Shadows of the Past

Lucian's arm still burned where the hunter's silver blade had grazed him. Though the wound was healing, the pain lingered—a sharp reminder of how close he had come to death. He clenched his fist, trying to steady his thoughts.

Viktor stood beside him, watching the spot where the hunter had vanished into the night. His golden eyes were narrowed, his expression unreadable. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The only sounds were the distant hum of the city and the rhythmic pounding of Lucian's own hunger, still gnawing at him from the inside.

"She was testing us," Viktor finally said.

Lucian frowned. "Testing us for what?"

"To see how much of a threat we are. She could have killed you if she wanted to."

Lucian's jaw tightened. The idea of being hunted, of being someone's prey, sent a cold shiver down his spine.

"She moved too fast," Lucian muttered. "Faster than a human should be able to."

Viktor nodded. "Some hunters use more than just weapons. Some have enhancements, training, or… something else."

"Like magic?" Lucian asked, half-skeptical.

Viktor smirked. "Magic is real, but it's rare. Whatever she's using, we need to assume she's not alone."

Lucian exhaled slowly. The night felt heavier now. He had spent his whole life in the shadows, running, hiding, surviving—but this was different. He wasn't just running from creatures in the dark. He was part of their world now. And that meant there would always be something stronger, something deadlier, hunting him.

"Come on," Viktor said, turning toward the edge of the rooftop. "We need to move."

Lucian hesitated. "Where?"

"To meet someone who might have answers."

Without waiting for a response, Viktor leapt from the rooftop. Lucian sighed, shaking off his doubts, and followed.

They moved swiftly through the city, unseen by the humans below. Lucian was growing more comfortable with his new abilities, but he still marveled at how effortlessly Viktor moved. Every leap, every step was precise, calculated. He made it look easy.

They finally stopped outside an abandoned church on the outskirts of the city. The structure was old, its wooden doors warped and cracked. The stained glass windows were broken, the colors faded by time. It didn't look like a place that held answers.

"Who lives here?" Lucian asked.

Viktor didn't answer. He pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside. Lucian followed, his senses on high alert.

The inside of the church was just as decayed as the outside. Dust clung to the air, the scent of age and forgotten prayers thick in Lucian's nostrils. Candles flickered along the pews, casting long shadows against the walls.

Then he saw her.

A woman stood at the far end of the church, near the altar. She was tall, dressed in dark robes that draped over her form like flowing ink. Her hair was silver, but her face was youthful, untouched by time. Her eyes—deep, endless pools of violet—studied Lucian with an intensity that made his stomach twist.

"I was wondering when you'd come," she said, her voice smooth, knowing.

Viktor inclined his head slightly. "Selene."

Lucian stared. He had heard Viktor mention her once before, but he had assumed she was just another vampire. Now, standing before her, he wasn't so sure.

"You've been watching us," Viktor continued. "You knew about the hunter."

Selene smiled faintly. "I know many things."

Lucian crossed his arms. "Then tell us why a vampire hunter is after us."

Selene's gaze flicked to him, and for a brief moment, he felt like she was looking through him, into the depths of his very being.

"She is not just any hunter," Selene said finally. "She is part of an order that has existed for centuries. And she is here because of you."

Lucian stiffened. "Me?"

Selene nodded. "You are different, Lucian. Your blood calls to something greater. The hunters know it. And they fear it."

Lucian's mind raced. Ever since his transformation, he had felt different—stronger, faster. But this? This was something else entirely.

"What does that mean?" he asked. "What's in my blood?"

Selene's expression darkened. "That… is what you must discover."

Lucian glanced at Viktor, who remained silent, his face unreadable. Frustration built inside him. He was tired of half-truths, of secrets. If he was being hunted because of what he was, he needed answers.

"Then tell me where to start."

Selene turned toward the altar and placed a hand on the cold stone. "The past," she said softly. "If you want to understand what you are, you must first understand where you come from."

Lucian clenched his fists. He had spent his whole life trying to escape the past.

Now, it seemed, he had no choice but to face it.

Lucian's fists remained clenched as Selene's words echoed in his mind. The past. The one thing he had spent his entire life trying to forget. Now, it seemed, the answers to his future lay buried within it.

He exhaled sharply. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

Selene turned from the altar, her violet eyes gleaming in the dim candlelight. "You must walk the path of your ancestors. Their blood runs through you, Lucian. It carries memories, power… and a curse."

Lucian frowned. "A curse?"

Viktor stepped forward, arms crossed. "Enough with the riddles, Selene. If you have answers, give them."

Selene's smirk was faint but knowing. "Patience, Viktor. Knowledge is a weapon best wielded by those prepared to use it." Her gaze returned to Lucian. "But since you are so eager… there is a place where you may begin."

She extended a pale hand, and from the folds of her dark robe, she produced a small vial filled with a deep crimson liquid. Lucian instinctively recoiled, the scent hitting him before he even fully understood what it was.

Blood.

His hunger surged, the beast inside him stirring. But this wasn't just any blood. He could feel something… different about it. Ancient. Powerful.

"What is this?" he asked warily.

"Drink it," Selene said. "And you will see."

Lucian hesitated, glancing at Viktor, who remained silent, his expression unreadable. He didn't trust Selene—not fully—but something in him, something primal, called out to the liquid in that vial.

Slowly, he reached for it, his fingers trembling slightly as he uncorked the vial. The scent alone was intoxicating. He pressed it to his lips and took a cautious sip.

The moment the blood touched his tongue, his body seized. Fire raced through his veins, his vision blurred, and the world around him vanished.

Darkness.

And then—

A flash of silver armor. A battlefield bathed in moonlight. Screams of warriors, the clang of steel, the scent of spilled blood.

Lucian was no longer in the ruined church. He was somewhere else. Sometime else.

A warrior stood before him, clad in dark armor etched with symbols that pulsed with eerie red light. His face was obscured by a helmet, but his voice rang out—deep, commanding, and familiar.

"The blood of our kind is a gift… and a curse."

Lucian gasped, staggering back. The vision flickered, shifting.

Now he saw a castle, torches burning along its stone walls. A woman stood on a balcony, her long hair whipping in the wind. She was speaking… no, pleading… but her words were lost in the roar of an approaching storm.

Lightning flashed, illuminating her face—her eyes, violet like Selene's, filled with sorrow.

"Lucian," she whispered. "Remember who you are."

Pain shot through his skull, and the vision shattered. He was back in the church, collapsing to his knees as the empty vial slipped from his fingers, shattering on the stone floor.

His breath came in ragged gasps. His heart thundered in his chest. But the images, the voices—they still burned in his mind.

Viktor was at his side instantly. "Lucian? What did you see?"

Lucian swallowed hard, the metallic taste of blood still lingering on his tongue. He looked up at Selene, who watched him with silent expectation.

"I saw…" He struggled to find the words. "A warrior. A battle. And… a woman."

Selene nodded, as if this was exactly what she had expected. "Then the past is beginning to awaken in you."

Lucian stared at her. "What does it mean?"

Selene's expression was unreadable. "It means your journey has only just begun."

Lucian's body still trembled from the experience, but deep inside him, something had shifted. He didn't understand it yet, but one thing was certain.

He couldn't run from the past anymore.

He had to face it.

To be continued…