CHAPTER 31
"Hey, Vlad… we still don't have a lead," Svetlana said. Her voice was tired, but there was a hidden anger beneath it. "Even when I was here, things were messy, but in just one year… too much has happened. Edric is dead, the war with the vampires is over, Ethan is missing, you're not yourself… I don't know what we're supposed to do anymore. Pull yourself together. First, we need to find your child. Don't forget his potential is greater than any other with Lycian blood."
Vlad took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"I know, Svetlana…" he replied in a low voice. "That's why I've invited someone here."
Svetlana frowned.
"Who?"
At that moment, the door creaked open. The steps that entered were familiar. Mike…
"Well, well, well…" Mike said with a faint smirk. "Not even a visit for a whole year? Especially after I saved your lives… Anyway, jokes aside…" His eyes turned serious. "I might have found a lead on Ethan."
Emily and Zack stepped in behind him. Mike continued:
"Yes… we can say we found something. But Vlad, we'll need your blood. This is… a kind of ritual. You'll trace the scent he left behind. To do that… I'll have to merge your blood with my black flame, coat my claws in it, and then pierce the frontal lobe of your skull. The slightest mistake… and you'll be in danger. But don't worry… for these past events, I've at least gotten very close to fully controlling my black flame form over this past year. And if you knew what I went through to find this ritual… I almost died. But I did it… and now, if we're ready, we need to do this."
Mike extended his fingers, revealing his black flame-coated claws. The flames danced like whispering shadows in the dark. He dipped his claws into a bowl.
"We need your blood… please add some to this bowl."
Vlad hesitated for a moment, but eventually slit his wrist and let a few drops of blood fall into the bowl. The moment the blood touched the bottom, it began to bubble and evaporate. A dark, thick smell filled the air.
Mike's eyes turned crimson. His teeth began to sharpen, his body tensing from the energy of the ritual.
"Step closer, Vlad… now is the time," Mike said in a deep, almost echoing voice.
Even though he wasn't ready, Vlad instinctively stepped forward. In that instant, Mike made a swift, sharp motion, driving his claws straight into Vlad's frontal lobe.
A moment of silence… and then Vlad's consciousness blurred. He drifted into a state between sleep and waking.
Mike's claws were still locked into Vlad's skull. The black flames hummed faintly at their tips, vibrating with a low, unsettling resonance. Svetlana watched the intense focus on Mike's face before breaking the silence.
— "Where… did you even find this ritual?"
Emily let out a soft breath.
— "My father's library… it was filled with old legends and history books. When I was little, he used to read me stories about supernatural beings. One of them mentioned something called the Crimson Oath. It was said to be a ritual the Lycans used to find lost members of their pack. At first, I thought it was just a fairy tale. But then…"
Emily's eyes flickered briefly toward Mike.
— "When Mike first wore the mask, he told me he heard whispers. Among those whispers… was that name. Crimson Oath. Back then, it didn't make sense. But when I told him about the story from the library, the pieces started to connect. The mask wasn't just a curse… it was like an archive. It held fragments of ancient knowledge, buried from forgotten eras."
Svetlana listened intently, her sharp gaze flicking between Emily and Mike. Emily continued:
— "After realizing that… Mike spent days trying to reach deeper into the mask's dark archive. And eventually, he found the ritual. It was real. It explained exactly how to perform it. But it could only be carried out by someone like Mike someone bound to this kind of dark power, someone tied to the mask's curse."
Zack stayed silent, his eyes fixed on Mike. The black flames on Mike's claws trembled, still anchored deep into Vlad's mind.
And then… Vlad began to awaken inside his own mind.
Everything around him was drenched in crimson. The air was heavy, metallic the thick stench of blood clung to every breath. Everywhere he looked, there were traces of tragedy: fragmented memories torn from the past, shattered faces, endless pain etched into the walls of this mental labyrinth.
Vlad tried to look away. Tried not to focus on the ghosts of his past. He steadied his breathing and forced himself to concentrate on finding Ethan's scent.
But every time he tried to focus… a sharp, searing pain pierced through his brain, like a sudden strike from an unseen blade.
There was unease buried deep within him. Something was hidden there. Something he had to find.