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 019The moon was rising. It was in her bones—the pull of the blood moon, the push of the sky itself—preparing for the final act. She was on edge, every nerve in her body. She had seen it before. She had felt the other cold hand of betrayal clamp down on her heart yet again. This time, she was determined it wouldn’t happen. Not again. She wouldn’t let it.Even now, however, with the moon staring like a silver eye in the sky, she knew a thing was coming. The end of the cycle. The final confrontation. And there was a gnawing feeling in her gut that things were going to change.Standing inside the dimly lit room of the mansion, her brain was in a mass of fury and heartbreak. She had heard the prophecy from Nero. All of it. The curse of the Blood Moon. Her destiny. All that had been set in motion long before her first death, long before the life she now lived. It was no less real, but hearing it from him had made it so. No less terrifying.She clutched the cold edge of the windowsi
Chapter 210The Celestial Nexus was bathed in a gentle golden glow as the sun was just starting to rise.The air was light without fear or battle for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. It felt... motionless. The stillness was almost overwhelming.Lucia watched the throng of people gathered below from the edge of the opulent courtyard.The fae, witches, werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural groups had all arrived.Some of her old foes had also arrived. The sound of whispered conversations, some cautious, some hopeful, was audible to her.The air was warm, but her hands felt cold. Trying to get rid of the nerves that were accumulating in her chest, she balled her fingers into fists. She forced a shaky breath out and muttered under her breath, "Everyone's watching."Nero came up behind her, his steps light but firm. His voice was quiet as he said, "You're trembling."She merely smiled slightly without turning. "It's nothing.""Lucia..." There was something more i
Chapter 209The atmosphere was tense as Lucia stood at the edge of the Celestial Nexus.Life throbbed in the Nexus, a place of whirling energies and glistening lights. It was the center of their universe, the source of harmony and balance.Nero clenched his fist beside her, his gaze sweeping the horizon. They were both aware that Alessandro Stellini would not be alone when he arrived."Are we prepared for this?" Nero's query was barely audible above a murmur.Lucia inhaled deeply as she felt the burden of accountability. "We have to be," she said. "The stakes are too high."Dark clouds gathered overhead as if on cue, obscuring the landscape with menacing shadows. As Alessandro's forces approached, the ground shook beneath their feet.Nero raised his sword and muttered, "Here they come."Feeling her divine energy surge through her veins, Lucia called it forth. She gave Nero a comforting nod as she looked at him. "Remain near. Together, we battle."With vile eyes, the first wave of adve
Chapter 208Lucia stood staring at the group in front of her as the sun sank below the horizon, bathing the ancient temple in a warm glow.A group of young people waited for her to speak, their eyes wide with interest and a hint of nervousness."Welcome," Lucia said in a soft but firm voice. "Each of you has a special gift, a sight beyond the norm, which is why you are here. Our beloved seer Valeria is no longer with us, but her legacy lives on in you.Elara, a young woman, moved uneasily among the group. She had always been able to sense things that others couldn't hints of things that hadn't yet happened.She felt both honored and overwhelmed to be in front of the renowned Lucia now.Lucia saw Elara's discomfort, and her eyes softened. She looked directly at Elara while addressing the group, saying, "It's natural to feel uncertain." "Embracing your abilities is a journey that calls for trust and courage."Nero nodded in agreement as he stood next to Lucia. He revealed, "I was afraid
Chapter 207Under Nero's boots, the ground continued to hum. It was lighter, but not quiet, as if something had shattered and was still falling apart.The battlefield was silent around him, Lucia's final blow extinguished the last remnants of Kalyndria's sinister magic, which flickered like dying embers.His gaze strayed to Lucia as he dabbed at the perspiration on his forehead. She stood a few feet away, her chest rising and falling quickly, her face pale. Something darker than blood stained her hands, which trembled at her sides."Are you okay?" With a low voice that was sharp enough to cut through the silence, Nero asked.Lucia gave him a nod without turning to face him. "I'm all right," she whispered. However, the rigidity in her shoulders conveyed a different message."Are you certain about that?"She clenched her jaw. "We need to do more work."With a sigh, Nero closed the distance between them, walking over broken ground and splintered stones. "Yes, there is always."Faint murm
