Blood

Chapter Forty Seven: Shadows in the Castle

The castle was alive with the hum of returning soldiers. As the troops dispersed to their posts, Ethan and Eliza walked along the stone pathways of the courtyard. The moonlight poured through the intricate arches, casting silvery shadows on the ground. The air was cool and carried a faint hint of pine from the forest.

Ethan glanced at Eliza. She seemed deep in thought, her silver hair catching the moonlight as she looked ahead.

“You’ve been quiet,” Ethan said, breaking the silence.

Eliza shrugged, a small smirk tugging at her lips. “Just thinking. It’s not every day you infiltrate a monster camp and come back in one piece.”

Ethan chuckled softly. “Fair point. But something tells me there’s more on your mind than shifters.”

She stopped near the edge of the courtyard, leaning against a low stone wall. Her gaze flickered up to the stars. “I had a vision about you once, you know.”

Ethan tensed slightly but kept his expression neutral. “A vision?”

She nodded. “It was after the heartstone chose you. I saw flashes—your face, your journey, your...” She hesitated, searching for the right word. “Your burden. It wasn’t clear at the time, but now it makes sense.”

Ethan exhaled slowly. “So, you’ve known all along?”

“Not everything. But I knew enough.” Her eyes met his. “You’re the Guardian of the Heartstone.”

Ethan leaned against the wall beside her, folding his arms. “So that's why you and your guards started acting weird towards me.”

A soft scuttling sound echoed faintly above them, hidden beneath the sound of the night breeze. Unnoticed by the pair, the creature from the forest clung to the high rafters of the walkway, its shadowy form blending into the stone ceiling.

Ethan’s voice broke the stillness. “Since we’re being honest, I guess I can tell you a little that your vision probably didn't show you.”

Eliza raised a brow, intrigued. “Finally, some answers. Let’s hear it.”

“I grew up on earth."

"I've heard about that place. I heard it's primitive or something like that."

"Yeah something like that but my family and I were not humans. We were vampires. Right now I'm more of a magical being than a vampire so I don't know what to call myself anymore."

"The heartstone changed you, enhanced everything about you but it takes more than a magic stone to change who you were from the beginning. The only one that can change you, is you."

“You really think so?”

"Positive." Eliza said. "So what happened to your family?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out. Ever since I got back from my little trip, I haven't seen them. My world was in shambles when I got back." Ethan's face dropped. "I really hope they're okay."

“They're vampires. Basically immortal. I'm sure they're fine. It takes more than a rift in space and time to kill immortal beings." Eliza said, reassuringly. "But where did you go to though? You said you went off world. Where did you go?"

Above them, the creature shifted slightly, its crimson eyes glowing faintly as it observed. Its body, amorphous and black, rippled as it adjusted its position. Sharp, spindly legs supported its frame as it clung to the ceiling, moving closer inch by inch.

"Enough about me." Ethan said, not sure about how much information about his past he could trust her with. "What was it like for you growing up in a place filled with magic?"

Eliza nodded solemnly. “My childhood wasn’t exactly carefree."

Ethan turned to her, his curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”

She exhaled slowly, her eyes distant. “My father was a commander in the royal guard. My mother... she was a princess, a princess who fell in love with a common guard and made him her prince. They couldn’t have been more different, but they loved each other. When the monsters came for the first time, my father went off to fight them, my mom wouldn't let him go alone so she told me that if anything happened to them, I should keep the kingdom running on their behalf. They were able to send the monsters away through a portal to a place no one knows of but they were sucked alongside the monsters.” Her voice faltered slightly. “After a few months of waiting, I had to accept that they weren't coming back so I assumed their position and here I am now.”

Ethan placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch firm yet gentle. “I’m sorry.”

Eliza shook her head. “It’s alright. Knowing my dad, he'd prefer dying fighting for the peace of his people than dying of old age and my mom will definitely not be the same without him. I'm glad they went out together. That way they wouldn't have to grieve the other."

Above them, the creature paused. Its black body shimmered faintly, its red eyes narrowing as it processed the conversation. Its elongated limbs twitched, and a faint clicking noise escaped its maw before it scurried further along the ceiling, unseen by the pair.

As the conversation wound down, Eliza and Ethan parted ways. Eliza headed toward the barracks, while Ethan made his way to Gregory’s quarters. Someone had to made sure he wasn't still trying to kill himself.

---

The guardroom was bustling with activity, the air thick with the scent of ale and the sound of laughter. A group of guards sat around a large wooden table, their armor discarded in favor of more comfortable tunics.

“Did you hear about Finn?” one guard asked, his voice tinged with amusement.

Another laughed. “You mean how he tripped over his own sword during training? Poor lad’s going to hear about that for weeks!”

“Training?” a third guard chimed in. “I heard he did it while trying to impress Lady Adeline.”

The room erupted in laughter as the first guard slapped the table. “That makes more sense! Finn couldn’t woo a cat with a bucket of fish.”

As the guards continued their banter, the creature slithered silently along the ceiling, its crimson eyes observing every move. Its spindly legs clicked faintly against the stone, but the noise was masked by the guards’ laughter.

The door swung open suddenly, and the guards snapped to attention as a commanding officer entered. “Enough of this nonsense,” he barked. “Get back to your posts.”

“Yes, sir!” the guards chorused, scrambling to gather their equipment.

Unseen above them, the creature crept toward an adjacent corridor, seeking its next destination.

---

The creature slipped into a large chamber, its eyes immediately drawn to the crystal at the room's center. The crystal pulsed with a soft, radiant light, casting prismatic reflections on the walls.

The creature scuttled closer, its curiosity overpowering its caution. Its limbs trembled as it reached the crystal, the light growing brighter with each step.

When it was mere inches away, the crystal flared suddenly, releasing a shockwave of energy. The creature was flung backward, its body colliding with the wall. It groaned in pain, its form flickering and unstable.

As it tried to recover, a hand reached down, long fingers extending toward the fallen creature.

The creature’s red eyes narrowed as it looked up. Its gaze locked onto the figure before it, shadows obscuring their features.

“Come,” the figure said, their voice low and cold. “You’re just the thing I need.”