Chapter 5 – The Bloodline of Kings
The forest was quiet again.
Only the distant calls of waking birds broke the silence, faint and trembling under the weight of what had just happened.
The bodies of the fallen hybrids steamed faintly in the cool morning air.
Xavier stood over them for a long moment, eyes distant — not in triumph, but in grief.
Blue stepped forward slowly, the dew-damp earth cold under his bare feet. "You… killed them all," he said, voice barely a whisper.
"I had to," Xavier replied, sheathing his sword. His tone was calm, but there was a heaviness behind it. "They were gone long before this night."
Blue stared at him, unsure whether he meant dead or lost.
After a moment, Xavier sighed, turning his gaze eastward. The horizon glowed faintly — a thin line of gold breaking through the fog. "I suppose you deserve to know the truth now. About what you are… about what we are."
Blue nodded, swallowing hard. "Then tell me everything.
The Hierarchy of Hybrids
Xavier crouched beside one of the fallen hybrids and drew a small symbol in the dirt — a spiral within a circle.
"The hybrid race was never meant to exist," he began. "We were born of war — the blood of vampires and werewolves forced together by the arrogance of both races. In the beginning, we were chaos. Monsters without control."
He looked up at his son. "But we evolved. We learned to command the beast instead of becoming it."
He pointed to the center of the symbol. "At the top of the bloodline were the Pure Hybrids — born directly from a royal vampire and an alpha werewolf. My line. The King's blood."
Blue frowned. "Like me."
"Yes," Xavier said softly. "You are the only one of your kind left — a true pure hybrid. Your blood is power itself, Blue. To the clans, it's sacred. To others… it's a weapon."
He drew three smaller circles around the center.
"Below the royal blood are the Elder Packs — hybrids strong enough to lead territories. Beneath them are the Bloodborn, those made through turning or bite. The lowest are the Outcasts — those who defied the laws or lost their humanity."
He brushed his fingers across the dirt, erasing the outer rings. "Ronan was once my second — my blade and my brother in arms. But his hunger for power, his cruelty… I banished him. The council turned on him after I left the throne. And without my restraint, he became the beast you saw today."
Blue's hands curled into fists. "So all of this—his hatred—is because you left?"
Xavier's eyes darkened. "Because I chose peace over power. Because I refused to let your mother or you live under the curse of endless war."
Blue lowered his head, guilt twisting in his chest. "And now that choice has found us again."
Xavier stood, brushing off his hands. "Yes. It always does."
The silence that followed was broken only by the wind.
The sunlight crept higher through the trees, painting the clearing in pale gold.
Then, from the shadows, a familiar voice called out:
"You were right, X. It always does."
Selene stepped into the clearing.
Her black coat fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, and though she moved with her usual grace, there was strain behind her eyes.
"Selene," Xavier said, lowering his guard. "You found the boy?"
She nodded slowly. "I found something."
Blue turned toward her, concern tightening his voice. "What happened?"
Selene's eyes met his — soft but sorrowful. "Your friend… Gus… he's gone, Blue."
Blue froze. "Gone? What do you mean gone?"
"I mean the witches have him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's no longer the boy you knew. The Witches of the Night claimed his soul. He's their new warlock — the first male heir in centuries."
Xavier's jaw tightened. "So the coven is moving again."
Selene stepped closer, brushing a strand of silver hair from her face. "I spoke to his grandmother's spirit. She told me something I didn't think was possible — that male witches are real, and far more dangerous than we ever believed. The coven hid this truth for generations."
Blue shook his head in disbelief. "Gus? He could barely keep his eyes open in class without falling asleep… He can't—"
"He can," Selene interrupted. "And he will. The witches will twist his hatred until he's no longer human at all."
The sunlight glinted off Xavier's sword as he adjusted it on his back. "Then they've declared war. The witches won't stop until they find us."
Selene nodded grimly. "And the hybrids won't stop until they reclaim their king."
Blue looked between them, heart pounding. "So what do we do?"
Xavier glanced at his son — a flicker of pride mixed with sorrow in his eyes.
"We train. We prepare. We become what they fear… before they become what destroys us."
The wind shifted, carrying the faint scent of ash from Hollowfen.
The sun had fully risen now, bathing the forest in light, but none of them felt its warmth.
Xavier turned toward the horizon. "The world of Nebula is stirring again. The bloodlines are waking."
Selene's voice was quiet, but the words carried like a spell.
"Then so must we."
End of Chapter 5– The Bloodline of Kings