Chapter 4 Shadows That Hunt

Cindy couldn't move.

The creature in front of her wasn't just terrifying-it was wrong. Like it didn't belong in this world. No eyes. No nose. Just a pale, faceless mask and a gaping mouth filled with jagged black teeth.

It let out a high-pitched shriek that sliced through the forest like shattered glass.

Aeron shoved her behind him. "Don't run. They chase fear."

"But-what is that?!" Cindy whispered, panic rising in her throat.

"A Shadow Hunter. One of the old ones. They're faster than wolves, crueler than vampires, and impossible to kill unless you hit their heart-if you can even find it."

Cindy turned to Liora, who was still bleeding beside the tree. "Can you move?"

Liora nodded weakly, but her eyes were glassy. "You have to run. It's here for you."

"No," Aeron said, snarling as his claws extended. "We're not running."

The creature lunged.

Aeron was ready. He met it mid-air, slashing across its side, forcing it backward. The Shadow screamed again, but it didn't bleed-just left behind a trail of smoke and decay.

Cindy grabbed Liora, trying to pull her away from the fight. "Come on!"

Liora hissed in pain but clung to Cindy's shoulder as they stumbled through the trees. Behind them, Aeron and the Hunter crashed through branches like lightning clashing with thunder.

More shrieks echoed in the distance.

"There's more of them," Liora whispered.

Cindy didn't want to believe it. But she heard them too-low, twisted growls growing closer.

They were surrounded.

Trees loomed like giants in every direction, their shadows stretching long and thin as if trying to pull the girls back into the dark. Cindy's breathing grew ragged, her heartbeat pounding in her ears like a war drum. Every step felt slower, heavier. Her legs threatened to give out.

"Keep going," she whispered to herself. "Don't stop now..."

---

Suddenly, a low hum vibrated through the ground.

Cindy's mark burned hot under her skin.

The forest stilled.

And then a blinding silver light erupted in the clearing behind them.

Cindy turned just in time to see Aeron standing over the dead body of the Shadow Hunter, its chest pierced by a glowing blade of light made of moonfire-a blade Cindy had never seen him use before.

He was breathing hard, his shoulders rising and falling, blood dripping down his hands.

The creature dissolved into ash.

"Your mark," Aeron said through clenched teeth, "It activated when you touched her. That's how I knew where to strike."

Cindy stared at him. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you're not just marked. You're linked to them."

"Linked to what?"

"To the hybrids," a new voice answered.

Cindy whipped around.

Standing at the edge of the trees was a man cloaked in shadows, his face hidden by a hood, but his voice was deep and commanding.

He stepped forward slowly. "To all of us."

Aeron stiffened. "Cyrus."

Cindy looked between them. "You know him?"

Aeron's jaw tightened. "He's the leader of the rogue hybrids. Exiled. Dangerous. And unpredictable."

Cyrus lowered his hood, revealing golden eyes and long black hair. He looked strangely young, despite the power radiating from him.

"I came because the mark has awakened. The girl must be protected at all costs. If the Hunters find her again, it's over."

"Over?" Cindy asked. "Over how?"

"Because you're not just some lost girl anymore," Cyrus said. "You're the one the prophecy warned us about."

---

They brought Liora to a hidden den-beneath the roots of an ancient tree guarded by wards and spells. Cindy had never seen anything like it.

Inside, other hybrids watched her cautiously-silent, wounded, but curious.

Some had red eyes, others glowing silver. Some had claws that never retracted. Some had fangs. All were different. All were hiding.

Whispers floated around the room like mist.

"She's the one?"

"Is she really marked?"

"She doesn't look like much..."

Every pair of eyes followed her movements, unsure whether to fear her or protect her. Cindy hugged her arms close to her chest, feeling their stares crawl across her skin like frost.

Cyrus paced slowly around Cindy, speaking low so only she and Aeron could hear.

"She doesn't know what she is yet," he said.

"She's human," Aeron snapped.

Cyrus looked amused. "Are you sure?"

Cindy's throat tightened. "What do you mean?"

"Do you really think the mark appeared out of nowhere? You think a normal human could hold moonfire in their blood?" Cyrus stepped closer. "You've been chosen, Cindy Moran. And not by accident."

Cindy stepped back, shaking her head. "No. This is wrong. I'm not... I'm not one of you."

"You're not," Cyrus said. "You're more."

---

That night, Cindy sat beside the fire in the den, watching the hybrids around her sleep with one eye open.

The flames danced in the hollow space, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Every crackle of the fire reminded her of the Shadow's shriek. Every shift in the dark made her flinch.

Aeron sat beside her, silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"When I first met you, I thought you were fragile. Breakable."

"Thanks," Cindy muttered.

"I was wrong," he continued. "You're the strongest person I've met. Even now, you're not running. You're facing things no one should have to."

Cindy looked at him. "I don't feel strong. I feel like I'm falling apart."

Aeron turned to her, his voice gentler now. "Then fall apart. I'll catch you."

Something shifted between them.

His hand brushed hers. Just slightly.

Their eyes met.

And for a moment, Cindy forgot about the shadows, the monsters, the prophecy.

There was only him.

And the warmth in his touch.

The fire crackled louder. Somewhere deep inside, something stirred. Not fear. Not confusion. But something closer to hope-fragile, but real.

---

But peace didn't last.

Outside, deep in the woods, another Hunter was watching.

Its voice was like smoke as it whispered into the wind:

"The marked girl is not alone.

The blood awakens.

And when it does...

the beasts will rise."