Hissed

A mountain, once a towering monument to man's ambition, now sobbed rust and decay. Its skeletal skyscrapers clawed at a sky choked with ash, an endless darkness that reflected the desolation below. Here, where survival was a brutal equation of scavenged scraps and desperate violence, whispers clung to the crumbling ruins like the ever-present dust. Whispers of a legend, a shadow lurking in the deepest, forgotten heart of the mountain: a monster. They called him the Blood King, a name hissed with fear and reverence. Not just another vampire, but a predator whose power had once threatened to consume all of man-kind. He is said to be so great that no one was a match to his strength, his wrath so terrible, that the ancients themselves, the very inventors of their shadowed presence, had deemed him too dangerous to roam free. They imprisoned him, not in chains of iron, but in a cage of blood. A cage that could only be unlocked by the one whose essence was his destined key, his chosen one. A cruel contradiction, a punishment designed to bind him for eternity. Unknown to them all that the blood king’s chosen one was a human adventurer, who lived for the thrill and would do anything for a fearful adventure.

Adrian woke to warmth, too much warmth. His heart nearly stopped when he realized his head was resting against Kaelen’s chest, their legs tangled beneath the sheets. Panic surged. He shoved himself upright, only to freeze when he saw it, thin, glowing red threads coiling around his wrist, binding him to Kaelen. His blood ran cold. “What the hell…?” Adrian whispered, staring at the unmistakable bond mark. Kaelen stirred, blinking awake. For a moment, confusion flickered in his eyes, then shock. He tugged the sheet up to cover himself, gaze darting between Adrian and the red mark linking them. “What did you do? Adrian hissed, his voice breaking. You’re my sister’s fiancé! You’re supposed to be her mate, not...” He trembled as he scrambled for his clothes. Kaelen sat up, still staring at the line as though it mocked him. “I… I don’t know. But this—this isn’t a mistake. Adrian, you’re my mate.” “No!. Adrian’s hands shook as he pulled his shirt over his head. Whatever happened last night...forget it. This is wrong. You hear me? It never happened. Don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anyone.” Kaelen’s voice softened, almost pleading. “Adrian…” But Adrian couldn’t bear to listen. His chest ached as he turned away, slamming the door behind him, leaving Kaelen staring at the red bond that refused to fade. Two souls tied together by fate. One forbidden connection that could destroy them both.