Felt's breath came out ragged. His vision was blurry. Each gasp burned more than the last.
He stumbled forward, clutching his chest.
Zed stood nearby, panicked—but his expression quickly changed.
He's dying… Zed thought, teeth clenched. But do I need him? No… he's leading me to the King of Monsters.
Felt coughed, red spatter landing on his palm.
That was all Zed needed.
He tore a strip from the bottom of his grey trench coat and bit his own finger. With the blood, he wrote something quickly onto the cloth. Then, without hesitation, he dragged Felt into the shade of a nearby tree, dropped the bloodstained strip beside him, and ran off into the woods—without looking back.
Back at the quiet house, Floris stood by the sink, rinsing her long hair, eyes closed in peace.
"I can't wait for the Blood Moon," she said cheerfully. "Don't you agree, Miss Kate?"
Miss Kate walked slowly, dragging her fingers along the wall as she moved through the dim hallway.
"Yes, dear," she said calmly. "It'll be lovely."
"I know I say this a lot," Floris added with a bright smile, "but I'm so grateful to have you."
Miss Kate remained in the shadows. Her lips curled ever so slightly.
"Me too, dear," she replied.
---
Zed's boots hit the ground hard as he sprinted through the forest, weaving between trees.
"Wait," he muttered, halting suddenly. "I don't remember where the house is..."
He stood in silence, scanning the forest.
Felt stirred.
His fingers touched the damp grass as he slowly pushed himself upright. "Ugh…" he groaned. "Zed?" he muttered to himself in confusion. He looked around. The forest was silent.
He was alone.
He left me…? he thought.
But then his eyes landed on something nearby—a torn piece of cloth.
He picked it up and read the message written in dried blood:
Hang on tight. I'll get you the cure.
Felt blinked. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Idiot…"
But then, it hit him.
"The tea… that's right—she poisoned me!" He clutched his chin, thoughts racing. "But… if she really was a hunter, she'd know poison doesn't work well on monsters like me. Sure, it was strong—enough to drop a bear—but still…
Zed scratched his head, looking around. "I'm not too good with directions…"
Clouds parted above him, revealing a sliver of the Blood Moon. The red glow bathed the trees in an eerie hue.
---
Ding dong.
Floris opened the front door, eyes widening in surprise.
Five strangers stood before her, each carrying travel bags and wearing tattered clothes.
"Oh?"
Miss Kate appeared behind her, smiling wide. "Ah, my beloveds. You made it."
The five entered quietly, removing their shoes.
"Floris dear," Miss Kate said sweetly, "these are our new guests, okay? They were abandoned—just like you. They'll be staying with us now."
Floris's eyes shimmered. "Miss Kate… you're such a kind woman."
---
Felt sat beneath the tree, thinking hard.
"Poison… sudden stairs… perfect timing. Something's off," he muttered. "When I first entered that house, there was only a mat and a dining room. But there were stairs from nowhere?"
He clenched his fist.
"That house… it's not normal."
---
Zed stumbled into a clearing.
Two monsters stood before him, locked in brutal combat.
One roared and slammed the other into a tree before plunging its claws deep into its chest. With a shriek, the second monster collapsed as its heart was pulled out.
The first monster devoured the body in seconds.
Zed blinked, unfazed. "Honestly? I'd say I'm surprised, but not really."
The monster turned its head sharply—its neck cracking unnaturally as its glowing eyes locked onto Zed.
Zed pulled a face of exaggerated disgust. "Gross."
Then the monster bolted in the other direction.
Zed raised a brow. "Right. The Blood Moon—it's probably searching for prey stronger than me… Wait." He snapped to attention. "Stronger than me… I'll beat his ass-"
Stops "right the cure!"
he turned around and ran back the way he came.
"There's no time to waste!"
Inside the house, Miss Kate stood by a window, gazing at the red sky.
Her voice was a whisper.
"Excellent... Now then—shall we?"
The others—her beloveds—stood silently. In unison, they moved.
Felt got to his feet.
"She controls the house…" he murmured. "No… I'm almost certain now."
He bit his finger again, just slightly. His eyes sharpened
Zed pushed through thick bushes
Then—he stopped.
His eyes widened.
Six people—those same new guests and Floris nailed to the front of the house. Blood dripped from their hands where sharp stakes pinned them in place.
Zed stood frozen.
"What the hell...?"
Back in the forest, Felt stood completely still.
His heart pounded in his chest.
"She's….A MONSTER!"
The house trembled.
And then—from deep within its walls a large eye opened in the center of the structure, bloodshot and glowing, staring at the world outside.
The Blood Moon had reached its apex.
And the house was awake.