Eastern Side of Ebonhaven after Veydran village. A old dried wooden cabin on cliffside, before a dark waterfall.
Within the cabin were constant creaks and faint thuds. Moonlight filtered in through the cracks of the decrepit cabin, casting silver lines across the dusty walls.
"Mmahh!"
Suddenly, the air was filled with rasping, fearful breaths… each inhale was like scraping sandpaper down the throat.
A man head breathing slowly claming himself, a crimson blood travled down his nose onto the floorboards from a deep long gash across their forehead.. Despite already being halfway dried into dark red.
Shaking his dizzy head with a final deep breath.
Who were thoses powerful vampire after Lucian friends… Why would he leave Ebonhaven? It he knows they were sure to come?
In this mist of his thoughts. He felt something was watching and waiting… His heart raced, his hair stood up as he shivered from a breath down his neck.
Upon looking up his eyes widened.
Surrounding him were monsters… twenty or more. Pale, contorted figures… Vampires like he was their reward meal.
"Hunter. It's been months since the lat one."
"Ha. Ha. We must savior this. And thank miss Mina later…"
Randall quickly realized what had happened… he'd been knocked unconscious by the same female vampire he fought before.
However, he couldn't just give up now that he was beaten.
His fist clenched tightly apart only to realize that his hand were bonded by ropes. He was weak... He was trapped. Reflecting about it. Now they will be hopeless of my death despite haven't seen me in years.
So this is how it ends… Years of blood, silver, and running… only to become the same helpless prey I once saved others from. Fitting, maybe.
Memories slowly resurfaced old him in similar scenario overrun by vampire old to defeat they boss and survied but blood and half dead.
His old mentor had told him once: "To hunt a vampire, you must bleed like one, think like one, and never, ever look them in the eye."
The first vampire lunged.
He still couldn't give up so easily. So he rolled sideways. Another came from behind, raking claws across his back. He stumbled forward, barely escaping the others that swarmed in like a pack of jackals. A knee drove into his ribs. A hand slammed into his jaw. He collapsed onto the wooden floor, coughing blood.
They circled him like shadows, licking their lips, snarling.
Suddenly, a thunder flashed illuminating the light into thr crevices of rhe cabin. At the same time the cabin door even exploded. Wood and metal shattered inward as a massive figure strode into the room like a god of war.
Vampire. But why?
Randall eyes closed as he felt some cold splashed across his face. He couldn't properly wipe thr blood from his eyes he could only heard the sound of slashing and cries of death.
Before he was blinded the vampire face was filled of disdain and curiosity.
The vampire moved like a wrecking ball. One vampire lunged... he easily caught its throat midair and slammed it spine-first through the rotted floorboards. Another charged he grabbed their head and crushed its skull in one brutal squeeze. Bone and brains splattered across the wall.
Chaos erupted.
The cabin shook as the vampire through them, his fists like meteors. A spinning backhand shattered three ribs in one vampire's chest. A stomp split the spine of another. He grabbed two by the throats and slammed them into each other, then ripped their heads clean off.
More vampires stormed in from the back room seven, maybe eight. Either way all slowly circled them.
"A vampire dare go against the Crimson Sanctum?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the others froze… not out of fear of him, but of what would happen if they were seen standing with him.
"The Sanctum doesn't exile traitors…they erase them, down to their bloodline and bones."
The vampire turned, his eyes glowing red.
He crouched low... then launched forward.
His shoulder collided with the first, sending it flying out the window in a spray of wood and glass. He spun, grabbed another by the leg, and used it as a club to batter the rest. Screams echoed, sharp and gurgled. Blood soaked the cabin.
The hunter wasn't protected. One slashed his shoulder, the other went for his throat.
Before either could finish attack, the vampire barreled through both, tackling them into the wall. The old boards cracked, groaned, and gave way as the wall collapsed. He stood above them and tore out their hearts barehanded.
Finally, one vampire reminded he just walked through the cabin walls unfazed. It looked taller, armored beast with twisted horns and sickly veins. His presence sucked the air out of the room.
