2025-11-13 20:44:55The council chamber of the Monaghan empire carried the hush of a room built to intimidate. Polished obsidian reflected candlelight into hard, cold bars across the faces gathered around the long table.
Dominic Monaghan sat at its head like a king carved from shadow, the air around him taut as a drawn wire. To either side stood Lewis and Leo, his pride, lean and confident, embodiments of everything Dominic admired and expected. The men seated around them were the empire’s highest aides and enforcers: trained, loyal, and useful. None of their faces betrayed amusement at the news; fear and calculation lived there instead. An enforcer stepped forward, head bowed, voice firm. “My lord, we have located him. Diego Monaghan is in the human city. He survived the escape and collapsed near the forest. Civilians found him and took him in. We are tracking the trail.” Dominic’s eyes narrowed. A dark flame lit behind the calm of his features. He rose slowly, every move deliberate, the room shrinking with the weight of his presence. His voice fell to a blade‑thin whisper that somehow filled the chamber. “Find him fast. Bring him to me. Fail to do so, and it will be your head I take first.” Silence swallowed the space after that. A higher‑up, unable to hide his contempt, leaned forward with a sneer. “It is Diego, is it not, the son who is afraid of drinking blood? A disgrace to our line.” His question was meant to wound and to echo through the room. Dominic’s jaw flexed. “Disgrace or not, he is Monaghan blood. He cannot be allowed to squander it.” He turned his gaze toward Lewis and Leo, cold and precise. “Prepare yourselves. The city will not hide him for long.” “We will find him, Father,” Lewis said, voice steady. Leo’s expression was a hard smile, hunger barely concealed. The enforcer inclined his head deeper. “He’s cautious. He senses danger. Civilians have him now, but the trail is faint and fresh. We are closing in.” Dominic tapped his knuckles on the table once, an almost inaudible punctuation. “Close in faster. I want him brought to me.” He let the words hang, lethal and absolute. “Do not fail.” Outside the obsidian tower, the city moved on, indifferent, loud, and oblivious to the storm of Monaghan will sharpening its teeth. But in the underbelly of the metropolis, gears of pursuit had begun to grind. Meanwhile, back in the human world, Diego’s day continued, unaware of the storm brewing in the city above him. Claire’s mother, Mara, returned from the errands, the car doors clicking softly as they entered their home. Diego followed, small but steady steps, still adjusting to the rhythms of ordinary life. “Let me help with the groceries,” Diego offered, hands reaching instinctively toward the bags. Mara smiled, shaking her head. “No, Liam… you’ve done enough today. Sit for a moment. Rest. If you’re bored, I have something for you.” She led him to a small nook in the corner of the living room, a cozy shelf stacked with books of all sizes. Diego’s gaze swept over them, eyes lingering on the spines, absorbing the titles. Curiosity, a feeling he hadn’t indulged in centuries, pricked at him. One book caught his attention immediately. The cover bore the image of a vampire, pale and fearsome, eyes glowing crimson. Its title, etched in deep red letters, sent a subtle shiver down his spine: The Red Blood. He reached for it, fingers brushing the smooth surface. Carefully, he opened the book, scanning the pages. The illustrations were vivid, blood, shadows, hunters, and creatures of the night. Words filled his mind with strange knowledge, a blend of fascination and unease. Diego sank into the small reading nook, the book heavy in his hands, his mind alive with new thoughts and questions. For the first time since leaving the Monaghan estate, he could explore, learn, and, for a fleeting moment, exist on his own terms. Outside, the city moved without pause, unaware of the dark chase tightening its invisible noose. Somewhere in the distance, Dominic’s enforcers were still moving, still searching, still closing in. And somewhere among the streets and shadows, another presence stirred, drawn by the faint trace of crimson Diego had left behind, a hunter of sorts, one who sensed the extraordinary and hated the unnatural. The human world felt safe, but Diego knew, instinct whispered, that danger was never far behind.
