The search(10)

Victor's movements were precise, his dagger a blur as he danced around Nicola's attacks. The young vampiress was almost too fast, especially since Victor was only a human and was not trained to fight.

Each time her blade came close, he twisted away barely escaping, but he tried keeping her at bay.

With a sudden burst of speed, she feigned a strike to his right, forcing him to dodge, and then spun gracefully to the left. Her blade grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow cut. Blood trickled down Victor's face, and he stumbled back, his hand instinctively rising to the wound.

The sight of blood seemed to excite Nicola. Her smirk deepened as she stepped forward, her sword raised. "Giving up already?" she taunted.

From the sidelines, Nila and Laila gasped. Standing further back, Aleena immediately noticed Victor's injury and sprang into action.

"Victor!" Aleena called, her voice laced with concern.