Chapter Five: The Hunt Begins
1314 Words
The party in the woods wasn’t optional. Not really. If I wanted answers, I needed to go, even if the thought of stepping back into those trees made my stomach churn. The Circle of Thirteen wouldn’t wait for me to figure things out. They were already watching, waiting, pulling the strings I hadn’t even realized were there.
The days leading up to the party passed in a haze. My grandmother grew quieter, her sharp words replaced by long silences and haunted stares. Kael, true to his word, didn’t let me out of his sight. Wherever I went, he followed, his presence a constant reminder of how little I understood about what was happening to me.
By Friday, the air in Blackthorn Hollow felt different—heavier, darker. The sky, usually a dull gray this time of year, had taken on an odd reddish hue, and the townsfolk whispered about omens and bad luck. I didn’t need their warnings. I could feel the shift deep in my bones, an unshakable tension that followed me everywhere.
The woods were alive with noise when I arrived. Laughter, music, and the faint crackle of a bonfire filled the air, but beneath it all was something darker. I could feel it in the way the shadows stretched too far, in the way the trees seemed to lean closer together, like they were trying to keep something in—or out.
I stayed at the edge of the clearing, watching as clusters of students drank and danced around the fire. It was strange seeing them here, so carefree in a place that felt anything but safe. Ophelia was at the center of it all, her laughter ringing out above the noise as she tossed her golden hair over her shoulder. She caught my eye and smirked, raising her cup in a mock toast before turning back to her group.
“Enjoying the view?” Kael’s voice was low and amused as he stepped out of the shadows beside me. I jumped, my heart racing.
“Do you have to sneak up on me like that?” I hissed.
He shrugged, his dark eyes scanning the clearing. “Force of habit.”
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. “What are we even doing here, Kael? This isn’t just a party, is it?”
“No,” he said, his voice serious now. “It’s a distraction.”
“For what?”
He hesitated, his gaze flickering toward the bonfire. “The Circle uses gatherings like this to… scout. They’ll be watching, looking for anyone they can manipulate. But tonight, they’re here for you.”
My stomach twisted. “Why me?”
“You’re a Keeper,” he said simply, like that explained everything. “They think you can help them complete their ritual.”
“And what do you think?”
He looked at me then, his expression unreadable. “I think they’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want. You’re the key, Seraphina, whether you like it or not.”
Before I could respond, a shout rang out from the other side of the clearing. A group of students had gathered near the edge of the woods, their laughter giving way to nervous whispers. Something was moving in the shadows, just beyond the firelight.
Kael’s jaw tightened. “Stay here.”
“Wait—” I started, but he was already moving, disappearing into the crowd.
I hesitated, my pulse racing as I stared at the darkened treeline. Every instinct screamed at me to stay put, to listen to Kael and keep my distance. But then I saw it—a figure standing just beyond the firelight, its silhouette unnaturally still.
My feet moved before I could stop them.
The woods were darker than I remembered, the thick canopy of trees blocking out the moonlight. I stepped carefully, the crunch of leaves under my boots the only sound in the stillness. The further I went, the more the noise of the party faded, replaced by a heavy silence that pressed against my ears.
“Hello?” I called, my voice trembling. “Who’s there?”
No answer.
I turned to go back, but the path behind me had disappeared, swallowed by the shadows. Panic clawed at my chest as I spun in a slow circle, my eyes straining to see through the darkness. The trees loomed closer, their gnarled branches reaching for me like claws.
And then I saw it.
A flicker of movement to my left. A shape, tall and thin, gliding between the trees without making a sound. My breath caught in my throat as the figure stepped into the faint light of the clearing. It wasn’t human—not entirely. Its body was cloaked in shadows, its edges blurred and shifting, and its face was pale and hollow, like the mask of a long-dead king.
“Seraphina Vale,” it said, its voice a low rasp that sent a shiver down my spine. “You shouldn’t be here.”
My knees locked, and I struggled to find my voice. “Who… who are you?”
It tilted its head, its empty eyes glinting faintly. “A messenger.”
“For what?”
“The blood moon rises,” it said, the words chillingly familiar. “And the Circle waits for you.”
“I don’t want anything to do with them,” I said, taking a step back.
The figure laughed, a dry, brittle sound that made my skin crawl. “You don’t have a choice.”
The shadows around it shifted, spreading out like ink in water, and I stumbled back, my heart pounding. “Stay away from me!”
It didn’t listen. The shadows surged forward, wrapping around my legs and pulling me to the ground. I clawed at the dirt, panic overtaking me as the darkness climbed higher, coiling around my chest like a snake.
“Let her go.”
The voice was sharp and commanding, and the shadows froze. Kael stepped into the clearing, his expression fierce and his hands glowing faintly with an eerie light. The figure hissed, recoiling from the glow, and the shadows around me began to loosen.
“This one is ours,” the figure snarled, its hollow face twisting with rage.
“Not tonight,” Kael said, his voice steady. He raised his hand, and the glow intensified, flooding the clearing with a blinding white light. The figure shrieked, its form dissolving into the air like smoke, and then it was gone.
I didn’t remember how I got back to the edge of the woods. One moment I was lying in the dirt, gasping for air, and the next Kael was pulling me to my feet, his grip firm but gentle.
“What the hell was that?” I demanded, my voice shaking.
“An emissary,” he said grimly. “The Circle sends them to test their prey, to see if you’re ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“To join them,” he said, his gaze dark. “Or to destroy you.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I stumbled back, shaking my head. “This is insane. I didn’t ask for any of this.”
“None of us did,” he said quietly. “But it doesn’t matter. You’re in this now, Seraphina. And they’re not going to stop.”
I looked up at him, my breath hitching. “Then what am I supposed to do?”
He hesitated, his jaw tightening. “Fight back.”
The weight of his words settled over me like a storm, and for the first time, I realized just how far I’d been pulled into the darkness. There was no going back now.
The blood moon was rising, and the hunt had begun.
- Writer
