Crown Of Carnage

For the first time in her life, Luna found herself utterly at a loss for words. It was a rare and almost unsettling sensation—one she had never experienced before. She had always held the reins and always had a sharp retort or a calculated response at the ready. Yet now, the silence stretched before her as unfamiliar and weighty.

Even as she tried to regain her footing, a realization struck her—despite keeping everything within her line of sight, despite believing she had accounted for every variable, she had still overlooked something. And not just any oversight, but one of grave significance. Yet, what unsettled her most wasn't merely the fact that she had missed something—it was that, until this very moment, she had never considered such details to hold any real significance at all.

Luna let out a soft hum before tilting her head slightly, her gaze lingering on him with quiet curiosity. Then, with a gentle yet insistent tone, she asked once more, "Then… a penny for your thoughts?"

Elliot hesitated, his lips parting as if to respond, yet no words came.

It wasn't that he failed to grasp the meaning behind her words—he understood perfectly well. The problem was something else entirely. He simply didn't know where to begin. His thoughts were a tangled web, too many threads pulling in different directions, and leaving him momentarily lost in the silence between them.

"It's just…" Elliot began, his voice trailing off as his gaze wandered downward, settling on his restless fingers fidgeting over his thighs. His thoughts churned and tangled in hesitation, but before he could gather them, something unexpected jolted him. A sharp intake of breath escaped him as droplets of blood splattered onto his fingers and a few on his shirt, staining the fabric of his sleeves in vivid crimson. He froze, startled, his mind momentarily abandoning his words as reality crashed in with the weight of something he hadn't even noticed until now.

He had grown so comfortable in her presence that, for a moment, he completely forgot the fragile state of his own health.

It slipped his mind entirely that just this morning, before coming to the university, he had already coughed up blood—a stark reminder of his condition. Yet, with her, all of that had faded into the background, as if the weight of his illness had momentarily lifted, only to come crashing back down now in an unsettling realization.

"Ah, I'm sorry…" Elliot stammered, his words faltering as he hastily reached into the front pocket of his jeans. His fingers closed around a crumpled tissue, and he pulled it out with urgency—only for his stomach to drop the moment he realized how little he had left. A single tissue wouldn't be nearly enough to stop the torrent of blood now spilling from his nose, painting his hands in stark, crimson streaks.

Panic flickered in his eyes, not from the sight of his own blood, but from the dawning realization that he was utterly unprepared for the mess unfolding before him.

At that moment, Luna rose to her feet and turned toward the door. Elliot's chest tightened with a wave of embarrassment washing over him as disappointment settled deep in his gut. His thoughts spiraled, his mind racing with self-reproach.

'Oh no, is she leaving? Did I really get ahead of myself? This is exactly why I shouldn't let myself get carried away… why I shouldn't befriend any-'

But before his anxious thoughts could consume him entirely, they came to an abrupt halt.

Fingers—gentle and warm—slipped through his soft hair with a touch so unexpected yet grounding that he nearly forgot to breathe. Then, her voice, steady and certain, cut through the chaos taking over his mind.

"I'm not leaving."

Elliot's eyes widened as he gazed up at her with the crumpled tissue still pressed against his nose. His heart pounded as uncertainty gripped him as he searched for any hint of her expression, but her hair fell like a curtain, concealing it from view.

For a fleeting moment, he held his breath, bracing himself for the worst—until she spoke again, her voice steady and reassuring.

"Stay here. I'll be back with some more tissues and maybe something to eat."

The tension in his chest eased, and at last, he exhaled with the weight of his worries lifting just enough for him to hold on to her words in relief.

Elliot didn't even get the chance to respond before she turned away, slipping out the door and closing it behind her with quiet finality. He remained still with the tissue still pressed to his nose and with his thoughts in the form of a tangled mess. A deep flush crept up his face as warmth bloomed at the mere realization that—despite witnessing him at his most pathetic—maybe, just maybe, she didn't hate him as much as he had assumed.

And to his surprise, Luna hadn't asked him any questions, nor had she sounded the least bit disappointed. She had simply acted—without judgment and without hesitation. That thought alone sent another wave of heat rushing to Elliot's face. The more he considered it, the more his blush deepened.

Maybe—just maybe—she was different. And if that were true, then perhaps, for the first time in a long while, he had a real chance at making a new friend.

<><><><> 

Meanwhile, Luna strode through the cold and empty hallway with her hands casually tucked into the pockets of her jeans. Her voice rang out, steady and unwavering.

"Harry."

Almost instantly, the air behind her shimmered, and in the next breath, Harry materialized, falling into step beside her. Without missing a beat, he responded, his tone laced with profound deference.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

Luna's darkened eyes remained coldly impassive as she spoke, her voice void of emotion.

"What about it?"

