Shadow Blood

Chapter 3 — The Blood Awakening

The hallway descended into chaos.

Students screamed as shattered glass rained across the floor. Emergency alarms echoed throughout the school while teachers desperately tried to push everyone toward the exits.

But Ren couldn’t move.

That thing at the end of the corridor—

It was staring directly at him.

Its pale face twisted into a smile far too wide for a human mouth. Black veins pulsed beneath its skin like living worms.

Then it took a step forward.

The lights above exploded instantly.

Darkness swallowed the hallway.

Someone crashed into Ren from behind.

“RUN!” a student screamed.

The crowd surged violently.

Bodies slammed against lockers as panic spread through the entire floor.

Ren finally forced himself to move, sprinting down the corridor with the others. His heartbeat thundered painfully in his chest.

Behind him—

Slow footsteps echoed calmly.

Not chasing.

Walking.

As if the creature already knew nobody could escape.

Ren glanced back once.

Big mistake.

The creature was suddenly much closer.

Too close.

Its white eyes locked onto his.

Then the world around Ren slowed.

The screams became distant.

Muffled.

A strange burning sensation spread through his veins.

His vision blurred dark red.

And for a split second—

He saw something impossible.

A mountain of corpses.

A sky covered in blood-red clouds.

And himself standing in the middle of it all… holding a black sword while rivers of blood floated around him like living creatures.

A voice whispered inside his head.

Wake up.

Ren stumbled violently.

The vision vanished instantly.

“What the hell…?”

The creature suddenly lunged.

Fast.

Ren barely reacted before a hand grabbed his collar and yanked him sideways.

CRASH!

Claws tore through the wall where his head had been seconds earlier.

Ren looked up sharply.

A girl stood in front of him.

Silver hair.

Cold crimson eyes.

And a long black coat despite the school uniform underneath.

She looked around his age.

Maybe seventeen.

But the pressure coming from her felt terrifying.

“Took you long enough,” she muttered.

Ren blinked.

“…What?”

The creature screeched and charged again.

This time the girl moved first.

She slammed her hand against the creature’s chest—

Blood exploded from its body instantly.

Not normal blood.

Dark crimson strands burst outward like sharp wires, piercing the walls and ceiling before dragging the screaming creature backward.

Ren froze in horror.

The girl’s red eyes narrowed.

“We don’t have time.”

The creature regenerated immediately, flesh twisting unnaturally back into place.

Then it smiled again.

“Found… the heir…”

The girl cursed quietly.

Ren’s stomach tightened.

“Heir?”

The creature pointed directly at him.

“The Blood King returns.”

Before Ren could process the words, the creature charged one final time.

The girl stepped forward protectively—

But suddenly Ren’s body moved on its own.

A violent pulse erupted from inside his chest.

Pain shot through every vein in his body.

Then blood burst from the cuts on his hands, floating unnaturally in the air.

Everyone nearby froze.

The blood slowly formed into sharp crimson blades around Ren’s body.

His eyes widened.

“No way…”

The creature’s smile disappeared.

For the first time—

It looked afraid.

The girl stared at Ren silently.

Then whispered:

“So it’s true…”

The floating blood around Ren suddenly exploded outward.