Chapter 12 – Shadows of the Moon Queen
The Witches' Lair – The Moon Queen's Court
Far beneath Nebula's surface, deep in a hollow of black stone and glowing sigils, the Witches of the Night gathered.
The air shimmered with green fire as thirteen cloaked figures stood in a perfect circle around a basin of blood and silver.
At its center stood the Moon Queen, her face hidden behind a crown of antlers and bone, her voice both whisper and thunder.
"The Warlock's Ascension nears completion," she said. "The blood moon will rise fully before dawn. When it does, the seal between this world and the shadow realm will break."
A witch to her left bowed low. "And what of the hybrid and his royal mate? They resist our pull."
The Moon Queen's tone sharpened.
"Then cut the roots before they spread. Selene and Xavier have defied the natural order for too long. Their half-blood child threatens the balance."
She turned toward the basin, where images shimmered within the blood — Blue, Kin, Rito, and the hybrids of Hollowfen fighting the incoming horde.
"Send our shadows," the Queen commanded. "Strike the vampire first. The rest will fall once she does."
The witches began to chant, voices weaving through the air like blades. From the basin rose three spectral assassins, their forms made of swirling black mist and bone. They bowed once to the Queen — then vanished into the mortal realm.
At the Queen's side, Gus knelt, his eyes half human, half molten fire. He could hear the screams from afar — the chaos of the battle echoing through his mind.
"You see them, don't you?" the Queen asked softly.
"Your friends?"
Gus nodded slowly. "They fight well… but they can't win."
The Queen smiled, tracing a claw beneath his chin. "Then let them fight. The stronger they struggle, the sweeter their despair will taste when they fall."
She whispered in his ear, "Keep summoning, my Warlock. Drown Hollowfen in shadows."
And Gus obeyed.
Hollowfen – The Battlefield
The moon had fully risen.
Its light turned the world silver and red.
The village roared with chaos — demons flooding through the streets like a living tide. Their shrieks rattled the ground, their claws tearing through walls and stone.
Blue, Rito, and Kin fought shoulder to shoulder, their training finally unleashed.
Rito moved first — a blur of green and silver. Her fae blades flashed under the moonlight, cutting through the demons' black flesh like silk. She leapt and spun, wings of faint energy flickering behind her as if her hidden heritage had awakened.
When a demon lunged from behind, Kin slammed his staff into the ground — the runes pulsing bright blue. The shockwave blasted through the air, hurling the creature backward in a burst of pure energy.
"Nice one!" Rito shouted, parrying two more.
Kin grinned, spinning his staff like a spear. "Guess all that training paid off!"
"Focus!" Blue shouted — his voice carrying authority now.
He cut down a demon with a single swing, his katana blazing with hybrid energy. Each strike was a mix of control and fury — every movement channeled with purpose. When his blade met flesh, it burned with blue fire, purifying the shadows it touched.
Zak and his pack fought alongside them — claws, steel, and fury against the endless tide. Above, Xavier moved like a storm — cutting down whole lines of demons with blinding precision.
Every swing of his sword was poetry and death.
"Keep them away from the civilians!" he commanded.
Selene fought in the shadows — her movements fluid, almost invisible, as she tore through demons with supernatural grace. Her eyes glowed crimson, her fangs bared, her body a blur of silver and blood.
"Selene!" Zak called. "You've got three on your right!"
She turned, slicing one in half with a claw swipe — but her eyes narrowed as the world around her suddenly shifted.
The air grew cold.
The smoke stilled.
And out of the darkness came them.
Three figures — pale and ghostly, their forms flickering like candlelight. The witch assassins had arrived.
Selene hissed, eyes flashing. "Cowards."
They attacked all at once — weaving through reality, blades of shadow slashing at her from every direction. She blocked the first, dodged the second, but the third cut deep across her shoulder.
Pain flared. The cut burned — witchfire eating into her blood.
"Selene!" Xavier's voice echoed, but he was surrounded — unable to reach her.
Selene gritted her teeth, pushing back with a burst of vampiric energy, flinging one witch into a wall. She tore the blade from her shoulder, tossing it aside.
"You think I haven't fought your kind before?" she snarled. "I was killing witches when your covens still hid in caves."
But even as she fought, her movements began to slow. The poison was spreading — their magic meant to kill royals like her.
One witch lunged for her heart—
But a flash of blue light intercepted.
Blue appeared between them, sword drawn, slicing the witch in half. The mist screamed before evaporating.
"Mom!" he shouted, catching her as she stumbled.
"Blue—" she gasped, blood dripping from her wound. "Don't stop… fight… for all of us."
He laid her gently on the ground, eyes burning with rage. "You're not dying here. Not tonight."
He rose slowly, his blade humming with energy. His hybrid power began to surge, his eyes glowing fiercely.
Kin and Rito ran to his side.
"Blue," Rito said, breathless. "She's hurt—"
"I know," he said softly. "That's why we end this now."
The Turning Tide
The three of them stood together again — the same friends who once got lost in these woods.
Now warriors.
Kin slammed his staff into the ground — the runes flaring to life, creating a glowing barrier that blocked a swarm of demons.
Rito sprinted up the side of the barrier, blades flashing, cutting down demons as she vaulted through the air.
Blue followed — his katana blazing with hybrid energy, cleaving through the heart of the swarm.
Above them, Gus hovered, the witches' control glowing in his eyes.
He raised his hand to summon more shadows… but for a moment — just a flicker — his gaze softened.
He saw Blue.
He saw Kin and Rito beside him.
And something human sparked beneath the darkness.
Then the Moon Queen's voice hissed through his mind.
"Do not falter, my Warlock. Or you will lose everything again."
His eyes blazed gold once more, and he screamed into the night.
"More! Burn it all!"
The sky darkened. The air filled with shrieks.
The war for Nebula had begun.