Ron fought the two vampires with sharp precision. Despite being outnumbered, he held his ground, reading their moves and countering like a seasoned warrior. But the strain from the battle with the Titan had taken its toll. His muscles began to shake. His vision blurred.
The vampires, sensing his weakness, grew faster—stronger.
They pushed him backward through the empty streets and onto a railway platform. Then—a sound.
A train.
Two, actually—approaching from opposite directions.
With no time to think, Ron leapt. His boots slammed onto the roof of one of the trains as it roared forward. But the old woman and the turned thief followed—vaulting through the air, landing beside him like beasts in a hunt.
A brutal 2-on-1 hand-to-hand fight erupted on the moving train. The wind howled. Sparks flew from the rails. Ron fought tooth and nail, but the vampires were relentless. He was being pushed back.
Breathing hard, he made a decision.
> "Time to end this."
He reached into his coat and pulled out his blade—the Blade of Vengeance. The silver gleamed red in the moonlight.
With a burst of fury, Ron severed both arms of the thief and sliced off one of the grandma's.
But instead of falling, they laughed.
Blades sprouted from their wounds. Not just regeneration—weaponized evolution. The thief now had sharpened swords where his hands had been. The woman's missing limb grew back with a monstrous cleaver attached.
Meanwhile…
Carter was locked in his own battle.
He faced two thugs—recently turned. Behind them stood the woman, eerily calm, crimson eyes watching like a predator.
Carter activated The Dark Faith, purple shadows coiling around his arm, forming a sword as dark as night.
With a cry, he slashed—cutting off the thugs' arms. But like with Ron, their wounds twisted into weapons: the thugs grew battle axes, and the woman's arm morphed into a long, curved blade.
Carter staggered. He still hadn't mastered his power. His swings slowed. His vision faded.
---
Elsewhere…
In a darkened room, a figure stood before a massive screen. His face hidden by shadow. On the screen: live footage of Ron and Carter fighting for their lives.
He said nothing.
Just watched.
---
Back on the train…
Ron was overwhelmed. His strength nearly gone.
The train thundered toward a tunnel.
With a final burst of effort, Ron leapt high—off the moving train, diving toward the rocky ground below. But midair, the two vampires tackled him in unison. He crashed into the earth, the impact knocking the wind out of him.
The two vampires landed on top of him.
The woman hissed, then sank her fangs into his neck.
But suddenly—they stopped. Looked at each other. And retreated. Without a word, they vanished into the shadows.
Ron lay there, confused, blood seeping from his wound.
> "Why… did they stop?"
Darkness overtook him.
As he slipped into unconsciousness, the faint outline of a woman's foot stepped into view beside him. She stood still. Watching.
---
Across town…
Carter swung one last time, his blade cleaving the two thugs apart. Blood sprayed across the alley.
He was breathing hard, barely able to stand.
The vampire woman raised her sword behind him, ready to strike.
Then—
Boom.
Her body exploded in a flash of fire and smoke.
Carter fell to his knees.
A familiar voice called out.
> "Still letting them get behind you, huh?"
Locki stepped forward, his coat billowing behind him. Without another word, he scooped Carter up and disappeared into the night—rushing him to safety.
In a shadowed chamber, the mysterious man continued watching the screen, eyes gleaming with cruel delight.
> "Brilliant fight," he whispered. "But… why did my vampires retreat from Ron?"
He paused, then smirked.
"No matter. Soon, I'll rule the entire town."
With a satisfied chuckle, he turned and slowly stepped into his coffin. The lid creaked shut, leaving only silence.
---
Meanwhile…
Ron stirred on the ground. His wounds—gone. His body, miraculously healed.
He sat up, blinking, confused.
> "What happened…?"
Stumbling to his feet, he walked back toward his house, the streets eerily quiet beneath a moonless sky.
As he stepped through the door, he was hit by a sudden vision:
His wife, Dream, and their daughters—laughing, smiling, calling to him. For a moment, the house was filled with warmth, light, and love. They sat together like a family again. Joy bloomed in his heart.
But it shattered.
The illusion faded.
The house was cold. Empty. Dust clung to every surface. Silence echoed through every room.
Ron stood there for a moment… then whispered:
> "I wish you were still alive…"
(A flicker of their faces crossed his mind.)
"Or maybe… I should've died with you."
He dropped to his knees, hands trembling, and let the tears fall.
---
At the hospital…
Carter, lying in a recovery bed, explained everything to Locki—from the missing people to the vampire attacks to the woman in the alley.
Locki listened quietly, not saying a word.
But his eyes… they darkened.
He knew something.
Something he wasn't ready to share yet.