Blood Sorcery

As Elliot continued eating, Luna suddenly took note of the time—only an hour and thirty minutes remained before their free time came to an end.

Her gaze shifted to his meal, assessing how much he had eaten, and a sense of satisfaction settled over her. He had eaten enough. Knowing all too well that his appetite had been lacking lately, she had no intention of letting him leave on an empty stomach. At the very least, she would ensure he had something to sustain him for the rest of the day.

As he set the box of his meal down on the corner of the stool, Luna’s eyes flickered to the remaining food—nearly half of it still untouched. Though there was enough left to make up a decent portion, she knew he wouldn’t bring himself to eat anymore, at least not right away. He remained silent, offering no explanation or excuse, which led her to assume he planned to finish it after a short break. Or perhaps, he intended to take it home with him. Either way, she didn’t press him, merely observing as he quietly settled into his own thoughts while chewing.

As he reached for the bottle of smoothie and took a slow sip, Luna transfixed her gaze on him while her internal power surged with quiet intensity.

Her unwavering stare bore into him until, at last, he blinked—softly, sluggishly—his eyelids growing heavy with sudden drowsiness. A wave of sleep threatened to pull him under, just as she had intended. Time was slipping away too quickly, and with so much left for her to handle, she needed him to succumb to slumber right then and there.

The moment he finished swallowing that single sip of his smoothie, both his mind and body surrendered to the sudden slumber weighing on his eyelids, plunging him into a deep sleep. As his consciousness slipped away, his body lurched forward, but before he could collapse onto the floor, Luna moved swiftly. With effortless grace, she caught him with one arm, steadying his weight as if it were nothing. At the same time, her other hand shot out, snatching the smoothie just before it could slip from his grasp and splatter to the floor.

She carefully set his drink on the stool before rising to her feet.

With practiced ease, she bent down, slipping her arms beneath his legs and lifting him into a bridal carry.

Holding him securely against her, she turned toward the only seating option available—a two-seater white sofa pressed against the wall. The university had long since deemed a selected number of sofas unnecessary, and this particular one had been tucked away in a room that had fallen into disuse. It stood as the sole piece of comfort in an otherwise forgotten space, making it the perfect place to set him down and carry on with what she intended to do.

She lowered him onto the sofa with careful precision, ensuring he was comfortable before leaning over to check his temperature. Pressing her cool hand against his forehead, she frowned slightly as she realized she wasn’t particularly skilled at this. Still, she was fairly certain he wasn’t running a fever. With contentment, she reached for his unbandaged hand, gently grasping his wrist before pushing his sleeve up and exposing the bare skin beneath.

She brought his wrist to her lips and pressed them lightly against his skin before inhaling deeply, attempting to decipher his condition through his scent.

However, his intoxicatingly sweet aroma was too overpowering, masking any trace of his health’s state.

Frustration flickered through her as it left her with no other choice. With a resigned yet deliberate motion, she parted her lips and allowed her fangs to pierce his skin.

The moment her fangs pierced his smooth, milky skin, she felt the warmth of his blood seep onto her tongue.

She drank in slow and measured sips, mindful of her restraint—too much, and even the little bits of control she clung to so desperately would slip through her fingers. The taste was dangerously intoxicating, but she forced herself to stop before she lost herself completely. Pulling away, she ran her tongue over the puncture wounds with her touch both gentle and precise. In an instant, the twin marks vanished and the skin was left flawless, as though she had never laid a claim upon it at all.

As the lingering taste of his blood coated her tongue, the realization settled heavily upon her—he was far sicker than she had ever imagined.

The depth of his illness was far more alarming than she had envisioned, and a sense of urgency gripped her.

She couldn't allow the effects of his cancer to progress unchecked. She had to act, to find a way to slow its advance, even if it only meant temporarily. Until she uncovered a healing spell capable of curing such an affliction.

But she had never healed anyone before—not truly.

There had been only one instance, and even then, it hadn’t been her doing but Harry’s. The memory lingered with a stark reminder of her inexperience. If she was to find a way to heal him, she would have no choice but to confront Harry about it. But for now, she had to act with what little she could manage. The only option available to her was to leave a mark on his body just like a temporary seal that would halt the spread of his cancer before it could advance any further.

Luna hummed in quiet contemplation; her gaze fixed on Elliot as he lay in a deep, unshaken slumber.

He hadn’t stirred, not even when her fangs had pierced his skin—a sign of just how exhausted he truly was.

But as she studied his peaceful face more closely, her attention drifted to the faint shadows beneath his eyes.

Subtle yet undeniable were the telltale signs of sleep deprivation etched onto his features and denoted what she had already begun to suspect—he hadn’t been getting nearly enough rest either.

Luna gently rubbed her thumb over the skin of his wrist, lingering for a moment before lowering his hand back down.

Her mind raced with possibilities as she prepared to place a barrier against the relentless spread of his cancer.

Just moments ago, she had been uncertain, but now—through instinct and determination—she had finally devised a way to make it work without relying on the full extent of her sealed demonic powers.

