BEYOND THE NORTHERN FOREST

CHAPTER SIX:THE BLOOD

THE BLOOD HUNT

The estate was quiet.

For the first time since Lord Vaeron had arrived, Lucan finally had a moment to himself.

He sat beside the window of his room, staring into the night.

The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, and the trees beyond the estate walls looked like dark shapes stretching toward the horizon.

Lucan couldn't sleep.

Too many thoughts were moving through his mind.

The Seven.

Their symbols.

Their powers.

Lord Vaeron.

Seris.

And the strange symbol beneath his skin.

He slowly pulled back his sleeve.

A faint glow appeared.

The symbol wasn't like Seris's.

It wasn't like Vaeron's.

It wasn't like any of the symbols he had seen before.

The seven symbols had somehow merged into one.

Lucan touched it carefully.

He still remembered the moment his Curse had awakened.

The pain.

The power.

The feeling that something inside him had been waiting for years.

He had been afraid of it.

Part of him still was.

But now he wanted answers.

Why me?

He had asked himself that question more times than he could count.

Why had all seven Curses chosen him?

Why had their symbols merged?

Why was his Curse different from everyone else's?

And why had Vaeron reacted so strongly after sensing it?

Lucan leaned back against the wall.

He thought about the Seven.

Each one possessed a different Curse.

Each Curse had its own symbol.

Its own abilities.

Its own bearer.

Yet somehow, all seven powers existed inside him.

He didn't even know how to control one properly.

How was he supposed to control seven?

His thoughts shifted to Seris.

She had been beside him through almost everything.

She had taught him how to fight.

She had protected him.

She had even stood against him when his Curse first began to consume his control.

She could have been afraid of him.

She wasn't.

Lucan smiled faintly.

Then the smile disappeared.

His thoughts moved to Levi.

His brother.

Lucan reached beneath his shirt and pulled out the pendant hanging around his neck.

He stared at it.

Levi had been the one person who had always been there.

Until that day.

He had gone into the forest to hunt.

He never came back.

No body.

No blood.

No footprints that led anywhere useful.

Nothing.

Lucan closed his fingers around the pendant.

"Where are you, Levi?"

The room remained silent.

He looked through the window.

The northern forest was barely visible in the distance.

Somewhere beyond those trees was the place where everything had begun to change.

Lucan wondered if Levi had ever gone that far.

Maybe he was still alive.

Maybe he was somewhere beyond the forest.

Maybe one day they would meet again.

Lucan refused to believe otherwise.

He had already lost enough.

He wasn't ready to lose Levi too.

His eyelids grew heavy.

Tomorrow, he would ask Vaeron about the Seven.

Tomorrow, he would learn more about his Curse.

Tomorrow, he would find answers.

But tonight...

He needed sleep.

Lucan placed the pendant back beneath his shirt and climbed into bed.

He stared at the ceiling for a few moments.

His thoughts slowly became quieter.

The sound of the wind faded into the background.

Lucan closed his eyes.

Sleep finally took him.

For several hours, the estate remained peaceful.

Then—

BOOOOOOM!

Lucan's eyes snapped open.

The entire room shook.

He shot out of bed.

Another explosion followed.

BOOM!

The windows rattled violently.

A scream came from somewhere outside.

Then another.

Lucan grabbed his sword.

His door opened.

Seris stood there.

Her sword was already drawn.

"Lucan!"

"What happened?"

"We're under attack."

Another explosion shook the estate.

Seris looked toward the corridor.

"One of the Seven."

Lucan's heart began pounding.

"Which one?"

"Blood."

The mark beneath Lucan's sleeve suddenly burned.

He grabbed his arm.

Seris noticed.

"Don't activate it."

"I wasn't."

"Good."

She grabbed his arm.

"Come."

They ran.

---

The estate had become chaos.

Soldiers rushed through the corridors.

Servants fled toward the safer chambers.

Smoke drifted through broken windows.

The sound of steel echoed from the courtyard.

Lucan and Seris rushed down the stairs.

They reached the main entrance.

Lucan stopped.

The western wall had been destroyed.

Stone covered the courtyard.

Several soldiers lay scattered across the ground.

At the center of the destruction stood a young woman.

She wore dark armor beneath a long black cloak.

Her black hair moved in the wind.

A red symbol glowed on her hand.

Blood floated around her body.

It wasn't ordinary blood.

It moved like living weapons.

Blades.

Spears.

Chains.

Whips.

The woman slowly turned.

Her eyes locked onto Lucan.

"Lucan."

Lucan tightened his grip on his sword.

Seris stepped forward.

The Blood bearer raised one hand.

A massive spear formed from the blood surrounding her.

"Blood Spear!"

The spear shot forward.

Seris disappeared.

"Thunder Step!"

Lightning flashed.

The spear struck the ground.

