The forest swallowed him whole. Each breath he took felt heavier than the last. Branches cracked under his feet, but the sound was drowned by whispers—low, haunting, endless.
"Blood… ruin… blood…"
Leo Fang's eyes darted left, then right. The voices didn't come from the trees or the wind, but from somewhere beyond. Something that no human tongue could carry.
Shadows stretched unnaturally across the bark, forming twisted figures. Their heads tilted at him, their hollow mouths opening and closing as if chewing on his existence.
"You are cursed, child."
"Born beneath the red moon… you will drown the world in blood…"
Leo clutched his chest, trembling. "Shut up… SHUT UP!" he shouted, his voice breaking against the weight of fear.
The illusions didn't stop. They grew clearer—ghostly silhouettes of the villagers he once knew, his father, his mother… all with lifeless eyes. They pointed at him.
"Monster."
"Bring ruin."
"Why were you born?"
His knees hit the dirt. His hands pressed against his head. "I didn't choose this! I didn't—!"
And then the sky darkened. A faint glow bled from the clouds—not moonlight, but something older. A god's gaze, watching.
The whispers deepened, vibrating in his bones:
"Ruin of Blood… destiny is not yours to escape…"
Leo's eyes flashed faint blue. His tears turned into rage. The shadows around him warped, recoiling as if they too were afraid.
He stood, trembling but alive. His fists clenched. His voice cracked, but fire burned within:
"I am not your pawn. I will decide what I become."
The illusions shattered like broken glass, the forest silent again. Only the gods knew the truth—that this boy was the Blood Moon's chosen. The world above remained blind.
For now.
End of chapter 8