Luna settled beside him; her movements deliberate as she carefully lifted his shirt just enough to reveal his abdomen. The sight that met her eyes made her chest tighten—his skin, once meant to be as pure and white as freshly fallen snow, was now sickly pale and almost translucent. His frame was far too thin with his bones starkly visible beneath the surface. A weary sigh escaped her lips as she ruffled her hair in frustration, the weight of regret settling heavily upon her. If only Lunasia had been awake if only she hadn’t remained dormant while Luna lingered at the back of her mind and bound to her existence as she had been from the very beginning.

Perhaps then, she could have prevented this.

But fate, as always, was merciless and unpredictable whilst weaving its cruel designs beyond anyone’s control.

Luna exhaled another weary sigh before bringing her index finger to her lips, biting down with enough force to pierce the skin. A bead of crimson welled up, pooling at the surface before she guided her finger to his abdomen. With slow, precise strokes, she traced an ancient, forbidden spell—one known only to her—using her own blood as ink.

As she inscribed the final three lines, hushed voices of the unknown whispered each word in an ancient tongue like the murmuring of secrets veiled in riddles rather than commands. The crimson script, smooth against Elliot’s pale skin, shimmered and glowed like stardust against the frailty of his form. Then, as the last word was breathed into existence by hushed tones of the blood spell, the written blood liquefied, shifting and pulsing before transforming into a swarm of luminous crimson butterflies.

One by one, they fluttered in ethereal silence before dissolving into his flesh, vanishing beneath his skin to weave their unseen magic. The spell had been set, its forces now spreading through his body, and anchoring itself deep within to halt the merciless grip of his affliction.

As the last of the crimson butterflies melted into his skin, vanishing without a trace, Luna prepared to seal the spell.

She bit down on her lower lip, hard enough to draw fresh blood until the taste of iron filled her mouth.

Without hesitation, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and leaned in to press her lips—stained with her own essence—against the warmth of his abdomen.

For a moment, she remained still, her breath mingling with the quiet hum of magic settling into place.

Then, as she pulled away, her gaze lingered on the spot where her lips had touched. A deep, inky crimson imprint of a crown emerged just above his navel with its intricate shape forming like a brand of power. But as promptly as it appeared, it faded into nothingness and disappeared beneath his skin, leaving behind only the silent promise of the spell now taking hold.

With the spell now fully cast, there was no longer any chance for the cancer to spread, not even if some deceitful witch attempted to weave dark magic against him. The barrier had been set like an unbreakable force anchoring his body in defiance of sickness.

Now that he bore the mark of her ‘blood sorcery,’ he was shielded—not just from the merciless grip of his illness, but from any other affliction that might dare threaten him. No disease, no curse, no insidious trick would be able to take root within him.

He was now, safe and protected.

But even the strongest magic had its limits.

And once this spell began to wane, the shield she had woven around him would start to fade.

It was only a matter of time… but she’ll be there to reignite its power the instant it faltered.

Noticing the slight tremor in his body as he shivered in his sleep, Luna gently pulled his shirt back down and shielded him from the cold.

A fleeting thought crossed her mind—perhaps she should let him sleep, allow him to recover from the exhaustion that had surely piled up over the past weeks. He needed the sleep he unwillingly lost.

But then again, letting him sleep through his remaining classes would be unusual. If she didn’t wake him, it might raise questions. With a quiet sigh, she debated her next move.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Luna reached a decision. He needed to rest far more than he needed to sit through his remaining classes.

His body was already at its limit.

If Elliot questioned her actions, then, she could simply say that he had fainted and wouldn’t wake up no matter how much she tried. With that reasoning settled, she allowed him to sleep peacefully and undisturbed.

Letting out another quiet sigh, Luna brushed back a stray lock of hair before rising to her feet. She moved gracefully and settled onto the padded arm of the sofa with her gaze drifting toward the window.

Outside, the wind had begun to stir, rustling through the world beyond, while the golden sunlight streamed through the glass. As it touched her face, her eyes appeared sharp and whitish-silver, gleaming like the edge of a finely honed blade.

As Luna sat there while gazing out the window, she mulled over the thought of letting Elliot sleep until the university day came to an end.

A soft breath of cold mist escaped her lips as her fingers idly threaded through his silky locks and offered him whatever comfort she could. He would need it—after all, the spell’s effects would leave him drowsy and utterly drained when he would eventually wake up.

Then suddenly, Luna's gaze shifted to her coat, now resting on the piano stool, likely having slipped off when she had gathered Elliot into her arms.

With a quiet sigh, she rose to her feet, moving toward it with silent steps. Picking it up, she let the fabric slip between her fingers for a moment before turning back to him. Returning to his side, she carefully draped the coat over his body and ensured he was shielded from the chill creeping into the room. Even if she were to close the windows, the room would remain cold and embraced with the forewarning of the impending evening rain that would soon descend.

Luna slipped her hands into her pockets as she made her way toward the open window. Standing before it, she gazed out at the sky, where swirling clouds stretched across the horizon, painted in an array of surreal hues.

The shifting colors mirrored the thoughts surfacing in her mind as she silently contemplated her next course of action.