A Guide Thicker Than Blood Chapter 1 Novels & Stories

The wind howled violently, scratching at my throat until I felt an itch that seemed to make me want to cough. "Enough talking. Choose, or I'll let them both go." At Amber's signal, the men next to us hoisted both me and Tara up. The salty sea breeze hit me in the face, and the sharp smell of ocean water churned my stomach. However, nothing compared to the screaming in my ears. Before I could even draw a breath, Ethan had already made his choice. At that moment, everything went silent. Amber instinctively turned to look at me. My vision flickered and spots of black clouded my sight, but I did not know why.

But as I turned the pages, I was met with emptiness—a void waiting to be filled with knowledge and secrets long forgotten. “Huh?” Curiosity piqued, I traced my fingertip along the edge of the page, only to be met with a sharp prick as the book drew blood. “O-ouch!” Startled, I watched as crimson droplets stained the pristine surface, merging with the blank pages like ink on parchment. With trembling hands, I turned to the first page, my heart racing with anticipation. And as if by magic, words began to appear before my eyes, weaving a tale of destiny and prophecy that sent shivers down my spine.

Akshara’s heart pumped more blood to know that she was the next to read that weird book with an eye. The book went to Azile who was got on her feet from an unknown faint. The weird look and efficiency of the book thrilled Azile and pages opened to her in words written in mud, “Awaken Love, Shall Not Be A Delight. Let Thy Onus, Vex Your Soul; Perish In Disgrace.” The prophecy book with an eye moved towards Akshara and stood in front of her. Upon eye to eye contact with Akshara, the book flipped its pages and finally settled in a page to uncover her prophecy; the letters appeared in blood made of gold. The prophecy of Akshara,

The Blood Within As Aria and Kael crossed the threshold of the temple, the atmosphere thickened — laden with dust, ancient blood, and another sensation… memory. The expansive chamber in front of them was unlike anything they had encountered. Pillars embellished with bizarre runes soared high into the shadows, their surfaces slick with dried blood. At the far end, a solitary flame flickered above an altar hewn from dark stone. The floor shimmered faintly, mirroring the dim light like a reflection of shattered spirits.

The creature approaches me and then lies down in front of me. Stepping toward the large hound I reach out placing my hand on the nose of the creature. The dog closes their eyes as a strong presence fills me. I gasp as the dog begins to disappear, slowly begging absorbed through my fingertips. My breath picks up as my lungs begin to burn. I sink to the ground gasping for air.

The pain rolled through me in waves, deep and hot and suffocating, starting from my chest and spreading outward until my fingers tingled and my knees buckled. I stumbled to the bed and collapsed onto it, breath already coming in short broken pulls. Then it got worse. My vision blurred and then sharpened in a way that made no sense. I could see my arms. My chest. My hands clutching the sheets. But underneath that, deeper, I saw something else. My blood. I do not know how to explain it without sounding insane. I could see it moving. Dark. Too dark even. Not the bright red you see in textbooks or movies. This was thick and shadowed, almost black, rushing through my veins like it carried weight

“And Lia? Clean your knuckles. The blood under your fingernails is too careful. Too clean. Real blood stays for days.” She fled into the neon-lit night, the walls of her identity crumbling around her. She had infiltrated the Moretti family. And in doing so, she had been utterly, completely caught. The hunt was on, but she was no longer the hunter. She was the prey on a very short, very invisible leash, held by the most dangerous man she had ever met. And the ghost of her sister’s earring seemed to burn in the darkness between them, a silent witness to the devil’s bargain she had just made.

I pressed my back against the wall, my pulse thundering. Silence followed — heavy and fragile. Outside, voices shouted orders. Boots pounded along the dock. But no one came in. The light swept past the broken window once, twice… and then faded. We stayed like that — unmoving, listening — until the only sound left was the steady slap of waves against the pillars. I turned to him. “You’re losing too much blood.” He leaned back against the wall, breath ragged. “Not my first time.” “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

My legs gave out from underneath me, I tried to brace myself for impact against the ground, but instead my weak body was pulled into strong arms. I blinked, trying to clear the blurriness in my eyes again, the dark spots started clouding my vision, but before it fully had a chance to pull me in, I was met with deep seafoam eyes that shone with so much intensity, “I have you.." *** This chapter wasn't the best, my apologies, next chapter will be better I promise. Shalini Zhara <3