Ethan awoke to the distant hum of whispers echoing through the castle's stone walls. His breath misted faintly in the cold air as he sat up on the narrow cot in his chamber, pulse quickening with the lingering memory of Malphas's words from the night before.
No amount of training can change what you've become.
Shaking the thought away, Ethan pushed himself to his feet. Shadows clung to the edges of the room, their shapes shifting faintly against the stone walls as though something unseen watched from beyond the veil. He paused only long enough to splash cold water on his face before stepping into the corridor beyond.
The air outside his chamber was colder than before, carrying the faint metallic scent of something ancient that Ethan couldn't quite name. Somewhere deeper within the castle, the faint toll of distant bells echoed through the stone halls, each note slow and deliberate as though counting down to something unseen.
Ethan moved quickly through the corridors, his footsteps echoing against the stone as he made his way toward the training chamber where Selene had begun teaching him to control the void's mark. Yet as he descended deeper into the castle, a faint pressure began to press against his chest—the same sensation he'd felt when the mark had first awakened within him.
The void is watching...
The thought came unbidden, and Ethan clenched his fists against the faint pulse of heat that stirred beneath his ribs. He could still feel the ember of power resting dormant within him, waiting to awaken again. Not now. Not yet.
At last, he reached the chamber. The circular platform of black stone still gleamed faintly with its silver-blue runes, though the air here felt heavier than before, as though the veil itself had grown thinner overnight. Selene stood at the center of the platform, her crimson eyes catching the torchlight as she turned to face him.
"You're late," she said without preamble.
"I got lost," Ethan replied, stepping onto the platform beside her. "This place is like a maze."
"Then learn it quickly," Selene replied coldly. "The others may tolerate your presence for now, but that won't last if they begin to see you as a threat."
Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but Selene raised a hand to cut him off. "Enough talk. Show me what you learned yesterday."
Ethan exhaled slowly, forcing himself to focus. Closing his eyes, he reached inward until he could feel the ember of the void's power once more—faint but unmistakable beneath his ribs. He imagined the silver thread that Selene had taught him to visualize, using it to hold the power in place before it could surge free.
"Good," Selene said softly. "Now push it further. Let the power flow, but maintain control. Don't let it break free."
Ethan gritted his teeth as the ember stirred beneath his skin, its heat spreading slowly through his veins like molten iron. The pressure mounted quickly, pushing against the silver thread he had woven in his mind, but he held it steady with sheer force of will. Sweat beaded on his brow as the air around him began to hum faintly with unseen energy.
"Hold it," Selene ordered. "Don't stop until I say."
Ethan's pulse pounded in his ears as the heat pushed harder against his control, but he forced himself to focus through the strain. The air around him seemed to ripple faintly as the ember's power resonated against the chamber's runes, but the silver thread in his mind held fast.
"Enough."
At Selene's command, Ethan released the thread and staggered back a step, gasping for breath as the heat faded from his veins. His heartbeat slowed gradually as the pressure receded, leaving him cold and hollow in its absence.
Selene studied him with an unreadable expression. "Better," she said at last. "But your control is still fragile. If you push too far, the void will break free—and if that happens, there will be no second chance."
Ethan wiped the sweat from his brow, still catching his breath. "Then I'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen."
Selene's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, something faintly unreadable flickering in her crimson eyes. "We'll see."
Before Ethan could respond, the distant toll of bells echoed once more through the castle's halls—louder this time, their deep resonance vibrating faintly through the stone beneath their feet. Selene's posture stiffened instantly, her gaze snapping toward the chamber's entrance.
"What is it?" Ethan asked, pulse quickening at the sudden change in her demeanor.
"Trouble," Selene replied without hesitation, her gaze fixed on the corridor beyond the chamber.
Ethan stepped forward, pulse quickening as the distant echoes of the bells faded into silence. "What kind of trouble?"
Selene didn't answer immediately. Instead, she crossed the platform and placed her hand against the stone wall beside the exit. The runes etched into the platform beneath their feet flickered faintly, as though responding to her presence.
"The blood moon rises tonight," she said at last, her voice low. "When it does, the veil between worlds will thin—and not only vampires can cross its boundaries."
Ethan swallowed hard. "You mean... things from the void?"
Selene glanced back at him, her crimson eyes gleaming faintly in the dim torchlight. "Creatures far older and darker than any vampire," she replied. "Some are drawn to the void's power... and now that you carry its mark, they may come for you."
A cold knot formed in Ethan's chest. "Then we need to leave—"
"No," Selene cut him off sharply. "Running won't help. The blood moon's influence extends beyond this world. If they sense you, they'll follow you no matter where you go."
Ethan clenched his fists at his sides. "Then what do we do?"
Selene stepped closer, her expression hard as iron. "We prepare. The next few hours will test your control more than any training ever could. If you falter—even once—they will tear you apart."
Despite the chill in his veins, Ethan forced himself to meet her gaze. "Then let's get ready."
For the first time, a faint flicker of something like approval crossed Selene's face. Without another word, she turned and led him from the chamber, their footsteps echoing through the castle's darkened halls as the distant hum of unseen whispers followed close behind.