Valeria's footsteps were silent against the damp forest floor, but her heartbeat was deafening in her ears. She knew she had to be careful. The hunters were relentless, their senses honed to detect even the slightest disturbance. She had successfully evaded them before, but tonight felt different. Something was off.
She clutched her cloak tighter around her, blending into the shadows as she moved swiftly through the trees. Her mission was simple—observe from a distance and report back to Lady Myra. But as she neared the meeting point where Safeera had been spotted earlier, an uneasy feeling settled in her chest.
A twig snapped behind her.
Valeria spun around, drawing a dagger from beneath her cloak. The forest was silent again, but she wasn't fooled. They were here.
A shadow moved in the corner of her vision, then another. Her grip tightened on the dagger as she assessed her options. Running was pointless; they were faster. Fighting meant death. The only hope she had was escaping without engaging.
She took a deep breath and bolted.
Branches lashed at her as she sprinted through the forest, her instincts guiding her towards an escape route. But the hunters were faster. They cut off her path effortlessly, emerging from the darkness like specters. Their eyes gleamed with predatory hunger, their weapons drawn.
Valeria gritted her teeth and lunged at the nearest one, her dagger slicing through the air. The hunter dodged easily, twisting her arm behind her back with inhuman speed. She cried out in pain as another hunter stepped forward, a cruel smile on his lips.
"Foolish girl," he murmured. "You should have stayed hidden."
A sharp pain struck the back of her neck, and the world spun violently before fading into darkness.
---
Safeera tossed and turned in her bed, her mind slipping into a dream unlike any she had experienced before. It wasn't just a dream—it felt real.
She found herself standing amidst a battlefield, the air thick with the stench of blood and death. The ground was soaked in crimson, bodies lying lifeless as far as the eye could see. Shadows moved in the smoke, creatures and warriors clashing in a brutal frenzy. Screams echoed around her, raw and agonizing.
And then she saw him "Magnus"
He stood at the center of it all, his dark cloak billowing around him, his eyes burning with an unnatural fire. His laughter sent chills down her spine as he raised his hand, and the blood of the fallen rose like waves, crashing into those still fighting. He was unstoppable.
Terror gripped Safeera's heart as she watched him unleash his power, turning warriors into ash with a mere flick of his wrist. The massacre was endless.
Then, through the chaos, a figure appeared....The presence was powerful, radiating light even in the darkest moment. They stepped forward, challenging Magnus, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
But Safeera couldn't see the savior's face. No matter how hard she tried, it remained blurred, an enigma just out of reach.
Just as she was about to step closer, the dream shattered.
She woke with a gasp, drenched in sweat. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to make sense of what she had just seen. Was it merely a nightmare? Or was it something more?
She had read of such visions before—warnings of what was to come. If that creature she saw was truly destined to bring such destruction, then who was the one meant to stop him?
And why couldn't she see their face?
---
Lady Myra paced the length of her chamber, her anxiety growing with each passing moment. Valeria should have returned by now. Something was wrong.
She had trusted her maid to handle this mission discreetly, but now doubt crept into her mind. Had she underestimated the danger? Had she put Valeria in harm's way?
Cursing under her breath, Myra pulled on her cloak and stepped into the night. If Valeria wasn't coming back, she would find her herself.
The streets were quiet, but Myra felt eyes on her. The night was thick with an eerie stillness, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
As she walked through the shadows, an old man appeared before her.
His presence was sudden, as if he had emerged from the very darkness itself. His face was aged and lined with wisdom, his eyes clouded yet piercing. Myra's instincts screamed at her to be wary, but something about him held her in place.
He looked at her knowingly.
"It's time," he said simply.
A chill ran down Myra's spine. "What do you mean?" she demanded.
The old man didn't answer. Instead, the world around her twisted. A suffocating darkness enveloped her, pulling her into an abyss. She tried to resist, but it was useless.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it ended.
She opened her eyes to find herself no longer in the streets, but in her chamber in the vampire manor.
The familiar scent of old stone and burning incense filled the air. Confusion gripped her. Had she been transported? Was it an illusion? Or had fate finally come knocking at her door?
Her mind reeled as she tried to process what had happened. The old man's words echoed in her mind.
"It's time."
What did he mean? Time for what?
She looked down at her hands, trembling slightly. Something had shifted. She could feel it deep in her bones. The balance of power was changing, and whatever was coming…
It would change everything.
---