During Lucian and Halcyon escaped of the relic chamber. What they didn't know was far more troubling… they had unknowingly spent two full days trapped on the third layer. The darkness of the sky was so absolute, that time itself seemed to vanish. To them, it felt like only a few hours.
And, in those two lost days, though the skies were calm, a storm was already brewing beneath the surface…
Covered by the usual dark night, outside of Ebonhaven, six shadows emerged from the surrounding forest? They stopped before a caven.
Sam's den. The former pack leader of the The Howling Circle. Now, it was empty, abandoned. One shadow knelt, dragging his clawed finger in the dirt.
"Found a trail," their rasped, serious voice commented. "Fresh. Hours old."
Another stepped forward, his form gliding rather than walking. "Let's don't waste a breath. Enter."
One by one, the shadows drifted inside the cave, their footsteps making no sound. Unlike Lucian's earlier entrance, no creatures followed from the forest. Not one creature peered from the trees. Only silence… and the scent of death.
Moonlight filtered through cracks of the cavern, illuminating glowing red eyes pairs as the shadows went deeper. Their boots finally crunched over gravel and bones. The corpse of larger, mutated, torn open as if by blades wolves.
The first shadow sniffed the air. It was strong scent of blood the overridden the area. Fresh and old. And yet… no other creatures had come. If didn't attract thoses ij search of blood, for the reason, they believed that Sam that had to be from someone powerful.
"Ekk!"
"Ekk!"
A sudden rush of wings flurried overhead. Bats, erupted and panicked… fleeing from the unnatural presence of the shadows.
One shadow stepped beside a charred mound of ash. Kneeling, he sifted through his blackened claws, retrieving a tarnished badge. Holding it to his face.
He looked to the side. "One of ours," he said coldly. "Silver shot. A pity. I liked this one. Had a wicked sense of humor."
Another floated near the corpse of a werewolf. "Not natural. Look at the teeth... Engineered. Alchemical magic, perhaps. Someone's tampering with forbidden magic."
A woman's voice, cold and amused, spoke next. Her long red hair shimmered in the moonlight as she crouched beside a corpse. "Maybe it's just someone with something to prove. They always get sentimental when they kill."
"You're wrong, Kora," another corrected. "This one blood carries traces of the Vesack potion. One of ours."
If their blood can be spilled so easily, how strong is their rule, really?
Kora's smirk faded… She stepped over the body. "That's… strange. Were they working together? Why would they atttack each other?"
"Impossible. These pathetic mutts couldn't even lay a finger on one of our lowest members," the first voice remarked with condescending laughter.
The other moved, using his claws lifting a bullet from the pile of ashes.
"Silver... But it's not enough to kill us. This had to be a normal hunter. Probably one who thinks he's better than he is."
"Whoever did this... either they didn't care they were from the Crimson Sanctum, or they were in such a hurry they couldn't bother." They muttered.
"Or they didn't know who they were killing."
A fourth figure suddenly appeared behind the last speaker and smacked the back of his head.
"Fool Reeves," they growled. Their voice was old, rough, loud and commanding. "Are you saying the Crimson Sanctum is not far and loud enough. That we lost control!"
Reeves lowered his head. "No, Commander Azarik. We are supreme. We must uphold. We…"
"Spare us," another muttered.
Cutting off the Reeves cause they all known all about his rambling after being scolded… They even knew, that Commander believed loyalty is more valuable than truth, and his decisions always reflects that.
Azarik ignored the chatter and gazed deeper into the gloom. At another shadow who spoke.
"You can't dismiss it just yet… We were supposed to be hidden. Unless others caught wind of the Crown Relic. But I thought only those with real power even knew it existed."
"Someone knew. That much is clear. And if they're using bullets, it means hunters. If we follow this trail, we might get the answers we've been looking for." Commander Azarik replied coldly.
Nearby, a shadow traced a strange sigil carved into a corpse's chest. "This one died with intent. See the symbol… He was closer to the relic than the others."
Suddenly, the earth vibrated with a low, eerie pulse… like a heartbeat echoing through stone. It even came from the wolf body, they realized it had to be the pack leader.
"That… wasn't natural," Kora whispered.
Azarik's eyes gleamed behind his mask. "The relic stirs. That means someone woke it."
It's believed the relic does not cause time to pass differently… it simply remembers events before they occur… Another, the Crimson Sanctum believes that relics were fragments of divine wills scattered during the Old War.
Rhaziel, the Sanctum's blade, drew his glaive in silence. "Then we hunt. Who do you think it is?"
Kora grinned, her fangs flashing. "Hopefully someone foolish enough to still be nearby. I haven't spilled entrails in days."
Hizon, always the quiet one, crouched near a blood trail. "No footprints. But their scent… It won't vanish so easily."
Azarik's voice dropped. "Then they're marked by power."
He signaled forward, and the group advanced deeper outside, gliding between bone piles and jagged stone.
Someone dared to spill Crimson Sanctum blood. Dare awaken a relic of the old wars. I will find them. And I will chain their soul to stone.
In the mist of Azarik thoughts, he abruptly halted… His nostrils flared.
"Wait…" he growled. "This scent."
"Another wolf?" Rhaziel turned and asked.
Azarik shook his head. "No. Vampire. Faint, nearly masked… but it's here."
Kora's eyes glowed as her gaze narrowed. "A vampire? That's... bold. We didn't get reports of them meddling in Sanctum business."
If Kora confronted a vampire with ancient blood, would she hesitate... or is she eager to prove herself?
Talia knelt by a blood-marked stone, he smeared in finger in and sniffed it his eyes widened brightly..
"Not just any vampire. Old blood. Ancient. Mixed with ours."
"You sure?" Rhaziel asked surprised.
He didn't answer. He didn't need to… The blood was convered by another blood of other wolves so it was hard to smell.
Kora's expression twisted into a smirk. "Could be a rogue. Or worse… someone playing both side."
Azarik's voice turned deep and mad. "The Sanctum doesn't forgive betrayal."
Talia stood slowly. "Then maybe that's why they died."
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a second pulse rocked the cavern… heavier this time, as if something deep within the earth had awakened.
"That's not natural," Rhaziel whispered.
Talia gaze shot to the ceiling. "And the timing… Something's wrong"
"What?" Kora asked.
He answered slowly. "We've only been here a day... but the stars are wrong."
Azarik's jaw tightened. "The stars don't lie. We've lost time… Two full days."
The air turned cold as the truth set in.
"Two days," Kora said, barely above her breath. "They're two days ahead of us."
Azarik clenched his fists. "And the relic might already be in their hands."
Rhaziel, said his voice dropped. "We're not chasing a killer anymore. We're chasing a thief."
Talia nodded. "Then let's hope we're not already too late."
The faint hum felt to them of something ancient stirred in the air… waiting.
What does Azarik fear more, the relic's awakening or the idea that someone else got to it first?