CHAPTER 7: TRAP

Back at the Woo Lee stronghold, Kael's chest heaved as Gavern, the clan's healer, examined the wound

You shouldn't have touched her Gavern muttered, his tone heavy with disapproval.

Kael's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

Gavern leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. You touched an heiress. You're lucky her energy didn't destroy you entirely."

Kael's heart sank. His suspicions were confirmed. Aiya was no ordinary woman. She was an Heiress, her bloodline tied to the ancient prophecies.

The realization sent a shiver through him. He had underestimated her. Kael mind ran in thoughts he summoned Dren to know how far they've gone in the preparation for the war. And everything was just in place as planned he grinned a mischievous smile.

The night was unnaturally quiet when Leek reached the border. He dismounted his horse with careful precision, his boots crunching softly against the cold, damp earth. His sharp eyes scanned the dark expanse before him. The faint scent of blood and steel hung in the air, a telltale sign that something was amiss.

Leek knew this was no ordinary patrol—it was a trap. He could feel the tension crackling in the air, the kind of silence that comes before a storm. His instincts were sharp, honed by years of war and survival. But despite the danger, he stepped forward, his sword resting loosely in his hand.

A soft whistle pierced the air. Leek turned, moving faster than the eye could follow, as an arrow shot past him, slicing through his cloak before embedding itself in a tree. His golden eyes flickered with amusement.

"So predictable," he murmured.

Out of the shadows emerged the warriors of the Woo Lee clan, their faces masked and their swords gleaming under the faint moonlight. Leek's lips curled into a wry smile.

One of the warriors lunged at him with a guttural roar. Leek didn't flinch. His sword moved like liquid silver, meeting the enemy's blade with a sharp clang. Another warrior attacked from the side, but Leek twisted, his blade slicing cleanly through armor and flesh.

They came at him in waves, their movements synchronized and deadly. But Leek was faster. He dodged, parried, and countered with ease, his body a blur of motion. The air rang with the sound of clashing steel and the desperate cries of his enemies.

Within moments, the ground was littered with bodies, blood pooling around them like a dark mirror. Leek stood amidst the carnage, his breathing steady, his blade dripping with crimson.

From a high cliff overlooking the battlefield, Kael watched with a sinister grin.

"He's as formidable as ever," Kael muttered, his voice tinged with envy and malice. "But even he can't withstand this."

He turned to one of his men. "Throw the golden arrow."

The soldier hesitated, his expression uneasy. "The golden arrow weakens even the strongest of us. Are you sure—"

"Do it!" Kael barked, his eyes blazing.

The golden arrow was no ordinary weapon. Forged with ancient spells, it was designed to pierce the very essence of a vampire, draining their strength and leaving them vulnerable.

Leek heard the soft hum before he saw it—a streak of golden light hurtling through the darkness. He moved to dodge, but the arrow grazed his arm, its magic searing through his skin like fire. He hissed in pain, his hand instinctively clenching around the wound.

The golden arrow's poison coursed through his veins, weakening him. But Leek refused to falter. Another wave of Woo Lee warriors charged at him, their swords raised high.

Despite the pain, Leek fought with unrelenting fury. His sword moved in wide arcs, cutting down his enemies with precision. Blood sprayed across the battlefield as he pushed through the pain, his body a relentless force of destruction.

But the golden arrow had taken its toll. His movements slowed, his strength waning. Kael's smirk widened as he watched from above.

"Release the next set of arrows," Kael commanded.

A thousand golden arrows rained down, their glow lighting up the battlefield like a sinister sunrise. Leek gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He couldn't dodge them all, not in his weakened state.

Closing his eyes, he retreated into his thoughts, focusing on the fire within him. The ancient flames of his lineage surged through his veins, a power he had buried deep for years.

The flames erupted from his body, golden and fierce, consuming the arrows mid-flight. The light was blinding, the heat scorching the earth.

Kael's triumphant smirk vanished as one of the deflected arrows struck him in the chest. He stumbled, his face twisting in pain.

"Retreat!" shouted Dren, Kael's second-in-command. "Take him back to the stronghold!"

The Woo Lee warriors scrambled to obey, dragging their wounded leader away.

As the battlefield grew silent once more, Leek collapsed to his knees, his breaths ragged. The golden arrow's poison burned in his veins, and the flames that had saved him had drained his strength.

He forced himself to his feet, his vision swimming. Blood dripped from his wounds, but he refused to show weakness. Climbing onto his horse, he urged it forward, the journey back to the V-Clan a blur of pain and exhaustion.

Meanwhile, Leek arrived at the V-Clan's castle under the cover of darkness. Too weak to use the main entrance, he slipped through a hidden passage known only to him and Karth, his most trusted ally.

The passage led directly to his chambers, where he collapsed onto the floor, his body trembling from the strain. Karth was waiting, his face a mask of worry.

"My lord," Karth said, kneeling beside him. "You're injured."

Leek waved him off. "I'll heal," he said, his voice weak but determined.

Karth hesitated. "The golden arrow's poison… it's spreading. You need rest, and perhaps…"

Leek's eyes snapped open, glowing faintly in the dim light. "No one must know about this," he said firmly. "Not yet."

Karth nodded, his loyalty unwavering.

As Leek drifted into unconsciousness, his mind was filled with images of the Lady in his dream. He had gone to the border to seek the Heiress but now he wondered if she was real, he thought about not getting the women he wants. He wanted the Heiress to be real and the same time wants to see the woman in his dream, who was she, why does she always appear in his dream. Then the nightmare came again, this time he got a clear view of her facial trying to reach out to her but he couldn't as a forced pulled him back, he worked up middle of the night with sweats dripping from his forehead he couldn't sleep, he attended to his wound and just like every other wounds, it instantly healed.