Olivia

“It’s nice to see you again, Ambrose,” the Dark Matron snickered, her black eyes burning into my soul. She called me by my last name, though I had never seen this creature before. A shiver ran down my spine as I felt an almost magnetic pull toward her, yet her presence in the room was unsettling—like my very essence was being singed by her gaze.

The creature stepped forward, and Dex and I instinctively took a step back. She loomed over us, massive and terrifying, at least twice our height while on her hands and knees. Her long arms extended forward.

Behind us, the girl in the cage again began to scream, her cries growing louder and more desperate as the Dark Matron advanced. Suddenly, her screams warped into a loud, piercing howl that vibrated through the air, forcing me to clamp my hands over my ears.

I glanced back in horror as the small girl ripped off her own skin, piece by piece, revealing thick black fur beneath. Her bones cracked and distorted; she transformed before our eyes. Her once innocent eyes turned a piercing yellow, and her mouth elongated into a gruesome snout. A deep growl escaped her lips, and she snapped in our direction.

The Dark Matron took a step closer, shaking the ground beneath us.

“Finally,” she cried, her voice dripping with hunger. “I’m so close to claiming my prize.”

Dex, with determination etched across his face, readied his weapon while Hector and Chloe stood guard near the cage.

“You’ll need more than that to keep me away!” the Dark Matron screeched, lunging at Dex with her elongated arms. She struck him hard in the side, knocking him to the floor. He dropped his weapon, sliding across the room helplessly.

Turning her attention toward me, she swiped her other arm in my direction. Driven by the energy inside of me, I lifted my arm just in time to clash with hers. The force of her strike should have sent me crashing back, like Dex, yet I stood firm.

“Do not let her take the girl,” Khxlynd’r’s voice rang through my mind, urging me forward. My other arm instinctively raised, my index finger pointed at the Dark Matron, releasing a bolt of red lightning that struck her side. She let out a shriek, a patch of raw red skin left sizzling on her side as she scampered into the corner like a spider.

“Let me pass, Ambrose,” she growled, baring her sharp teeth.

In a moment that defied logic, she leaped at me with incredible speed for her size, landing on me with a thunderous thud that knocked me onto my back. Before I could recover, she crawled over me, barreling through Hector and Chloe as she made her way to the cage, prying open the bars as the adolescent Werewolf inside snapped at her hands.

Another deep growl filled the air, catching my attention. I sat up in shock as a much larger Werewolf entered through the door. It leaped over me, crashing onto the Dark Matron’s back, which forced her to the ground. Hector scrambled to help me while Chloe rushed to Dex, still knocked out cold.

The larger Werewolf clawed at the Dark Matron with ferocity, ripping through her flesh. She howled in rage as the Werewolf bit down hard on her shoulder, dragging her back toward the room's shadows.

“We have to get out of here!” Hector yelled at me, gripping his ax tightly.

“We can’t leave Chloe and Dex!” I shot back, glancing at Chloe, who was desperately trying to wake Dex.

Turning once more to the Werewolf, I saw it had pinned the Dark Matron down, viciously tugging at her throat.

“Olivia!” Hector shouted, urgency slicing through his tone. “We have to go!”

His words fell away, drowned out by a low growl. I turned to see the small Werewolf emerging from her cage, her eyes wild and primal. Unlike the calculated assault of the larger one, I sensed that her intentions were chaotic and uncontrolled.

Before I could act, she lunged at Hector, but I managed to shove him out of her path just in time. Her collision with me sent both of us rolling to the floor. I struggled to get to my feet as the smaller wolf shook herself off, letting out a low, rippling growl.

The creature lowered itself, its piercing yellow eyes fixated on me, and before I could react, Hector, recovering quickly, lifted his ax high above his head, aiming straight for the wolf's skull. But just as he swung down, he was violently knocked aside, his weapon flying from his grasp.

