Somewhere in Edinburgh, the road lay in an unnatural silence. Streetlights flickered faintly through the mist as a van lay upside down, completely wrecked. Shattered glass was scattered across the asphalt like broken crystals, crunching under the faint movements nearby. Dark smoke poured from the van's body, curling into the cold night air.
Suddenly, the back door was kicked violently from the inside. The impact echoed down the empty street. With a sharp metallic scream, the door burst open under the pressure.
Zero crawled out, gasping desperately for air. His body trembled as he collapsed onto the road, coughing heavily. He was wounded, exhausted, and barely holding on, but he forced himself to stay conscious. Inside the van, everyone else had lost consciousness.
Ignoring his own pain, Zero dragged himself back toward the wreckage. He climbed inside, choking on smoke, and began trying to wake the others. The first person he reached was Raven, who lay slumped nearby.
"Hey, Raven, wake up," he said, shaking her gently.
Raven groaned. She was hurt, her vision blurred and swimming as consciousness slowly returned. Zero wrapped an arm around her and helped her out of the van. She collapsed onto the road, lying flat, staring blankly at the night sky, completely confused.
Zero immediately went back in and pulled Nadia out next, placing her carefully beside Raven. Moments later, Raven blinked hard and finally regained full consciousness. She pushed herself up, wincing in pain, and without hesitation began helping Zero pull the others out.
"Help Scarlet," Zero said urgently.
Raven nodded and moved toward Scarlet, carefully pulling her free from the wreckage.
Zero then staggered toward the front seats. He saw Nutaila and Milan, both unconscious and trapped. Gritting his teeth, he forced the damaged door open with sheer strength until it finally broke loose. He dragged Nutaila out first, laying her on the road.
As he did, Zero noticed sparks erupting near the van's fuel tank.
His eyes widened.
"It's going to explode! Raven, hurry—take out the gear!" he shouted.
Zero gently lowered Nutaila onto the ground and immediately rushed back for Milan. Raven quickly gathered all their weapons and equipment, throwing them far from the van.
Zero pulled Milan free just as—
The van exploded.
A deafening blast tore through the street. Fire and pressure erupted outward. Zero was still carrying Milan when the shockwave hit them, throwing them violently across the road.
The explosion jolted Scarlet and Nadia awake. Their ears rang as flames lit up the night behind them. Both stared in shock, frozen by fear.
"What happened?" Scarlet asked, her voice shaking.
Everyone was terrified. Their bodies ached, blood stained their clothes, and the night suddenly felt alive with danger.
Zero forced himself to stand, ignoring the pain screaming through his body. He lifted Milan again and staggered toward the others.
"Help carry Nutaila. Hurry. The noise was huge—vampires will be here any moment now," he said urgently.
Raven and Scarlet rushed to help Nutaila, while Nadia gathered as many weapons as she could carry. Together, they moved away from the wreckage, limping through the darkness until they spotted a church nearby.
They hurried inside, slammed the heavy doors shut, and locked them. Silence returned, thick and tense.
"Is everyone okay?" Zero asked, scanning their injuries.
Nadia had small scratches across her arms. Raven's hand was bleeding badly. Scarlet was worse—her hands had not healed from the knives the cult leader had slashed her with. The wounds reopened, blood seeping through her gloves, and her knee was badly injured.
Zero himself was in terrible condition. A shard of glass was embedded between his shoulder and arm, lodged deep from the explosion. Blood soaked his clothing.
Nutaila and Milan lay unconscious on the floor. Nutaila had a deep bruise and wound on her face. Milan was equally still, his breathing shallow.
"What happened back there?" Nadia asked as she carefully removed the piece of glass from Zero's shoulder.
The moment it came out, blood poured out heavily. Zero clenched his jaw, barely suppressing a cry.
Raven quickly opened Milan's bag and pulled out iodine and bandages.
"This will help the wound," she said, applying the iodine and wrapping Zero's shoulder tightly.
"I don't know, but I saw their eyes go dark before they both passed out,Maybe something happened. We have to wait for them to wake up."Scarlet said, applying more iodine. "
Zero struggled to stay awake, his breathing uneven.
"Do you think this place will hold us long enough for them to wake up?" Nadia asked quietly.
"We don't have a choice," Scarlet replied firmly. "Everyone is hurt. No matter what comes through those doors, we fight. We buy time for them to come back." Zero spoke
"Do you think you can fight?" Raven asked Zero.
"No, But if it's the only choice we have, then I'll do it."Zero answered honestly.
His voice faded as his eyes slowly closed, exhaustion finally overwhelming him.
"Hey, Zero," Raven said, trying to shake him awake.
"Let him rest, He's been through worse. He'll need his strength when he wakes up." Scarlet said as she stood up.
"Where are you going?" Nadia asked.
Scarlet drew her swords, the steel whispering softly.
"Same as usual. Securing the church."
The church was massive. They were standing in the main prayer hall, with multiple doors, hallways, and floors that needed checking.
"I'll go with you, The church is big."Raven said.
"No, That would leave Nadia alone. She's not much of a fighter. Zero is down, tired—and Milan and Nutaila are still unconscious. Stay with her in case something happens."Scarlet replied firmly.
