The corridors were filled with the evidence of Kasia's wrath- bodies of Hunters torn apart, walls smeared with blood, and the scent of burning flesh thick in the air. The sheer brutality of it all was staggering, a silent testament to the storm raging inside her.
"It seems that she may not have needed us," Amdis whispered as he cleared corners, his voice barely audible.
"It's like she's not in her right mind," Ethan responded, his brows drawn tight. "Did they experiment on her again?"
"No, this is a blood rage induced by magic. These idiotic humans are meddling with forces they don't fully understand," Amdis said darkly.
Ethan didn't have time to dwell on that revelation. He slammed open a door, revealing a terrified family huddled in the corner. The father stood protectively in front of them, gripping a metal bat.
Ethan raised his hands in a calming gesture. "We're not here to hurt you."
The father's eyes flickered toward a closet- a silent warning. Ethan got the message and quickly motioned for the family to move toward him. But as they stepped forward, the closet doors burst open, and Hunters poured out, screaming, "Traitors!"
Ethan shoved the family toward his people. "Get them out. Now!"
The fight was immediate, brutal. Their enemies moved with unnatural speed and strength, their enhancements allowing them to strike with terrifying precision.
"Dodge for now," Ethan ordered, weaving between attacks. "They'll tire. Their bodies won't sustain the enhancements for long."
He knew this because he'd fought Kasia once when she was in this very state. That memory haunted him as he realized he could've accidentally killed her back then. The warning came too late for some of their allies, but just as Ethan predicted, the Hunters faltered. Their unnatural endurance failed them, and one by one, they were cut down, some spitting slurs even as they fell. Ethan hated them, but he had to admit- they did not die as cowards.
At last, they reached the core of the compound. There was a sense of foreboding as they looked at the closed doors.
"Search for survivors. Do not harm any unarmed humans," Amdis commanded. "Alpha King Ethan and I will handle the rest." Ethan pushed the doors open and Ethan and Amdis stepped into the office.
The leader of the Hunters stood in the center of a blood-streaked chamber; his posture eerily composed. In his hands, he held the decapitated head of a prisoner who had dared to fight him. He turned it slightly, studying the lifeless face with an air of amusement before casually tossing it aside.
Victor was tall, his dark hair barely disheveled despite the carnage around him. His eyes gleamed with something unnatural.
"I was wondering when you'd make it this far," Victor mused. "A few seconds sooner, and perhaps you would've saved them." He smirked, voice smooth, taunting. "But you've made a mistake thinking you can destroy my home without consequence."
Amdis narrowed his eyes. The air around Victor was heavy, thick with something ancient and vile. "You are not human."
Victor chuckled. "Of course not. The Hunters needed proper guidance. Something a mere human could never provide."
"What are you?" Amdis demanded.
Victor's smirk widened. "None of your concern. You won't live long enough to understand."
Ethan had heard enough. "Enough of this," he snarled, launching forward, claws aimed at Victor's throat.
Victor moved like a shadow, fluid and impossibly fast. His blade gleamed with dark energy as it met Ethan's attack. Amdis joined in; their battle seamless- Ethan's raw strength paired with Amdis' vampiric speed. But Victor was relentless. He matched them blow for blow, his strikes precise, his counters brutal.
Then, the moment of weakness.
Amdis barely had time to react as Victor's blade slashed across his side, iron-infused steel burning into his flesh. He gasped, stumbling as pain lanced through him. The wound was deep, too deep.
Ethan tried to cover him but was caught off guard. Victor's fist slammed into his ribs, sending him crashing into the wall.
Victor sneered down at Amdis, his voice dripping with mockery. "Pathetic. Your kind always was." His eyes gleamed with malice. "Tell me, does it haunt you? Knowing your father offered up Devanna as a sacrifice? You should be thanking me for killing that weakling for you."
Amdis' eyes burned with fury, but his body refused to cooperate.
Victor raised his blade for the final strike.
A blur of red fur intercepted him.
Kasia materialized out of nowhere, her fangs sinking into Victor's weapon. Her growl vibrated through the chamber as she shoved him back and yanked the blade from him, her bloodied form trembling with the effort.
Victor laughed. "Do you really think you can stop me, you stupid mongrel?" He slammed a fist into her ribs, bones snapping under his strength.
Kasia didn't retreat. She leaned into the hit, forcing Victor to stumble back. She snarled, but her body betrayed her, collapsing onto the floor in a heap of fur and blood.
Victor scoffed. "You could've been useful. But you're too emotional. Too foolish. I can use your flesh, create something far better than you, so it won't be too much of a waste." He walked over to pick up his blade, intent on finishing Kasia off.
Amdis lunged, but Victor swatted him aside effortlessly.
Ethan's vision blurred. The dark voices returned, louder than ever. The scent of Kasia's blood was suffocating, and all he could hear was their whispering command: Kill them all.
He roared, voice shaking the chamber. "How dare you hurt my mate!"
Fury consumed him. He struck like a hurricane, a storm of claws and vengeance. Victor parried, but this time, he was losing. Ethan's rage was unrelenting. Blow after blow, he forced Victor back, until finally, his claws ripped through flesh and bone, nearly splitting Victor in half.
Victor convulsed on the ground but did not scream. He laughed. "Foolish mutt," he wheezed, his body beginning to dissolve. "You can't kill what is eternal."
"But I can," a voice interrupted.
Queen Eliane arrived in a shimmer of light, her magic binding Victor in place. He writhed; his disintegration halted mid-process. Queen Eliane noticed Ethan gripping his head, pacing in pain.
"Amdis, help Ethan. He's slipping," she commanded.
Amdis reached for Ethan; his mind still connected from the earlier blood bond. The voices in Ethan's head screamed for him to kill everyone and everything, but Amdis cut through them.
"Ethan. Kasia is alive. Hold on for her," Amdis reassured him.
"Ethan, you are not alone. Kasia is still alive. Hold on for her," Amdis reassured.
"Get out of my head. I'm fine," Ethan snapped as he began to focus on his breathing to calm himself.
Victor spat at Eliane. "You hold no control over me, you wretched-"
"Save it," she hissed. "I know what you are. Shadespawn filth. I should've expected that one you would be behind this."
"A shadespawn?" Ethan asked.
"Corrupted fae that thrive off chaos and death. They should be extinct, but it seems my people may have been too forgiving," Queen Eliane responded.
Victor grinned, unfazed. "You think this means anything? This was all planned. Your people will be nothing but ash."
Ethan's eyes darkened. He sent a warning through the bond: Prepare for an attack. This was a distraction.