The world exploded around them.
Light.
Shadow.
Fire.
Darkness.
Screams.
Wind.
Silence.
Everything collided at once.
The bell tower vanished—
the walls tore away—
the floor crumbled beneath their feet—
and Emiliano and Daniela were hurled into a void of swirling red.
Daniela clung to Emi's hand with both of her own.
"DON'T LET GO—EMI—PLEASE—DON'T LET GO!"
"I WON'T!" Emiliano shouted back as reality twisted violently around them.
The Blood Moon glowed above like an enormous red eye, bleeding light into the collapsing world below.
And beneath it—
A ritual circle floated in midair.
Broken.
Crumbling.
Yet still glowing.
Emiliano realized:
They weren't in the bell tower anymore.
They were suspended between worlds.
Daniela's voice trembled with terror:
"Emi… where are we…? WHAT IS THIS?!"
A whisper answered, echoing through the red storm:
"EL UMBRAL."
The Threshold.
Ixchel's voice cried out in the distance.
She fell through the air, catching herself on a floating stone.
"THE RITUAL PULLED US INTO ITS CORE!" she screamed.
"WE'RE IN THE SPACE BETWEEN WORLDS—BETWEEN LIFE AND SHADOW!"
Daniela's eyes widened.
"We're… inside the ritual itself?!"
"Yes!" Ixchel shouted, clinging to the edge of drifting debris.
"AND IF WE DIE HERE—WE DIE FOR REAL!"
Without warning, a black tendril shot through the air like a spear.
"LOOK OUT—!!" Ixchel screamed.
Emiliano twisted, pulling Daniela down—
the tendril slashed past them, slicing a floating chunk of stone in half.
A monstrous roar shook the void.
El Oscuro stepped into the Umbral.
He rose from the churning red mist like a god of death—
taller, darker, more powerful than ever.
His eyes burned white-hot.
His voice cracked the void:
"EL RITUAL ES MÍO."
The ritual is mine.
Daniela screamed as the shadows screamed with him.
"Emi—HE'S CHANGED—HE'S STRONGER—!!"
Ixchel yelled:
"THE BLOOD MOON IS FUELING HIM—HE CAN CONTROL EVERYTHING IN THIS REALM!"
But Emiliano stepped forward.
"No," he said.
His voice steady.
Unshaking.
Black eyes glowing with new power.
Daniela grabbed his arm.
"Emi—don't—please—"
He gently touched her cheek.
"I have to. We're not getting out of here unless I fight him."
Daniela shook her head, tears welling.
"I can't lose you… not now…"
"You won't," he whispered.
And he faced El Oscuro.
1. The Demon of the Umbral
El Oscuro spread his arms.
Dark wings unfurled behind him, spanning the entire sky of the void.
Each wing was made of thousands of shadow-hands, grasping, clawing, reaching toward Emiliano.
Daniela screamed:
"EMI—RUN—!!"
But Emiliano didn't move.
He breathed.
Focused.
Listened.
And the shadows whispered back:
"Control us…"
"Command us…"
"We obey…"
El Oscuro snarled.
"NO LO OBEDECEN A ÉL."
They do not obey HIM.
His claws snapped—
and the void trembled.
The shadow-hands lunged at Emiliano—
But the moment they touched him—
They stopped.
Frozen midair.
Thousands of shadow-hands hovered inches from his body.
Daniela gasped.
"Emi… they listen to YOU too!"
El Oscuro roared in fury:
"¡NOOOOOOOO!"
He thrust both arms forward.
A tidal wave of darkness erupted from his chest—
too fast to dodge—
too strong to block.
"EMI—!!" Daniela screamed.
Emiliano threw his hand out.
His own shadow rose in front of him—
forming a massive barrier.
The darkness struck—
BOOOOOOOOM—!!
The shockwave split the void apart, sending Ixchel tumbling across floating debris.
Daniela shielded herself with light.
Emiliano was nearly thrown backward—
—but he held the barrier.
His arms shook.
His legs buckled.
The barrier cracked.
"El Oscuro is stronger here!" Ixchel shouted.
"THE UMBRAL IS HIS DOMAIN—!!"
Another blast hit—
BOOOOOM—!!
The shadow barrier shattered.
Emiliano was hurled across the void.
"EMI—!!!" Daniela screamed and sprinted toward him as he crashed into floating stone.
He groaned, coughing blood.
Daniela fell beside him.
"Emi—please—wake up—wake up—"
He reached up weakly, touching her face.
"I'm… I'm here…"
She wrapped her arms around him, sobbing.
"El Oscuro will kill you—EMI—YOU CAN'T BEAT HIM—!!"
Emiliano forced himself to stand.
"I don't have to beat him," he said.
Daniela stared, confused.
"What are you—?"
He turned toward El Oscuro, eyes burning.
"I just have to BREAK THE RITUAL."
Ixchel's eyes widened.
