Chapter 99: The Rising Blood Moon
648 Words
The northern mountains trembled like a living thing.
Commander Roran and his scouting party stood frozen at the entrance of the ancient cavern, their torches flickering violently as dust and small stones rained from the ceiling.
Deep within the darkness, the enormous glowing eyes continued watching them.
Unblinking.
Ancient.
Hungry.
Another heavy breath echoed from the depths of the cavern, shaking the air around them.
The ground trembled again.
One of the younger soldiers stepped back in terror.
“Commander… that thing is waking up.”
Roran kept his sword drawn, though even he could feel the overwhelming presence coming from the darkness.
“Everyone move back,” he ordered quietly.
But before they could retreat—
A deep, thunderous roar exploded from inside the cavern.
The sound was so powerful that it echoed through the entire mountain range.
The soldiers covered their ears as the roar shook the ground beneath them.
Then the creature moved.
Slowly.
Massive shadows shifted within the cavern as something enormous began dragging itself forward through the darkness.
Broken chains scraped across the stone floor.
Metal screamed as the ancient restraints were pulled apart.
The soldiers’ torches trembled in their hands.
“Run,” one of them whispered.
Roran’s instincts screamed danger.
“Fall back!” he shouted.
The scouts quickly retreated down the mountain path.
But before they had gone far—
A massive claw suddenly slammed into the cavern entrance behind them.
The impact shattered part of the rock wall.
Dust exploded into the air.
The soldiers turned in horror.
A gigantic black claw, covered in jagged scales, gripped the edge of the cavern entrance.
Then another.
Slowly… the creature began pulling itself toward the surface.
Its massive body forced its way through the narrow cavern opening, tearing apart the ancient stone as it emerged.
Its skin was dark like molten rock, glowing faintly with red cracks that pulsed like veins of fire.
Huge horns curved backward from its skull.
Its enormous wings slowly unfolded, tearing apart the remaining stone walls around it.
The creature lifted its head toward the sky.
And roared.
The roar echoed across the entire northern valley.
Far away at the castle, the sound reached the kingdom like distant thunder.
Inside the council chamber, everyone froze.
“What was that?” one of the elders gasped.
Kael had already stepped toward the window.
His golden eyes scanned the distant mountains.
“I don’t know…”
But Aria did.
She suddenly clutched the crescent mark on her arm as pain shot through her body.
Her silver aura flickered violently.
“The creature…” she whispered.
“It’s awake.”
Outside the castle, villagers stopped their work as the distant roar echoed across the land.
Even the warriors in the training yard looked toward the mountains with fear.
Above the kingdom, the sky had begun to darken.
Clouds slowly gathered around the moon.
And then—
The moon changed.
A deep red color slowly spread across its surface.
The Blood Moon had risen.
Aria stepped onto the balcony beside Kael, her silver eyes glowing faintly under the red light.
“The prophecy…” she said quietly.
“It has begun.”
Kael’s expression hardened as he looked toward the northern mountains.
Another distant roar echoed through the night.
This one even louder than before.
Darius appeared beside them, his usual relaxed expression gone.
“Well,” he said dryly.
“That definitely sounds like a problem.”
Far away in the mountains, the massive creature finally pulled its entire body free from the cavern.
Its gigantic wings spread across the mountain peaks as it stood under the red moonlight.
For centuries it had been chained beneath the earth.
Now it was free.
The creature lifted its head toward the Blood Moon.
Its glowing red eyes burned with ancient fury.
Then it spread its wings.
And leapt into the sky.
- Writer
