Chapter 15 – "Blood and Moonlight"
– The Hollowfen Barrier
The barrier around Hollowfen flickered faintly under the first light of dawn, its faint silver glow pulsating against the quiet ruin left behind by war.
Xavier blurred through the wreckage — wings spread wide, blood and soot staining his skin, fury burning in his eyes.
When he reached the edge of the barrier, two vampires in Zak's crimson-coated pack stood guard, their weapons drawn.
They immediately stepped aside when they saw him.
Inside, Selene lay still on the ground.
Her pale skin shimmered faintly under the barrier's light, blood seeping from a wound that glowed with faint black veins — witch poison.
Xavier's eyes widened, his rage breaking into grief. He fell to his knees beside her.
"Selene… no— no, no, no…" His voice cracked. "Please, not you."
He pressed his hand against her face, trembling.
"I swear, I'll burn every witch from this realm—"
Her fingers brushed his cheek.
"I'm hurt," she whispered, "but not gone, my love."
Xavier froze, his breath catching in his throat.
Her eyes fluttered open — faint, but full of warmth.
Reunion
Moments later, the barrier rippled again — Zak, Blue, Rito, Kin, and the others emerged from the woods, exhausted and bloodstained.
Blue saw her and sprinted forward.
"Mom!" he cried, falling to his knees beside her. "I'm sorry— I'm so sorry, I should've been here—"
Selene managed a weak smile.
"A son shouldn't apologize to his mother. You've done nothing wrong."
Her gaze drifted past him, landing on the hybrid carrying Gus — limp, burned, unconscious.
"You got him back," she said softly. "My brave boy… we've won this round."
Her breathing grew shallow.
"Stop talking," Xavier said firmly. "Save your strength, love."
"I'm fine," she murmured, her voice weakening. "I just need something to counteract the poison…"
Xavier turned quickly to Kin.
"You're the only pure human here, kid. Please — help her. She needs human blood to heal."
Kin didn't hesitate.
"Where do you want to bite me?"
Selene's eyes widened. "No, Kin, you don't have to—"
"I want to," he said, offering his wrist.
For a brief moment, she stared into his eyes — seeing no fear, only resolve. Then she smiled, softly, almost maternally.
Her fangs sank gently into his wrist. He winced, but didn't flinch.
A faint silver glow surrounded her as the poison veins began to fade.
When she finally released him, she sighed, relief washing over her face — and then she fainted.
Xavier caught her before she fell, holding her close.
Two Days Later – A New Dawn
The morning sun poured through Hollowfen's rebuilt walls. Birds sang again. The air was peaceful — for the first time in weeks.
Selene awoke slowly, the light warming her skin. She blinked, then smiled faintly as Xavier leaned over her.
"Welcome back," he said with a grin.
She laughed softly. "You're smiling. That's rare."
He leaned in and kissed her, the kind of kiss that spoke of centuries — of love that refused to die.
Outside, Hollowfen was alive again — hybrids, vampires, and a few human families living side by side, working to rebuild. Zak's pack stood guard at the edge of town, and peace — fragile but real — finally settled over Nebula's soil.
Selene stood and walked through the sunlight, feeling its warmth. "Royal blood," she whispered to herself, smiling. "Still blessed."
She made her way to the lower chambers — to the guarded cage.
The Cage
Blue was there, sitting cross-legged beside Gus's cage.
The warlock slept inside, his body wrapped in ancient runes that glowed faintly to suppress any remaining curse.
When Selene entered, Blue jumped up and hugged her.
"Mom! You're awake!"
She hugged him tightly. "Yes, my love. You did it. You brought us all back."
"I just…" he started, glancing at Gus. "I wish I could've done more. He's still out cold. We have no idea when he'll wake up."
Selene smiled softly, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"When he does, make sure you are the first thing he sees."
Blue nodded. "I plan to."
Just then, Rito and Kin entered with food.
"Hey," Rito said with a grin, "we figured you'd forget to eat again."
Blue rolled his eyes. "I'm not hungry."
Selene gave him a knowing look. "Eat."
He sighed. "…Fine."
They all sat down — Blue, Rito, Kin, and Selene — sharing a quiet meal together while the morning light poured through the window.
For a moment, everything felt right.
–The Witches' Sanctuary
The mood couldn't have been more different.
The Moon Queen's palace, carved from black stone, burned with red fire.
Her screams echoed down the corridors.
"You failures!" she roared, slamming her staff down. "You let them destroy everything we built! You lost the warlock! You—"
Before she could finish, the great doors burst open.
Two vampires entered, their crimson robes marked with the sigil of the Crimson Court — the royal house of high vampires.
Every witch froze. Even the Moon Queen took a step back.
Her voice trembled. "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"
She didn't get an answer.
One of the vampires blurred — and in seconds, every witch in the chamber lay dead, their bodies hitting the floor in silence.
The Moon Queen trembled. "W-wait! Please! I know where your former queen is—"
The second vampire removed her hood, revealing a pale, elegant face — identical to Selene's.
"I've always known where my twin is," she said coldly. "And I could've killed her anytime I wished."
The Moon Queen swallowed hard. "Then why—"
"Because that wasn't what our new king desired," the twin hissed.
"He doesn't want her dead. He wants her son."
She leaned close, pointing to one of the witch's severed heads.
"So here's your choice, 'Queen' — bring us the boy… or join them."
– The Eyes
Back in Hollowfen, night had fallen.
The town was quiet, the fires gone, peace slowly settling.
Selene and Xavier stood together at the door of Gus's chamber.
Xavier sighed. "We've earned a rest. Let's get some sleep."
Blue nodded. "Yeah… I'll come in a minute."
One by one, everyone left the room.
Blue lingered, staring through the cage at his friend — pale, unmoving, silent.
He placed his hand on the cage bars. "Come back soon, Gus. We're waiting for you."
Then he turned and walked to the door.
As it clicked shut behind him, the room fell into shadow.
Gus's fingers twitched. His breathing quickened.
Then — his eyes snapped open.
One burned black with corruption.
The other shone bright, human gold.
A faint whisper escaped his lips.
"Blue…"
Everything fades to black.