crimson oath

The first body Ethan found was missing its heart. It lay in the middle of the village square, pale and bloodless beneath the moonlight. Mothers covered their children's eyes while men gripped farming tools with trembling hands, pretending they were enough to fight monsters. Ethan crouched beside the corpse. No signs of struggle. No defensive wounds. Just two neat puncture marks on the victim's neck. A vampire. "They're getting bolder," one of the hunters muttered. Ethan rose to his feet, jaw clenched. At twenty years old, he had seen enough death to last several lifetimes. Vampires had taken his parents. Vampires had stolen entire villages. And if the stories were true, one vampire stood above them all. The Crimson Prince. A monster dressed in elegance and soaked in blood. "We move tonight," Ethan said. The hunters exchanged uneasy glances. "It'll be dark soon," one warned. "That's exactly why we're going." Silence followed. Then— "Yes, Captain." By midnight, the forest had swallowed them whole. Branches clawed at Ethan's skin as they moved deeper into the woods. Every crack of twigs beneath their boots sounded like a warning. The air smelled wrong. Copper. Blood. Ethan raised a hand. The hunters stopped. "Did you hear that?" A soft cry drifted through the trees. Weak. Desperate. Help me. Ethan ran. He pushed through the undergrowth and stumbled into a clearing. Then froze. Moonlight spilled over the scene before him. A young man lay against an ancient oak, his clothes stained red. Kneeling over him was another figure. Tall. Dark-haired. Beautiful in a way that made Ethan's stomach twist with unease. The stranger lifted his head slowly. Blood stained the corner of his lips. Their eyes met. Red. The world seemed to stop. The wounded man gasped. "Please..." Ethan's sword was in his hand before he realized he'd drawn it. "You bastard!" The vampire stood gracefully. He didn't look frightened. He looked amused. "You hunters truly have terrible timing." Ethan lunged. Steel sliced through empty air. The vampire moved faster than sight itself. A hand wrapped around Ethan's throat and slammed him against a tree. Pain exploded through his back. Ethan struggled, glaring upward. "Kill me," the vampire said softly. "Isn't that what you've trained your whole life to do?" Ethan drove a dagger toward the vampire's chest. The vampire caught his wrist effortlessly. His crimson eyes narrowed. Then— His expression changed. Almost to surprise. "You..." he whispered. "What?" The vampire released him immediately. For the first time, genuine shock crossed the stranger's face. "That's impossible." Ethan staggered backward, weapon raised. "What are you talking about?" The vampire ignored the question. Instead, he looked Ethan over carefully. As if seeing a ghost. Footsteps echoed behind them. The hunters had arrived. "Captain!" Their horrified expressions shifted between Ethan and the vampire. One of them dropped his torch. "No..." another whispered. "It can't be." Ethan's grip tightened around his sword. "You know him?" No one answered. The vampire smiled faintly. "You never told him?" "Told me what?" The hunter beside Ethan looked pale. "Captain... that's him." The vampire inclined his head. "Lucien Valois," he introduced himself. His smile widened. "Though most people prefer another name." The forest fell silent. Even the wind seemed to stop breathing. Ethan's blood ran cold. The Crimson Prince. The monster from every nightmare. The man responsible for countless deaths. Ethan tightened his grip. At last. After all these years. He had found him. Lucien's red gaze rested steadily on Ethan. Then he said the words that shattered everything Ethan believed. "If you kill me tonight, your sister dies before sunrise." Ethan froze. "...What?" Lucien tilted his head. "I know exactly where Lily is." The color drained from Ethan's face. No one moved. No one breathed. The Crimson Prince smiled. "Now tell me, little hunter..." His eyes glowed in the darkness. "Do you still want to kill me?"