The night stretched endlessly over the village, draped in silver and silence. Asher couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw them — "crimson eyes" gleaming from the dark, and the faint echo of a woman's voice whispering his name.
He sat by the window, tracing invisible patterns against the glass. The forest beyond seemed alive tonight — branches swaying, air pulsing, as if it too listened to something ancient stirring beneath the soil.
Then came the sound.
A low, rhythmic hum. The same one he had heard in his dreams.
"Asher."
The voice wasn't a whisper this time. It was real — near.
Lucian stood outside, his dark cloak catching the moonlight, his expression unreadable. For a moment, Asher thought the vampire looked almost… worried.
"You shouldn't be here," Asher said, though he couldn't stop the relief in his voice.
Lucian's eyes glowed faintly, a deep, unsettling crimson. "Something woke tonight," he said, his tone sharp, almost wary. "It's not safe to be alone."
Before Asher could answer, the air trembled — the same humming sound growing louder, pulsing through the ground beneath their feet. And then the cold hit.
Not ordinary cold, but the kind that sank into the bones.
Lucian's expression hardened. "She's close."
"Asher frowned. "Who—"
A sharp wind burst through the trees, carrying a whisper that wasn't quite human — 'My blood... my heir…'
The whisper sliced through Asher's mind, leaving a trace of pain behind his eyes. He staggered, clutching his head.
Lucian caught him instantly, strong arms steadying him. "She's found you," he muttered under his breath. "The mark hasn't awakened yet, but it will soon."
"Mark?" Asher managed, his voice shaking.
Lucian didn't answer. Instead, he brushed his fingers just below Asher's collarbone — and there, faint under the skin, a **symbol** glimmered for a split second, pale like moonlight and shaped like a crescent entwined with thorns.
Asher gasped. "What is that—"
"It's her seal," Lucian said grimly. "Amara's blood recognizes you."
For a heartbeat, the world stood still. The forest, the wind, even the stars seemed to lean closer.
And in that moment, Asher saw something flicker behind Lucian's calm — fear.
Not for himself, but for 'him'.
To be continued....