1. Dawn After the Blood Moon
The sun rose weakly over San Espiritu, painting the sky in pale gold, but the city felt… wrong. Broken windows, scorched walls, and shadows that still clung stubbornly to corners. The streets were quiet, almost unnaturally so, as if the city itself was holding its breath.
Emiliano sat on the steps of the school, muscles aching, veins still pulsing faintly with residual energy from the previous night's battle. Lucía sat beside him, draping a blanket over both of them, but even the warmth couldn't chase away the chill that lingered in the air.
"I never thought… it would come back like that," Lucía whispered, her voice trembling. "The hour… it's real. And it's inside you."
Emiliano clenched his fists. "I thought surviving last year meant it was over. But I was wrong. I'm the bearer. I carry it. And that means I have to prepare… or we'll never survive the next Blood Moon."
A gust of wind brushed past, rustling leaves and carrying with it a faint, whispering hum. Emiliano froze. The shadows weren't gone—they were merely waiting, patient, silent, curling into corners, lingering in mirrors, seeping along the walls.
Lucía's voice broke through his thoughts. "Then… what do we do?"
He looked at her, eyes hardening with determination. "We learn. We train. We uncover everything about the hour and Proyecto Umbral. I can't let it take anyone else. Not my friends. Not anyone."
2. Descending to Proyecto Umbral
That afternoon, Emiliano and Lucía returned to the basement archives. The air smelled of damp paper, ash, and something darker—something that smelled faintly like iron and fire. Dust swirled in the shafts of sunlight that broke through the cracked windows.
Emiliano pulled out the folder marked CONFIDENTIAL – Proyecto Umbral. The photographs of rituals and symbols seemed darker now, almost alive, the black ink in the diagrams pulsing slightly in the dim light.
"We need to understand this," Emiliano said, voice low. "Every symbol, every note… it's a key to controlling the hour. To defeating Isabela—or at least surviving her next assault."
Lucía crouched beside him, carefully picking up a charred notebook. "These are instructions… rituals, but not all of them were completed. Some… failed. And she survived."
Emiliano nodded grimly. "That's why she's here. That's why the hour is back. And that's why I need to master it. We can't just survive the Blood Moon… we have to fight it."
The basement seemed to shiver in response to his words, as if the hour itself had heard him and acknowledged the truth: it had a consciousness, and it was aware of him.
3. Training Begins
Over the next week, Emiliano forced himself to confront and control the energy inside him. Shadows rose from walls, objects, even his own reflection, but under his concentration, they obeyed him. Sometimes they lunged, sometimes whispered, testing him—but each time he forced them to bend to his will.
Lucía became his anchor. Her presence reminded him of who he was, of what it meant to be human. When the shadows clawed at him, threatening to overwhelm his senses, her hand, her voice, her unwavering courage pulled him back.
Each day, Emiliano practiced:
Channeling energy into the sigils, making them pulse with his heartbeat.
Summoning tendrils of shadow and controlling them as extensions of his own body.
Deflecting attacks from shadows he conjured, preparing for Isabela's next assault.
The hour is part of me… but I am not the hour," he repeated each night, over and over, until the words became mantra, shield, and sword.
Lucía occasionally stepped forward, practicing minor chants, setting small circles of protection, or recording Emiliano's abilities in notebooks, so they could refine their techniques. "We can't leave anything to chance," she said. "Every detail matters."
4. The First Warning
On the fifth night, Emiliano's dreams returned—more vivid, more horrifying than ever before. The Blood Moon appeared in his vision, enormous, spilling red light across the city like molten fire. Isabela stood at the center of the streets, shadows crawling across the pavement, devouring everything in their path.
You cannot stop me, bearer. The hour is eternal."
Emiliano screamed, thrashing awake, drenched in sweat. Lucía shook him gently.
"What is it?" she whispered, voice quivering.
"The hour… it's stronger than I imagined," he said. "She's preparing. And this time… she won't wait until the Blood Moon tolls thirteen. She'll strike before then."
