Biting The Bullet

'Gods I feel like a fucking simp.'

Lucian had arrived hours after Selene had stormed out of my house. He took one look at my face and knew what had happened. 

"Trouble in paradise?" 

I wanted to tell him to fuck right on off but he was right. I had fucked up keeping my secrets from Selene. Then again what should I have done? Had I told her out right it would have gone something like this. 

'Oh hey my name is Blake, I have bullshit hacks in the form of an invisible computer system that only I can see. I took over the life of your intended baby daddy. Also your whole life was a movie that I watched when I was a pimply teenager in my friend's basement.' 

(Insert Selene's icy British accent here) 'You've lost your mind Lycan, time to die.' Blam blam blam. 

RIP Blake, 'His second life was short and gruesome.' 

I shook myself from my musings. 

"I revealed some of my secrets to Selene. I don't think she took it very well." 

Lucian's look of sympathy didn't make me feel any better. 

"Take it from me, she'll come around… it might take days, or even centuries, but she'll come around."

"Thanks Lucian, that makes me feel so much better." My voice dripped with sarcasm. "Enough about that, did everyone make it out of your camp safely?" 

Lucian took my topic change for what it was. "A few casualties, we pushed them back. They didn't expect our numbers to have swelled. Unfortunately Singe was captured, Raze is keeping an eye on the vampires for now." 

'Fuck, that means Viktor will learn more about me if he doesn't know everything already.'

"That could be a problem. I know you've known Singe for longer than I have lived, but I don't think the old man is going to be capable of resisting their methods of extracting information."

"It's no matter, Singe can take care of himself. We need to acquire the blood of an elder vampire if we're going to have any chance at stopping Viktor." 

"Have your men set up the ambush already? I think her convoy arrives tonight." 

Lucian nodded, "I have them stationed not too far off from where she'll arrive. I came here to give you my thanks for helping in all of this." 

I waved him off. "No worries, there are three things I hate most in life. Sand, politicians, and tyrannical leaders."

Lucian looked at me with amusement. "Why sand." 

"It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere." 

Lucian shook his head with a small smile. He began walking towards the door. "You are more than welcome to join us once this is all over."

I nodded in thanks. "I'll think about it, I'm planning on a long vacation after this is done." 

With that he gave a small wave before shutting the door behind him. I sighed and walked over to the leather ottoman by the fireplace. 

'Hera you there?'

The update has been completed, would you like for me to pull up the change log or do you want to look at your stats first? 

'Change log. And don't think I've forgotten about the whole dropping your slipper on me thing because we are eventually going to have to talk about that.' 

She didn't respond, I shook my head with a grumbled and looked at the messages popping up. 

-

Change Log:

Fixed incorrect player perksGamer's Mind and Gamer's Body have been moved to Perk catagoryCertain skills have been updated Redundant skills merged with relevant skillsInventory slot system set to infinite purchases refunded Skill Evolution implementedNew Dungeons unlocked, cleared will now only award half the normal experience. 

-

Skill Evolution sounded like something I had to grind. I looked through the rest of the change log, seeing that the rest was arbitrary I called out to my system. 

'Hera, how does Skill Evolution work?'

Your skills, once maxed will evolve to stronger versions of said skills. Since they will remain 'Maxed', it will take a bit more effort to upgrade them.

'Sounds easily exploitable.' 

They will only evolve with constant use. You can not just spam the skill on a corpse as you have in the past. Relevant skills now need to be used on live targets. 

'That'll make grinding future levels a bit harder. But the change log didn't mention that the way time works in dungeons would change.' 

'Hera pull up my stats.' 

-

Name: Blake Corvin

Race: Werewolf? Class: Mage [Chronomancer]

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral 

Level: 400 Next Level: 0/0 Xp

Class Level: 100 Next Level: 0/0 Xp

HP: 5,000,000/5,000,000 (1000 per sec)

(200% when transformed)

MP: 500,000/500,000 (1000 per sec)

SP: 500,000/500,000 (1000 per sec) 

(200% when transformed)

STR: 500 DMG: 2,500 per hit ( STR/2 x 10 )

Bonus 10% melee damage for every point.

