### **💜 EPISODE 28 — *"The Creature That Shouldn't Exist"***
The crack split open wider, tearing across the forest floor like a wound in the earth.
Black smoke curled upward, and a deep, ancient energy pulsed through the air — something older than vampires, older than Nightborn, older than all of them.
Isha felt her knees weaken.
Lucian stepped in front of her immediately, shielding her with his entire body.
Erevan swore under his breath.
"That… that's not possible."
Lucian's voice was low, furious, trembling with restrained power.
"Whoever summoned this… wants Isha dead badly enough to wake something forbidden."
The ground trembled again.
A monstrous shape began to rise from the crack — long, bony limbs, skin like ash, glowing runes carved across its shoulders. Its head scraped the canopy as it stood.
Eyes glowing like burning coals.
A Fallen One.
Isha had no idea what it was, but fear wrapped around her like ice.
Lucian did, though.
His voice went cold.
"Get behind the trees. Do not come out."
Isha grabbed his wrist.
"I'm not leaving you—"
He turned, gripping her cheeks gently but urgently.
"Isha. Listen to me."
His forehead pressed against hers, breaths mingling.
"If that thing touches you, even once… I lose you forever."
Her heart twisted painfully.
"Lucian—"
He kissed her forehead — soft, desperate.
"I'll come back for you. I swear on my blood."
Erevan called out, "Lucian! It's moving!"
Lucian pulled away from her reluctantly, eyes blazing red.
And then—
He unleashed his power.
The air rippled. A blast of energy cracked the trees. The ground shook from the sheer force. Isha had seen him fight, had seen him furious — but never like this.
Lucian looked like a god of fury.
He blurred forward, slamming into the Fallen creature with enough power to shatter stone. The monster stumbled back, roaring.
Erevan leapt onto a branch, firing arrows into its runed chest.
"Head, Lucian! Go for the head!"
Lucian didn't listen.
He didn't need to.
The monster swung its massive claw at him — Lucian ducked under it, grabbed the limb, and twisted with a sharp crack.
The thing screamed.
Isha watched from behind a tree, trembling.
"Please… please be safe…"
But then—
The Fallen creature turned its glowing eyes directly toward her hiding spot.
It sensed her.
Isha froze.
Lucian saw it too — and the sound he made wasn't human.
"No!"
He blurred toward her, but—
The creature struck first.
A blast of dark energy shot from its runes, ripping through the air toward Isha like a wave of shadows.
She gasped, unable to move.
Lucian screamed her name.
"Isha!"
But Erevan moved fastest.
He appeared in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and shielding her with his body.
The blast hit his back.
Erevan coughed blood instantly, collapsing to one knee.
Isha cried out, catching him.
"Erevan! No—"
Lucian stopped mid-run, eyes burning with rage and jealousy mixed with panic.
He was beside Isha in a heartbeat, shoving Erevan away from her with pure instinct.
"Don't touch her!"
"Lucian, stop!" Isha yelled, tears falling.
Erevan wiped the blood from his mouth.
"You're welcome… by the way."
Lucian ignored him entirely, checking Isha frantically.
His hands shook as they ran over her shoulders, arms, face.
"Tell me where it hit you," he whispered, voice breaking.
"Tell me you're okay."
"I'm fine," she whispered, cupping his face.
"It didn't touch me."
Lucian's eyes closed with sharp relief.
He leaned his forehead against her shoulder, gripping her waist tightly.
"I almost lost you," he whispered.
"It would kill me, Isha. Do you understand? It would kill me."
She held him, voice soft.
"I'm here. I'm not leaving you."
Erevan groaned.
"Lovely moment, you two, but the giant demon thing is still alive."
Lucian turned his head slightly, glaring.
"Shut up. You're bleeding — stay down."
"I saved your girlfriend," Erevan retorted weakly.
Lucian pulled Isha closer.
"I know. And if you do it again, I'll owe you more than I want to admit."
Erevan blinked.
"…Wait. Was that gratitude?"
Lucian ignored him again.
He kissed Isha's forehead once more — fiercely, almost like a promise.
Then he rose to his full height, cracks of light spreading under his skin.
Isha gasped.
"Lucian… your veins— they're glowing."
He didn't look back.
"That creature threatened you. No power in this world gets away with that."
Erevan's eyes widened.
"Oh hell. He's awakening the ancient blood."
The ground trembled under Lucian's aura.
Light burst from his hands.
And then—
He appeared behind the Fallen monster, grabbing its jaw with one hand and its skull with the other.
He whispered one sentence:
"Stay away from my mate."
And snapped its head clean off.
The creature collapsed, turning to ash that scattered into the night.
Silence.
Heavy. Trembling. Breaking apart with emotion.
Lucian turned back to Isha slowly, his glowing veins fading, his eyes softening when he saw her.
She ran to him.
He caught her mid-run, lifting her off the ground, holding her like he couldn't breathe without her.
"You're safe," he murmured.
"Thank god… you're safe."
Isha buried her face in his neck.
"I love you."
Lucian froze.
Then lifted her chin with one trembling finger.
"Say it again."
"I love you," she repeated, voice shaking.
Lucian kissed her.
Not soft.
Not hesitant.
But full, desperate, claiming — the kind of kiss you give when you almost lost someone you can't live without.
Erevan sighed from the ground.
"Great. They're kissing. Can someone drag my dying body home?"
Isha laughed breathlessly against Lucian's lips.
Lucian pulled away just enough to whisper,
"I'm not done with you… but first we take him to Elara."
He lifted Erevan over his shoulder.
Erevan groaned.
"This is humiliating."
Lucian smirked.
"It gets worse. I'm charging you for making Isha worried."
**End of Episode 28**