A faint sound, almost imperceptible, reached his ears—a slow, distorted bell tolling somewhere nearby. Not the school, not the clock tower—but somewhere in the city, echoing faintly, unevenly, sinister.
Lucía grabbed his hand. "We have to be ready."
He nodded, a fire igniting within his chest. "And we will be. No matter what it takes."
5. Research and Discovery
The next morning, Emiliano and Lucía dove deeper into the archives. Pages of Latin text, ritual diagrams, photographs of burned floors, and charred manuscripts were scattered across the tables.
Lucía pointed to a symbol. "This… it's like the sigil beneath the gym. But see this? It mentions a 'conductor' and a 'bearer.'"
Emiliano frowned. "The conductor… that must be Isabela. She channels the hour. And the bearer—me—channels the energy, but also risks being consumed."
They read further:
The hour can be restrained… but only if the bearer's will is strong and the ritual circle is complete. Blood must flow—but not as a sacrifice—power must be channeled, controlled, not given away."
Lucía's eyes widened. "That explains everything! The rituals last year failed because the bearer survived but didn't control the energy. That's why she's back. That's why the hour returned."
Emiliano's jaw tightened. "Then this time… we do it right. We prepare the circle, I control the energy, and we face her—on our terms."
6. A Calm Before the Storm
For several days, Emiliano and Lucía prepared. The city seemed peaceful, a cruel contrast to the horrors they knew awaited. Students laughed, teachers scolded and smiled, and life carried on as if nothing had happened.
Emiliano trained tirelessly, pushing himself further than ever before. Shadows followed him, sometimes playful, sometimes menacing, but always under his control.
Lucía scouted the school and surrounding streets, marking safe points, escape routes, and calculating where Isabela might strike first.
> "We're not just surviving this time," Emiliano thought. "We're fighting back, and next time… we might actually win."
7. A Mysterious Ally
One evening, a figure appeared at the edge of the school grounds. Tall, cloaked, moving silently through the red moonlight, with eyes that glinted like silver steel.
"Who… who are you?" Emiliano asked cautiously.
The man smiled faintly. "Someone who knows the hour… someone who has survived part of it. Call me Gabriel. I've been watching you, Emiliano. I know what you are… and what you can become."
Lucía frowned. "How do we know we can trust him?"
Gabriel's gaze swept the courtyard, noting the flickering shadows. "You have no choice. The hour waits for no one. You will need guidance if you hope to survive the next Blood Moon. And I can provide it."
Emiliano studied him, wary but desperate. "Fine. Teach us. Everything you know."
Gabriel nodded. "First, we prepare for the awakening. The hour will come… and it will test you like never before."
8. The Night Before
That night, Emiliano couldn't sleep. The shadows moved, slithering along the walls, slinking from the corners, writhing in the mirrors. The Blood Moon hung just beyond the horizon, its red glow faint yet ominous.
Lucía held his hand, anchoring him. "Tomorrow… it begins, doesn't it?"
He nodded silently. "The final trial before the Blood Moon reaches its peak. We'll face her—Isabela—and the hour itself. I just hope… we're strong enough."
A whisper drifted through the window, cold, distant, almost teasing:
> "Bearer… the hour knows you… and it waits…"
Emiliano tightened his grip on Lucía's hand. "Then I'll show it. We're not afraid. Not this time."
Outside, the city slept unaware, but the pulse of shadow beneath San Espiritu's streets beat faster, answering the call of the Blood Moon.
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath as Raven and Aria stepped deeper into the twisted heart of the cursed woods. The moon above them was the same pale silver eye that had watched their battles before—yet tonight, it felt sharper, colder… almost aware.
Raven walked slightly ahead, sword unsheathed, his senses stretched thin like wires ready to snap. Aria followed close, her fingers lightly brushing his arm, as if staying connected was the only thing stopping the darkness from claiming her completely.
They both felt it.
Something had awakened.
