Chapter 9
1449 Words
CHAPTER 9
The Prince of Hell
Lucien stepped into the werewolf territory without hesitation.
The moment his boots crossed the invisible boundary, the air around him changed.
The forest became strangely quiet.
Even the wind seemed to disappear.
Behind him, his two soldiers followed cautiously, their eyes moving from one tree to another.
They could feel it.
They were no longer in their own territory.
They had entered the land of the werewolves.
“My Prince,” one of the soldiers whispered, “are you sure this is wise?”
Lucien didn’t look back.
“I didn’t come here to be wise.”
His eyes remained fixed ahead.
“I came here to find someone.”
The soldier lowered his voice.
“The girl?”
Lucien’s jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
He still didn’t know her name.
He didn’t know what she looked like beyond the brief vision he had seen.
But he knew she was somewhere within this territory.
And somehow, the Infernal Relic was connected to her.
That was enough.
They continued walking.
What Lucien didn’t know was that the moment he entered the territory, the wolves had already sensed him.
⸻
THE WARNING
Inside the council hall, several elders suddenly lifted their heads.
A strange pressure had settled over the room.
One of the younger guards rushed through the doors.
“Elders!”
Everyone turned.
“What is it?” Elder Rowan asked.
The guard struggled to catch his breath.
“There is someone in the forest.”
Rowan stood.
“Who?”
“We don’t know.”
The Goddess, who had been standing silently near the window, suddenly turned around.
Her expression changed.
“I know who it is.”
Everyone looked at her.
The Goddess walked slowly toward the center of the room.
“He has crossed our borders.”
Elder Rowan’s face hardened.
“Who?”
The Goddess looked directly at him.
“Lucien.”
The name alone made several of the elders exchange nervous glances.
“Lucien?” one of them repeated.
“The Prince of Hell?”
The Goddess nodded.
Silence filled the room.
For generations, the werewolves had heard stories about the Prince of Hell.
Lucien wasn’t simply a demon.
He was the heir to the kingdom beneath the earth.
A creature whose name had become a warning whispered among those who knew the old stories.
Elder Rowan clenched his fists.
“What is he doing here?”
The Goddess looked toward the forest.
“He is searching for the girl.”
“Lyra?”
“Yes.”
The room erupted with whispers.
One elder stepped forward.
“Then the relic really is involved.”
The Goddess didn’t answer.
But her silence said enough.
Elder Rowan’s expression became grim.
“If the Prince of Hell has entered our territory looking for Lyra…”
He paused.
“That means he knows something.”
“Perhaps he knows more than we do,” another elder said.
The Goddess shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
“He is searching because he does not have all the answers either.”
“Then what does he want?”
The Goddess’s gaze became distant.
“The Infernal Relic.”
A heavy silence followed.
Elder Rowan slowly sat down.
“This is bad.”
One of the elders looked confused.
“Why?”
Rowan looked at him.
“Because a demon prince does not cross into werewolf territory for something he intends to leave behind.”
The Goddess finally spoke.
“And his arrival means something else.”
“What?”
She looked around the room.
“War.”
The word seemed to echo through the hall.
Several elders stood immediately.
“War?”
“You can’t be serious.”
“The Prince of Hell has crossed our border!”
“He will see this as an act of aggression.”
The Goddess remained calm.
“He may not have come here to start a war.”
Elder Rowan shook his head.
“That doesn’t matter.”
He looked toward the entrance.
“The moment the werewolf kingdom discovers that the Prince of Hell is inside our territory searching for one of our own…”
His voice lowered.
“They will consider it an invasion.”
⸻
THE RUMOR
While the elders struggled to decide what to do, news had already begun spreading through the village.
And as always, fear moved faster than truth.
It started with a whisper.
“Did you hear?”
“What?”
“They said the Blood Moon happened because of Lyra.”
The second person frowned.
“Lyra?”
“Yes.”
“That’s impossible.”
“That’s what I heard.”
Within minutes, the story had changed.
Lyra had caused the Blood Moon.
Lyra had awakened something in the forest.
Lyra had summoned the strange energy.
Lyra was connected to the Infernal Relic.
Every person who repeated the story added something new.
By morning, almost everyone in the village had heard her name.
And most of them had already decided she was responsible.
A group of young wolves stood outside a small shop, speaking quietly.
“I always thought there was something strange about her.”
Another girl shook her head.
“She seemed normal to me.”
“Normal people don’t make the Blood Moon behave like that.”
“What if she’s dangerous?”
The group fell silent.
Nobody wanted to say what they were thinking.
But the fear was already there.
⸻
LYRA
Lyra had barely slept.
She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her covered wrist.
She couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened.
The strange energy.
The voice.
The mark.
And most importantly…
Grandma Mira’s reaction.
Something wasn’t right.
Lyra slowly pulled down her sleeve.
The mark was still there.
It looked different now.
The crimson lines seemed darker than before.
She touched it gently.
A faint warmth spread across her palm.
She immediately pulled her hand away.
“What are you?”
She whispered.
She didn’t know that outside her room, people were already talking about her.
She didn’t know that the elders were discussing her fate.
And she certainly didn’t know that a prince from another realm had entered the forest searching for her.
All she knew was that something had happened to her.
Something she couldn’t explain.
And Grandma Mira knew more than she was willing to tell.
⸻
Grandma Mira stood outside the room, listening.
She had heard the whispers too.
She knew what the villagers were saying.
And every word terrified her.
She had spent years protecting Lyra from the truth.
Now the entire village was beginning to turn against her.
Mira closed her eyes.
“This is happening too quickly.”
She knew she couldn’t keep Lyra hidden forever.
Especially now.
Not with Lucien inside their territory.
Not with the elders watching.
And certainly not with the Infernal Relic awakening.
Mira looked toward the forest.
For the first time in years, she felt completely helpless.
Then she heard footsteps behind her.
She turned.
Lyra stood in the doorway.
“Grandma?”
Mira quickly composed herself.
“Yes?”
“Why is everyone looking at me strangely?”
Mira froze.
Lyra stepped closer.
“When I walked outside, people stopped talking.”
She frowned.
“And I heard someone say my name.”
Mira didn’t answer.
Lyra’s eyes narrowed.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Grandma.”
Mira sighed.
She couldn’t keep lying.
But before she could speak, a loud howl echoed from somewhere deep in the forest.
Both of them turned toward the sound.
Mira’s face went pale.
Lyra stared at her.
“What was that?”
Mira grabbed her hand.
“Come inside.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Lyra followed her reluctantly.
Mira shut the door and locked it.
Then she looked at Lyra.
“Whatever you hear today, don’t leave this house.”
Lyra stared at her.
“Why?”
Mira’s voice dropped.
“Because someone is looking for you.”
Lyra’s heart skipped.
“Who?”
Mira looked toward the forest.
She knew exactly who.
Lucien.
And somewhere beyond the trees, the Prince of Hell continued his search.
He didn’t know that the entire territory was now aware of his presence.
He didn’t know that the elders were preparing for the possibility of war.
And he didn’t know that the girl he had come searching for was already being blamed for the Blood Moon.
But he would soon find out.
Because the moment Lucien entered werewolf territory, the balance between the two worlds had changed.
And this time…
there would be no going back.
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