Chapter Five – The Two Bloodlines
The temple fell silent.
Only the sound of Kwaku's breathing filled the darkness.
Kwesi stood several feet away, his eyes fixed on his brother.
Kwaku's eyes were still crimson.
The black veins covered his arm and stretched toward his neck.
Behind him, the creature stood free from its chains.
It was enormous.
Its body was covered in dark, hardened skin, and ancient markings glowed faintly across its chest.
Yet it did not attack.
It simply watched.
Waiting.
Kwesi slowly raised his hands.
"Kwaku."
Kwaku stared at him.
"Stay away."
"It's me."
"I said stay away!"
A burst of crimson energy exploded from Kwaku's body.
Kwesi was thrown backward.
He hit the stone floor and rolled several feet before stopping.
"Kwesi!"
Kwaku suddenly grabbed his head.
His expression changed.
For a brief moment, his eyes returned to normal.
"Run…"
Kwesi pushed himself up.
"What?"
"Run!"
Kwaku dropped to his knees.
The crimson light returned.
The creature smiled.
"He is fighting it."
Kwesi looked at the creature.
"What did you do to my brother?"
"I did nothing."
The creature slowly stepped forward.
"He opened the door himself."
Kwesi tightened his fists.
"You're lying."
The creature laughed.
"Your family has always blamed others for what they feared."
Kwesi's golden mark began glowing.
The creature stopped.
Its smile disappeared.
"So…"
It stared at Kwesi.
"The second one has awakened."
Kwesi looked at the mark on his chest.
"What does that mean?"
The creature tilted its head.
"You truly know nothing."
Kwesi took a step forward.
"Tell me."
The creature looked at Kwaku.
"Your brother carries the blood of the Shadow Sun."
Kwesi froze.
"And you…"
The creature's eyes moved toward the golden light surrounding Kwesi.
"…carry the blood of the Golden Sun."
The temple trembled.
Kwesi looked at Kwaku.
"We're twins."
"Yes."
"And we have different blood?"
"Not different blood."
The creature smiled.
"Different powers."
Kwaku suddenly screamed.
Kwesi turned toward him.
The crimson energy around Kwaku grew stronger.
"Kwaku!"
He rushed toward his brother.
The old man stepped in front of him.
"Don't!"
Kwesi stopped.
"If you touch him now, the power may consume you both."
"I don't care."
"You should."
Kwesi stared at him.
"That is my brother."
The old man looked into his eyes.
"And that is exactly why you must understand what is happening."
Kwaku slowly stood.
His head remained lowered.
"Kwesi…"
His voice sounded different.
Deeper.
Older.
Kwesi stepped forward.
"Kwaku?"
Kwaku lifted his head.
For a moment, his eyes were normal.
"Don't let it control me."
Then his body suddenly shook.
The creature whispered:
"Too late."
Kwaku raised his hand.
Crimson energy rushed toward Kwesi.
Kwesi lifted his arm.
A golden shield appeared.
The two powers collided.
BOOM!
The entire temple shook.
Stone fell from the ceiling.
The old man covered his face.
"Stop!"
Neither brother could hear him.
Kwaku pushed harder.
Kwesi's feet slid backward across the floor.
"Kwaku!"
"I can't stop!"
"You can!"
"I don't know how!"
The golden light around Kwesi suddenly became brighter.
He remembered Nana Ayisi's words.
The two suns are not enemies.
Kwesi closed his eyes.
He lowered his hand.
The golden shield disappeared.
Kwaku's crimson energy struck him directly.
But Kwesi did not move.
The impact should have thrown him across the temple.
Instead, the crimson energy began to disappear.
Kwaku stared at him.
"What are you doing?"
Kwesi opened his eyes.
"I'm trusting you."
The crimson light around Kwaku began fading.
The black veins slowly disappeared from his skin.
He fell forward.
Kwesi caught him.
For several seconds, neither brother spoke.
Then Kwaku whispered:
"I saw him."
"Who?"
"The king."
Kwesi's expression changed.
"What did he show you?"
Kwaku looked toward the creature.
"He wasn't killed because he was weak."
The creature's face became expressionless.
"He was killed because he discovered the truth."
"What truth?" Kwesi asked.
Kwaku swallowed.
"The bloodline wasn't created to protect the kingdom."
The old man slowly looked away.
Kwesi noticed.
"You knew."
The old man said nothing.
Kwesi stepped toward him.
"You knew!"
The old man finally spoke.
"The bloodline was created to protect the world from what lies beneath it."
Everyone became silent.
The creature laughed.
"A convenient story."
Kwesi turned toward it.
"Then tell us the truth."
The creature stared at him.
"The truth?"
It walked toward the ancient altar.
"The first king did not imprison me."
Kwaku's eyes widened.
"Then who did?"
The creature smiled.
"The king imprisoned himself."
A cold wind swept through the temple.
Kwaku looked confused.
"Why would he do that?"
"Because he knew what was coming."
The creature touched the altar.
Ancient symbols began glowing.
"He knew that one day, the Two Suns would awaken."
Kwesi looked at his brother.
"And that's us?"
The creature nodded.
"You were never meant to live ordinary lives."
Kwaku stepped forward.
"Then what are we meant to do?"
The creature looked directly at the twins.
"Choose."
"Choose what?"
"Which bloodline will rule."
The golden mark on Kwesi's chest burned.
The crimson mark on Kwaku's arm answered.
The temple walls began to shake.
Then a loud horn echoed from far above.
Kwesi looked toward the entrance.
"What was that?"
The old man's face suddenly changed.
"Bonoman."
Kwaku turned.
"What happened?"
The old man listened.
Another horn sounded.
Then another.
Three horns.
His face became pale.
"They have breached the kingdom."
Kwesi's heart dropped.
"Who?"
The old man looked at the creature.
"The people who have been waiting for your awakening."
The creature smiled.
"They have finally come."
Kwaku looked at his brother.
"Kwesi…"
Kwesi nodded.
"We're going back."
The old man stepped forward.
"No."
Kwesi stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because if you return now, they will follow you to the temple."
Kwaku looked at the creature.
"And if we stay?"
The creature slowly turned toward the darkness behind the altar.
"You will discover why they are afraid of you."
A deep sound echoed beneath the temple.
THUM.
The brothers froze.
Then another.
THUM.
Something was moving beneath them.
Kwaku looked at the floor.
"There is something else down there."
The old man whispered:
"Yes."
"What?"
The old man looked at the twins.
"The third bloodline."
Kwesi's face tightened.
"I thought there were only two."
The old man shook his head.
"There were supposed to be."
The temple suddenly split open.
A massive crack appeared beneath the altar.
Darkness poured through it.
And from somewhere deep below…
a voice whispered:
"You should never have awakened them."
The creature's smile disappeared.
For the first time, it looked afraid.
To be continued…