The room was thick with tension as the master vampire tightened her grip on George's arm, her mocking smile never wavering. Her strength was overwhelming, her hold unbreakable. But George refused to let fear take over. He had faced monsters before, creatures of unimaginable power, and he had come through every time, not alone but with those he trusted at his side.
Just as his strength started to falter, a sudden blast of light filled the chamber, casting the vampire's shadow back into the corner. Akari stood behind him, her hands glowing with silver light as she completed her ritual, the last symbols of purification hovering in the air around her.
"Get away from him!" she shouted, her voice trembling but firm, her light pushing back against the darkness. The vampire recoiled, releasing George's arm, her face twisting in rage as the holy light burned her skin, causing it to sizzle and smoke.
