Varess Palace -Suitsen City-
The gates of Varess Palace opened with a thunderous rumble, revealing a marble courtyard filled with crystal lanterns. Kael tightened his grip on Akaren's arm, feeling the tension in his muscles beneath the silken gown. The scent of wine and roasted meat mingled with a hidden metallic tang—weapons concealed beneath the opulence.
"Three steps behind Alamen," Akaren whispered, flashing a sweet smile at a noble who waved at them. "Selene. She's wearing a crescent moon brooch."
Kael gave an almost imperceptible nod, his violet eyes sweeping the hall. At the far end of the room, atop a small dais, Alamen stood in a gold-embroidered black coat. His sharp features and cold crimson eyes radiated lethal authority. Beside him, a woman with neatly tied Silvery-white hair—Selene—stood like a statue, her right hand always near her sword hilt. The silver brooch on her chest gleamed.
"Lord Varess!" Akaren suddenly exclaimed, her voice brightening as she tugged Kael toward their host—a massive demon with an overly wide grin. "Allow me to introduce Baron Kaelric von Drakthar, my beloved."
Kael gave a shallow bow, noting how Varess sniffed the air like a hound. He had caught a scent.
"Baron Drakthar," Varess greeted, his eyes narrowing. "Your family is known for its... hunting habits, is it not?"
Kael felt cold sweat on his back. *He knows.* But before he could respond, Akaren let out a light laugh.
"Oh, but Kaelric loathes hunting!" Akaren played her part flawlessly, her small hand patting Kael's arm. "He prefers studying the art of wine. Isn't that right, darling?"
Kael forced a smile. "As my beloved says. Though sometimes... beasts must be dealt with." His gaze inadvertently met Selene's across the room. The woman frowned, as if hearing something unseen.
Varess laughed loudly, but his eyes remained cold. "Enjoy the feast! Food and drink are plentiful!" With a wave, he ushered them deeper inside.
As they moved through the hall, Kael felt burning stares on his back. Yohelkiel lurked near the curtains, his thin tongue flicking over his upper lip. Sifonetz leaned against a pillar, spinning a dagger with deft fingers.
"We're in trouble," Kael muttered.
Akaren squeezed his hand tighter. "No. They only suspect. Stick to the plan."
At the center of the hall, servants began serving the main course—bloody meat on silver platters. Alamen stepped onto the small dais, a crystal glass in hand.
"Noble lords and ladies!" he boomed. "Tonight, we celebrate a new era for Suitsen!"
Cheers erupted. Kael used the noise to slip closer while Akaren subtly shifted toward Selene. Beneath his coat, the scroll of fire magic burned hot—as if reacting to Selene's presence.
Suddenly, the church bells tolled twelve times. Midnight.
Akaren gave a near-invisible nod. With a smooth motion, she opened her wrist bracelet, revealing a crescent-shaped wound that pulsed red. Across the room, Selene staggered, clutching the brooch on her chest.
"NOW, KAEL!" Akaren screamed, blood trickling from her nose.
Kael drew the fire scroll, but before he could activate it, Byorne—the dark sorcerer—raised his staff high and slammed it into the ground.
"CRACK—!"
The marble floor split, and the entire palace shook as if struck by an earthquake. Walls shifted, the ceiling rotated, and new corridors formed like a living maze.
"No...!" Kael lunged for Alamen, but the ground beneath him shattered, separating him from his target.
Alamen smirked, his body slowly engulfed in black mist. "Enjoy the game, Hunter."
Byorne raised his hand, and with Alamen, they vanished into the shadows.
Amid the chaos, Yohelkiel and Sifonetz emerged from behind pillars, while Selene—though still in pain—stood with blazing blue eyes.
"You will not reach Alamen," Selene growled, her sword glinting in the lamplight.
Akaren struggled to her feet, her face pale. "I'll handle Selene."
Kael tightened his grip on his axe. "Yohelkiel and Sifonetz... we meet again."
