As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the unfamiliar vampire territory, our group gathered in a dimly lit tavern. I sipped at my drink, feeling the weight of the imminent encounter with Xander and Vincent hanging heavily in the air.
A vampire named Selene, known for her knowledge of the area, leaned in. "Word is, they were seen a week ago, near the old ruins to the west. But be warned, those ruins are crawling with nocturne beasts."
"I've dealt with worse," Hilda declared with a confident nod.
Magissa chimed in, her eyes sparkling with determination. "We've come this far; we won't give up now."
After hours of trekking through the eerie, moonlit ruins, we stumbled upon a trail—footprints in the dust, still fresh. Excitement surged through me as we followed the tracks deeper into the darkness.
As the wind rustled through the crumbling stone walls, we exchanged hopeful glances. We were getting closer.
But the trail grew colder, and just as frustration threatened to set in, Selene appeared beside me. "You're close, but you'll need to cross the forbidden woods to reach them."
"Forbidden woods?" Jake's voice quavered.
"The woods are cursed," Selene warned. "None who enters return."
I locked eyes with Hilda, and a silent understanding passed between us. "We'll take the risk."
The woods were dense, the air thick with an unsettling energy. Branches creaked as we pressed forward, until the darkness suddenly swallowed us whole.
"Anyone out there?" I called out, my voice echoing into the unknown.
"They were here," Hilda murmured, pointing to a half-erased message on a tree trunk. "But it seems they moved deeper."
As the group pressed deeper into the woods, whispers floated through the air. Vague figures danced at the edge of our vision, and shadows flickered menacingly.
A growl rumbled through the trees, freezing us in our tracks. Eyes wide, we realized the woods were anything but empty.
"We're not alone," Magissa hissed.
With adrenaline pumping, we drew our weapons, our focus sharp. But the next moment, darkness descended—a black void that swallowed us whole.
And just like that, Xander and Vincent remained as hard to find as ever, the forest having devoured the trail that could have led us to them.