Leaves rustled as swift feet dashed past thick trunks in the darkness, snapping brittle branches and crunching dried leaves underfoot. The dense canopy overhead choked out most of the sunlight, leaving the forest bathed in a murky twilight. The air was cool and damp, thick with the scent of earth and moss.
Not far behind, a horde of monstrous creatures pursued the lone woman. Unlike her, they did not move in silence. Their guttural growls and blood-curdling howls echoed through the jungle, sending smaller creatures scurrying into hiding. Their massive forms loomed in the shadows, eyes glowing with primal hunger.
Ariel risked a glance back, her breath ragged but steady. Her grip on the pistol tightened as she turned, feet sliding to a halt. With swift precision, she fired. The sharp cracks of gunfire split the night, and the wolves staggered as bullets found their marks. Several collapsed, but the pack pressed on. She had mere moments before they closed the distance again.
With a powerful leap, she grasped a thick branch and hoisted herself up. Her fingers dug into the rough bark as she scaled higher, climbing the prominent old tree that had served as a landmark on countless missions. Its ancient limbs stretched skyward, far beyond the reach of the beasts below.
The wolves circled the base, snarling in frustration. Clawed paws raked at the trunk, but the tree stood resolute—too thick, too old for them to break. Their howls grew restless before one by one, they retreated into the darkness.
Ariel exhaled sharply, leaning against the sturdy trunk. The distant cries of the defeated beasts faded into silence. Only then did she allow herself to acknowledge the burning pain in her arm. Blood oozed from a deep gash, seeping into her sleeve.
"Damn it," she muttered. She couldn't afford an open wound—not with the night predators drawn to the scent of fresh blood.
With gritted teeth, she reached into her pack and pulled out a small glass vial filled with a swirling green liquid. She yanked the stopper off and downed the potion in one go. A cool sensation spread through her veins, and before her eyes, the wound began to knit itself back together. Relief flooded her, but there was no time to relax.
She rummaged through her bag, her fingers brushing against the prize of tonight's raid.
UV light bullets.
The rumors had been true. A rare, deadly weapon against vampires. Their shelter had dreamed of getting their hands on just one to replicate it. Now, she held a handful.
She clutched them tightly. "I won't let your sacrifice go to waste."
Once, they had been five. A team sent to hijack a vampire-controlled transport. The mission had been clear—steal the shipment and escape. But the vampires had anticipated them. From within the armored carriage, trained wolves had emerged. A C-tier mission had turned into an A-tier bloodbath.
Ariel was the only one left.
She leaned her head back against the tree, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the delicate pendant around her neck. Her mother's necklace. A small comfort in a brutal world.
Not far from where she rested, another battle raged in the night.
Damon, the leader of the Northern Coven, smirked, his crimson eyes glinting in the moonlight. The air crackled with dark energy as he faced his opponent—a vampire of the old blood, one of the few who dared to challenge him.
"Hah. So this is their best shot?" Damon tilted his head, unimpressed. "How... underwhelming."
His opponent snarled. "Arrogance will be your downfall, just as it was your father's."
Damon's smirk widened, revealing sharp fangs. "Oh? Let's put that to the test."
With a single powerful beat of his black wings, he launched forward. The two purebloods clashed, their movements too swift for mortal eyes to follow. Shadows twisted and danced as they tore through the air, each strike shaking the very trees beneath them.
The forest fell into an unnatural silence, the smaller creatures too afraid to move. Only the clash of titans broke the stillness.
As dawn crept over the horizon, the battle reached its grim conclusion.
A broken figure crumpled to the ground. His flesh sizzled and cracked as the first rays of sunlight licked at his skin. He let out a strangled gasp before his body disintegrated, crumbling into nothing but ash.
Damon landed, panting heavily, his body marred with wounds. He stared at the pile of ashes at his feet and chuckled darkly.
"I look forward to the day when my arrogance will be my undoing." He wiped a streak of blood from his lips. "But today is not that day."
The sunlight pressed closer, burning where it touched his skin. It was an annoyance rather than a death sentence—his mother's shape-shifter blood granted him resistance. But he needed to retreat, to heal.
In a swift motion, he shifted. His powerful form melted away, twisting into something small and unassuming.
A tiny rodent scampered into the undergrowth, searching for shelter.
Ariel stirred at first light. The world around her buzzed back to life with birdsong and rustling leaves. The horrors of the night slunk away, leaving only the remnants of their destruction.
She climbed down cautiously, her boots hitting the forest floor with a muffled thud. The scent of charred air and something more sinister caught her attention.
Ashes.
She crouched, running her fingers through the remains of what could only be a vampire. Not an ordinary one. This was a pureblood. She scooped some of the remains into a vial. Information could be as valuable as weapons.
As she moved to leave, something small caught her eye.
A hamster.
It was struggling, its tiny body barely moving, its breathing weak.
Ariel frowned. Something about this felt... strange. She wasn't the kind to waste time on injured animals, not in a world where survival came first. And yet—
Her hands moved before she could stop them.
She scooped up the tiny creature, cradling it gently against her chest.
The hamster stirred, opening its eyes—deep, blood-red eyes.
For a brief moment, she swore it glared at her.
"Don't be afraid, little one," she whispered, stroking its soft fur. "You're safe now."
Damon, trapped in his weakest form, lay motionless in her hands, his mind racing.
This foolish woman had just taken him into her arms, completely unaware of the monster she was cradling.
Ariel smiled, tucking him against the warmth of her body.
Damon seethed internally.
She had no idea.
But soon, she would.