### **Chapter 3: The Blood Moon Party**
The invitation appeared on Elena's pillow at dusk, written in ink that smelled like rust.
*"Midnight. The Blackwood Chapel. Come alone."*
No signature—just a wax seal stamped with a fang and claw.
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The chapel was a skeleton of its former self, its pews shattered, its altar stained with things Elena didn't want to identify. Students clustered in the shadows, their eyes reflecting candlelight like animals in the dark.
A girl with silver hair—**Seraphine**—stepped forward, her smile sharp. "You're the human everyone's whispering about."
Elena's pulse thundered. "What is this?"
"A tradition." Seraphine dragged a nail down Elena's arm, drawing a single bead of blood. "The Blood Moon Party. Where we *play*."
Across the room, **Kieran** watched from the shadows, his arms crossed. **Rylan** leaned against the wall, a flask in hand, his amber eyes tracking Elena like prey.
Then the chanting began.