Moonlight Pact

Twenty years ago, a promise was made in a silver-lit clearing. Now, the debt is due. Julian has spent half his life reaping the rewards of a blood pact made in his youth—wealth, influence, and power. But as the moon reaches its zenith, the shadows in his crumbling manor at Blackwood Cove have begun to move. The entity he made the deal with hasn't come for his gold; it has come for his legacy. When his estranged daughter, Clara, becomes the target of an ancient, hungry darkness, Julian is forced to confront the sins of his past. From the salt-sprayed cliffs of the coast to the neon-lit maze of the city, father and daughter are hunted by the husks of those the pact has already consumed. To break the cycle, they must return to the source of the nightmare and offer a sacrifice that transcends the laws of reality. In this haunting Gothic Horror tale, the line between memory and madness blurs. Julian must decide if he is willing to pay the ultimate price: not just his life, but his very place in history. Moonlight Pact is an atmospheric novelette exploring the weight of guilt, the price of greed, and the terrifying depths of a father's love. Approximate length: 9,800 words.