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INSIDE THE LION'S DEN
The Monaghan Mansion stood silent beneath the moonlight, an ancient fortress carved from stone and shadow. Its windows glowed faintly, its walls cold and unmoving, a place built not for comfort, but for power. Inside its grand hall… Diego was on his knees. The silver cuffs cut into his skin, burning deeper with every heartbeat. The guards stood rigid behind him, silent statues, while Lewis leaned lazily against a pillar, watching him with a grin sharp enough to draw blood. Dominic Monaghan paced slowly around his son, every step deliberate, every movement dripping with authority and venom. “You disappeared for weeks,” Dominic said softly, almost kindly, the tone more frightening than anger. “That alone is enough to justify punishment.” Diego didn’t lift his head. “You hid among humans,” Dominic continued, voice sinking deeper, colder. “You disgraced the name you were born into.” He stopped directly in front of him. The air itself seemed to freeze. “Do you understand what
THE EMPTY HOUSE
Blue and red lights flashed against the walls of the quiet neighborhood, painting the street in frantic colors that didn’t belong there. What had always been a peaceful home now pulsed with fear, confusion, and the echo of a little girl’s cries.Police cars lined the driveway.And inside the house, everything felt wrong.Thomas stood near the doorway, breathing hard, one hand pressed against the wall as he tried to steady himself. His ribs ached from where Lewis had thrown him, and his mind spun in circles.Mara was on the living room floor, kneeling, her arms wrapped tightly around Claire, who was still shaking violently, face buried against her mother’s chest.“It’s okay, baby… it’s okay… we’re right here…” Mara whispered, though she didn’t believe her own words.Nothing was okay.Not after watching strangers drag their Liam out of the house while they could do nothing.A police officer knelt in front of them, holding a notepad. His voice was calm, careful.“Ma’am… sir… I need you
THE RETURN TO MONAGHAN
The black car cut through the night like a blade, speeding down the empty, winding road that led to the place Diego had hoped never to see again. Home. The Monaghan Mansion appeared on the horizon like a dark giant, towering above the forest with ancient stone walls and cold glass windows that gleamed faintly beneath the moonlight. It looked less like a house and more like a warning carved into the earth. As the car drew closer, Diego felt the air tighten around him, pressing into his lungs. Every tree that blurred past carried memories, orders, punishments, silence, fear. His past. His cage. Diego's hands still cuff with the silver cuffs burning through his skin with quiet cruelty. He didn’t try to escape. Not yet. Not here. Not while humans would pay the price. Lewis lounged comfortably in the front seat, humming a mocking tune, tapping his fingers against the dashboard. “Try not to cry when Father starts with you,” Lewis said without looking back. A smirk stretched across h
WHEN THE NIGHT TOOK HIM
Night settled quietly over the neighborhood, the kind of soft darkness that made everything feel calm and safe. But for Diego, the silence only pressed harder on his chest. Every tick of the clock felt louder. Every second felt heavier.He sat at the dining after dinner table, Claire insisting he help her finish her tiny bowl of ice cream while Mara washed the dishes and Thomas scrolled through his phone.To them, it was a peaceful evening.To him…it was the last one he might ever have.Claire giggled as she smeared a bit of ice cream on his hand.“Uncle Liam, you’re not even trying!”He forced a small laugh. “I’m trying, I promise.”But even Claire could sense something was wrong. Her bright eyes softened.“You look sad,” she whispered.“Are you Okay?”Diego nodded.Before he could answer, Mara called Claire to take her bath and get ready for bed. Claire hugged him tightly before going.When the house grew quieter, Diego stood and walked to the living room window. Outside, the stre
THE WEIGHT OF THE CLOCK
Monaghan Mansion — Earlier That EveningThe great hall of the Monaghan mansion was silent, its shadows stretched long beneath the chandeliers. Dominic Monaghan stood near the tall window, hands clasped behind his back, watching the distant horizon as if he could see everything happening in the city below.A soft buzz broke the silence.One of his men stepped forward, answering the encrypted line with a bow of respect.“Yes… I understand… I’ll inform him at once.”He ended the call and turned, face pale, voice steady.“Sir.”Dominic didn’t move.“Speak.”“We’ve located Diego.”Finally, Dominic turned. His eyes sharpened like a blade.“Where?”“Still with the human family,” the man reported. “There was contact earlier today Lewis confronted him. And Leo was nearby watching.”Dominic’s expression didn’t shift, but the air around him darkened.“And the hunter?”“Lucian Vale has been spotted. A few nights ago, he nearly captured Diego… but Leo stopped him.”Dominic’s jaw tightened, anger
THE LAST QUIET MOMENTS
The school bell rang just as Diego stepped through the gates.Children spilled out in noisy clusters, laughing, shouting, running, a wave of life so bright it almost hurt him to look at. Backpacks bounced on tiny shoulders, shoes slapped against concrete, parents called names, and the whole world moved with an energy that felt impossibly warm.For a long moment, he simply stood there, letting the sound wash over him.His heart tightened, painfully, quietly,at how beautifully human it all was.Two days left.Two days until this world slipped away from him forever.He scanned the crowd, searching… until he saw her.Claire burst out of the building like a spark of pure sunlight, swinging her backpack wildly, eyes lighting up the moment she recognized him.“Uncle Liam!” she shouted, waving her little arms with all her strength.A real smile touched his lips, soft, small, almost timid.But real.She ran straight into him, throwing her arms around his waist without hesitation.“You actuall
