The Blood Thirsty ✨

CHAPTER FIVE — The First Trial

Dawn crept over the city like molten silver, brushing the edges of the rooftops and illuminating the square where Lina and Nera had first converged. The air still carried the echo of their awakening, a pulsing hum that lingered around them like a living thing.

Lina stretched, feeling the lingering warmth of Nera’s touch in her veins. Her hands shook, not from fear, but from the raw, untamed power that had begun to seep into her. The Masked Lady book lay open at her feet, its pages fluttering despite the still air, as if it too were aware of what had transpired.

Nera mirrored her movements across the square. Her dark eyes were alight, almost too bright, as if the energy inside her refused to be contained.

“We need to practice,” Lina said, voice quiet but firm. “We don’t know what Zoraver is capable of, but whatever it is… we’ll need to be ready.”

Nera nodded. “I can feel it, Lina. Something inside me… it’s stronger now. And it’s… hungry. Like it wants to remember everything.”

Jaxon and Dante arrived silently, as shadows in the growing light.

Jaxon’s gaze swept over the sisters with a calculating intensity. “Your connection isn’t just emotional,” he said. “It’s a conduit for power. If you learn to channel it together, you’ll be nearly unstoppable. But if you lose control…” He let the warning hang.

Dante’s voice was quieter but no less grave. “You won’t have time to learn everything perfectly. Zoraver’s minions are already moving. They know you’ve awakened.”

Lina swallowed, gripping the book tighter. “Then we start now. Teach us.”

The training began in silence at first.

Lina closed her eyes, focusing on the pull she had felt since the night in the church. The energy was wild, sparking like fire across her skin. She drew it in, letting it swirl around her fingers, feeling the air thrum with life. Nera mirrored her, and for a moment, the two were synchronized, breathing in tandem, their energies intertwining.

It was beautiful—and terrifying.

But then the shadows came.

From the alleys around the square, figures emerged, black as night and silent as death. Minions of Zoraver, grotesque forms that shifted like smoke, with eyes that glowed faint red, slinking toward them.

“Your first trial,” Jaxon murmured, stepping back, Dante at his side.

Lina’s pulse surged. Nera’s hand found hers instinctively. Together, they faced the approaching darkness, the raw energy between them a shield and a weapon.

The battle began suddenly.

Lina’s hands flared, a thin ribbon of light shooting out to meet the closest minion. The creature screamed—a sound that was not entirely human—and dissolved into shadows. Nera moved beside her, a pulse of dark energy curling around her like a storm, tearing another minion apart.

They moved together, instinct guiding them more than thought. Each strike, each movement, was mirrored, complementary, as if they had danced this battle countless times before.

Jaxon watched, lips tight. “They’re ready… but not complete. There’s still more they need to remember.”

Dante added, “They’ve felt power before… they just don’t realize its full scope. And Zoraver will exploit that.”

Amid the fight, memories began to bleed through.

Lina stumbled, vision flickering, as a memory slammed into her: a cold castle hall, Zoraver’s laughter echoing, the flash of pale hands reaching for her as she screamed.

Nera’s mind mirrored hers. She saw herself, centuries ago, standing beside Lina in the same hall, holding a sword that shimmered like liquid moonlight. They had fought, they had fallen—but they had survived long enough to be reborn.

“Lina…” Nera gasped mid-attack. “Do you see it? The memories—they’re real!”

Lina nodded, a newfound ferocity igniting inside her. “We’ve been here before. We’ve fought him before. We can do it again.”

The sisters’ power surged, the city square becoming a storm of light and dark energy. Minions screamed and dissolved under their combined force, a testament to the bond they had shared across lifetimes.

But the trial was not over.

A low, resonant laugh rolled across the square. The minions’ forms twisted, growing larger, more monstrous, fueled by Zoraver’s dark magic. The sisters faltered, their energy flickering under the relentless assault.

“You’re strong… but still children playing with fire,” Zoraver’s voice boomed, coming from the shadows at the edge of the square. His form remained hidden, yet his presence pressed down like a physical weight. “Do you think you can defy me after centuries of defeat?”

Lina felt a chill crawl along her spine. Nera’s hand tightened around hers. “We will,” they said in unison, the words a vow as much as a challenge.

Jaxon stepped forward.

“You can’t face him yet,” he said sharply. “Not alone. Your strength is growing, but this is just the beginning. Survive the night, awaken more of your memory, and then… you’ll be ready to confront him directly.”

Dante added, “He’ll test you. He’ll manipulate your fears, twist your memories. You must trust each other completely. Otherwise…” He let the warning fade into the wind.

The sisters glanced at each other, understanding the stakes. Their bond wasn’t just emotional—it was their only weapon against the darkness that had hunted them for centuries.

As night fell, the city square emptied.

The remnants of the minions lay scattered like shadows scattered by dawn. Lina and Nera collapsed onto the steps of the fountain, exhaustion heavy in their bones. But beneath it, a fire burned—a hunger to learn, to grow, to reclaim what had been stolen from them.

“You felt it, didn’t you?” Lina whispered. “The memories… everything?”

Nera nodded, still catching her breath. “Yes… and I think there’s more. There’s a whole lifetime we need to remember. And the power… Lina, it’s inside us. We just have to awaken it fully.”

Jaxon and Dante watched from the shadows, unspoken pride mixed with concern in their eyes. They had survived the first trial, but the real battle was yet to come.

And somewhere, in the dark corridors of his lair, Zoraver’s laughter echoed once more.