CHAPTER 5: Blood and Curses
The battlefield was a graveyard in the making.
Bodies—witches and vampires alike—littered the blood-soaked ground.
Smoke from enchanted flames curled through the air, mixing with the metallic stench of death.
Eloise's hands trembled around her staff, but she forced herself to stay steady.
This war was far from over.
Then—
A piercing, unholy screech split the night.
Every witch froze.
Even the vampires stiffened, their bodies straightening instinctively.
Then they smiled.
He had arrived.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
He moved like liquid, each step slow and precise. His crimson cloak dragged across the ground, untouched by the blood pooling beneath him.
His eyes, as dark as the abyss, held a wicked glint.
Kastiel.
The fourth-highest-ranked vampire.
And unlike the others—he did not kill recklessly.
He calculated. He played with his prey.
Eloise's breath hitched.
This was bad.
Even Lillian, who never showed fear, gripped her dagger tighter.
"Eloise, we need to retreat—now."
Kastiel smiled, fangs gleaming.
"Retreat?" His voice was silk and venom. "How disappointing."
Before anyone could react, he disappeared.
No footsteps. No sound. Just gone.
Then—
A sickening crunch.
Eloise turned just in time to see a witch drop to her knees, clutching her chest.
Her ribcage had been caved in with a single blow.
Kastiel appeared behind her, wiping blood from his knuckles.
"Pathetic."
Lillian cursed under her breath.
They had to stop him—now.
Curses and Consequences
The witches began chanting.
Their voices blended into a haunting, ancient melody. A spell as old as time.
Kastiel frowned. He recognized this magic.
A binding curse.
He moved to attack—
But the air around him thickened.
Invisible chains wrapped around his body, growing tighter with every breath he took.
His movements slowed.
His smirk faded.
"Hah…" He exhaled, amused. "You think this will hold me?"
Roland stepped forward, eyes glowing with raw magic.
"It is not meant to hold you."
Kastiel's expression darkened. Something was wrong.
His skin began to burn.
Not like silver. Not like fire.
This was a curse meant to rot the soul.
Kastiel gritted his teeth. These witches…
They weren't weak after all.
With one final glance at the battlefield, he sighed.
Then he disappeared again.
Eloise knew what that meant.
He would be back.
And next time—he would not come alone.
The witches couldn't hold the spell much longer.
The air vibrated with magic, the pressure almost unbearable.
Eloise felt it crushing her bones, squeezing her lungs.
Her fingers trembled around her staff. Too much magic. Too fast.
She could feel her strength draining with every second.
Then—
The spell shattered.
A shockwave rippled through the battlefield, sending witches and vampires sprawling.
Eloise hit the ground hard, the air knocked from her chest.
Her vision blurred.
The world spun.
Lillian coughed beside her, blood trickling down her lip. "That… didn't hold him long."
Eloise tried to push herself up, but her limbs felt like lead.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
The spell had drained them too much.
Then—
A low chuckle.
Eloise's stomach turned cold.
He was back.
A figure stepped through the smoke.
Kastiel.
He was unscathed.
Not even a single burn from the curse.
His cloak barely ruffled, as if he hadn't just fought an entire coven.
His smile widened.
"Tired already?"
Then he moved.
Too fast.
One second he was standing still—the next, he was in front of Roland.
The witch barely had time to react before Kastiel's claws plunged into his stomach.
A horrible, wet sound filled the air.
Roland gasped.
Blood bloomed through his robes.
Eloise screamed. "NO—"
Kastiel ripped his hand free.
Roland collapsed.
His eyes were wide, unseeing.
His blood dripped from Kastiel's fingers.
The battlefield went silent.
The witches froze, horror-stricken.
Even the vampires watched in eerie stillness.
Kastiel sighed, shaking the blood from his hand like it was nothing.
"I told you." He tilted his head. "Pathetic."
Then he turned his gaze to Eloise.
And smiled.