Yohelkiel grinned, his fangs glistening. "No smoke bombs to save you this time, Hunter."
Sifonetz darted like lightning, his dagger spinning in deadly arcs. Kael dodged swiftly, his axe deflecting strike after strike.
"You're fast," Sifonetz remarked, impressed. "But not fast enough."
Yohelkiel struck from the side, his claws raking Kael's arm. Blood spilled, but Kael ignored it. With a practiced motion, he kicked Yohelkiel back, then hurled a silver knife at Sifonetz.
The elf dodged, but Kael had already seized the moment—"FIRE!"—the magic scroll ignited, and a burst of flames engulfed Yohelkiel. The vampire shrieked in agony as his body burned.
But Sifonetz wasn't done. "You'll die tonight!"
Sifonetz moved first—blindingly fast. His body was nearly invisible, just a blur darting between the stone pillars. His dagger gleamed, slashing toward Kael's throat.
"CLANG!"
Kael barely parried with his axe, but the force of the blow sent him stumbling back. "You are fast," he growled.
Yohelkiel gave him no time to recover. From the side, the vampire lunged, his black claws aimed at Kael's ribs. Kael twisted away just before the claws could rend flesh—but Yohelkiel had anticipated it. "Fooled you!" His foot slammed into Kael's stomach, hurling him into the wall.
"UGH—!"
Kael crashed against the stone, pain flaring through his back. But he rolled immediately, narrowly avoiding Sifonetz's dagger as it stabbed where his shoulder had been.
"He's tougher than I expected," Sifonetz muttered.
Yohelkiel grinned. "Makes his blood all the sweeter."
Kael knew he couldn't take them both at once. He needed to split the fight.
With a swift motion, he hurled three small knives at Yohelkiel—"Ha, useless!"—the vampire dodged easily. But that wasn't the point.
Kael had forced Yohelkiel back into a side corridor, separating him from Sifonetz.
Now, it was one-on-one.
Sifonetz smirked. "You think you can beat me alone?"
"We'll see," Kael snarled, then charged.
Their battle was like a deadly dance—every strike dodged, every slash countered. Sifonetz was faster, but Kael was stronger.
"Too slow, Hunter!" Sifonetz taunted, his dagger grazing Kael's neck.
The marble halls of Varess Palace had become a blood-soaked battleground. Kael stood firm, breathing heavily, blood dripping from wounds on his arm and chest. Before him stood his two enemies—Sifonetz, the assassin elf with his poisoned dagger, and Yohelkiel, the pureblood vampire whose eyes burned with hatred.
"You think you can defeat us alone, Hunter?" Sifonetz sneered, spinning his dagger between deft fingers.
Yohelkiel hissed, fangs bared. "A half-breed like you doesn't deserve to stand before a true vampire!"
Kael tightened his grip on his axe, a bitter smirk twisting his lips. "If two of you can barely handle me, maybe purebloods aren't as strong as you boast."
Yohelkiel snarled, rage boiling over. "Silence, filth! The human blood in your veins is a disgrace!"
Without warning, Yohelkiel lunged like lightning, his claws slashing toward Kael's throat. Kael barely blocked with his axe—but Sifonetz was already striking from the side, his dagger nearly piercing Kael's ribs.
"Gah—!" Kael twisted away at the last second, but the blade still grazed his side. Fresh blood dripped.
Yohelkiel gave him no respite. "Weak! Look at your red blood—not even half as noble as the black of a true vampire!"
Kael spat on the ground. "Better red than the rotting black of a corpse like you."
Sifonetz laughed. "Keep talking. You're still cornered."
Kael knew he had to break their rhythm. In a sudden move, he flung a small knife at Sifonetz's eyes—forcing the elf to dodge—and in that instant, he charged Yohelkiel.
"Daring to face me one-on-one?!" Yohelkiel growled, deflecting Kael's strike with his claws.
