Chapter 14

  The scent of blood filled the air, thick and metallic, as Lena walked through the corridor. The torches cast long shadows on the walls, their stone surfaces stained with red of blood. A man in light armor crawled on the ground ahead of her, his breathing ragged and desperate. He clutched at the floor, trying to drag himself away, his legs failing him.

  Lena’s expression was calm, almost serene, as she extended her hand. A sword materialized in the air, hovering just above the man’s trembling form. With a slow downward motion of her fingers, the blade obeyed, piercing cleanly through his back. A choked gasp escaped him before he went still, his lifeless body sprawled on the floor.

  To her right, a voice called out.

  "Thank you! Please, let us out!"

  A man gripped the iron bars of his cell, his face full of relief and desperation. His hands shook as he pleaded, believing he had found salvation in Lena’s presence. She turned her head slightly, gazing at him with faint amusement. Her red eyes glowed, a soft shimmer of something unnatural within them.

  The man’s expression shifted from hope to sudden pain. Blood fell from his lips, his body convulsing as his grip on the bars loosened. With one final exhale, he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

  Screams erupted from within the cell as the remaining prisoners flinched in terror. Some pressed themselves against the stone wall, while a woman among them fell to her knees.

  "Please!" she sobbed. "Let us go! We’re not with them!"

  Lena’s lips curled into a smile—gentle, almost kind.

  Then the fire came.

  Flames sprung into existence around her, engulfing the prisoners before they had time to react. Their screams lasted only moments before they were reduced to nothing but ashen remnants. The flames flickered briefly before fading, leaving behind only smoldering corpses.

  Lena stepped out of the cell, her boots making no sound against the stone. She walked further down the bloodstained corridor, stopping before another armored man who was sitting on the ground, his back leaning against the wall. Unlike the others, he was still alive. His breathing was shallow, his body full of slashes and broken bones, but he was still trying to cling stubbornly to the last shreds of life.

  Lena knelt before him, tilting her head slightly.

  "Where is Valyria?" she asked, her tone smooth and unhurried. "I was told she was here."

  The man struggled to focus on her, his vision blurring. He coughed, spitting out blood, before forcing himself to answer.

  "Her quarters," he rasped. "Go forward… take the first right..."

  His chest heaved with the effort, his body trembling. He lifted his gaze to meet hers, eyes wide with desperation.

  "Please," he begged. "Spare me, I helped you."

  Lena regarded him for a moment, then reached out and wrapped her fingers around his head. With a swift, effortless motion, she twisted. The sickening crack of bone echoed through the corridor as his body slithered on the wall lifelessly to the ground.

  Rising to her feet, she adjusted her blond hair and continued forward without another glance.

  She followed the directions the man had given her, her steps steady and without rush as she moved through the dimly lit tunnels. The scent of blood and decay clung to the air, bodies everywhere as if a true massacre had happened in this place. Eventually, she arrived at an old wooden door, worn with age, its edges splintering slightly. Without hesitation, she pushed it open.

  Inside, the room was relatively well-kept compared to the rest of the place. A modest bed sat in one corner, a desk with scattered documents in another, and a single lit candle cast shadows across the walls. At the center, sitting comfortably on a cushioned chair, was Valyria.

  The woman was wearing dark garments, her silver-white hair falling over her shoulders. As Lena entered, Valyria slowly rose to her feet, her blue eyes locking onto the intruder with a calm yet amused expression.

  “So,” Valyria mused, stretching her arms lazily. “I was told an intruder was causing quite the mess. The guards said you were too strong.”

  She tilted her head, examining Lena as a smirk played on her lips.

  “I understand why now,” she continued, nodding to herself. “You’re a demon.”

  Lena remained expressionless, though her sharp eyes studied Valyria carefully.

  Valyria chuckled softly, as if entertained by the revelation. “I’ve fought demons before,” she said, rolling her shoulders. “They tend to be… durable, but not invincible.”

  Lena finally spoke. “Is that so?”

  She took a step forward, unhurried, her presence alone exuding an unshakable confidence.

  “I’m not here to kill you,” Lena stated, her tone even. “I’ve come to take you with me. So don’t worry too much.”

