CHAPTER 011His eyes scanned the shadows of the alleyway. Dante leaned against the cracked brick wall. His mind was colder than the steel of the gun tucked inside his jacket, and the night air was thick with humidity. The one he didn’t want to take; he had just agreed to the job. The Vulpin mafia had made their offer, and he couldn’t help but feel he should walk away, but he couldn’t.Kidnap Nero’s “cousin.” That’s what they said.It made him uncomfortable just thinking about it. It didn’t feel right, but asking questions wasn’t his place. Not anymore. Not when the Vulpin mafia had him in their sights and had a debt on his head that he couldn't ignore.Despite this, the decision—all 80 plus kilograms—weighed on him. He had worked for Nero before. He wasn’t a fan of this cousin of his, but he had a certain respect for the man. Lucia, they called her. A mystery. The enigma is shrouded in such secrecy that Dante finds himself questioning if the risk was worthwhile.He muttered under his
CHAPTER 012In the darkness, Dante stood and looked into the house in front of him. His decision weighed on him harder than he could bear, and the world seemed to close in on him. Initially, the job seemed easy. Kidnap Lucia. For the first time, though, he'd met her face-to-face, felt the tugging of the bond between them, and everything was different.He leaned against the cold brick wall of the alley, watching the dim light of the streetlamps flicker like dying stars, and his stomach twisted into knots. He had known all along that this mission was strange. The Vulpin mafia was always messy, always full of lies and danger, but this was different. This was something he’d never been asked before.Lucia.The name echoed in his head. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. The way she looked at him with that piercing gaze, like she could see right through him, made his heart pound every time he thought about her. She wasn’t just a target. She wasn’t just on a mission. No, it was something ab
CHAPTER 013In a room lit only by the table's lamp, the map of Matteo's quarries stretched out, and Lucia was standing. Not a single line, not a single symbol on the paper was out of place: she was weaving, spinning the web to bring him down. She had spent months gathering information, quietly infiltrating his supply chain using Nero’s mafia resources. But finally the pieces were starting to fall a certain way.She ran a finger over the routes—the routes that were already being disrupted. Small shipments are disappearing. Larger deals are falling through. It was all of it, orchestrated by her, with Nero’s blessing. At least, that’s what he had told her; he had agreed to help her. She wasn’t so sure anymore. She had started to wonder if he knew how far she would go to get her revenge.It had all started as so small, so easy, so tiny... However, at the moment things were escalating, and Lucia felt there was pressure on its building. Nothing was accidental, nor was a step taken to topple
CHAPTER 014She moved in the dim alley silently, her senses up. It was cold out; a cold breeze prickled across the night air, causing the leaves scattered on the ground to rattle. She stealthily stepped from shadow to shadow, disappearing among the shadows. She had learned to be careful and has always been watching and listening, since the day she had been reborn. Kept herself safe and on track; there was nothing more important.But tonight was different. On a mission she was; she needed to stay sharp. She crouched behind an old dumpster, and her eyes scanned the street ahead. She wasn’t expecting anyone to be out here, but after the note she had received earlier, she wasn’t taking any chances. Someone knew. She had to stay ahead of the game; someone was getting too close to figuring her out.Dante was part of the Vulpin mafia, who had their hands in many things. She had seen him before, but tonight she didn’t know what to expect. She had planned to avoid him, to stay away from him mo
CHAPTER 015Matteo paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, the silence so thick and suffocating that it could be cut with a knife. He glared at the floor, his fingers clenched into fists at his sides. The tension inside of him started to swell, growing tighter and tighter in his chest with every hour. His home had never seemed so closed in. It weighed down on him, the situation, and no matter how many people he surrounded himself with, he knew he was fighting this alone.Lucia. She had always been a source of irritation, but now, following everything that had transpired, she had become more than just that. She posed a dangerous threat. It was a threat that grew steadily to the point of building momentum. Before he had downplayed her, now she was making him pay for it.The image of her face wouldn’t leave his mind. How she had looked at him when they first met in this life was so cold and distant. That look was gone now, replaced by something much worse. Defiance. Determination. Th
CHAPTER 016Her fingers clenched the edges of the old map lying before her in the dimly lit room. Lucia sat alone. She gave in to the pressure, the weight of it all, the unease in her stomach, the tightness in her chest. This was it, all of it. Now, everything she’d walked, everything she’d sacrificed, led to one inevitable confrontation. Matteo. It was all because of him. The betrayals. The pain. The darkness. It was time for him to pay.She looked at the map, but something was on her mind. A feeling. It was a nagging, uncomfortable feeling that had slowly grown inside her for days. She didn’t know what it was, but she knew something was off. And her gut could feel it—the feeling that someone was against her, that she was being watched. Although she had exercised caution, she now found herself in a precarious situation, unable to shake the paranoia that she was losing her footing and risking slipping through the gaps.She breathed deeply and tried to ignore the feeling. She had a pla
CHAPTER 017Lucia walked back and forth in a small, dimly lit room. She couldn’t stop her thoughts racing, each one swiftly worsening the one before. She was aware of the impending moment, when everything would shift and she would have to face a person who had always seemed enigmatic to her, yet simultaneously felt a deep connection with her.Dante.For weeks now, he had been following her. Either he'd made it unclear what his intentions were or more confusing had been his actions. Or at least, she had tried to trust him. Standing on the edge of uncertainty, however, I reached out for answers. She couldn’t continue on with him in the shadows. She had to know where he was at. She had to know why he was really here.She stopped pacing and looked up. The door creaked open, and there he was, standing in the doorway, his tall frame blocking most of the light from the hallway. She could, however, see his posture tense, his face unreadable. He had come for this. For her."Followed you? Why?"
