The moon hung low over the floating peaks of Zhenjing, its silver light slicing through the mist like a blade. In the heart of the Willow Crescent Village, a girl sat alone on the jagged cliff, her black hair dancing in the cold wind. Her name was Liuyue (柳月), and though she appeared delicate, the blood running in her veins was anything but ordinary.
Ever since she could remember, Liuyue had felt a hunger, a pull that set her apart from others in the village. Tonight, the pull was stronger. Her pulse quickened, and the air around her seemed to vibrate with a strange energy.
Without warning, her vision blurred. Shadows twisted unnaturally, creeping toward her from the mist. A low growl echoed across the rocks. Her heart raced—not from fear, but anticipation. Something deep inside her awoke.
Liuyue's hands trembled as dark, viscous energy coiled around her palms. She tried to push it away, but the power was insistent, whispering in a language only her blood understood. Her eyes flickered red, then black, then gold. She gasped. This was no ordinary magic. This was the awakening of the vampire and demon blood she had hidden even from herself.
From the shadows, a figure lunged—an entity of smoke and teeth, its claws slicing the air. Liuyue's instincts took over. With a thought, the energy in her blood surged outward. The creature screamed, thrown back as if by an invisible force, its form dissolving into mist.
Liuyue fell to her knees, panting. Her hands were shaking, but her eyes—eyes that had always been human—now burned with a strange, dangerous light.
She sensed it before she could see it: someone was watching her. From the misty horizon, a pair of eyes glimmered like embers, cold and calculating.
A chill ran down her spine. The Heiwuhui—the Black Mist Society—had finally noticed her.
Tonight, nothing would ever be the same.