Damien stared at the notifications in disbelief, his mind struggling to process the weight of the new status changes.
The title 'Vampire Slayer' made him feel different, he could feel a strange energy coursing through him and he felt stronger than ever.
But the sight of the latter notification sent chills down his spine. The reality of his situation hit hard—he had just slain a vampire fledgeling, but in doing so, he had incurred the wrath of a powerful vampire sire.
He took a deep breath and his gaze moved to the now-lifeless body on the floor. The vampire's blood continued to pool around her, and Damien knew that her sire would be seeking retribution.
The danger had shifted from a mere physical threat to a much more personal vendetta, a blood debt of sort.
Damien quickly gathered his bearings, surveying the lab for anything that could help him.
There were scraps of paper, old research notes, and broken machinery. He grabbed a few items that might be useful and shoved them into his bag. The pain in his side throbbed with every movement he made, but he forced himself to ignore it. He needed to get out before any more trouble found him.
He glanced at the door which was now reduced to splinters. The escape route was compromised, but the lab had a small window high up on the wall. It wasn't ideal, but it was his only option.
Damien climbed over the debris and made his way to the window by using an overturned table to reach it.
As he forced the window open, the cool air from outside hit him and was a welcome relief. He squeezed through the window, landing on the roof of the building. From there, he could see the school grounds sprawling below him, bathing in the eerie light of the three suns.
Damien paused for a moment, catching his breath and assessing his next move. He had to be smart about this as he couldn't just move blindly. The vampire's sire would be relentless, and Damien needed to find his group members and return to the coliseum quickly.
Damien scanned the rooftops, noting the various paths he could take to navigate the school grounds. His first priority was to regroup with his team and get back to the coliseum.
He took a deep breath, feeling the new strength and heightened senses from the status changes. The 'Vampire Slayer' title had given him an edge, but he had to use it wisely.
As he moved across the rooftops, he kept his senses sharp for any signs of pursuit. His enhanced dexterity and strength made navigating the rooftops easier, but he remained cautious.
He knew nothing about the vampire and how they acted. The vampire sire's retribution could come at any time from any direction.
He soon spotted a familiar landmark—a tall clock tower that marked the center of the school grounds. The coliseum was not far from there. Damien adjusted his path, aiming to reach the tower and then make his way to the coliseum.
As he approached the tower, Damien's instincts flared. He sensed an unnatural presence in the air, so he ducked behind a ventilation unit, peering cautiously over the edge of the roof.
Below, a group of shadowy figures moved through the streets. They wore dark cloaks and moved with very light footsteps.
"They look familiar." Damien recognized the bloody aura surrounding them.
They had a similar aura to the fledgeling he killed, only weaker and were most likely vampire thralls. They were likely sent by the sire to hunt him down. He needed to be extra careful.
The thralls would likely patrol the area in search for any sign of him. Damien decided to wait and observe their patterns, hoping to find a safe path to the coliseum.
After a tense few minutes, the thralls moved on, leaving Damien with a narrow window of opportunity. He sprinted lightly across the rooftops, his new strength allowing him to cover the distance quickly.
As he neared the coliseum, he quickly jumped down from the rooftop. He approached the heavy metal doors and knocked in a coded way they previously practiced.
Finally, the doors opened up and he emerged into the coliseum, where he found his group members, Feiyun, the hoodie girl and the three other survivors anxious and worried. Finch's group hadn't returned yet which made him worried.
Their faces lightened when they saw him.
Feiyun's face filled with worry as she stepped forward. "Damien, you look like you've been through hell. What happened after you got trapped?"
Damien recounted the encounter with the vampire fledgeling, the intense battle, and the mark of the Sire's Seal. He made sure to emphasize the gravity of their situation. "We're dealing with a powerful enemy now," he concluded. "This 'sire' won't stop until they've exacted their revenge. We need to be prepared for anything."
The hoodie girl, spoke up, her voice was unnaturally calm despite her concern. "Do you know how many thralls the sire might have sent? We need a plan."
Damien shook his head. "I only saw a few thralls, but given the sire's power to inflict me with a mark from afar, they could have more hidden away."
Bruce was standing off to the side with a hint of schadenfreude and an expression that said, "I warned you," he nodded. "We can start by reinforcing the coliseum. We have supplies and equipment here that we can u..."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Before Bruce could finish, a loud knocking sound rang out of the large metal doors in a familiar pattern startling everyone.
Recognizing the familiar pattern, Damien nodded his head for them to open the doors.
The large metal doors creaked open, revealing Finch and what was left of his group, limping into the coliseum. Blood stained their clothes, and the few who had returned were covered in cuts and bruises. Finch's face was pale, his eyes hollow from exhaustion and pain.
Damien rushed over to him, catching him before he collapsed. "What happened? Where's Jenna and Bryan?"
Finch took a shaky breath, wincing as he clutched his side. "We were attacked," he said in a raspy tone, his voice strained. "Cloaked figures— they were powerful. They took Jenna, Bryan... and a few of our people. We tried to fight back, but they overwhelmed us. We barely made it out alive."
Damien's blood ran cold. Cloaked figures? That sounded very much like the thralls of the vampire sire he saw on his way back.
They had probably discovered Finch's group during their search for him. His mind raced as he helped Finch sit down, glancing around at the others who had returned. They were all shaken, barely holding it together.
"How many did they take?" Damien asked, his voice tight.
"Four, including Jenna and Bryan," Finch replied. "We think they were after someone specifically. We fought like hell, but... they were too strong."
The hoodie girl suddenly stepped forward and though her face was hidden, her voice betrayed a certain restlessness. "Cloaked figures? Did they say anything? Who are they working for?"
Finch shook his head, wincing in pain. "They didn't speak and just attacked us. But… one of them had this aura, this presence. I've never felt anything like it."
Damien with his keen senses picked up that slight change in her voice but he played ignorant. "These cloaked figures… they could be connected to the 'sire', or something else entirely. Either way, we're being targeted, and that means we're all in danger."
Bruce, who had been watching with a grim expression, stepped forward and his tone was serious for the first time. "I told you going out wasn't safe. We've already lost people, and now they've taken some of our strongest warriors. If we don't act now, they'll pick us off one by one."
"We're not going to sit here and wait for that to happen," Damien said firmly, standing up straight. "We're going after them. Jenna and the others are still alive, and we're not leaving them behind."
The hoodie girl nodded in agreement, a strange light flickering in her eyes unoticed by anyone. "We can't afford to lose anyone else. But we need to be smart about this. If those figures are as strong as Finch says, we'll need to be well prepared."
"First, we need information," Damien replied. "We'll need to figure out where they took them, what they want, and how to fight back. And we need to do it fast."
Finch sat up straight despite his injuries. "I'll lead the search. I saw the direction they were heading, and we can track them. But we'll need to move soon, before they get too far."
As a level five primal warrior, Finch had a certain level of healing ability although not as powerful as a vampire's, it was still helpful for healing minor injuries. So Damien wasn't worried about it.
Damien nodded, his mind already thinking of different scenarios to rescue Finch's abducted group members. "Alright. We'll gather supplies and set out within the hour. The rest of you, secure this place. If we fail, this will be our last line of defense."
For the first time in his life, Damien felt the weight of leadership settle on his shoulders.
They were up against something far more dangerous than he had anticipated, but he couldn't let fear control him. He had to find the others and stop whatever force was moving against them, sire or not before it was too late.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Damien tightened his grip on Nightshade. It was time to fight back.