As she watched her son run through the door, Maria let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"At least he's safe… argh!"
Her hand moved to the wound in her ribs. Warm blood seeped between her fingers.
"Looks like I won't last much longer…"
Despite the pain, she forced herself to focus on the two werewolves lying on the floor. The creatures were already rising slowly.
Maria noticed something.
They were wounded.
Deep gashes cut through their fur-covered bodies.
"So it seems I'm not the only one hurt…"
She snapped the whip against the floor.
The sharp crack echoed throughout the room.
Without hesitation, Maria lunged forward, attacking the two monsters relentlessly while they were still recovering. The whip sliced through the air again and again, striking their bodies with brutal force.
But during one of her strikes, the werewolves dodged.
In the next instant, they both lunged at her.
Maria tried to evade, but her body was weakening. The wound in her ribs made every movement heavier.
One of the monsters attacked again.
Its claws drove straight through Maria's chest.
She staggered backward, barely able to remain standing.
Even then, she tried to strike again.
But before she could move, one of the werewolves grabbed the whip and ripped it from her hands.
The weapon fell to the floor.
Maria collapsed soon after.
Then an unexpected sound echoed through the room.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Applause.
Slow footsteps followed.
Maria, lying on the ground, raised her head with great effort.
A man was approaching.
He wore dark sunglasses and carried an elegant cane.
"Incredible… bravo."
He continued clapping as he walked toward her.
"So this is the feared Belmont clan… ah, how the mighty have fallen."
One of the werewolves grabbed Maria, pinning her to the floor.
The other—the one who had taken the whip—walked over to the man and helped guide him forward.
The stranger stopped in front of her.
"How tragic… dying at the hands of a werewolf. Not even by vampires… the true enemies of the Belmont family."
He tilted his head slightly.
"That must be rather humiliating, don't you think?"
Maria tried to move, but the pain was unbearable.
"You bastard… argh…"
The rush of adrenaline from the battle was fading.
Now the pain flooded her body.
The man sighed.
"Well… although your family is clearly in decline, it is still one of the oldest hunter bloodlines. And I must admit… your library was worth the risk."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Besides… there is a certain pleasure in killing a hunter from the Belmont clan."
With the help of the werewolf, the man stepped closer.
Then he slowly removed his sunglasses.
Behind them were a pair of cold, gray eyes.
"It was a pleasure, Belmont."
Suddenly, his fingernails began to lengthen.
They sharpened into claws.
In a single motion, he drove them deep into Maria's chest.
Her body trembled.
Her gaze drifted.
In her final breath, she thought of Trevor.
In the last moments of her life, there was only one wish in her heart.
That her son would be safe.
The man pulled his hand from her chest.
Blood dripped from his fingers.
He stood calmly and flicked his hand, casting the blood onto the floor.
Then he removed a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped his hands.
"Kali. Ennis. I have what I came for. Let's go."
"Right, Deucalion," one of the werewolves replied.
Her body began to change.
The monstrous creature gave way to a beautiful dark-haired woman.
"Already? I didn't even get the chance to taste Belmont flesh," the other complained.
Unlike the woman, he remained in his werewolf form.
Slowly, he licked the blood from his claws.
"And the child? Are we just leaving him out there?"
Deucalion adjusted the handkerchief in his pocket.
"He's just a boy. No training. No abilities. He poses no threat."
He turned toward the door.
"Besides, while the two of you were busy fighting, I took the opportunity to collect everything I needed from their library."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Now come. I have a great deal of material to analyze."
"Alright," replied the werewolf, also known as Ennis.
He glanced down at Maria's lifeless body.
"But are we really just leaving her like this?"
Deucalion stopped at the doorway.
For a moment, he looked back.
Then he spoke calmly.
"No."
A cold smile spread across his face.
"Let's give the Belmonts one final gift."
He pushed the door open.
"And leave a message for the other hunter families."
Deucalion stepped out of the house, followed by the two werewolves.
Not long after…
The flames began.
At first small.
Then growing larger.
Within minutes, the fire had engulfed the entire house.