  Valyria arched a brow before sighing dramatically. “You make it sound so easy,” she murmured. Then, in an instant, she moved.

  A blur of motion.

  Valyria dashed forward, aiming a precise kick to Lena’s head. But Lena’s hand was already there, catching the attack mid-air with effortless grace, like it was an already choreographed fight, and she already knew what move Valyria would make.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Not that great, huh?” Lena mused.

  Valyria twisted, using Lena’s grip to pivot mid-air and throw a counter kick aimed at her ribs. This time, Lena let go, stepping back just enough to let the kick pass harmlessly in front of her.

  Valyria’s movements were refined, quick, and sharp—each strike flowing seamlessly into the next. A knee strike, a spinning elbow, a feint into a palm thrust. But Lena saw it all as if it were happening in slow motion and as if she could predict what move would come next.

  She weaved through the attacks like a phantom, deflecting some, dodging others, and countering whenever she pleased. A palm strike to Valyria’s shoulder sent the vampire staggering back.

  Valyria gritted her teeth, frustration appearing onto her face. “Damn it—”

  She lunged again, her speed increasing. This time, she aimed lower, sweeping Lena’s legs out from under her. But Lena merely jumped over the sweep, countering with a downward heel kick that Valyria barely managed to deflect with her forearm.

  Before Valyria could fully recover, Lena moved.

  A blur of black and crimson.

  Lena’s fist plunged into Valyria’s stomach, piercing through her body.

  A dull thud echoed through the room as Valyria’s body folded slightly. Her blue eyes widened, her mouth opening in a silent gasp as blood fell from it and pain surged through her core.

  Then, with a flick of her wrist, Lena lifted her off the ground and launched her backward.

  Valyria’s body crashed through the stone wall of her quarters, debris exploding outward. She was sent flying into the corridor outside, slamming into the opposite wall with such force that the stone shattered upon impact. Dust and rubble rained down, cracks spiderwebbing across the broken surface.

  Lena stepped through the hole she had just created, approaching the crumpled form of Valyria. The vampire coughed, a drop of blood running down her lips as she struggled to move.

  Before she could react, Lena crouched down behind her, wrapping her arms around Valyria’s body and pulling her close.

  A slow, almost affectionate embrace.

  Lena rested her chin on Valyria’s shoulder, her breath against the vampire’s neck.

  “You’re a vampire,” Lena murmured, her voice carrying a note of amusement. “That’s interesting. I think I’ll have a little fun with you.”

  Valyria tensed, her fingers curling into fists. “You bastard,” she hissed, disdain and anger lacing her words.

  Lena chuckled, a low, velvety sound. “Such harsh words,” she mused, before casually lifting her hand and pressing it against Valyria’s mouth until it opened, her hand sliding into it.

  Valyria’s body stiffened.

  Lena, slowly and deliberately, forced Valyria’s mouth shut. The vampire’s sharp canines, so often her deadliest weapons, pressed against Lena’s skin—but they failed to pierce it. Her fangs, normally capable of sinking through flesh like a hot knife through butter, might as well have been blunt.

  Valyria’s eyes widened in horror.

  Then—

  Crack.

  The pain came instantly.

  Valyria let out a strangled whimper, her body shuddering as her canines fractured. Tears welled in her blue eyes as Lena continued to press down, applying just enough force to shatter those once-proud fangs completely.

  A sob escaped Valyria’s throat as the pain wracked her senses.

  Lena only laughed softly, her grip on Valyria unyielding.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, her tone almost gentle. “I’ll take you alive.”

  Her fingers trailed along Valyria’s trembling jawline before finally releasing her.

  Valyria gasped for breath, her body trembling in both pain and rage. But there was nothing she could do. Not against this demon. She could realize that. As a vampire, Valyria herself was strong, strong enough to be considered almost unbeatable. She had faced people considered powerful and none of them could even make her bleed. But the strength of this demon… it was almost godly, something that she couldn’t even imagine that it existed.

  Lena tilted her head slightly, her sharp senses picked up on something—faint, but unmistakable. A presence just outside the hideout. Someone had escaped her slaughter. She let out a soft sigh, shaking her head with an amused smile.

