Julian's apartment was deathly quiet after Seraphina's departure. The tension in the air, however, was thicker than ever. Gabriel stood in the center of the room, his presence commanding, yet oddly calm, as if he'd stepped into chaos many times before. Lila and Eve were still visibly shaken, though their eyes were locked on Gabriel with suspicion, and Julian—well, Julian couldn't make sense of anything.
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A power he never knew existed now coursed through him, uncontrollable and terrifying. And this stranger, Gabriel, seemed to know more about it than anyone else.
"You need to start explaining," Julian said, his voice cracking slightly, "before I lose my mind."
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Gabriel's blue eyes softened, but there was a tension in his posture, a readiness for something Julian couldn't quite place. "You're not losing your mind," he said gently. "But you've awakened something ancient, something that has been dormant for generations. And it's far more dangerous than you realize."
Julian's heart hammered in his chest. "What is it? What's happening to me?"
Gabriel took a step forward, but Eve quickly moved in front of Julian, her knife still gripped tightly in her hand. "I don't trust him," she growled, eyes narrowed. "How do we know you're not here to take him for yourself? Seraphina seemed to know you."
Gabriel met her gaze calmly. "Seraphina knows many things she shouldn't. But I'm not here to take Julian. I'm here to protect him—from people like her."
"Protect him?" Lila echoed, stepping forward, her brow furrowed. "Why? Who are you really?"
Gabriel glanced at Lila, his expression thoughtful, as if weighing how much to reveal. "I'm part of an order that watches over beings like Julian. For centuries, we've been tasked with keeping the balance between the mortal world and the creatures of the night—vampires, hunters, and the rest." He paused, then added, "We're called the Sentinels."
Lila's eyes widened in recognition. "The Sentinels? They're just a myth."
"They're very real," Gabriel said quietly. "And so is the danger Julian's power presents."
Julian could barely process what he was hearing. Sentinels, ancient power, creatures of the night? It was too much, too fast. He stepped back, shaking his head. "Wait, wait. What do you mean 'danger'? I haven't done anything. I didn't ask for this power!"
Gabriel's expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "No, you didn't ask for it. But it's been passed down through your bloodline, waiting for the right moment to emerge. You've been marked, Julian."
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"Marked for what?" Julian demanded.
Gabriel hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a low, grave tone. "There's an ancient force that lies within certain bloodlines—something called the Mark of Shadows. It's a curse and a gift, tied to both the living and the dead. It grants immense power to the one who carries it, but it also draws darkness to them. Every creature that craves that power will come for you. And if you can't control it…" Gabriel's voice trailed off, his eyes filled with warning.
Julian swallowed hard, dread pooling in his stomach. "What happens if I can't control it?"
Gabriel's gaze hardened. "It consumes you. And when it does, the line between man and monster vanishes. You'll become something far worse than any vampire or hunter. A force of destruction."
Julian felt like the floor had dropped out from under him. "I-I don't want that. I didn't even know I had this 'Mark.' How do I stop it?"
Before Gabriel could answer, the lights in the room flickered ominously, and the temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Lila's eyes darted toward the window, which had been wide open since Seraphina's escape, but now an unsettling fog began to creep in from the street below.
Eve stiffened. "Something's not right," she whispered, her grip on her knife tightening.
Julian could feel it too—an oppressive, malevolent presence, lurking just beyond sight. His skin prickled, and the power inside him stirred again, rising as if in response to the approaching danger.
Gabriel's face went grim. "We don't have much time. They're already coming for you."
"Who's coming?" Julian asked, fear creeping into his voice.
But before Gabriel could respond, a sharp knock echoed from the front door. A knock that was too loud, too deliberate, sending a shiver down Julian's spine. It was a sound that felt wrong.
Eve motioned for everyone to stay still, her body tense, ready to strike. She slowly crept toward the door, knife raised, while Lila shifted closer to Julian, her eyes flicking to the growing fog outside.
The knock came again—louder this time. Almost impatient.
Eve's fingers hovered over the doorknob, her muscles coiled like a spring. Then, in one swift motion, she yanked the door open, her knife ready.
But no one was there.
Eve glanced down the hallway, her eyes scanning for any sign of movement. "There's no one," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Suddenly, the fog from the window surged into the apartment, coiling around them like thick, ghostly tendrils. It wasn't natural; it moved with purpose, tightening its grip on the room. Julian could feel the energy in the air shift again—something dark was here, and it was watching them.
"What the hell is this?" Lila gasped, her eyes wide with alarm.
Gabriel's voice was sharp, cutting through the rising panic. "It's a shadow wraith. They hunt those with the Mark. We need to move—now."
As if in response to Gabriel's warning, the fog began to take shape, twisting and contorting until a figure emerged from the haze. Its body was shrouded in black mist, its eyes glowing with an eerie, pale light. The creature's presence was suffocating, a palpable sense of death emanating from it.
Julian stumbled back, the power inside him surging again, but he had no idea how to control it, how to stop whatever this thing was.
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The shadow wraith moved forward, its eyes locking onto Julian with an unholy hunger.
"You've drawn it here," Gabriel said, his voice tight with urgency. "It wants your power, Julian. The Mark calls to it."
Eve slashed at the wraith with her knife, but the blade passed through the fog-like body without effect. The creature barely reacted, its glowing eyes fixed solely on Julian.
Lila grabbed Julian's arm, pulling him toward the back of the apartment. "We need to go!"
But the wraith moved faster, its form shifting as it lunged toward them with terrifying speed. Julian could feel its presence pressing down on him, suffocating, choking him with fear.
And then the power within him surged—more violently this time. His vision blurred, and the room around him seemed to distort as if time itself was slowing. The wraith was coming for him, its pale eyes glowing brighter, its misty hands reaching out—
But something inside Julian snapped.
The power erupted from him in a wave of dark energy, slamming into the wraith and sending it hurtling backward. The creature let out an inhuman screech, its form dissipating as it was thrown into the far wall.
For a moment, the room was still, the fog dissipating as the wraith's form disintegrated. But Julian could feel the raw, uncontrolled power still thrumming inside him, wild and untamed.
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Gabriel stepped forward, his expression grim. "This is just the beginning, Julian. You've awakened the Mark, and now every dark force in this world will come for you."
Julian stared at the spot where the wraith had vanished, his heart racing, the weight of Gabriel's words sinking in.
"Then tell me," Julian said, his voice trembling with fear and determination. "How do I stop them?"
Gabriel's eyes met his, dark and unyielding. "You can't stop them, Julian. But you can fight back. If you're willing to embrace what you are."