THE BLOODBOUND: THE ETERNAL CURSE

Chapter 1: The Hunter's Night

The city's night was heavy with a damp chill that seeped into your bones and clung like a second skin. Half-hidden behind thick clouds, the moon cast an eerie, fractured light that made the streets feel narrower and more oppressive. Each shadow seemed alive, creeping and twisting as if it had a mind.

I stood at the rooftop's edge, the wind biting against my face, my long coat whipping around my legs. Below me, the city stretched out, indifferent and dark. I inhaled deeply, the taste of steel and rain in the air, and adjusted the grip on the twin daggers sheathed at my sides. They were heavier tonight, as though the weight of the coming mission was already pressing down on me.

Tonight wasn't just another hunt. Tonight was different. The stakes were higher. The vampires I usually hunted were merely a prelude to the real challenge-the one I had been tracking for weeks, a creature of unimaginable power. They called him "The Eclipse, " the vampire lord whose name alone was enough to send a shiver down the spine of anyone who had crossed paths with him. He had been responsible for the brutal deaths of dozens, turning this city into his hunting ground.

The Council had given me the task. They were desperate. I knew it, and they knew it. The fact they sent me, one of their most trusted hunters, meant this mission was too critical to fail. If I did, I wouldn't be lost to the shadows-I'd be forgotten. And I couldn't afford that.

I closed my eyes briefly, letting the silence wrap around me like a cloak. My breath slowed. My senses heightened. I could hear the distant hum of the city and the occasional car rumbling by on the wet streets below, but it was the smaller sounds that mattered-the whispers of creatures lurking just out of sight, the subtle shifts in the air, and the telltale scents of blood that lingered in the damp atmosphere.

A sudden noise broke my concentration-a soft click. My hand flew to the hilt of my dagger, but it was too late. A shadow detached itself from the dark corner of the roof, and in an instant, I was face-to-face with my first challenge of the night.

"You've been expecting me, Selene." The voice was smooth, too smooth. A grin tugged at the corners of the stranger's lips, their pale skin glowing in the faint light. They were almost too fast, their movements a blur as they stepped into the moonlight.

I didn't flinch. My eyes narrowed, calculating. Vampires were cunning, but they weren't invincible. Not against me. I had trained for this moment and lived for it.

"And you are?" I asked, my voice steady, betraying nothing.

"Just a messenger," the vampire said, tilting their head. "The Eclipse knows you're coming. And he's not worried. No one survives the night he decides to play his game."

I didn't waste time on words. I launched forward, drawing my daggers with a fluid motion. The vampire's eyes widened just before I closed the distance, but they were quick. They dodged, moving like liquid like their body wasn't entirely tied to the ground.

I slashed, but they were already gone, vanishing into the shadows with an unnatural grace.

"Is that fear I hear?" the vampire mocked from the darkness. "You know... if you think you're ready to face him, you're more foolish than I imagined."

I waited, listening. The air felt thick now, saturated with tension that wasn't just from the fight. It was something deeper, something older. The predator was toying with me, but I wasn't a cat to be played with.

I exhaled slowly and spoke into the night. "Tell him, when he's ready to die, I'll be waiting. But he won't get the luxury of playing games with me."

Silence passed, and then the vampire's laughter echoed through the air. It was sharp and mocking, but I could hear the faintest hint of nervousness beneath the bravado. They were scared.

"Don't be so sure," the vampire said, their voice carrying a finality I didn't like. "No one escapes him. Not even you."

Before I could respond, the figure disappeared into the darkness, vanishing as if it had never existed. The city seemed to swallow the sound of its retreat. I remained where I stood, every muscle tense, every nerve on high alert.

I hadn't expected that.

The Eclipse knew I was coming.

I was ready for him. Or so I thought.

It was hours before I reached where the vampires had been sighted. The streets grew more desolate as I ventured further into the city's heart, where the underworld's pulse throbbed like an open wound. This wasn't the city I had known. This was the forgotten part, where humanity's dark side festered unchecked, where vampires could move freely without fear of reprisal.

The air was colder here, thick with the scent of decay and old blood. The tall and broken buildings loomed over me like silent, accusing giants. The gutters ran with more than rainwater-there were whispers here, too, carried on the wind.

My steps were muffled on the wet pavement, and my breath was shallow. I had been trained to be unseen, but tonight, I felt that someone was watching-not just one, but many.