Something old.
Something hungry.
"It's close," Raven murmured.
His voice was low, strained. He wasn't trying to scare her—he didn't need to. The forest had already done that.
Aria swallowed hard.
"The Recorder's presence… it feels different. Like it's watching us from under the ground."
She didn't mention the faint whisper she kept hearing.
Her own name, spoken in a voice that sounded like hers—but not quite.
Raven stopped suddenly.
Aria bumped into his back softly.
"What is it?"
He raised one hand slowly.
Silence.
Then
THUMP. THUMP.
A heartbeat.
But massive.
Slow.
Echoing through the earth.
Aria grabbed Raven's sleeve.
"That's not human."
"It's not supposed to be alive at all." Raven whispered.
The ground trembled.
Branches snapped overhead.
Shadows shifted like living things.
And then
A figure stepped between the trees.
Not the Recorder.
Not a demon either.
But a man young enough to pass for one of their academy classmates… except his eyes were hollow, glassy, and glowing faintly red from within. His skin was pale as moonlit stone, and dark veins pulsed beneath it like black rivers.
But what made Aria's breath hitch was the mark carved over his heart—
A spiraled hourglass.
The sign of the shrouded cult.
Raven's grip on his sword tightened.
"He's one of them…"
But Aria shook her head.
"No. Look."
The boy wasn't moving.
He stood perfectly still, head lowered, chest rising slowly with each heavy heartbeat they'd felt earlier.
Like something was forcing him to breathe.
Raven stepped in front of Aria.
"Stay behind me."
"I'm not helpless," she muttered.
"I know. But this thing… feels wrong."
The boy lifted his head.
His lips parted.
And in a voice that wasn't his—
that didn't even sound human—
"THE HOUR IS OPEN."
Raven and Aria froze.
The boy's arms rose unnaturally, elbows popping.
His hands twisted.
His head tilted too far to the side, cracking loudly.
Aria gasped and stepped back.
Raven lunged forward before the thing that used to be a boy could reach her. His sword flashed.
A single strike.
Clean, precise.
The body fell.
But the head—
The head rolled toward them and stopped at Aria's feet, eyes still glowing, mouth still whispering.
"The Recorder… w-waits…"
Aria stumbled, Raven caught her, pulling her tightly against his chest.
"Don't look at it."
"I-It spoke to me."
"Ignore it."
But they both knew ignoring wasn't an option.
The forest around them darkened.
The trees leaned inward like watching spectators.
And then the whispering started.
Not from the head.
Not from the corpse.
From everywhere.
Dozens of voices layered together like a broken choir
"THE HOUR IS OPEN…
THE BLOODLINE RETURNS…
THE GIRL CARRIES THE KEY…
BRING HER… BRING HER…"
Raven held Aria tighter.
"We're leaving. Now."
But then—
A figure appeared between the trees.
This time, Raven froze.
Aria's breath caught in her throat.
Because this figure wasn't possessed.
Or twisted.
Or monstrous.
It was a girl.
A girl with Raven's eyes.
Raven's face.
Raven's voice when she spoke.
"You're late."
Aria's knees nearly buckled.
"W-What—Raven? She looks—"
Raven's heart hammered.
He whispered:
"That's… me."
But his voice trembled, just once, in a way Aria had never heard.
The girl smiled.
But the smile was too slow.
Too practiced.
Too perfect.
"Not quite you," Aria whispered.
Raven nodded, stepping forward, sword ready.
"Who are you?"
The girl tilted her head—exactly the way Raven sometimes did when deep in thought.
Too perfect.
Too deliberate.
"I'm what comes next."
Raven stiffened.
"…What does that mean?"
She didn't answer.
Instead she walked toward him, step by step, moving like a reflection stepping out of a mirror.
Aria grabbed Raven's arm.
"Don't get close to it—her—whatever that thing is."
But Raven stepped forward anyway, protective instinct overtaking everything.
The girl stopped three paces away.
