The Blood Moon Pact

kness. Time felt warped, stretching endlessly as she fell, her surroundings shifting from

t up. The air was thick and suffocating, tinged with the met

a sickly red light. The ground beneath her was jagged and black, resembling scorc

ne.

alive, circling her like vultures. Shadows darted i

e murmured, her

thres

ere and nowhere. Anne froze, her blood turning cold. Slo

sn't

owing red eyes pierced through the void, and as it stepped closer, Anne caught glimp

e demanded, taking

t made her skin crawl. "You know who I am, Anne.

puzzle falling into place. "Th

ery good. And you, my dear, are my

'm not helping you. Whatev

gh the ground. "You think you have a choice? The pact was se

nce flaring within her. "N

ending searing pain through her arm. She cried out, clutching her wrist as

od moon will complete the transformatio

e pain. She couldn't let this thing win. "I

narrowed. "Many have

racks spread across the scorched earth, and from them emerged wri

carry her, dodging the tendrils that snapped at her heels. The terrain was

ugh the desolate landscape. "You can't escape me,

the oppressive red glow. She sprinted toward it,

l in the middle of the barren wasteland. The frame was intricately carved with symb

e shouted fr

and bloodied, fighting off the tendrils

reamed, but Sara

p! Get to

ay. The tendrils were closing in, but she pushed herself harder, ignorin

drils lunged for her, and without think

ent, she felt weightless. Then she hit s

t here-cleaner, cooler. She was in a forest, the dens

alled out, her

as no r

alone. "Sarah!" she screamed again,

he only sound coming from the r

she muttered, her

d a beat. It was Caleb-or at least, it looked like him. His ey

said, his

, her body tensing.

ng up his hands in a gesture of peace. "I do

awing at her. "Why should I believe

en fighting Him, trying to take back control. But I c

ink I haven't been trying

tar," he said. "The one in your dreams. It's real. You

ht. "How do you kn

bling. "It's where He marked me. And it's

hing his head. "I don't have much time. Anne, promise

is body convulsed, and his

hispered, her

ld and detached. "He's mine now," the

, his movements inhumanly fast. She turne

ees twisting and bending as if alive. She didn't

laughter echoed behind her, g

Ancient One taunted. "Ther

rest. She pushed herself harder, her legs screami

ct in the center: a stone altar, covered in th

tched as she rea

r, Caleb burst into the clearin

a chilling blend of Caleb's and the

darting between the altar

y overhead, its crimson lig

the Ancient One sai

to glow brighter, pulsing in rh

king feeling that she ha

, and the shadows began to converge

ent One said. "Submit, o