"YES—EMILIANO—IF YOU BREAK IT, HE LOSES CONTROL OF THE UMBRAL—!!"
Daniela's breath caught.
"How do we break it?!"
Ixchel pointed to the center of the void.
"THE RUNES!"
"The ritual circles floating around you—THEY ARE THE CORE!"
Emiliano looked.
Floating plates of stone—
each carved with a glowing red rune—
orbiting the center of the void.
"The ritual has three seals," Ixchel shouted.
"BREAK ALL THREE—AND THE RITUAL COLLAPSES!"
Daniela grabbed Emi's hand.
"We do it TOGETHER."
Emiliano nodded.
"Together."
2. The First Seal – LA SANGRE
They ran toward the first floating platform.
El Oscuro roared and sent a rain of shadow spikes at them.
Emiliano summoned his shadow—
Daniela summoned her light—
And together they deflected the storm.
They leapt onto the first platform.
A rune glowed beneath their feet.
It read:
"SANGRE."
Blood.
Daniela looked horrified.
"Blood… the ritual began with ours…"
Emiliano lifted his hand.
"I know what to do."
He cut his palm along his mark.
Blood dripped onto the rune.
It glowed brighter—
brighter—
then CRACKED.
The platform shattered.
Daniela screamed and grabbed Emiliano as they leapt to another chunk of floating stone.
El Oscuro roared in rage—
"¡NO TOQUEN EL SELLO!"
Do NOT touch the seal!
The void shook, trying to knock them off.
3. The Second Seal – LA SOMBRA
The second rune floated higher.
Shadow energy spiraled around it like a storm.
Daniela shouted:
"Emi—this one is yours!"
Emiliano nodded.
He reached out—
and the shadows surged eagerly—
coiling around his arm—
wrapping over the rune.
The platform glowed black—
Then shattered.
The void trembled again.
Daniela caught Emiliano as they jumped away.
Two seals down.
One left.
4. The Final Seal – LA LUZ
The last rune floated above them—
Closest to the Blood Moon.
Daniela looked up.
Light spiraled around it—
bright and warm—
yet unstable.
Ixchel screamed from below:
"DANIELA—THIS ONE IS YOURS—IT NEEDS PURE LIGHT!"
Daniela swallowed hard.
"Emi… help me up."
He clasped his hands and boosted her upward.
She soared toward the glowing rune.
The moment she touched it—
Light exploded.
Her mark blazed white.
Her whole body glowed intensely.
"DANI—!" Emiliano shouted.
She screamed as the light overwhelmed her—
Then her voice changed.
Soft.
Strong.
Echoing.
"POR MI SANGRE…
POR MI ALMA…
ROMPO ESTE SELLO."
By my blood…
By my soul…
I break this seal.
The rune cracked—
Shattered—
The ritual circle beneath them fractured.
And the entire Umbral shook violently.
El Oscuro roared in pure rage.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO—!!"
The Umbral cracked like glass.
Shards of light and shadow burst from the final seal as Daniela shattered it, each fragment dissolving into red mist. The ritual circle beneath them flickered violently—struggling to hold its form.
Daniela floated back toward Emiliano, glowing with radiant white light.
Her hands trembled.
Her breathing stuttered.
But she was alive.
Emiliano caught her midair and pulled her against his chest.
"Dani—are you okay? Dani—talk to me—!"
She nodded weakly.
"It… it almost burned me from the inside… but I'm okay. I'm okay, Emi…"
Ixchel landed on a nearby floating stone, coughing from the shockwave.
"YOU DID IT—YOU BROKE ALL THREE SEALS!"
The void violently lurched.
El Oscuro screamed—
a soul-shredding, earth-shaking roar.
"NOOOOOOO—
NO PUEDEN ROMPER MI RITUAL—!!"
You cannot break my ritual!
His wings of shadow withered.
Black tattoos of ancient markings peeled off his body like burning ash.
Chains of spectral energy snapped from his arms.
Daniela gasped.
"He—he's losing power!"
Ixchel shook her head, terror in her eyes.
"No.
He's losing control.
THAT is worse."
El Oscuro's body spasmed unnaturally—
twisting, contorting, snapping.
His voice split into dozens of overlapping tones.
"USTEDES…
USTEDES…
QUÉ ME HICIERON…"
You…
you…
what have you done to me…
The Umbral shook again, splitting the sky.
Cracks of white light tore open, revealing glimpses of the real world beneath them.
Daniela pointed downward through a glowing fracture.
"EMI—LOOK—THE SCHOOL—!!"
They saw San Rafael High—
the bell tower half-collapsed,
the gym burning,
the courtyard torn apart.
The real world was merging with the ritual realm.
Emiliano held Daniela protectively.
"If the Umbral collapses… everything around it collapses too."
Ixchel screamed through the wind:
"YOU MUST FINISH THE COUNTER-RITUAL! OR BOTH WORLDS WILL MERGE AND EVERYONE DIES—SPIRITS, HUMANS—EVERYONE!"
