Chapter 3 – The Hunter's Oath
The moon still hung above Hollowfen, pale and unyielding.
Selene stood before the shack, one hand hovering over the door as she steadied her breath. The air was thick with the stench of burnt herbs and decaying magic.
When she finally pushed the door open, it groaned like a dying thing.
Inside, the room was drenched in shadow. Symbols of blood and ash were drawn along the walls — spirals, runes, and circles that pulsed faintly with violet light. Candles burned with black flame, their wax dripping upward instead of down.
Selene stepped cautiously inside, her crimson eyes scanning every corner. Her senses flared — the faint metallic taste of magic on the air, the heartbeat of something not alive but still present.
"Witchcraft," she whispered, her voice a razor in the silence.
She moved through the room, boots crunching against salt lines and crushed bones. The markings grew thicker the deeper she went — sigils of summoning and sacrifice.
Then she stopped.
A shadow shifted in the far corner.
Selene raised her hand instantly, red energy sparking from her palm. "Show yourself," she commanded.
The shape trembled, then a voice spoke — frail, ancient, yet calm.
"If you're looking for Gus,"
"you're too late."
Selene narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"
The shadow drifted forward, taking form — an old woman wrapped in tattered robes, her eyes faintly glowing blue. Her body shimmered as though she weren't entirely of this world.
"I am his grandmother," she said softly. "Or what remains of her."
Selene lowered her hand slightly, though the red light still pulsed at her fingertips. "What do you mean the witches have claimed him?"
The old woman's eyes darkened. "Gus was born cursed. His blood was never pure human. I was once a Witch of the Night — long ago, before I turned away from their ways. My daughter—his mother—ran with me to save him. Because in our coven, every male child is condemned."
Selene frowned, confusion rippling through her voice. "Condemned? But only women carry witch's blood. That's always been the law of magic."
A ghostly chuckle escaped the old woman's throat, dry and echoing.
"That is what the witches tell the world. But it isn't true."
"Males can carry our power. In rare cases, stronger than any female ever born."
"That's why they are killed—sacrificed before they can grow into what the coven fears most."
Selene's eyes widened as the pieces began to fit together. "So you saved him… you and your daughter fled."
The grandmother nodded slowly. "We thought hiding among humans would protect him. But hatred calls to hatred, and power never stays buried for long. The witches found him. They whispered to him through dreams and grief. They made him one of theirs."
Selene's voice hardened. "Then tell me how to stop them. How do I break their hold?"
The woman's form flickered. Her voice grew distant, heavy with sorrow.
"Only by death shall the Witches of the Night be stopped."
"Kill the coven. Burn their hearts. Or the Moon Queen will rise again."
Selene stepped forward. "Wait—tell me where they—"
But before she could finish, the old woman's body dissolved into wisps of blue smoke, leaving behind only a whisper that drifted through the dark:
"Save him… if you still can."
The house fell silent.
The candles went out.
Selene stood alone, surrounded by dying magic and the weight of a ghost's warning.
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Cut to Kin
The morning light crept through the cracks in Kin's window. He lay awake, staring at the ceiling, unable to rest.
The events of the night replayed in his head — the howl, the transformation, Blue's pain, his father's inhuman power.
He clenched his fists. "I said I wanted to protect him… but how can I protect anyone from that?"
He turned to look at the wooden staff leaning beside his bed. "Then I'll just have to get stronger."
⸻
Cut to Rito
Across the village, Rito sat at her desk, staring out the window. She hadn't slept either.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Blue collapsing, screaming, bones shifting under his skin.
And yet… she'd also seen kindness in him. Fear. Humanity.
She whispered softly to herself, "Is he really a monster? Or just someone trying not to become one?"
Her gaze drifted to the dark woods at the edge of Hollowfen. "Blue… I hope you're okay."
⸻
Cut to Blue
Outside the estate, Blue sat on the wooden fence near the forest edge, bathed in pale morning light. His silver hair caught the glow of dawn, his eyes distant, troubled.
"Am I really… this thing?" he murmured. "A hybrid. A creature out of nightmares."
He looked up at the moon's fading outline. "Who are my parents, really? What else haven't they told me?"
A soft breeze rustled the trees. His heightened senses caught every sound — the flutter of wings, the drip of dew, the heartbeat of something far away.
"I can't die… not before I know everything."
He looked down and froze.
His father — Xavier — stood several feet ahead, gazing into the forest. His eyes glowed faintly gold, focused, alert.
Blue opened his mouth to speak. "Father?"
Xavier raised a hand sharply — silence.
Then Blue heard it too.
Running. Panting. Four distinct sets of footsteps pounding against the earth.
Shapes darted between the trees — fast, heavy, primal.
Blue tensed, instinct flaring, claws beginning to form at his fingertips.
From the darkness, four figures emerged. Their bodies shifted mid-step — fur receding, bones snapping back into human form.
When they stepped into the light, Blue's breath caught. They were hybrids — like his father.
The leader stepped forward — tall, dark-skinned, with short braids and eyes that glowed faintly red. His chest bore an intricate scar in the shape of a crescent moon.
He smiled, slow and sharp. "Well, X… it's been a long time."
Xavier's voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it.
"Ronan."
The name hung in the air like a weapon.
⸻
End of Chapter 3 – The Hunter's Oath