The Hunter's Beginning
The night in Valencia is alive with danger. Lena prowls through the mist-shrouded streets, her senses alert to every movement. Sylas, her latest quarry, is a vampire whose ruthlessness has terrorized the city for weeks. The night air is thick with anticipation, and the narrow alleys seem to close in on her as she moves.
Her footsteps are silent, but inside, her heart pounds in a steady rhythm. This isn't just another hunt-this is personal. The death of her parents all those years ago left a scar that has never healed, a wound that festers beneath the surface of her cold exterior. Every vampire she kills, she imagines she is one step closer to avenging them. But deep down, she knows there's something missing.
A piece of herself she's never allowed herself to acknowledge: the grief that she's buried for so long.
Lena's fingers grip the hilt of her silver blade, a gleaming symbol of her family's legacy. It's her most trusted weapon-no vampire can survive its touch. But as she nears the abandoned warehouse where Sylas is rumored to be hiding, a chill settles over her. The air grows thick, heavy, as though something dark is stirring in the shadows. Lena stops dead in her tracks. Her instincts scream that this isn't just an ordinary hunt. Sylas is waiting for her, and this time, he's not alone.
Suddenly, Sylas bursts from the shadows, his eyes glowing with malice. The vampire's speed is a blur, and Lena barely manages to dodge the first attack, rolling across the ground to regain her stance. The air around them crackles with tension as Lena faces the monster who has tormented this district for far too long.
They clash with brutal force. Sylas moves like a shadow, swift and silent, but Lena is faster. She lands a blow across his chest, but the vampire's flesh doesn't tear as it should. Instead, it heals instantly, the wound closing like it was never there. His laugh echoes in the dim light, a taunting sound that makes Lena's blood run cold. "You think you can kill me, hunter? I'm beyond your reach."
But Lena isn't intimidated. Anger pulses through her veins, mixed with the adrenaline of the chase. She charges at Sylas again, this time aiming for his throat. The blade sinks deep, but not enough to kill him. As she struggles to free the blade from his flesh, Sylas grabs her wrist, twisting it violently. Pain shoots through her body, but Lena grits her teeth, refusing to cry out.
"You're weak, Lena Vasquez," he sneers, "but you'll make a fine Queen for the Covenant."
At that moment, Lena's world shifts.
The mention of the Covenant brings a wave of disorientation over her, like a veil lifting. She sees the symbol carved into Sylas's skin-something familiar, something that ties directly to the vision she had at the temple. She finally manages to pull the blade free and stabs Sylas in the heart, the silver edge piercing his skin with a satisfying crack.
As the vampire collapses, his body writhing in death, Lena stands over him, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down her face. But she doesn't feel the usual triumph. Something is missing. Instead of relief, she feels a growing unease, a gnawing sense that this hunt is only the beginning, and the answers she seeks are more complex than she ever imagined.