Nightfall Prophecy

Chapter 18: The Shadow That Hunts

The name echoed in Celestine's mind. Valerius. A name she had never heard before, yet it sent ice-cold dread coursing through her veins. She tightened her grip on her wrist, feeling the pulsing heat of the sigil beneath her fingertips.

Lucien's expression darkened. "Valerius shouldn't be alive."

Draven let out a low chuckle, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "Oh, he's very much alive, wolf. And if the witches are right, he knows about Celestine now."

Celestine exhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay calm. "Who is he?"

The elder witch's gaze remained steady. "He was the one who shattered the Blood Pact centuries ago. A being of pure chaos, born from the war itself. His very existence feeds on destruction."

Draven crossed his arms. "And now he's set his sights on our little star."

Lucien stiffened. "We need to move. If he's aware of her, we can't afford to stay in one place."

Celestine swallowed hard, but before she could respond, the torches lining the chamber flickered violently. The air grew thick, charged with dark energy. A whisper—low, chilling, almost playful—brushed against her mind.

I see you.

Celestine staggered, clutching her head as a sharp pain lanced through her skull. Images flooded her vision—shadowed ruins, crimson moonlight, and piercing golden eyes staring straight into her soul.

Lucien caught her before she collapsed. "Celestine!"

She gasped for breath, gripping his arm. "He's already here."

The witches exchanged uneasy glances before the elder witch stepped forward. "You must leave immediately. The longer you stay, the more you endanger everyone here."

Draven smirked, but there was an edge to his amusement. "Well then, looks like the fun is just beginning."

Celestine's hands trembled as she steadied herself. The choice had been taken from her. The hunt had begun.

And this time, she was the prey.

Chapter 19: Escape into the Unknown

The night air was sharp against Celestine's skin as she sprinted through the dense forest, her heartbeat pounding in rhythm with her frantic footsteps. Behind her, Lucien and Draven moved swiftly, their heightened senses tracking every shift in the shadows.

"We're not moving fast enough," Lucien growled, his silver eyes flickering in the darkness. "He's close."

Draven shot him a smirk, though it lacked his usual arrogance. "I'd rather not exhaust myself before the real fight begins."

Celestine ignored their exchange, her mind still reeling from what had happened in the witches' sanctuary. Valerius was hunting her, and worse—he had already infiltrated her mind. The whisper still echoed in her skull, sending shivers down her spine. I see you.

A sudden pulse of energy cracked through the air, the force so strong it sent birds shrieking from the treetops. Lucien cursed under his breath, grabbing Celestine's wrist and pulling her behind the thick trunk of an ancient oak.

"Too late," Draven muttered, his eyes gleaming with eerie amusement. "He's here."

A gust of wind roared through the trees, carrying with it a presence so suffocating that Celestine's knees nearly buckled. The shadows deepened unnaturally, twisting and curling into something sentient. And then—

A figure stepped into the moonlight.

Tall. Cloaked in darkness. His features were sharp, ethereal, yet his golden eyes burned like twin suns against the void. Valerius.

"I must say," his voice was smooth, almost amused. "You are far more interesting than I expected, Celestine."

Lucien stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his blade. "Stay away from her."

Valerius barely spared him a glance. "Ah, the loyal wolf." His gaze then shifted to Draven. "And the traitorous prince."

Draven's smirk faltered. "Haven't heard that title in a while."

Celestine swallowed hard, forcing herself to hold Valerius's gaze. "Why are you after me?"

His lips curled into something resembling a smile. "Because you exist. And that alone is enough to unmake everything."

A pulse of raw power radiated from him, sending waves of darkness surging through the clearing. Lucien moved first, his blade flashing in the moonlight as he lunged. Draven followed suit, shadows curling around his fingers like living weapons.

Celestine barely had time to react before the battle began.

And for the first time, she realized—she might not survive this night.

Chapter 20: Blades and Shadows

The air trembled with energy as the battle erupted. Valerius didn't move like an ordinary being—he flowed, a specter of darkness that flickered between the trees, his golden eyes glowing like twin embers in the night.

Lucien's blade met empty space as Valerius vanished and reappeared behind him in an instant. A cruel smirk tugged at the corner of the dark entity's lips. "Too slow, wolf."

Lucien barely dodged as a pulse of energy lashed out, slicing through the bark of an ancient oak behind him. Splinters exploded into the air, raining down like deadly shards.

Draven was already moving. His fingers twisted, summoning dark tendrils that lashed toward Valerius, but the entity caught them midair, twisting them like mere threads of silk.

"Ah, Draven," Valerius murmured, his voice a deadly purr. "You used to wield real power. Look at you now—nothing but a broken prince."

Draven's eyes darkened, his smirk disappearing. "Try me."

Celestine barely had time to think. Power thrummed through her veins, the sigil on her wrist burning hotter with every second. She clenched her fists, trying to suppress the pull—she felt Valerius's magic, calling to something deep inside her.

He turned his gaze on her, his interest shifting. "I can feel it," he whispered. "You are waking up."

A sharp pain lanced through Celestine's chest. The shadows around them thickened, as if responding to her heartbeat. Valerius's expression remained unreadable, but his eyes gleamed with something almost hungry.

"No," Lucien snarled, lunging forward once more. This time, his blade found purchase—slashing across Valerius's shoulder. But instead of blood, only darkness seeped from the wound, curling like mist before vanishing entirely.

Valerius let out a low chuckle. "Not bad."

Then he raised a hand. The ground beneath them cracked.

Celestine gasped as a wave of energy surged toward her, but before it could reach her, Draven was there. He yanked her back, his arms wrapping around her as they tumbled into the undergrowth.

Lucien roared, the sound primal, as he charged again. Valerius merely tilted his head, his smile widening. "We'll finish this later."

And then, just like that, he was gone. The shadows receded, the oppressive energy fading into the silence of the forest.

Celestine lay frozen beneath Draven, her breath coming in short gasps. His face was inches from hers, his golden eyes flickering with something unreadable.

"You okay, little star?" he murmured.

Lucien stormed toward them, his expression thunderous as he pulled Celestine up. "We need to leave. Now."

Celestine nodded, her heart still hammering. Whatever had just happened—whatever power Valerius saw in her—this was only the beginning.