"Just taking out the trash first," Kael shot back, then swept Yohelkiel's legs with a sharp kick. The vampire crashed down but rose with fury burning in his eyes.
Sifonetz attacked from behind, but Kael was ready—with a spinning motion, his axe smashed into the elf's wrist. "CRACK!" The bone snapped again.
"Damn you—!" Sifonetz dropped his dagger but instantly drew a spare blade from his boot.
Yohelkiel refused to be outdone. "Enough games!" The vampire unleashed his full speed, claws tearing through the air. Kael could barely keep up, forced purely on the defensive—slash after slash landed on his body.
"See?! This is the power of a true vampire!" Yohelkiel mocked, kicking Kael hard enough to send him crashing into the wall.
Kael coughed blood, but his gaze remained sharp. "Power? Or just blind arrogance?"
Summing his last strength, Kael grabbed a shard of marble from the floor—and as Yohelkiel lunged again, he hurled it straight into the vampire's eye.
"AAARGH—!" Yohelkiel screamed, clutching his face.
Sifonetz seized the opening, leaping at Kael with his poisoned dagger. But Kael had been waiting—with one final motion, he swung his axe with all his might.
"GYAHHHHH—!"
"SCHLICK!"
The axe cleaved through Sifonetz's chest. The elf choked, blood bubbling from his lips.
Yohelkiel, though half-blinded, raged. "Impossible... A half-breed like you...!"
Kael staggered to his feet, wrenching his axe free from Sifonetz's collapsing body. "You're wrong, Yohelkiel. My blood may not be pure—but that's what makes me stronger than you."
Yohelkiel snarled, then with a furious scream, he leaped at Kael—
But Kael was faster.
With the last of his strength, he drove his axe straight into Yohelkiel's heart.
"This is your end, arrogant vampire."
Yohelkiel shuddered, his body slowly crumbling to dust. "Alamen... will kill you..."
Kael took a deep breath. "We'll see about that."
In the shattered western wing of Varess Palace, two women stood facing each other among the cracked pillars…
Selene, Alamen's loyal knight, wiped blood from her split lip. The crescent brooch on her chest was cracked, but her eyes still burned with defiance.
Akaren, her wrist bearing a glowing crescent-shaped wound, drew her shortsword from its sheath.
"You were supposed to die ten years ago, sister," Selene hissed, her voice bitter.
"And you were never meant to be Alamen's slave," Akaren shot back, stepping forward.
"CLANG!"
Selene's blade struck like lightning, meeting Akaren's shortsword in a shower of sparks.
"You think you can stop my lord's plans?" Selene pushed forward, forcing Akaren back a step.
"I don't need to stop him." Akaren flicked her left wrist—the crescent wound flared crimson. "I just need to stop you."
Selene suddenly staggered, clutching her cracked brooch. "Ancient magic… how—"
"You forget—we share the same blood," Akaren lunged, her shortsword striking like a viper.
Selene barely parried, her stance wavering. "The blood of a traitor!"
"The blood of freedom!"
Their battle was a deadly dance—every slash met with a perfect counter, every step calculated.
"You don't understand what Alamen offers!" Selene shouted, unleashing a spinning strike.
"I understand too well!" Akaren twisted aside, Selene's blade grazing empty air.
Then—
"AAARGH!"
Selene collapsed onto the marble rubble, blood seeping from a wound in her shoulder. Her breath came in ragged gasps, but her gaze remained sharp—all while the effects of Akaren's blood ritual took their toll.
Before her, Akaren lay sprawled and battered, her body covered in wounds, her right hand still gripping her broken shortsword. The ritual's backlash had struck her as well.
"You… still can't defeat me," Selene rasped, struggling to rise.
Akaren smirked weakly, blood trickling from her lips. "Look around you, Selene. The palace is crumbling… and Alamen left you behind."
Suddenly—
"AKAREN!"
Kael emerged through the smoke, his face burned and clothes torn. His violet eyes locked onto Selene.
