Episode 1: Moonlit Sin
The full moon shone in glory, and the reflected beams entered the luxurious Orion Villa Hotel when a man with just a towel wrapped around his waist came out of the washroom. His sculpted body resembled the Greek God Apollo, but no one knew he was Apollo’s arch-enemy. No wonder the Villa Hotel was named “Orion!”
The man looked down, checked himself, and frustratingly said, “Damn it!” Then he picked up his phone and dialed his assistant's number, “Sirius, it's me!” He said impatiently.
“Dear Master, you sound different today. I hope everything is fine,” a hoarse voice replied.
“No, it isn’t. It was Dion’s party, and you know how things are there. Get me someone now. Someone pure and innocent. I can’t wait,” Impatience was evident in his voice.
“I am on it, master,” Sirius replied and hung up the phone.
As the call ended, the air in the room seemed to thicken. The moonlight on Orion’s skin pulsed faintly, as if answering something buried deep within him. His heartbeat slowed—not calm, but controlled, restrained by years of discipline. Outside, the forest surrounding the villa stirred, leaves whispering under an unseen wind. Somewhere in the distance, a low howl rose and fell, unanswered. Orion closed his eyes for a brief second, jaw tightening. Whatever had been awakened at Dion’s party was not hunger alone—it was a memory his body remembered, even if his mind refused to.
***
Aretina looked at the pitch-dark landscape illuminated only by the streetlamps! s**t! Where has she landed? It was meant to be a pleasure trip. But it turned into a ghostly trip. But Aretina couldn’t even spot a ghost here. What luck!
Talking about luck, Aretina wants some now. Suddenly, she spotted a high-end villa with golden walls. It looked luxurious enough. But Aretina didn’t have any other way out. She had to return to her hotel anyhow. But before that, she needed a place to stay safe and comfortable.
She went to the villa and rang the doorbell with her shaking hands. The door banged open. Although Aretina expected a host, she spotted none there. Strange! How did the door open, then?
Hesitantly, Aretina entered the villa. “Is anybody there?” she shouted. None answered her. There must be someone inside the villa. After all, the lights were on, and someone opened the door. “Maybe they are upstairs,” Aretina thought, and then went upstairs.
After Aretina reached upstairs, she spotted a half-opened room where the lights were on. She expected someone to be there, but couldn’t spot anyone. “How is this possible—” Aretina couldn’t even complete her thoughts when a strong hand grabbed her by the wrist.
Aretina was shocked, but those waiting for her were even more surprised. The moment she entered the room, the lights went out.
“Ah! Who is it? Let me go!” Aretina screamed while panicking.
“Shut up!” A deep, manly voice answered.
“Who are you? Why did you put off the light?”
“Because I can’t handle the sight of someone as pure as you. So, I don’t want to see you,” the man said in a cold voice.
***
“You let her go alone.”
Alec’s voice was calm—too calm. He stood by the tall window of Zeke’s study, city lights glittering below like indifferent stars. His fingers tightened around the polished wood of his violin case.
Zeke didn’t look up from his book. “She didn’t ask for permission,” he replied mildly. “She informed us.”
“That’s not the point,” Alec said, turning sharply. “You know how reckless she is. She trusts people too easily. She wanders into places without thinking—”
“—exactly like you do at her age,” Zeke cut in, finally meeting his son’s eyes. His gaze was sharp, knowing. Ancient. “Aretina is as old as you, Alec. The only difference is that she doesn’t pretend the world owes her protection.”
Alec scoffed. “So now independence means throwing her into danger?”
Zeke closed the book with a soft thud. “It means not chaining her in the name of love. This isn’t the Victorian era. You don’t get to guard her like property.”
Silence stretched between them, thick and uneasy.
Alec’s jaw clenched. Something dark flickered behind his eyes—an emotion he didn’t recognize but hated. His fingers snapped open the violin case.
Without another word, he lifted the instrument to his shoulder.
The first note sliced through the room—low, heavy, violent. The melody wasn’t music; it was fury restrained by discipline. Each stroke of the bow carried something ancient, something burning beneath his skin. Zeke watched quietly, his expression unreadable, as if listening not to a son, but to a prophecy stirring awake.
***
On the other side of the city, darkness swallowed the Orion Villa Hotel.
Aretina struggled against the iron grip on her wrist, panic surging through her veins. The man’s strength was inhuman—unyielding, crushing.
“Let go of me!” she cried, twisting desperately.
Something snarled—low, guttural, far too close to her ear. The sound sent a chill down her spine. His grip tightened, breath hot and uneven, as if he were fighting something inside himself.
“No—don’t—” his voice fractured, no longer cold, but strained. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Fear sharpened Aretina’s instincts. Without thinking, she drove her knee upward with all her strength.
The impact wasn’t powerful—but it was unexpected.
The man staggered back with a sharp intake of breath, more startled than hurt. That single second was enough.
Aretina tore free, lunging blindly until her fingers brushed against the wall. She slammed her palm down.
Light flooded the room.
And time froze.
Her breath caught.
The man stood before her—tall, bare-chested, muscles carved like living stone, eyes glowing an unnatural silver under the sudden brightness. His pupils were dilated, his jaw clenched, veins standing out along his neck as if he were holding back a storm.
For a heartbeat, they only stared at each other.
Then his gaze dropped to her face—and something ancient recognized her.
The air shifted. The lights flickered violently.
Somewhere deep within the villa, something howled.
And Orion finally realized—
The hunger wasn’t for blood.
It was for her.
