Lucas squatted beside the crumbling section of the east wall, trying not to scream. He failed.
"This is bloodstone, not bread! You don't stack it like you're making a sandwich!" he shouted.
Three young vampires looked away awkwardly. One of them—Thorn, the tall one with a ponytail and zero architectural instinct—mumbled, "But the layers looked... symmetrical."
"It's bleeding." Lucas pointed at the wall, where crimson ichor slowly dripped down. "It's literally bleeding. That means you broke its memory seal. Again."
Another vampire, this one with bat wings and a lunchbox, casually took a bite of dried rat jerky. "Maybe the wall's just expressing itself?"
"Maybe you can express yourself by hauling bricks for the next twelve hours," Lucas snapped. "And put that goat on a leash before it eats another ward sigil!"
The goat bleated in defiance. Then it headbutted a sigil. Again.
[System Notification: Goat Interference Logged (x27)]
Ward Integrity: 74%
Bloodstone Calibration: Misaligned
Clan Morale (Undead Labor Division): +4% ("At least we're not the goat")
Lucas's Sanity: …Error.
Mira descended from the sky in her usual dramatic fashion—long coat flaring, boots kicking up dust, blade sheathed but ready.
"We found another breach in the southern wall," she said. "And two idiots sparring in the blood storage chamber."
Lucas rubbed his temples. "Is it so hard to follow instructions that don't include 'bleed everywhere' and 'summon cursed spirits accidentally'?"
"Apparently," Mira said flatly.
A Strange Occurrence
From the northern cliff, a tremor rolled through the earth. Not enough to crack stone—but enough to rattle bones.
Lucas stiffened. "...That's not a cave-in."
Mira's eyes narrowed. "It came from the old mausoleum sector."
The blood runes across Lucas's arm flickered—once, twice, then stabilized.
[System Alert: Seepage Detected – Tier I Awakening Possible]
Origin: Crypt Layer VII
Ancestral Presence: Weakly Detected
Seepage Pressure: 12%
Recommended Action: Ignore it and hope it goes away. Or check it and probably regret it. Your call.
Lucas groaned. "Of course it's the sealed crypt. Why wouldn't it be? Who even built a mausoleum on top of a forgotten blood well? Oh right—us."
He stood up, brushing dust from his cloak.
"Mira, assemble a squad. , just clan members. If the seal's cracking, I want eyes down there fast."
"Want to come yourself?" she asked.
Lucas glanced toward the construction chaos, the screaming goat, and the vampire who was now licking a cursed brick. He turned back.
"…Yes. Absolutely. Let's go."