(Current Bonus: 2,500%) 

DEX: 500

Bonus 10% effectiveness for all stealth related skills and sneak attacks for every ten points.

(Current Bonus: 500%)

VIT: 500

END: 500

INT: 500

WIS: 500

Luck: 120

Stat Points Available: 0

Perks:

Gamer's Mind:(Passive)

Protects Player from any and all outside influences. Includes but not limited to, telepathy, legilimency, psychoactive drugs, and brainwashing. Player has the option to temporarily disable this skill at will. 

Gamer's Body:(Passive)

Allows Player to live life as a video game. All damage only affects HP, physical damage to Players body is negated. 

Corvinus Bloodline: (Active)(Lycan Gene Added)

As a direct descendant of Alexander Corvinus, the founding father of immortality, your blood contains the unique properties that allow for perfect hybridization. 

Chaotic Neutral: (Archetype) 

You put your own freedoms over the ideals of Good vs. Evil. Nothing comes before your need to be free to do what you please. When faced with opposing factions you are your own side. +10% Rep gain from neutral factions. 

Corvinus Strain Lycanthrope: (Pureblood) 

Being descended from Alexander Corvinus your blood has adapted the werewolf virus to ignore the usual racial debuffs. Usually only the older Lycans can control their rage enough to shift. Due to your access to Gamer's Mind you can bypass this requirement and shift at will. Your bite can pass on Lycanthrope should the subject survive. Should you be infected with the vampire virus you will turn into a hybrid capable of harnessing the power of both races without the weaknesses both races possess. 

Immortal: (Due to Lycanthropy)

Due to the accelerated healing that is natural to your species you are now immortal. You will still die should you be completely drained of HP. 

Skills:

Observe: (Active) Lvl. Max

While activated Player can discern basic information about the targeted object or creature. 

Dungeon Creation: (Active) 

Creates a dungeon for the Player to train or gain experience and loot. 

Dungeons: [Zombie: Cleared][Demon: Cleared][Angel: Cleared][Mage: New][Kaiju: New]

Beastly: (Passive) Lvl. Max

Due to your nature as a Lycan your unarmed damage is amplified. You gain twice as much damage in your beast forms. Your Lycan nature gives you natural resistances to physical damage.

Overwhelming Aura: (Active) Lvl. Max 

Player projects an oppressive aura. Targets in area of effect are intimidated and filled with the sense of dread. 

Area of effect increases with skill level. (Cost: 50 MP per sec) 

Area Affected: 500 feet around Player

Devour: (Active) Lvl. Max

Grants the Player the ability to consume the souls of defeated enemies. Imparts a portion of the enemies level and has the chance to transfer a compatible skill of one is available. (Cost 100 per soul) 

Levels Absorbable: 50

Skills Chance: 50% 

One Punch: (Active) Lvl. Max 

Obliterate your enemies with a single punch. 

Damage: SP Reliant (Cost Varies on SP) 

Stacks with other skills affecting Unarmed Damage. 

Healing Ray: (Active) Lvl. Max

Casts a healing beam of light that heals the target for 10% of their health for every second it's directed at them. 

(Cost: 1,000 MP per second) 

Shadow Step: (Active) Lvl. Max

While active, Player is rendered invisible to the naked eye. Player will still produce sounds and scents. 

(Cost: 100 SP per second) 

Et tu? Brute?: (Passive) Lvl. Max

Player deals 100% more damage with daggers and short swords. Bonus 200% damage to stabs into the targets back. 

Diminished Presence: (Active) Lvl. Max

While active, Player fades into the background of their surroundings blending in with the crowds. 

