Blood Moon
The forest did not sleep.
It waited.
Cold settled over the world like a living thing, creeping through bark and stone, sinking into the frozen streams that wound between the trees. Above, the spine trees stretched toward the night sky, their twisted branches clawing at the blood moon hanging overhead.
Nysera felt the cold through her gloves.
The wind tugged at the edge of her cloak as she emerged from the darkness and stepped onto the cliff.
The forest ended abruptly there.
Beyond it, a village lay nestled in the valley below.
Warm light spilled from windows. Lanterns swayed gently outside homes. Laughter drifted upward on the wind, carrying the sounds of a celebration that should not have been happening tonight.
Nysera's gaze lingered on a group of children racing through the narrow streets.
For a moment, she watched them.
A little girl stumbled.
The others laughed as she scrambled back to her feet and continued running.
Normal.
Carefree.
Safe.
The sight tightened something in Nysera's chest.
They had no idea what was coming.
Behind her, Daniel stepped forward.
His sharp eyes swept across the village below.
"They're not here."
His voice was quiet but certain.
Ramsha moved beside him, wrapping her cloak tighter around herself against the cold.
"Maybe they haven't arrived yet," she said.
"Or we got bad information."
Sam leaned casually against a nearby tree, though the tension in his shoulders betrayed him.
Ramsha glanced at him.
"A diversion?"
He shrugged.
"Wouldn't be the first time."
Silence settled between them.
Nysera remained at the edge of the cliff, her attention fixed on the village.
The blood moon reflected faintly in her eyes.
Something felt wrong.
Not the village.
Not the people.
The night itself.
As though the darkness were holding its breath.
"If they're moving somewhere else," she said at last, "we move first."
The others immediately turned toward her.
Nysera raised one hand.
Red light flickered beneath her skin.
The air rippled around them.
"Get ready."
The world folded.
And vanished.
A heartbeat later, they stood atop the rooftops overlooking the sleeping village.
From here, everything felt closer.
More fragile.
Smoke drifted from dying fires.
A dog barked somewhere in the distance.
One by one, lanterns disappeared as families retreated indoors.
The laughter faded.
The streets emptied.
The village slowly surrendered itself to the blood moon.
"They're idiots."
Ramsha's voice broke the silence.
Nysera glanced sideways.
Ramsha was sitting on the edge of the roof with her knees drawn up, staring at the empty streets below.
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
She pointed toward the blood moon hanging above them.
"Because it's a blood moon."
Her voice dropped.
"And they're celebrating like it's a festival."
A chill wind swept across the rooftops, carrying the distant scent of smoke.
Ramsha shook her head.
"Vampires don't share nights like this."
Sam followed her gaze toward the village.
"It doesn't matter."
His expression darkened slightly.
"This village was next."
The words settled heavily between them.
Daniel exhaled through his nose.
"Creatures like them don't need reasons."
His eyes remained fixed on the streets below.
"Breathing is enough."
Ramsha swallowed.
The confidence she'd forced herself to wear all evening was beginning to crack.
She hated blood moons.
Hated the stories.
Hated the feeling that something terrible was always waiting just beyond sight.
And she especially hated the fact that tonight she couldn't shake the feeling those stories were true.
Lowering her voice, she leaned toward the others.
"I heard the prince killed someone once."
Sam snorted.
"The prince?"
She nodded quickly.
"They say a servant accidentally bumped into him."
Daniel groaned.
"Here we go."
"I'm serious."
Ramsha shot him a glare.
"They say he killed her without even looking at her."
Sam's amusement faded slightly.
"And where exactly did you hear that?"
"A tavern."
"A tavern."
"A very reliable tavern."
Daniel laughed under his breath.
Ramsha folded her arms.
"Oh, laugh all you want."
She pointed toward the village.
"When he shows up and turns everyone into decorative furniture, don't come crying to me."
Sam nearly choked trying not to laugh.
Even Daniel's mouth twitched.
Only Nysera remained silent.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
Then she froze.
The change was so sudden that Daniel noticed immediately.
His smile vanished.
"What is it?"
Nysera didn't answer.
The hairs on the back of her neck had risen.
Something was coming.
Not a sound.
Not movement.
A presence.
Heavy.
Ancient.
Wrong.
The air seemed to thicken around them.
The temperature dropped sharply.
Ramsha felt it too.
The joke died on her lips.
Her stomach twisted.
Below them, fog began spilling into the streets.
At first it drifted lazily between houses.
Then it spread.
Thicker.
Darker.
Alive.
The village disappeared beneath it.
One street.
Then another.
Then another.
Silence swallowed everything.
No dogs.
No laughter.
No voices.
Nothing.
Daniel slowly crouched lower.
Sam's hand tightened against the roof.
Ramsha felt her pulse hammering in her ears.
The fog shifted.
Parted.
And figures emerged from the darkness.
They didn't sneak.
Didn't hide.
Didn't even bother being cautious.
They walked openly through the village like kings returning to their kingdom.
At the center of them all stood a man dressed in black.
Tall.
Elegant.
Terrifying.
Vaerion.
The name alone had inspired nightmares across half the continent.
Yet somehow reality was worse.
Because there was no rage in him.
No cruelty visible on his face.
Only boredom.
