The Game Written in Blood

CHAPTER 26

Mike was sitting at his desk, his hands resting on top of it, his gaze distant and tired. Zack sat beside him, arms crossed over his chest, looking at him with worry.

— "I don't know, man… I told her, and then it just… happened." Mike's voice was low, filled with a muffled exhaustion.

Zack shook his head slightly.

— "Mike, that's normal. You dropped all of that on her at once… Emily just needs time to think. The fact that she stayed calm honestly, that's still a good sign."

Mike didn't respond. His eyes drifted into the void for a moment, an uneasy feeling growing inside him. Something was about to happen. His heart started to beat a little faster.

And then the classroom door burst open with a loud bang.

Ethan walked in. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the silent room, amplifying the tension with each step. His movements were slow and deliberate, like every step was a threat creeping closer to Mike. On his lips was that mocking, one-sided smile.

— "You might've run away to hide here, Mike…" he said, his voice carrying a cold, razor-sharp threat.

Mike frowned and lifted his head.

Ethan took another step, the glint in his eyes growing sharper.

— "…but your family's still out there. Or… they were."

Mike's heart froze instantly. A hot wave of rage spread through his body. He shot up from his seat, grabbed Ethan by the collar, and slammed him against the wall.

— "What… are you saying, you bastard?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" he roared.

Even with his throat being squeezed, Ethan didn't look scared. He was still smiling.

— "Hahaha… go on, hit me. But I think you should run home as fast as you can… little monster."

Then he looked right into Mike's face, waved his hand, and laughed wickedly.

Mike didn't think for another second he let go of Ethan and bolted out of the classroom. He dashed down the hallway, flung the door open in one motion, and ran out of the school.

He slipped into a corner where no one could see. His vision darkened, his breathing sped up. Wings burst from his shoulders, his bones cracking with the shift. In seconds, his massive wings lifted him into the sky.

The wind howled past his ears as he flew. His heart was pounding like mad. No… no… no… he kept muttering under his breath. The only thing in his mind was his home.

And finally, he saw the roof.

But the door was open.

Mike landed hard. He rushed inside, racing up the stairs two steps at a time. His chest heaved as he climbed. With one last step, he reached the living room and

His eyes locked on the wall.

Hours earlier, in Vlad's safehouse…

In a wide room lined with stone walls, three figures stood facing each other. Vlad's gaze was ice-cold, his eyes burning with impatient fury. Edric stood off to the side, silently watching. In front of them was Gideon, a thin smile on his lips, and an emptiness in his eyes that chilled the soul.

Vlad's voice sliced through the tension like a blade:

— "This is not how we do things, Gideon! We don't threaten innocent people. We don't even know what he truly is yet. We don't know if he's evil or not! You went on your own, caught him, tortured him!"

Gideon tilted his head, the corner of his mouth curling slightly.

— "You… might do things that way. But me? I'll do anything for my goal. People? Ha! I don't care about them. Because you took my humanity away that night."

Edric stepped forward, his voice calm but tense:

— "There could've been another way, Gideon. We could've talked to the boy he might've even helped us. But you… you made the worst possible start."

Vlad's patience had run out. His muscles tensed, his eyes turned blood-red. His body began to tremble and shift. Claws lengthened, fangs extended. With a terrifying roar, he lunged at Gideon and slashed his face.

But Gideon merely turned his head and grinned. He touched the wound with his fingertips, and his eyes gleamed as the cut healed itself.

— "Did you really think you could stop me?" he said, his tone dripping with mockery.

He cracked his neck from side to side, bones popping audibly.

— "Then… let's begin."

In an instant, he shifted into his hybrid form. A dark being carrying both the savage strength of a werewolf and the deadly precision of a vampire he seemed to swallow the room's very light.

Edric stepped back, his eyes widening.

— "Damn it…" he whispered, moving to stand beside Vlad.

But Gideon was too fast. He first threw a massive punch at Vlad; Vlad's body slammed into the stone wall. Then he turned on Edric, grabbing his throat.

— "You still don't understand… do you? There's so much you don't know…" he said, and with his free hand, he grabbed the top of Edric's head. The sound of tendons snapping made stomachs churn. Edric struggled, but Gideon ripped his head clean from his body.

— "HAAAA!" Gideon roared.

The other vampire and werewolf betas tried to attack, but Gideon swatted them away with a single motion. Vlad launched himself from behind, attacking midair, but Gideon noticed, grabbed him by the head, and stopped him.

— "Don't worry, Ethan, I'm not going to kill your father…" he said in a calm voice.

— "Get up and deliver a message to the carrier. Tell him exactly this: 'Say his family is still outside… or not… and tell him to run home, little monster.' Say it exactly like that. And smile. Make it convincing, or everyone here, including your father, dies."

Then Gideon snapped Vlad's neck.

— "Don't worry… he'll heal." he laughed.

Now… in Mike's home.

Mike's eyes froze on the wall.

The smell of blood hit his nose. Written in huge, still-dripping red letters on the wall were the words:

"If you want your family, come to the place where I tortured you. You have three hours. Otherwise, when you find your family… there will be more blood than this writing."

Mike's breath caught. His hands began to tremble. His knees went weak.

And a broken whisper slipped from his lips:

— "Damn it…"