I didn't realize how much silence could scream until that moment.
The figure in the doorway didn't move, and neither did I. The darkness swallowed the room whole, but those glowing red eyes burned through the black like twin embers. Sebastian, for once, wasn't his calm, collected self—his hand was on his blade, ready to strike.
"Care to explain who our guest is, or should I just assume this is one of those 'shadowy forces' you mentioned?" I whispered, my voice tight with tension.
"Quiet," Sebastian hissed, his focus unwavering. "They're listening."
I opened my mouth to retort, but something cold and sharp curled around my throat like invisible fingers. It wasn't physical, not really, but I could feel it. A presence—dark and ancient—pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe.
Fantastic. Just when I thought this night couldn't get any worse, we've invited a ghost to the party.
The figure took a step into the room, its form becoming slightly more visible in the dim light. Its features were cloaked, but the way it moved was unnerving—like it wasn't entirely tethered to the ground. The air around it seemed to warp and twist, as if reality itself was bending to its will.
"Sebastian," I croaked, trying to ignore the fact that my heart was beating like a drumline in my chest. "Anytime you want to start slashing, feel free."
Sebastian stood frozen, eyes locked on the figure. "Eli," he said quietly, "do not engage."
"Oh, great," I muttered under my breath. "I'll just sit here and get choked by a ghost, no problem."
Suddenly, the pressure around my throat lifted, leaving me gasping for air. The figure paused in its movement, as if studying me, and I could've sworn I heard a faint whisper—a voice, ancient and filled with malice, though the words were unintelligible.
Then, without warning, it lunged.
Sebastian moved like lightning, his blade cutting through the air in a silver arc. But instead of connecting, the figure vanished, dissolving into a cloud of shadows that swirled around us. The air grew colder, and I felt a shiver crawl down my spine. My instincts screamed at me to run, but there was nowhere to go. The room was sealed, and whatever this thing was, it wasn't leaving without a fight.
"Any bright ideas?" I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm. "Because 'do not engage' doesn't seem to be working."
Sebastian slashed again, the shadows retreating briefly before reforming in another part of the room. "It's testing us. It wants to see how far you've come."
"Yeah, well, it can find out another day," I snapped. "Preferably when I'm not about to die."
The shadows circled closer, and this time, I could feel the pulse of something darker—something older than vampires or anything I'd encountered so far. It wasn't just a figure anymore. It was a presence, filling the room like a storm cloud ready to burst.
"Sebastian," I called out, my voice sharper now, "what the hell *is* this thing?"
Sebastian's eyes narrowed, his blade glowing faintly as he raised it. "A herald."
"A herald of *what*?" I pressed, feeling the shadows tighten around us.
He didn't answer, but his silence told me everything. Whatever this thing was, it was connected to the First Ones—the ancient beings he'd told me about. And if it was here, that meant they were watching. Closely.
The shadows surged forward again, and this time, they didn't miss. I felt a cold rush of air as they slammed into me, knocking me back into a bookshelf. Pain flared in my ribs, but before I could react, the shadows coiled around me, pinning me to the ground.
For a moment, everything was a blur—darkness and cold pressing in from all sides. I couldn't see, couldn't breathe. Panic clawed at me, but just as quickly as it had come, the pressure released.
I gasped, scrambling to my feet, and that's when I saw it.
In the center of the room, where the shadows had converged, something—or someone—was emerging. A figure, tall and shrouded in darkness, began to materialize. Its presence was overwhelming, like a black hole sucking all the light and warmth from the air.
Sebastian stepped back, eyes wide with what I could only describe as fear. "Eli," he whispered, "stay behind me."
I didn't need to be told twice.
The figure's red eyes flickered to life again, but this time, there was something different about them. They weren't just watching—they were hungry.Whatever this thing was, it wasn't here for a chat. It was here to consume.
I swallowed hard. "So, on a scale of one to 'we're screwed,' where are we at right now?"
Sebastian didn't answer. His grip on his blade tightened, his gaze locked on the figure. And that's when the thing spoke. Its voice was deep, echoing, and filled with an ancient malice that sent a shiver down my spine.
"The time has come..."
The figure raised its hand, and the shadows surged forward again, this time aimed directly at Sebastian. He raised his sword to defend, but I knew—deep down—that this was more than just another fight.
This was the beginning of something far darker. And it had its eyes on me.