🩸 Crimson Moon Oath
A Fantasy Romance by Chizzy
Chapter Seven – The Seer's Eyes
The ruins gave way to cliffs before dawn. From the ridge, Avaline could see what remained of the Seer's temple—a shattered dome rising from the mists below, carved into the side of the mountain like the skeleton of a forgotten god.
The air was sharp and cold. Every breath tasted of stone and rain. Kael led the descent, silent but sure-footed, while Lycian stayed behind Avaline, his presence a constant warmth at her back.
When they reached the base, the wind shifted. The temple's great doors stood open though no hand had touched them, ancient symbols glowing faintly blue.
Kael drew his blade. "She knows we've come."
Lycian smirked. "Let's hope she's feeling generous."
They entered together. The chamber inside was vast, lit only by the flickering of enchanted fire that burned without smoke. At its center stood an old woman draped in silver and black, her eyes blind but shining with the reflection of the moon.
"I have waited for this blood," she said, her voice thin but resonant. "The daughter of the crimson star, the echo of the queen."
Avaline froze. "You know me?"
"I know what you carry." The seer turned toward her, and the fires dimmed. "Two halves of a broken kingdom tied to one heart. The vampire and the wolf—light and shadow—both marked by you."
Lycian gave a low laugh. "Sounds poetic. What's it mean for her?"
The seer ignored him. "The oath sleeps inside your blood, child. The Crimson Moon will rise again soon. When it does, one must die for the other to live… or the curse will consume you all."
Kael's head snapped up. "There must be another way."
"There is," the seer whispered. "If she can choose neither. If she can break the bond between night and blood before the moon turns red."
Avaline's heart raced. "How?"
"Through sacrifice."
The word hung in the air, heavy and final.
Lycian stepped forward, anger flashing in his golden eyes. "You'd have her give up everything just to keep us apart?"
The seer's gaze turned toward him. "If she doesn't, your kind will burn, and his will starve. The world will bleed beneath the same moon that gave it life."
Avaline's knees weakened. Kael caught her before she fell, his arms cold but steady. "Enough," he said sharply. "She's not your offering."
The seer smiled faintly. "Not yet."
Silence followed—long and suffocating.
When they finally left the temple, the sun had already dipped behind the cliffs. The wind howled through the broken spires, carrying whispers that sounded too much like prophecy.
Avaline walked ahead, her steps slow and uncertain. "If what she said is true," she murmured, "then one of you must die for me."
Kael's voice was quiet. "Then I'll die before the moon demands it."
Lycian snorted. "Not if I kill you first, leech."
But when Avaline turned to face them, she saw the truth in their eyes—not hatred, but pain. Love twisted by fate, bound by something neither of them could control.
She looked away, unable to speak. For the first time, she wished she were just a girl from a quiet village—someone who had never met monsters or kings, never felt the weight of two hearts pulling her toward ruin.
And somewhere in the sky above, the moon began to bleed.
To be continued...