Blood Bound to My Regret

The silver plate burned. My vision swam.

Julian crouched in front of me, his eyes full of worry and guilt. “Elena, listen to me. I’ll handle the pact.”

I used my last bit of strength to look at him.

“You’ll stop Chloe from being sent to the Evernight Empire?”

“Yes.” He nodded, his voice firm. “And then we’ll complete our blood bond immediately. I promise—”

I closed my eyes. “Good.”

“Elena?” He reached out to touch my forehead, the way he used to comfort me when we were kids.

I turned my head away.

“We’ll all get what we want, Julian.”

The next second, I blacked out.

I woke up in a bed at the clan’s medical center. A crystal chandelier cast a soft glow across the white ceiling.

“You’re awake.” Julian was sitting in a chair by the bed, his eyes bloodshot. “The doctor said your bloodline was severely damaged. You need to rest.”

I pushed myself up. “How long has it been?”

“Three days.” He handed me a warm glass of blood. “Elena, about that night—”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” I took the glass and drained it. “Since I’m awake, I can go home.”

“You haven’t fully recovered!”

“I’m fine.” I threw back the covers and got out of bed. “Julian, I want you to come with me somewhere.”

He frowned. “Where?”

“The old clock tower,” I said, looking at him. “Just one last time. As a goodbye.”

Julian’s expression shifted.

The old clock tower at the edge of the city. Our childhood playground. Abandoned for years.

“Why there, all of a sudden?”

“Because I’m leaving soon,” I said calmly. “To fulfill the pact.”

“Elena!” he stood up abruptly. “I told you, I’ll take care of—”

“You’ll protect Chloe. I know,” I cut him off. “So, just this once. Will you come with me?”

Julian was silent for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. “Fine.”

Back at the castle, I went straight to my room.

I pushed open the oak door carved with a crescent moon. Nothing had changed.

I walked to my vanity and opened the bottom drawer.

Inside lay seven Star Stones, each glowing with a faint silver light. Julian had given me one for my birthday every year. Each one held a sliver of my own life force.

In my last life, I treasured them, thinking they were a symbol of his love.

Now I knew what they were: a leash. A way to make sure I could never betray him.

One by one, I placed the stones into an old sandalwood box and locked it.

From now on, no one would control my power but me.

Finally, I took out the last thing my mother had left me—a dull moonstone pendant. It looked plain, almost worn out, but it was the source of my bloodline. The last sigil of the Moonlight Clan.

I put it around my neck, feeling its faint, pure energy.

As night fell, I went to the old clock tower alone.

The city had forgotten this place. Vines crawled up the old stone walls, and the great bell at the top had long since stopped telling time.

I climbed the rickety wooden stairs to the top.

A cold, stinging rain began to fall. Each drop hit my face with the tang of city pollution.

I sat on the edge of the tower, waiting for Julian.

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

The rain fell harder, soaking through my clothes, but I sat perfectly still.

In my last life, he always came. No matter where I waited. No matter how long it took.

This time was different.

The sky began to lighten. Dawn was coming.

I pulled out my phone. No messages.

He wasn’t coming.

I stood up, ready to leave the clock tower and all our childhood memories behind.

From this moment on, Elena Moonlight was done with him.

Just as I turned, a sharp wave of vertigo hit me. I grabbed the wall to steady myself, but my head felt like it was splitting open.

What's happening to me?

I looked down at the moonstone on my chest. It was glowing with an unnatural light.

This wasn’t just vertigo.

I felt a presence. Powerful. Alien. It was so oppressive I could barely breathe.

Was it the Evernight Empire? No, the pact wasn’t official yet.

The dizziness grew worse. My vision blurred. The moonstone on my chest burned brighter and brighter, as if answering a call.

Before I could react, there was a blinding flash, and then… darkness.