Mother of Midnight

Chapter 183 – Night Terrors

Vivienne was, quite frankly, delighted. She hadn’t expected the night to go this smoothly, but here she was—her lovely little shadows flitting unseen through the camp, and two delicious little snacks wandering straight into her arms. How thoughtful of Aegis to send her such a gift. It would be terribly rude not to show her appreciation.

She had every intention of doing so—by eating her fill.

Her lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile as she flexed her fingers, feeling the whispering presence of her shadow songbeasts slithering through the dark. Their sight was hers. When she closed her eyes and focused on just one, she could see what it saw—hundreds of soldiers, all tucked away in their lattice of camps, none the wiser to what was prowling beyond their firelight. It was almost too easy.

Even better, her beasts confirmed what she had only dared to hope.

No wards.

Not in the outer camps. Not in the inner sections. Not even in the command tents, which she had expected to be at least lightly fortified.

That settled it.

She let out a pleased hum, stretching her arms over her head as she reopened her eyes.

She was going to have fun.

Vivienne slithered through the darkness, her body coiling and unfurling with silent, liquid grace as she made her way toward the nearest camp. It loomed before her—a cluster of large barracks tents, their canvas stretched taut against the cold night air. She caught the glow of firelight flickering from within, smoke curling lazily from flaps at the top. Looked like a fire hazard to her, but she supposed they knew what they were doing. Or maybe they didn’t. That wasn’t her problem.

She had decided to hit hard and fast. No savoring. No playing with her food. Not yet.

She let her body melt away, dissolving into her formless base state—liquid shadow, shifting and pooling like spilled ink. Patrols passed by, their boots crunching over frost-laced grass mere feet away, but she was nothing more than a smear of darkness beneath them. No wards meant no barriers. No barriers meant no trouble.

She reached the first tent and oozed beneath the heavy fabric, slipping inside with ease.

At least twenty soldiers lay scattered across the barracks, their forms sprawled on cots, breathing deep in sleep. Two remained awake, muttering to each other in hushed tones near the fire pit at the center. That wouldn’t do.

She slithered toward them, inching closer to the fire. Hopefully, it wouldn’t burn her in this state. Then, without warning, she expanded.

Tendrils lashed out, coiling around heads, clamping over mouths, stifling screams before they could be born. Dozens of hungry maws split open along her body, dragging struggling forms into their depths, tearing them away from the world before they had a chance to understand what was happening.

It was over too fast.

Disappointing. Delicious, yes, but the meat lacked the spice she so loved. Fear. Terror. She hadn’t given them time to realize what was coming for them.

That could be fixed.

She slipped out beneath the tent flap, moving three tents down before repeating the process. She had no intention of clearing the camp systematically—that was predictable, and predictability got one caught. No, she would scatter her attacks, keep them confused, make them think a monster had slipped into their ranks, impossible to pin down.

One tent. Two. Three.

Six tents of soldiers devoured before the first shouts of alarm rang through the air.

Vivienne grinned.

It was time to move.

Vivienne slithered back into the comforting embrace of the forest, her body dissolving into shadow once more as she weaved between the trees. She kept low, her movements fluid, hugging the treeline as she distanced herself from the chaos she had left behind. The alarmed voices faded into the background, drowned out by the crackling of distant torches and the panicked stomping of boots as soldiers scrambled to make sense of what had happened.

She would let them search. Let them panic.

And then she would strike again.

The hunt stretched on for hours. She prowled like a phantom, slipping in and out of the camp with no discernible pattern—sometimes skimming the outskirts, picking off the isolated and vulnerable, and other times plunging deeper, into the very heart of the war camp. Never predictable. Never staying long enough for them to get wise to her. Each time, she disappeared into the night before the bodies were even discovered, leaving behind nothing but empty cots and fresh terror.

They wouldn’t be sleeping soundly again.

By the time dawn threatened to break, she knew it was time to stop. The light would make it harder to remain unseen, and she had already feasted beyond even her own gluttonous expectations.

