Bound By The Moon: The Eternal Bond - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

After three days of walking, they reached the Forgotten Ravine-the final trek.
The air was colder here-sharper, as if the trees themselves exhaled frost. Mist curled low across the ground, thick enough to blur the edges of their boots. Silence clung to everything. Even their footsteps-slow, deliberate-seemed swallowed by the fog.
The ravine loomed around them like a scar carved deep into the earth. Jagged rock walls rose on either side, towering and uneven, streaked with dark moss and old mineral stains. The path was narrow, just wide enough for one person at a time, forcing them into a line-Samantha in front, Julia in the middle, Jessy at the rear with her arms folded.
No one dared to spoke. Samantha walked like she belonged to the dark-head high, movements fluid, untouched by the cold. Julia followed, arms wrapped tightly around herself, her breath fogging with every exhale. The deeper they went, the more the world pressed inward. Trees above them thinned, replaced by stone. Roots jutted from the walls like ribs. Somewhere far above, a raven called once-and was gone.
Julia suddenly stepped on something hard-crack.
The brittle snap echoed, loud and sharp, bouncing between the stone walls, mocking their silence.
Samantha turned immediately. Her gaze locked onto Julia's, and slowly-calmly-she raised a single finger to her lips, silently telling her to keep quiet.
Julia froze. Her breath caught. Then she nodded quickly, covering her mouth with both hands as if to trap the sound inside her.
She looked down, a tiny ribcage lay shattered beneath her boot, its pieces jutting from the dried ground like glass. Stripped clean, the faint light making it pale.
Rabbit bones maybe . She spotted long, deep grooves carved into the stone. Uneven. Jagged. Like something with claws had dragged them there.
Her stomach tightened, her heart rate increasing with every bit. Jessy rolled her eyes and stepped over the bones with barely a glance.
Julia stepped around the ribs carefully this time, heartbeat thudding against her ribs.
The further they went, the more twisted the terrain became. The rocky floor sloped unevenly, slick with damp moss. Water dripped from above, steady and distant, echoing like footsteps.
Samantha stopped suddenly, Jessy, gripped Julia's shirt to keep up in place , her nose flaring in the air as if to sniff something.
Julia scanned the semi darkness and then spotted noticed something shifting in the fog with low growls.
the three remained deadly silence, Julia remembered Samantha telling them about the creature in the Ravine, a wreithwolf, a blind wolf like creature with no sight but sharp sensitivity to movement and sound.
Samantha stealthily walked first , gracefully stepping on the rocks with agility. There were more scattered dried bones here and Julia had a hard time carefully not to stepped on any.
She took her time to stare at the creature, it's body half visible. Then she missed her foot and was about to fall hard but Jessy quickly grabbed her shoulders tightly, leaving het in an inclined position. she took her hand back trying to grab Jessy as she pulled her straight to avoid any further slipping but her bracelet that was now barely holding together, brushed against Jessy's trousers and slipped from her wrists and onto the rock with a clink, tapping on one rock to the other, then spun, settling with a final metallic tap.
Their breath hitched. All eyes locked onto the beast.
A deep growl escaped the wraithwolf's mouth and Julia quickly regained her balance while Samantha's hand quickly found a vial in her cloak.
"Oh good, we are screwed" Jessy yelled as they both escaped the spot.
The Wraithwolf, a long, gaunt frame, flickering between shadow and bone. Eyeless, mouth gaping. Teeth like splintered rock. Its claws scraped stone as it lunged, straight for them.
It slammed into the ground where Jessy and Julia had just been. Samantha threw the vial-green liquid splashed across its side, hissing. It screamed, a high, broken sound that made Julia's knees buckle.
Samantha stepped back-but her foot lodged into a crack. "Damn it," she cursed, trying to wrench it free.
Jessy shoved Julia to the side and slashed at its shoulder, but the blade barely sank in. The beast twisted, its shadow-flesh pulsing like smoke, then lunged again-this time pinning Jessy down.
Julia gasped, a whisper slipping out.
"No!"
The creature snarled over Jessy, jaw stretching open, teeth gleaming. Jessy grunted, trying to hold it back, knife shaking in her fist.
Julia scrambled to her feet, heart thundering. Her mind
Do something.
Behind her, something jutted from the ravine wall-a thick root, sharp as a spear, half-cracked from stone. She stared at it. An idea formed. Stupid. Suicidal.
But it was all she had. she ran and stopped a few paces in front of the root and turned back toward the beast. She forced herself to stand tall-arms out. Shaking. But firm.
Then she clapped loudly, drawing the Wreithwolf attention to her, it's head snapping towards her.
The wraithwolf roared and charged towards her, freeing Jessy who immediately moved to help Samantha out of the crack.
Julia waited. The moment its claws scraped stone, she dropped-ducking low.
The Wraithwolf leapt an its full weight slammed into the root. The wood split through its chest with a sickening squelch. dark blood oozed from its mouth. It writhed once, then fell still-impaled, twitching.
Then Silence.
Julia stayed crouched, breath ragged, shaking all over , the dark blood dripping besides her.
Samantha and Jessy ran towards her.
"You okay Luna?" She asked and Julia nodded.
Jessy slowly, eyed the corpse.
"Well," she said, voice cool, "that's one way to kill a Wraithwolf."
Julia stood up then went to pick up her bracelet, adjusting it firmly in her wrists.
"Are you sure it was only one?" She asked.
Jessy eyes immediately darted towards Samantha waiting for her to answer.
Samantha adjusted her cloak , brushing off any visible dust and smoothening her hair with her hands.
"Who knows. Maybe there are a hundred. Let's get out of here" she said and began walking towards the exist, Jessy and Julia quickly followed her half running.
Soon, they were out breathing the fresh air, the lights of dawn illuminating the area. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Julia adjusted her ponytail and Jessy walked towards her.
"Thanks for not letting me be torn to pieces" she said with a grin.
Julia smiled back"you saved me twice too"
At the top of the slope, the ground leveled.
Samantha was already there, standing tall, her cloak fluttering behind her in the cold breeze. She turned slightly, just enough for them to see her profile.
"Are you coming or what" she asked , calm and clear.
The two glanced at each other then walked towards her, their eyes widening as the saw the sight before them.
Below them, nestled between hills and stone ridges, was a city.
The vampire city, more stunning that they ever imagined.
Silver towers rose like spears into the sky, sharp and gleaming under the morning light. Stone archways connected rooftops like bridges, and glowing lanterns floated in the air, flickering with soft blue light. The buildings were sculpted from grey and obsidian rock, smooth and perfect, but none were painted-no color, only black and silver. It felt both ancient and futuristic. Clean, elegant... inhuman.
Julia stared, unable to look away.
This wasn't the monster land she had imagined. It was... beautiful. Cold, yes. But breathtaking.
Samantha's voice came softer now.
"The human population here is very small. You'll have to be careful, Julia."
Julia looked at her, startled. "Because I'm human?"
"Because you smell like one," Samantha replied, not unkindly. "And scent is everything here."
Jessy folded her arms. "So how are we getting in?"
Samantha gestured toward the high black walls circling the city. Guard towers stood at intervals, unmoving. No movement at the gates.
"We enter at midday," she said. "They're least active then. But even then... we'll have to be quick."
Julia nodded, swallowing her nerves. She was still thinking about the city-the perfect sharpness of it. No windows open. No smoke rising. No children laughing. Just quiet and cold light.
She couldn't tell if it felt safe... or if it only looked that way.
Samantha turned, already walking down the hill.
"We'll find somewhere to rest," she said. "Then we move."