond nearly tore me apart.

Every breath felt painful, like my chest was trying to hold two hearts instead of one. One beat was steady, grounding, wrapping around me like warmth after a long night... this was Gabriel. The other burned hot and sharp, wild and restless... this was Paxton. They didn’t blend. They collided, crashing into each other inside my veins.

I staggered when the ritual ended, the world tilting. Hands reached for me, voices shouting, but I couldn't hear any of it at all. All I could hear was the thunder of my heart.

Two heartbeats. This isn’t possible. This isn’t supposed to happen. The council erupted into panic. They all looked like they had seen something terrible that would kill all of them, which was actually a little bit funny to me because they were all saying things like that before.

“This has never occurred,” one elder shouted. “The rite was never meant to split!”

Another elder’s voice cut through the noise, cold and sharp. “If both bonds remain, the moon will decide through destruction.”

What's that supposed to mean? I tried to say, but I couldn't say anything as I was a little bit weak and confused.

I was taken out of there, and honestly I didn't know where they were taking me as I couldn't see well or understand my surroundings at first. All I could think about was what they said earlier.

Destruction.

The word echoed in my skull long after they dismissed us, long after I was locked inside a room meant to be a sanctuary. Long after the doors closed and the world went quiet.

I was left alone there like I was some sort of prisoner, and no one actually cared about me at all. Later at night, I didn’t sleep. I just couldn't close my eyes, especially where they put me. I wasn't used to something like this. The whole world was watching me and expecting something from me. It's not my fault in the first place. Why is everyone looking at me like I'm supposed to be blamed?

I sat on the edge of the bed, hands gripping my knees, staring at the faint glow of my mark. It glowed slowly, unevenly, like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. Heat rolled through me in waves. Gabriel’s presence felt like a steady hand on my back, anchoring me. Paxton’s energy burned through my blood, restless and demanding, like fire under my skin.

They were fighting inside me.

Stop, I begged silently. You’re tearing me apart.

My own heartbeat stuttered, caught between them. I felt stretched thin, like a rope pulled from both ends, ready to snap.

I stood abruptly, pacing the room. The walls felt too close. The air felt too hot, and I felt so uncomfortable. Every step I took sent sparks of power crawling under my skin.

“I am not a prize!” I snarled, slamming my palms against the stone wall.

The mark exploded with light.

Power surged out of me in a violent wave. The stones beneath my hands cracked, shooting outward with a sharp, echoing crack. Dust rained down, the walls groaning like they were alive.

My breath came fast and uneven. My vision blurred gold and silver, the colors bleeding into each other.

I won’t be chosen. I won’t be owned. Footsteps thundered outside my door. It burst open seconds later.

Gabriel was there first, fear written plainly across his face. Paxton followed right behind him, his presence hitting me like a spark.

The air felt so dry that I could hardly breathe.

I felt the moon react, my powers reacting under the weight of us standing together. Power surged between the three of us, wild and unstable.

“Carlota,” Gabriel said softly, stepping closer. “You have to choose.”

The words landed like a blade to my chest.

“I can’t,” I whispered. My throat burned. “If I do… one of you dies.”

Paxton didn’t hesitate. “Then let me die.”

I spun toward him, shock ripping through me. I couldn't believe that he was willing to give himself away despite hating Gabriel, while Gabriel wanted me to choose him. This sounded like one was not interested in my safety like the other. His reaction remained the same, eyes fierce, voice rough. “At least you’ll live.”

“No,” Gabriel snapped, stepping between us. “You don’t get to play martyr.”

Paxton laughed bitterly. “Funny coming from you. You just asked how to choose you. I think you are just scared of death.”

Gabriel looked offended by what he said. “I dare you to say that again to me. I'm scared of dying? You think you're that important anyway? I just want to get rid of you.”

Their voices overlapped, sharp and heated, echoing off the walls. They started accusing each other and arguing again. I just hated listening to the both of them argue. I thought they would actually do something for themselves this time around, but we are still busy arguing when we could find a solution to everything.

“Enough!” I shouted, but they didn’t hear me.

The mark pulsed faster. Pain ripped through me, raw and blinding. My vision went white-hot as power surged out of control. The moon outside flared crimson again, bathing the room in blood-red light.

I screamed. The power exploded outward.

The floor cracked. The walls shook. A violent wave of energy slammed into both men, throwing them back like they weighed nothing. The air roared, a living force tearing through the room.

Then there was finally silence. The power drained from me in a rush, leaving my limbs trembling. I swayed but stayed standing, breath coming slow and heavy. The glow in my eyes didn’t fade.

Gold and silver burned together.

Gabriel and Paxton were on their knees, gasping, palms pressed to the floor as they tried to catch their breath. Both of them looked stunned. Both of them looked at me like they were seeing me for the first time.

I looked down at my hands. They were steady. Something inside me had settled. I wasn't afraid anymore, and I didn't have any doubt. It felt so good and strange at the same time. I stepped forward, standing between them.

“No more trials,” I said. My voice didn’t shake. It rang through the room; it was enough to make everyone who was around me silent.

They stared up at me in silence.

“The moon doesn’t choose me,” I continued, lifting my chin as the mark flared once more, not wild this time. It was finally controlled. “I choose it.”