THE LYCAN'S CURSED LOVE: A HYBRID'S HEART

The night was shrouded in darkness, and the ancient crypt stood silently, holding secrets from a time long forgotten. A group of high school students, each carrying a flickering flashlight, crept through the overgrown graveyard. They were the unwitting explorers of a destiny not of their own making.

Derek led the group with an adventurous spirit but he made sure he held Avery’s hand since she easily got scared. Emily, Nina, and Michael trailed behind them until they reached what seemed to be a crypt. It was hidden beneath layers of soil and something about it beckoned them with an eerie allure.

“Whoa Derek, how did you even find this place?” Michael asked as they stared at it in awe. Derek’s eyes seemed to beam in the dark with excitement as he proudly announced, “Well, I was just wandering around when I found this place. I’m an explorer, that’s what we do,”

“Explorer or not, I have a bad feeling about this place. I can’t believe that you got us to come here instead of Caleb’s party,” Emily grumbled.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Emily, you really think that party where no one will speak to us is better than what we’re witnessing right now?” Michael asked in disbelief while Emily rolled her eyes.

Avery did not care about any of this, she just wanted to go home. This was not her kind of scene! But Derek had been her closest friend for years and he seemed so excited about this place, she did not want to disappoint him.

"Are you sure about this, Derek?" Avery whispered, casting a nervous glance at the tombstone she just stumbled over when they neared the dark crypt.

Derek, brimming with excitement, replied with determination in his voice. "Positive. This place has been abandoned for centuries. We're not going to find anything here."

“You just keep sounding dumber and dumber Derek. If we aren’t going to find anything here then why the hell are we here!” Emily hissed.

Nina, known for her cautious nature, interrupted, "Look, Derek, this all seems cool and all but I heard about a group of teenagers who found a crypt two days ago but were never found again. We should be careful. Strange things are happening in Crestwood."

Derek dismissed her claims with a wave of his hand. "Nina, you worry too much. We'll be fine. This is just some old crypt. What could go wrong?"

Avery, her nervousness palpable, scanned their surroundings. As her flashlight beam danced across the crypt's entrance, it revealed a sealed door with an ancient, moss-covered stone.

Before anyone could react, Avery’s trembling hand accidentally brushed against the stone door. A shiver ran down her spine, and the door began to creak open, revealing the eerie darkness within. But that was not what scared Avery. What scared her was that when she touched the stone she saw a man’s face and something about the way he looked at her made her feel like she might know him.

Nina shot Avery a scolding look but Avery didn’t seem to notice, she was still in a world of her own. The crypt's interior was filled with intricate carvings on the walls that seemed to tell stories of a world long past.

Nina's voice quivered as she reminded them, "You see? I told you something was off about this place."

Avery stammered an apology, her nerves getting the better of her. "I didn't mean to... I didn't think it would open."

Derek, determined as ever, moved closer to examine the markings, his curiosity piqued. "Can anyone decipher this?"

Avery, her nerves still on edge, leaned in, squinting at the strange symbols. "I have no idea what these mean. They don't even look like any language I've seen."

As Avery traced her fingers along the ancient writings, an unexpected tremor ran through the crypt. The ground seemed to shift beneath their feet, and the chamber's walls groaned.

Emily's eyes widened with fear. "Avery, what did you do?"

Avery took a step back, her heart racing. "I didn't do anything! I just touched it!"

A low, rumbling sound filled the crypt as dust and debris fell from the ceiling. The friends exchanged panicked glances, realizing they might have triggered something beyond their understanding.

The tremor intensified, making it difficult to maintain their footing. It was as though the very earth was awakening, and the ancient crypt's secrets were coming to life.

"We need to get out of here!" Michael shouted, pushing at the stone door. But it wouldn't budge. They were trapped.

Just as panic threatened to consume them, a blinding light burst from the crypt's center, enveloping them in an otherworldly glow. Their screams were drowned out by the deafening roar of a power long dormant.

These five teenagers had awakened a force it had held captive for centuries, a creature beyond their wildest nightmares. The ancient carvings seemed to come to life, and the chamber echoed with otherworldly whispers, filling their hearts with dread.

Avery felt a strange presence, like a breath of wind on her neck. She turned to see shadows dancing along the walls, taking the shape of menacing figures with glowing eyes.

"Nina," Derek's voice quavered, "you were right. I should have listened to you."

But it was too late. The crypt had come alive, and for a moment they were certain that this would be their end. Derek reached for Avery who was trembling with terror while Michael shielded Emily and Nina as they waited for the worst to come.

Suddenly there was silence and the stone door opened. Without thinking, they all ran out of the crypt and bumped into the one who had saved them. The man, dressed in a white suit and shades smiled at them kindly.

“Hello kids, I see you have found the crypt?” he said, removing his shades and twirling it around his fingers playfully.

“Who is he calling kids? He literally looks seven – no nineteen tops!” Michael scoffed. Derek looked at him from head to toe and whispered to Michael, “I think he’s in his twenties…you know like twenty-nine or something like that. On second thought that’s basically thirty.” The man smiled as he watched Derek and Michael debate his age.

Nina elbowed the both of them before she smiled back at the tall and imposing figure. “Thanks for saving us back there but whatever business you have with the crypt…just know that it’s all yours,” she said and started to leave but three men suddenly appeared from the woods blocking her path.

“I appreciate you giving me the go ahead but you see you guys have no idea what you just did and as the adult here I have to make sure I educate you on the matter,”

“You are out here wearing sunglasses in the dark and talking about educating us, I can think about so many things to lecture you on but I’ll do you a favor and keep it cute,” Michael said, he had quite a temper but the man wasn’t fazed. He seemed to like the challenge.

Nina sensing the tension decided to speak up and handle things before they got out of hand. “Look Mister, we are sorry for wandering out here where you clearly have business but I think what my friend is trying to say is that we are really sorry–“ she started to say before someone cut her off

“ – I’m not sorry right Derek?” Michael said and Derek ever the supportive friend nodded defiantly as he added, “So we wandered into some abandoned property, big deal! It’s not like we awakened Dracula,”

While Derek and Michael laughed at his joke, the man’s smile slowly started to fade. With two, fast steps he closed the gap between himself and the boys and said, “Oh what you have awakened is far worse than that,”

“What are you talking about?” Nina asked, clearly shaken by the man’s words but he smiled at her and this time her body trembled with fear when she saw his eyes glow as he said, “Bring them all to Arsen,”

Before they could protest they suddenly fell to the ground blacking out completely.