The group sits in the RV as the realization sets in. "The shopkeeper really sold us silver bullets, knowing full well we were going to fight a vampire," Jamal says, his face reflecting his frustration—after all, he's the one who bought the bullets.
Sunny leans casually against the wall. "Yeah, but don't sweat it. We're going to make a pretty penny off this hunt, so it'll balance out. Now, about the vampire—if I had to guess, she's hiding somewhere near the center of town. Bold move putting her nest there, but I suppose the plan is to make it harder to find by being in such a reckless spot."
Eddy nods in agreement. "Yeah, that checks out. Probably why I didn't pick up on anything before."
Luna raises her hand hesitantly. "So… are we just going to kick down the door and fight her?"
Sunny chuckles lightly. "Ideally, yeah, I'd love to do that, but first, we need to figure out exactly where she's hiding. Then we'll need to check if she has any prisoners—and if so, how many."
Luna follows up with another question. "What do we do if she does? Can they be saved, or will we have to… you know?"
Sunny places a reassuring hand on Luna's shoulder. "We'll do what we can. If they're not too far gone, they can probably be rehabilitated. If they are… well, I'll try to make it as painless as possible."
Luna's face falls into a somber expression as she forces a small smile. Sunny notices and shakes her head gently. "Luna, don't force yourself to smile, okay? Listen, I'll try to capture as many as I can, alright? And afterward, we'll all go out to eat. My treat."
Hearing Sunny's words, Luna's face brightens, and she gives Sunny a big hug.
Here's the revised version:
Eddy taps his foot, the sound echoing in the RV. "That's great and all, but we've got a vampire to kill and a nest to take down."
Sunny nods in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. Alright, team, we're going to do a quick scout before heading in. Keep in mind, just because she's a B-plus doesn't mean she's a pushover. During the fight, take it seriously—got it?"
Everyone nods in unison.
"Alright, let's head to the center. She hasn't figured out what I did to her yet," Sunny says with confidence.
With her declaration, the team drives toward the town center. Sunny focuses on tracking Laura's presence, and they soon arrive at a shopping plaza. Sunny scans the area, her eyes narrowing on a clothing store. She points at it. "She's in there. I'm certain she knows about the tracking and suspects us. However, she probably has tunnels connecting to the other shops nearby. If we enter one of these buildings, we'll need to be cautious. We'll wait until nightfall to attack—when no one is awake except for her. She'll be expecting us, so stay sharp."
As the sun sets, the moon rises high in the sky, casting a luminous glow. Luna looks up with a smile. "A full moon? I love looking at it—so pretty!" She hops out of the RV, her face lit with excitement.
Eddy rolls his eyes as he steps out. "It's just a stupid moon—a floating rock."
Luna punches his arm playfully. "I was named after that stupid rock!"
She stomps toward one of the stores while Jamal quickly follows her. "Hold up!" he calls out, jogging to catch up.
Sunny smiles as she steps out of the RV. Eddy immediately points his finger at the nearby security cameras, causing them to flicker and go dark temporarily.
"What did he do?" Luna asks curiously.
"Magnetokinesis," Sunny explains. "He disabled them using basic magnetism."
Luna nods, impressed, as the group makes their way to the back of a jewelry store. "Alright, stand back," Sunny says as she pulls out a piece of chalk. She carefully draws strange symbols on the door, places her hands on them, and murmurs something under her breath. A soft click echoes as the door unlocks and swings open.
The group steps inside and begins searching the store. Eddy taps along the walls and floors, checking for hollow spots. After a moment, he stops near a tile close to the counter. He knocks on it, and a faint click is heard. Pressing down on the tile, a hidden stairway reveals itself as the jewelry display in the middle of the room slides into the wall.
Eddy holds up a hand, signaling the group to stop. "Wait here," he says.
He pulls out a few marbles and tosses them down the stairway. As they bounce, several steps begin glowing faintly. Eddy points them out. "Those are traps," he says matter-of-factly.
He retrieves a handful of throwing knives and carefully tosses them onto the glowing steps. The knives land, glowing momentarily before disappearing. Eddy steps back, satisfied. "Alright, you're clear to proceed."
As the group descends the stairwell, they find themselves in what appear to be manmade tunnels, filled with twists and turns.
"What the...?" Jamal says, his voice filled with shock as he looks around.
Sunny, already on edge, has her blade drawn. "She probably has more thralls than we thought," she says grimly.
She suddenly raises a hand, signaling the group to stop. "Eddy's going ahead to scout for us," she explains. They watch as Eddy fades from sight, turning completely invisible.
Eddy moves swiftly through the tunnels, throwing marbles and knives to disable traps along the way. After twenty minutes of careful exploration, he reaches an area that appears to be a prison. Several cells line the walls, and inside, people are chained, their hands nailed to the walls.
Eddy's gaze hardens as he takes in the sight. Many of the prisoners look emaciated, as though they haven't been fed in days—maybe even weeks. He clenches his fists, piecing together that Laura likely plans to turn these people into thralls, just like the bat monster.
"Get your head in the game," he mutters to himself, shaking off the thought. He continues through the tunnels, keeping Sunny updated through a walkie-talkie.
Eventually, Eddy comes across a large door adorned with several sigils, wards, and heavy chains. He pauses, staring at it. "Well, that's one ominous door," he thinks to himself. Something feels off, though. He narrows his eyes and throws a knife at the door. To his surprise, the knife passes right through it.
"An illusion," he realizes.
Before he can investigate further, he hears a sound behind him. Instinctively, he leaps onto the wall, clinging to the shadows as two bat-like creatures emerge through the illusion. He watches as they sniff around, seemingly searching for someone or something.
Eddy waits silently, muscles tense, until the creatures re-enter through the illusion. He stays on the wall for about ten more minutes, ensuring the coast is clear before hopping down. As he studies the illusion further, another sound catches his attention. Something—or someone—is approaching. Quickly, Eddy leaps away to avoid detection.
Meanwhile, Sunny sits next to Luna, who fidgets nervously. Jamal sits nearby, calmly cleaning his saxophone, preparing for whatever lies ahead. As they sit around, Sunny hears Eddy's voice crackle through the walkie-talkie.
"Alright, it's clear!" Eddy says, followed by a click.
Sunny shrugs and stands up. "Alright, everyone, let's go," she says.
The group begins walking through the tunnel, seemingly prepared for the upcoming fight. They move with determination, ready to meet up with Eddy and face whatever lies ahead.