Blood In the Moonlight

Dominic’s POV

“She was...” I began, my voice almost a whisper, “...just like you.” 

I took a step closer to her, the soft glow of the garden casting a warm light over her features. Her eyes searched mine, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension dancing within them. 

“I brought you here,” I said slowly, my voice tinged with an unspoken desperation, “because I hoped you’d remember something.” 

Her brows furrowed, confusion flickering across her face.

“Remember?” she asked, her voice steady but quiet. 

My chest squeezed but I nodded, closing the distance between us. “Yes, because this—” I gestured to the garden around us, the golden arches, the shimmering fountain, the fireflies that danced as though in celebration of her presence. “This place, it belongs to us. It always has.” 

Her lips parted, but no words came. I stepped even closer, my gaze locking onto hers. For the briefest moment, I thought I saw it—a spark of recognition, a flicker of something familiar in her eyes. My heart clenched, hope surging through me like a flame. 

But then, as quickly as it had appeared, the moment was gone. She shook her head slowly, her expression soft but resolute. 

“What makes you think I’m her?” she asked. Her voice was calm, her tone measured, but it felt like a blade cutting through the fragile hope I had dared to hold onto. 

“Because you are,” I said firmly, refusing to let go of the belief that had carried me through countless nights of doubt and longing. “You’re so alike, in ways that no one else could be. The way you move, the way you speak... even the way you look at me, Summer. It’s her. It’s you.” 

She opened her mouth to protest, but I didn’t let her. 

“I lost you once,” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “I lost you, and I thought I’d never see you again. But the goddess...” I exhaled shakily, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “The goddess gave you back to me. She sent you here, into my life again. Don’t you see? This isn’t a coincidence. It’s fate.” 

Her expression softened, her gaze steady but filled with something I couldn’t quite decipher—pity, perhaps, or sorrow. 

“Dominic,” she began, her voice gentle but firm, “I’m not her. I don’t remember any of this. I don’t feel what you feel.” 

Her words hit me like a blow, but I refused to back down. I moved closer still, so close that I could feel the warmth radiating from her, so close that our breaths mingled in the cool night air. 

“But you could,” I whispered. “If you’d just let yourself, remember, you would. This garden, this place... it’s the key. You belong here, Summer. With me.” 

Her gaze didn’t waver, but I could see the conflict brewing within her. She was fighting it, resisting the pull of something she didn’t yet understand. 

“I don’t know if I can be what you want me to be,” she said, her voice trembling ever so slightly. 

“You already are,” I replied, “You’ve always been.” 

I reached for her then, my hand brushing against hers. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t move closer either. 

We stood there in the heart of the garden, the air thick with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. The fireflies continued their dance around us, oblivious to the weight of the moment. 

I searched her eyes again, desperate to find that glimmer of hope, that spark of recognition that would prove I wasn’t wrong. 

But she simply looked back at me, her gaze steady but filled with uncertainty. 

“I don’t know if I’m her,” she said finally, her voice so quiet it was almost lost to the gentle hum of the garden. “But if I’m not... what then, Dominic? What do we do then?” 

I didn’t have an answer. All I had was the hope she was her, and that someday, somehow, she would remember. 

And until that day came, I would wait. 

For her. For us. For the life we were meant to reclaim. 

The stillness of the garden enveloped us as Summer’s uncertain gaze met mine. For a moment, the weight of her words lingered in the air, pressing against my chest like an invisible force. 

Then, a sudden sound shattered the quiet—a sharp, desperate whinny carried on the night air. 

My eyes darted toward the noise, muscles tensing instinctively. Summer stiffened beside me, her fingers brushing against my arm as if to anchor herself. 

“What was that?” she whispered. 

I didn’t answer, already moving toward the source of the sound. My boots crunched against the mossy ground; each step deliberate yet cautious. Summer followed close behind, her breath quickening as the faint outline of a horse came into view. 

The animal was at the edge of the clearing, its flanks heaving as it drank from a smaller fountain hidden beneath the vines. Even in the dim light, I could see its injuries—deep gashes streaked its sides, and one of its legs appeared to be trembling under its weight. 

But it wasn’t the horse that stopped me in my tracks. 

Lying crumpled on the ground beside it was a man. 

Summer gasped audibly, her hand flying to her mouth as she stumbled back a step. 

The man was barely clinging to life, his body a canvas of open wounds and dark bruises. Blood stained his tattered clothing, pooling around him. It was obvious how close he was to death but yet he still tried holding on for just a moment longer. His chest rose and fell unevenly as he lifted his face slowly trying to meet mine.

I crouched beside him, my eyes narrowing as I took in the damage. His face was pale, his lips cracked, but when his gaze flickered up to meet mine, a spark of determination shone through the pain. 

With a trembling hand, he reached toward me, holding something tightly in his grasp. 

“A note,” I muttered, recognizing the folded parchment. I hesitated for only a second before taking it from him. His hand lingered against mine, his grip weak but insistent. 

Summer knelt beside me, her voice trembling. “Dominic, he’s... he’s not going to make it.” 

The man’s lips moved; his voice barely audible. I leaned closer, straining to hear his final words. 

“I-it’s back,” he rasped, the words escaping on a breath that seemed to cost him everything. “I-It k-killed everything m-my wi-ife, chi children.  It's back.”

And then, as if the effort had drained the last of his strength, his body went still. His hand fell away, lifeless, and his eyes stared unseeing at the canopy above. 

Summer let out a shaky breath, her shoulders trembling as she turned away from the grisly sight. 

I straightened, the note clutched tightly in my hand, my jaw clenched against the storm brewing within me. 

“Dominic,” She whispered with a shaky breath. “What does he mean? What is he talking about?! What’s back?” 

I didn’t answer, my focus fixed on the note in my hand. Slowly, I unfolded it, the parchment stiff and stained with dried blood. 

The words written there sent a chill down my spine, colder than any winter wind. 

I stood, the weight of the moment settling over me like a heavy shroud. The garden, once serene and magical, now felt tainted, its beauty overshadowed by the grim reality of what had just unfolded. 

Summer rose beside me, her eyes searching mine for answers. 

“Dominic,” she pressed, fear and urgency lacing her tone. “What does it say?” 

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat.  They were just six words, six horrible words that filled me with dread and sent a chill down my spine.

Winter is coming. Hope you are ready.

“It’s not over,” I said grimly, talking to myself more than to her.  “Whatever we thought was finished... it’s not. It’s come back and this is just the beginning.” 

This only looked like the mark of creatures I didn't know but this wasn't just them, they would never go on if they weren't sure of their back up. This wasn't ordinary l, all this chaos happening, one after another, what was really happening.

Summer's eyes widened, and for the first time that night, I saw something that hadn’t been there before. 

Fear. 

And as the fireflies continued their haunting dance around us, I realized that the sanctuary of the garden was no longer a place of peace. 

It had become the first battleground of a war we weren’t prepared to fight.

“Let's go.” I motioned for Summer to follow behind me and she did surprisingly without any questions. The fear was hanging at her throat, I could tell.

First the creature, then the Valerians and now this.

Could I even tell the council, after all that's happening. This was more than we could tell, I didn't know where it was all coming from but one thing, I did know was I needed to stop it and fast before anything else goes wrong.