“Hector!” I screamed, watching in horror as the larger Werewolf had abandoned its pursuit of the Dark Matron to intervene. It snapped at the smaller wolf, causing her to flatten her ears and bolt toward the door with a speed that made my head spin.

The larger Werewolf turned its burning gaze toward me, muscles tensed and fangs bared as it hunkered down.

Suddenly, a bolt of white lightning burst from the far side of the room, striking the beast in its side, sending it crashing against the door. I looked toward my savior with hope, but my heart sank as I saw the Dark Matron looming, her body slick with her own putrid black blood and marked by deep claw cuts.

“Esteemed... Leader... of clan... Sabu...” she gargled, her voice low and predatory as she approached the whimpering wolf. “You’ll do... just fine...”

She bent down and whispered something in the wolf’s ear. Its eyes closed in response.

With a casual flick of her finger, she pressed it into the center of the wolf’s chest. There was a flash of blinding white light, accompanied by a thunderous roar. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to behold its brilliance.

When I reopened them, the wolf was gone, replaced by a stunned rugged man. He looked a lot like the girl had, a lot like Hector, with long black curly hair. A trail of smoke rose from the gaping hole now embedded in his chest. Fear gripped me as I rushed to Hector, who lay motionless on the cold ground.

Rolling him onto his back revealed the deep scratch across his chest, four claw marks embedded into his skin, stark against his pallid complexion. I gasped, tracing their outline as panic enveloped me.

The Dark Matron stood upright anew, exhaling a deep, satisfied sigh. She raised her arms, cracking her bones and twisting her body until it shifted into the form the size of a normal human—captivating and terrifying. Her gray skin smoothed over delicate features, sculpted by some unholy artistry, and her long black hair flowed elegantly down her back.

She turned to me, a wicked grin stretching across her face. She was absolutely beautiful.

“Just one more,” she whispered, her gaze zeroing in on Hector, still defenseless on the floor.

Her grin widened, and with a devilish lilt, she said, “Welcome to the club, kid,” before dissolving into thin air, leaving behind the haunting echoes of her malevolence.

Volcan

I sat silently in my office, the red glow of the moon casting a haunting light across the room, illuminating the stacks of books and papers that littered my desk. The chill of the night air seeped through the cracks in the window frame, but nothing compared to the surge of energy that prickled the back of my neck. She would be here any moment.

I let out a deep breath, closing my eyes in an attempt to gauge her position. I could sense her presence drawing nearer, her power expanding with each second. At the same time, I felt Et’r reaching for her, a dark instinct colliding within me. I hoped I had enough strength left to resist her call long enough.

“Hello, darling,” a silky voice cut through the stillness, pulling me from my thoughts. I opened my eyes, heart pounding, and there she stood before my desk. Her long black hair cascaded over her delicate features, each movement exuding an unnatural allure.

“You’re trespassing here,” I said, my voice steady but laced with tension.

She raised a finger to her lips, an unsettling smile beginning to form.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” she replied, her gaze piercing through the dim light.

A magnetic pull emanated from my chest, as if an unseen arm was extending toward her dark figure. I fought against it, forcing the impulse to retract, each retraction feeling like an agonizing battle.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t come to you sooner,” she said, her brow furrowed with twisted sincerity. “I couldn’t let you see me in that dreadful form.”

As she approached, the dark smile grew, illuminating the depths of her intentions.

“We will be reunited very soon, my love.”

“Why don’t you come and take him?” I sneered, my anger igniting as I stood, asserting whatever authority I could muster in this moment.

“Not before I claim my final piece.” She tilted her head, her eyes dancing with mischief.

“I’m right here,” I prodded, brow creasing. “Come and claim me.”

Her laughter rang hollow and menacing.

“Not you,” she said, her grin revealing too many secrets. “You hold the source of my powers, but the last gift I gave to this world resides in another.”

She frowned thoughtfully, scratching her chin as if recalling a long-forgotten memory.

