Axel could not make out what the figure in the forest was. It resembled a human, but Axel was sure it wasn't.
When he checked on his friends, he saw Maxwell watching the road while Felix was engrossed in his painting. Maybe it was just a hallucination, Axel thought. He had seen his dead family a few times before.
Axel continued to watch the forest, but saw nothing unusual. He got up and moved to the back of the RV. Felix noticed Axel's movement but didn't pay much attention as he was concentrating on his painting.
Axel went straight to the hidden compartment in the back of the RV. When he opened the compartment, he saw an array of weapons: axes, daggers, swords, and a few firearms.
These weapons were custom-made, made from special alloys developed in a lab that made them nearly unbreakable, even to vampires. Axel had spent a significant portion of his fortune on these weapons, as creating new alloys was expensive.
As he looked at the weapons, his eyes lingered on the twin axes he had made for himself. He took the axes and attached them to his special belt. Axel didn't usually carry weapons, but he wanted to be on guard after seeing that figure in the forest.
Returning to the front of the RV, Axel saw Felix still painting. He looked at the painting and noticed that it was a forest scene. But then he noticed a detail in the painting: something behind the trees. It was as if he was seeing again the creature he had seen in the forest. This was Felix's special gift. His paintings often contained glimpses of the future.
Not wanting to worry his friends or spoil their fun, Axel didn't mention the figure he had seen. When he sat down in the passenger seat, Maxwell gave him a questioning look before turning his attention back to the road.
Maxwell knew Axel well and found his actions suspicious. He was sure something had happened, but he knew Axel wouldn't tell him if he didn't want to.
Axel continued to watch the forest. Although Maxwell thought about Axel's strange behavior at first, he soon let it go because he trusted Axel.
Meanwhile, Felix looked at his painting. He noticed a tree next to the mysterious figure. While the figure was striking, what caught Felix's eye was the axe embedded in the tree. He recognized it as Axel's axe.
Axel hadn't seen the axe in the painting earlier because Felix hadn't finished the artwork. Felix was torn between showing them the painting or not, knowing that few things could threaten Axel.
The team had visited many places before, traveling to different parts of the world. In his research, Axel had found records of vampires, shapeshifters, and werewolves. While some archaeologists and scientists had come across similar records, they had dismissed them as nonsense.
Axel, however, took these records seriously. He had seen strange creatures in the records, creatures unlike anything he had ever seen before. He shared his discoveries with his friends.
Their research led them to discover various unknown creatures. The scientific community considered these creatures fantastic, but Axel knew that vampires themselves were considered fantastic creatures.
If vampires existed, so could these other creatures. Since the vampire descriptions in the records were accurate, the likelihood of other creatures being real increased. Their current mission as a team was to uncover information about this mysterious past.
Among the various creatures, there were many powerful ones. Some depictions showed a group of vampires fighting a monster, with the monster eventually defeating all the vampires.
Axel's main curiosity was how such powerful creatures had disappeared. If a group of vampires couldn't defeat them, it should be impossible for humans to do so.
The weapons Axel had prepared were for creatures more dangerous than vampires or werewolves. He wanted to ensure the safety of his team in case they encountered such creatures. Although they weren't related by blood, they were as close as siblings.
Felix's ability wasn't particularly useful in combat, but it was incredibly valuable. Maxwell, on the other hand, is faster than any vampire. Thanks to Axel, the team's combat power was at its peak. Felix and Maxwell excelled in areas that didn't require combat.
The team's reputation had spread. Many vampire groups had heard of them, though few had interacted with them directly. Most vampires stayed away out of fear of Axel. Those who happened to run into Axel realized that he wasn't as ruthless as rumored. As long as they didn't provoke him, Axel wouldn't hurt them. Even though they knew this, they didn't spread the word for fear that if they did, Axel might get angry.
Only two vampires fully understood Axel's power: Felix and Maxwell. Other vampires only knew of his destructive power. Word had spread that Axel had single-handedly defeated five vampires without getting hurt.
Axel knew this had been heard, but he found it useful because it kept other vampires from causing trouble. He could do as he pleased. When he encountered vampires who harmed innocent humans, he killed them, which greatly disturbed the other vampires. But no one dared to confront him.
Axel continued to watch the forest, now shrouded in the deepening night. The RV moved slowly, the headlights casting long, eerie shadows on the trees. The road ahead was empty, and the sense of isolation grew as they ventured deeper into the forest. The rustling of leaves and the distant hoots of nocturnal creatures added to the foreboding atmosphere.
Maxwell, sensing the tension, glanced at Axel occasionally, but chose to trust his friend's judgment. Felix, engrossed in his painting, debated whether to share the ominous details with his friends. The weight of the unknown hung heavy in the air as the team unwittingly approached a potentially dangerous encounter.