The lawyer's office smelled like old paper and expensive cologne. I hated both.I sat in a leather chair that probably cost more than my monthly rent, watching a man in a three-thousand-dollar suit pretend to care about my father's last wishes. The clock on the wall ticked too loud. Each second felt like a small hammer hitting my skull."Kael Winters?" The lawyer adjusted his glasses. "I understand this is difficult. Your father's estate is… modest. But there are some items he specifically requested you receive."Modest. That was a kind word for nothing. My father had been a quiet accountant who lived in a small house and drove a ten-year-old car. He left me a savings account with three thousand dollars and a life insurance policy that barely covered his funeral costs.But there was one thing.The lawyer pushed a small velvet box across the mahogany desk. "This was found in his personal safe deposit box. He left instructions that it should be given to you personally. In fact, he recor

The key burned in my pocket. Even now, even after everything, I could feel it calling to me."Stop thinking about it," Gus said from across the table. "You'll drain yourself again."I pulled my hand away from the obsidian. "I didn't know it would take that much out of me.""Every use costs you something. Energy. Focus. Blood." He pointed at my nose. "You've got a lot to learn before you can face Alexander."Three days had passed since my death on the news. Three days of hiding in Gus's cramped back room. Three days of learning that everything I knew was a lie.But I was done hiding."Teach me," I said. "Show me how to use it properly."Gus studied me for a long moment. Then he nodded. "Fine. But you're not going to like it."---The basement beneath the bar was nothing like the rest of the building.Walls reinforced with steel. Soundproof panels. A single light bulb hanging from the ceiling.In the center of the room stood a metal cage. Inside it, a fly buzzed against the bars."First

The clock tower loomed above the industrial district like a skeletal finger pointing at the sky.Midnight. Exactly on time.I approached the rusted iron door, the obsidian key warm against my chest. Every instinct screamed that this was a trap. Sera Vance worked for Alexander. She was the enemy.But Gus was dead. And she was my only lead.The door swung open before I could touch it."Right on time." Sera stood in the doorway, her silhouette framed by flickering candlelight. "I appreciate punctuality.""Where's your backup?""Don't have any." She stepped aside. "Come in. Or don't. I don't care either way."I entered the tower.The interior was empty. No furniture. No electronics. Just cold stone walls and a spiral staircase climbing into darkness. A single table sat in the center of the room, holding two glasses of whiskey."Drink?" Sera offered."I don't trust you.""Smart." She picked up one glass and took a long sip. "It's not poisoned. If I wanted you dead, I would have just let Al

The white light faded slowly, leaving behind a world that wasn't quite right.I stood in a vast chamber. Stone walls. High ceilings. Torches flickered in iron brackets, casting dancing shadows across ancient symbols carved into every surface. The air was cold and still, heavy with the weight of centuries.My keys were gone.I looked down at my hands. The obsidian fragments had merged. Melted into my skin. I could feel them pulsing beneath the surface, alive and waiting."Welcome, Kaelen Blackwood."The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. Deep. Ancient. Resonant.I turned slowly. A figure stood at the center of the chamber. Tall. Cloaked in shadows. Its face was hidden, but its eyes burned with pale blue light."Who are you?""I am the first Observer. The one who bound himself to your bloodline a thousand years ago." The figure raised a hand. "You are the first of your line to reach this place since your father's death.""My father was here?""He was. Thirty years ago. He came seek

The bar was called "The Rusty Anchor." A dive in the worst part of the city. Broken neon sign. Cracked windows. The kind of place where people came to forget their problems or create new ones.I walked in as Viktor Ross.The disguise was simple. A fake beard. Dark contacts. A scar painted on my cheek. Old leather jacket that smelled like cigarettes and cheap whiskey. I moved with a swagger I didn't feel, projecting confidence I didn't have.The bar was half-empty. A few drunks nursed their beers. A couple of tough-looking men played cards in the corner. The bartender was a big man with a shaved head and a scarred face.I walked to the counter. "I'm looking for Mira."The bartender's eyes narrowed. "Who's asking?""Viktor Ross. I have business with her.""Never heard of her." He picked up a glass and started wiping it. "Get lost."I leaned forward. "Tell her the Blood Moon is rising. She'll understand."The bartender's hand stopped moving. He studied me for a long moment. Then he nodde