The time for blood—and bewitchment—has begun.
A year has passed, and Emily is no longer the same girl who first woke up in Cresthill Valley. Her magic is stronger, her aim steadier, and her instincts deadlier. She has grown into a true monster hunter, and as the Conduit, she is becoming something far greater.
But her training is only “complete” on paper. Out in the real world, nothing is safe. Mina knows this, and so she begins testing Emily beyond the comfort of their valley. Together they travel across Ageria, taking on hunts that push Emily’s limits and force her to prove she’s ready for the one enemy she fears most: the vampires who destroyed her life.
But dark forces are moving faster than expected, and Mina and Emily realize they have far less time than they hoped. Draven’s efforts grow, his shadows spread across the land, and a mysterious new player has stepped onto the board.
The deeper Emily ventures into the life of a hunter, the more she discovers truths she never wanted to know—about monsters, about people, and about herself. The world is darker, bloodier, and crueler than she ever imagined… and she must face it head-on if she ever hopes to stand against Draven’s rising power.
What to expect:
? The true dark fantasy begins here. Volume 1 was the calm before the storm—this is where things get ugly (and yes, apologies in advance).
? Higher stakes and harsher scenarios the deeper Emily delves into the life of a monster hunter.
? More disturbing, explicit content as the cruelty of the vampires and succubi comes fully into focus.
? Escalating action with over-the-top fights, dangerous hunts, and encounters designed to push Emily far past her limits.
? Spicier moments as emotions, tension, and bonds grow sharper under pressure.
? Greater challenges beyond the valley as Mina tests Emily in real-world conditions, preparing her for the ultimate threat: the vampires themselves.
? Downtime between hunts for character growth, bonding, and to explore the quieter, human moments between battles.
? New allies and rising threats as the pair travels across Ageria, gathering strength while Draven’s forces move faster.
? 53 chapters in total for this volume.
Christmas Present :)
'Tis the season! Because it's Christmas, I'll give y'all a little, tiny, itty-bitty peek of an upcoming encounter. It honestly isn't much, but it's just a little something.
I can't spoil just what the creature is yet, though, so you'll just have to speculate as to what Emily is hunting ;)
Anyways, happy holidays, and I'll see y'all next Monday for the start of Volume 2!
The view didn’t disappoint.
The vineyards stretched as far as the eye could see, a sea of emerald-green across the hills. The rows of grapevines were paved with grass. Small huts were dotted about the rows of grapevines, while half-loaded carts, buckets, and barrels lay abandoned on the paths. Some of the grapevines stood out, with leaves so silver and glossy that they looked like the color had been painted on them.
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Emily scanned the endless rows of vines. As beautiful as they were, they left her feeling claustrophobic. The pathways were narrow. Her sword could get caught on the vines and ruin the momentum of her swing, or even halt it altogether. It left a sense of unease draped over her like a thick blanket. But she was stronger now. Smarter. She’d learned from her mistakes. She knew she could handle this.
That’s what she kept telling herself, at least. The prospect of knowing that Mina wasn’t going to have her back was a new feeling that left her heart racing like a galloping horse. There was so much that could go wrong. Not only did she have to watch her own back, but now she had to make sure Dorian didn’t get himself killed. She told herself she didn’t care, that if he got tangled up in the vines, it was his own damn fault. But the truth was harder to ignore. If something happened to him, it would reflect back onto her.
Emily reached behind her and twisted the hilt of her sword. The mechanical sheath on her back clicked and hissed. It sprang open with a metallic snap, and she drew the blade.
“Fancy contraption you’ve got there,” Dorian said, adjusting the strap of his rifle with a smirk. “You prefer a sword over a firearm?”
“Can’t cut through vines with a gun.”
“You can always shoot them. There ain’t a gun out there that a blade can match!”
Emily tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword. “You really should stay behind. I can take care of this myself.”
“Cocky little witch, aren’t you?” he replied with a raised eyebrow. “No offence, but I don’t need advice from a girl.”
She rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself.”
The two walked for some time.
Emily kept a vigilant eye on her surroundings as sweat started beading from her forehead. For all she knew, the vines could strike from anywhere. But the longer they went on, the more Emily worried. With vines everywhere, it was impossible to predict if one of them was to jump out at her. When the wind blew, it rustled a few of the grapevines, and Emily almost swung at them. Dorian didn’t seem as concerned, walking with his rifle casually cradled in his arms. If anything were to happen, there would be no way he could draw his weapon fast enough.