Harry inhaled sharply before responding, his tone steady as he matched her pace.

"You were right, Your Majesty. Beth Zane, a noble vampire and a third-year student at this university, has been gathering a considerable number of fellow vampires—all poised to pounce on Elliot and drain just enough blood to leave him unconscious. But that's not the worst of it as you predicted." He paused with a frustrated sigh before continuing, "Beth has another noble vampire lined up, one waiting on her family's list of human suppliers. She plans to sell Elliot for a million dollars."

A flicker of distaste crossed his face while he added, "Though considering how her family operates in the underworld, I'd wager the price set on him is far higher than what I managed to uncover."

Luna hummed in acknowledgment; before she finally asked.

"Where are they now? And what have they been up to until this moment?"

Without missing a beat, Harry replied while his fingers adjusting the collar of his long black coat over a gray sweatshirt, paired with black skinny jeans and matching shoes.

"They're in the cafeteria right now and haven't made a move yet," he reported smoothly. "Beth's been a little preoccupied—busy making out with her boyfriend, who just got back after a month-long break. But according to Nick, it's already been decided. The moment they set eyes on their prey; they'll strike today."

Luna came to an abrupt halt, her entire posture stiffening in rage as an icy chill settled around them due to her domineering and peremptory presence which continued to grow. When she spoke, her voice was a low and controlled whisper, laced with barely restrained fury.

"Which cafeteria?"

Harry halted as well before answering without hesitation, "The one on the second floor, Your Majesty."

Luna hummed in thought, her mind already calculating her next move before she spoke again.

"Is there, by any chance, an infirmary or a nurse's office on the second floor?"

Harry paused for a moment, briefly considering before he responded, "Yes, Your Majesty. There appears to be a nurse's office on the second floor."

Luna's frown deepened as she eyed him over her shoulder sharply, "Why aren't you certain?"

Harry cleared his throat, a hint of nervousness creeping into his demeanor before he answered honestly, "I haven't actually seen the nurse's office myself… but the nurse keeps running into me whenever I'm on that floor, always trying to… get my number."

Luna exhaled a slow, measured sigh and tried her level best to rein in the irritation threatening to get the best of her.

Luna gave a firm command before resuming her stride.

"Then, we'll head to the cafeteria first."

Harry gave a curt nod in acknowledgment, "Yes, Your Majesty."

In the next instant, both of them vanished into thin air and reappeared seamlessly before the closed doors of the cafeteria.

Luna posed a question that made Harry's brows knit together in a slight frown. Even so, he remained silent, listening attentively as she spoke.

"Remind me, Harry… how many humans are currently inside this cafeteria?"

Harry answered without hesitation, "I've been informed that the cafeteria on the second floor is strictly reserved for supernatural beings, while the one on the first floor, in the building to the right, is designated solely for humans. When I double-checked with the Director, I discovered that a third-year wizard professor had placed a spell over this cafeteria—one strong enough to ensure that no human could accidentally wander in, even by mistake."

Luna nodded with a small smirk tugging at her lips, before stepping forward. As if sensing her presence, the heavy wooden doors creaked open on their own and granted her passage.

Harry, watching the effortless display, immediately understood—whatever was about to unfold in the cafeteria was bound to be anything but ordinary.

The moment Luna stepped into the vast cafeteria; a heavy silence fell over the room. The air turned unnervingly frigid with a suffocating chill creeping into every corner as her menacing presence seeped through the space. A palpable wave of fear washed over the crowd, sending shivers down their spines, and locking them in place with an unspoken dread.

A wave of confusion rippled through the cafeteria as everyone struggled to grasp the reason behind her sudden presence. Why was she here? What could their King possibly want from them? And more importantly, why had she even bothered enrolling in the university when she was already burdened with far greater responsibilities?

Among the stunned onlookers sat Beth Zane with her long wavy hair a striking shade of parrot green, cascading over the shoulders of her tight, short blue dress. Perched on the lap of her blonde boyfriend, she froze the instant her gaze locked onto Luna.

A cold dread settled in her chest.

For years, she and her family had done everything in their power to stay off the King's path, knowing full well that their underground dealings—trafficking humans and supplying human blood to both supernatural and mortal buyers—placed them directly in Luna's crosshairs. They had managed to keep their distance, evading her wrath despite being well within her radar.

But now, as Luna walked before them, there was no more room to hide.

As Luna's cold grey eyes shimmered with a flicker, shifting into a luminous cerulean laced with imbues of crimson, an unbearable force seized the room.

In an instant, agony ripped through every vampire, witch, werewolf, and wizard present. Their bodies contorted unnaturally, spines arching, limbs twisting at impossible angles, and their bones snapping like brittle twigs beneath an unseen weight.

Then, one by one, they erupted.