Blood Moon: The Vampire Who Loved Me Across Eternity

More than eight hundred years ago, before vampires became creatures of nightmare, two mighty kingdoms ruled the continent. The greatest among them was the Sun Empire, a prosperous kingdom blessed with fertile lands, powerful armies, and a wise ruler, King Aurelius. The king deeply loved his queen, but fate was cruel. On the night she gave birth to their only son, she passed away. Unable to save the woman he loved, King Aurelius devoted his entire life to raising his son, Prince Lucien Draven. Lucien grew into a noble prince admired throughout the continent. He was courageous, compassionate, and unmatched with a sword. The people believed he would become the greatest emperor in history. Far to the north stood the Night Empire. Unlike the Sun Empire, it was a weak kingdom ruled by the timid King Cedric. He feared conflict and avoided war whenever possible. However, his only son, Prince Malach, was nothing like him. Malach was ambitious. Power consumed his every thought. He believed kindness was weakness and that only absolute power could rule the world. As the years passed, the Sun Empire continued to flourish while the Night Empire grew poorer. Malach's jealousy slowly turned into hatred. One day, joyous news spread across the continent. Prince Lucien was to marry Princess Elizabeth Ashbourne, the beloved princess of the Moon Kingdom. The marriage would unite the Sun Empire and the Moon Kingdom, creating an alliance no kingdom could challenge. When Malach heard the news, he smiled. "If this marriage happens..." "...the Night Empire will never rise." He secretly ordered his soldiers to ambush the royal carriage before it reached the Sun Empire. Princess Elizabeth was kidn*pped and imprisoned inside an abandoned fortress hidden deep within the mountains. When the news reached King Aurelius, everyone believed the Night Empire had declared war. Without hesitation, the Sun Empire gathered its armies. War became inevitable. But Malach knew the truth. Even with every soldier in his kingdom... He could never defeat the Sun Empire. Desperate for power, he searched f*******n legends until he discovered the existence of the Blood Devil's Cave. Ancient scriptures warned that whoever completed the ritual inside the cave would gain immortality and unimaginable strength... ...at the cost of sacrificing one hundred innocent lives. Without hesitation... Malach captured one hundred slaves. Men. Women. Even children. He dragged them into the cave and chained them around an ancient stone altar. As midnight approached... The air suddenly became cold. Dark clouds swallowed the stars. Then... The moon slowly turned crimson. One of the terrified priests fell to his knees. His voice trembled as he whispered, "The Blood Moon has risen..." According to the oldest legends, the Blood Moon appeared only once every eight hundred years. It was the night when the barrier between the human world and the realm of demons became its weakest. Bathed beneath the crimson moonlight, Malach raised his sword. One by one... The sacrifices began. Their screams echoed throughout the cave. Blood flowed across the altar until ancient symbols carved into the stone began glowing a deep scarlet. As the hundredth sacrifice fell... The mountain shook violently. The altar cracked apart. From the darkness beneath it, a terrifying voice echoed through the cave. "Your offering has been accepted..." Black smoke erupted from the ground and wrapped around Malach's body. He screamed in agony. His bones shattered. His skin burned. His heart stopped beating. The ritual continued for what felt like an eternity. When the darkness finally disappeared... Malach slowly stood. His eyes glowed crimson. His fangs emerged. The first Vampire had been born. Watching everything from her prison cell, Princess Elizabeth was horrified. While Malach was consumed by the ritual, she escaped through a hidden tunnel beneath the fortress. She ran through the forest until she found Prince Lucien leading the Sun Empire's army. Tears streamed down her face as she told him everything. "There is no war," she cried. "He kidn*pped me... and he sacrificed innocent people to become a monster." Lucien immediately ordered his knights to march toward the Blood Devil's Cave. Before sunrise... The greatest battle in history began. Human soldiers fell one after another before Malach's terrifying power. His wounds healed instantly. No weapon could kill him. Lucien fought with everything he had. Sword against claws. Hope against darkness. Finally... Lucien found an opening. He raised his sword. But before he could strike... Malach disappeared. In an instant... He stood behind Lucien. His claws aimed directly at the prince's heart. "LUCIEN!" Elizabeth threw herself between them. The claws pierced her chest. Time seemed to stop. Lucien caught her as she fell into his arms. Blood stained her white dress beneath the crimson light of the Blood Moon. With trembling hands, she touched his face. A gentle smile appeared despite her pain. "Promise me..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "No matter how many lifetimes pass..." Tears streamed down Lucien's face. "I promise." She smiled one last time. "When the Blood Moon rises again..." "...find me." Her hand slowly slipped from his cheek. She was gone. Grief consumed Lucien. With a roar that shook the mountains, he charged at Malach. The battle lasted until dawn. Knowing Malach could not die, Lucien drove the sacred blade into his chest and tore out his still-beating heart. Yet even without his heart... Malach refused to die. His immortal body weakened and slowly turned to stone. The royal priests sealed his living heart inside an ancient relic while imprisoning his body beneath the ruins of the Night Empire. Before the seal completely closed, Malach laughed. "Immortality is a curse... not a blessing." "One day..." "I will reclaim my heart." The Blood Moon slowly faded from the sky. A new dawn rose over the battlefield. Lucien held Elizabeth's lifeless body in silence. From that day onward... He swore that if souls truly existed... He would find her again. Even if it took... Eight hundred years.