  "I let a few survive, huh?" she mused to herself.

  Her gaze flickered back to Valyria, who was still crumpled against the wall, shivering in pain and humiliation.

  "You’ll have to wait here," Lena said.

  Valyria weakly lifted her head, her blue eyes filled with fresh tears. Lena tilted her head slightly, considering something before letting out a small hum.

  "Though, I can’t afford to have you running away," Lena continued. "Which means you’ll have to wait while dead."

  A cold shiver ran down Valyria’s spine. She instinctively raised a trembling hand to her mouth, feeling the sticky warmth of blood still dripping from her broken fangs. Her breath hitched as her mind processed what Lena had just said.

  "Please," Valyria gasped, desperation breaking through her usual composure. "Don’t kill me. You said you wouldn’t."

  Lena chuckled, crouching down to her level and cupping Valyria’s cheek in her palm. "That’s a good reaction," she said, amused. "I’ll bring you back once I’m done. Don’t worry."

  Valyria’s body stiffened. "B-Bring me… back?"

  Lena smirked. "As long as your source remains, even if your body, soul, or mind are destroyed, you won’t die in the true sense. I can bring you back then."

  Valyria’s breathing grew uneven as she stared into the demon’s abyss-like eyes.

  Lena sighed. "It’s a bit of a drag, honestly, but I can’t risk you escaping. Control spells might not work on you, considering you’re a decently powerful vampire. I’d rather not take any chances."

  Before Valyria could utter another plea, Lena’s hand moved with blinding speed. A sharp impact struck the vampire’s chest, and in an instant, her body went limp, life fading from her eyes.

  Lena stood up, brushing her hands off. "That takes care of that."

  Without another glance at Valyria’s lifeless form, she turned and followed the trail of the presence she had sensed.

  ***

  The surface was quiet, the night air crisp and cold. Lena emerged into a small clearing near the hideout, the moon casting pale silver light over the grass and trees.

  Two figures stood in the clearing. They, a man and a woman, looked well-equipped—mercenaries, perhaps. Their armor was reinforced, their weapons polished. They carried themselves like people who were well trained.

  Lena barely paid them any mind. Instead, she simply dashed forward, aiming to eliminate them before they could react.

  But then—

  A blur of motion.

  Lena was forced to halt abruptly as a third person appeared on her path, moving so fast she hadn’t sensed her presence until it was too late. A woman with long, dark hair and purple eyes.

  Lena’s expression remained calm, but internally, she acknowledged that this one was different. Stronger.

  The two others wasted no time. They chanted in unison, casting a strange spell that made crackling sounds of energy. A sigil formed beneath Lena’s feet, pulsating with an eerie glow.

  The moment it activated, Lena felt it. A shift in the air.

  Something inside her felt off. Weaker.

  She glanced down at her hands, flexing her fingers. Her power wasn’t gone, not completely, but it was being suppressed.

  Lena slowly lifted her gaze back to the three individuals before her.

  Alexia stepped forward, her piercing purple eyes locked onto Lena. She let out a small sigh, placing a hand on her hip.

  “Well, this is unexpected,” Alexia mused. “We came here based on some information extracted from the princess a while ago—something about a magical artifact hidden around this area.”

  Alexia’s lips curled into a slight smile. “But I didn’t expect to run into someone who…” She trailed off, her gaze sharpening as she analyzed Lena, as if peeling away layers with her eyes. After a moment, she finished, “...someone powerful.”

  Lena let out a soft chuckle. “Powerful enough that you had to suppress me?” she teased, flexing her fingers as if testing the weight of the suppression spell.

  Alexia chuckled in return. “Please. I could take you on at your full strength.”

  Her confidence was unwavering. Lena could sense if there was any subtle tension in her stance, but she wasn’t bluffing, or at least, she believed in her own words.

  “But,” Alexia continued with a small sigh, “my allies insisted on casting this little trick. Quite annoying, really, but it is what it is.” She tilted her head slightly, her smirk mirroring Lena’s. “Should still be somewhat fun, though.”

  Lena’s grin widened. “Oh? I can say the same.”