Login to ManoBook
icon 0
icon TOP UP
rightIcon
icon Reading History
rightIcon
icon Sign out
rightIcon
icon Get the APP
rightIcon
5.0
Comment(s)
12
View
19
Chapters

Born beneath a blood-red moon, a child enters the world in silence-his breath steady, his gaze unblinking. The whispers begin that very night. The Abyss watches. It waits. Seraphina, a mother fleeing persecution, knows her son is different. He does not cry. He does not shiver in the cold. And when the darkness calls, he listens. Hunted by the Holy Inquisition, who deem him an abomination, and pursued by unseen entities lurking beyond mortal comprehension, Seraphina's only hope lies with the exiled ones-outcasts who once dabbled in forbidden powers. But as she journeys into the unknown, she realizes that her son's abilities are far beyond anything the world has ever seen. The Abyss does not create. It consumes. And her son... is hungry. As kingdoms fall and empires tremble, a prophecy whispers through the winds of fate: "The child born of darkness shall either bring salvation... or usher in the end of all things." Will Seraphina fight to change destiny? Or will she stand by as her son becomes it?

Chapter 1 The Birth of the Accursed One

The night the child was born, the heavens wept. A storm raged across the skies, and the winds howled like tormented spirits. Dark clouds loomed over the grand city of Elation, the heart of the once-mighty House Valtheris.

In the depths of the grand estate, Lady Seraphina Valtheris lay upon a gilded bed, her breath shallow, her body drenched in sweat. The pain of childbirth tore through her fragile form, yet it was not the mere agony of labor that filled the chamber with dread. It was the presence of something... unnatural.

The midwives trembled as they worked, their hands shaking as they assisted in the birth. The torches flickered wildly, casting eerie shadows on the walls, and the scent of iron thickened the air. The child had not yet emerged, but already, an oppressive force filled the room-an aura so potent that even the most seasoned attendants felt their hearts tighten in fear.

Seraphina's husband, Lord Aldric Valtheris, stood at the bedside, his steel-gray eyes fixed on his wife. His face, through hardened by war and politics, bore the slightest trace of worry. He was not a man who feared death, yet this night, something primal whispered in his soul-a warning that what was coming into the world was not meant to exist.

Then, it happened.

A final, anguished scream tore from Seraphina's lips as the child entered the world. The moment the baby's first cry echoed through the chamber, the torches were extinguished all at once. A wave of darkness surged outward, suffocating the light as though the very fabric of reality had been momentarily disturbed. The wind outside howled louder, rattling the stained glass windows of the estate.

The midwives gasped in horror.

The child's eyes... they were black as the void itself, with flecks of crimson swirling like embers in an endless abyss. It was as if the child bore the night sky within its irises, a void that seemed to consume the very essence of light.

And then, the crying stopped.

A deathly silence filled the chamber.

One of the midwives, an elderly woman who had delivered hundreds of noble-born children, took a step back, clutching her chest as if she could not breathe. She had seen infants born sickly, deformed, even stillborn-but never had she felt pure terror emanating from a newborn.

Seraphina, despite her exhaustion, reached out weakly. "Let me... see my child..."

But the midwife hesitated.

Lord Aldric took the child into his own hands. He was not a man prone to superstition, yet the moment his fingers touched the baby's skin, a coldness seeped into his bones. It was as if death itself clung to the infant's flesh. And yet, the child was warm, alive. A paradox of existence.

Seraphina cradled her newborn weakly, brushing her fingers against its tiny, delicate face. Despite the fear in the room, despite the unnatural aura, she smiled.

"My beautiful child..." she whispered.

But before she could utter another word, a shattering noise erupted from outside the estate.

A bell tolled.

It was a warning. A symbol of danger.

And then-screams.

The sounds of steel clashing, of men dying, filled the night. The doors to the birthing chamber burst open, and a bloodied knight stumbled inside. His armor was dented, his face pale with horror.

"My lord!" he gasped. "The estate is under attack! The Inquisition-they have come for the child!"

Aldric's face darkened. They knew.

Of course, they knew. The moment the child was born, something had shifted in the world. The priests, the oracles, the cursed hunters-they must have felt it. The birth of a Valtheris marked by the Accursed Blood.

"No..." Seraphina gasped, clutching her child protectively. "They will not take my son!"

Aldric turned to the midwives. "Take Seraphina and the child through the hidden passage. Now."

One of the women hesitated. "My lord, this... this is no ordinary babe. Perhaps it would be best-"

Aldric's sword was at her throat in an instant. "Say one more word, and you will not live to regret it."

The midwife swallowed hard and bowed. "As you command, my lord."

More screams echoed through the halls. The Valtheris knights were fighting valiantly, but the Inquisition had come prepared. Holy fire lit up the night as warriors clad in silver armor stormed the estate, chanting prayers of purification.

The midwives helped Seraphina to her feet, supporting her weak frame as they hurried toward the hidden passage behind a grand bookshelf. The moment they disappeared into the darkness, Aldric turned back to the knight.

"How many of them?"

"Too many." The knight grimaced. "They brought the Executioners."

Aldric cursed under his breath. The Executioners were the Inquisition's most elite warriors-men and women trained to hunt down and eradicate anything tainted by darkness. If they had come, it meant they intended to end his bloodline tonight.

Drawing his blade, Aldric stepped forward. "Then we make our stand."

The great doors of the chamber were shattered apart as a group of silver-clad warriors stormed inside. Their leader, a man with golden eyes and a ceremonial greatsword, stepped forward. His voice was cold, emotionless.

"Lord Aldric Valtheris," the man intoned. "By the decree of the Holy Inquisition, your bloodline is declared an abomination upon this world. Surrender the child, and your deaths will be swift."

Aldric smirked. "You'll have to kill me first."

"So be it."

The battle began.

Steel met steel. Blood painted the walls. And amidst the chaos, a mother fled into the night, clutching a child whose destiny would shape the fate of empires.

The Accursed One had been born.

And the world would never be the same.

Continue Reading

You'll also like

Entangled In The CEO's Arms

Entangled In The CEO's Arms

Redfury
5.0

Miley's life fell apart on the night of her 19th Birthday. The celebration was tainted by the business of betrayal. At the party, Miley's drink was spiked, and when she felt ill, she staggered out of the room, only to stumble upon a conspiracy between her boyfriend and her sister. She had always known that her sister didn't love her. but what she hadn't expected was that her boyfriend, whom she had always trusted, was also in cahoots with her. Realization stung sharper than the cold air outside as she discovered their cruel intentions to humiliate her. Overwhelmed and betrayed, she found refuge in an unfamiliar room. But fate, it seemed, had a cocktail of sorrows lined up for her. In the room she sought refuge in was Logan Pierce. This man, a dominant and arrogant person, and her boyfriend's uncle were known to be a living nightmare for those who would cross his path. Under the influence of drugs, they slipped into a night, and he took her for the first time in ways she wished she could forget. Waking up to a world where accusations were hurled at her from all corners, her family turned their backs on her. Placating Logan seemed to have ranked higher than standing up for Miley, their own blood. Disowned and discarded, Miley found herself abandoned on the relentless, heartless streets. Years later, she had blossomed into the U.S. manager of Hales company. During a business meeting, she stumbled upon Logan once again. But the passing years had erased Miley's face from Logan's memory, arousing within him a curiosity and fascination for this elusive lady director. unable to recall the tragic past, Logan felt unwarranted anger towards Miley as he continuously evaded her- thus beginning their forbidden dance of desire yet again.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book