The monster's body hadn't just fallen—it had unraveled.
Kieran Vale stood in silence, watching the last strands of blackened flesh dissolve into motes of dust and vanish. The only trace left behind was the coppery scent in the air and the low hum in his bloodstream—a thrum that hadn't stopped since the Codex awakened.
He had just killed something no longer human.
And survived.
His breathing slowed as a new alert blinked across his vision:
[Skill Acquired: Bloodweave (Level 1)]– Channel your own blood into physical constructs: weapons, armor, and projectiles.– Cost: 10 HP per use– Efficiency determined by Magic stat
[Codex Note: Your blood is your strength. Wield it wisely.]
The blood dagger in his hand trembled, then melted away into vapor, absorbed back into his skin. There was no wound, yet he knew some of his vitality had been spent.
Ten points of health—gone like a whisper.
Selene, the dark-haired woman who had appeared moments ago like a ghost in crimson armor, observed him with an inscrutable gaze.
"You didn't hesitate," she murmured.
Kieran turned to her. "It was either kill or die."
A small smile curved her lips, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Most flinch. You embraced it. The Codex responds to will, not kindness."
"Are you... like me?" he asked. "Codex-bonded?"
"No," she said calmly. "I'm beyond that. My time came and went eons ago. I am here now because you were chosen. The Codex doesn't make random selections."
Kieran frowned. "What the hell is the Codex even for? Why me?"
Selene's gaze turned skyward, toward the blood-red moon that now hung beside Earth's original one. "The Codex is not of this world. It is a tool of survival... and judgment."
She looked back at him, her expression sharpening.
"And you? You were chosen because you are neither predator nor prey. You are both."
A boom echoed through the building—concrete splintering, metal groaning.
Selene's head snapped toward the window. "More are coming."
Kieran moved to the door. "Then we run?"
"Run," Selene echoed, almost amused. "If you wish to die tired."
Kieran hesitated. "What would you have me do? Fight them all?"
"You have blood. You have skill. That is enough." Her tone became firm. "But make no mistake, Kieran Vale. You are not yet strong enough to survive the night on your own."
He swallowed. "Then help me."
Selene smiled again—but this time, something behind her golden eyes burned with ancient violence.
"I am not here to hold your hand, child. I am here to see if you rise—or if you break."
Another boom. Then a scream. Not distant—this one came from just down the hall.
Kieran bolted from the room.
—
The dorm hallway had transformed into a war zone.
Blood painted the walls in smears. One door was off its hinges, another had been torn apart from the inside. Screams echoed from below—students fleeing, others fighting, and some... begging.
At the stairwell, a girl fought for her life. She was maybe nineteen, wielding a snapped-off broom handle as a spear. Her uniform was torn, face bruised, but her eyes burned with determination as she kept a monstrous figure at bay.
It snarled—a hunched, hulking abomination with twisted muscles and bone protrusions from its back. Its mouth dripped black saliva. A newly mutated variant.
She jabbed the broomstick forward—but it snapped in half.
The beast lunged.
"MOVE!" Kieran roared.
He didn't think.
His blood erupted from his palm, forming a jagged lance mid-air. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it forward.
The crimson spear pierced the monster's neck in a burst of gore.
The girl stumbled back, eyes wide. "W-What…?"
Kieran stood between her and the creature's twitching corpse. The Codex chimed again.
[Bloodweave used.][HP reduced: 10][Enemy slain. +60 XP.][Level up: Level 3 reached.][2 stat points awarded.]
Kieran's vision blurred slightly, but he stood tall.
Behind him, Selene's voice floated in.
"Two kills. And already you're adapting. Impressive."
Kieran ignored her and turned to the girl. "Are you hurt?"
She blinked at him. "No, I... you saved me."
"I'll need your help if we're going to make it out," Kieran said. "Do you have a name?"
"...Riven. Riven Amari."
"Then stick close, Riven."
—
Together, they made their way down three floors—fighting twice more.
Kieran's blood was stretched thinner with each use of his skill. His HP ticked down, stamina lagging. Riven proved herself useful—not awakened, but sharp. She improvised weapons, scouted ahead, and didn't panic.
Selene kept her distance. Watching. Judging.
And then the exit came into view.
The front lobby of the dorm building was drenched in darkness. Emergency lights flickered above blood-slicked tile. Outside, beyond the glass doors, the campus burned. Screams filled the air. Distant howls. Sirens. And worse.
A new window appeared in Kieran's HUD.
[Blood Codex Notice][Zone Status: Collapse Imminent][First Bloodmoon will fully rise in 15 minutes.]
[Tip: Find shelter. Form a group. Strengthen. Or perish.]
"Fifteen minutes," Kieran murmured.
"What happens in fifteen?" Riven asked.
He glanced at her. "The Codex says we die if we're not ready."
She gritted her teeth. "Then let's be ready."
Selene stepped forward now, the hem of her cloak brushing against shattered glass.
"There is one location nearby that may survive the night," she said. "A sanctuary. Not built by human hands."
Kieran's eyes narrowed. "Why mention it now?"
"Because you are no longer prey," Selene replied. "You have earned the right to choose."
She pointed eastward, toward the forest beyond the campus.
"Head there. If you make it before the moon reaches its zenith... you will find your first gate."
Kieran clenched his fists, blood humming beneath his skin.
"Then let's move."
—
As Kieran and Riven ran into the burning night, with Selene drifting behind them like a shadow, the world trembled under the rising Bloodmoon.
And deep within the Blood Codex, ancient runes began to stir—recognizing their chosen vessel had taken his first steps toward something far more dangerous than survival.