CHAPTER 018Dante and Lucia found a small, quiet place to catch their breath; Lucia could still feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. The alley they had ducked into was a vast contrast to the chaos of the ambush. Her body ached, and the bruises and cuts from the fight were still fresh, but relief that she had survived was short-lived. Too much were the words of Nero spoken earlier, the constant tension between her and Dante, and the memory of the forces of Matteo closing in.His face grim, Dante sat on the ground, back against the wall. Neither Lucia nor he spoke right away. The silence, the both searched, stretched ever longer than either me wanted.Lucia broke it, her voice steady even in her head. 'Dante, we need to figure this stuff out.' The prophecy, the Blood Moon—it’s all connected. We’ve done everything we’ve done, taken every step we’ve taken, to get here. We can’t keep running blind.”Dante turned his eyes towards her, and they weren’t their usual hardness; they we
Chapter 151The sky above the Celestial Nexus churned, deep indigo streaked with silver mild. Nero stood in the center, the burden of the universe pressing in opposition to his chest. His frame radiated power, a force he hadn’t yet fully discovered to control. Nyxario.That name rang in his head like a bell, a steady reminder that he turned into not just Nero Orsini. He became something greater. Something divine.But is turning into divinity a blessing or a curse?He closed his eyes, letting the whispers of the gods slither throughugh his mind. They called to him, demanding obedience, urging him to sever all mortal ties. To allow the passage of Lucia.Lucia.His hands clenched into fists. He had fought through hell to attain her, defied fate itself. And now, simply while she wanted him most, he was being requested to shrink back?A presence stirred at the back of him. He didn't want to show to realize who it had become.“You’re hesitating.”The voice changed into calm, but there has b
Chapter 150The moon appeared low above the Celestial Nexus and its pale light created extended shadows on the jagged alien rocks surrounding the large glowing pool at the center. An unsettling silence filled the air while the faint wind whispered in a timeless language.Lucia positioned herself at the periphery of the glowing pool which emitted an eerie yet gentle luminescence.The Heart of Lunaria emitted a soft glow beside her while its crystalline body throbbed like a faint heartbeat. It was waiting, just like she was. A few steps from Lucia Nero watched her back with his gaze while his face remained tense. The burden of their pending decision loomed above them like an ominous storm cloud.His voice reached only a whisper as if louder words might destroy their delicate instant. “Are you sure about this?” She didn’t answer right away. The words refused to leave her throat because her soul itself seemed to be resisting speech. How could she be sure? There were too many unknowns. T
Chapter 149A blanket of stars sparkled above the ancient mountain as the night sky shimmered. Lucia and Nero observed from the cliff edge as unnatural energy surged throughout their surroundings. A dense energy filled the air while the world waited for an imminent monumental event. The celestial event was only moments away. The pressure of the air shifted around Lucia which made her heart race while her senses intensified. She whispered "Something feels wrong here" but her words disappeared into the wind's fierce roar. “Nero, do you feel that?” Nero nodded, his expression grim. “It’s him. Eldrin. He’s going to do something… something huge.” The celestial bodies above started moving while their normal brightness faded momentarily before exploding into vibrant chaotic patterns. The heavens themselves seemed to be rearranging. The earth beneath them quivered gently as though holding its breath in anticipation for a massive release.A solitary beam of light shot from the darkened sky
Chapter 148The dim light inside the cavern revealed Sophia's followers while ancient unnatural tension filled the air. Carved twisted symbols decorated the stone around the ritual site and emitted a faint pulse of dark energy.The walls of the room appeared to come alive as shadows danced in the corners beneath the flickering torchlight.At the entrance Lucia stood with fast breathing while she examined the surroundings. Her pulse thundered in her ears.She experienced the compelling force of magic all around her. The resurrection ritual was close to completion. Failing to act at this moment would result in the loss of their hard-fought goals.Asher spoke in a tense whisper that bordered on a growl when he said she had gotten too close. "We can’t let her rise again." Lucia gave a quick nod while she firmly grasped the blade in her hand. "We’ll stop it. We have to." Beside her, Sindre’s eyes glinted with determination. Sindre observed that the barriers presented an unprecedented lev