“Of course,” she exclaimed, her smile returning with a predatory gleam. “I remember you now. You were with that little brat who robbed my grave. He took my love from me and claimed my powers as his own. I was powerless back then to stop him, but I saw what he did. He used my gift—my power that I alone perfected.”

“And what power would that be?” I demanded, confusion tightening its grip on my chest.

“The power to create life,” she chuckled, delighting in my disbelief. “He used my gifts to turn that dead child of his into an undead freak.”

I let out a short gasp, the realization striking me like a dagger.

“Based on the look on your face, I’m guessing you didn’t know,” she snickered, the triumph in her voice slicing through the air. “It’s not like you would have been able to stop what’s going to happen, anyway.”

“You’ll die before I let you lay a hand on him,” I shouted, desperation fueling my actions as I raised my hand in defiance. With a surge of energy, I sent a strike of black energy toward her—Et’r’s power slithering like a serpent in the air.

But it halted, suspended in place just before connecting with her skin.

“Pathetic,” she sneered, her dark amusement radiating from her. “He doesn’t obey you.”

With a swift motion, she returned my gesture, sending a bolt of bright lightning that struck me square in the chest. The impact sent me flying backward, my back crashing against the window. Glass cracked beneath my weight as I lay there, unable to move, the frigid sensation spreading throughout my body like ice encasing my form.

“W...why?” I choked out, my voice a mere whisper escaping my paralyzed throat.

She tiptoed gracefully around my desk, her sinister presence enveloping me as she knelt beside me. Her eyes, swirling pools of a black abyss, captivated my gaze, trapping me within her thrall.

“Because,” she whispered, her breath ghosting against my ear, “your kind is too weak.”

A wide grin spread across her lips as she leaned in even closer, her intentions now clear. “Only a demon can wield it.”

“I’ll be back, my love,” she murmured, her voice dripping with malice. “Once I get the final piece.”

Olivia

“Hector… Hector!” I cried out, my voice strained with muffled tears as I tried to shake him awake. His eyes remained closed, unyielding against my desperation. Chloe and a now-alert Dex jogged over. Chloe knelt beside Hector, her hands trembling as she hovered them over his open wound.

“Leave this to me,” she said softly, closing her eyes as a warm glow began to emanate from her palms, illuminating the dark room.

“We have to go,” Dex insisted, grasping my arm and pulling me to my feet. My heart sank as I reached for Hector again, but Dex held my face firmly, compelling me to meet his gaze.

“He’s in good hands,” he reassured me, his eyes fierce with intention. “But Volcan is in danger. We have to go to him.”

I nodded slowly, tears streaming down my cheeks. Guilt consumed me—if only I had listened to Hector; if only we had stayed in the safety of the infirmary, we wouldn’t be in this nightmare.

“Let’s go!” Dex shouted, determination lacing his voice as we hurried towards the door.

We raced down the school’s dark hallways, dread wrapping tightly around us like a coiling snake. The corridors twisted and turned, their shapes disorienting. Our footsteps echoed ominously, slapping against the floor in rhythmic urgency.

“Wait,” Dex said suddenly, halting in his tracks. I skidded to a stop just behind him.

Stolen novel; please report.

“There’s someone just ahead,” he added, pointing cautiously around the corner that led to Volcan’s office. He readied his weapon, crouching slightly as we pressed our backs against the cool wall.

In a swift motion, Dex sprang forward, his sword gripped tightly in his hand. With a loud clank, his weapon collided with another.

“Bruce!” Dex yelled out, causing me to lean around the corner.

My heart raced as I saw the blonde second-year, sword drawn in one hand, and the other supporting a small figure—Claire.

“Olivia!” she exclaimed, relief flooding her voice as she leaned into me for support. I noticed her leg was still wrapped in a cast, and she used Bruce as a makeshift crutch.

“What are you two doing out here?” Dex asked, lowering his weapon, though his eyes remained vigilant.

“We were looking for Lucas,” Bruce replied, sheathing his sword with a frown.

“Lucas?” I echoed, a knot forming in my stomach. “He’s not with you?”