Chapter 206Above the Celestial Nexus, clouds swirled like enraged smoke in a deep red sky.The ground crackled under Lucia Roselli's feet as she stood in the center of the mayhem.The raw, untamed power that was now pulsing through her veins caused her hands to shake, not out of fear.She sensed Dante's presence.She still remembered his last breath, His voice reverberated within her, simultaneously gentle and piercing, Every burst of vitality reminded her of what he sacrificed for her to stand here.Just before everything burst into light, he had whispered, "Lucia, don't waste it."Eldrin's shadow loomed across the battlefield, his dark eyes now fixed on her. Kalyndria grinned next to him, her golden hair wild and tangled. They both exuded confidence, as if they had already won.Wiping her mouth, Lucia tasted blood. Her knees wanted to give out, but she was propelled forward by something inside of her that wasn't totally her own.From behind, Nero yelled, "Lucia, resist their allure
Chapter 205A hidden glade surrounded by ethereal light awaited those who sought its wisdom in the center of the ancient forest, where tall trees whispered secrets of long ago.Valeria's spirit lingered in this hallowed location, unaffected by time, constrained by fate and prophecy.Exhausted from their journey, Lucia and Nero shoved through the dense foliage to enter the clearing.The smell of blooming wildflowers and moss filled the cool air, A weathered but sturdy stone altar with a gentle, welcoming glow stood in the middle."Do you think this is it?" With a hint of wonder in her voice, Lucia whispered.Nero nodded as he looked around. "It fits the description. Valeria's spirit must reside here.Lucia inhaled deeply and walked toward the altar, her fingers grazing its cool surface. "Valeria," she called softly, "we need your advice."Only the rustling leaves responded for a brief moment, Then a glowing figure appeared above the altar, rising from the ground like mist. Valeria's se
Chapter 204Clouds rolled heavy like bruises, and the sky over Lunaria bled dark purple. Something unsaid something approaching made the air snap cold and sharp.Sophia Roselli stood at the edge of the destroyed citadel, her cloak flapping at her legs. The city stretched below her, waiting, broken, and silent.In the distance, she traced the ragged outline of the temple of the Heart of Lunaria. That was her intention. The secret was that. Beneath her skin, she could practically hear its pulse.Sophia's eyes narrowed as she muttered under her breath, "They have no idea what's going to hit them."Beside her, Kalyndria's voice crackled, as sharp and smooth as glass. "Everything is in place. Eldrin's shadows are prepared to move.Sophia ignored her. "How about Lucia?""She won't anticipate this."Sophia's mouth tightened. Something flickered behind her eyes, but she pushed it away. Now there's no place for second thoughts. This is especially true in light of the recent events.She thought
Chapter 203With tension in the air, Lucia stood in the center of the Celestial Nexus. Nero's eyes searched their surroundings next to her, all his muscles tensed.With its usual calm glow transformed into a frenzied dance of lights, the Nexus throbbed with vitality."Do you feel that?" Nero's voice could barely be heard over a whisper.With a nod, Lucia's hand automatically closed around the Heart of Lunaria that hung around her neck.She answered calmly but with a hint of fear in her voice, "Eldrin's coming."A low hum filled the air, getting louder by the second, and the ground beneath them shook. Eldrin appeared, his presence overwhelming them as a blinding light burst before them.His eyes blazed with a cosmic rage, and his power seemed to distort the air around him."Eldrin," Lucia said, trying to sound firm, "this insanity has to stop. Our world's equilibrium depends on it.A sarcastic smile curved Eldrin's lips. He sneered, "Balance?" " While holding onto the very artifact tha
Chapter 202With her gaze focused on the Heart of Lunaria, Kalyndria stood at the edge of the Celestial Nexus, Above the altar, the pulsing gem cast a gentle, ethereal glow that filled the room with silver light.She had been searching for this source of ultimate power for centuries. She would rule the supernatural realm with the Heart.With its moonstone carvings and glistening crystal veins, the room seemed to hum with anticipation.Every step Kalyndria took caused the air to tremble, upsetting the delicate equilibrium in the room with her eerie aura, Shadows writhed at her feet, clinging to her like obedient subjects.The air glistened as she moved forward, and two figures appeared in front of her: Nero and Lucia. Their postures were defensive; their faces were determined.Despite the tension erupting around them, Lucia said, "You're too late, Kalyndria," in a steady voice. "You can't take the heart."A smirk formed on Kalyndria's lips. "Are you sure you can stop me? "After all thi