El Oscuro suddenly lunged.
He didn't walk.
He TELEPORTED—
appearing directly in front of Emiliano and Daniela.
His enormous hand slammed down—
Emiliano shoved Daniela aside—
CRAAAASH—!!
The stone beneath them shattered.
Emiliano skidded across a floating platform, coughing blood.
"EMI—!!" Daniela screamed.
She ran toward him, but El Oscuro materialized in front of her, blocking the way.
His wide, monstrous form loomed over her like a living nightmare.
His claws spread.
"DANIELA…
SACRIFICIO FINAL…"
Final sacrifice…
She stumbled back in terror.
"N-no… no please—!"
He lifted a claw the size of a car—
And struck downward—
A blur of shadow intercepted the blow.
BOOOOOM!
Emiliano's shadow formed a massive shield in front of her.
The impact cracked the void, sending shockwaves across the Umbral.
El Oscuro growled.
"OBEDECE."
Obey.
The shadow shield flickered—
Twisted—
Strained—
And suddenly—
It collapsed.
El Oscuro's claw struck Emiliano directly.
CRAAAACK—!!
Emiliano flew backward, crashing into a floating monolith.
Daniela screamed as he slumped, dizzy and bleeding.
"EMI—NO—PLEASE—NO—!!"
El Oscuro snapped his fingers—
and tendrils of black shadow wrapped around Emiliano like skeletal snakes.
Daniela spun toward him.
"LET HIM GO—LET HIM GO!"
El Oscuro didn't even look at her.
"TU LUZ NO LO PROTEGERÁ ESTA VEZ."
Your light won't protect him now.
He lifted Emiliano high into the air—
like a puppet—
dangling helpless.
Daniela rushed forward—
But hands grabbed her from below.
Ghost hands.
Hundreds.
Spirits rose from the red mist—
twisted, corrupted, screaming.
They held Daniela down—
clawing at her arms, her legs, her throat.
Daniela choked, thrashing.
"EMI—HELP ME—EMI—!!"
"DANI—!!" Emiliano struggled against the shadow-tendrils. "LET HER GO—!!"
El Oscuro turned toward him slowly…
And for the first time since the ritual began—
He SMILED.
A horrible, slow, monstrous smile.
"SUFRIRÁS…
MIENTRAS ELLA MUERE."
You will suffer…
while she dies.
Daniela screamed as spirits dragged her toward a glowing fissure in the floor—
A void of pure darkness.
Her fingers clawed at the stone—
"EMI—EMI—DON'T LET ME GO—!! PLEASE—EMI—!!"
Her voice broke into sobs.
Emiliano thrashed violently in the tendrils.
"DANI—HOLD ON—!! I'M HERE—!!"
But the shadows tightened around his throat.
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't speak.
Couldn't summon his shadow.
He was helpless.
For the first time…
his shadow betrayed him.
Refused to obey.
Trembled in confusion between two masters.
Daniela's legs were halfway swallowed by the void.
"EMI—PLEASE—HELP—ME—!!"
Her voice cracked with terror—
with heartbreak—
with the sound of someone losing hope.
Something inside Emiliano snapped.
Not physically.
Not magically.
Something deeper.
Something ancient.
Something that belonged only to the Shadow-Bearer.
He whispered hoarsely:
"No…"
His fingers twitched.
"No… no… I won't lose her…"
His mark flared black—
Black as the void—
brighter than the moon's blood.
His eyes snapped open—
And turned pitch black again.
But this time—
with no fear.
No trembling.
No whispering.
Just fury.
He inhaled shakily.
And the shadows answered him like soldiers:
"¿ORDENES…?"
Orders?
Emiliano roared—
"¡SUÉLTENLA!"
LET HER GO!
The Umbral exploded.
A shockwave of shadow burst outward—
shattering the tendrils around him—
sending El Oscuro stumbling backward—
vaporizing the spirits dragging Daniela down.
Daniela collapsed onto solid stone, sobbing.
Emiliano dropped to his knees—
but lifted his head slowly.
His voice was deeper.
Echoing.
Filled with raw power.
"Touch her again…"
He stood, shaking with rage.
"…and I'll erase you from existence."
El Oscuro growled—
"NO PUEDES."
You cannot.
Emiliano's shadow expanded behind him—
No longer a figure.
A MONSTER.
A towering beast of pure darkness.
Eyes glowing.
Claws dripping shadow.
Wings of ink.
Daniela stared in awe and terror.
"Emi… your shadow…"
Emiliano stepped forward.
"I control it now."
El Oscuro snarled and spread his wings.
"ENTONCES MUÉSTRUAME TU PODER, PORTADOR DE SOMBRA."
Then show me your power, Shadow-Bearer.
Emiliano exhaled—
And the Umbral trembled under his feet.
"This ends…
RIGHT NOW."