The Eternal Hunt

Blood and Ashes

## **Chapter 5: Blood and Ashes

The shrine’s fading glow left the Vale in restless silence. The crimson mist thinned, though it never truly vanished. Vaelen stood over the remains of the Shade Priest, the echoes of the battle lingering in the air.

But the Hunt still stirred within him.

The whispers had ceased for now, but the curse remained. He could feel its presence — the gnawing hunger that had latched onto his very soul. The shrine had weakened its grip, but not shattered it. Not yet.

Vaelen’s gaze turned to the broken stone carvings along the archway. Ancient runes traced their way across the surface, each mark pulsing faintly. This place was older than the warlocks. Older than Malrik. It bore the remnants of a power long forgotten.

> *"The First Blood."*

The Seer had spoken of it. A force that predates the Hunt itself. To understand the curse, Vaelen would have to find its source.

But the Vale would not offer its secrets so easily.

A distant rumble broke the stillness. The ground quivered beneath his feet. Vaelen’s eyes narrowed, scanning the mist for movement. Something stirred.

From the twisted roots emerged a figure — not a Shade, nor a cursed beast. This presence was different. Ancient.

A woman stepped forward, her form draped in tattered crimson robes. Her silver hair cascaded down her shoulders, glowing faintly against the darkened mist. Eyes black as the void met Vaelen’s gaze.

"Blood calls to blood," she spoke, her voice neither hostile nor kind. "You carry the burden of the First."

Vaelen’s hand hovered near his sword. "And who are you?"

She did not answer immediately. Instead, she traced her fingers along the runes of the shrine, her expression unreadable. "The Hunt cannot be broken through strength alone. You will need knowledge. You will need sacrifice."

"I've sacrificed enough," Vaelen growled.

The woman’s eyes darkened. "Not yet."

A bitter wind swept through the Vale, carrying the scent of ash and decay. The shrine's faint light pulsed one last time before fading entirely.

"The path to the First Blood awaits," she said, stepping back into the mist. "But only those who face their own shadows will endure."

Vaelen did not follow. He knew the choice was his.

But the whispers would return.

And so would he.