FAZER LOGINAlexander woke in darkness. Not ordinary darkness. There was no floor beneath him. No ceiling. No walls. Only endless blackness stretching in every direction.He couldn’t feel his body. Couldn’t hear his heartbeat. Couldn’t even feel his wolf. Then a voice spoke. “Alexander.” He turned. His father stood several feet away. Older than he remembered. But not alone.The First Hunger stood behind him. Alexander’s hands curled into fists. “You.” His father looked at him. “You’ve finally come home.” “This isn’t my home.” His father smiled sadly. “It is your blood.”Alexander looked around. “Where am I?” “The first Bloodborn chamber.” “Why am I here?” “Because you need to remember.” “Remember what?” His father stepped closer. “The truth about your birth.” Alexander shook his head. “I know my birth.” “No.” His father raised a hand. The darkness changed. A room appeared. A young woman lay on a stone table. She was exhausted and crying. Alexander recognized her immediately. His mother. Beside h
The third bell never finished ringing. A shockwave tore through the castle. The walls trembled. The windows shattered. I grabbed the nearest pillar as the floor rolled beneath my feet.Alexander caught my waist before I fell. “Are you hurt?” I shook my head. “No.” Then I heard it. A heartbeat. Not mine. Not Alexander’s. Something beneath the castle. Boom. The walls pulsed. Boom. The silver throne lit up. Boom. The black throne answered.Alexander looked toward them. “The castle is alive.” I stared at the two thrones. “Or someone is.” A voice came from behind us. “Both.” I spun around. Seraphina stood in the doorway. Alive and unharmed. Her silver eyes were fixed on me. “You.”Alexander stepped in front of me. Seraphina raised her hands. “I didn’t come to fight.” I didn’t move. “You lied to me.” “Yes.” “You let me believe you hated me.” “I needed you to believe it.” “Why?” “Because if your grandfather knew we were working together, you would never have survived.”I stared at her. “Work
The field stretched farther than my eyes could see. No trees. No buildings. No sanctuary. Only endless black earth beneath a blood-red moon. And hundreds of silver-eyed creatures standing behind the ancient figure.Alexander’s hand tightened around mine. “Stay close.” I looked at him. “I’m not going anywhere.” His eyes met mine. For a moment, the army disappeared. There was only him. Then the ancient figure spoke. “You have been brought here because this is where your bloodlines began.”I looked around. “This place?” “Yes.” “Where are we?” “The first battlefield.” Alexander frowned. “I’ve never heard of it.” “You were never meant to.” The figure raised his hand. The ground changed. Images appeared across the earth. I saw wolves, vampires, witches, fae, humans all fighting. Thousands of bodies covered the field. Then I saw two people standing in the middle. A woman with silver eyes. A man with black eyes. They looked like the first Phantom and the first Bloodborn. But they weren’t fi
The first crack in the Blood Gate sounded like thunder. Every person in the sanctuary froze. Above us, the ancient stone ceiling split apart, revealing a circle of blackness filled with swirling silver light.My grandfather stood at its center. He raised both hands. “Open.” The Blood Gate responded. A pulse of energy slammed through the sanctuary. The soldiers around him dropped to their knees.My wolf snarled inside me. Luna, something is coming. I already knew. The air smelled wrong. Like blood. Like smoke. Like something that had been buried for centuries and had finally remembered how to breathe.Alexander moved closer. “Stay beside me.” I looked at him. “I will.” His fingers brushed mine. The moment we touched, our markings lit up. Silver on my skin. Black on his. The Blood Gate reacted. My grandfather’s eyes widened. “No.”The gate began opening faster. He pointed toward us. “Separate them!” The soldiers charged. Alexander stepped forward. I raised my hand.A silver wall erupted
Desmond stood in the doorway with blood on his hands. But the person standing behind him frightened me more. A tall figure in a black cloak watched from the shadows, his face hidden beneath a silver mask.I tightened my grip around Alexander’s hand. “Who is that?” Desmond looked at me. Someone you need to meet.” Alexander stepped forward. “You have five seconds to explain why you brought him here.” Desmond’s eyes hardened. “Because midnight is coming.”The sanctuary trembled. A deep vibration rolled beneath our feet. I looked at the clock carved into the wall. 11:17 P.M.Forty-three minutes. Forty-three minutes until whatever was supposed to happen at midnight. “What happens at midnight?” I asked. Desmond looked at the masked figure. The figure stepped forward. “Your grandfather opens the Blood Gate.” My stomach tightened. “What Blood Gate?” “The door beneath the sanctuary.” I glanced at the glowing symbols on the floor. “The chamber we just opened?”The figure nodded. “That is only
The woman wearing my face stood beside my grandfather. For several seconds, I couldn’t breathe. She looked exactly like me. But there was something different in her expression.She looked at me the way someone looked at an imitation. Like I was the copy. My grandfather smiled. “Meet Seraphina.” The name meant nothing to me. But the moment he said it, the First Phantom went completely still. “You.” Seraphina looked at her. “You remember.”The First Phantom’s face hardened. “I thought you were dead.” Seraphina smiled. “I was.” My stomach tightened. “What is going on?” My grandfather turned toward me. “You’ve spent your entire life believing you were the heir.” “I never wanted to be an heir.” “That was never relevant.”Seraphina stepped forward. “You were created after me.” I stared at her. “Created?” She nodded. “You are the second vessel.” My blood ran cold. “The second what?” “The second version of me.”My mother moved forward. “That’s enough.” Seraphina looked at her. “You still prot
The first scream didn’t come from fear. It came from confusion. Because no one in that ballroom understood what they were looking at.The massive digital display above the stage, used moments ago to showcase innovation metrics and investment portfolios, flickered violently.Then it went black.A sh
Five years ago— Luna Albert died quietly. There was no funeral, no mourning, no one noticed how deeply she was hurt, no one noticed the exact moment she disappeared. Except her.New York had not welcomed her. It had tested her. But she had no choice than to stay. Because it was for the best.The fi
The silence after Alexander’s grip tightened around Desmond’s wrist did not feel like silence. It felt like pressure.Like the entire ballroom had been dropped underwater, sound warped and distant, every movement slowed beneath something heavier than fear.Desmond’s face twisted. Not in anger, but
The suitcase handle cut into my palm.One bag. Thirteen years reduced to one fucking bag.My heels hit the marble. Each step echoed. Sharp. Final.No one moved to stop me.My hand closed around the doorknob."Mummy?"Every muscle in my body locked."Mummy, are you going away?"His footsteps. Runnin