Mud splashed onto Emily’s boot. She almost slipped on it but caught her balance.
“Not used to life out here, are you, little witch? Prefer the city?”
“What makes you say that?” Emily kicked some of the mud from her boot, then wiped the rest off on the wet grass as she pressed on.
“Just a feeling. You come from Peccatum University, no?”
Emily blew a raspberry as she kept ahead. “Why? Because I know magic?”
“That’s where most humans learn it, isn’t it?”
“Some of us are just a natural,” she said over her shoulder.
“Then where are you from, little witch?”
She paused for a moment. “I actually used to live in a town like this, but instead of orchards and vineyards, it was cotton fields and cattle farms.”
“You don’t dress like it.”
“Well, rags and dresses won’t do much to protect you from claws and teeth.”
He chuckled. “I won’t argue that.”
Emily took another step, then paused. A tingle traveled from her feet to her hands, like the earth had sent a message to her. Or a warning.
A vine snapped around her ankle, and Emily sliced it before it could rip her foot out from under her.
The severed vine slithered violently like a wild tentacle before plunging back into the earth.
Emily rooted in place, whirling her blade into a defensive stance.
The air went still.
Dorian raised his rifle and scanned the vineyard.
“Get behind me,” Emily said.
“I don’t need some girl to protect me!”
A vine shot out of the ground and whipped Dorian across the back with such strength that he was knocked into the walls of foliage.
“You were saying,” Emily said smugly.
A dozen more vines ripped through the ground, as fat as sausages and slithering like eels. Emily dodged aside as one struck the ground beside her, kicking up a heap of dirt. She whirled her blade and slashed it in half before pivoting and cutting another. Her heart raced as she ducked and weaved between them, her blade becoming a blur as more vines sprang from the earth.
Dorian got back on his feet. He shot twice at the writhing mass of vines but missed as they darted and twisted around him. One vine coiled around his ankle, dragging him to the ground.
“Get it off!” he shouted, struggling against the vine’s grip.
Emily whirled around and hurled her sword with a burst of telekinesis. The blade sliced through the vines restraining Dorian before flying back to Emily, and cutting a vine that had slithered around her wrist.
The ground shifted beneath their feet.
Emily dodged aside as a massive vine erupted where she had been standing. She leaped over it as it swung through the grapevines, tearing up the plants and dirt.
Emily tried backing away and managed to get a good enough look at the vine to realize it wasn’t a vine at all. It was a root. A very, very big root.
They were all roots, slightly discolored, with faint red polka-dots.
One of them wrapped around Emily’s sword and flung it aside, while another surged forward with the speed of a striking serpent and coiled around Emily’s ankle. She tried to free her leg, but the root’s grip was tight. She fell onto her stomach, dazed and winded. Another root constricted her arm.
“Shit!” she yelled, yanking fruitlessly at the plant.
Dorian scrambled to his feet and scooped up Emily’s sword. He hacked and slashed it blindly through the attacking foliage. His screams were barbaric and desperate, his breath coming out rapidly.
“Get away from here!” Emily yelled. Her hands glowed like embers as she managed to grab one of the roots. It caught fire and released her, giving Emily just enough leverage to pound the earth with her fist and punch a larger root away with a pillar of rock. “I’ll handle this!”
Another mass of roots sprang from the ground behind them.
Emily kicked and writhed wildly as her arms were instantly bound to her sides.
Suddenly, she was airborne, flying several rows over into a wall of grapevine. Dorian crashed beside her, groaning as his cheek was cut by the wooden posts keeping the plants upright.
The air went quiet again, but this time, it wasn’t followed by the sounds of rumbling earth or the flurry of violent whippings.
Dorian groaned as he slowly sat up. “You were saying…”
Emily got to her feet, groaning as well. “Shut up.” Surprisingly, she wasn’t out of breath. All that training had been paying off. She grabbed her sword from Dorian and readied for another attack, but nothing came. The roots had vanished, and Emily lowered her guard. “They’re gone…”
Dorian’s breathing was much heavier than Emily’s, and he was drenched in sweat. “The hell was that?”
“I might actually know.”
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