The cloaked witch knelt on the marble floor of the penthouse, chalk lines spreading out from his hands like veins of light. Ancient words spilled from his lips, sharp, guttural, vibrating in the walls themselves. The air thickened, trembling as if the whole apartment had been caught between one heartbeat and the next. Chloe thrashed against her chains in the corner, veins darkening beneath her skin, her screams raw. “Blood… Valerius, I need it…” Her voice cracked, guttural, almost not her own. Valerius was there in an instant, dropping to his knees before her, gripping her trembling face in his cold hands. “Sugar,” he rasped, his voice fraying, “hold on. Just a little longer. Don’t give in. If you taste blood now, everything will be lost.” Her pupils blew wide, swallowing the green of her eyes, and she snarled at him, tugging at the chains. “It hurts… make it stop! You don’t understand, I’ll die…” Behind them, the witch’s voice climbed, louder, more jagged, as the chalk lines
Last Updated : 2025-09-13 Read more