Consumed by his own blood thirst, the prince ruthlessly lunged forward. The wolf growled and bared his teeth, leaping towards The Prince. They met in a clash of fangs and claws, blood sprayed in every direction. The wolf panting heavily as he fell back. 

The Prince chuckled, “I am sure you are the weaker one here…” He licked his bloody claws. 

“Do not underestimate me, dark child. I serve The Lady Of The Dark Woods. I have seen the demise of many of your kind in these woods,” the wolf growled, glaring at The Prince. 

“I have never heard of this Lady, she must be ridiculously weak,” The Prince sneered and bared his fangs. “Hmmm, but I like the devious scent around you. Perhaps you would make a tasty little snack. Be a good boy and let me kill you.” 

The wolf howled towards The Prince, sending strong waves of wind in his direction. The Prince simply let his arms out— dark, bat-like wings extended from his back. He let the wings catch the wind and flew high up, above the dark treetops. 

“Now the hunt is on,” he whispered. 

The wolf’s gaze shifted from side to side, where did that creature go? He had better things to do, he had his lady’s bidding to do. Ensnaring the pure and innocent— he had been working so hard to make her scheme happen. Tricking Iliore had been the easiest of all, if the wolf perished here then… He would be lost forever.

The Prince landed softly on a tree branch, keeping his eyes on the wolf. The scent of the wolf’s blood invaded his nostrils, delicious yet dangerous. He loved it when they tasted different— when he could sink his fangs into a prey so strong. Hunting was sometimes more fun than the meal itself. He grinned, licking his lips hungrily. 

The wolf glanced up, a sound made him look. Nothing. He sniffed the air, trying to find the scent of the blood fiend. But he knew they were tricky to catch, their scent barely there. Unless he was right across from the wolf it would be impossible to pick up on anything. The wolf growled in annoyance, he had set up the perfect prey for his mistress— he was not going to let this simple blood beast destroy everything he had worked for. 

“How pitiful if you think you are the hunter here,” his voice bounced between the trees, the wolf couldn’t tell where it came from. 

The wolf snarled as he looked up, “You are nothing but a simple minded blood beast, your kind is weak…” 

Swiftly and out of nowhere, The Prince’s claws dug into the wolf’s fur, tearing his right side open. The wolf let out a pained howl, trying to bite back. The Prince lifted the wolf effortlessly, his fangs protruding as he grinned wide. This was his catch. A fine wolf. He sank his fangs into the wolf’s flesh, tasting the darkness, the deception. He devoured it all. Why wouldn’t he? He was the same. Not his favorite flavor, but it was delicious all the same. 

The midnight mask had fallen off and revealed the bloodthirsty monster that hid within. He dropped the wolf to the ground, grinning wide with satisfaction. 

“Has anyone told you, it is rude to play with your food?” A little girl with a long black dress sat behind him on a tree stump, kicking her legs. 

The Prince turned around, looking at the small girl with great curiosity. He sensed something from her, a great darkness, “I am sure they have tried telling me many times… I am afraid I am not a good listener.” 

“You should have listened better. My poor wolf did try to warn you… Alas, he is dead. I shall miss him terribly. He was a good boy,” she said, glancing down at the dead, bloody wolf. 

“I take it you are The Lady Of The Dark Woods then?” The Prince bowed slightly and raised an eyebrow. 

A small smirk formed on the little girl’s face, “You are correct. I still do not like you. Your kind is a nuisance, always getting lost in my woods. It disgusts me…. Though none have been as strong as you, none as connected as you. I’m afraid if I harm you, the gods themselves will find me.” She gazed at him, surprised by the words she herself had said.

“The gods themselves protect me? Of course they would, I am a most glorious prince, handsome and beloved,” he exclaimed with a grin. 

“No. It is not that. You have a destiny… I hear whispers in the dark, rumors of ancient beings. Midnight falling upon us. The two sides coming together to form a whole. Even the darkest beings can have a destiny, I do know so.” She glanced up at the trees. 

The Prince raised an eyebrow, “As much as I love riddles, I have someone I’m searching for. My wife is somewhere in these woods, and I would like to find her.” 

“Destiny has other plans for you. Though I am certain you will find her again at some point. Either way, I can’t have you wandering around my woods.” Her voice became sharper, “It is time for you to begone.” 

The little girl stood, holding her hand out, The Prince could feel an intense pull from behind him. A path emerged, leading out of the forest, it tugged and yanked at his legs. 

“Curse you,” he growled as he tried to walk forward, only to be pulled back. 

The path swallowed him and spat him back out. He stumbled slightly— the rain hit him hard, he tried to see where he was, it was not back in his kingdom. The Prince squinted his eyes, a bright light moving fast towards him, like a giant beast. Before he could step back the beast hit him hard, sending him flying into the drain. He felt his body fall into the water, submerging for a moment before he leaped out. 

He glared at the beast which had stopped, it had no particular scent. He squinted his eyes again, noticing a man inside of the beast. Was it not alive? Magic? He couldn’t tell. It didn’t matter. Humans were easy to deal with. 

He swiftly leaped towards it, smashing his hand through the glass and dragging the man out. His fangs sank into the flesh, drinking as much as he wanted. Devouring. 

He laughed maniacally for a moment as he observed the man fall to the ground, “Humans are so weak. What is this strange place anyway?” 

His eyes shifted from side to side, watching the rain subside. He was standing on a road, houses on either side with coconut trees and jasmine along the street. The lights flickered for a moment. 

“What is this strange sensation?” He glanced down at the ground. 

It seemed to rumble and stir, as if something was slithering beneath it— wanting to be free. He could sense it, he could smell it. And the scent was revolting, like a thousand rotting carcasses. He stepped back, almost falling into the drain again. 

“What is this strange place?” He whispered under his breath as he glanced up at the strange sky. 

As the rain cleared, so did the clouds, giving way to stars he did not recognize.