The Survivors from that night.

"Yes," Alaric confirmed, his tone clipped. "He used the girls to feed his own power, summoning dark forces he couldn't control. It looks like these beasts finished what we started."

Salviana's face paled at his words. 

She turned her head to avoid the sight of the mangled bodies on the ground. "So many lives… wasted," she murmured.

"We don't have time to dwell on it," Lucius said sharply. He turned to Alaric. "What do we do now? If these beasts were controlled, then someone—or something—far more dangerous is behind all of this."

"We prepare," Alaric said, his voice steady despite the weight of the situation. "This isn't over. Whoever controlled those beasts will try again."

Jaefel sheathed his sword, his jaw tight. "And when they do, we'll be ready."