Blood Moon: The Dark Academy

Episode One: A Dark Day

Prologue One: Night

Thirty Years Ago

Marcus

I clenched my thick cloak to my chest as I stared up at the luminous silver moon. It was completely full, hanging above our heads as we stood on top of the rickety shingles of the old abandoned church in which we had made our temporary headquarters. The streets of Redwater were quiet at this time of night. I gazed over the silent old town, bathed in moonlight that danced across the cobblestone streets. Wisps of mystical fog curled around ancient stone buildings, their weathered facades telling tales of yesteryears. The soft flicker of lanterns cast warm glows from distant windows. Shadows stretched long, wrapping the town in a shroud of mystery, as the scent of the night air mingled with the sharp scent of pine. I stole a glance at my silver pocket watch, which hung from my coat, the face cracked and the metal tarnished. It was already nearly 2 AM. How much longer would we have to wait? The only sound that permeated the air was our own breathing, impatient perpetual pacing, and the thumping of our three heartbeats. There was a lump in my throat that was hard to swallow in the dry crisp December air.

"It's almost time," Victoria said, covering her sandy curly hair with her velvet hood. She adjusted her circular spectacles and raised her chin to the sky. Her freckle-covered nose scrunched as she inhaled the night air.

"Indeed it is," Volcan responded, making his way to my side. I took a deep shaky breath. My mouth felt parched, each breath scraping against my dry throat like sandpaper, while my hands, slick with clammy sweat, trembled slightly as I clenched them into fists, struggling to steady my racing pulse amidst the rising anxiety.

I turned my head to study Volcan's face. His inky black hair cascaded like a raven's wing around his sharply defined features, accentuating the elegance of his pointed ears.

"Anything yet, Marcus?" he asked, his voice a rich, resonant melody as he turned toward me, deep purple eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that felt almost otherworldly. In the silver glow of the moonlight, his skin shimmered with an ethereal quality, reminiscent of finely polished porcelain, making him appear less like an actual being and more like a hauntingly beautiful sculpture come to life. He was an Elf and the leader of our unit, and yet I, a Human, had the strongest gift for magic in our team.

I averted my gaze, feeling the weight of his stare. I squeezed my eyes shut, blocking out the world around me. Letting the silence overtake me, I reached my hand forward. Breathing in deeply, I held my breath and slowly drowned out all feeling in the world surrounding me. I could sense them. We stood surrounded by twenty-four intricately inscribed runes that pulsed with energy, their ancient symbols radiating an almost palpable aura of power, only detectable by me. The air hummed with anticipation, yet the runes remained undisturbed. We had set up a circle a few miles wide, with us in the center of our target's most frequent feeding area, the center of Redwater. If anything were to enter or exit the circle, I would feel it before any of us could hear, see, or smell it.

"Nothing," I whispered, letting out my breath.

"This is taking too long," Victoria sneered through her teeth. "People are going to be slaughtered."

"People have already been slaughtered," Volcan proclaimed. "If we do this correctly, hopefully that reign of terror will end tonight."

I took a deep breath, the night air filling my lungs, and gazed up at the vast glimmering sky, where countless stars twinkled like distant diamonds scattered across dark velvet. I counted the stars slowly in my mind, each number grounding me in the moment, though a familiar trepidation tightened my chest. This wasn't our first time on the hunt—far from it—but each expedition carried its own weight of uncertainty. The thrill of the chase mingled with an underlying anxiety, a haunting reminder that danger lurked in the shadows, and we could never predict when the icy sting of fate would call it our last.