Blood for the Plague - AI interactive story

The air in the Arganian woods hung thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient pines, a familiar comfort to Levi. He held Lucia close, her swollen belly a testament to their forbidden love, a secret life carved out of defiance against his noble family. Tonight, the moon, an impossibly vast pearl in the velvet sky, seemed to witness their quiet rebellion.

"It's getting cold, Levi. We must return inside now," Lucia murmured, her voice a soft melody against the rustling leaves. He helped her up, his gaze sweeping the shadowy woods, a prickle of unease at the back of his neck. He swore he heard a twig snap, a whisper in the wind, but saw nothing.

Inside their humble cottage, a sense of fragile peace settled. Madam Viveca, their trusted maid, led Lucia upstairs. Levi, however, felt the familiar tightening in his chest. His family's reach was long, their malice relentless. He double-checked the locks, a futile gesture against an unseen enemy.

A sudden, shattering crash from upstairs ripped through the quiet. Levi’s blood ran cold. He burst into Lucia’s room, the sight before him twisting his gut: Madam Viveca, lifeless on the floor, and Lucia, weeping silently on the bed, her eyes fixed on a note left on her vanity table. He snatched it, his heart hammering against his ribs.

“Your father and I have the power to control you no matter where you run. Don't make us kill Lucia before you come back to our residence Levi. This is a warning.”

The words burned, a stark reminder of the life he’d fled. There was no time to mourn. He buried Madam Viveca under the cover of darkness, then, with Lucia by his side, they vanished into the deeper woods, seeking a refuge even his family couldn't find. Their escape, however, would lead them not to peace, but to a prophecy that would change their lives forever.