Adrian's jaw was locked, his teeth grinding so hard he could hear the sound in his own ears. "I don't care," he growled, the words thick with the weight of three years of pain and a lifetime of loss. "I just want strength. Enough to crush James. Enough to kill Alucard."Zuri’s gaze was like a sculptor's, cool and precise, chipping away at Adrian's pride. "And that is why you are weak."The insult hit Adrian harder than any physical blow. Weak? He had survived when his entire town was slaughtered. He had lived, and fought, and bled for years to get to this point. He snarled, his body coiling like a spring, ready to leap, to challenge Zuri, to prove with his fists the truth of his power.But Zuri was faster. He snapped his fingers, and the serene, grassy plain shimmered and dissolved. The fresh air was replaced by the acrid stench of smoke and decay. Adrian found himself standing on the cobblestones of a ruined street, the phantom echoes of his hometown. From the shadows of crumbling b

At the center of a ritual formation, a vial lay on a coffin, its glass surface glowing with an internal fire. Inside, the blood of an infant demon god swirled like living magma. Its crimson light painted the walls in violent streaks, casting long, dancing shadows that looked like a thousand clutching hands.James stood beside the vial, his body still trembling, not from fear but from the seismic shift of his recent transformation. His eyes burned with a new, malevolent red, and his skin was as pale as bone. Yet, his voice was steady, a deep, unyielding baritone as he recited the arcane chants Alucard had taught him, the words an incantation of darkness.Alucard himself stood at the heart of the ritual circle with a coffin in front of him. His hands were stretched wide, his head tilted back, and lines of black symbols, drawn in a mixture of blood and ash, crawled across the floor like living snakes. “Faith has been gathered,” Alucard intoned, his voice layered with power, a chorus of

“We’ll find the missing piece,” Adrian said, his voice sharp with resolve. “And then we end this.” “How?” Bella asked, frowning. “Where do we even start?” Nancy spoke up, her tone steady despite the tension in the room. “Every soul leaves a trace in the spirit realm. I saw a vision..Dracula’s soul is incomplete.” “The spirit realm?” Maria scoffed, crossing her arms. “We tried that before, Nancy. It was a dead end.” Nancy snapped, “At least I’m offering something, Maria. Not just tearing down everyone else’s ideas.” Maria’s eyes flashed. “Oh, so I’m the problem? At least I didn’t get everyone’s hopes up with some half-baked plan that wasted our time!” Maria shot back. The room grew heavy with silence. Adrian, Bella, and Mr. Elias exchanged uneasy glances as the two women glared at each other. Nancy opened her mouth, then stopped, her shoulders slumping. “Forget it,” she muttered, turning away. “Enough,” Adrian said, stepping forward. “We’re all on edge. We barely made it

Nancy’s breath came ragged as she stirred inside the ritual circle. The golden runes still glowed faintly beneath her, but the light was no longer pure.Adrian stepped forward a little bit closer, worrying, he creased his brow. “Nancy? Can you hear me?”Her eyes opened slowly, they glimmered, not just her usual earthy brown but laced with a faint, otherworldly red. For an instant, her voice came out layered, two tones overlapping: one her own, the other deeper,ancient and commanding.“I am awake.”Bella and Mr. Elias tensed, instinctively shifted their stance, as though expecting an ambush. Maria said, “That’s not Nancy.”Adrian turned sharply. “Wait—”“No, don’t ‘wait’ me, Adrian!” Maria snapped, pointing at Nancy. “Look at her eyes, feel her aura, I am telling you that's not Nancy.”Nancy clutched her head, wincing. “It’s… it’s me, but not just me…” Her voice faltered, and then the deeper tone bled through again. “Peace, girl. I mean you no harm.”“Dracula?,” Adrian muttered.Maria

From a distant cliff, Alucard glared down at BlackRock City, his crimson eyes burning with contempt. “You insects think this is victory?” His voice was laced with fury. “Savor your hollow triumph. A greater darkness awaits. You’ve only delayed despair.” His body dissolved into a storm of black bats, scattering into the night. — The oppressive darkness lifted abruptly, sunlight spilling over BlackRock City like a cleansing wave. Warmth bathed the streets, chasing away the lingering darkness. Maria blinked, shielding her eyes. “Is it over?” she murmured. If not for the scattered vampire and demon corpses, she might’ve thought it a dream. They had defeated Dracula and Alucard, two ancient vampires whose names carried centuries of dread. “What next” Bella asked “I think I have an idea” He said and then turned toward Elias, asking “Mr. Elias, are you coming?” “I’m tired,” Elias said, one hand pressed against his aching back. “I’ll rest today.” — At the City… Families