The monster charged.
The earth exploded beneath its feet.
Ancient trees shattered like dry branches as the Blood Eater crossed hundreds of meters in a blink.
Its target...
Damian.
Not Sirius.
Not Silas.
Not the terrified humans.
Only Damian.
The creature's remaining crimson eye burned with obsession.
With purpose.
As if it had searched for him for years.
Perhaps centuries.
The realization unsettled the prince.
But there was no time to think.
The Blood Eater was already upon him.
BOOM!
A black blur crashed toward his throat.
Damian reacted instinctively.
He twisted his body sideways.
The monster's jaws missed his neck by inches.
Instead, they ripped through the air beside him.
The shockwave alone uprooted trees.
Damian's eyes widened.
Fast.
Far faster than the corrupted beasts from earlier.
His wolf instincts immediately recognized danger.
Real danger.
Not prey.
Not training.
A predator.
The prince jumped backward.
The Blood Eater landed heavily.
The ground collapsed beneath its weight.
Its claws carved trenches through the earth.
Then it attacked again.
No pause.
No hesitation.
Relentless.
BOOM!
Damian raised a paw.
Their claws collided.
The impact shook the clearing.
Pain shot through Damian's arm.
His eyes widened again.
The creature was stronger than him.
Much stronger.
The Blood Eater grinned.
Its grotesque mouth stretched wider.
Then it struck again.
And again.
And again.
Each blow carried monstrous force.
Damian blocked.
Dodged.
Retreated.
The forest around them was being destroyed.
Trees exploded.
Stone cracked.
The humans could barely follow the battle.
To them...
the two monsters appeared as blurs.
Only the sounds remained.
Explosions.
Roars.
Shattering wood.
The sounds of giants fighting.
Sirius watched carefully.
His expression darkened.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The Blood Eater wasn't trying to kill Damian immediately.
It had opportunities.
Several.
Instead...
it seemed to be testing him.
Studying him.
Pushing him.
The executioner's grip tightened around his sword.
That made him more dangerous.
A predator playing with prey.
Silas stepped beside him.
"What do we do?"
Sirius didn't answer immediately.
His eyes never left the battle.
Then...
"The moment Damian's life is in danger."
His crimson eyes sharpened.
"We kill it."
Silas grinned.
"Good."
For the first time tonight...
the executioner looked excited.
Meanwhile...
Damian crashed through three trees.
BOOM!
Wood exploded around him.
Pain spread across his ribs.
The Blood Eater had struck him with its shoulder.
Not even a claw.
Just a shoulder.
And it felt like being hit by a fortress wall.
The prince stood slowly.
His breathing had become heavier.
The wolf inside him growled.
Angry.
Humiliated.
The monster approached.
Slowly.
Calmly.
As though victory was already decided.
That angered Damian even more.
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"I'm not prey."
The Blood Eater stopped.
For a moment...
it stared.
Then laughter echoed inside Damian's head.
NO.
YOU ARE NOT.
The prince frowned.
The creature continued.
THAT IS WHY YOU MUST GROW.
The words made no sense.
Damian's instincts screamed.
This thing wasn't acting naturally.
It wasn't hunting.
It wasn't feeding.
It was doing something else.
Something far worse.
The monster suddenly vanished.
Damian's eyes widened.
Too fast.
He barely sensed movement.
Then...
Pain.
CRACK!
A claw smashed into his side.
Several ribs broke instantly.
Damian flew across the clearing.
Blood escaped his mouth.
He rolled violently before stopping.
Everything hurt.
The prince slowly rose.
His body was already healing.
But not fast enough.
Not against attacks like those.
The Blood Eater approached again.
Relentless.
Patient.
Like a teacher punishing a student.
And somehow...
that realization infuriated Damian more than the pain.
He was Damian Rake.
Prince of vampires.
Future king.
Not some child to be disciplined.
The wolf inside him roared.
His blood boiled.
His muscles tightened.
The moon above seemed brighter.
Brighter than before.
Silver light flooded the clearing.
The Blood Eater stopped.
For the first time...
it looked surprised.
Damian felt something awakening.
Not his wolf.
Not his vampire blood.
Something deeper.
Older.
The same feeling from the vision.
The chains.
The abyss.
The crimson eye.
Power surged through his body.
Wild.
Uncontrolled.
Dangerous.
Sirius immediately sensed it.
His expression changed.
"Damian..."
Silas looked toward the prince.
Then his grin disappeared.
"What the hell..."
The air around Damian was changing.
Moonlight gathered around him.
His white fur glowed faintly.
Silver and crimson.
Two colors.
Two bloodlines.
Two powers.
The prince slowly lifted his head.
His eyes...
once red
now carried silver within them.
Just a trace.
But enough.
The Blood Eater took a step back.
For the first time tonight.
Fear.
A tiny amount.
But real.
Damian noticed.
And smiled.
The creature had finally stopped looking invincible.
Then...
a voice echoed inside his head.
Not the Blood Eater's voice.
Not the silver-eyed figure.
Another voice.
Ancient.
Female.
Cold as moonlight.
Do not open the gate.
Damian froze.
The voice continued.
You are not ready.
"What gate?"
No answer.
The presence vanished.
Leaving only confusion.
And growing power.
The Blood Eater suddenly roared.
Louder than before.
Desperate.
Angry.
As if it feared something.
Its eye burned brighter.
Then it charged again.
But this time...
not toward Damian.
Toward the humans.
Toward Elara.
Sirius' eyes widened.
"Move!"
The monster crossed the clearing instantly.
The humans froze.
They couldn't react.
Couldn't escape.
Elara stared at the incoming horror.
Death was seconds away.
Then
something white appeared between them.
Damian.
The prince intercepted the attack.
BOOOOOOM!
The collision shook the forest.
A shockwave flattened everything nearby.
Trees fell.
Stone shattered.
The humans were thrown backward.
When the dust cleared...
Damian stood before them.
Bleeding.
Wounded.
But standing.
The Blood Eater stared at him.
And for the first time...
its expression changed completely.
Recognition.
Not of Damian.
But of something inside him.
Then the creature spoke.
Not through thoughts.
Not through minds.
Actual words.
A broken voice.
Ancient.
Cracked.
Yet understandable.
"The... Crown..."
Everyone froze.
Even Sirius.
The Blood Eater stared at Damian.
Then lowered its head.
Not fully.
But slightly.
Like a warrior acknowledging another.
And that terrified Sirius more than any battle so far.
Because monsters did not bow.
Especially monsters this powerful.
The Blood Eater's remaining eye burned crimson.
And its final words chilled everyone present.
"It has begun."
The sky suddenly thundered.
The moon vanished behind dark clouds.
And somewhere far beneath Darkheart Castle...
something ancient opened its eyes.