Chapter 4: Whispers of betrayal

Damien's heart pounded in his chest. "What the hell? Werewolves?"

Palmer didn't answer. He was already out of the car, eyes glowing bright red as he scouted the area for presence for more troops.

Meanwhile, back at the estate...

Alarms blared back at the estate. Sarah's heart leapt into her throat as she saw shadowy figures moving across the manicured lawn. Her body came still, unable to move due to fear as she witnessed silhouettes, defying gravity as they flickered across the walls and ceiling with nimble movements

A cold hand clamped over Sarah's mouth, silencing her startled gasp. A chill ran down her spine as she felt the sharp edge of something pressed against her throat. "The floor would be dyed in your blood before you could let out a scream," the figure hissed, its voice a chilling whisper. Sarah's heart pounded in her chest as she struggled against the unseen assailant.

"You fool!" Valen's voice echoed through the ballroom, laced with a chilling calm that belied the fury in his eyes. "A walking corpse shouldn't be making petty threats."

In a flash, Valen's normally serene blue eyes turned a deep, predatory scarlet. Dark vein-like lines appeared beneath them, tracing delicate patterns across his pale skin, a clear sign that his vampire senses were fully activated. Before the shadowy figure could even register the shift, Valen moved. He was a blur of motion, a crimson streak across the polished floor. With a speed that defied human perception, he snatched Sarah away from the intruder's grasp, pulling her behind him in a protective stance.

The figure stumbled back, momentarily disoriented. As it turned to face its new opponent, the dim light caught its face, revealing the creature's true nature. It was a siren, its skin pale and luminescent, its eyes glowing with an eerie blue light. A cruel smile twisted its lips as it recognized Valen.

"Well, well," the siren hissed, its voice a seductive purr that held a venomous edge. " Info has it that it was just one vampire. Well, with the original gone, the outcast shouldn't be a problem."

Valen's eyes narrowed. " I sympathize with your low sense of perception. You of all people should know how inferior you are compared to me given your level of achievement and nature." He drawled, his voice laced with a chilling condescension "Perhaps—" he paused, tilting his head slightly, "a demonstration is in order."

The siren lunged, its movements fluid and graceful, like a predator stalking its prey. Valen countered with a speed that matched the siren's, their forms a whirlwind of motion as they clashed in the center of the ballroom.

Valen, drawing on his vampire strength, landed a powerful blow that sent the siren crashing into a marble pillar. But the siren recovered quickly, its lithe body twisting and contorting to avoid Valen's next attack. It retaliated with a swift kick, aiming for Valen's chest, but he anticipated the move and vanished in a blink.

The siren's eyes darted around, searching for its elusive opponent. Suddenly, Valen reappeared behind it. He lunged, tackling the siren to the ground with a force that shook the room.

The battle raged on, a dance of shadows and speed, of supernatural agility and deadly precision. The siren, though skilled and cunning, was slowly being overwhelmed by Valen's relentless assault. He soon noticed he was being toyed with, like dancing on the palm of something bigger as he hasn't landed a single hit but is being dealt a great deal of damage faster than he can regenerate.

" I can't let this drag on any longer. It's now or never."

He lets out a silent signal, a vibration in the air, was sent, summoning its allies. A moment later, a squad of sirens, their bodies glistening with bioluminescence, burst into the room. Each carried a weapon

Valen, unfazed, faced the incoming threat. He moved with the grace of a dancer, effortlessly dodging the incoming attacks. However, one of the sirens, more cunning than the rest, took advantage of a moment of distraction. With a swift motion, it drew a bow and fired an arrow, the tip glowing with a divine light. The arrow struck Valen in the chest, piercing his heart. He staggered back, a look of shock and disbelief etched on his face.

"What are sirens doing with a holy weapon?" he thought to himself, his senses reeling. The world around him began to fade as he lost consciousness.