Blood Never Lies
846 Words
Nysera’s world came crashing down.
The man perched on the palace wall stared back at her with crimson eyes identical to her own.
“My daughter,” he said again, his voice carrying clearly through the hushed courtyard.
Every soldier went rigid.
Every royal guard lowered their weapons in stunned silence.
“No…” Nysera breathed, shaking her head. “You’re lying.”
The stranger’s smile held no warmth.
“Am I?”
He slowly pulled off his black gauntlets, exposing a silver crescent-shaped birthmark on his wrist.
Nysera inhaled sharply.
Her gaze dropped to her own wrist.
The same mark.
The same shape.
The same silver glow.
Lady Selene covered her mouth.
“It can’t be…”
Draven stepped protectively in front of Nysera.
“Don’t listen to him.”
The stranger let out a low laugh.
“You’ve always been a dreadful liar, Draven.”
His crimson eyes never once left Nysera.
“They took you from me.”
“They killed your mother.”
“They turned me into the monster.”
Nysera’s heart hammered painfully in her chest.
“Stop…”
Her voice shook.
“I don’t know who to trust.”
“You already do.”
He pointed toward the royal council.
“Look at them.”
Slowly, Nysera turned.
Every elder refused to meet her eyes.
No one denied him.
No one said a word.
Her chest tightened.
“You knew?”
Lady Selene broke into tears.
“We were trying to protect you.”
“Protect me?”
Nysera’s voice fractured.
“By lying to me my whole life?”
The Shadow King descended from the palace wall at an unhurried pace.
Shockingly…
No one moved to stop him.
His mere presence was suffocating.
Dark energy rolled around him like living smoke.
He halted only a few steps from Nysera.
“I’ve searched for you for twenty-one years.”
Draven’s hand tightened around his sword.
“Take one more step…”
“I’ll kill you.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“You’ve tried before.”
Before anyone could react.
He disappeared.
A heartbeat later…
He was standing directly in front of Nysera.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
His speed was impossible.
He lifted a hand and touched her forehead with surprising gentleness.
“I won’t force you to come with me.”
His voice softened, almost tender.
“I only want you to know the truth.”
Then suddenly!
A vision surged through Nysera’s mind.
She saw a grand palace glowing under a silver moon.
A younger Shadow King laughed as he held a little girl in his arms.
The child laughed too, bright and carefree.
It was her.
Her mother stood beside them, smiling.
They looked…
Happy.
Then the vision shifted.
The palace was consumed by flames.
Masked assassins flooded the halls.
The Shadow King fought desperately to protect his family.
Then...
Draven appeared.
Sword drawn.
“No…” Nysera whispered within the vision.
She watched Draven clash with her father.
Steel struck steel.
Magic thundered through the palace.
The battle ended in a violent explosion.
When the smoke cleared…
Her mother was lying on the floor, bleeding.
The vision vanished.
Nysera staggered back.
Tears streamed down her face.
“I saw…”
“What did you see?” Draven demanded.
She couldn’t answer.
Everything she had ever believed was collapsing around her.
The Shadow King stepped back.
“I’ll give you three days.”
“Three days?” Nysera repeated.
He nodded.
“After that…”
“The Blood Moon rises.”
Lady Selene turned ashen.
“No…”
Draven’s expression hardened.
“The Blood Moon Ceremony.”
The Shadow King’s smile deepened.
“Only one ruler can survive it.”
He fixed his gaze on Nysera.
“Come willingly…”
“Or fight me for the Moonborn Throne.”
Dark mist coiled around him.
Before he vanished, he murmured just loudly enough for Nysera to hear.
“Ask Draven what really happened the night your mother died.”
Then…
He was gone.
The palace fell into a crushing silence.
No one stirred.
At last…
Nysera slowly turned to Draven.
Her blue eyes were full of pain.
“Tell me.”
He said nothing.
She stepped closer.
“Did you kill my mother?”
Draven shut his eyes.
When he finally answered…
His voice broke.
“I was there…”
Nysera’s stomach dropped.
“…but the story isn’t what you think.”
Before he could go on..
A deafening howl tore across the kingdom.
Every werewolf dropped to one knee at once.
The full moon bled red.
Lady Selene stared upward in horror.
“The Blood Moon…”
“It has come two days early.”
Far beyond the mountains…
Thousands of glowing red eyes opened in the dark.
An army was approaching.
And this time…
There would be nowhere to run.
The Blood Moon has risen earlier than expected, awakening a massive enemy army. At the same time, Nysera is torn between believing Draven or the Shadow King, just as the kingdom faces its greatest war.
- Writer
