Chapter 15: The Simulacra's Snare
The group stood on a perilous rocky mountain slope, jagged stones biting painfully at their boots. Beyond the dense treeline, the Medasu's castle rose in the distance—a monstrous silhouette of black, unnatural stone and crooked spires clawing at the sky. Even from this distance, its presence pressed against their chests, heavy and utterly suffocating, like a dire warning.
Their literal nightmare waited there, ready to test them, ready to break them utterly.
"Just up ahead," the werewolf alpha barked, his voice a low, confident growl. "We get the head of the Medasu and end this once and for all."
His words cracked like a whip, sharp and commanding, as if slaying the Medasu was no more difficult than swatting a fly. His amber eyes glowed faintly, daring anyone to challenge his authority.
Elvas stared at him from behind, clutching the worn strap of the System Book slung at his hip. His pulse thudded painfully against his ribs. He tried to swallow, but his throat was desert-dry. He's an alpha. Strong. Fearless. I'm… just me.
"I'm just a nobody with a book," he muttered under his breath, his voice small enough to be instantly swallowed by the wind.
They started down the narrow forest path, their boots crunching loudly on dried leaves and scattered pine needles. The twisted canopy above fractured the sunlight into eerie, warped streaks. The silence between the rivals was thick and oppressive, broken only by the steady, metallic clink of weapons brushing against armor.
Then, a sudden, desperate cry sliced through the quiet. A woman's voice. "Help! Please! Someone help me!"
The team instantly froze, heads snapping up, ears straining to pinpoint the source. The voice came again, trembling and cracking with pure panic.
"Come on!" the alpha barked, spinning toward the sound. "Someone's in trouble!"
Without a flicker of hesitation, Auran bolted toward the cries, his claws sliding out, his massive frame blurring into the trees. The others followed, weapons drawn, their steps quick and uneven on the mossy ground. Elvas's stomach twisted violently. Every instinct screamed, do not run into that, but his legs moved anyway, following the pack dynamic.
They burst into a small clearing.
A woman cowered at the center, clutching her torn dress. Looming ominously above her, a massive black scorpion arched its lethal tail high, green venom dripping from its curved stinger. Its pincers clacked, the sound echoing like a blade against stone.
"Move!" the vampire snapped. In one swift motion, Marcus dashed forward, his sword flashing like silver lightning. The blade sliced the enormous scorpion clean in half.
Green, viscous blood splattered the dirt. The dying creature let out a shrill hiss and instantly collapsed, its twitching legs curling inward.
The vampire turned smoothly, his eyes softening just enough to appear perfectly charming. "You okay? You're safe now," he said smoothly to the woman.
She nodded weakly, pale and trembling, her eyes wide with fear. She clutched at her dress as though it were the only thing holding her together.
The rest of the team slowed, lowering their weapons but still nervously scanning the surrounding trees for more threats.
Elvas stepped forward, but the familiar red glow of System text flickered across his vision, stopping him cold.
[System: Warning. Civilian capture is not human. Subject is a Simulacra. A beast with the power to possess a body and control its host.]
Elvas's heart lurched violently. His breath caught in his throat. The System's words sliced through his mind like jagged ice.
"No…" he whispered. Then louder, his voice cracking with urgency, "Everyone, stay away from her!"
Heads whipped toward him in annoyance.
"It's a trap! She's not real! Back off now!"
The vampire instantly spun around, narrowing his eyes in dismissal. His voice dripped with immediate mockery. "What in the hell are you talking about?"
Elvas's hands trembled on his sword hilt. "She's a Simulacra. She's not actually human!"
"You're not just stupid, you're clinically insane," the vampire snapped, stepping closer to the woman protectively. "She needs help, and you're screaming trap?"
Elvas desperately raised his blade, his stance firm though his legs felt like jelly. "I'm serious! Everyone, back away. She's dangerous!"
The alpha's low growl rumbled threateningly across the clearing. His claws flexed in a clear warning. "You're out of your mind, demon. Don't you dare tell us what to do."
Angry murmurs spread through the team, their expressions twisting between fury and genuine doubt. Weapons drooped as all hostile glares shifted toward Elvas.
"You're nothing," the vampire hissed, his eyes colder than usual. "Stop acting like you know something we don't."
The alpha stepped closer, his bulk looming, his tone like distant thunder. "Yeah. Shut up before I make you."
Elvas's mouth opened, his heart hammering against his ribs. He had to make them believe. "I'm telling you—"
A voice from behind cut him off, laced with sudden terror.
"Wait, look!"
Everyone turned instantly. One of their own—a lanky boy with dark hair named Kevin—stood near the woman. Her pale hand was tightly gripping his arm.
But her expression had changed entirely. No longer fearful, she was now wearing a wide, chilling smile.
Her skin instantly began to ripple like disturbed water, color draining away, the texture subtly shifting. Her flesh merged with Kevin's arm, fusing, pulling at his sleeve like living clay.
"What the—?" Kevin gasped, frantically trying to wrench his arm free.
The woman laughed. It was no longer a human sound; the noise scraped like metal on glass. "You're all fools," she cackled.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl.
The team froze in horrified paralysis. Weapons rose slowly, but no one dared move, terrified of hitting Kevin.
Her strange, liquid form sank deeper into him, their shapes blending as if she were a dark, viscous liquid pouring into a vessel. Kevin's scream was instantly strangled, cut off mid-breath.
"Kevin!" the alpha roared, his voice cracking with shock. "Say something!"
No answer came.
"Kevin, come on! Talk to me!" the alpha shouted again, but his voice shook with pure, devastating realization.
Kevin slowly lifted his head. His lips curled into a smile far too wide to be his own. His eyes glowed a deep, unnatural green.
When he finally spoke, his voice was twisted, layered with something ancient and not his own.
"Who is ready to die?"