A Hunter’s Resolve

The moon hung high in the sky, casting its pale light over the darkened streets as I slipped through the shadows, my weapons hidden beneath my coat. It had been over a week since I'd seen Cael, and every passing day gnawed at me. The weight of my workload pressed heavily on my shoulders, but no matter how many demons I vanquished, my thoughts always drifted back to him.

Cael.

The name itself was a lifeline, anchoring me amidst the chaos of my nightly hunts. My mother's recent wedding had been a brief distraction, but now her meticulous preparations for the rise of nocturnal monsters kept me bound to this relentless duty. She knew the patterns, the signs of when and where these creatures would strike, and as her son—and a hunter—it was my responsibility to act.

But responsibility came at a cost.

The night monsters were more active than ever. Demons prowled the shadows, their malevolence tainting the air, while vampires roamed with bloodlust. Each hunt was more taxing than the last, and though my body moved with practiced precision, my mind was elsewhere.

Cael's face haunted me. His soft smile, the way his eyes lit up when he spoke, the warmth of his touch—it all felt like a distant memory. My chest tightened with the thought that he might need me, that I wasn't there for him.

And then there was Julls.

Even saying his name in my head made my blood boil. That man—no, that thing—was no ordinary being. The first time I saw him, I knew. His aura wasn't human. The sharp angles of his face, the unnatural glint in his eyes, and the way his presence seemed to suck the air out of the room—it all screamed of something unholy.

Hailing from a family steeped in dark rituals, Julls' lineage was infamous. Whispers of cults, human sacrifices, and the pursuit of "eternal beauty and immortality" followed the Hellen family like a shadow. They were monsters hiding behind wealth and power, and Julls was their crowning achievement—a predator cloaked in charm.

The memory of Cael standing beside him sent a chill down my spine. I clenched my fists, my knuckles whitening as I imagined the worst. Did Cael even know what kind of creature he was dealing with?

I should've stayed. I should've found a way to protect him.

The thought of Julls' hands on him, his poisonous charm weaving its way into Cael's life, made my stomach churn. I didn't trust him—not for a second. And the fact that Cael was alone with him, possibly vulnerable, gnawed at me like a festering wound.

As I prowled through the darkness, dispatching another demon with a swift strike to its heart, I tried to shake the images from my mind. But it was impossible.

I needed to finish this. I needed to return to him.

The last conversation we'd had echoed in my ears. Cael's voice, soft but tinged with worry, had been a reminder of how much he relied on me. But now? Now, I was stuck miles away, chained to a duty that never seemed to end.

The thought of what Julls might be doing made my blood run cold. The Hellen family's practices weren't just rumors. I'd seen their work firsthand—the remnants of their rituals, the mutilated bodies left in their wake. They didn't see people as human beings; they saw them as tools, vessels, sacrifices.

What if they saw Cael the same way?

No. I couldn't let that happen.

I adjusted the strap on my weapon and quickened my pace, determination flooding my veins. Every fiber of my being screamed to get back to him, to pull him away from whatever nightmare he might be facing.

This wasn't just a mission. This wasn't about duty. This was personal.

The image of Julls' smug face burned in my mind, and I swore to myself that when I returned, I wouldn't hold back. Whatever dark magic he was using, whatever monstrous form he had taken, I would end it.

For Cael.

I'd make sure he was safe. Even if it meant tearing through hell itself to get to him.