The first vampire reached the circle with a shriek that tore the air apart.
Its body slammed into Nutaila's blades, metal screeching against bone. She drove one sword through its throat, twisting hard as black blood sprayed across the road. It didn't fall immediately. It clawed at her face, fingers snapping like dead twigs, until Raven cut its head clean off from the side. More came.
They moved faster than anything human—bones cracking, limbs bending wrong, mouths stretched wide in hunger. The road became chaos. Snow and dust mixed with blood as the circle tightened, every step backward a surrender they refused to make.
"Hold the line!" Milan shouted.
Scarlet fought beside him, her movements sharp and precise—human, painfully human. No glow. No awakening. Just muscle, breath, and steel. She ducked under a vampire's swing, drove her sword into its ribs, and kicked it away as another rushed her from the side. Her arms burned. Her lungs screamed. Still, she didn't stop.
Zero crushed one vampire's skull with the butt of his weapon, only for another to tear into his shoulder. He roared in pain and fury, slamming his elbow into its face, teeth shattering as black blood spilled down his arm.
Raven fought like a storm. Her swords flashed again and again, cutting tendons, slicing necks, severing hands. A vampire grabbed her leg and dragged its claws across her thigh. She screamed, fell to one knee, and drove her blade upward through its jaw, pinning it to the ground before ripping free.
"Nadia, stay behind me!" Raven shouted. But Nadia didn't stay still.
Her hands shook as she held the knife, fear burning in her chest. A vampire broke through the circle, slipping past Zero's guard. It lunged for her. Nadia screamed and stabbed.
The blade sank into its eye. The creature shrieked and collapsed at her feet, thrashing violently. Nadia staggered back, vomiting, hands slick with blood—but she was alive. Then Zero cried out.
A vampire had sunk its teeth deep into his side. He smashed its head against the ground again and again until it stopped moving, but the damage was done. Blood soaked his clothes, dark and steaming.
Raven was bleeding. Zero was bleeding. Nadia was shaking, barely standing. The circle was breaking.
A wave of vampires surged forward, slamming into Nutaila all at once. They dragged her down, claws tearing into her arms and back. She screamed as teeth sank into her shoulder, her swords knocked from her hands.
"No!" Scarlet shouted, trying to reach her.
Nutaila's scream turned into something else.
Darkness poured from her chest—not light, not smoke, but a living void. It wrapped around her like chains snapping loose. Her eyes turned black as night. The vampires froze for half a second. Then Nutaila exploded upward.
Shadows tore through them, ripping bodies apart from the inside. Limbs twisted backward, spines shattered, heads crushed as if squeezed by invisible hands. She rose to her feet, breathing hard, darkness clinging to her skin like armor.
"Stay away," she growled—no longer entirely human. Across the road, Milan felt it.
Something inside him snapped.
The pain, the blood, the fear—it all vanished.
Darkness swallowed his eyes. He moved.
Not toward his people. Toward the vampires.
He didn't touch Scarlet. He didn't look at Nadia. His darkness knew its prey.
He tore through them. Hands crushed skulls with sickening ease. Shadows wrapped around vampires, lifting them into the air before slamming them into the ground until nothing moved. He ripped one in half, black blood raining down as its scream cut short.
The darkness did not touch the others.Only the vampires died.
Vision and the Witcher stood at the edge of the road, unmoving. Vision smiled.
The Witcher folded his arms, watching with fascination as bodies fell, one by one.
Scarlet fought harder, teeth clenched, forcing herself to keep up. Her arms trembled with exhaustion. She stabbed, slashed, kicked, survived. No power came to save her. Only will.
Zero dropped to one knee, coughing blood, still swinging. Raven fought beside him, her movements slowing, each strike heavier than the last.
Nadia stabbed again. And again. Crying. Screaming. Refusing to stop.Minutes felt like hours. Then—silence.
The last vampire collapsed, its head crushed into the road.
Milan stood still, chest heaving, darkness slowly retreating from his body. Nutaila dropped to her knees, shadows fading, her hands shaking violently.
Scarlet fell to one knee, gasping. Zero collapsed onto his back. Raven sank beside him. Nadia stood frozen, knife dripping red.
The road was covered in bodies. All of them dead.
Vision stepped forward once—then stopped.
"Interesting," Victor's voice echoed softly.
"Very interesting." The Witcher smiled wider.
The group had won. But they were broken, bleeding, and barely standing.And they all knew—This was only the beginning.
Nutaila forced herself to her feet once again. All of them followed her and stood beside her, facing Vision and the Witcher. Nutaila's eyes turned into darkness again, shadows pooling within them. She began healing herself slowly from her wounds, the darkness stitching her flesh back together. Vision and the Witcher watched her closely.
