Chapter 6: Bloodstained Truth

The air was thick with the scent of blood and something ancient, something rotten yet powerful. Smoke curled from the scorched stone of the ruined tower, the aftermath of the attack still clinging to the walls like a ghostly whisper. Evelyn's heart thundered in her chest as she stood between the two men who had upended her entire existence.

Ronan's fury was perceivable, a storm brewing just beneath the surface. His breathing was uneven, his hands placed at his injured sides as he glared at Damien with pure hatred.

Why didn't you tell her? His voice was low, sharp and dangerous….Damien exhaled slowly, wiping specks of blood from his sleeve. "Because she wasn't ready to know."

Evelyn's nails dug into her palms. I'm standing right here, Damien. Stop talking like I don't exist. She turned to Ronan. What other truth? What are you both hiding from me?

Ronan's jaw tightened. Tell her, Damien. Or I will.

Damien bent his head slightly, studying Evelyn with that same unreadable expression that always left her unsettled. Then, in a voice so cold it sent chills down her spine, he whispered, "You are the curse, Evelyn."

The world seemed to still. She felt her breath hitch, the ground beneath her feet suddenly unsteady. "What… What do you mean?"

Damien stepped forward, his towering presence suffocating. Your existence was never meant to happen. You shouldn't be here. And now, the consequences of your birth are unraveling.

Evelyn's throat tightened as though she's choking. "That's a lie."

It's not, Ronan said, his voice grim. The creature that attacked us tonight, it was sent to erase you before the prophecy unfolds.

Evelyn's body went rigid.

The prophecy…

The letter flashed in her mind. The truth is a lie. A lie meant to protect you from what you really are.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she turned to Damien. What prophecy?

Damien's eyes darkened, the amusement gone from his face. "One that speaks of death. One that says your existence will destroy the balance between our world and yours."

Her pulse spiked. That's impossible.

Evelyn's voice was filled with frustration. "Then tell me why that creature keeps hunting me, Damien. Tell me why it won't stop.

Damien let out a slow, humorless chuckle. Because it knows the truth. And if you knew it too, you'd beg me to kill you myself.

Evelyn felt the blood drain from her face.

Before she could respond, a low growl echoed through the ruins.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose.

It was back.

Damien's entire body tensed. Ronan unsheathed a dagger from his belt. Evelyn turned sharply toward the darkness, her breath shallow. The creature emerged out of the shadows, its glowing red eyes locked onto her. But this time…

It wasn't alone.

Another set of red eyes appeared. Then another.

A dozen figures emerged from the darkness—black, muscular bodies blending into the night, their twisted forms hunched and ready to strike. Their elongated limbs flexed, sharp claws scraping against the ruined stone floor.

Evelyn's breath hitched. There are more of them?

They weren't sent to kill us, Ronan murmured. They were sent for you.

The realization made her stomach hurt.

Damien's eyes flaring. "No. Not just her." His voice was low, deadly. "This is a message."

Evelyn's heart pounded. A message from who?

Damien didn't answer. Instead, his fingers flexed, his fangs elongating as his crimson eyes glowed in the dark.

One of the creatures lunged.

Damien caught it mid air, twisting its neck in one smooth motion. A sickening snap echoed through the air before he tossed the lifeless body to the ground. But the others didn't hesitate. They charged.

Ronan moved like a shadow, his blade slicing through the air with precision. He cut through two creatures effortlessly, their bodies collapsing into a pool of inky black liquid.

Evelyn stumbled backward, her mind racing. She had no weapon. No way to fight back.

A creature lunged toward her.

Damien was there in an instant, grabbing her waist and yanking her against him. "Stay close," he growled into her ear before spinning her away from an incoming strike.

The battle was chaos. Blood and shadows swirled. Ronan fought with ruthless efficiency, his dagger flashing. Damien moved like a predator, his fangs sinking into flesh, tearing through his enemies with ease.

Evelyn could barely process it all, the way Damien shielded her, the way Ronan fought like a man possessed. But through the chaos, something caught her eye.

One of the creatures wasn't attacking. It stood back, watching her.

And then… it spoke.

"You were never supposed to live."

Evelyn's mouth wide open.

The creature's voice was hollow, echoing like whispers in a graveyard.

"She will find you soon, and when she does… you will beg for death."

Evelyn's blood turned to ice.

Before she could react, Ronan's dagger sliced through the creature, silencing it forever.

But its words remained, burned into her mind.

Damien grabbed her wrist. "We need to go."

Evelyn barely registered his words. "Who… Who was it talking about?"

Damien didn't answer. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and whispered, "You don't want to know."

And somehow, she knew…

He was lying.

 ….Continue...