Three dozen tents, gutted. One command tent, its owner someone important—if their fine clothes and well-armed retinue were anything to go by.

Vivienne felt fat, heavy, her body languid with satisfaction. The sheer quantity she had devoured was intoxicating, her entire form thrumming with stolen strength.

It was amazing.

After devouring so many, she had begun to notice the differences—the nuances in the taste of her prey.

Exomancers were refined, their aether delicate and meticulously controlled. Eating them was like fine dining: exquisitely flavored, rich with complexity, but ultimately lacking in substance. Their meat held a certain elegance, a tantalizing aftertaste that lingered on her tongue, but no matter how delicious, it left her wanting.

Endomancers, on the other hand, were something else entirely. Their bodies were swollen with raw aether, brimming with untapped power, as if their very essence had been steeped in the energy they wielded. They weren’t as decadent as exomancers, lacking that same refined taste, but what they lacked in flavor they made up for in sheer substance. Their flesh was thick, heavy with energy, a meal that left her satisfied in a way the others could not. Eating them felt like devouring an aetherbeast itself—a true feast, rich and sustaining.

Vivienne was just steps away from the treeline when a searing lance of light tore through her body, punching clean through her side and bursting out the other. She staggered, more from surprise than pain, her head snapping toward the source.

A priestess in flowing robes stood in the camp, hands raised, her fingers still aglow with lingering radiance. Her gaze was locked onto Vivienne, eyes sharp with recognition. There was something familiar about her.

Vivienne didn’t have time to dwell on it. The priestess had already begun chanting again.

Vivienne shifted, her form melting and reforming into a sleek, lesser wolf, her body lean and built for speed. She bolted, her claws digging into the frozen earth as she dove into the treeline, weaving between the trees with practiced ease. The darkness embraced her, swallowing her presence—

Another ray of light lanced past, grazing her flank. Vivienne twisted mid-stride, but the beam shunted to the side unnaturally, as though it had a will of its own, and bit into her flesh. A burning, searing pain spread from the wound, white-hot and relentless. It was like being flayed by an impossibly bright flashlight, its radiance burrowing into her very essence.

Snarling through clenched teeth, she pressed forward, forcing her limbs to move faster. She needed distance. She needed cover. Because whoever this priestess was—

She wasn’t missing again.

The forest around Vivienne blurred into streaks of shadow as she sprinted between the ancient, towering trees. Her breath was ragged, but she focused on the rhythm of her movements, her paws silently landing on the cold ground, barely disturbing the frost beneath. The air was crisp, biting at her face, yet it did little to distract her from the searing pain still radiating through her side from the holy light that had pierced her just moments ago. It was a shock to the system, unlike anything she had ever felt. That blinding ray had been far more painful than any physical wound she’d sustained in battle, and it was something she could never allow to happen again. The priestess had no doubt imbued that light with divine power, designed to burn through the flesh of creatures like her. The very thought of it made her skin crawl.

But it wasn't just the priestess that concerned her now.

The pounding behind her—no longer just the rush of feet but the heavy, crushing impacts of bodies enhanced by aether—was growing louder. The air had shifted from the normal hum of the forest to a twisted sound of unnatural speed, as if the ground itself was groaning under the weight of those chasing her. The aether-infused soldiers were on her tail, powered by Endomancy—bodies like towers of solid muscle, rushing with aether that seemed to infuse every fiber of their being. She could hear the deep thuds of their footsteps hitting the earth with unnatural force, each stride tearing through the underbrush as though it was little more than dead leaves in the wind.

Vivienne's tail swayed as she ran, its obsidian fur brushing against the trees as she navigated through the thick foliage. She darted left and right, weaving through the shadows with practiced precision, keeping herself hidden as much as possible. Still, the pounding of heavy boots grew louder, the warriors gaining ground on her with every passing moment. The first shockwave of a massive aether-charged footfall sent a tremor through the forest floor, shaking the branches above, and Vivienne had no doubt that they were using their enhanced strength to propel themselves even faster.