"Wow, how does it feel once you use the darkness inside you?" Vision asked, his tone amused.
Nutaila prepared her swords. Darkness wrapped around her as she moved, vanishing into the shadows and surging forward at terrifying speed, aiming to slay Vision. But something moved faster than her within the shadows. A powerful force grabbed her by the throat, choking her and lifting her into the air. It was the Witcher. Both of them stepped out of the shadows together. The others gasped in shock. Vision was smiling.
The Witcher held Nutaila suspended in the air with one hand.
"Nice move," he said calmly,
"but not strong enough."
He hurled her violently toward the others. Nutaila crashed into her group, and they all fell to the ground together in a heap of pain and dust. Vision and the Witcher prepared themselves to fight them.
Slowly, the others began to stand again. Raven, Zero, and Nadia were exhausted, badly wounded and bleeding. Nutaila looked at them, then reached out and touched them all at once. Darkness surged from her hands, spreading like smoke. She healed them simultaneously. They felt refreshed, strength returning to their bodies, and they rose back to their feet. Nutaila walked over and helped Milan stand.
"Do you think you can fight?" she asked.
"Call it," Milan said, asking her to awaken the darkness inside him.
His eyes turned dark instantly. The darkness came with overwhelming anger, and for a moment he looked at Nutaila with fury burning in his gaze. Then he turned to face Vision and the Witcher. They all prepared to fight together against them.
Vision's eyes glowed light red as he used his powers, reaching into Zero's and Raven's minds. He tried to control them, but before he could reach them, Milan moved with incredible speed. Darkness wrapped around his arms as he blindfolded Raven, Scarlet, Zero, and Nadia all at once. They were shocked by how fast he did it. Vision withdrew his gaze, smiling.
"Wow. You're fast," Vision said.
Scarlet and the others tried to remove the folds from their eyes, but Nutaila stopped them.
"Don't take them off! Vision will take control of you. If you meet his eyes now, he will manipulate you," Nutaila shouted.
"How can we fight blind, then?" Zero asked.
"No. Leave them to us," Milan said firmly.
Scarlet, Nadia, Raven, and Zero nodded. They sheathed their swords and stood still, unmoving, trusting them.
The Witcher began using his powers. Reality itself twisted as he created his own illusion.
"Mom, is that you?" Zara's voice echoed from a distance.
All of them heard it.
"Zara?" Nadia called out, shock flooding her face.
Milan and Nutaila turned and saw Zara standing there. She looked real—too real—but it was an illusion created by the Witcher, meant to make them remove the folds.
"Nadia, listen to my voice," Nutaila shouted.
"It's not real. Your daughter is not here!"
But Milan had already charged forward at full speed, attacking the Witcher. At the same time, Nutaila rushed toward Vision. The moment she reached him, Vision vanished and reappeared behind the group, smiling calmly.
Nutaila surged toward him again with dark speed. Vision disappeared once more and reappeared on the opposite side. Nutaila turned sharply to face him.
"Fight like a man. Stop being a coward," she said. Vision's hands transformed, shaping themselves into swords.
"Whenever you are ready," Vision replied.
Nutaila charged, and they clashed, steel ringing through the air.
"You told me that you were coming for me. You lied," Zara said, still speaking to her mother.
Nadia was crying now, tears streaming down her face.
"Nadia, it's not real! It's an illusion!" Scarlet shouted.
Raven stood beside Nadia, holding her hand tightly.
"Listen, Nadia. Take a deep breath," Raven said softly.
"Your friends don't like me, Mom," Zara continued, her voice echoing painfully.
"You betrayed me, Mom. You left me alone! You left me to die alone!" Zara screamed.
"No, baby, I would never do that," Nadia replied through her sobs.
"Raven, shut her up now!" Zero shouted.
Milan and the Witcher were fighting at incredible speed. The Witcher overwhelmed him, smashing Milan brutally through nearby buildings. Milan fell hard to the ground. The Witcher grabbed him and lifted him up.
"They say you are the strongest Bound among all. Where is your bravery now?" the Witcher taunted as he slammed Milan into a wall. Milan crashed down again.
The Witcher charged toward him. Milan lifted a massive stone with his mind and hurled it at him. The Witcher was struck and fell. Milan grabbed another huge stone and smashed it down on the Witcher's chest. Dust exploded everywhere. The stone shattered, but the Witcher stood up, swords drawn, and rushed forward.
As he tried to stab Milan, Milan leapt upward, snatched one of the Witcher's swords, and stabbed him with it. But the blade caused no harm. The moment it touched the Witcher's chest, it vanished into his body as if it were part of his skin.
The Witcher grabbed Milan again and smashed his head violently against an iron structure near the wall. Blood poured down Milan's face. His features were bruised and swollen, barely recognizable.