Stone exploded.

Seris appeared beside the Blood bearer.

Her sword crackled with electricity.

"Storm Lance!"

Lightning concentrated along her blade.

She struck.

The Blood bearer raised an arm.

"Blood Shield!"

A red barrier appeared.

The lightning crashed into it.

The impact sent both of them backward.

Seris landed on her feet.

The Blood bearer slid several meters across the stone.

Neither spoke.

They attacked again.

"Blood Edge!"

A crimson blade formed.

"Lightning Arc!"

Electricity jumped from Seris's sword.

The two attacks collided.

CRACK!

The shockwave shattered nearby windows.

Lucan stepped backward.

The Blood bearer moved faster.

"Crimson Thread!"

Thin strands of blood shot across the courtyard.

Seris ducked.

The threads sliced through a wooden railing behind her.

Seris spun.

"Heaven's Roar!"

A thunderous blast erupted from her position.

The Blood bearer crossed her arms.

"Blood Guard!"

A protective shell surrounded her.

The thunder smashed into it.

The shell cracked.

The Blood bearer was thrown backward.

She landed on one knee.

Blood immediately gathered around her.

"Blood Forge!"

The blood hardened into armor around her arms and shoulders.

She charged.

Seris met her.

Their weapons collided again.

---

Lucan watched in disbelief.

He had seen Seris fight before.

But this was different.

She wasn't using one technique.

She was changing abilities constantly.

Thunder moved through her body.

Lightning surrounded her sword.

The air itself seemed to react to her presence.

The Blood bearer was equally dangerous.

Every movement created another weapon.

A blade became a chain.

A chain became a spear.

A spear became a shield.

Nothing remained the same for more than a second.

The battle tore through the courtyard.

Seris jumped.

"Skybreaker!"

A massive bolt of lightning crashed down.

The Blood bearer raised both hands.

"Blood Wall!"

A huge crimson barrier rose from the ground.

Lightning struck it.

BOOOOM!

The barrier cracked.

The Blood bearer pushed forward.

The remaining blood exploded outward.

"Crimson Rain!"

Dozens of blood spikes formed above the courtyard.

They fell.

Seris raised her sword.

"Thunder Guard!"

Electricity surrounded her body.

The spikes struck.

One after another.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Seris was pushed backward.

Lucan moved away from the falling projectiles.

One struck the ground beside him.

He jumped.

Another shattered a stone pillar.

The entire courtyard was becoming a ruin.

Then Lord Vaeron entered.

His Dominion symbol glowed.

He raised his hand.

"Dominion!"

The soldiers around him immediately formed ranks.

"Advance!"

They moved together.

The Blood bearer turned.

Vaeron pointed.

"Kneel!"

Several soldiers dropped to one knee.

The Blood bearer resisted the pressure.

Her feet dug into the ground.

Vaeron's expression hardened.

"Sovereign's Voice!"

His command spread across the battlefield.

The soldiers moved with perfect coordination.

One group attacked from the left.

Another from the right.

The Blood bearer raised her hands.

"Blood Storm!"

A wave of crimson energy exploded outward.

The soldiers were thrown backward.

Vaeron remained standing.

He raised his arm.

"Halt!"

The remaining soldiers stopped immediately.

The Blood bearer attacked again.

Vaeron stepped aside.

A blood blade tore through the stone where he had been standing.

"Break Formation!"

His soldiers split apart.

The Blood bearer turned.

Too late.

Several soldiers attacked from behind.

She spun.

"Blood Prison!"

Crimson walls rose around them.

The soldiers were trapped.

Vaeron raised his hand.

"Royal Decree!"

The prison cracked.

Then shattered.

The soldiers escaped.

The Blood bearer looked toward Vaeron.

For the first time, her expression showed irritation.

She raised both hands.

The blood around the battlefield began moving toward her.

Every drop.

Every weapon.

Every trace of blood left behind by the battle.

It gathered around her.

Seris saw it.

She raised her sword.

"Tempest Form!"

Lightning exploded around her body.

The air changed.

Wind rushed across the courtyard.

Her eyes glowed with electrical energy.

She disappeared.

The Blood bearer attacked at the same moment.

The two collided.

BOOOOOOM!

The shockwave knocked Lucan off his feet.

He hit the ground.

His arm burned.

The seven symbols beneath his skin pulsed.

Thunder.

Blood.

Frost.

Decay.

Dominion.

Void.

Ascension.

All of them.

Lucan clenched his fist.

"Not now."

The power faded slightly.

Then another explosion shook the estate.

A tower collapsed.

CRAAAAASH!

Lucan looked up.

Fire spread across the roof.

Duke Arven appeared through the smoke.

His sword was drawn.

"Everyone out!"

Vaeron turned.

"Arven!"

"Take Lucan!"

Lucan shook his head.

"No."