Too fast.

She gritted her teeth, the pain in her side flaring once more. The wound wasn't fatal, but it slowed her down—each step now felt like a strain. She couldn’t keep this up forever.

Then came the unsettling, melodic hum in the air, like the distant drone of a hive—a sound that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

The priestess was not far behind, her power seeping into the atmosphere, thick and suffocating like oil on water. Vivienne’s sharp, feline senses caught the faintest shimmer in the trees above her. Her eyes flicked upward, catching the ethereal glow of the priestess floating just above the treetops, her golden robes billowing out in impossible defiance of gravity. The priestess moved without haste, but her every motion seemed deliberate, drawn with purpose, like she had all the time in the world. Her arms were extended, a sharp, radiant aura forming in her palms as the priestess began to chant once more, her voice a soft, resonant cadence that vibrated through the air.

Vivienne’s heart raced, and her claws dug into the earth as she skidded to a halt beneath the cover of an ancient oak. The priestess had already begun to gather light again, that unnerving glow building into a small ball of blinding energy between her hands. Vivienne’s eyes narrowed, her tail flicking behind her, restless. If that priestess let it loose, she wouldn’t just burn her again—this time, she’d be cooked. She had to move—now.

The priestess wasn’t alone. The Endomancer-enhanced soldiers were still on her heels, tearing through the forest with such speed, they were like hounds on a hunt, the very air vibrating with their pursuit. Vivienne’s pulse thrummed louder than the heavy footsteps chasing her. She couldn’t go on running forever. She needed to end this—she needed to strike back.

Vivienne slinked low, her body melting into the shadows beneath the trees. She was aware of the looming threat overhead, but it wasn’t her first time facing down an aerial enemy. In her lycanthropic form, she was faster than any normal predator in these woods. The challenge now wasn’t just outrunning the priestess or the soldiers—it was surviving the moment she struck.

She leaped again, her paws hardly touching the forest floor as she bounded forward, moving deeper into the dense thicket of the woods. She had to go deeper—further away from where she could be easily surrounded. The priestess’s magic wasn’t just radiant—it was oppressive, a constant thrum in the air that made it harder to think straight. Her focus snapped back to her immediate environment—dodging branches, twigs, and the occasional thick bough that nearly struck her in the face. Each step was calculated, deliberate, and still the soldiers followed, relentless.

The sky began to brighten slightly in the distance, the first light of dawn beginning to paint the horizon with hues of pink and gold. Vivienne knew that she needed to act fast. It was only a matter of time before the soldiers would see her in the growing light. She could hear them getting closer—their steps like thunder, shaking the earth beneath her.

Vivienne's heart pounded in her chest, the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins as she continued to sprint through the dense woods. The sound of heavy boots crashing behind her made it clear that her pursuers were closing in, but she could feel something—something

was off. These soldiers were powerful, no doubt, but the priestess was the only one casting spells. Only one person was making use of their aether to try and burn through her, and that told her a lot about their resources—or lack thereof.She could hear them now, their thudding footsteps keeping pace with hers, and for a moment, she wondered how they were doing it. Their endurance was impressive—no average soldier should be able to match her speed for this long, but these weren’t average soldiers. Even the fact that only one person was actively using magic suggested that they didn’t have a surplus of spellcasters at their disposal. And that, she thought, gave her an edge.

It was time to take a gamble.

Vivienne's eyes glimmered with intent. If they were focusing their energy on catching her, that meant they weren't likely to be expecting her to make a move—especially one that would throw them completely off balance. She could outlast them. She could tire them out. The more they chased, the more they would waste their strength. And when that happened, she would strike.

With a swift motion, she called upon her most potent weapon.

