Chapter 5 The Hunter's Mark

Raine gripped Kaia's arm. "Who's 'they'?"

Before the man could answer, the night shattered-an explosion of movement. Shadows tore through the alley, sleek and deadly. Creatures born from nightmare, hunting.

Kaia's heart slammed in her chest. The hunger was screaming, but so was her fight. Instinct took over; she moved faster than she thought possible, dodging, weaving, her senses razor-sharp.

The stranger fought at her side, his strength otherworldly, yet even he was pushed back.

"We don't have much time," he spat, eyes flickering with desperation. "If the Hunter finds you marked, it will be the end."

"Marked?" Kaia gasped, feeling a sudden sting at her wrist. She looked down-there it was. A dark, swirling symbol seared into her skin, pulsing like a heartbeat.

"The Hunter," he said grimly. "A force older than any vampire or witch. It hunts the bloodline-and you are its prey."

Raine's face was pale. "We need a plan. Now."

Kaia swallowed hard. Her world, once ordinary, had just plunged into a realm of blood, shadow, and relentless danger.

And there was no turning back.

Kaia's eyes burned as she stared at the swirling mark on her wrist, its edges seeming to writhe beneath her skin. It wasn't just a symbol-it was a brand, a curse, a warning from something ancient and unforgiving. Her breath came fast, the cold night air sharp in her lungs.

"The Hunter's Mark," the stranger said, his voice almost a growl. "It binds you. Wherever you go, it will lead them to you. It's how they find the bloodlines they want to snuff out."

Raine tightened her grip on Kaia's arm. "Bloodlines? What bloodline? What are you talking about?"

Kaia's mind raced. The lake, the drowning, the waking with a thirst she never had before. The strange pull she felt, like something was stirring deep inside her, aching to break free.

"You're part of an ancient lineage," the stranger explained, eyes scanning the dark alley like he expected more enemies to emerge. "Your blood is tied to something powerful-something that predates the vampire covens, the witches, even the immortals who walk in the night."

Kaia swallowed hard. "Why me? Why now?"

The stranger's gaze darkened. "Because the Hunter has been waiting a long time. And with your awakening, the balance shifts. If you don't learn to control what you are-and fast-you'll become the Hunter's next victim."

A sudden noise echoed behind them-a soft, sinister chuckle that sent chills down Kaia's spine. From the shadows emerged a figure, draped in black, eyes glinting like obsidian.

"Well, well," the figure said, voice silk over steel. "The marked one finally reveals herself."

Kaia instinctively stepped back. "Who-?"

"Hunter," the stranger hissed.

The figure smiled, exposing sharp teeth. "I'm no mere hunter, child. I am the reckoning."

Before Kaia could react, the ground beneath them trembled, and from the darkness, more shapes slithered forward-half-shadow, half-beast, their eyes locked on Kaia with hungry intent.

Raine shouted, "Run!"

But Kaia stood frozen, the mark flaring bright, illuminating the dark alley in an eerie red glow.

The stranger growled, "You must come with me. There's a place-an enclave hidden from this world-where you can learn. If you stay, you'll die."

Kaia's pulse quickened. She glanced at Raine, who nodded fiercely. This was no longer just about survival-it was about embracing a destiny she never wanted.

With the Hunter's hounds closing in, Kaia took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and followed the stranger into the shadows.

Her life was no longer hers. It belonged to the bloodlines, to the hunt, and to a war that had been raging long before she was born.