Chapter Ten- The Blood Moon
1177 Words
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❖ Early Morning – Streets of Ebonhollow
The stench hit Arnold before the blood did.
Metallic. Raw. Thick in the air.
He pulled over, stepping out of the black car as his boots crunched against broken glass and scattered debris. The sun hadn't even risen properly—only a smear of dying stars remained in the bruised sky.
But the bodies were everywhere.
Rows of men, lifeless and pale. Their necks torn. Their faces frozen in agony. Blood soaked the street like ink on parchment—fifty-nine victims. All drained. No signs of a struggle.
This wasn't a rogue attack.
This was... a message.
Arnold clenched his fists and turned sharply, fury rising in his throat as he sped back toward Magnus’ penthouse.
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❖ Magnus’ Apartment – Just Before Sunrise
The moment Arnold stepped through the door, the air snapped.
Magnus was sitting motionless in the dark, elbows resting on his knees, gaze hollow, fangs slightly protruded. The aura around him was thick, buzzing with power—and something else.
Something ancient.
“You fed,” Arnold growled.
Magnus didn’t blink.
“You killed them, didn’t you?” Arnold hissed, stepping closer. “Fifty-nine drained bodies. What happened to laying low? What happened to—”
“I needed strength,” Magnus cut in, voice like splintered obsidian. “I need to find her.”
Arnold stared. “You’ve lost it.”
“Maybe.”
“You realize if the Council hears about this—”
“I don’t care.”
“Evelyn wouldn’t want this.”
Magnus finally looked up.
And his eyes… they glowed. Not blue. Not crimson.
But a haunting, storm-lit violet.
Arnold took a step back. “What did you awaken?”
Magnus stood slowly, shadows curling at his feet. “The part of me that never should’ve slept.”
Then he vanished—leaving only wind and dust behind.
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❖ Twilight – Lilith’s Ritual Hall
The night of the Blood Moon had arrived.
Lilith stood at the center of the stone chamber, her crimson robes clinging to her like wet silk. Candles flickered around the altar. The walls were covered in blood symbols—old, forbidden runes that pulsed with unholy power.
Above them, Evelyn hung suspended by silvery chains. Her wrists were red, her cheeks tear-streaked, but her spirit hadn’t cracked.
Not yet.
“Why are you doing this?” she sobbed.
Lilith’s smile curled. “You still don’t understand, do you? This was supposed to be mine. He was supposed to be mine.”
“I never took him!”
“You exist,” Lilith snarled, voice breaking into a scream. “You breathed—and he saw you!”
The runes blazed brighter.
Darius stood silently by the door, arms crossed, eyes unreadable.
“Enough,” he said quietly. “Start the ritual.”
Lilith turned toward the altar, placing the cursed blade atop it.
Necromantic energy gathered, whispering like wind across graves.
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❖ Forest Edge – Minutes Later
A sonic boom split the sky.
Arnold landed first, his boots cracking the dirt. Magnus followed, his long coat trailing like the wings of death itself. The aura around him made the very ground groan.
“We’re close,” he murmured.
“Magnus,” Arnold said lowly, “don’t lose yourself.”
Magnus didn’t reply. His gaze was locked on the blood-soaked moon above.
And then… Evelyn’s scream ripped through the wind.
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❖ The Ritual – Interrupted
Darius stepped forward, sword in hand, standing in front of Lilith. “They’re here.”
Lilith didn’t stop chanting. “Let them come.”
Evelyn lifted her head weakly, her heart slamming in her chest.
The doors exploded inward.
Magnus walked through the flames and smoke like a god of vengeance, eyes glowing, every inch of him a symphony of raw fury. Arnold followed, teeth bared, ready to kill.
“Magnus!” Evelyn cried.
“Get her,” Magnus ordered.
Arnold moved.
Darius stepped forward, blocking him.
Steel met steel.
Arnold growled. “You’re strong, I’ll give you that. But you’re not him.”
They clashed again—faster than lightning, deadlier than fire.
Lilith shrieked and conjured her rogues—undead, red-eyed creatures snarling from the shadows.
Dozens.
Magnus didn’t flinch.
One step.
Then another.
And then—
He was death.
Fangs bared, claws sharp, body blurring through the rogue horde, decapitating, tearing, unleashing centuries of sealed rage. Blood flew. Heads rolled. The chamber became a crimson storm.
Arnold fought beside him, dodging blades, felling rogues with precision and fury.
Lilith screamed. “Take her!” she howled at Darius. “NOW!”
Darius reached Evelyn—but stopped.
She looked at him, broken and afraid.
“Please,” she whispered.
And that was enough.
He turned and shoved her toward Magnus. “You owe me one.”
“DARIUS!” Lilith screamed, her voice splitting the air.
In a flash of speed, she stabbed him—blade deep into his side. The air cracked from the force.
He stumbled, gasping.
Evelyn screamed. “No!”
Magnus reached her just in time, catching her in his arms. “I’ve got you.”
Lilith’s eyes blazed with betrayal. “Traitor.”
“You’re mad,” Darius coughed, blood pooling beneath him.
“I loved you!” she shrieked.
“No,” he whispered. “You only ever loved yourself.”
She vanished in a flash of red mist, her scream echoing into the ether.
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❖ Aftermath – Minutes Later
Magnus lowered Evelyn gently, brushing her hair from her face. “You’re safe now.”
Her hands clutched his shirt. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I would’ve torn the world apart to find you.”
She cried into his chest. He held her.
Nearby, Arnold knelt beside Darius. The vampire prince pulled the blade from his gut with a wince. The wound started closing.
“She’s insane,” he muttered. “But she’s still my sister.”
“She’s going to come back,” Magnus said quietly.
“I know.”
“What will you do?”
Darius smirked, his face pale but defiant. “Take her back to the Kingdom. Let the Council lock her up.”
He stood shakily and walked toward Evelyn. Her eyes widened.
He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “You were never the curse. You were the awakening.”
And with that, he vanished into the night.
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❖ Closing Scene – The Rooftop
Later that night, Evelyn stood on the rooftop of Magnus’ apartment, wrapped in one of his coats, staring at the blood moon.
He joined her.
“Why didn’t you bite me?” she asked.
“Because this time… I want you to offer it willingly.”
“I would’ve.”
He took her hand. “And next time, I’ll take it.”
Their fingers laced.
The bond hummed between them.
But danger was far from over.
Somewhere in the shadows, Lilith was still watching.
And vengeance had only just begun.
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- Writer