Chapter 147The old cathedral's shadows held Alessandro as his amber eyes remained fixed on candlelight streaming through broken windows. Damp stone mingled with broken promises made the air thick and oppressive. He held onto the silver cross at his neck which he had lost faith in but did not dare to remove.Kalyndria entered the room through her presence before her physical form appeared. The air trapped the mingling fragrances of lavender and death which served as her signature entrance.Her heels struck the marble floor with a sharp sound as Alessandro's jaw tightened."You came." Her voice was silk wrapped around thorns. "I didn't come for you." He watched from the window as the moon fought to shine through the dense clouds. "I came for what was promised." Kalyndria's lips curved. "And what was promised? Power? Revenge? Do you seek liberation from Lucia's controlling grip or something else?Alessandro felt his heart pounding yet he managed to conceal the reaction. He refused to
Chapter 146Valeria ran her fingers over the cracked edges of the ancient tome as it lay upon the marble altar. A dense aroma of smoldering herbs mixed with moisture from the stone filled the sanctuary's atmosphere.Moonlight seeped through the high-arched windows creating shadows on the faded murals that depicted forgotten deities. Each inhalation she made seemed burdened by the circulating whispers inside her head.They were getting louder. She closed her eyes tight to muffle the voices that were clawing at her thoughts. But the visions wouldn't stop. Her eyelids became a screen for visions of city fires and rivers stained black while she saw a shadowy figure standing at the center of it all.Eldrin. Her heart pounded against her ribs while the name reverberated through her mind. The prophecy had haunted her visions for weeks until this moment when everything began to connect.Footsteps echoed along the stone corridor. Valeria’s eyes snapped open, her pulse quickening. Valeria spu
Chapter 145The cold steel of his blade's hilt became familiar as Dante's fingers wrapped around it. The pressure he applied to his grip caused his knuckles to ache but he remained determined to maintain his composure. The looming decision tormented him with its weight.He stood at the brink of darkness before and fought to pull himself away from its pull. Today everything made him feel like the darkness was nearer than it had ever been before."Are you okay?" Lucia’s voice pierced his thoughts with a soft but sharply concerned tone.Dante didn't look up. He couldn’t. He wasn't sure if he was okay. Could he ever be?He muttered "Fine" but his voice lacked the confidence he desired. He wasn’t fine. Not at all. Every mission and threat he faced brought his internal darkness back to life.Lucia remained next to him providing a firm presence that showed her unwavering belief in him. But she didn’t know everything.The monster that once took the form of Lupero and reveled in chaos and dest
Chapter 144Tension filled the council room making the air feel dense. At the table’s head Lucia sat while her fingers nervously tapped the smooth surface beneath them. The fragile peace between the factions had always hung by a thin thread that could break suddenly.But today, something was different. Kalyndria stepped into the room through the creaking door while her focused eyes quickly scanned her surroundings.Lucia’s heart sank. Her body was alert to the truth that this meeting held more importance than usual.Kalyndria surveyed the assembled group with a voice that carried both chill and restraint. “Let’s get this over with.” Lucia gave a small nod and fought to maintain a blank expression. She couldn’t show weakness, not now. Her eyes flicked to the leaders seated around the table: The table included Elena who represented the witches’ faction alongside Morten from the vampire group and Blake who led the werewolves.The council members had all consented to join the meeting bec
Chapter 143The wind screamed through the stone fissures while the temple maintained a haunting silence within. As Lucia advanced across the temple floor her boots made a ringing noise against the ancient stone.The ancient symbols carved into the walls emitted a faint glow which made them appear alive with ancient magic.The ancient temple seemed to hold countless secrets within its shadows while centuries of history created a heavy burden that pressed upon her.Isabella Marini stepped silently next to her while she examined everything in the room. Isabella Marini also detected the magical presence in the atmosphere.This location exhibited an unusual quality which pulled visitors in with its allure yet pushed them away with its menace.The prophecy of the Blood Moon draped itself over them like a dark shadow which they could only interpret by examining the ancient past.Lucia paused briefly as her fingers traced the chilly surface of the stone wall. "I can feel it," she murmured. "T