THE FIRST BLOOD
977 Words
The creature smiled.
Lightning flashed again above the Robinson estate, and for one terrible second everyone saw its face clearly.
Its skin looked cracked, almost like old stone breaking apart after centuries underground. Dark veins moved beneath its body like living shadows. Its eyes had no color. No pupils. Only endless black.
Rain fell around it.
But none touched its skin.
The water stopped inches away, floating around the creature before dropping to the ground.
Daniel slowly stood despite the pain burning through his chest.
"What is that?" he whispered.
Nobody answered immediately.
Marcus stared at the creature with something Daniel had never seen before.
Fear.
Not caution.
Not concern.
Fear.
Daniel looked at his father in disbelief.
Marcus Robinson feared nothing.
Or so everyone thought.
The creature looked around the courtyard and inhaled deeply.
Then it closed its eyes.
"Human blood," it whispered softly. "Vampire blood. Sacred blood."
Its black eyes opened slowly.
"And Robinson blood."
Victoria moved closer to Zara.
Daniel noticed it immediately.
She was protecting her.
No.
Hiding her.
The creature suddenly laughed.
"You still protect her after all these years?"
Marcus stepped forward.
"Enough."
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
Power rolled from him like invisible waves.
Ancient power.
The creature looked amused.
"You still command storms."
Marcus's expression darkened.
"And you still enjoy games."
Daniel looked between them.
"You know this thing."
Marcus ignored him.
"What do you want?" Marcus asked quietly.
The creature tilted its head.
"What do I want?"
It smiled again.
"I want to understand why I woke up."
Silence.
Elias swallowed hard.
"The Blood Crown awakened it," he whispered.
The female hunter slowly stepped backward.
"This wasn't supposed to happen."
Daniel turned sharply.
"You knew this could happen?"
"No," she snapped. "We thought the stories were myths."
Marcus looked at her coldly.
"You believed myths were worth killing for."
The hunter said nothing.
Because Marcus was right.
The creature suddenly disappeared.
Daniel's eyes widened.
Impossible.
Even vampires moved with limits.
This thing simply vanished.
Then Zara gasped.
The creature stood beside her.
No sound.
No movement.
Just there.
Marcus reacted instantly.
His hand closed around the creature's throat.
The impact sent shockwaves through the courtyard.
Walls cracked.
Windows shattered.
Trees bent under the force.
But the creature smiled.
Marcus slowly released it.
Daniel stared.
"What happened?"
Marcus looked disturbed.
"I couldn't feel it."
Nobody understood.
Marcus had sensed life around him for centuries.
Heartbeats.
Breathing.
Blood flow.
Everything.
But this thing felt like nothing.
Like empty space.
The creature looked at Zara.
Then it gently touched her forehead.
Black symbols briefly flashed across her skin.
Zara screamed.
Victoria rushed toward her.
Daniel moved too.
But Elias shouted.
"Don't touch her!"
Everyone stopped.
Dark energy spread around Zara's body.
The symbols glowed brighter.
Ancient markings.
Old language.
Older than vampires.
Elias stared in horror.
"No..."
Marcus looked at him sharply.
"What?"
Elias stepped backward.
"The prophecy."
Daniel wanted to punch him.
"What prophecy?"
Elias looked at Zara.
"The Blood Queen prophecy."
Silence.
Victoria closed her eyes.
Marcus looked at her slowly.
"You knew."
Victoria said nothing.
Daniel turned toward her.
"You knew?"
Still silence.
Rage filled Daniel instantly.
"You all knew something and said nothing?"
Zara looked terrified.
"Tell me what's happening!"
The creature smiled.
"Your family lies beautifully."
Marcus moved toward Victoria.
"Talk."
Victoria looked at everyone.
Rain poured harder.
Then she finally spoke.
"Zara was never supposed to exist."
Daniel stared.
"What?"
Victoria looked directly at Zara.
"Twelve years after Daniel was born, I became sick."
Zara frowned.
"Sick?"
Marcus's expression changed.
He already knew where this was going.
Victoria continued quietly.
"No vampire pregnancy survives."
Daniel looked confused.
Elias looked pale.
Victoria's eyes filled with pain.
"When I carried Zara, I began dying."
Zara slowly stepped backward.
"No..."
Marcus looked away.
Victoria's voice trembled.
"We searched for answers everywhere."
"Ancient priests."
"Ancient books."
"Ancient blood rituals."
Daniel's heart pounded.
Then realization hit him.
"No."
Victoria closed her eyes.
"We used the First Blood."
Silence crushed the estate.
Daniel looked toward the creature.
Then back toward Zara.
"No..."
The creature smiled wider.
"Now you understand."
Zara shook her head.
"No."
Victoria reached for her.
Zara stepped away.
"No."
Tears formed in her eyes.
"No!"
Suddenly every light around the estate exploded.
Power erupted from Zara's body.
Everyone flew backward violently.
Marcus smashed into a pillar.
Daniel crashed across the courtyard.
Even the creature looked surprised.
Wind circled around Zara violently.
Black symbols glowed across her skin.
Her eyes slowly opened.
Gold.
Then silver.
Then completely black.
The storm above Lagos changed instantly.
Clouds twisted unnaturally.
Lightning moved sideways.
Thunder shook the city.
Far away, car alarms activated.
Dogs howled.
Across Lagos, sleeping vampires suddenly woke up.
They felt it.
Something ancient had awakened.
Something impossible.
Back at the estate, Daniel slowly lifted his head.
Blood ran from his forehead.
He stared at Zara.
No.
Not Zara.
Something else looked back at him.
Then she spoke.
But the voice wasn't hers.
It sounded older.
Much older.
"They are coming."
Everyone froze.
Marcus stepped forward slowly.
"Who?"
Zara looked toward the sky.
Then her eyes widened.
Fear entered her face.
Real fear.
Then she whispered:
"The others."
Above the Robinson estate, dark figures stood on the rooftops surrounding the mansion.
Twenty.
Thirty.
More.
Silver masks.
Black robes.
Crimson symbols.
Hunters.
The female hunter stared in disbelief.
"No."
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"This wasn't your team."
"No," she whispered.
Her voice shook.
"No..."
Daniel looked around slowly.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Then one of the hunters removed his mask.
Marcus froze instantly.
Victoria stopped breathing.
Elias stepped backward.
Daniel frowned.
"Who is that?"
Marcus whispered one name.
"Mikael."
The man smiled.
"I've been waiting four hundred years for this reunion."
And Daniel suddenly realized something terrible.
The hunters had never come for the Robinson family.
They came for Zara.
- Writer