"You—!" Selene tried to raise her sword, but her arm trembled.
Kael didn't hesitate. In quick strides, he reached Akaren and hauled her up. "We're leaving. Now."
"No…!" Akaren forced herself upright. "Selene… she has to be stopped—"
A deafening roar shook the hall. The ceiling began to collapse, massive stones crashing down.
"The palace is coming down!" Kael shouted.
Selene looked up—her eyes widened as a colossal marble beam plummeted toward her. With a desperate roll, she avoided it… but didn't see the debris behind her.
"GHAA—!"
A pillar collapsed onto Selene's legs, pinning her beneath the rubble. Blood gushed from her mouth.
Kael glanced at the trapped Selene, then at the weakening Akaren.
"Kael… help her…" Akaren whispered.
Kael clenched his jaw. With a heavy heart, he lifted Akaren and sprinted toward the western corridor—just as the grand hall imploded behind them.
They reached the corridor, and Kael carefully laid Akaren down. "Stay alive, you fool. You don't get to die today."
Akaren smiled faintly. "Selene… she's actually—"
"Quiet," Kael cut her off, tearing his sleeve to bandage her wounds. His bloodstained hand dug into his pocket, pulling out a small vial of shimmering blue liquid—his last healing potion.
"Drink this," he growled, uncorking it with his teeth.
Akaren nodded weakly, swallowing the potion with effort. The blue liquid worked instantly—her wounds slowly closed, color returning to her pale face.
"Thank y—"
Before she could finish, a deep, grating voice echoed through the corridor.
"Ahhh… Poor little Hunter."
From the shadows emerged Lord Varess, his yellow eyes gleaming. His fine coat was torn, revealing gray, stone-like skin beneath.
"You thought you could escape after ruining my feast?"
Kael stood tall, despite his trembling legs. "Feast? You call this a feast?"
Varess laughed—a sound like grinding stone. "You still don't understand, do you? Tonight wasn't about dining… but purification."
Akaren tried to rise. "Kael… he's—"
"Not now," Kael snapped, eyes locked on Varess. "You talk too much, host. Let's finish this."
Varess sniffed the air. "I can smell the tainted blood of Hunters on you… and your fear."
With unexpected speed for his size, Varess charged. His fist smashed into the marble floor, splitting it apart.
Kael barely dodged. "Damn monster!"
Varess grinned, baring rows of jagged teeth. "You came to my house, Hunter."
He swung again—Kael blocked with his axe, but the impact numbed his arms.
"Kael!" Akaren shouted from behind.
Varess seized the distraction—a brutal kick sent Kael crashing into the wall.
"Ghk—!"
Blood filled Kael's mouth. He rolled aside just as Varess struck again.
"Run, Akaren!" Kael hurled a chunk of marble at Varess's eyes.
The beast roared as Kael seized his chance—he leaped onto Varess's back and wrapped a silver chain around his throat!
"GRAAAK!" Varess thrashed, smoke rising where the silver touched his flesh.
But Varess was too strong—with a violent jerk, he flung Kael to the ground.
"You're just—"
Suddenly, Akaren's shortsword plunged into Varess's back!
"—A COWARD—!"
Varess whirled, his claws raking across Akaren's shoulder. Blood sprayed.
Kael saw red.
With a furious roar, he grabbed his axe and—
"GYAHHHHHH!"
—buried it deep in Varess's heart!
The monster staggered, eyes wide. "Im… possible…"
Kael twisted the axe. "Very possible."
Varess toppled like a felled tree, his body crumbling into dust amidst the ruins of his own palace.
Kael rushed to Akaren's side. "Idiot! Why did you—"
"Shut up," Akaren smiled weakly. "You're not the only one who gets to play hero."
From the distance, the sound of collapsing stone grew louder. Varess Palace was truly falling.
Kael lifted Akaren. "Let's go. We need to find Alamen."