Crimson Fates

Beneath the shadows

Luna sat on the porch steps, hugging her knees to her chest, her mind heavy with unanswered questions. The breeze carried the scent of dust and dried grass, but it did little to calm the storm inside her. Since the night in the forest, nothing felt real. Adrian’s charm, Alexander’s warnings, and that terrifying shadow—each piece was a fragment of something bigger, something she wasn’t ready to face.

Her phone buzzed suddenly, jolting her from her thoughts. She pulled it out and saw a message light up the screen:

“Come to the old church. We need to talk. – A”

A chill ran down her spine. She knew it wasn’t wise to go, but ignoring it didn’t seem like an option either. Not when she already felt trapped between the truth and the unknown.

The streets of Mahalapye were eerily quiet as Luna made her way toward the old, abandoned church. The further she walked, the more the lights from the populated part of town dimmed, leaving her to navigate by the faint glow of flickering streetlights. The night pressed in around her, and every rustle of leaves or shift of shadows made her heart race.

The church stood at the town’s edge, its silhouette crumbling and forlorn, like a monument forgotten by time. Taking a deep breath, Luna pushed open the heavy door. It creaked loudly, as if warning her to turn back. But she stepped inside.

Adrian was waiting for her in the dimly lit space, leaning against one of the church’s worn pews. A small smile played on his lips as she entered.

“You came,” he said softly.

Luna crossed her arms. “I didn’t think I had much of a choice.”

Adrian’s smile widened, but before he could speak, the door groaned open behind them. Alexander stepped in, his presence commanding and intense. His dark eyes locked onto Luna, annoyance flashing in them.

“I told you not to bring her into this,” he said, glaring at Adrian.

“She was already in it the moment she ran into that thing,” Adrian shot back. “She deserves to know the truth.”

Alexander’s jaw tightened. “Knowing the truth won’t save her.”

Luna stepped forward, cutting through their argument. “Stop talking about me like I’m not here. I want to know what’s going on.”

Alexander exchanged a glance with Adrian, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. After a long moment, he sighed. “Fine. But you won’t like what you hear.”

Adrian guided Luna to a pew, and they sat facing each other. His silver eyes gleamed in the candlelight as he explained what had been haunting her since that night in the forest.

“We aren’t ordinary,” Adrian began slowly. “Alexander and I... we belong to an old world—one hidden from people like you. And the thing you saw in the forest? That was a hunter.”

Luna’s heart raced. “A hunter? Hunting what?”

Alexander answered grimly, “Creatures like us. Vampires.”

Luna’s breath caught. The word felt foreign, surreal, and yet somehow everything started to make sense—their strange behavior, the way Alexander seemed to watch her like a predator, and the speed with which they moved in the woods.

“You’re vampires?” she whispered, more to herself than to them.

Adrian gave a small nod. “Yes. And now that you know, you’re in danger too.”

Luna’s mind raced. “What kind of danger?”

Alexander’s expression darkened. “The hunters don’t just kill vampires. They destroy anyone who gets too close to us.”

Adrian’s face softened. “Which is why we need to protect you. You’ve seen too much, Luna. There’s no going back.”

The weight of their words pressed down on Luna. She looked between the two brothers—one warm and charming, the other cold and distant—and felt the invisible lines of fate tightening around her.

“So what now?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Adrian gave her a reassuring smile. “Now, we stay ahead of the hunters. And you stay close to us.”

Alexander shot him a sharp look. “This isn’t a game, Adrian. You can’t just bring her along.”

“She’s safer with us than alone,” Adrian countered. “You know that.”

Luna stood, crossing her arms. “I’m standing right here, you know. If I’m involved in this, I deserve to make my own choices.”

Alexander’s gaze darkened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he turned toward the door, his body tense. “The hunters are already circling. We need to move.”

Adrian rose smoothly and reached out to Luna. “Stay with us tonight. The church is safe—for now.”

Luna hesitated but then took his hand. A strange sense of calm washed over her at his touch, even though her instincts screamed that she was plunging deeper into the unknown.

The hours dragged on in the dim church, the flickering candlelight casting strange shadows on the cracked walls. Luna sat beside Adrian, exhaustion gnawing at her, though her mind refused to rest.

“What happens if they catch you?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Adrian’s smile faded. “We don’t let them.”

Luna turned to Alexander, who stood by the door, watching the night like a hawk. “And if they find me?”

Alexander’s gaze softened for a brief moment—so brief Luna wasn’t even sure it had happened. “Then we fight.”

The simplicity of his answer sent a chill down her spine. These brothers—so different, yet bound by a shared burden—were prepared to go to war to protect her. But why?

Adrian glanced at her, reading the question in her eyes. “You remind us of someone,” he said quietly.

Luna tilted her head. “Who?”

Alexander’s expression closed off instantly, but Adrian gave her a small, sad smile. “Someone we lost a long time ago.”

The silence between them grew heavy with unspoken memories. Luna knew she was only scratching the surface of their story, but she could tell that whatever haunted these brothers ran deeper than she could imagine.

A sound outside shattered the fragile peace. Alexander stiffened, his hand resting on the doorframe as he scanned the shadows beyond the church.

“They’re here,” he whispered, his voice sharp.

Adrian stood, pulling Luna gently to her feet. R“Stay behind us.”

Luna’s heart pounded as she followed them to the door. The night outside felt colder now, and the darkness seemed alive with unseen threats.

“They’ll keep coming,” Alexander muttered, his voice grim. “We need to stay ahead of them.”

Luna swallowed hard, feeling the weight of her new reality pressing down on her. There was no going back now—not to the simple life she’d once known, not to the quiet evenings on her porch.

She was part of their world now.

And whether she liked it or not, her fate was bound to theirs.