"But you'll be alone out there," Raven said worriedly.
"Don't worry, I'm used to it. I'm a lone wolf."Scarlet said quietly.
With that, Scarlet turned and walked away to secure the area, her steps uneven. She wasn't well herself, limping slightly as she moved deeper into the shadows of the church, blood trailing faintly behind her as the silence swallowed her whole.
Later that same night.
The walls within the Scottish Highlands stood in deep silence. The settlement had long since retreated indoors, every soul confined to their assigned houses. As usual, there was no movement along the narrow street—only the cold wind brushing against stone and steel.
Guards stood watch at the main gate, rifles clutched tightly in their hands, eyes scanning the darkness beyond the walls.
Inside one of the houses, Ayanna was still awake.
She was staying with Zara, Ben, and Leyla. Zara and Ben were already asleep, their breathing steady and calm. Ayanna sat alone in the sitting room, the dim light casting shadows across the walls as her thoughts lingered on her brother. Leyla was still on duty, tending to the injured who had been brought back earlier that night.
A knock came at the door—soft, almost hesitant.
Ayanna opened it and found Dr. Patel standing there.
"We were supposed to meet today," Ayanna said, her voice low.
"I'm so sorry, Ayanna. I had a lot of work to do," Dr. Patel replied.
"Really? What about me? You always spend time in your quarters, and you'd rather be with your testing subjects. You're always busy," Ayanna said, clearly upset.
"I'm sorry. Things have changed. Maybe if you welcome me with a cup of coffee, I'll be able to explain," Dr. Patel said calmly.
Ayanna stepped aside, extending the door. Dr. Patel walked into the kitchen and prepared herself a cup of coffee. The faint sound of the kettle filled the quiet house. Ayanna locked the door and returned to the sitting room, waiting.
"Where's Leyla?" Dr. Patel asked as she entered.
"Duties, as usual. I heard the searching party lost four people today. Three are badly injured. Seems to me Marcus is losing people every day. And the vampires are getting closer and closer," Ayanna said.
"It's dangerous outside these walls, Ayanna. That's why we have to make sure we stay safe. And for us to stay safe, we need Marcus's protection," Dr. Patel said as she slowly walked into the sitting room and sat beside her.
"How are you doing?" the doctor asked.
"You're supposed to be the one telling me about my condition. I just feel useless doing nothing. All day I spent planting damn crops. I really wish to be out there looking for my brother. At least I was free."
"We don't know that Milan is still alive out there."
"You don't have to know, because I believe he is. And he is coming for me. But I gotta tell you, Doc, these walls aren't going to hold forever. One day those vampires will pass the perimeters you blocked, and when that time comes, believe me, you wouldn't want to be in your scientific quarters."
Ayanna spoke firmly. Dr. Patel looked at her, silent.
"Tomorrow morning, be at my quarters at seven. On time."
"We'll see about it."
Dr. Patel stood up, walked to the door, and paused just outside.
"I promised your brother that I would take care of you, and I intend to keep that promise," the doctor said.
"Zero said the same thing, and he ended up dying. I don't want people to die while protecting me. You should watch out for yourself."
Ayanna closed the door and locked it. Dr. Patel walked away into the darkness.
Inside the church, silence reigned.
The candles along the stone walls burned low, their flames barely moving in the still air. Scarlet had not returned yet. Raven and Nadia stood quietly near the broken pews, the weight of waiting pressing down on them.
"It's late… she should be back by now," Raven finally spoke, her voice low with unease.
Suddenly, Nutaila stirred.
She groaned softly as she woke, her head throbbing violently while she tried to lift herself up. Pain flashed across her face as she moved. Nadia rushed to her side, supporting her shoulders and helping her sit.
"What happened?" Nutaila asked weakly.
Raven explained everything to her, every detail of what had occurred while she was unconscious. As she spoke, Nutaila closed her eyes, focusing inward. She tried to turn her eyes dark, calling upon the familiar power that had always healed her wounds.
Nothing happened.
Her breath caught.
"My God…" she whispered.
"What is wrong?" Nadia asked, alarm creeping into her voice.
"I think… the dark power inside me… it's gone," Nutaila said. Her voice trembled as shock turned into fear.
Her eyes moved across the church, landing on Zero. He lay motionless, badly injured, blood staining the floor beneath him. Panic tightened her chest. She searched the room again.
Scarlet wasn't there.
"Wait a minute… where is Scarlet?" Nutaila asked sharply.
"She left to secure the church," Nadia answered.
"What minim did she leave?"Nutaila's expression darkened.
"Long time… about nine hours," Nadia replied.
Nutaila tried to stand up, urgency overtaking her fear, but dizziness overwhelmed her almost instantly.
"Whoa, Nutaila—take a breath, sit down," Raven said, stepping forward as both she and Nadia tried to steady her.
"I need to find my sister," Nutaila insisted.
Forcing herself upright, she took a single step forward. Her legs gave out beneath her. The world spun violently, and before anyone could catch her, she collapsed to the cold stone floor.
She fainted once again.
The church fell silent, the candles flickering as if disturbed by something unseen.