Arven looked at him.

"Go!"

"I'm staying."

Arven's expression hardened.

"Lucan."

"I can help."

"You don't know what you're facing."

Lucan looked toward the Blood bearer.

Then Seris.

Then Vaeron.

He knew Arven was right.

But leaving felt wrong.

Arven stepped closer.

"Listen to me."

Lucan looked at him.

"Survive."

Lucan's eyes widened.

Arven turned toward the battlefield.

"That's an order."

Another explosion rocked the estate.

A large section of the eastern wall collapsed.

Seris shouted from across the courtyard.

"Lucan!"

Vaeron moved toward him.

"Now."

Lucan hesitated.

Arven raised his sword.

"GO!"

Seris grabbed Lucan.

They ran.

---

They moved through the eastern gardens.

Fire illuminated the night behind them.

Lucan looked back.

The estate was disappearing beneath smoke.

He could hear soldiers shouting.

He could hear explosions.

He could hear the clash of powers.

He wanted to turn around.

Seris pulled him forward.

"Don't stop."

They reached an old stone statue.

Seris pushed it aside.

A hidden doorway appeared.

"Inside."

Lucan entered.

Vaeron followed.

Seris came last.

The stone door closed.

Darkness swallowed them.

For a few seconds, they heard nothing.

Then—

BOOM!

The tunnel shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Lucan looked upward.

"Arven."

Seris remained silent.

Vaeron moved forward.

"We keep moving."

Lucan followed.

His chest felt heavy.

He had left Arven behind.

He didn't know if the Duke would survive.

But Arven had told him to go.

So he would.

They moved deeper into the passage.

---

The tunnel was ancient.

Roots pushed through the stone ceiling.

Water dripped down the walls.

Their footsteps echoed.

Lucan walked silently.

Seris stayed ahead.

Vaeron followed behind.

Nobody knew how long they walked.

Eventually, a faint blue light appeared ahead.

They reached the exit.

Seris pushed the stone door open.

Cold air rushed over them.

They stepped into the forest.

Lucan turned.

The estate was barely visible through the trees.

Smoke rose into the sky.

The orange glow of fire could still be seen.

Lucan stared.

His hands tightened around his sword.

He thought about Arven.

He thought about the soldiers.

He thought about everything he had left behind.

Seris stood beside him.

"We can't go back."

Lucan nodded.

Vaeron looked into the forest.

"We need distance."

They moved.

---

Hours passed.

The forest became thicker.

They crossed a stream.

Climbed a rocky slope.

Moved through narrow paths.

The estate disappeared completely behind them.

Eventually, they reached a small clearing.

Vaeron raised his hand.

"Rest."

They stopped.

Lucan sat beside a tree.

Seris remained standing.

Vaeron watched the forest.

Lucan looked at his arm.

The symbol was still faintly glowing.

He wondered what would have happened if he had activated all seven.

Would he have been able to defeat the Blood bearer?

Would he have been able to protect Arven?

Would the estate still be standing?

He didn't know.

And that frightened him.

Seris looked toward him.

"Don't blame yourself."

Lucan looked up.

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

Lucan looked away.

"I should have stayed."

"Arven wanted you to leave."

"I know."

"Then trust his decision."

Lucan nodded.

They remained quiet.

Then—

Snap.

A branch broke.

Everyone stood.

Vaeron's hand moved toward his weapon.

Seris drew her sword.

Lucan stood.

Another branch snapped.

Closer.

The trees shifted.

A figure stepped into the clearing.

The Blood bearer.

Lucan immediately raised his sword.

Seris did the same.

Vaeron prepared himself.

The woman looked exhausted.

Her armor was damaged.

Her breathing was heavy.

Blood floated around her.

Lucan prepared to fight again.

Then Seris looked directly at her face.

She froze.

Her sword slowly lowered.

Her eyes widened.

"No..."

Lucan looked at her.

"Seris?"

Seris didn't answer.

She stared at the woman.

Her voice trembled.

"Lyris?"

The woman froze.

For the first time, her expression changed.

"What did you call me?"

"Lyris."

The woman shook her head.

"No."

Seris stepped closer.

"It's you."

"You have the wrong person."

"No."

Seris's eyes filled with tears.

"I know you."

Lyris stepped backward.

"I don't know you."

"You do."

Seris continued walking.

"We fought together."

Lyris stared at her.

"You saved my life."

"Stop."

"You were my friend."

Lyris's expression began to crack.

"You died."

Silence.

Lyris stared at Seris.

Seris's voice became quiet.

"I watched you die."

Lyris looked down at her hands.

"I..."

Her voice broke.

"I died."

Seris nodded.

"Yes."

"Then why am I alive?"

"The Entity."

Lyris closed her eyes.

"It brought me back."

Lucan lowered his sword slightly.

"Why?"