“No,” Claire replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “He left the infirmary a few hours before the Blood Moon rose. He hasn’t returned.”

“She’s here,” Dex said, urgency bleeding into his tone. “The Dark Matron. She’s going to kill Volcan.”

“No…” Claire gasped, her face pale.

“If she takes him…” Dex continued, shaking his head, “we’re all doomed.” He directed his gaze at me and then back to Claire.

“We will find your friend,” he promised, determination etched across his features, “but Volcan is our top priority. We’ll need all the people we can if we are to protect him.”

Understanding our collective urgency, we all nodded, strength building within us. With hearts pounding, we set back out toward Volcan’s office, steeling ourselves for the unknown dangers that lay ahead.

Niles

I stood in the open door of our shabby little shack, the worn wooden frame creaking softly as I shifted my weight. The cool night air washed over me like a gentle tide, refreshing against my skin and carrying with it the whisper of the trees swaying under the crimson moonlight. Ella and Duncan had set out about an hour ago, their silhouettes vanishing into the encompassing darkness, and I could feel the weight of their absence pressing down on my chest.

There was a compelling pull, an inexplicable urge dragging me toward the imposing silhouette of the main building looming in the distance. I had told my companions I would stay here, keeping watch, but now I sensed something lurking in the shadows beyond—an unsettling presence that set my nerves on edge.

A loud howl had pierced the silence not long ago, echoing off the walls of the main building—sharp, otherworldly, a call that chilled me to the bone. The sound had faded into an uneasy quiet, leaving only the rustling of leaves and the distant chirps of crickets. I couldn't help but wonder if it was another Hellhound stalking the night or perhaps something far more sinister lurking just out of sight.

I took a deep breath of the crisp, fresh air, filling my lungs before the weight of anxiety settled deeper. My stomach panged with hunger, but I would have to endure.

With resolve, I started walking toward the main building, each step echoing softly on the ground, a mix of trepidation and determination coursing through me like electric currents. The night had grown darker still, but something compelled me forward into the unknown.

Olivia

We entered Volcan’s office to find it in a state of disrepair. Papers from his desk were scattered across the floor, mixed in with personal effects. The large glass window behind his desk was cracked, threatening to shatter backward and scatter dangerous shards onto the pavement below.

Volcan himself lay lifelessly against the window, his skin pale against the chaotic backdrop. I quickly turned my eyes away—I couldn’t bear the sight. We were too late.

“Damn it!” Dex cursed, shutting his eyes tight as if willing the scene to change.

Bruce scanned the room, taking in the disarray.

“She beat us here,” he observed, his voice tinged with frustration.

Suddenly, I caught a faint rustling sound coming from where Volcan lay. My heart raced as he turned his head slightly.

“He’s alive!” Dexter yelled, rushing to his side. I scrambled to follow, kneeling beside them.

“Headmaster!” Dex shouted, placing his hands on Volcan’s shoulders as if trying to anchor him to reality. Volcan’s eyes fluttered open, searching the room before finally locking onto mine.

“Olivia…” he whispered, his voice hoarse and low, almost reverent. “She’s going to kill him.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, grabbing onto his hand tightly, needing the connection to his fading consciousness.

“It’s not me,” he choked out, his breaths shallow. “It’s Lucas that she wants.”

“Lucas?” I exclaimed, shock rippling through me as if I had been struck. “What does she want with Lucas?”

“He’s the spawn,” Volcan continued, struggling to form words. “The child created with her power—the child of the last holder of the power of Et’r, my partner, Marcus.”

The name echoed in my mind. Marcus… Volcan had mentioned him before, and I had even found Lucas’s photo in the infirmary.

“He used his powers on Lucas as a baby,” Volcan said, his grip on my hand tightening. “If she takes him, she will come for Et’r. I am too weak to fight back.”

His eyes bore deeply into mine, a mixture of desperation and hope swirling within them. “Find Lucas. Find the Dark Matron.”

