Carl and Xander arrived at the location site of the art gallery. It was an empty lot which was already cleared and was ready for the gallery to be built. "According to the proposal this place is at 25,000 square feet which is ideal for an art gallery. They also had an extra space of approximately 9,000 square feet allotted for the parking area. They're pretty generous with the area of the gallery and with the budget so we can make any structural designs we want."
"This is a pretty wide space in this part of Cartnan. Did they perhaps purchase this land from the residents or this was originally their own? What do you think? Or maybe they forced the residents here to pack their bags and go?" Carl commented after seeing the place for the first time. The suburbs of Cartnan were a busy place with many small businesses and is very lively. It was also home to most of the city's population who were into business. It was a good place to start a gallery since the area was lacking of one.
Xander was about to answer but they heard a laugh from behind. "You don't have to worry, this place has been in my family's possession for a long time now." The deep voice made the two of them turn around. They saw a tall man with dark hair standing behind them. He had a smile on his face while looking at them.
"Ah, are you perhaps Mr. Antonio Crellac?" Xander asked after looking at the man with an elegant air around him. Xander fully turned around to approach the man.
"Yes, and I presume that you are Engineer Xander Castillo." The man offered his hand and Xander shook it. "It seems that you are here to see the area."
"Yes, I like to see the site first before I accept any projects so that I can make sure that all of what was written on the proposal are true." With regards to work, Xander was always serious and he never takes chances. Mr. Crellac was impressed with his work ethics and he hoped that they won't change.
The man nodded, "I'm glad then that I chose ENIGMA for this project. My parents are avid fan of art that's why I decided to make their dream come true and make this art gallery as their legacy." His eyes went towards the vacant area where an art gallery would be built soon. It would be a place where he could put all of his parents' collection.
"Then ENIGMA will make sure to create the design that you want." Xander nodded to him after seeing the area, he decided to accept the project and they were also lucky to have met the client. Other than treating all of his projects as part of his passion, he also enjoys building things thus each project was built with care.
"I'll be seeing you soon then," Mr. Crellac gave the both of them a nod before he left first.
"That was easy," Carl shrugged his shoulders as both of them watched the car leave.
"Let's go and brainstorm. After that we will present the design to Mr. Crellac." Xander and Carl also left after confirming the area and its surroundings as consideration to the design that they will make.
After the raucous created by the board members and Xander's words to them, days in ENIGMA had been busy because of the new project. While returning back and forth from Madlaw and Cartnan, Xander had been too busy.
"How is he?" Amber asked one time after Zael ended the call with him. Her wolf had been urging her to call their mate but she refused because she might leave everything just to go see him.
"He's doing fine and according to the warrior you sent to guard him that he was doing good. The warrior also told me that he had handled those board members smoothly and that he was amazed at your mate's charisma." He had a wide grin on his face while saying all of this to Amber. To hear the warrior blabbering a mile away to praise and express his admiration of the Alpha's mate was refreshing since he was the one hearing all of it.
He looked at the Alpha then grinned, "Aren't you envious of me Alpha? I mean you should be the one hearing all of this instead of me but you refuse to talk to him. If I were not a man, I would suspect that instead of you, I am his mate."
He laughed out loud after those words and felt a hand whacking him on the head. Zael stopped laughing and caressed the back of his head then he looked up and glared at the Alpha.
"Don't test my patience or you'll get more than a smack on the head." She was frowning because of Zael's words. She was doing what she can to solve their current problem so that she can go and visit Xander, yet here he was teasing her.
Zael raised his hands in surrender and chose to remain silent. The Alpha was clearly not in the mood. It had started after Xander left, she returned to being closed off and only focused on her duties nothing more. She was once again acting as the cold alpha of Ceurian.
"Alpha!" a warrior burst through the alpha's office without knocking. He was panting like he had run a marathon.
Amber gestured for him to catch his breath first before he talks since it was an urgent news, the warrior stood straight to look at the alpha's eyes.
"What is it?" she asked after noticing that the warrior was already in an alert position.
"Gamma Zayier found something in the Lurea Woods and he requests for your presence. He also said to call Elder Leonides to join you." The warrior relayed the message.
"I understand you may go," Amber gestured for him to leave first before she spoke to Zael. "You'll be coming with us too."
'Zayier, what did you find?' she opened the mind link to get a grasp of what they had discovered.
'It is better for you to come Alpha,' Zayier instead answered. Amber frowned then she looked at Zael.
'Okay, we will be coming.' The mind link was cut off then both of them stood up. After they left the office, they found that the elder was already waiting for them. The three of them shifted into their wolf form to rush towards the direction of the Lurea Woods.
Amber's silver wolf broke through the trees into the open space before the Woods and she could already feel it, the malevolent aura of 'darkness'. It was coming from the forest itself.
Zayier was waiting for them, he then gave the three of them clothes. The woods were already forbidden to anyone due to its hidden danger and now it was suddenly surrounded with the aura of 'darkness'. They had been patrolling the area for nearly three months after the first incident of spotting rogues near it but this was the first time that they could feel the power of 'darkness' coming from the woods.
Leonides had a frown on his face after seeing the Lurea Woods's state. "Someone might have touched that object."
Those words did not escape Amber's hearing. "What do you mean?" she wondered while looking at the extremely dark forest. It seems that the forest had gotten darker than the last time she was here and its intimidating aura had gone up.
"Since it was already done, I'll tell you something I know about these woods. This place houses an object that can make someone powerful and immortal. It was said that because of these reasons many had tried to take that object but all of them failed and died never to leave that place again." He started with his eyes still glued at the forest. "Vampires, their connection with 'darkness' is much deeper than any other being in this world."
At the mention of vampires, gasps could be heard around them even Zael and Zayier were looking at the elder with a shocked expression. Amber's focus was now on the elder. This was the first time that she would be hearing about this story.
"How did Vampires get involved with this?" there was a frown in her face. Vampires were beings that she hated. They were cold and ruthless, basically they were being that do not feel any emotion and they feed on the blood of any one they come across. She was disgusted by them.
"It had happened a long time ago, the king of the vampires was a good friend to the first Alpha of Ceurian. It was a time when vampires were still accepted among the supernatural beings. It was a time when they were not like the vampires you grew up knowing. When the vampire king died, his blood was placed in the heart of this forest. Nobody knew what happened between the first Alpha and the vampire king but after he placed the remaining legacy of his friend in this place, he died. From then on, this place had been surrounded with 'darkness'."
The werewolves could not believe what they were hearing. It was well known among them that vampires and werewolves never got along so hearing that the vampire king and the first alpha were friends seemed difficult to believe.
"How can this information be true? The history of Ceurian did not have any records of these events happening in the past." Zael asked in confusion. He had read all of the books about the pack in their library but he did not find any of these which was very strange.
"That is because they did not let that information public. It was a fact that they wanted to hide from everyone. But honestly, many knew about this fact but they just chose to not say anything about it since Vampires had already retreated to the shadows a long time ago and no one had seen any of them for over a century now." The elder answered while looking at the youngsters who were still in a state of disbelief at all of the information he said.
"Then is it possible that vampires are involved in this changed to the Lurea Woods, since the blood of their king is in there? Some of them might have attempted to get it since it was their king's legacy." The beta started to pace back and forth on the ground while thinking of the elder's story. It was a possibility but since the elder said that there had been no vampires for over a century now makes it a little bit impossible.
"But the fact that vampires still exist cannot be denied," the elder looked at them with meaningful eyes. His deep look was telling them that vampires might have a hand in this.