The whispers followed.
They slithered through the ruins like serpents made of smoke, curling around Lucian's ankles, hissing against the back of his neck.
You cannot run.
You cannot hide.
We are in your blood now.
Lucian gritted his teeth, his shadowform flickering. Every step sent jagged pain lancing through his veins, as if his body was rejecting itself. The Hollow Crown's power had sunk its teeth into him—and now it refused to let go.
The vampire kept pace beside him, silent. His usual mocking demeanor had bled away, replaced by something heavier. The scent of old blood and ozone clung to him, sharpened by tension.
Lucian didn't need to ask. He could feel it too.
They were being hunted.
Not by Vargulfs. Not by anything mortal.
Something older.
Something hungry.
The ruins around them groaned, the skeletal remains of skyscrapers trembling as if in warning. The sky had darkened, the bruised twilight deepening into a sickly crimson. The air itself tasted metallic, thick with the promise of violence.
Lucian's shadow-claws twitched, the remnants of his Bloodmoon Shift struggling to stabilize. The system's warnings pulsed behind his eyes like a second heartbeat:
[Blood Corruption (Stage 1) Progress: 12%]
[Effect: Shadowform Integrity – 78%]
[Warning: Prolonged Instability May Result in Soul Fracture]
He snarled, flexing his fingers. The shadows coiled around his wrist like shackles.
"How long?" he growled.
The vampire didn't pretend to misunderstand. "Until the Corruption consumes you?" A humorless smile. "Depends. How strong is your will, little king?"
Lucian shot him a glare. "I didn't take the damn throne."
"No." The vampire's crimson gaze flickered toward the ruins behind them. "But it touched you. And the Hollow King does not like to be denied."
A chill crawled down Lucian's spine. The whispers surged in agreement, their voices slithering through his mind like poison.
You were chosen.
You were wanted.
And you spat in our face.
Lucian clenched his fists. "Then let him come."
The vampire's grin returned, edged with something feral. "Oh, he will."
A sound cut through the ruins then—low, resonant, like the tolling of a funeral bell. The ground trembled. The air warped.
And from the darkness between the crumbling buildings, something moved.
Not a Vargulf. Not a beast.
A silhouette, tall and emaciated, its limbs too long, its fingers tapered into cruel, skeletal points. A crown of jagged shadows hovered above its featureless face, and where it stepped, the earth blackened, withering as if drained of life.
The vampire went very, very still.
"Ah." His voice was a blade's edge. "He sent a Herald."
Lucian's blood turned to ice. The system's text flashed crimson:
[WARNING: HOLLOW KING'S HERALD DETECTED]
[Threat Level: Cataclysmic]
[Recommended Action: Flee]
The Herald's head tilted. The hollow where its face should have been rippled, and then—
A voice.
Not a sound. Not a whisper.
A presence, carving itself directly into Lucian's skull.
You were offered a throne.
You refused.
Now, you will serve.
The vampire's hand clamped onto Lucian's shoulder. "Run."
Lucian didn't argue.
They ran.
The ruins blurred around them, the Herald's presence pulsing behind them, a suffocating weight. The ground split where it walked, tendrils of shadow lashing out like whips, snapping at their heels.
Lucian's lungs burned. His shadowform flickered, unstable, the Corruption in his veins spreading like ink in water.
[Blood Corruption Progress: 17%]
The vampire swore, dragging him into the skeletal remains of a collapsed subway tunnel. The darkness swallowed them whole, but Lucian knew—
It wouldn't be enough.
The Herald didn't need light to hunt.
The whispers in Lucian's skull grew louder, more frantic.
You cannot escape.
You belong to Him.
You will kneel.
Lucian snarled, slamming a fist against the tunnel wall. "Shut up."
The vampire's eyes gleamed in the dark. "Fighting it only makes it worse."
"Then what?" Lucian hissed. "You have a better plan?"
The vampire's smile was a razor in the gloom. "Don't I always?"
Before Lucian could respond, the vampire's hand shot out, fingers pressing against Lucian's chest—right where his heart should be.
And pushed.
Lucian gasped as the world twisted, his body dissolving into smoke, shadows tearing free from his flesh like ribbons. The vampire's voice cut through the chaos, sharp with command:
"Borrowed time, little king. Use it well."
Then—
Silence.
Lucian stumbled, his form reassembling, the Corruption in his veins dulled, suppressed. The system's alert blinked weakly:
[Blood Corruption Temporarily Stabilized]
[Duration: 1 Hour]
He whirled, but the vampire was gone.
And the Herald?
It stood at the mouth of the tunnel, its featureless face turned toward him.
Waiting.
The whispers in Lucian's skull coiled, smug.
You cannot hide forever.
He will find you.
And next time…
You will kneel.
Lucian bared his fangs.
"Not fucking likely."
Then he turned, and vanished into the dark.
[To Be Continued…]