Chapter 1: The Prologue of the Blood Moon

The night curtain fell, and the moonlight, like a silver gauze, shrouded the quiet town. Eldoria, an ancient town hidden deep in the mountains, seemed to have been forgotten by time. The Gothic buildings on both sides of the street cast long shadows in the moonlight, and the occasional hooting of owls added a sense of mystery and tranquility.

Journalist Alex Moore sat in a dimly lit study, fiddling with a yellowed letter. The envelope had no return address, only a line of scribbled handwriting: "The truth is hidden on the night of the full moon." He furrowed his brow and unfolded the letter, and the contents made his heart skip a beat.

"Eldoria, for twenty years, every full moon night, there has been a bizarre murder case. The victims were all found near the ancient castle ruins, with signs of being torn apart by wild beasts. However, the townspeople remain silent about it. What is the truth?"

Alex's intuition told him that this letter hid a shocking secret. As a seasoned journalist, he had never given up on pursuing the truth. He decided to go to Eldoria to uncover the truth behind the full moon night murders over the past twenty years.

The next morning, Alex set out on his journey to Eldoria. After several hours of bumpy roads, he finally arrived at the town shrouded in mist. The town's entrance was an ancient stone bridge, with wolf head sculptures on both sides, as if guarding the land. Alex walked through the bridge and came to the town's central square. In the center of the square stood an ancient sundial, with sunlight casting a long shadow on it.

He entered the town's small tavern, hoping to gather some information from the locals. The tavern was filled with the smell of tobacco and old wine, and a few old, broken wooden tables were occupied by silent townspeople. Alex walked up to the bar, ordered a whiskey, and then turned to the bartender, asking in a low voice, "Do you know about the full moon night murders?"

The bartender looked up, with a hint of vigilance in his eyes: "Who are you?"

"I'm a journalist, here to investigate the murders," Alex replied.

The bartender was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Those things, it's better not to ask about. That's taboo."

"Taboo?" Alex furrowed his brow.

"Yes, taboo," the bartender repeated. "The people in this town all know that some things are not to be touched. Those murders... are related to the ancient castle."

The ancient castle? Alex's heart skipped a beat. He remembered the mention of the ancient castle ruins in the letter, and wondered if there were crucial clues hidden there.

"Where is the ancient castle?" he asked.

The bartender pointed to a distant hill: "It's on that mountain, but it's very dangerous. I've heard that there are... unclean things living inside."

Alex nodded, thanked the bartender, and left the tavern. He decided to investigate the ancient castle first. He walked through the town, following the winding mountain road, and the outline of the ancient castle gradually appeared before his eyes. It was a medieval-style building, with ivy crawling up the walls, looking dilapidated and mysterious.

Alex carefully entered the ancient castle, and the inside was filled with a damp and musty smell. He turned on his flashlight, and the beam of light cut through the darkness. He walked through the hall and came to a tightly closed door. The door had a strange symbol carved on it, like a wolf's head, surrounded by intricate runes.

He pushed the door open, and a cold wind blew in. Behind the door was a dimly lit room, with an ancient oak table in the center, and some documents and a worn-out diary scattered on it. Alex walked up and picked up the diary, flipping through it. The diary's owner seemed to be a woman named Isabella, who recorded the town's events in beautiful handwriting.

"On the night of the full moon, the wolf's shadow wanders. The curse under the ancient castle remains unlifted." Alex read the contents of the diary in a low voice, feeling a sense of unease.

Just then, a low growl came from behind him. Alex quickly turned around, and saw a pair of green eyes glowing in the darkness. He realized that he had entered a forbidden area, and those "unclean things" were approaching him.

Alex's heart was racing, and he subconsciously took a step back, the beam of his flashlight dancing in the darkness, trying to capture the pair of green eyes. However, the eyes seemed to have merged into the darkness, disappearing without a trace. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and the bartender's warning echoed in his mind: "It's very dangerous, with unclean things living inside."

He slowly turned around, the beam of his flashlight scanning every corner of the room, trying to find a hiding place. Just then, a cold wind blew by, and the door slammed shut, plunging the room into darkness. Alex's heart almost jumped out of his throat, and he fumbled to turn on his flashlight, only to find that the batteries had run out.

"Damn it!" he cursed in a low voice, feeling around for the diary or anything else that could be used for lighting. Just then, a low growl came again, this time closer, seeming to be right behind him. Alex quickly turned around, but saw nothing. He could feel a cold breath in the darkness, as if something was approaching.

"Who's there?" he shouted, trying to drive away the fear in the darkness with his voice.

A low, sarcastic laugh came from the darkness: "You think you can find the truth here?"

Alex's heart skipped a beat, and he detected a strange echo in the voice, as if it didn't come from a human throat. He tried to locate the source of the voice but found himself trapped in the darkness.

"Who are you?" he asked again, his voice trembling slightly.

"I am the guardian, and the inheritor of the curse," a female voice came from the darkness, with an ancient, mysterious power. "You have entered the forbidden area, and you must pay the price."

Alex felt a chill, and he realized that he might have touched the core of the town's secret. He tried to find a way out, but the forces in the darkness seemed to be binding him tightly. Just then, a silver light appeared in the darkness, illuminating a corner of the room.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here," a gentle voice came, and Alex saw a figure walking out of the light. She wore a black robe, with long hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall. Her hand held a silver staff, with a glowing gemstone embedded on it.

"Who are you?" Alex asked, his voice filled with urgency.

"I am Isabella, the last witch of the De Morton family," she said in a low voice, with a hint of fatigue. "You must leave here, or you will die."

Alex felt a sense of surprise: "You're the owner of the diary?"

Isabella nodded: "Yes, I've been guarding this secret in the ancient castle. You must leave, or the curse will befall you."

"The curse?" Alex furrowed his brow.

Isabella shook her head: "Not now. You must leave first, and I'll take you out."

She raised her staff, and a silver light shot out from the gemstone, illuminating the path to the exit. Alex followed her, walking through the dark corridors, and finally came to the ancient castle's hall. However, when he turned around, Isabella had disappeared into the darkness, leaving him alone in the empty hall.

"Isabella!" he shouted, but there was no response.

Alex felt a sense of confusion, not knowing where to go. Just then, he heard a low growl coming from the other end of the hall. He turned around and saw a pair of green eyes glowing in the darkness, the eyes of a wolf.

"You can't escape," a low voice came from the darkness, seeming to come from the depths of a throat.

Alex's heart was racing, and he knew he had to get out of there as soon as possible. He turned around and ran towards the ancient castle's exit, but the forces in the darkness seemed to be stopping him. He felt an invisible resistance, making every step extremely difficult.

Just then, a silver light appeared again, illuminating his path. He saw Isabella standing at the exit, holding her staff, and she was whispering some sort of spell. A silver barrier rose in front of her.

"Run!" she shouted. "I'll block them, but time is running out!"

Alex didn't hesitate, and he rushed out of the ancient castle, running towards the mountain forest. He could hear the growling voices getting closer and closer, but Isabella's barrier seemed to be temporarily holding them back. He ran through the forest, following the mountain road, until he saw the lights of the town flickering in the distance.

He finally returned to the town, but his heart was filled with doubts. He knew that he had touched a huge secret, and behind this secret lay an ancient curse. He didn't know Isabella's true identity, nor did he know what the wolf shadows were, but he knew that he had become entangled in an adventure from which he couldn't turn back.