Then, softly, she said—
"She will betray you."
Raven froze.
"What?"
The copy turned its glowing eyes toward Aria.
"She will open the hour."
"Shut up." Raven growled.
The girl smiled again.
"You can't change what's already written."
Raven's sword moved faster than thought.
But the girl dissolved into smoke.
Gone.
Aria grabbed his hand.
"Raven, look at me."
He turned, jaw clenched, eyes burning with fear he refused to show.
"Don't listen to it," she said softly.
"It wasn't lying."
"It doesn't know anything about me."
"Aria…" His voice cracked.
"You are connected to the Hour. To the Recorder. To whatever is coming."
She looked away.
"…I know."
The forest suddenly shook violently.
Birds scattered.
The earth split.
Branches snapped like bones.
And then
The very ground in front of them broke open.
A massive stone slab, carved with spiraling symbols, rose from beneath the soil.
The seal.
The one the Recorder was trapped beneath.
Raven pulled Aria back.
"It's waking up."
The voices in the forest screamed together in perfect unison
"THE HOUR IS NOW."
The slab cracked down the center.
A blinding crimson light shot through the gap.
Aria collapsed to her knees, clutching her head.
Raven dropped beside her, holding her shoulders.
"Aria! Stay with me!"
Her eyes glowed faintly gold.
"R-Raven… I hear it… I can hear everything—every voice… every memory…"
She screamed.
The light from the crack surged outward, wrapping around her like tendrils of living flame.
Raven lifted her in his arms.
"Let her go."
He spun around
The copy of him had re-formed behind them, untouched.
Her eyes glowed brighter.
"She belongs to the Hour."
Raven tightened his grip around Aria.
"Over my dead body."
The copy smirked.
"That can be arranged."
The cracked seal split completely.
A shockwave exploded through the forest.
Trees flew.
The wind howled.
Shadows lifted off the ground like smoke.
The world bent.
And from the heart of the broken seal…
A figure rose.
Not human.
Not demon.
Not spirit.
Something older.
Wrapped in darkness that moved like living ink.
Eyes like burning clocks—
ticking, spinning, devouring time itself.
The Recorder.
Every voice in the forest whispered in terror.
Aria went limp in Raven's arms.
Her hair lifted in the unnatural wind.
Her glowing eyes fluttered open.
And when she spoke—
It wasn't her voice.
"…Finally."
Raven's heart shattered.
"Aria?"
The Recorder stepped fully into the world.
The glowing darkness around its body stretched toward her like tendrils seeking their master.
Aria raised her head.
Her golden eyes locked on the being.
Then she whispered—
"I remember."
The forest fell silent.
Even the wind stopped.
Raven shook her desperately.
"Aria—fight it. Please."
Her fingers brushed his cheek gently.
Softly.
Sadly.
"You shouldn't have followed me here."
His blood ran cold.
"Don't—don't say that. I'm not leaving you."
She smiled.
But not her smile.
A stranger's smile on her face.
"You never had a choice."
The Recorder stepped forward.
Time itself bent around its presence.
Leaves froze mid-fall.
The wind stopped moving.
Even Raven's breath caught in his throat.
The Hour had opened.
And Aria…
Aria had awakened with it.
She rose slowly from Raven's arms, lifted by unseen forces like a puppet pulled upward by strings.
Her feet hovered above the ground.
Her hair floated.
Her eyes blazed.
"The cycle begins again," she whispered.
Raven reached out helplessly.
"Aria—come back. Please."
But she didn't hear him.
Or worse…
She heard everything.
And chose not to respond.
The Recorder extended its hand toward her.
Aria's hand lifted in perfect sync.
Their fingertips touched.
And in that moment—
the world split.
Light.
Darkness.
Memory.
Power.
A scream that shook the sky.
And then
Everything went white
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Sorry Guys that I have not being updating the story I have being busy lately with school and all that but I will try to update the story up to like 3 to 5 Chapters and I will try to update the story 3 to 4 times a week.