Bloodlight: Refrain Novels & Stories

Images of failure, loss, and death flashed through her mind. She staggered but did not fall. “Focus!” the immortal shouted, his voice carrying through the chaos. “Use the bond!” Seraphine closed her eyes for a moment, letting the silver thread of their connection anchor her. She felt the pulse of his heartbeat, the shared strength, the flow of their combined energy. Her fear began to dissipate, replaced by resolve. The Blade of Origin flared, and the mental assault shattered like glass. The shadow hissed, recoiling from the light, its form rippling in anger.

“You are the key—and the blade. The one who may heal, or the one who may destroy.” Maya’s skin prickled as the water around them shimmered. A pulse of energy rippled outward, and then the voice came—not Sirena’s, not anyone’s, but something ancient that thrummed with power. "When sea meets shadow and moonlight bleeds, A child of three shall rise from need. Wolf of white with eyes of ice, Bound by blood yet torn by vice." Maya’s chest tightened, her wolf stirring restlessly beneath her skin.

Thousands of wolves and humans alike chanted with unified voices. “The blood moon rises, the line breaks. The throne burns. The gods rise. “The blood moon rises, the line breaks. The throne burns. The gods rise. “The blood moon rises, the line breaks. The throne burns. The gods rise. “Remember!!!” Then the vision shattered. ~~~ Ophelia collapsed to the floor. Panting and gasping with sweaty, trembling hands. She was still in a daze. She still remembered Scarlet’s words about the blood moon, but nothing made sense.

Just then…a soft female voice, barely above a whisper. “Menodora," it calls out to me. My body goes rigid, a sharp and sudden coldness taking over me. Orvax, hyper aware of my every movement, notices immediately. "What?” "Did you hear that?” I swallow hard. "What…what did you hear?” Another whisper brushes against my ear…as though confirming that there is indeed a voice and only I seems to be hearing it. “Blood-bound child." My throat constricts and I force myself to swallow my breath before it can escape. Whatever this is, I'm not enjoying it one bit. The shadows twist violently, wrapping around the trees. There's glints of silver threading through the darkness like veins beneath a human sk

"Come and become what you must become. Come and write the ending that you choose, not the ending that was written for you." I stepped forward, my hand finding the shard that I had carried since the catacombs, the Duskbane relic that answered to revenant blood, that hummed with a frequency of boundaries and blood and the maintenance of what others would break. The Blood Moon rose invisible beyond the chapel's walls, its approach measured in heartbeats, in silver tendrils, in the weight of three days that had become two, that had become one, that had become this final moment when everything would change.

“Different good, I hope? I’ve been… uh… working on my, you know, vibe.” He leaned back, steepling his fingers. “Your ‘vibe.’” “Yes! You know. More approachable. Less… uh…” I gestured vaguely at my face. “Intimidating?” That earned me a very faint smirk—gone almost as soon as it appeared. “Hmm.” The sound he made was not comforting. Servants moved quietly around the hall, pouring deep red liquid into goblets. One set a glass in front of me, and I froze. Blood.

**Blood Rain** layers on top—corrosive violet downpour. The Court rides with me. Seras sunrise-nukes the skull swarm. Lucian dragonfire melts the bone constructs. Kayo’s tails guillotine the lesser lords. Rowan erases timelines with a word. Nerida eats the void leaks. Remy and I tandem the boss. I **Crimson Forge** blood armor around us. He coyote-gold claws the echo’s face. I speak Line 777—contract void. The echo screams. I finish with **Sanguine Eclipse**.

It felt like my bones were boiling to the core. All I could make out was him drawing something around the circle, then he slit his wrist and poured his blood in a glass goblet. After that he began to chant something, shortly after which the drawing within the circle and outside began to shine. A cooler feeling began to seep and I felt a little bit better. Quincey then walked into the circle, helped me sit up a little and gave me the glass goblet which was filled to the brim with his blood. “Drink this.” I weakly grabbed the glass and began to drink it. After I was done, he took the glass from me and laid me back down.

Ahlum said, regaining her posture, going back to join Sir Zuka and others while all of them turned to Katastrofi again, prepared for his next attack. “You shall regret your actions now.” Snarling, he tapped his scythe again and called upon another dimension to the real world, much harder and darker than the one they had faced till now. “Requiem Of Blood.” Upon casting this spell, the night grew darker with crimson shades, horrifying everyone when the scarlet clouds began to emerge as from them Angels of death emerged. In their black robes, faces hidden and holding the scythe to steal the souls of whoever skin they would graze.

We're both breathing heavily and I open my mouth to speak but it's no longer me talking, my wolf has taken over and he wants to claim what is his. "Just say the word and I am yours." My voice is a gravely demonic version of my own and I can see from the reflection of her glasses that my eyes are completely silver now. A contrast to her deep golden iris's that shine brightly back at me. Complete opposites. That's what we are. Only the goddess knows why we were paired together. My canines extend as I wait for her to respond her eyes never leaving mine. Her answer is so soft, so faint, it's nearly lost on the wind. Nevertheless I hear it. "Yes."