Whisper Of The Crimson Moon

      Several seconds passed before you realized the pressure of magic around you had eased—if only slightly. You were exhausted, and denying it would be pointless. Still, you forced yourself to straighten, to meet Elizabeth’s glassy, distant gaze.       She looked away. A snap of her fingers. The runes on the altar shifted—darkening into the color of dried blood. Their pulse slowed, heavy… suffocating. The air thickened, pressing against your chest.       A sudden wave of magic hurled you backward. When you looked up, you understood. The world had changed. You were… seeing it again.       The settlement of Count Rein. A star-filled sky. The scarlet moon hung low, as if foretelling something. Its light flooded the rooftops of small homes, casting long shadows that danced like ghosts. The scent of smoke from hearths and damp earth after rain filled your lungs. Birds cried somewhere above—until, suddenly, they fell silent. Something was wrong.       In the distance—three figures approached your home.Slowly. Deliberately. “Velmonds…”       You knew them instantly. Count Walter, cane in hand, face unreadable, eyes fixed somewhere beyond you. At his right—Countess Liliana. A necklace of crimson rubies at her throat, lips pressed thin, the faintest hint of fangs behind them.       And beside her—small, almost stumbling to keep pace—Elizabeth. A monster… wearing the shape of a ten-year-old child. You tried to move—Too late. The world shattered.       The walls of your home were drenched in blood. Your mother screamed. Your father’s voice broke through it, desperate: “Run!” “Elizabeth…”       Her crimson eyes looked at you. Fearful. Obedient. Her small hands trembled around the dagger. Her parents watched her with pride. And she—She was turning pale. “It was necessary…”       The illusion whispered in her voice. The blade fell. A flash. Blood spilled over her hands, soaking into the earth. You didn’t even have time to understand before something slammed into your shoulders— “Leon! Run!”       Your mother screamed in your face. Then—another cry. Your father dropped to his knees, his face twisted with hatred. The whispers grew louder. “You always knew, Leon… The Velmonds are your fate. Your weakness. Your guilt.”       The world began to fade. Colors drained. Sounds vanished. Until only your heartbeat remained. Fast. Violent. Your breath came in ragged gasps. Tears burned your eyes, trailing down your cheeks in hot, salt lines. Your hand trembled like in fever. Cold sweat clung to your skin. “Why…”       You didn’t even know what answer you wanted. Your mind clung to one image. Three vampires. Smiling. Standing over your parents’ bodies. And taking you in.       Elizabeth didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Her hands trembled. Her legs threatened to give out—but she remained standing, watching you break. A Shadow straightened before her. “There is no need for this, my lady. Give him to us. He will gain immortality. Bind him—so he will love you forever.”       She stepped toward you. Slowly. Carefully. Then dropped beside you, wrapping her cold arms around your body. They trembled—not from warmth, but from something deeper. For a moment—The runes dimmed. The illusion shattered. “I didn’t know they were your parents, Leon… And even if I did… I didn’t think it would destroy you… destroy us…”       Her voice broke. “I’m sorry… Leon… please… forgive me…”       She cried openly now. Tears fell onto your shoulder, soaking into the fabric of your uniform. The scent of salt and iron mixed with the rot of the dungeon. Her body shook with sobs— While something darker twisted beneath them. If he won’t forgive… the ritual will make him love me. He will be mine… even if he breaks.       You lifted your head. In a shard of broken mirror—you saw yourself. Eyes dim. Like embers buried under ash. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner…? Why did you hide it…?”       The runes flared again—blinding. Magic surged wildly. Pressure crushed in from all sides. Your parents’ screams returned, louder. The smell of blood sharpened. Elizabeth looked at you. Her face twisted in pain. In guilt. “Because I was afraid of losing you. Like now. I love you, Leon… more than my own life.”       The illusion dissolved. Slowly. Leaving only echoes. But the damage—Was already done. He will break… but he will be mine.       The thought whispered through her mind as she turned away. You barely managed to push yourself up when the magic surged again. Stronger. The runes darkened further—black-red now. Their pulse stopped completely. The air filled again with ozone. And blood.       You took a stance—instinctively. Even knowing—You wouldn’t survive another fight. But then—A scarlet flash pierced through your body. And you understood. This was something else.       On the altar—Gart lay. His body torn, bleeding from a dozen wounds. His face pale. His eyes—pleading. His hand reached toward you. Above him loomed a Bloodshade, its twisted fangs bared in something like a grin. “Choose. Save your comrade—and break the ritual… or continue—for love.”       Gart tried to speak— A scream cut him off. The creature’s claw pierced his arm, preparing to tear it away. “Leon… help me… please… We… we’re brothers, remember? The fires… the cold nights… the talks… when I waited for the healer… we shared bread…”       You froze. Your heart clenched. Memories crashed over you—The front lines. Cold nights by the fire. Gart—quiet, steady—sharing tobacco, telling stories of his family. Saving you more than once. “I have to save him… I owe him my life…”       You stepped forward. Then again. And then—Stopped. You couldn’t move. Something held you in place. “If you save him, the ritual will break. The magic will go out of control—and kill me. You will lose me forever, Leon. I will fall into the dark. And what do you think will happen to you… when my parents find out?” “She speaks truth. Your humanity is weakness. Abandon it. Abandon them. She is your future.”       The whispers overlapped—Then came a scream. A wet sound. Gart’s severed arm hit the ground at your feet. Then another. You wanted to move—You couldn’t. Tears poured down your face.       You screamed—Watching your friend being torn apart. Blood splashed across the altar. His voice echoed in your skull. Rage. Love. Guilt. All twisted into something unbearable. Saving Gart meant betraying Elizabeth—the one who saved you. Not saving him—Meant betraying yourself. “I… agree…”       You whispered. Dropping to your knees. The screams stopped. But they kept echoing in your mind. “What do you agree to, Leon?” “…to be saved…”       You lifted your head. Looked at her. “Please… Elizabeth… save me…”       For a moment— She almost laughed. Joy—raw, overwhelming—flashed across her face. She had done it. What she hadn’t even dared to think about months ago— Now stood before her.       You. Broken. Empty. Begging her to save you. You chose her. You abandoned him. “One more step… and he will be yours forever, my lady.”       The Shadows whispered, circling you. Above— From the shadows of the stairway—Walter and Liliana watched. Their silhouettes barely visible in the dim light. Their crimson eyes gleamed. “I can’t believe she actually did it.”       Walter muttered, wiping his cane. A smear of blood darkened its handle. “That’s exactly how she’s like us.”       Liliana replied calmly. “She’ll sacrifice anything… to reach her goal.”       The night closed in. The scarlet moon vanished behind clouds. Silence swallowed the dungeon. Only the faint whisper of runes remained— Pulsing softly. Like something irreversible—Already set in motion.