I stopped at the corner of a narrow alley, where a rusted metal door marked the entrance to an abandoned warehouse. The scent of death clung to it like an old memory. My pulse quickened as I approached.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a figure emerged. A man-no, a monster-dressed in tattered rags, with eyes that glowed red. His fangs were elongated and dripping with blood.

I didn't hesitate. I couldn't afford to.

In one smooth motion, I unsheathed my daggers, the cold steel gleaming in the dark. The vampire smiled, revealing the sharpness of his teeth.

"You're too late," he whispered, his voice dripping with menace. "The Eclipse is already here. And he's waiting."

Before I could strike, the ground beneath me shook, a tremor so violent it nearly knocked me off balance. The doors to the warehouse slammed shut, trapping me inside. I spun around, dagger raised, but the vampire was already gone.

And then I heard it.

A low, guttural growl.

From the shadows, a figure stepped into the dim light. He was tall-unnaturally tall. His eyes, black as pitch, locked onto mine with an intensity that made my blood run cold.

"You were foolish to come here alone," the figure said, his voice like the rumble of thunder. "But you won't leave here alive."

I stepped back, realizing late that this wasn't just any vampire. This was him. The Eclipse. The one I had been hunting for weeks-the one who had eluded every other hunter sent after him.

And now, it was my turn.

It was a massive hall, its vaulted ceiling high enough to make even the most fearless hunters hesitate. A long, blood-red carpet ran down the center, leading to a raised platform where the throne sat. It was empty, but I could feel the presence of something. Someone.

Suddenly, the doors slammed shut behind us, and I spun around just in time to see the figures of six vampires emerging from the shadows. They moved with the same unnatural grace, their fangs glinting in the dim light.

"We've been expecting you," one of them sneered. "Elias has been waiting."

Before I could react, one of them lunged, and I was forced to parry the attack with a swift block. The force of the strike sent a jolt of pain through my arm, but I didn't give an inch. I had trained for this. I had survived worse.

I dove into the fray, moving faster than my enemies could react. My daggers were a blur, slicing through the air with precision. I could feel the adrenaline surging, but even that wasn't enough to keep me from noticing the growing sense of unease in the pit of my stomach.

Where was Elias?

Another vampire came at me, and I narrowly avoided a fatal strike. I was getting tired and hadn't even reached the throne yet. I needed to end this-fast. With a quick motion, I decapitated the vampire, sending his body crumpling to the ground in a heap. But it wasn't enough.

I glanced at Tobias, who was already engaged with two more vampires. Lena and Kade had handled their part of the infiltration but weren't here yet. The reinforcements we needed hadn't arrived, and we were outnumbered. Worse, this was all part of a game. Elias was toying with us.

Then I heard it.

A voice, smooth and cold, echoed through the palace. "You've come far, Selene. But this is where you die."

It wasn't just a man's voice-the voice of something far older, far more dangerous-the voice of Elias.

I froze. The hairs on my neck stood on end, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest.

Elias appeared in the doorway, his figure framed by the flickering torchlight. He was tall and impossibly handsome, his face a perfect mask of arrogance and cruelty. His eyes were black pools, reflecting no light like he was not of this world.

"You're trespassing, hunter," he said, his voice rich with contempt. "But I'll make it quick."

I didn't wait for him to finish. With a growl, I charged, my daggers raised. But he was faster.

Before I could close the distance, Elias lifted a hand, and a wave of power slammed into me, sending me crashing into the stone wall. The breath was knocked from my lungs, and for a moment, I couldn't move. My body screamed in pain, but my mind was still sharp, still focused.

Tobias was at my side instantly, helping me to my feet. "Selene," he muttered, "he's toying with us. We need to regroup."

I shook my head. "No. We can't retreat. We will finish this."

But as I spoke, Elias stepped closer, his smile widening as he watched me struggle to rise. The room seemed to darken around him, the air growing thick with an unnatural cold.

"You're bold," Elias said, his voice almost a purr. "But I am not like the others. You've made a mistake."

And then, with a flick of his wrist, everything changed.

A deafening roar filled the palace as the walls began to tremble. The ground shook beneath us, and I stumbled, barely managing to stay on my feet. The vampires we had been fighting fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Elias's eyes flashed with dark amusement. "This is my domain, Selene. You are nothing here."

And then, as the world around me seemed to crumble, I realized one terrifying truth: This wasn't just an assassination. This was a trap.

To be continued