The Keeper's safehouse was hidden beneath the ruins of an old cathedral, its entrance concealed behind a crumbling altar. Nyra pressed her palm against a set of carved symbols, and the stone wall shifted, revealing a narrow passageway leading underground.
Lira followed cautiously, the cold air thick with the scent of dust and ancient magic. The passage opened into a vast underground chamber lined with torches, their flickering light casting eerie shadows on the walls.
"This was one of the last strongholds before the war," Nyra explained, leading them toward a large table covered in maps, scrolls, and aged weapons. "Most of the Keepers were wiped out. Those who survived scattered, hiding in plain sight."
Lira traced a finger over the faded parchment on the table, her eyes catching symbols that matched those on the relic. "If the Keepers knew about these relics, why didn't they destroy them?"
Kael's voice was grim. "Because the relics are the only things capable of stopping the vampire lords. But they can also be used to control them."
Lira's stomach tightened. "So, whoever holds the relics... holds power over the vampires?"
Nyra nodded. "That's why the lord wants them. With all three, he could become unstoppable."
A sudden, sharp knock at the hidden entrance made them all freeze.
"We have company," Kael muttered, dr
awing his blade.