As though the entire world had failed to interest him.
Beside him walked Marcus, hands casually tucked into his pockets, looking more like someone attending a party than a massacre.
Vaerion's gaze swept lazily across the village.
Then he laughed.
Quietly.
The sound slid beneath Ramsha's skin.
Her breath caught.
For the first time all night, fear became real.
"Guys..."
Her voice came out smaller than she intended.
Nobody looked away from the street below.
Ramsha swallowed hard.
"I'm actually scared."
Sam immediately burst out laughing.
"Scared of who?"
She smacked his arm.
"Be serious."
Daniel's eyes never left Vaerion.
For once, even he wasn't smiling.
"Stay focused."
The joking vanished instantly.
Because if Daniel looked worried—
Things were bad.
Daniel's gaze remained fixed on the figures below.
"We'll handle the others."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
The kind of calm people used when they were trying not to think about how dangerous a situation really was.
A moment passed.
Then he looked toward Nysera.
"Nysera handles the prince."
Ramsha's head snapped toward him.
"What?"
Daniel didn't look away from the street.
"You heard me."
"Have you completely lost your mind?"
Her voice rose before she caught herself and lowered it again.
"That's Vaerion."
Daniel finally turned to face her.
"And?"
"And he'll kill her."
The words came out faster than she intended.
Nysera glanced at her.
Ramsha ignored it.
"Look at him."
She pointed toward the street below.
"That thing isn't normal."
Daniel's expression didn't change.
"Neither is Nysera."
Ramsha stared.
Daniel nodded toward their friend.
"Her power doesn't work like ours."
Sam smirked.
Here we go.
Daniel continued.
"She doesn't command the elements."
A cold breeze swept across the rooftops.
For the first time, even Ramsha looked curious.
Daniel's eyes remained on Nysera.
"The elements listen to her."
Silence.
Then Ramsha blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"Cool."
Another pause.
"So my best friend is basically not human anymore."
Sam laughed.
Daniel rolled his eyes.
Nysera looked genuinely offended.
Ramsha pointed triumphantly.
"See? That look right there. That's exactly what a human would make."
A faint smile touched Nysera's lips before disappearing almost immediately.
The moment lasted only seconds.
Then it was gone.
Because something below had changed.
Vaerion had stopped walking.
The prince stood in the center of the street, his head tilted slightly.
Listening.
Feeling.
Searching.
Nysera's stomach tightened.
He sensed her.
The realization struck instantly.
Not where she was.
Not who she was.
But he knew something was watching.
Something powerful.
The same moment he lifted his head, a door creaked open nearby.
Every eye shifted.
A small boy peeked cautiously into the street.
Behind him stood a younger child clutching the back of his shirt.
The older boy squinted through the fog.
"There isn't any Santa," he whispered.
The younger child frowned.
"Then who is it?"
The boy looked toward the strangers standing in the street.
"Just people."
Vaerion turned slowly.
His gaze settled on the child.
The smile vanished from his face.
"People?"
The word sounded almost offensive coming from him.
The older boy froze.
Even from the rooftop, Ramsha could see the fear spreading across his face.
Vaerion took a step forward.
"Do I look like people to you?"
The door slammed shut.
For one brief second, silence returned.
Then—
CRACK.
The entire doorway exploded inward.
Wood splintered across the floor.
Ramsha jumped.
The younger child screamed.
Inside the house, shadows moved frantically.
Vaerion stepped through the broken doorway without urgency.
Without emotion.
As though he were entering his own home.
A knot formed in Ramsha's stomach.
Something about the calmness made it worse.
Much worse.
A few moments later, Vaerion emerged.
The older boy struggled desperately in his grip.
Kicking.
Crying.
Begging.
Vaerion didn't seem to notice.
The child might as well have weighed nothing.
"No."
Ramsha whispered.
The word escaped before she realized it.
Vaerion tossed the boy into the street.
The child hit the ground hard.
Immediately scrambling backward.
Trying to escape.
Trying to survive.
Vaerion simply watched.
Then he lifted one foot.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
And Nysera moved.
Red light flashed across the street.
The air folded.
Reality rippled.
The child vanished.
Vaerion's foot struck empty stone.
Silence followed.
Slowly, the prince lowered his leg.
Then he smiled.
Not angrily.
Not surprised.
Interested.
The expression sent a chill through everyone watching.
"Found you."
In a narrow alley several streets away, Nysera crouched beside the child.
The boy's small hands were tangled in her cloak.
His entire body trembled.
Nysera could feel it.
Fear.
Pure and overwhelming.
For a moment, she remembered another village.
Another blood moon.
Another child she hadn't reached in time.
The memory hit like a knife.
Brief.
Sharp.
Unwelcome.
She pushed it away.
Not tonight.
Gently, she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"It's okay."
Her voice softened.
"You're safe now."
The child looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.
Nysera wished she could promise that was true.
Then shadows dropped from the rooftops around them.
Daniel.
Ramsha.
Sam.
The mission was over.
The hiding was done.
And somewhere behind them—
Marcus laughed.
The sound echoed through the alley.
Warm.
Playful.
Completely at odds with the danger surrounding them.
"Well," he called lightly, stepping from the darkness, "this just became interesting."
To be continued…
