Chapter 31:A SINSTER REVELATION

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Chapter 31: A Sinster Revelation

The forest's suffocating darkness finally gave way as Rio, Retina, and Iris emerged from the thick undergrowth. The cool night air greeted them, but the eerie silence that followed sent an unsettling chill down their spines.

"We're out…" Iris murmured, her voice laced with exhaustion. Her silver eyes scanned the clearing ahead, her ears still twitching at the slightest sound.

Rio exhaled slowly, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah… but something doesn't feel right."

Retina's crimson eyes narrowed as she surveyed the area. "The aura… it's still here," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

"Exactly." Rio's brow furrowed as unease settled in his gut. "Why… was a Dracula in the Land of Demons?" His mind raced, piecing together the fragments of their encounter. "That shouldn't be possible…"

"Maybe it wandered here…" Iris suggested, but her tone was unsure.

"No." Retina shook her head, her expression grim. "Draculas don't 'wander.' They don't leave their territories unless something… forces them to."

Rio's eyes darkened. "Then where the hell are we?"

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The Fog Clears

As if responding to his words, the thick fog that had shrouded their path began to dissipate. Slowly, the world before them was revealed—and what they saw froze them in place.

A massive, ancient castle loomed in the distance. Its jagged spires pierced the night sky, and the very air around it pulsed with a malevolent energy. The castle's towering walls were draped in an eerie mist, and the glow of crimson torches flickered against the stone.

But that wasn't the most horrifying sight.

In the open fields surrounding the castle, a gruesome scene unfolded.

Hordes of Ghouls—hideous, rotting creatures with hollow eyes and twisted limbs—were feasting on the blood of fallen vampires. Their grotesque forms crouched over their prey, their fangs sinking into the lifeless bodies, draining every last drop.

"What… the hell…" Rio's voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes widening in horror.

"They're… feeding on vampires…" Iris's expression twisted in disgust, her claws flexing involuntarily.

"This…" Retina's voice trembled slightly, her face pale. "This isn't the Land of Demons…"

Rio's heart pounded in his chest as realization struck like a lightning bolt.

"We're… in the territory of vampires…"

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A Terrifying Truth

A suffocating silence followed his words.

"The Land of Vampires… Draculas… and Ghouls…" Retina's tone was grave, her gaze locked on the horrifying scene before them.

Rio's jaw clenched, his mind racing. "How the hell did we end up here?"

"Something's wrong…" Iris whispered, her instincts screaming danger. "This… this place feels… off."

"More than off," Retina murmured, her voice barely above a breath. "It feels… cursed."

Rio's eyes remained fixed on the towering castle in the distance. His grip on his sword tightened as a wave of dread washed over him.

This isn't just any vampire territory…

As if confirming his worst fears, an unnatural chill swept through the air, and a faint, sinister whisper echoed from the castle.

"Welcome… to the realm of the damned…"

Rio's blood ran cold.

"Guys…" His voice was steady, but the weight of the unknown pressed down on him. "We're not just in vampire territory…"

Iris and Retina exchanged worried glances, their expressions mirroring Rio's growing unease.

"We're standing… at the doorstep of something far worse."

As the fog fully cleared, revealing the horrors that awaited them, an ominous feeling settled over the trio.

The real nightmare… had just begun.

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