There are moments in history when the sky itself seems to scream.
The Crimson Eclipse was one such moment.
It arrived unheralded, unexpected, unpredicted by seers or starwatchers. A veil of red bled over the twin moons of Aeloria—Aurel and Lunaris—turning them into gory eyes in the heavens. The phenomenon brought with it a thick silence, as if the entire world had paused to hold its breath. In the forest city of Elowen, even the whispering trees stilled, their leaves trembling in quiet reverence or dread.
Lyra Everen stood alone at the edge of the Selene River, a shallow basket of nightbloom herbs floating beside her in the moonlit waters. She had wandered far from the village under the guise of helping her master restock medicinal supplies. In truth, she longed for solitude. Lately, she had felt… wrong. Different. Her dreams were filled with silver eyes and shadows whispering in languages older than words.
Her feet were bare, pressed into the soft riverbed. Her breath came in shallow puffs as she watched the heavens shift. The crimson light reflected off the rippling surface, giving the water the look of blood.
Then the pain began.
It was unlike anything she had ever experienced—sharp, searing, primal. It started at her chest, as if her heart had been set alight from within. She dropped the basket and screamed, stumbling forward, clutching herself as if trying to tear the agony free. Her knees buckled and she collapsed into the river, which hissed and steamed around her.
A burning symbol carved itself into her skin just below her collarbone—a crescent moon ringed with black thorns, glowing with ethereal silver light. The mark pulsed, alive.
And then—
A voice. Not spoken aloud, but embedded in her mind.
"Bloodbound System initializing... Syncing with Host... Biological match confirmed: Lyra Everen."
She gasped, the voice cold and mechanical but unmistakably sentient.
"Lineage detected: Moonborne. Status: Classified Extinct."
The world around her seemed to twist. Energy crackled in the air. Trees groaned and bent. Somewhere deep in the woods, a beast howled—long and sorrowful.
Then came a presence.
She looked up through tear-streaked eyes and saw a figure staggering along the riverbank. A man—or what was left of one. His body was torn, his clothing tattered, and his arms bore deep gashes that oozed dark blood. His eyes glowed a burning red that matched the sky.
He locked eyes with her. Then collapsed.
Darkness claimed her.
—
Lyra awoke to the smell of herbs and firewood.
She was back in her hut. At least, she thought she was. Everything felt strange. Her head throbbed, and the mark on her chest still pulsed with light. She sat up, groaning.
"System online," the voice in her mind announced.
She blinked, rubbing her temple. "What are you?"
"Bloodbound System: Aether Protocol. Linked to Host via ancient contract. Primary directive: Awaken the Moonborne bloodline."
Her heart hammered. "But… that's not possible. The Moonborne were destroyed a thousand years ago."
"Correction: They were sealed. Host is anomaly. Lineage reactivated."
Before she could question further, a sound snapped her attention to the door.
Voices. Footsteps. Steel against wood.
The door burst open. A squad of Solar Guards stormed in, weapons drawn, their armor glinting with sun-forged enchantments. At their head stood a woman in white and gold—Commander Elira Voss, known across the kingdom as the Lightblade.
"Elowen reports illegal magic activity," she said coldly. "You are under arrest by the authority of the Crown. Resist, and you die."
Lyra's hand trembled. Her thoughts raced.
Then instinct took over.
Power surged through her veins—raw, untamed. Her body moved before her mind caught up. A wave of silver energy burst from her palm, knocking the soldiers back. Their armor clanged as they hit the walls.
The commander raised her staff to retaliate—but Lyra was already gone.
She dove through the back window, landing in the forest beyond. Her feet barely touched the ground as she sprinted deeper into the trees. The Bloodbound System continued to pulse in her mind.
"Combat protocol initiated. Adrenal response heightened. Escape route generated. Estimated time to evade pursuit: 94 seconds."
Branches whipped past her face. Her lungs burned, but she didn't stop. She followed the glowing markers only she could see—a path the system had drawn out.
Eventually, her legs gave out and she collapsed in a grove of silverleaf trees. Moonlight bathed the clearing. Her breathing slowed.
And then—he was there again.
The red-eyed man, still bleeding, still watching.
"You…" she gasped. "Who are you?"
He stepped forward, his movements slower now, labored. "Kael. Prince of the Crimson Court."
"The vampires?" she asked, eyes wide.
He nodded. "Exiled. Hunted. Like you."
She reached for her dagger, trembling.
He didn't flinch. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here because of that mark."
"What do you mean?"
Kael pulled his shirt open, revealing a scar on his chest that matched the shape of her mark—though his was faded and cracked.
"I carried it once. I thought it had died with me. But it's alive again… in you."
The Bloodbound System spoke again: "Guardian proximity confirmed. Syncing with bonded heir... 8% complete."
Lyra staggered back.
Kael looked at her, something between awe and sorrow in his expression. "Do you feel it? The pull? Our bloodlines were once intertwined… in power, in war… and in love."
"I don't even know you," she whispered.
"But you will," he said softly. "Because your destiny is bound to mine. And the Crimson Eclipse… was only the beginning."
In the distance, horns sounded. The Solar Guard was still hunting.
Kael turned to the shadows. "If you want to survive what's coming, you need to leave Elowen behind. Come with me. Learn who you are before they decide for you."
She hesitated.
The mark on her chest flared.
The system spoke again: "Warning: Crown-registered trackers inbound. Time until interception—four minutes."
She met Kael's eyes.
And ran with him into the night.
—
End of Chapter 1
[To be continued...]