Crimson Bonds

Chapter 40: Rising Shadows

The night was still, far too still for a city like this. Babe could sense it in the air, the unnatural quiet that hung over the streets, heavy and suffocating. He glanced over at Billy, who was scanning the area with that unnerving intensity Babe had come to recognize as his protector mode. Something was wrong, and they both knew it.

Billy's senses were sharper than most, but tonight, even he seemed on edge, his usually calm demeanor stretched thin. "Stay close," Billy said, his voice lower than usual.

"I'm not going anywhere," Babe replied, his tone light despite the gnawing anxiety creeping into his chest. But he didn't need to say more. Billy knew how much the constant threats, the feeling of being hunted, had worn on him. It was wearing on all of them.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. A cold gust swept through the alleyway, sharp and unnatural. Babe tensed, his blood magic stirring just beneath his skin, reacting to the change. It was a feeling he'd grown accustomed to-the sensation of something ancient and powerful lurking just out of reach.

Then it hit.

Out of the shadows, the human hunter struck with lightning speed. There was no warning, just the glint of metal and the crackle of magic as the artifact was brought into play. It happened so fast, Babe barely had time to react. One moment, Billy was beside him, strong and unshakable, and the next, he was on his knees, clutching his chest as if all the air had been sucked out of him.

"Billy!" Babe shouted, rushing to his side, panic flaring in his chest.

Billy's eyes widened, his expression twisted in pain. His body seemed to fold in on itself as the artifact's magic took hold, the energy it emitted specifically designed to target vampires of his bloodline. It was a weapon forged for this very purpose-to weaken the Patchanon clan, to render them vulnerable.

"I... I can't..." Billy struggled to speak, his strength rapidly draining. The artifact was doing its job, siphoning the power from his very core.

Babe's heart pounded in his chest. There wasn't time to think-there was only the magic, the blood magic that coursed through his veins. He could feel it swirling, pulsing with the urgency of the situation. The hunter was still nearby, but Babe had no time to look for them. His only focus was on Billy.

Babe's hands glowed faintly with the crimson energy of his blood magic, the power flaring to life as he pressed them to Billy's chest. The magic responded instantly, feeding off his emotions, amplifying with every heartbeat. It was raw, untamed, and dangerous-but it was all he had.

"Babe, don't..." Billy gasped, his voice strained. "The magic... it's too-"

"Shut up, Mumu," Babe snapped, his own voice shaking with fear and determination. "I'm not losing you."

He could feel the strain of the magic as it surged through him, as if it were pushing against something unseen, something old and terrible. The more he tapped into his power, the more it responded, eager to be used, eager to grow. It wanted more.

Babe closed his eyes, focusing on Billy-on saving him. But as he poured his energy into breaking the hold of the artifact, something else stirred within him. A dark presence, a deep pull that reached far beyond his control. It whispered in the back of his mind, a voice he couldn't quite hear, but one that felt like it had always been there.

The Leviathans.

He knew it was them-knew that every time he tapped into his blood magic, every time he let it take over, he was inching closer to the ancient seal that kept the Leviathans imprisoned. The magic was tied to them, to their realm, and using it weakened the barrier between their world and his.

But he had no choice. Not now.

The power flowed through him, intensifying as it pushed against the limits of his control. It was like trying to hold back a tidal wave with nothing but his bare hands. For a moment, Babe felt the world around him blur, as if reality itself was bending under the weight of the magic.

And then, with a final surge, the artifact's hold on Billy shattered.

Billy collapsed, gasping for air as the artifact's energy dissipated, leaving him weak but alive. Babe's magic receded just as quickly, leaving him breathless and trembling, the strain of it nearly overwhelming.

But something else had happened-something far more dangerous.

Babe could feel it, deep in his bones. The Leviathans' presence was stronger now, closer. The seal that had held them at bay for centuries had weakened, just as he'd feared. His magic, powerful and wild, had pushed it even closer to breaking.

Billy, still catching his breath, looked up at Babe, his eyes filled with concern. "Tofu... what did you do?"

Babe shook his head, tears of frustration and fear welling in his eyes. "I had to... I had to save you."

"You did." Billy's voice was soft, but there was a weight behind his words, a recognition of the price that had been paid. "But I felt it, Babe. That power... it's dangerous."

Babe didn't need to be told. He could feel the echo of it in every nerve, every heartbeat. The Leviathans were stirring, and it was his magic that was calling them.

"I don't know how to stop it," Babe whispered, his voice small, the reality of what he had done sinking in.

Billy reached out, pulling Babe into his arms, despite his own lingering weakness. "We'll figure it out," he said, his voice firm and reassuring. "We'll figure this out together."

But even as he said the words, they both knew that the path ahead was growing darker, and the forces at play were far beyond anything they'd ever faced.

In the shadows, the human hunter watched with cold satisfaction. The artifact had done its job, but that was only the beginning. They had seen the way Babe's magic had flared, had felt the ripple in the fabric of the supernatural world.

The seal was weakening.

The Leviathans were stirring.

And soon, the world would never be the same again.