Split & Shadowed

The Howling Grafe

The forest was like no other. I was there to hunt a monster, but I was mesmerized by the bioluminescent veins pulsing through the trees, the forest floor, the plants, and even the animals. It was like a single heart pumping neon blood, casting an eerie glow on the surrounding foliage. The foliage was odd too. Where plants are normally various shades of green, this forest had the darkest greens I've ever seen on Earth. Naturally, I was in love with it.

The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, and the rustling of unseen creatures echoed through the shadows of the massive trees. The giants of this forest had iridescent centers, covered with layers upon layers of ancient bark.

The sun was setting, and I could feel the power returning to my body, like the strength that had been locked away. As the sun's last strands of light weakened, my power was breaking free. But it always had a darkness laced into it.

"This is it," the fledgling from the village said. "This is where we saw it."

I nodded.

"Kid, you need to drop the bag and run. Don't stop until you're inside your house. Lock the doors, close the windows, do you understand? Run."

" Why? Is it here?" he asked, his voice shaking as he glanced at the towering trees casting eerie shadows.

I tried to bite back the inky blackness boiling inside me long enough for him to escape
It didn't work, my teeth grew into fangs, and I didn't need anyone to tell me that my eyes had turned black and hollow—warped beyond recognition. So much for the hot, curvy, hell-blooded freak I usually was.

It was just the first phase of my change.

"Er, Ma'am?" the fledgling squeaked.

"My name is Raven," I said icily. " And I told you-" I spun to face him, screeching, "to run!"

He did. And he peed himself.

Stupid fledgling.

"Settle," I hissed at the darkness inside me.

It obeyed, to a point.
I'd have to let it out eventually. I always did.

But I was waiting.

The creature I hunted wasn't a joke. I'd need all my power and plenty of darkness to take it down. I could smell it—scaly, musky, and metallic. Not as dangerous as some of the creatures from my neck of the woods, but those weren't trying to eat me.

It was a howling Grafe, a creature that used to be fae until it morphed into the monster it always was inside. Grafes are born when a fae breaks a blood bond—those magical contracts written in fae blood—in bad faith. They lose the ability to see color but can still track their prey using thermochromism, honing in on the warmest body.

They liked feeding on little fae fledglings, who ran hotter than their elders. I'd seen plenty of heat in the village. Still, it was strange to find a Grafe this far north. I filed that thought away with my other questions and turned back to the deadly game.

The Grafe was somewhere up in the trees, no doubt scanning for my extra-warm blood.

Hell blood.

The only way to lure it out was to give it what it wanted.

"Come on, you ugly little bitch," I snarled, my voice turning dark and wicked. I had never seen a Grafe in person, but real monsters are usually ugly as hell.

I unsheathed Latum, the dagger made of Abyssalite. The iridescent blade glinted in the fading light, humming with power. I could feel its darkness, like a kindred spirit. Gripping the hilt, I slit my wrist open, letting my velvety wine-colored blood spill to the forest floor. The soil beneath my feet glowed as it absorbed the blood—beautiful, but not helpful for what I was doing.

I walked to the nearest tree. "Help me catch this thing," I murmured, smearing my blood across its bark.

I moved from tree to tree, offering my blood. I had to cut my hand again when the wound healed too quickly, but I kept at it, painting the trees with my darkness.

I didn't have to wait long after that, though it felt like hours.

I phased in and out of the dark, fighting the flood of memories the darkness always brought with it.

A bone-chilling howl tore through the forest, echoing off the trees. Instinct gripped me as the shadows coiled, thick and suffocating, slipping over my skin like armor. My dagger materialized in my hand, sharp and ready. A snarl curled through me, my fangs lengthened, and the darkness swelled, wrapping me in its cold embrace.

I tilted the dagger, sending my darkness into it, morphing it into a long, curved blade.

The Grafe was moving between the trees, nails digging into the bark as it wreaked havoc. Even with my demon vision, it was hard to spot.

Fire of Lilith, it was camouflaging! Better than anything I'd ever seen.

I cut my hand again, laughing as the blood flowed. If I couldn't see it, I wouldn't try to chase it with my eyes. Closing them shut out the world, making it easier to control the darkness.

The warmth of my blood dripped down my fingers as I clenched my fist, forcing the wound to bleed longer, denying it the chance to heal. The hilt of the blade settled into both hands—a familiar weight.

The forest buzzed with life. Every rustle, every snap of a twig, every breath of wind brushing against the creature's skin filled my ears. The Grafe's movements were never quiet. The scrape of claws, the low snarl of anticipation, the ragged breath—it was circling me, closer and closer. When the undergrowth shifted with a sudden rush, I knew.

It was coming.

I waited, my senses heightened. The foul, metallic scent of the Grafe hit me like a warning. I tightened my grip on the blade.

The Grafe lunged.

I exhaled slowly, letting my heart beat once, twice—before it could beat a third time, I swung Latum.

The blade sliced through the air with a violent hiss. Bone shattered. Flesh gave way.

Cold, thick blood sprayed across my face, clinging to my skin like a final breath before the silence fell.

The creature hit the ground with a heavy thud.

I wiped the greenish goo from my eyes. Yeah, it was definitely the Grafe, though something about it felt oddly familiar.

I had a habit of rubbing my lips when I was thinking, but my hand came away sticky with goo. I looked down at myself.

"Damn it. I liked this outfit," I muttered, my voice still tinged with the darkening.

The black, reinforced leather corset and harem pants—ruined. The top half of my nearly-black hair, tied in a high ponytail with braids, hung in messy waves now. All gross and covered in Grafe goo.

I would've sighed if it weren't for the guts sticking to my face.

I wiped myself off with my ruined clothes and found a pendant in the goop, some strange coin dangling from it. I dropped it in my bag.

But before I could finish cleaning up, the darkness within fully consumed me, transforming me into a creature of pure shadow.