Prologue
A moan, ragged and raw, vibrated through the stone beneath Grimm. Was it his own? He couldn't tell. His head ached, a dull, persistent throb. The air, thick with the scent of dust and something metallic, clung to the back of his throat. He tried to move, but his limbs were bound, the rough fibers of rope digging into his skin. From somewhere beyond the thick wooden door, a choked sob, followed by a sharp, wet crack. The faint light from the barred slot revealed uneven, dark patches on the wall, their shape suggesting a violent history.
Rough stone scraped his cheek. He shifted, muscles straining, the thick cords biting deeper. A Dungeon. The word echoed in the confined space, a bitter taste on his tongue. He twisted, a futile wriggle against the unyielding bonds.
From the corridor, a guttural snarl, a sharp, sibilant hiss, a piercing shriek. Shadows, elongated and jagged, flickered on the wall, their shapes hinting at something monstrous.
He tugged at the ropes, the coarse fibers refusing to yield. A dull throb pulsed behind his eyes, a blank space where memory should have been. Here? How? He strained to see through the dim light, the darkness beyond the door a heavy, impenetrable curtain.
The metallic jingle of keys cut through the silence, growing louder with each echoing step. A flicker in the door's slit. Two points of crimson, like embers in the dark, ignited. The metallic click of a lock disengaging echoed. Grimm's gaze met the darkness, his own pupils burning with a white-hot intensity.
The door swung inward. A gaunt figure stood silhouetted against the dim corridor. Skin stretched taut over bone, pale as parchment. Ears, pointed and sharp, twitched. Two rows of serrated teeth, like shards of obsidian, protruded from its gaping jaws. Long, skeletal fingers, tipped with sharpened points, curled at its sides.
Grimm's jaw clenched, the muscles rippling. A flare of white light pulsed from his eyes. "Vampyr." The word, a low growl, ripped through the silence.
He held the creature's sunken gaze as it approached. Grimm's muscles strained, a desperate, futile wriggle against the biting cords. The vampyr's thin arm, surprisingly strong, stretched out, its fingers closing around the thick, bristly ropes. A fetid gust, hot and metallic, washed over Grimm as the creature's head drew near. Its jaws parted, revealing a cavern of serrated teeth and slick, dark flesh. Now. He snapped his head forward, the impact a sharp, jarring crack against the vampyr's skull. The creature's eyes narrowed, then it unleashed a piercing, high-pitched shriek.
Heat flared in his limbs, a surge that lifted him. The vampyr's head, tilted, wobbled slightly. Grimm's muscles bunched, a coiled tension, then he exploded forward.
Crimson light flickered in the vampyr's eyes, its daze vanishing. A blur of motion, its arm lashed out, the claws scraping down Grimm's back as he dropped into a crouch. Snikt! The ropes parted, frayed fibers scattering.
Grimm slammed into the vampyr's waist, the force sending them hurtling through the dungeon doorway, impacting the rough stone beyond. The firelit corridor, narrow and claustrophobic, confirmed his suspicions – a prison. Heavy wooden doors lined the walls, each vanishing into spiraling stone stairwells.
A sickening crack echoed as the vampyr's spine buckled. The creature slid down the wall, its shriek a high-pitched whine. Grimm's eyes blazed, white fire igniting within them. A brutal barrage of blows landed, bone splintering, dust erupting from the flagstones.
His hand drew back, fingers spread wide. A raw, guttural roar ripped from his throat. He lunged, his fingers finding the vampyr's empty eye sockets, his thumb scraping against serrated teeth, his foot heavy on its chest. The skull yielded, a sickening crunch under his grip. The creature's shriek intensified, a wave of pure terror. Then, a wet, tearing sound, as the front of its skull ripped away.
The vampyr's body slumped, sliding down the rough stone. The gaping cavity where its skull had been glistened with slick fluids. A sharp, barbed tongue, slick with blood, pulsed and writhed amongst yellowed teeth. Dark, viscous blood pulsed from severed veins.
Grimm's heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic rhythm. His muscles coiled, ready to spring. His gaze snapped around the corridor, searching. There. A dark spiral stairwell, across the hallway, caught his eye. He turned, sprinting into the corridor. Behind him, shrieks, raw and violent, echoed. His legs burned, propelling him down the spiraling stairs.
The light, a sickly, unnatural glow, hinted at depths below. Underground. Where? His breath, ragged and sharp, tore from his lungs. The stairwell opened onto a dimly lit archway, leading into a vast chamber.
Pale figures, limbs bound by iron shackles to angled wooden tables, lined the walls. Skin stretched taut over bone, veins threaded with thin tubes that snaked upward, filled with bright red fluid. In the room's center, a long table, littered with crude surgical tools and sharpened instruments.
At the far end, double doors, guarded by a vampyr. Their gazes locked. A guttural roar erupted from the creature, its serrated jaws stretching unnaturally wide. It launched itself across the table, a blur of motion. Grimm met the charge, his feet driving him forward. Their hands locked, a brutal contest of force. Surgical steel skittered and clattered across the stone floor.
The vampyr's strength, a raw, unnatural power, met Grimm's own, an equal force. It pressed forward, its full weight bearing down, forcing Grimm's knees to bend. Crimson light flared in its sunken eyes, the thin muscles of its gaunt frame tightening.
Grimm's wrists trembled, the strain a white-hot ache. Now. His back arched, slamming against the table. Boots braced against the vampyr's chest, hands flat against the table, his grip tightened. The creature's face, inches from his, revealed the crimson depths of its eyes. Grimm's legs pushed outward, stretching the vampyr's arms. Then, a sickening split. The creature's head parted vertically, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth, slick with blood and slime, dripping onto his jacket. Its jaws gaped wider as Grimm's legs continued their relentless push. The vampyr's skin tore, its shrieks merging with the agonized cries from the tables. A sharp snap, and the creature's arms dislocated, its body slamming against the double doors.
