The following night, Asher couldn't keep still. Elara's warnings weighed heavy, but so did the memory of crimson eyes in the dark. The locket tugged at him like a living thing, urging him toward the forest.
He tried to resist. He told himself he would only walk by the edge, not step in. But fate never asked for permission.
Halfway down the path, a sharp sound cut the silence—a whistle, high and deliberate. Asher turned sharply, his heart leaping. From the treeline, a figure emerged, tall and broad, cloaked in leather and steel. His presence was colder than the night air, his eyes hard and merciless.
"Found you," the man muttered.
Asher's throat tightened. "Who are you?"
The man's lips curved into a grim smile. "A hunter. Name's Victor. And you're trespassing in a war you don't understand."
Before Asher could react, Victor drew a crossbow, the steel tip glinting in the moonlight. His aim wasn't at Asher—but at the darkness behind him.
Something moved. The air thickened.
"Asher."
The voice was unmistakable. Lucian stepped from the shadows, his presence sharp and commanding, crimson eyes blazing. For the first time, Asher saw him fully—elegant, terrifying, every movement honed like a blade.
Victor's smirk widened. "So it's true. You've been sniffing around the boy."
Lucian's gaze hardened, a low growl rumbling from his chest. "Leave him."
Victor raised the crossbow higher. "You should know by now, monster. I don't leave until the job is done."
Asher's breath hitched as the hunter released the bolt—straight toward Lucian.
But the vampire moved faster than thought. With a blur of motion, Lucian caught the arrow midair, his grip crushing the shaft like brittle wood. His crimson eyes flickered, glowing with lethal rage.
Victor staggered back but steadied himself quickly. "Protect him all you want. It won't change what's coming."
He melted into the shadows with practiced skill, leaving the forest heavy with silence once more.
Asher's pulse thundered in his ears. He turned to Lucian, voice shaky. "Why… why are you protecting me?"
Lucian stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "Because you are mine to protect."
The words hit harder than any truth Elara had spoken. Asher's hand instinctively clutched the locket, its glow brightening between them.
For the first time, Lucian didn't look at the pendant. He looked at Asher. And in those crimson eyes, Asher saw not just danger, but something far more terrifying—longing.
To be continued....