The horned beast wasn't just a brute… it was a Blackblood, a failed experiment of Sanctum warlocks. Born in vats, fed rage and flesh until it could no longer think.
The vampire grin widened.
"No one defies the Sanctum and walks away. Not even the dead."
The beast vampire growled and blurred forward, slashing the vampire across the chest. Blood sprayed... but he didn't flinch. He swung his fist upward into the leader's gut, lifting him off the floor. The cabin shook from the impact. Before the leader could recover, The vampire grabbed his head and smashed it into a wooden beam... again and again until it cracked open like a melon.
The beast slumped.
The other vampires tried to flee.
The vampire wouldn't allow it.
He launched himself toward them with terrifying speed, tackling one through the far wall. The hunter stumbled outside, bloodied but alive, following the sounds of cracking bones and choked screams.
One tried to run he caught it by the ankle, dragged it across the dirt, and hurled it skyward before leaping after it, smashing it midair with a downward hammerfist. Another tried to beg the vampire only answer was a brutal knee that shattered its face.
Moments later, it was over.
The clearing fell silent, broken only by the sound of wind through trees and the soft crackle of the burning cabin behind them.
The vampire stood among the ruins, chest heaving, blood and ash smeared across his skin.
Finally, through Randall blood-covered eyes and the sudden silence, he saw the tall vampire standing in the center… unfazed, unhurt, and spotless.
It was like a imagination one minute they weew they alive next they were not.
Is he not part of the crimson sanctum don't they control almost all powerful vampire. Never-ending, he is very powerful now it's enemy of both or not.
A dozen corpses lay broken, dismembered, and smoldering in the dirt.
Randall could hardly believe it... twenty vampires, perhaps more, all dead. And one vampire had stood with him. Not out of mercy. Not out of honor… But something deeper.
He watched as the vampire slowly moved toward him he had death around him just didn't seemed aimed at him.
Is this mercy… or a performance? Am I a witness? A warning? I've killed dozens like him. Would he spare me now that the roles are reversed?
The moment he was about dogde away he wasn't sure by their action he felt the ropes on his arm came loose.
He was confused, then looked up at the vampire that watched down at him.
Suddenly he said. "Randall, thank you for helping Asher and Halcyon."
Randall eyes widened abit he was still suspicious because it's still a vampire despite if he was with Ashed and Halcyon's he decided to save. They even knew his name, making him think he really didn't do a good job theses year keeping himself secret.
They don't forgive betrayal… especially not from within
"I know you have no right to trust me seeing what I'm and you are..." The Vampire continued.
"We may be enemies by blood… but Halcyon was the one person who saw past it... If I must become what I once was to protect that light… I'll do it, even if it damns me twice."
He turned away his back Randall. "This wouldn't have happened… if I'd stayed. If I hadn't hesitated… again."
He clenched his jaw. That pause was always his curse.
Only a second passed the vampire turned back around only to see that Randall was gone. He turned and watched the swinging window to his left.
Despite a strange familiarity radiating from the vampire, Randall's instincts screamed louder. Trust had no place here… not with vampires, not anymore.
Randall took the opportunity to escape despite a familiar feeling from the vampire he didn't want to find out. He easily slipped through the window.
Understandable given his situation. But will he bel able to help himself. They don't betrayal lightly.
Lucian been having a bad feeling since he rushed toward Ebonhaven he just didn't know how bad until he arrived at the scene he immediately knew what occurred.
…
On the ancient bridge he moved slowly to the debris. Everything around him suddenly went colorless, but it was really just in his eyes.
To his left was flowling in the air was crimson blood energy. He automatically detected the original blood owner. It wss a rare vision for vampire but it's born under special conditions.
Only one in a thousand are born with the Sight. Lucian had never asked for it… but it never left him alone
It made smelling and tasting blood to track abit useless to those who were given.
In that moment his gaze dropped low for a bit thinking about Halcyon's and Asher safety. Suddenly, it flashed crimson and white energy burst outward ruffling the tree.
Halcyon's, Asher. Keep fight I will be there soon.