~Laurent The wind shifted the moment he smiled. I didn’t have time to think—he was already gone. A blur. A flicker. Then pain. My back hit the marble hard enough to crack it. I pushed up fast, vision swimming. Damn it. He’s faster. Lior stood where I’d been, the dust still settling around him. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the sun, like blood caught in glass. “You’ve improved,” he said. “A little.” “Good,” I said, straightening, forcing the ache down. “I was worried you’d be bored.” He vanished. Blood Instinct screamed. I ducked—barely in time. His fist sliced through the air where my head had been. The shockwave sent loose petals spiraling through the garden. I stepped back, calling my energy. Shadows rippled under my boots. [Skill Active: Shadow Step.] The world bent. I reappeared behind him, claws drawn, aiming for his neck. My strike met air. A boot slammed into my ribs. The ground spun before I hit it again, coughing blood. He didn’t even look winded

~Laurent The ground was cracked, bleeding dust and light. I could barely keep my feet under me. My lungs burned like someone had poured fire into them. Lior stood a few paces away, calm as ever, coat torn, eyes bright. Not a single wound slowed him. His aura still pulsed — that cold, predatory rhythm only old vampires carried. I exhaled slowly. “You don’t die easy, do you?” He tilted his head, smiling faintly. “Neither do you. But I couldn’t expect anything less from a fellow vampire. It’s a shame you’ll be dying by my hand.” Then he vanished. The wind split as he moved. I caught the blur — barely — before he appeared beside me, knee driving into my ribs. Pain flared white. My vision went black at the edges. [Warning: HP 32%.] I staggered back, forcing air into my lungs. I tried to counter with Energy Projection, but the beam missed. He was already gone again — flickering through the air like a shadow skipping frames. “Too slow,” he whispered behind me. His hand sl

~Laurent The system flickered awake above me, pale red against the morning sky. My body still felt like lead, every muscle screaming, but the numbers pulled my eyes anyway. ⸻ [UPDATED STATS: Laurent Draven] Level: 94 Strength: 520 Agility: 420 Endurance: 390 Perception: 300 Intelligence: 230 Skills: – Shadow Step – Shadow Cloak – Blood Surge – Fang Bite – Claw Manifestation – Bat’s Agility – Blood Sense – Shadow Dominion – Blood Clone – Shadow Prison – Hemokinesis – Energy Projection – Blood Berserk – Blood Transcendence – Bat Swarm (New) Weapons: – Fang & Talon – Vermilion Edge – Gorath’s Chainfang – Eclipsera – Ereval (Crimson Rapier) [Skill Unlocked: Bat Swarm] — Allows transformation into a dispersed swarm of vampiric bats. User becomes intangible to physical attacks, can move at extreme speeds, and reform at will. Can be used offensively to swarm enemies or evade attacks. ⸻ I exhaled, staring at the glowing windo

~Laurent The smell of blood hung in the air like fog. Every step echoed against metal. We were deep inside the facility now—far past where the lights still worked. Each corridor was a spine of rusted steel and flickering panels. The floor was slick with something that might’ve been oil. Or blood. Denzel moved beside me, fire whispering faintly along his arm. The glow painted his face in sharp red lines. “I hate places like this,” he muttered. “Then burn it down when we’re done.” A noise scraped ahead—wet, low, animal. I raised a hand for silence. We both stopped. The corridor ahead split into two. From the right passage came the sound of claws dragging against steel. From the left, a single, long exhale that didn’t belong to anything human. “They’re here,” Denzel whispered. “Good,” I said. “The more the merrier.” The first one burst from the left wall—literally through it. Metal screamed as the creature broke through. It was small, hunched, and wrong. Its skin looked like s

~Laurent The room vibrated with power the moment Denzel spoke. “It’s over, Calen,” he said. His voice echoed off the steel walls, calm but sharp. “You don’t stand a chance against us.” Calen only smiled. The light caught the edge of his silver hair, his coat hanging loose around him like a shadow that knew it belonged. “You overestimate yourself,” he said. His tone was effortless, almost kind. “Walk out now and I’ll tell my monsters to kill you swiftly. It doesn’t seem like much, but when you figure out what I’m planning the hard way… you’ll wish you took my offer.” Denzel’s flames hissed alive across his arms. “Shut up. You’re not going to scare us. We’re killing you, here and now.” Calen stood, slow and deliberate. “Come on then.” His gaze sharpened. “Even if you succeed in defeating me, you won’t be able to stop what’s coming. It’s already here.” “Stop spewing rubbish,” Denzel said—and lunged. The explosion of heat was instant. Fire roared through the room, filling