Lyris looked at him.

"Because it sensed your Curses."

She looked at his arm.

"It wanted you dead."

"Why?"

"Because you're carrying all seven."

Vaeron's expression hardened.

"What does it know?"

"Enough."

Lyris looked toward him.

"It fears what Lucan could become."

Lucan stared at her.

"What am I supposed to become?"

"I don't know."

Lyris shook her head.

"But the Entity believes your Curses becoming one will create something it cannot control."

Silence filled the clearing.

Seris looked at Lyris.

"Why did you obey it?"

Lyris looked down.

"When I died, it brought me back."

She placed a hand over her chest.

"It gave me another life."

Her voice became quieter.

"But it threatened to take it away."

Seris understood.

"If you failed..."

"It would kill me."

Seris stared at her.

"You were afraid."

Lyris nodded.

"Yes."

Seris stepped closer.

"You never feared death."

Lyris looked at her.

"You remember me?"

"I remember everything."

Seris smiled faintly.

"You were always the first into battle."

Lyris's expression softened.

"You were reckless."

"So were you."

"You complained every time."

"And you ignored me every time."

A small smile appeared on Lyris's face.

Then it disappeared.

"I died."

Seris nodded.

"But you're here."

"Because the Entity wanted a weapon."

Seris shook her head.

"You are not a weapon."

Lyris looked at her.

"The Entity owns my life."

"No."

"It can take it."

"Then let it."

Lyris stared.

Seris continued.

"You were a warrior."

Lyris said nothing.

"You never feared death."

"I do now."

"Then remember who you were."

Lyris's eyes filled with tears.

Seris held out her hand.

"You don't have to follow it."

Lyris stared at the hand.

"What happens if I don't?"

"You choose your own path."

"The Entity will kill me."

"Maybe."

Lyris looked shocked.

Seris continued.

"But at least it won't decide how you live."

Lyris stared at her.

Slowly...

She reached out.

Their hands met.

The blood surrounding Lyris disappeared.

She looked toward Lucan.

"I won't kill you."

Lucan lowered his sword.

Seris smiled.

Lyris whispered:

"I'll help you."

Vaeron nodded.

"Then we move."

---

They left the clearing together.

Lyris walked beside Seris.

For a while, nobody spoke.

Eventually, Lucan looked at her.

"You really fought with Seris?"

Lyris smiled.

"Long ago."

"What were you like?"

Seris answered before Lyris could.

"Annoying."

Lyris laughed quietly.

"You were worse."

Lucan smiled.

It was strange.

Only hours ago, Lyris had been trying to kill him.

Now she was walking beside them.

But something about her presence felt different.

She wasn't following them because she wanted to.

She was choosing to.

That mattered.

They continued through the forest.

Lyris eventually stopped.

"The Entity will know."

Vaeron looked at her.

"Know what?"

"That I've betrayed it."

"How quickly?"

"I don't know."

Lucan looked toward the sky.

"What will it do?"

Lyris's face became serious.

"It won't rush."

"Why?"

"Because it doesn't need to."

She looked toward the distant mountains.

"It waits."

"For what?"

"The right moment."

They continued walking.

None of them noticed the faint movement far beyond the trees.

None of them knew that their journey had already been seen.

And none of them knew what waited beneath the mountains.

---

Far away...

Beyond the northern forest...

Deep beneath the earth...

There was a cave.

Not an ordinary cave.

It was enormous.

Its walls stretched farther than the eye could see.

Water dripped from the ceiling.

The sound echoed endlessly.

But the cave was not empty.

Monsters filled it.

Huge creatures crawled across the walls.

Some had four legs.

Others had long claws.

Some were covered in scales.

Others were covered in thick, dark armor.

Their eyes glowed within the darkness.

They surrounded a massive chamber.

At the center stood a stone throne.

The Entity sat upon it.

Its face remained hidden in shadow.

Across the chamber, chains were attached to a stone wall.

Someone was trapped there.

A boy.

His head hung low.

His clothes were torn.

He looked exhausted.

But he was alive.

Levi.

One of the monsters slowly approached him.

Levi lifted his head.

"Stay away."

The creature stopped.

The Entity remained silent.

Then—

"Lyris."

The sound of her name echoed through the cave.

Levi looked toward the throne.

The Entity slowly stood.

Every monster lowered its head.

The Entity stepped down from the throne.

One step.

Then another.

Its footsteps echoed.

It stopped.

A faint smile appeared.

"So..."

The Entity looked toward the darkness.

"You've chosen to betray me, Lyris."

It paused.

Then continued forward.

"Well then..."

The Entity's smile widened.

"Your fate has been decided."

It walked forward.

The monsters remained still.

Levi stared at the Entity.

And somewhere far away, beneath the trees of the northern forest, Lucan continued walking toward a future that would change everything.