Lucian's POV
I clutch her t-shirt in one hand—its fabric still stained with the coppery scent of her blood—and step into the underworld beneath the city. Here, in these narrow alleys and hollowed basements, witches, wolves, and vampires mingle in a grotesque masquerade. Humans, wild-eyed and trembling, are dragged out like cattle: entertainment, bait, food, playthings for creatures who have forgotten mercy.
Most nights, I’d leave such horrors to the others. Tonight, I bring the fire.
I am Lucian, heir to a legacy of flame. My veins burn with power older than any of these petty criminals. The elements answer me—fire, air, water—but here, I lock that power inside. They must learn terror before I reveal my full strength.
I hate coming here.
The Drip — that’s what they call it. A rot-soa