With a feeble effort, he lifted my hand in his, holding it as if it were the last thread keeping him tethered to this world. “I cannot use the power of Et’r to its full extent, but you…” He hesitated, brow creased as he studied my face, and an expression of deep urgency took hold of him. “Please use it well.”

In an instant, a blinding pain shot through my arm, and black smoke began to billow out from Volcan's fingertips. It coiled up my arm, feeling like the sting of a million bees, causing me to cry out as the world around me started to implode. I could feel everything—all that was, and all that had ever been. Emotions washed over me like a tidal wave: sadness, joy, anger, love, but above all, an overwhelming sense of pure, blinding hatred. The hatred of a being that had been locked away for millennia, once a God, now reduced to nothing but an animal in a cage.

As the emotions engulfed me, a torrent of knowledge not meant for simple minds exploded within me, opening my mind like an immense library filled with information forgotten by time. I felt the essence of Et’r intertwining with my own, transforming me in ways I couldn’t comprehend, shifting my mind and soul into an uncharted territory from which there would be no return.

Suddenly, Volcan let go of my arm, and I flew backward, colliding with the back of his desk. Black smoke enveloped my body as I slowly pushed myself up.

Volcan exhaled, as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “You know where she is,” he said, his voice renewed with strength.

I nodded, as waves of power surged through me, coalescing at the center of the school. I could sense everything—every creature, every being that held a piece of Et’r’s power. It was as if I were seeing through their eyes, feeling all that they felt simultaneously.

And then, quiet as a whisper and as small as a mouse, there was Lucas. I pinpointed him standing alone in the dark of the auditorium, a flicker of Et’r’s power within him, barely the size of a speck but strong enough to sustain his entire life force.

In that moment, my entire being evaporated in a swirl of black smoke. I became one with the air and was carried on an unknown wind toward the auditorium. I whispered through ducts and door cracks, racing to my destination, praying I wasn’t too late.

Lucas

I stood alone on the stage, the dim light flickering above me, casting eerie shadows that danced across the wooden boards. In the quiet, I felt the weight of anticipation pressing down on my shoulders. She hadn’t come. I had been waiting for what felt like hours, but the only sign of her was an occasional whisper of wind, rustling the pages of memories I longed to rekindle.

“Mom,” I called, my voice echoing in the emptiness for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“Lucas,” a soft voice responded, smooth like silk. I spun around quickly, the sudden rush of hope electrifying my veins, and there she was—finally, my mother, holding her arms open wide for an embrace. She glowed like an angel, the faint light casting a heavenly aura around her. Her features looked soft and ethereal, exactly like the picture I had found earlier, a frozen moment that now breathed life.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, my love. I had much to prepare,” she said, her voice laced with warmth.

“What did you prepare?” I asked, stepping closer, my heart racing.

“Well,” she replied, a big smile spreading across her face, “your father and I had to prepare for your arrival.”

At that moment, my father stepped out from behind her, a matching smile illuminating his face.

“Dad!” I cried, tears filling my eyes, blurring my vision momentarily. He looked so healthy and vibrant, a stark contrast to the frail man I remembered from his later years.

“My son,” he said, his voice soft like a gentle breeze that calms turbulent waters. “It’s time to come with us. We’re going home.”

“Home?” The word felt heavy on my tongue. “What about my friends?”

“Oh! They can come too!” my mother exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with sincerity. “But you need to show them the way. Be the leader for them, and they will follow.”

I frowned, uncertainty creeping into my mind.

“Don’t worry, my dear,” my father reassured me, sensing the turmoil inside. “We’ll take care of everything.”

“We just want to protect you,” my mother added, extending her hand toward me, the warmth radiating from her like a beacon.

With a flutter of hope, I reached my hand out to hers, expecting it to fall through like it had the first time. But to my surprise, our skin touched with a gentle warmth that spread through me like sunlight breaking through clouds. I smiled brightly as she gripped my hand tightly, pulling me into her embrace, and soon my father wrapped his arms around us both.

