The Circle Tightens

The warehouse still smelled like burnt wood, scorched magic, and regret—specifically, Vivi's regret. She leaned against what was left of a half-collapsed crate, rubbing her temples as she surveyed the wreckage. Her heels were scuffed, her blazer had seen better days, and her patience was officially on life support.

"Well," she said, sending a pointed glare in Callum's direction, "that went about as well as a vampire babysitting a teething werewolf."

Callum ignored her, pacing like a caged animal, his boots crunching over the remains of the shattered crate. His steel-gray eyes scanned their surroundings, sharp and restless, like he was itching for a fight.

"He won't get far," Callum muttered.

Vivi let out a short, humorless laugh. "Oh, really? Because last I checked, poofing into smoke makes it pretty hard to follow someone. Unless you've got a secret 'track the conveniently disappearing villain' skill I don't know about?"

Callum shot her a look, all hard edges and irritation. "We got what we came for."

"Did we?" Vivi threw up her hands. "Because all I see is 'villain escapes dramatically' and 'we're back to square one.'"

Callum exhaled, slow and measured, like he was debating whether throwing something would be worth the effort. "The focus—"

"—is dust," Vivi cut in. "Along with any magical trace we could've used to track them. I swear, if I had a dollar for every time a lead exploded right before we could use it, I'd have—"

Her Omega Insight chimed, cutting her off.

Quest Updated: The Framed Alpha

Objective: Uncover the Black Circle's plans.

New Lead: Residual enchantments detected in the destroyed focus.

Reward: Skill Unlock (Tracking: Minor)**

Vivi's irritation cooled slightly. "Huh."

"What?" Callum asked, watching her closely.

"Residual enchantments," Vivi murmured, crouching beside the wreckage of the crate. Her fingers brushed over a faint, pulsing glow in the shards of wood. The remaining magic flared briefly, revealing an image in the air—a map, marked with a single glowing point.

"Finally," Vivi said, standing. "Looks like our friends in the Black Circle were careless."

Callum stepped in closer, eyes locked on the floating map. "How do we know it's not a trap?"

"Oh, it's definitely a trap," Vivi said. "But do we have any other options?"

Callum's lips twitched, just barely. "You do like walking into those."

"No," Vivi corrected, smirking. "I like proving idiots wrong."

The map led them to a run-down mansion on the outskirts of town. Once upon a time, it had probably been impressive—grand archways, towering spires, the whole 'old money' aesthetic. Now, the windows were dark, the walls were crumbling under decades of neglect, and the air around the property hummed with magic.

Vivi folded her arms. "Why do bad guys always pick creepy abandoned buildings? What's wrong with a nice apartment downtown?"

Callum ignored her, gaze locked on the structure. "There are wards on the perimeter."

"Of course there are." Vivi pulled out a small crystal, holding it up to the barely visible shimmer in the air. Her Insight kicked in:

[Perimeter Wards]

Type: Detection and Immobilization

Weak Point: Southwest corner

"There," she said, pointing toward the overgrown hedges near the edge of the property. "We disable that node, and the whole ward drops."

Callum nodded and started moving. Vivi followed, heels sinking slightly into the damp ground.

As they reached the weak point, Vivi crouched down, tracing her fingers over the glowing runes etched into the stone. "This shouldn't take long."

"You've said that before," Callum muttered.

She shot him a glare. "Keep watch, wolf boy, and let the professionals work."

Callum smirked but didn't argue.

The runes resisted at first, sparking angrily, but Vivi muttered a counterspell under her breath, fingers steady. The magic shuddered once, then flickered out. The wards fell silent.

"There," she said, standing. "We're in."

Callum's smirk widened. "Not bad."

"Please, I'm incredible," Vivi said breezily. "Now let's go walk into this obvious trap, shall we?"

The inside of the mansion was even worse than the outside. Dust coated every surface, the air was thick with old magic, and every mirror in the place reflected slightly wrong versions of their surroundings.

"This place has strong 'you're going to die here' energy," Vivi muttered.

"Stay focused," Callum said.

They moved carefully through the halls, their steps muffled by rotting rugs. As they reached the grand staircase, the sound of voices drifted from above.

Vivi held up a hand. "We've got company."

Callum tilted his head slightly, listening. "Two, maybe three people."

"Great," Vivi whispered. "What's the plan? Punch first, ask questions later?"

"Something like that."

"I love our strategic depth."

Before Callum could retort, footsteps creaked on the floorboards above them.

"Too late," Vivi muttered, pulling out a small enchanted dagger.

A figure appeared at the top of the stairs, cloaked in black, the Black Circle sigil glowing faintly on his chest. His eyes widened at the sight of them.

"Now," Callum growled.

The fight erupted instantly. Callum launched himself at the nearest target, claws flashing. Another figure hurled a spell at Vivi, who ducked behind the banister just in time.

"Why is it always magic?" she groaned, popping up long enough to throw her dagger.

It hit its mark, embedding itself in the sorcerer's arm.

The sorcerer screamed, his spell fizzling out.

"Nice shot," Callum called, slamming the first sorcerer into the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Thanks," Vivi said, already reaching for another dagger. "I aim to maim."

The fight was messy, but within minutes, the sorcerers were subdued, tied up with enchanted rope Vivi had "borrowed" from her office.

Callum loomed over the least unconscious one. "Start talking."

The sorcerer sneered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "You think this will stop us? You're nothing but a pawn in a game you can't even begin to understand."

Vivi crouched beside him, resting her chin in her hand. "Do you hear yourself? It's like you're trying to sound like a cheap movie villain."

The sorcerer glared at her.

Vivi smirked. "Look, we both know you're going to give us something. It's just a matter of whether I make it annoying or really annoying."

Callum crossed his arms. "I'd start talking."

The sorcerer hesitated. Then, reluctantly, "The Obsidian Veil."

Vivi's smirk vanished. "What about it?"

"It's being prepared," the sorcerer said. "For the ritual."

Her stomach dropped.

Callum's expression darkened. "Where?"

The sorcerer shook his head. "You'll never make it in time."

"Oh, sweetheart," Vivi said, standing. "You have no idea what I can do under a tight deadline."

Callum met her gaze, something hard and determined in his expression. "We need to move."

Vivi nodded. "Then let's crash a ritual."