The cloaked figure's words sent a ripple of tension through the ruins. Viktor turned sharply, his crimson eyes narrowing as he scanned the shadows.
"Find them," he hissed, his voice dripping with malice.
Luca pulled Eva and Erik back into the cover of the stone ruins, his mind racing. They were outnumbered, and the vampires were already on high alert. Retreat was their only option, but the winding path through the forest made escape precarious.
Erik's voice was barely a whisper. "We can't outrun them. They'll track us through the woods. Some of the older vampires are faster."
"We don't have to outrun them," Luca replied, his voice low but steady. "We just need to mislead them long enough to get word back to the council."
Eva nodded, her sharp eyes scanning the terrain. "There's a gorge about half a mile south. If we can get there, we might be able to lose them in the ravine."
"Let's move," Luca said, leading the way.
The three of them slipped through the ruins as silently as possible, the distant sounds of vampires searching growing louder. The glow from the artifact still lingered in Luca's mind, its strange pulsations unlike anything he'd encountered before. Whoever the cloaked figure was, they were no ordinary vampire—and that made them dangerous beyond measure.
They reached the edge of the gorge just as the first of the vampires appeared on the ridge above them. Erik turned, drawing his blade with a growl.
"I'll hold them off. Go!"
Luca grabbed his arm. "No. No one is playing hero today. We stick together. Splitting up will only make it easier for them to pick us off one by one."
Erik hesitated, his jaw tightening before nodding. "Fine. But if they get too close, I'm fighting."
The group descended into the gorge, the steep, rocky terrain slowing their movements. Eva's sharp senses kept them on track, her ears attuned to every rustle of the trees and crack of stone.
Above them, the vampires pursued with unnatural speed, their movements swift and precise. Luca glanced back, his heart pounding as he saw Viktor leading the charge, his pale face twisted with determination.
"They're gaining," Luca said through gritted teeth.
Eva's eyes darted to a narrow crevice in the gorge wall. "In there. It's tight, but it'll give us cover."
The three of them squeezed into the crevice, their breaths shallow as the vampires swept past. For a moment, the only sound was the distant howl of wind through the gorge.
When the coast seemed clear, they emerged cautiously, continuing their descent. The gorge widened into a shadowy expanse, its jagged cliffs towering above them.
"We need to find a way out," Luca said, scanning the terrain. "They'll regroup and come back this way."
Erik pointed to a series of ledges leading up to a plateau. "That could give us the high ground. We might be able to circle back to Valewood from there."
As they climbed, Eva broke the tense silence. "That cloaked figure… whoever they are, they're not just another vampire. There was something wrong about them. Did you feel it?"
Luca nodded grimly. "They're powerful. More powerful than Viktor, even. This isn't just about territory anymore. This is about something much bigger."
Erik grunted in agreement. "Whatever that artifact was, it wasn't natural. We need to tell the council before it's too late."
But as they reached the plateau, they found themselves face-to-face with a new threat. A tall, hulking vampire stood in their path, his eyes glowing with malevolent energy. He cracked his knuckles, his voice a deep rumble.
"You thought you could escape us?"
The vampire lunged, his speed belying his massive frame. Luca and Erik moved in tandem, their blades flashing in the moonlight as they deflected his strikes. Eva darted around the fight, her dagger aimed for the vampire's vulnerable points.
The battle was fierce, the vampire's strength unmatched. But the three of them worked as a unit, their training and instincts honed by years of fighting together.
Finally, Eva landed a decisive blow, her blade plunging into the vampire's heart. He let out a guttural roar before collapsing, his body disintegrating into ash.
Luca panted, wiping sweat from his brow. "Let's not stick around to see if he had friends."
They resumed their trek, pushing themselves to the brink of exhaustion as they made their way back toward Valewood. The vampires' presence still lingered in the air, but they managed to avoid further encounters.
By the time they reached the Alaric estate, dawn was breaking, the first rays of sunlight painting the sky in shades of orange and gold. Donovan was waiting for them, his expression a mix of relief and concern.
"What happened?" he demanded as they stumbled into the hall.
Luca recounted the events at the ruins, sparing no detail. When he described the cloaked figure and the artifact, Donovan's face grew grim.
"This changes everything," Donovan said. "If the vampires have access to something that powerful, we're facing more than just a territorial dispute. This is a war for domination."
Eva stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "We need to act now. The council has to see this for what it is. If we wait any longer, we'll lose our chance to stop them."
Donovan nodded. "I'll call another meeting immediately. This time, we'll make sure everyone understands the stakes."
As the Alarics prepared for the council meeting, Luca couldn't shake the memory of the cloaked figure's voice. There was something familiar about it, something that gnawed at the edges of his mind.
He turned to Eva. "Do you think this cloaked figure could be someone we know? Someone from Valewood?"
Eva frowned, considering the possibility. "It's not impossible. If the vampires have been working from the shadows, they could have recruited someone with influence. Someone who knows how to manipulate us."
Luca's stomach churned at the thought. Betrayal from within their ranks would explain so much, the vampires' precise strikes, their ability to anticipate the werewolves' moves.
"We need to find out who they are," Luca said. "Before they tear this city apart."
Eva placed a hand on his shoulder. "We will. Together."