We all blissfully laughed, the sound soaring into the air, mingling with the gentle night.

“Don’t worry,” my father repeated, a comforting presence anchored in my reality. He took his index finger and gently placed it in the center of my chest. “You have been so brave. But it’s time to come with us.”

I nodded slowly, the weight of their love enveloping me as I gazed into their eyes.

We were finally all going to be together again.

Olivia

I arrived in the auditorium, immediately engulfed by an overwhelming force of power. Wind whirled around the room like a tornado originating from the stage, crackling with tension. My heart raced as I shielded my eyes with my hands, trying to peer through the onslaught of wind toward the spectacle unfolding before me. A massive bubble, shimmering like a forcefield, dominated the stage. Inside stood two figures poised as if frozen mid-dance: Lucas and the Dark Matron. She gripped his hand tightly, her finger poised menacingly against the center of his chest, mirroring the fatal gesture she had executed against the Werewolf earlier.

The horror gripped me, and I let out a desperate scream. A torrent of red and black swirling energy erupted from my chest, colliding with the bubble, causing it to fracture and crack. The Dark Matron turned to me, a sinister grin spreading across her face as she dropped Lucas’s hand and waved in an elaborate gesture, fortifying her shield.

“Stop!” Khxlynd’r’s voice rang out from the back of my mind like an urgent alarm. “This is too much for you to handle.”

Ignoring him, I concentrated, pushing my energy further, summoning every last shred of power I had. The effort drained me rapidly, threads of my strength tugging away until I felt as if my very essence might unravel. My skin began to crack like glass, the glowing black and red light beneath pulsating with intensity, as if my insides were made of swirling crystal.

“You’ll die!” Khxlynd’r shouted, desperation evident in his tone. But I silenced his pleas, focusing solely on the Dark Matron's shield, which appeared to quake with fear as my energy bore down on it. The fracture deepened with each heartbeat until, with one last monumental release, a chaotic explosion of black and red detonated from within me. The bubble shattered completely, bathing the auditorium in blinding white light.

The shockwave sent me tumbling backward. As the wind settled, silence enveloped the room. Slowly, I sat up, squinting against the fullness of the light, searching for any sign of hope. And there he was, a lone figure bathed in light on the stage—Lucas. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his expression twisted in confusion and pain. He opened his mouth as if to utter my name, but the sound failed to reach his lips.

I watched in horror as he looked down at his chest, where a smoking, gaping hole laid bare. My heart shattered as I registered the truth of his condition. I let out a cry as the light faded from his eye. He dropped to the ground, as if in slow motion. I stood, my body feeling heavier than a ton, and attempted to make my way toward him. I crawled onto the stage and made my way to his side, each agonizing second stretching into eternity.

I reached him in desperation, collapsing beside his lifeless form, cradling him in my trembling arms.

"Luke," I sobbed, holding him against me as if my embrace could somehow bring him back. His glassy eyes stared vacantly, a depth of stillness in them that felt so unnatural. "Please, don’t leave me! Please wake up!" My cries echoed through the auditorium, each shout a futile attempt to breach the heavy silence that enveloped us.

Then, a dark laugh filled the room like a chilling wind. I lifted my drenched face from Lucas's still body, dread coursing through me as the Dark Matron materialized before me, her figure adorned in an elaborate array of black beads, jewels, and a crown made from bones that adorned her head like a sinister halo.

“Now,” she purred, flexing her arms as if eager to unleash what lay within her. “We can get to the fun part.”

She struck, a bolt of bright white lightning erupting from her fingertips toward me. Panic surged through my veins as I summoned my energy—faint and flickering. I groaned under the strain to match her force. Each pulse of energy felt weaker than the last, as if the very essence of my being was unraveling.

The Dark Matron’s other hand reached toward me, an invisible force gripping my spirit like a vice. I was being pulled against my will. Black tendrils, resembling countless puppet strings, surged from my weakened beam of energy. I felt Et’r’s power reaching out for her as he desperately fought to escape.

