The battle against Lucian Valkar should have been their victory.
But as Mary stood among the ruins of the Cathedral of the Silver Dawn, staring at the empty space where his body should have been, she knew the war was far from over.
Lucian was still alive.
The Order's stronghold was in ruins—crumbling stone, shattered glass, and the lingering scent of holy fire filled the air. The once-mighty hunters lay scattered around, the few still breathing groaning in pain.
Lela tightened her grip on her spear. "We should leave before reinforcements arrive."
Eris nodded, wiping blood from her brow. "We bought ourselves time, but not much."
Loosie sheathed her daggers and turned to Mary. "What's our next move?"
Mary exhaled sharply. Where do we go from here?
The battle had proven one thing—Lucian had been testing them. Even with all their power combined, they had only forced him to retreat.
That meant next time…
He would come for them with everything he had.
Mary clenched her fists. "We need to find out where Lucian disappeared to."
Lela frowned. "Tracking someone like him won't be easy."
Loosie smirked. "Not unless you have a vampire's scent tracking ability."
Mary blinked. "You think I can—"
"You just fought the guy in close combat," Loosie interrupted. "You cut him. You bled him. That means his scent is on you."
Mary's breath caught.
She hadn't even considered it.
Closing her eyes, she focused on the lingering sensations of the battle—Lucian's strikes, his movements, the way his energy had burned like celestial fire…
And then she felt it.
A trail. Faint, but distinct.
Her eyes snapped open, now glowing a deep crimson. "I can follow him."
Lela grinned. "Then let's hunt."
The Pursuit
They moved through the city under the cover of night, shadows weaving through the abandoned alleyways and rooftops. The city of Valteris was still under the Order's influence, and even though they had crippled the Cathedral, Mary knew hunters were everywhere.
She could feel them.
The way their hearts beat rapidly with adrenaline. The way their eyes flickered with fear and rage.
They weren't just hunting Lucian.
They were hunting her.
But she didn't care.
She was hunting, too.
The trail led them beyond the city walls, through the ashen forest, where the trees stood tall like silent guardians. Mist rolled over the underbrush, thick and unnatural.
Loosie shivered. "This place reeks of magic."
Eris nodded. "Something's wrong."
Mary felt it, too.
The presence of something… old.
Something that watched them.
Lela's spear pulsed with energy. "We're not alone."
Then the shadows moved.
Figures emerged from the mist—cloaked in darkness, eyes glowing with spectral light.
Not hunters.
Wraiths.
Their skeletal fingers clutched rusted blades, their forms shifting like phantoms. The air turned cold as whispers filled the night.
Mary's grip on her saber tightened. "They're guarding something."
Loosie cracked her knuckles. "Then let's break through."
The wraiths attacked.
Battle in the Mist
The first wraith lunged at Mary, blade flashing. She barely dodged, twisting her body as the rusted sword carved through the air.
Lela struck first, her spear igniting with divine lightning as it tore through the wraith's form. It let out a shriek before dissipating into mist.
Eris and Loosie fought back-to-back, their movements seamless.
Mary leapt forward, slashing through two wraiths in one motion. But the mist thickened, and more of them emerged.
Endless.
Mary gritted her teeth. This wasn't a normal battle. These creatures weren't dying—they were reforming.
Then she saw it.
A faint glow deep in the mist.
A rune—etched into the bark of an ancient tree.
A seal.
"Destroy the rune!" she shouted.
Lela saw it too. She spun her spear, channeling raw energy before hurling it straight at the glowing sigil.
The impact sent out a shockwave.
The wraiths screamed, their forms disintegrating as the mist lifted.
And then—silence.
The forest was still once more.
Loosie exhaled. "That was… unpleasant."
Eris glanced at Mary. "That rune wasn't just a trap."
Mary nodded. "It was hiding something."
She turned toward the spot where the wraiths had been guarding.
A path leading downward—into a cavern.
Lucian's scent was strongest there.
They had found his hiding place.
The Abyss Below
The entrance of the cavern loomed before them, its darkness yawning like an open maw.
Mary hesitated. Something deep inside her screamed at her not to enter.
Not out of fear.
But out of instinct.
Lela stepped beside her. "We go together."
Mary nodded. "Let's end this."
They descended into the abyss, the shadows swallowing them whole.
And in the depths, Lucian waited.