Arms flung back, legs bent, back arched. Whoosh! He launched himself upward, landing with a thud that rattled the table. The vampyr lay crumpled by the doors, its limbs twitching. Grimm prepared to finish it.
Legs coiled, then sprung. He landed inches from the downed creature. His boot slammed against its shoulder, his arm clamping down on its other limb. A low moan escaped the vampyr. Grimm wrenched, and the arm tore free, a spray of blood painting the chamber walls and the bound figures crimson. A cacophony of shrieks, both the vampyr's and the victims', filled the room as Grimm used the severed limb to beat the creature into silence.
The roars from the stairwell intensified, a rising tide of sound as the blows continued. Each impact, a thunderous echo, culminated in a sickening crunch. Grimm seized the bloodied limb by the wrist, a final roar tearing from his throat, and drove the sharpened fingers into the creature's face.
His breath, ragged and searing, burned in his chest. The roars were close. No time. He braced himself, hands flared, left leg rooted. His right leg arced high. BAM! His boot smashed through the door, sending splintered wood flying.
The vampyr's corpse thudded against the wall as Grimm vaulted over it. The hallway, dark and narrow, stretched towards a distant light.
Here? Why? Bound figures, tubes draining their veins. Nothing aligned. The corridor widened, revealing a vast cavern. His suspicions solidified. The cavern opened onto a raised platform, a blood-filled moat encircling it. The platform soared, a thin stairwell twisting upward to a bone throne, its peak sharpened to a point.
Openings dotted the cavern walls, each leading to small, isolated platforms. Behind the bone throne, a yawning maw, mirroring the one Grimm stood before.
Grimm's gaze flickered, searching the cavern's edge. Each opening, a void of black. His eyes snagged on the opening behind the throne. He tried to move, but his limbs locked, his body rigid. Only his eyes shifted. A low growl, barely audible, rumbled beneath his bandana. White fire flickered in his pupils. Magic.
The roars intensified. Pale figures, a horde of vampyrs, emerged from the shadows, encircling him. His muscles strained, useless. They snarled, hissed, foam flecking their lips, their eyes dead and beady. They waited.
A voice, smooth and seductive, echoed from behind the throne. "Well done, my pets." A figure emerged from the darkness. Firelight revealed a slender woman, her skin pale, her body mostly bare. Gold chains draped her form, their links catching the light. Her breasts were full, her waist unnaturally thin. Gold bracelets chimed with each fluid step; her long legs barely veiled by a silken slip that whispered across the stone.
"You've found my prize." Her voice, a silken caress, stilled the snarling vampyrs, parting them as she approached. Grimm's jaw tightened, his gaze a hard, unyielding stare. She closed the distance, her scent, a cloying mix of sweetness and metal, filling his nostrils. Her glistening black nails traced a line across his cheek. "Grimm, the monster hunter." Her voice, a seductive whisper. "It took so long to capture you, my pet." She circled him, her long black hair flowing across her pale shoulders, her scent a heady intoxication.
She pressed against his back, her nails digging into his leather duster as she gripped his shoulders. "Five of my slaves fell to you," she murmured, her hand sliding around his waist. "But it will be worth it." Her hand drifted lower, a tight, painful grip. A groan escaped Grimm's lips. She leaned close, her breath hot against his ear. "You, immortal one, will aid in the birth our new king..."
"But first," she hissed, her face twisting, "a taste!" Her jaws unhinged, her head snapping back. Squelch. Grimm grunted, his lips sealed, as her teeth sank into his shoulder. Her eyes hollowed, draining him. The magical hold began to weaken.
Grimm's body slumped, sliding from her jaws, and landed heavily on the stone. She wiped her lips, a crimson smear across her now-human face. She snapped her fingers. Two vampyrs seized Grimm's arms, their snarls echoing as they dragged him towards the corridor behind the throne. She ascended the stairs, settling onto the bone throne.
She tilted her head, inhaling deeply. "Asmon." A figure emerged from the corridor. Tall and gaunt, he wore a hooded black cloak, its trim a stark crimson. His eyes, sunken and white, peered from beneath the hood. His features were sharp, his beard precisely pointed.
He reached the throne's base and knelt, eyes squeezed shut. "My queen," he hissed. "Prepare the immortal for the ritual," she commanded, her voice a glacial edge. "Yes, my queen." His voice cracked. "But..." Her eyebrow arched, amber eyes pinning him. "Yes?" "If I may," Asmon stammered, his voice thin, "Why the monster hunter? Why not... another?" Her gaze hardened. "Another? Such as yourself, Asmon?" Asmon's heart pounded. "The scrolls state—" he began, cut short. "The scrolls?" she cut in; her tone sharp. "Foolish priest, do not lecture me on the scrolls. The ritual requires the blood of an immortal, cursed by an old god. Not vampyr blood." His jaw tightened. "Yes, my queen." "Now, leave. Or feel my hand close around your still-beating heart."
Asmon straightened, a slow, hesitant rise, and bowed, a shallow dip of his head, before vanishing into the shadows. "Hmph." The queen's lip curled, a dismissive sneer. She reclined, her long legs crossing, her body draping across the bone throne. "Soon." Her amber eyes narrowed, her sharp nails tracing the curve of her hip. "Soon, this world will be his." A hollow laugh, sharp and brittle, echoed through the cavern, a promise of coming darkness.