Hello, I hope you enjoyed the first few chapters. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
The library doors didn't just open; they were shattered. Splinters of ancient oak flew through the air like shrapnel. Through the dust, three figures emerged, draped in heavy grey robes marked with a crimson cross. They carried chains that glowed with an unnatural, pale light—Silver.
"Valerian Arcadius," one of the men spat, his voice rasping like sandpaper. "The shadows cannot hide you forever. You have broken the covenant by letting a mortal see the truth."
Valerian didn't answer with words. In a blur of movement too fast for Elara's human eyes to track, he swept her behind a massive stone pillar. His hand stayed on her shoulder for a fraction of a second—a cold, grounding pressure that felt like a silent vow of protection.
"Stay. Do. Not. Breathe," he commanded, his voice now a low, guttural growl that vibrated through the very stones of the library.
Elara watched, her heart hammering against her ribs, as Valerian stepped into the moonlight. He looked different now. The aristocratic grace had sharpened into something lethal. His claws elongated, and his eyes glowed with a predatory hunger that made her blood run cold.
One of the monks swung a silver chain. It hissed through the air, searing the skin of Valerian's arm as it struck. A hiss of steam rose, accompanied by the sickening smell of burning flesh. Valerian didn't even flinch. He caught the chain with his bare hand, ignoring the smoke rising from his palm, and pulled the hunter toward him with terrifying strength.
"You bring silver to a god of shadows?" Valerian's laugh was a cold, melodic sound that echoed through the hall. "I have bled more silver than you have ever seen."
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the hunter crashing into a bookshelf. Books centuries old rained down like dead leaves.
Amidst the chaos, Elara realized one of the hunters was not looking at Valerian. He was looking at her. He raised a small, silver crossbow, aiming directly at her heart.
"The girl is the witness," the hunter whispered. "The witness must be silenced."
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