Ava stood trembling in the dim interior of Astrum Antiques, the velvet‑draped table before her holding the open _Liber Nocturna_. The ancient tome pulsed with an amber glow, its pages whispering in a language older than Prague's stones.
Elian's green eyes burned into her soul. "You must sign the pact," he commanded, his voice resonating like cathedral bells. "The book demands a blood‑bound promise. Only then will it reveal its secrets."
Ava's hand tightened around the pocket knife, the blade catching the faint light. "What does the pact entail?" she asked, voice shaking but determined.
Lucas, the storm‑clouded brother, lurked in the shadows, his jaw clenched. "Elian, you know the curse. Once bound, you cannot break it without… sacrifice."
Elian ignored him. "The pact binds your life‑force to the _Liber_. In exchange, you gain the power to rewrite destinies—including yours. Your past will be erased, your future… unlimited."
Ava glanced at the glowing manuscript. Ink swirled like living veins across the parchment. "And if I refuse?"
"The book will consume you," Elian whispered. "Your essence will feed its hunger, and you'll become a footnote in its history."
Lucas stepped forward, eyes flashing. "Ava, there's another way. Break the book, destroy the pact. But you'll lose the chance to change your fate."
Ava's mind raced. She remembered London, the tragedy that drove her to Prague—a lover lost to darkness, a promise broken. _Could this rewrite that?_
She pressed the knife's tip to her thumb, drawing a thin line of blood. The crimson drop fell onto the open page. The _Liber Nocturna_ shuddered, absorbing the blood, and the letters rearranged themselves into a glowing contract.
"Sign," Elian urged, his hand hovering over hers.
Ava's fingers traced the luminous script. With each stroke, she felt energy surge through her veins, mingling with the book's ancient magic. The contract glowed brighter, sealing an invisible bond between her soul and the tome.
The moment the pact closed, the shop's walls trembled. Shadows coalesced into forms—spirits of past collectors, their eyes hollow, chanting in an unknown tongue. "Bound… bound…"
Elian smiled, victorious. "Now you are ours, Ava. The _Liber_ will grant you immortality… or damnation, depending on your choices."
Lucas snarled, fists clenched. "You've chained her, brother. The curse awakens."
Ava felt a surge of power, yet a weight pressed on her chest. The blood on the page turned black, then vanished, leaving a scar on her thumb—a mark of the pact.
"Your first task," Elian said, handing her a quill dipped in midnight ink. "Rewrite the fate of the vampire lineage. Choose who lives… who dies."
Ava stared at the quill, the enormity of the decision crushing her. "I… I can't," she whispered.
"Then the pact will consume you," Lucas warned, eyes softening. "Break the bond, Ava. Before it's too late."
Elian grabbed the quill, forcing it into her hand. "You signed. Now wield the power, or be devoured."
Ava's heart pounded. The _Liber Nocturna_ throbbed, demanding obedience. She lifted the quill, ink staining her fingers, and began to write—her destiny, entangled with vampire blood, ancient curses, and forbidden love.
The shop's darkness deepened, the whispers growing louder. Ava realized the pact was not just a promise but a prison of eternal choice.