Chapter 13
The Bells of Alarm
Elara and Elder Maeve search for an escape route in the chapel as the Vatican bells ring. They discover a hidden trapdoor beneath the altar. Meanwhile, Kael, Luca, Sofia, and Lina escape the crypt and reunite with them. They descend into a catacomb where they find a chamber with six lit pedestals and one empty, revealing the final spark is missing. The chapter ends with the sound of a distant horn signaling the Vatican's forces are mobilizing.
The bells of the Vatican rang out across the city, their urgent clangor echoing through the chapel. Elara stood frozen, the sixth spark burning steadily in her cupped hands. The colored light from the stained-glass windows painted patterns on the stone floor, but the peaceful beauty of the chapel was shattered by the alarm.
"We must move quickly," Elder Maeve said, her voice calm but firm. She hurried to the chapel doors and peered through a crack. "Guards are gathering in the courtyard. They will be here in moments."
Elara looked down at the flame. It pulsed gently, as if it were breathing. "What do we do?"
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