The forest was no longer quiet.
Birds had fled days ago, and even the wind seemed afraid to move through the trees. The only sound was the soft crunch of Elara's boots against the frozen ground as she followed Lucien deeper into the woods.
They had left the cabin before dawn, carrying only what they could. Lucien moved quickly, silent as a shadow, but Elara's heart wouldn't stop pounding. The crimson glow of the Blood Moon had faded at sunrise, yet its energy lingered in the air like smoke after a fire.
Lucien stopped suddenly, his head tilting slightly. "We're being followed."
Elara froze. "By who?"
He looked over his shoulder, his expression grim. "By something that knows my scent. And yours."
She glanced around, but saw nothing… only mist curling between the trees. "What do we do?"
Lucien's hand brushed the hilt of the blade strapped to his side. "We keep moving. If I'm right, it's already too late to hide."
A flicker of gold flashed in the distance, and Elara's breath caught. It wasn't sunlight… it was firelight, unnatural and alive. Then she heard it.. a faint, rhythmic clang of metal, deliberate and steady.
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "He's here."
"Elara's pulse quickened. "Who?"
Lucien didn't answer.
The sound grew louder.. footsteps now, heavy and slow, each one echoing through the frozen air. Then the light resolved into a figure.
Adrian stepped into view, cloaked in black, his sword drawn. The blade glowed faintly gold, its light humming with an almost holy vibration. But it was his eyes that made Elara stumble back… they were not the warm brown she remembered. They gleamed with the same unnatural gold as the sword.
"Adrian…" she whispered.
He smiled faintly, though there was nothing kind in it. "So it's true. You're alive."
Lucien moved in front of her, his voice low. "You should've stayed dead."
Adrian tilted his head, his expression almost amused. "Funny. I was about to say the same to you."
For a moment, the air between them seemed to freeze. Then, without warning, Adrian moved.
The strike was blindingly fast… a flash of gold and steel. Lucien parried, sparks erupting as metal met supernatural strength. Elara stumbled backward, her heart pounding as the two collided again and again, faster than her eyes could follow.
Lucien's strength was ancient and brutal, but Adrian's new power burned with divine ferocity. Every swing of his blade left trails of light through the darkness, scorching the ground.
"You took her from me!" Adrian shouted, driving his blade toward Lucien's chest.
Lucien caught it inches from his heart. "She chose to leave," he growled. "You can't own what you don't love."
Adrian twisted the blade, forcing Lucien to stumble back. "You call that love? You're poison, vampire."
"Then why are you becoming one?"
The words struck like lightning. Adrian froze for half a second… just long enough for Lucien to slam his fist into his chest, sending him crashing into a tree. The impact splintered the bark.
Elara ran forward, but Lucien held up a hand. "Stay back!"
Adrian rose slowly, blood trickling from his lip. His grin was feral. "You think you can kill me? I'm not your prey anymore."
He raised the glowing sword, and for an instant, the air trembled. The golden veins beneath his skin flared brighter, spreading up his neck and across his face. The light burned through him, too powerful for flesh to contain.
Lucien's eyes widened. "You're killing yourself."
Adrian's laughter was cold. "Then I'll die with purpose."
The next blow came like a thunderclap. Lucien barely managed to deflect it, the force sending him sprawling. The sword's edge grazed his arm, and smoke hissed from the wound… it wasn't just light; it was holy fire.
"Lucien!" Elara screamed, running toward him. She dropped to his side, pressing her hands against the wound. His skin burned hot beneath her touch, the scent of scorched blood filling the air.
Lucien gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse. "Run."
"I'm not leaving you!"
Adrian advanced slowly, his golden eyes locked on them both. "You can't run from me, Elara. Not anymore."
Elara looked up at him.. and for the first time, she didn't see the man she once knew. She saw something broken, burning, lost.
And deep down, she realized with a terrible certainty that if this continued, both men would destroy each other.
The forest fell silent again, the air heavy with frost and blood.
The hunt had truly begun.