Nutaila continued fighting Vision. She was incredibly fast, but Vision was slightly stronger, drawing on half of Victor's power. He grabbed Nutaila and slammed her hard into the road. She bled as she struggled to breathe.
Vision moved to stab her, but Nutaila vanished into his shadow and reappeared behind him, driving her sword deep into his neck. Vision staggered back, blood spilling. The sword was stuck in his neck as he kicked her away. Nutaila flew back and struck her head against a massive rock. Dizziness washed over her as the darkness began to fade.
The Witcher sensed Vision's injury and vanished, reappearing beside him. He pulled Nutaila's sword from Vision's neck, but the moment he touched it, it burned him. He dropped it with a growl. Nutaila slowly stood up, laughing weakly.
Milan staggered over, standing beside her. They were exhausted and badly injured. Nutaila's darkness faded completely, as did Milan's. The Witcher healed himself and Vision, restoring their energy.
Nutaila tried to reach the darkness again, but it was impossible. It rejected her. Vision laughed.
"What's wrong? You ran out?" he mocked.
Milan's face was deformed with wounds and bruises.
"We don't need darkness to defeat you," Milan said, forcing himself to stand, though he was barely able to fight. Vision and the Witcher laughed loudly.
"You abandoned me, Mother. You were always busy with work," Zara said again.
"No, I didn't, my child. I love you," Nadia cried.
"Prove it. Look me in the eyes and hug me," Zara said.
Without thinking, Nadia removed her fold. The moment she saw her daughter, Vision and the Witcher felt it. They both turned toward her, smiling.
"No!" Nutaila screamed, but it was too late.
Zara vanished. Vision took control of Nadia's mind. Raven rushed to help, removing her fold to stop Nadia, but she was trapped as well. Both were controlled.
Scarlet and Zero stood still, their eyes still folded.
Nutaila and Milan charged again at Vision and the Witcher, but this time they were beaten brutally. Raven and Nadia began laughing cruelly.
"Guys, are you okay?" Zero asked.
"You're such a bastard," Raven said.
"Excuse me?" Zero replied.
"Don't listen to them. They're manipulated," Scarlet warned.
"Oh, look who's talking. A bitch who slept with a man," Nadia said, trying to provoke them.
"You won't get what you want from me. Nice try," Scarlet replied.
Suddenly, Raven and Nadia kicked them. Scarlet fell. Zero remained standing.
"If you're man enough, let's finish this right here, right now," Raven said, drawing her swords.
"Please, don't," Zero begged as she struck him, dropping him to his knees. In anger, Zero removed his fold. The moment he looked at Raven, he was trapped as well.
Milan and Nutaila were barely conscious now, beaten relentlessly. The Witcher grabbed Milan, flew high, and smashed him into the ground, cracking the earth open. He dropped him deep into the hole below. Milan lay broken as the darkness refused him.
Vision continued smashing Nutaila into the road. She lay bleeding, barely breathing. Raven, Nadia, and Zero laughed as they watched.
Nutaila's vision faded. She looked toward Scarlet, who lay on the road with her eyes still folded. Vision transformed his hand into a weapon and walked toward Nutaila to finish her.
"Sister… please. Whatever is inside you, we need you now more than ever. Help us," Nutaila whispered as she closed her eyes.
Vision hurled his weapon toward her chest.
Suddenly, energy burst violently from Scarlet's body. A shockwave sent everyone flying. Scarlet stood up, her eyes glowing pearly blue, blue markings shining along her swords. She walked toward Nutaila.
Nadia, Raven, and Zero stood and faced Scarlet, swords raised, still controlled. Vision and the Witcher appeared behind them.
The moment they met Scarlet's eyes, they froze in shock.
Vision ordered them to attack. They charged, but Scarlet glared at them. A powerful force struck them all at once. They were thrown back, and the darkness controlling them vanished. Their eyes returned to normal.
Scarlet looked at Nutaila again. Nutaila's body began healing as she slowly woke. Milan's body rose from the hole, healing as he regained consciousness. Scarlet had done it all.They all stood again, stunned.Scarlet turned to Vision and the Witcher.
The Witcher vanished and reappeared behind her, aiming for her head. Scarlet did not move. He froze in midair. Without even looking at him, Scarlet forced the Witcher's own sword to stab into his chest.
Vision tried to invade Scarlet's mind, but his power shattered two feet away from her. He screamed as he went blind. Scarlet lifted Vision with her power and pulled him close. She healed his eyes, turning them red again. Through Vision's eyes, she stared directly at Victor.
"I see you, Victor. You will never win," Scarlet said. Power exploded again. Dust filled the air. Vision and the Witcher vanished, fleeing.
Scarlet collapsed to the ground. When she opened her eyes, she looked around at the others staring at her.
"Guys… what happened?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear.