CHAPTER NO 12
The Blood Moon's Secret
The storm had not stopped for three days.Rain lashed the palace windows, thunder shook the marble halls, and the sky above the vampire kingdom burned red as though the heavens were bleeding again.
Selene stood by her window, watching the lightning carve the clouds. Her thoughts were a storm of their own. The dream, the roses, the thorn that had drawn real blood it all haunted her. Every time she touched her palm, she could still feel the sting.
And somewhere in the palace, Nyra felt it too.
The princess had locked herself inside the Hall of Shadows, the ancient library that only royals were allowed to enter. It was said to hold the oldest blood records the history of every vampire ever born, every curse ever sealed, every prophecy ever whispered.
Nyra's eyes glowed faintly in the torchlight as she turned the pages of a cracked old book. The script shimmered in gold, and the more she read, the colder her heart became.
"When the moon bleeds, and a mortal bears the mark of the thorn, the bond of forbidden light shall awaken the sleeping heir of blood."
Her hand trembled slightly. The words burned into her mind. A mortal bearing the thorn…Selene.
Could she really be the one the prophecy spoke of?If so, then the bond between them wasn't just fate it was a curse.
Nyra closed the book slowly, her thoughts spinning. The prophecy had always been a warning: if the heir of blood awakened before the right time, the balance between the living and the dead would shatter. Worlds would merge. The vampire kingdom would fall.
And now, the signs were all there.
She pressed her palm against her chest where the same mark glowed faintly beneath her armor. Her breath caught. "Selene… what are you?" she whispered.
Far across the palace, Selene felt a sudden pulse in her chest, like her heart had heard Nyra's voice. She grabbed her shawl and ran from her chamber.
Servants stared as she passed, whispering, "The cursed girl again…"But she didn't stop. She followed the strange pull in her veins until she reached the forbidden doors of the Hall of Shadows.
Two vampire guards crossed their spears before her. "No mortal enters," one hissed.
Selene's eyes flashed not with fear, but with strange determination. "Then I'll stop being one."
Before they could speak, the torches on the walls flickered blue. The doors creaked open on their own, as if something inside had called to her. The guards froze, and Selene stepped through the threshold.
Inside, the air was thick and ancient, filled with the scent of dust and forgotten power. Shelves climbed endlessly toward the ceiling, filled with scrolls, relics, and bones carved with runes.
And there, at the center, stood Nyra her cloak heavy with rain, her face pale beneath the crimson glow.
"Selene," she breathed. "You shouldn't be here."
Selene's heart ached at the sound of her name. "You said that before. And every time you say it, I end up here anyway."
Nyra tried to stay cold, to keep her distance, but the mark on her hand pulsed painfully. She turned away, hiding it. "You don't understand what this place is. What we are."
"Then tell me," Selene said softly. "Stop hiding everything from me."
Nyra looked up, her eyes burning like dying fire. "If I tell you, you'll wish I hadn't."
"Then I'll still listen."
For a long time, neither spoke. The storm outside roared, shaking the walls. Finally, Nyra sighed and placed the ancient book on the table between them. Its cover was made of black leather, sealed with silver thorns.
"This," she said, "is the Record of Blood. It tells of the first vampires and the end of the world they built."
She flipped it open to the marked page. The golden script shifted like living fire.
'When the Blood Moon awakens, and the heir of light is born from sorrow, she shall bear the thorn of truth and break the heart of night.'
Selene frowned. "The heir of light? What does that mean?"
Nyra hesitated. "It means someone who carries both the curse and the cure. Someone who can destroy or save us all."
Selene's voice trembled. "And… you think that's me?"
Nyra looked at her really looked. The pale skin that glowed faintly even in darkness. The strange silver-pink hair that no mortal ever had. The eyes that seemed to see through shadow.
"It is you," Nyra whispered. "When I saw you that first day… I felt it. But I didn't want to believe it."
Selene stepped closer. "Why not?"
"Because," Nyra said quietly, "if you are the heir… then loving you could destroy everything."
The words hung heavy in the air. Selene froze, her breath catching. "You think what's between us is love?"
Nyra didn't answer. Her red eyes softened just for a moment enough for Selene to see the truth she was hiding.
But before Selene could speak, the candles blew out. The room plunged into darkness.
A low voice, deep and ancient, echoed through the hall.
"The seal weakens… the heir awakens…"
A cold wind burst through the shelves, scattering pages and dust. Selene screamed as blue light shot from her palm, illuminating the runes on the floor. The same mark flared on Nyra's chest, connecting them in a beam of red and white.
Then silence.
The storm outside stopped. The air shimmered.
Selene collapsed, panting, as Nyra caught her in her arms. The mark between them faded to a faint glow.
"Selene!" Nyra called softly, shaking her. "Can you hear me?"
Selene's eyelids fluttered open. "What… was that?"
Nyra looked around, her jaw tight. "The Blood Moon answered your name. The seal is breaking faster than I thought."
Selene reached weakly for her hand. "Nyra… I don't want to be a curse."
Nyra's eyes darkened. "You're not." She brushed Selene's hair back. "You're the only thing in this cursed world that feels alive."
For a moment, the world was still two souls breathing in the ruins of prophecy. Then Nyra stood, lifting Selene gently. "You can't stay here. They'll sense it. The council will come."
Selene's voice shook. "Then where do we go?"
Nyra glanced toward the towering windows, where the storm had cleared to reveal a blood-red moon. "To the Crimson Mountains. The truth lies there."
She looked back at Selene, her expression torn between fear and something softer. "If the Blood Moon wants you… then I'll face it beside you. Whatever it takes."
Selene nodded faintly, exhaustion pulling her down again. But as her eyes closed, she whispered, "Then it's not a curse anymore… not if you're with me."
Nyra's heart clenched. She pressed her forehead against Selene's for a fleeting second before whispering, "Sleep, heir of light. I'll protect you until the end."
Outside, thunder rumbled again not of rain this time, but of awakening. Somewhere deep in the kingdom, an ancient coffin cracked open, and red mist began to rise.
The Blood Moon had heard them both.
And something was coming.