The morning after Leno's abduction, the base was eerily silent. The usual buzz of activity, the sounds of footsteps, orders being barked, and weapons being prepared—all of it was gone. Now, the walls seemed to echo with emptiness, as if the very foundation of their team had been shaken to its core. Leno, their leader, the backbone of the team, was gone, and no one knew what to do.
The remaining members of the group walked through the base like ghosts, each lost in their own thoughts. The silence was suffocating, a heavy weight pressing down on them all. They didn't know how to begin picking up the pieces.
Victor paced around, his usual calm demeanor replaced with frustration and confusion. His fingers twitched, almost involuntarily, sparking tiny flashes of lightning as his mind raced. Leno had always been the one to guide them, the one who kept everything in line. Now, with him gone, the team seemed to crumble under the pressure.
Jay sat in the corner, clutching his necklace tightly. His mind was still reeling from the events of the previous night, his body still adjusting to the surge of power that had awakened within him. It had been like a firestorm—raw, uncontrolled magic that felt foreign yet familiar. But today, the magic was different. It was softer, less chaotic, but still there, simmering beneath the surface.
Andrei was sitting on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together. His usual cocky demeanor was gone, replaced with an uncharacteristic seriousness. "We need a plan," he muttered, though it felt like the words were just a reminder of their helplessness.
Kahanna, ever the ball of energy, was pacing by the door, biting her lip as she stared out the window. "We can't just sit here," she said, her voice rising with frustration. "We need to get him back. We can't let those bastards get away with this." Her hands clenched into fists, a fire burning in her eyes.
Reign, who had been unusually quiet, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. His sharp eyes were scanning the room, taking in his teammates' expressions. It was clear that something needed to change. They needed a purpose, a reason to fight.
Leon sat on a chair, arms crossed as he observed everyone quietly. He was trying to process everything, but there was a gnawing sense of uncertainty in him, a realization that without Leno, they were just a team of individuals. His eyes met Andrei's for a moment, but neither said anything. The silence between them spoke volumes.
The room was thick with tension when Jay stood up suddenly, his hands shaking slightly as he reached for his necklace. "I—uh—need to try something," he said, his voice a little unsure.
Victor turned toward him immediately, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "What are you talking about?"
"I don't know," Jay admitted, looking at the necklace with a furrowed brow. "But... something happened during the fight. And I think... maybe I have some sort of magic."
The room went dead quiet. The last few words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to go off. Magic? Jay had magic like Victor?
"What?" Reign said, his voice flat, disbelieving. "You? Magic?"
Jay took a deep breath. "I don't know what's happening. But I felt something... different. When the vampires attacked, I felt... like I could pull the magic from around me. Like it was mine." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "I think I can do it again."
There was a moment of stunned silence before Victor stepped forward, his eyes now narrowing with concern. "Jay, you're not a magic user. You're..." He trailed off, clearly struggling to make sense of what was happening.
Jay's heart was pounding in his chest as he focused on the necklace again, his fingers tightening around it. A small spark of energy flared in his hand, flickering weakly before vanishing. "See? It's weak, but it's something."
Victor blinked, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to process what he had just witnessed. "This doesn't make sense... You're not supposed to be able to use magic."
"I'm not saying I'm a full-fledged magic user," Jay continued, his voice more confident now. "But I think something triggered it. Maybe it's the necklace. Or maybe... I don't know. But it's there."
Reign, still leaning against the wall, raised an eyebrow. "So you're a wizard now, huh? What's next? Are you going to start pulling rabbits out of hats?"
"Ha ha, very funny, Reign," Andrei said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "But seriously, Jay. You're going to have to figure this out. Fast."
"I will," Jay muttered, his gaze flickering between his teammates. "I'll figure it out."
There was a brief silence as everyone processed the new information. They were all still in shock, their world having been turned upside down by Leno's abduction. But now, with Jay showing signs of magic, things were getting even stranger.
"So, what now?" Andrei asked, breaking the silence. "We just sit here and wait for something to happen to come? I don't know about you guys, but I'm not just going to sit around while Leno's in danger."
"You think we can just march in there and take him back?" Victor's voice was sharp, but there was an edge of frustration in it, too. "You've seen what they're capable of. This is bigger than just us. We need a plan."
"We're missing something," Reign muttered, his gaze distant. "Leno didn't just disappear. He was taken for a reason. We don't know what it is yet, but it's connected to all of this. Magic... vampires... everything."
"Magic," Jay repeated, his voice almost contemplative. "Do you think this has something to do with me? Like, me suddenly having magic?"
Victor shot him a sidelong glance. "I don't know, Jay. But we're going to find out."
Kahanna finally spoke up, her voice small but firm. "We don't have a backbone anymore. Without Leno, we're just a bunch of people thrown together. What are we really doing here?"
Leon, who had been mostly quiet until now, cleared his throat. "Kahanna's right. We don't have a clear leader anymore. Leno was the one who kept us grounded, gave us direction. We don't have that anymore."
Andrei stood up suddenly, a fire in his eyes. "That's bullshit, Leon. We're not a team because of Leno. We're a team because of each other. We can figure this out. We just need to trust each other."
The room went quiet again as everyone processed those words. It was true. They didn't need Leno to be a team. They were more than just one person. They were a group of individuals, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and histories. They had made it this far because they had each other.
But it still didn't feel the same.
"So... what now?" Andrei asked, quieter this time, his earlier bravado gone.
The team stood in silence for a few moments, the weight of Leno's abduction hanging over them all. Then, as if on cue, the door creaked open, and Alina walked in. Her eyes were cold, distant. She had been quiet since the battle, but now, her presence was undeniable.
She looked around the room, her gaze lingering on each of them, her lips pressed into a thin line. "You all look like you've seen a ghost," she remarked, her tone dry, though it was clear she was trying to mask her own emotions.
"We don't have a leader anymore," Andrei said, his voice frustrated. "We don't know what to do."
Alina's gaze flickered to him, then to the others. She stood there for a long moment, her thoughts seemingly far away. Then, she sighed, the tension in her body easing just a fraction. "That's not true," she said softly, her voice quiet but unwavering. "You don't need a leader. You just need to remember who you are."
Her eyes turned toward the door, and for a moment, it seemed like she was seeing something none of them could. Her gaze hardened, and the energy in the room shifted. She wasn't just talking to them anymore. She was talking to herself, to something deeper.
"Leno may be gone," she said slowly, "but we are not."
And with that, a figure appeared beside her, stepping out of the shadows. A woman, tall and commanding, with eyes that glowed like embers, her features sharp and dangerous. The woman looked at them with an unreadable expression.
"Alina," the woman said, her voice cold and emotionless. "It's time."
Alina's expression changed, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the woman in front of her.
"Kyne," Alina whispered, the name a dagger in the quiet room.
"Who is she?" Jay muttered.