Her voice, soft at first, began to echo into the darkened woods. A haunting, lilting melody left her lips, like the deep hum of a siren song woven with whispers of lost things. Her voice filled the spaces around her, slithering into every shadow, and in that instant, the trees themselves seemed to listen. Shadows that had once been still—quiet, unmovable—began to stir. From beneath fallen leaves, from cracks in the bark, from hidden crevices in the earth, her shadows pulled themselves together and began to slither along the forest floor.

The melody continued to build in her chest, swelling with an eerie resonance as the shadows obeyed her silent command. They would not be seen. They would be her eyes. Her whispers in the dark, tracking the soldiers’ every move without ever revealing their presence. They would follow her pursuers and keep her informed of their movements. Vivienne smirked, feeling the delicate pull of control tightening around the edges of the night. She could see everything now, even if her eyes never left the path ahead.

The soldiers had no idea what they were in for.

The forest around her darkened, and the shadows seemed to thicken, drawing nearer with every breath. She felt a surge of satisfaction as her power took root in the world around her. The trees and the earth bent to her will, and she could almost hear the rustle of her pursuers, unaware of the web she was weaving. Their heavy footsteps did not slow, their bodies pressed onward, but their pursuit was no longer as simple as it had once been.

With the song still reverberating through the air, Vivienne’s tail flicked in anticipation. She could feel her strength growing, while theirs would be sapped by the chase. Her opponents had underestimated her—underestimated the patience she was capable of. She didn’t need to run faster. She didn’t need to leap over fallen logs or weave through the thickest parts of the trees. She just needed to run. And run she did.

Her form slipped in and out of the shadows as she zigzagged through the forest. Every now and then, she slowed, but only long enough for the soldiers to think they were gaining on her. She could feel their frustration grow as their pursuit continued with no end in sight, their breath becoming heavier, their movements more strained. She was making sure they kept thinking they were winning—until they hit their breaking point.

Hours passed, though to Vivienne, it felt like moments. Her legs didn’t tire. Her senses were sharp, focused on the sound of her surroundings, her shadows whispering to her in low murmurs of information. The soldiers, however, weren’t made of such sturdy stuff. The sounds of their pursuit began to falter, their heavy breathing growing more ragged, the sounds of their feet pounding against the forest floor less steady. Vivienne could hear the weariness creeping into their steps—the shift in rhythm that told her they were slowing.

Their focus was breaking.

That was her opening.

Vivienne, sensing that the time was right, decided it was time to draw her line. She pushed on even further into the forest, making sure to keep her pace steady but not too fast. The deeper she went, the more the sounds of the soldiers’ pursuit faded. She could feel the presence of the priestess, still following her from above, a steady, glowing light in the distance—but Vivienne ignored that for the moment. It was the soldiers she had to focus on. The soldiers she had to outwit.

They thought they were gaining on her. They thought they were wearing her down. But that was part of her plan. Their exhaustion would make them careless. And that was when she’d snatch the meal she truly wanted.

She had been careful. Her song had been subtle, but it had spread like wildfire through the forest. Each step she took was met with a growing sense of control, of weaving a narrative where her pursuers were the ones being played. Her shadows were no longer just observers; they had become hunters in their own right. They were silently surrounding the soldiers, making them aware of things they couldn't see, moving through the trees as if they were alive, as though the very forest itself had decided to turn against them.

And so they chased, with more desperation, deeper into the heart of the forest.

The scent of their sweat, mixed with the tang of aether, grew stronger in her senses. But there was no rush for Vivienne now. She could feel her surroundings shift, sense the soldiers’ growing confusion. They were losing their way, unsure of what direction they should go next. And just as she had intended, they were starting to second-guess their choices.

She could hear one of them call out—something about going back—but the call was weak, and there was no immediate response. The forest, now thick with shadows, seemed to swallow their sound.

Vivienne grinned, a sharp, predatory grin, and in that moment, she felt her power surge again.

It was time to feast.

She pulled herself back into the shadows and, like the dark itself, vanished from their sight.

The hunt had begun in earnest now, and Vivienne was the one with the upper hand.