The Chaos Of Luna's Mark

Chapter 6: Forneus's entrance

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After observing the faces in front of him, the figure stood from his chair and approached, a wicked smirk playing on his lips as he advanced. His footsteps echoed in the grave silence of the room, scraping flawlessly against the shiny marble floor. The anticipation mounted with each step, the tension in the air rising with every movement. Frost noticed a black coat hanging idly from the man's back, his hands in his pockets as he approached.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped producing sound, yet the man continued walking. Alarmed, Aries' eyes widened at the trick. He glanced at the other four beside him, who wore similar expressions of shock. When he looked back at the spot where the man had been standing, he realized the figure had vanished.

Frost scanned the area before him, panic rising as he saw no sign of the man. Abruptly, he felt something behind him. It was the man, leaning forward to whisper in Frost's ear. Frost didn’t dare turn to face him.

"Aren't you a cute one?" the man's unnervingly calm voice whispered, sending chills down Frost’s spine. It was clear now: the man was a vampire. From his swift, gliding movements to his blood-red eyes and unsettlingly composed voice, everything about him screamed danger. Frost’s panic swelled so much that he felt his cheeks flush red before he could control it.

The figure finally rose, a wave of relief washing over Frost, though it didn’t last. The man approached Aries next. Instead of whispering in his ear, he knelt down beside him, a faint grin creeping up as he observed Aries, who held his breath.

*The man's face is so close, what exactly is he seeing in me?* Aries gulped, trying to swallow his fear.

"Mm... you're the brave kid who stepped out of the house with some lunatics to save your mother," the vampire spoke. Aries noticed the men in black stiffened as the figure finished the sentence, likely shocked that he knew what had happened or that he called them lunatics. Aries wasn't sure which, but probably the former.

The vampire strode to Zion next. "Oh, aren't you a poor child?" he remarked, staring intensely at Zion, who seemed to have frozen completely. The calmness in the vampire's voice was almost hypnotic, and Leo, knowing he was next, felt dread hit him like a wave of poison. What a lovely position to be in: besieged by strangers after being kidnapped, waiting as a vampire sizes you up and passes judgment. Not.

"I'm Forneus, or you can just call me whatever you like," Forneus muttered, his expression unchanging and devoid of mockery. He extended an arm to Zion, who, against all odds, tensed up even more. After a tense pause, Zion slowly reached out his hand, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. As he touched Forneus’s hand, he noticed it was unnaturally soft, catching him off-guard.

The vampire's grip tightened ever so slightly, and Zion glanced up at Forneus, whose expression remained unchanged, then back at their joined hands. At that moment, Zion felt immensely weak, a feeling he had always been ashamed and terrified of. He silently prayed that the vampire would let go, his eyes growing more desperate with each passing second. He could have sworn the grip tightened once more before Forneus finally released him, a rush of warmth flooding back into his body as the vampire turned to Leo.

But Forneus just gave Leo a single glance before looking ahead. Flabbergasted, Leo stared at Forneus, both amused and frightened. What did that mean? Why didn’t he comment on Leo? Why didn’t he speak to him? The thoughts buzzed in Leo's mind like bees. He glanced at the men, noticing that nearly all of them were staring at him, but they quickly looked away when Leo caught them. He felt his ears burn red. Oh Lord, was this good or bad? Leo tried hard to focus on the floor and the floor only.

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