Prologue

Long ago, before the cities rose into glittering towers and the forests became shadowed sanctuaries, the world was shared by humans and magical creatures alike. Vampires roamed the night under starlit skies, mermaids sang their enchanting songs in moonlit lakes, and werewolves prowled alongside human hunters under the silver glow of the full moon. It was a fragile peace, balanced on mutual respect and ancient pacts etched into stone and soul.

But then they came—the Eclipsars.

No one knows where they were born or how they came to be. Some say they were forged from the black void between the stars, others whisper they were the result of forbidden magic—power that was never meant to exist. The Eclipsars were predators unlike any the world had ever seen. They could not be bargained with, nor could they be killed by tooth, claw, or blade. They hunted indiscriminately—vampires, werewolves, mermaids, humans—all were prey in their hollow, endless eyes.

Fear spread like wildfire. Entire cities turned to ruins overnight, their inhabitants consumed, their souls devoured. The balance between humans and magical creatures shattered. Out of desperation, the ancient councils of magic—the elders of vampires, the alphas of werewolves, and the queens of merfolk—came together for the first and final time.

They performed a forbidden ritual, one older than time itself. It required sacrifice, power, and the life force of an entire generation of their strongest leaders. The spell worked—the Eclipsars were banished, pushed deep into the shadowed heart of an untouched forest. A place where no sunlight could pierce, where the air hung heavy with magic. The council named it The Hollow Expanse.

But magic is never perfect, and the ritual came at a terrible cost. The forest became cursed, and the Eclipsars, though contained, were never truly destroyed. They lingered, prowling in the eternal night of their prison, feeding on whatever dared to stray too close.

The magical creatures—vampires, mermaids, and werewolves—retreated to the edges of the Hollow Expanse, building their lives far from human eyes. They founded Ravenwood Academy, a school hidden deep within the forest, a sanctuary for those who could no longer blend with humanity.

For centuries, the Eclipsars remained a myth, a dark tale told to frighten young vampires, curious mermaids, and reckless werewolves. But darkness has a way of seeping through cracks, and secrets refuse to stay buried forever.

Now, a girl with extraordinary powers is about to step into this ancient tale, unaware that the balance of life and death rests in her hands. The Eclipsars are stirring again, their hunger insatiable, their eyes set on Ravenwood Academy.

And this time, they will not stop until every light in the forest has been extinguished.