The castle was silent. Too silent.
Luna sat on the edge of the bed, fingers tracing the glowing mark on her chest.
Why does everything that glows in my life want to kill me? she muttered.
Kael was gone. Again. She wasn't sure if it was relief or terror that made her stomach twist.
The silence was broken by a faint crackling sound — almost like whispers carried through the walls.
She froze.
Shadows.
Her hands glowed faintly purple as she instinctively summoned her magic.
A soft knock came at the door.
"…Who disturbs me?" she called.
No answer.
She sighed, standing and walking toward it.
The door creaked open on its own.
Of course it did.
A cold breeze swept the room, extinguishing the candle beside her.
A whisper floated through the air.
"She is yours… but fragile."
Luna spun around, magic flaring instinctively, forming a shield around her.
Nothing.
She frowned. "Fragile? Excuse me? I'm sarcastic, snarky, and annoyingly resilient. Fragile isn't in my resume."
A shadow streaked across the room. Faster than the eye could track.
Luna barely reacted — slamming her hands together and sending a shockwave that smashed the wall behind it.
The shadow reformed, taking a humanoid shape. Glowing eyes fixed on her.
"…You again," she said flatly. "Don't you ever take a hint?"
The figure didn't speak. It raised its hand, and the Sigil on her chest flared violently.
"Okay," she muttered. "Apparently the hint didn't work."
Before she could react further, the shadow lunged.
Her reflexes took over. She twisted, dodging, sending a blast of purple energy toward it.
The shadow absorbed it, shifting and becoming larger, more menacing.
Luna staggered back, heart pounding.
This isn't fair. Nothing about this is fair.
"Luna!" Kael's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
He appeared in the doorway, dark energy crackling around him. Shadows bent away from his presence as if even they feared him.
The shadow hissed and lunged at him.
Kael moved faster than light, slicing it apart with a slash of dark energy. The pieces scattered like ash, reforming again immediately behind him.
"Stay behind me!" he shouted.
Luna rolled her eyes, though fear burned in her chest. "Stay behind you? That's so considerate of you. Really."
Kael ignored her and leapt toward the shadow, fists blazing with magic. He slammed into it, energy colliding in waves that shook the room.
Luna clenched her fists. Purple light surged around her.
"If he wants to play solo, fine. I'll make him proud."
She lunged forward, sending a spear of magic straight at the shadow. It screeched, a sound like metal tearing through stone, and dodged — only to be struck by Kael's second attack simultaneously.
The room filled with explosions of shadow and light, the walls cracking, the air electric with magic.
Finally, with one combined attack, Kael and Luna shattered the shadow into fragments of darkness. They dissipated into the air with a scream that echoed through the castle.
Breathing hard, Luna wiped sweat from her brow.
"…Wow. That was dramatic."
Kael didn't respond immediately. He was studying her, expression dark, body tense.
She frowned. "What now?You're staring like I just committed a crime against the universe."
"…You're stronger than I thought," he said finally.
She smirked. "Thank you. I do try. Charm and sarcasm, lethal combo."
His eyes narrowed. "That wasn't sarcasm."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Noted."
Before she could say more, a deep rumble shook the castle. The floor beneath them cracked.
Kael's jaw tightened.
"The curse… it's moving faster."
Luna stared at him, dread filling her chest.
"…What do you mean?"
"Each time you fight, each time the Sigil flares, it feeds the shadow figure," he said.
"It's learning. Adapting. Preparing."
She swallowed hard. "Great. So we're training and feeding our enemy at the same time. Cool."
Kael stepped closer. "We don't have a choice. You must grow stronger — faster."
Her gaze dropped. ""I'm already terrified, Kael."
He lifted her chin gently, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Good. Fear keeps you alive. But you'll have to be more than afraid. You'll have to fight smart. And fight together."
She blinked. "…You mean, like a team?"
He smirked faintly. "…Exactly. A very annoying, sarcastic, unstoppable team."
Her lips twitched into a small smile. "I like the sound of that… even if you're broody 24/7."
Kael's dark eyes softened. "I'll work on my brooding."
"Good luck," she muttered. "It's a full-time job."
The ground shook again.
Luna's eyes widened. "Oh no. Not again."
From the cracks, shadows oozed like smoke.
They weren't illusions this time. They were real. Massive, writhing, and hungry.
Kael's hands glowed with dark energy.
"We fight. Together."
She nodded, heart hammering in her chest.
"Fine," she muttered. "Team sarcastic witch and broody vampire — let's save the world."
The shadows surged forward.
And in the heart of the storm, Luna realized something terrifying — the curse wasn't just hunting her anymore.
It was hunting them both.
As Luna fired a blast of magic at the incoming shadows, one of them shifted… and formed a shape that looked eerily familiar.
It was Kael — or something that wore his face.