I screamed inwardly, tired eyes blurring as my reserves waned. I was powerless to stop her; the weight of my failure pressed down on me like a shroud. Accepting my grim fate, I shut my eyes and allowed myself to fade away.

But then, like a bolt of clarity slicing through the fog, a voice cut across the emptiness—a fierce proclamation: “Fulmen!”

The sound shocked me awake momentarily. I turned my head to see a streak of blue lightning surging toward the stage. The bolt struck the Dark Matron squarely in the chest, breaking her connection and sending shockwaves through the air; black strings of Et’r’s power recoiled back toward me.

In the ensuing chaos, I was knocked onto my back, the world around me spiraling into darkness, leaving only the haunting image of Lucas's unmoving form etched in my mind as I succumbed to the void.

Niles

I stood before the frenzied scene, the tip of my finger releasing a wisp of smoke. The chaos enveloped me, the acrid scent of fear suffocating in the air. The woman had stumbled backward, her expression a mixture of shock and fury, while Olivia lay sprawled on the floor beside the lifeless body of her friend.

"You." The woman sneered, rising to her feet like a predatory cat ready to pounce.

As recognition washed over me, adrenaline coursed through my veins. I remembered her—her unsettling scent, her overbearing presence. The Spindly Woman I had encountered in the woods.

I charged another lightning bolt on the tip of my finger, focused and ready to unleash it. Panic flickered in her eyes as she sensed the impending danger. In one swift motion, she leapt into the air, transforming into a swirling mass of black smoke and razor-sharp shards. She rocketed upward, shattering the ceiling above her, leaving behind a gaping hole that framed the ominous red moon shining down on the scene of devastation.

Turning away from the chaos, I rushed to Olivia. She lay on her back, her eyes shut tight, serene amidst the turmoil. Though her breath was steady, my heart sank as I recognized the lifeless boy beside her—Lucas, one of her friends.

I knelt beside Olivia, gently brushing my fingertips against her cheek. Her skin was warm, a comforting contrast to the coldness that enveloped me. I could feel her pulse beating softly beneath my touch, a reminder of the life still within her.

“I wonder if it’s the same,” I whispered, the words heavy with longing. The insatiable hunger coiled tightly within me, battling with the tenderness I felt for her. I leaned my head back slightly, my fangs extending hungrily as the red moonlight bathed my face in an eerie glow. I caught the scent of her blood—floral and sweet, just like it had been in the illusion I faced in the woods. I closed my eyes and leaned in, preparing for a bite, preparing to finally be satisfied.

In that moment, memories of Olivia flooded my mind—her radiant smile, the sound of her laughter. In my long existence, I had barely spent a moment with her, yet she illuminated the shadows in my heart. I craved her presence, the joy she brought into my life. Despite the hunger clawing at my insides, I fought to regain control, and slowly, it began to wane. Like a wave washing over me, I suddenly felt a cooling relief in the burning hunger I had felt for the past few days.

With a deep breath, I opened my eyes to a dim white light. I looked up at the sky. The moon was once again silver. The transformation overhead soothed my tumultuous thoughts. Its white luminescence draped over us like a protective veil, a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding us.

The Blood Moon had ended, as suddenly as it had come, and with it went the overbearing hunger that had gripped me. I could still feel it, just below the surface, but for now, it was manageable.

I let out a breath of relief as my fangs retracted back to their normal size, the threat of losing myself slipping away.

Placing my hand on Olivia’s cheek once more, I savored the connection, cherishing this fleeting moment. Gently, I scooped her into my arms, holding her close, and rose to my feet.

As I carried her off the stage and down the aisle, I felt an overwhelming sense of change wash over me. The echoes of the night lingered behind, yet with each step, I knew this was only a temporary end to chaos. Things would not be the same when the sun rose again. Yet, in that moment, I vowed to shield her from the darkness that sought to consume us both.