As they ventured into the eerily quiet town, Kai's nose twitched. He held up his hand, stopping them in their tracks.
"Something's not right," he whispered. "The air... it's thick with magic. Old magic. And there's something else..." He took another deep sniff. "Blood. Lots of it."
Marcus's expression darkened. "Where?"
"Underground," Kai replied, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. "There's a network of tunnels beneath this town. Pretty common in these old settlements - the supernatural community loves their secret passages."
Samantha watched as Marcus processed this information, his mind clearly working through possibilities. His face was calm, focused, and she realized she was seeing a side of him she hadn't before - the strategist, the leader.
"We need to find an entry point," Marcus said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Kai, can you track the strongest concentration of magic?"
