Celestial_entity_

As humans, animals, and even the Earth itself begin to mutate and gain consciousness, a hidden conspiracy unravels, revealing Aurelia’s true origins and the dark forces manipulating the New Age. Alongside Lucian, a vampire with a mysterious lineage, and a cast of allies and enemies, Aurelia must navigate a world where nothing is as it seems. But as the planet awakens, so do the true villains—those who hide behind masks of virtue, their intentions far more sinister than anyone could imagine.

P.S The cover is not mine :)

The Vampire's Obsession

Kael woke to the taste of blood and the scent of burning herbs.

His vision swam as he forced his eyes open, the dim glow of a lantern revealing rough-hewn stone walls. A cave, then. Somewhere hidden. The Shard was gone from his hand, but its echo lingered—a phantom pain pulsing beneath his skin like a second heartbeat.

Aurelia's voice was flat, stripped of its usual sharpness. She sat cross-legged beside him, cleaning her daggers with methodical precision. In the flickering light, the shadows beneath her eyes looked deeper, her face drawn.

"Barely," Kael croaked. His throat felt raw, as if he'd been screaming. "How long was I out?"

Three—? Kael tried to sit up, but his body refused to obey. Pain lanced through his chest, and he fell back with a gasp.

Aurelia didn't move to help him. "Don't bother. Your ribs are still knitting back together." She tilted her head, studying him like a puzzle she couldn't solve. "You nearly died."

The words hung between them, heavy with unspoken accusation.

Kael swallowed against the dryness in his throat. "The Shard—"

Aurelia's fingers tightened around her dagger. "Vanished when you passed out. Poof. Like it was never there." Her lips twisted into something too bitter to be a smile. "Guess it got what it wanted from you."

The cave entrance darkened as Lucian stepped inside, his crimson eyes gleaming in the low light. He took one look at Kael and exhaled sharply through his nose. "You're awake."

"Apparently." Kael tried again to push himself upright, this time managing to prop himself against the cave wall. Every movement sent fresh waves of pain radiating through his body. "The Veil?"

"Regrouping." Lucian tossed a waterskin at him. "Their leader retreated, but they'll be back. Especially now that they know what you can do."

Kael caught the waterskin with trembling hands. The water was cold, blissfully so against his parched throat. "What did I do?"

Aurelia and Lucian exchanged a glance.

"You don't remember?" Lucian asked.

Fragments flashed through Kael's mind—light, screaming, the Veil leader's mask cracking—but nothing concrete. Just pain. And the overwhelming sense that something had reached into him, taken something he couldn't name.

Aurelia stood abruptly, sheathing her daggers. "Doesn't matter. What matters is that we're down a weapon, and the Veil knows we're coming."

Lucian's jaw tightened. "We need to move. They'll track us here soon enough."

Kael forced himself to his feet, biting back a groan as his muscles protested. His legs shook, but they held. Barely. "Where do we go now?"

Aurelia paused at the cave entrance, her silhouette framed by the pale dawn light. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, but edged with something dangerous.

Chapter 58: The Cost of Power