Outside...

A shadow crossed the compound walls in a blink and slipped out of the estate into the streets.

From one shadow to another. From a passing car’s underside, to a streetlamp’s base, to the narrow strip beneath a pedestrian’s feet.

This method of movement was so fast that a distance which would normally take twenty to thirty minutes by car took her three.

Three minutes of uninterrupted travel through the city’s veins of darkness, until she rose again, rebuilding from shadow into flesh at a distant corner overlooking the Orien family estate.

One of the 7 vampire families.

Then she dissolved once more.

...

Silvanna Orien walked through a dimly lit hallway.

Then, suddenly, the shadow beneath her feet deepened forcing her to drop instantly into a pool of darkness that opened beneath.

And like that, she was gone.

——

The same occurrence repeated itself at the Ronnet family house, where the alpha of the clan had been taken without warning.

But the Morgenstein estate, was a bit different.

Lord Morgenstein was already moving through a corridor when, like a sudden flash of memory in his mind, he saw a dark puddle forming beneath him.

It was his Danger Precognition trait, instantly alerting him to incoming danger.

He reacted before thought could catch up, leaping from his position as the ground beneath him split open into a pool of darkness.

He landed to the side, alert and visibly shaken. "What!"

Almost immediately, the shadow beneath him shifted again. But his Danger Precognition gave him the edge once more, and he moved instantly, pushing off to the opposite side as another pool formed.

His breathing tightened as he realized something was hunting him.

Then, a door opened behind.

"Father?" Beatrice stepped out, looking around with confusion.

Lord Morgenstein head quickly turned to her. "Go back inside, Now!"

She froze for half a second, startled by the tone, and in that moment, the darkness spread.

It crawled across the walls, bled into the floors, swallowed the ceiling until the entire corridor was consumed in it.

Light was pushed out until the only things left visible were them. Lord Morgenstein and Beatrice.

Everything else became void.

His jaw tightened with frustration seeing as there was no space left to move.

He understood it then. There was no avoiding this.

"Father...?" Beatrice’s voice trembled now, looking around with wide eyes at the unnatural darkness in from every direction.

Morgenstein stepped forward slightly, stretching out a hand toward her. But in that instant, the darkness beneath him surged, coiling around his body and pulling him down in an imstant.

"FATHER—!"

Beatrice screamed as she watched him get pulled under.

And just like that, It was over.

The shadows receded and light returned.

And Beatrice was left standing alone, staring with terrified eyes at the empty space where her father had just been.

——

With one kick from Eduardo, the Gerach estate gates fell through with a heavy crash.

His Katana, the Murasame, was in his hand as he stepped in. In his eyes, was a reddish amber glow.

Doors burst open across the estate; Balconies got filled; Figures dropped from rooftops and strode out from the surrounding mansions.

The vampires of the Gerach family gathered fast, surrounding him as he reached the center of the courtyard.

A good number of them had their wings unfurled as they transformed, baring their fangs accordingly.

Omar watched from a raised position at the far end, a few steps above the rest.

Eduardo stopped, looked around once, then lifted his blade and pointed it forward.

"Against my better judgment, I’m willing to let everyone here walk away if you let me take Omar’s head."

He was answered by more silence and transformations. They had chosen their side without hesitation.

Eduardo’s lips curled. "I’m so happy none of you are smart enough."

They came at him in numbers and he ran at them with an excited grin.

—

Across the city, at the Le Gris estate...

"Aron!" Hayley shouted. "Get your ass out here!"

She was partially transformed, and her claws dripped with the blood of the littered wolf bodies on the ground.

Aron stared down into the compound from one of the upper-room windows. His teeth were gritted, and on his face, was this frustrated look.

"What do we do, boss?" one of them asked, trembling in the same room with him. "The magic power coming off Marvin’s daughter is too high."

"you think i dont know that?!" Aron yelled at him, then returned his view back to the window.

He exhaled sharply and walked towards the door. "Marvin’s bitch daughter dies here."

-

More men rushed out of the house toward Hayley, only to be met by a massive cannon style shockwave from her lunged fist, tearing through all of them in an instant.

From another side, a group of men opened fire with a machine gun, forcing Hayley to raise her hand briefly over her face.

The bullets struck her body but bounced off harmlessly. When the barrage ended, she turned toward them with a roaring sound and lunged straight into their midst.

——

——

In a different city...

Valerie and Bettie stood at a corner, half-hidden beside a streetlamp. Both wore long overcoats, with hats over their head. From a distance, they were just two women waiting.

They had arrived in the city on one of the fastest-moving airships, completing their journey from the Stark Industries dock to this place in about thirty minutes.

Since then, however, they had been waiting in this corner for over an hour.

Across the street, the door of a restaurant opened and Loretta stepped out. She had a pale skin, dark long hair and red vampiric eyes.

After adjusting her coat, she began walking down the sidewalk.

Lucy’s voice came through their comm pods. "She’s moving now. Stay on her."

Without responding, Valerie simply stepped off the corner, with Bettie following.

They fell into pace behind Loretta, keeping just enough distance to remain within sight without drawing attention.

For a while, it was quiet. Then Betsy spoke in a low tone. "We’re just subduing her, right?"

Valerie kept her eyes on the target. "Yeah."