(Cost: 10 SP per second)

Fire Storm: (Active) Lvl. Max

Conjures a flaming ring around caster that protects the caster from enemies and those will ill will. Flames will not harm allies and caster. Flames can also be directed to take the form of a beast to attack the casters enemies. 

(Cost: 200,000 MP)

Wind Blade: (Active) Lvl. Max

Sends out a wave of air that acts like a sword.

Damage is half the casters INT stat. Melee stat boosts apply to this skill. 

(Cost: 200 MP per blade)

Sand Castle: (Active) Lvl. Max

Grants caster ability to control sand, each level up allows caster to control more sand. 

(Current sand controllable by caster: 100 tons)

(Cost: 1,000 MP per second) 

Water Prison: (Active) Lvl. Max

Traps the target in an globe of water

(Cost: 4,000 per target) 

Chain Lightning: (Active) Lvl. Max

Casts a bolt of lightning that jumps from enemy to enemy. Bolt inflicts 50% the casters Max MP in damage for each enemy that is struck. Level increases the amount of enemies spell jumps to. 

Current Jump Chain: 20 enemies. 

Falling Star: (Active) Lvl. Max

A combination of the four basic elements, water, air, fire, and earth. A spell that erases everything in the area the spell is cast. Each level increases the area. 

(Current AoE: 1000M)

(Cost: 5,000 MP) 

Necrotic Healing: (Active) Lvl. Max

Heals the target for 100% HP. Only works on undead. 

(Cost: 12,000 MP) 

Dead Thrall: (Active) Lvl. Max

Resurrects a dead body as an undead companion. So long as the body is intact enough it can be brought back to life. 

(Cost: 100,000 per body) 

Blood Spear: (Active) Lvl. Max

Creates a spear out of blood. Blood can be the players or a random source. Durability depends on skill level. At max level the spear stays until dispelled by the caster. 

(Cost: 200 MP or HP per spear)

Blood Feast: (Active) Lvl. Max

Your blood enters the target's body and causes the target to explode. Chances of target exploding get lower with depending on their DEX stat. 

(Cost: 30,000 per cast) 

Time Lock: (Active) Lvl. Max

Time stops around the caster, only the caster is unaffected by time stopping. AoE is determined by skill level. 

(Current AoE: 20km)(Cost: 120,000 MP per minute)

Event Horizon: (Active) Lvl. Max

Opposite of Time Lock, caster is frozen in time as the world continues to move. Caster cannot move from the activation spot once skill is active. Caster maintains full awareness and control. 

(Cost: Varies)(100 MP hour skip)(2,400 day skip)

-

I dismissed the stat screen when I was satisfied with what I was looking at. Several skills had been removed and it had made sense as they were redundant. The two new Dungeons interested me but I feel like exploring at the moment. 

I looked at the pair of Rinnegan eyes in my inventory. The eyeballs were floating in green preserving fluid. I wasn't much of an anime watcher in my previous life but I knew what these eyes could do from the YouTube videos that had popped up on my feed. They were essentially world altering and stupidly powerful. I chucked them back into my inventory and took out the Muramasa katana. According to everything I had read, this sword was apparently cursed. I wasn't by any means superstitious but I was also cautious. Especially when I was a supernatural creature at this point. I opened the market and put it up for sale. I didn't need a sword, and I didn't want to risk cursing myself. The sword disappeared in motes of light and was replaced by a picture of it and a price in the digital store. It was almost immediately bought moments later with the money being added to my inventory directly. I looked through my other rewards and sighed. There was the companion gem that I was also hesitant on using. Again, I didn't go out of my way to watch anime but I knew who Walter Dornez was. The dude was basically Alfred, if Alfred was a highly skilled assassin. Ignoring the Gacha coins I closed the inventory tab and had Hera pull up my active quests. 

New Quest Added:

'Answers'  (Main Quest)

Objectives:

Speak with Lucian about his past: Complete

Speak with Andreas Tanis:

Speak with Alexander Corvinus:

??

??

Rewards:

Quinjet (Avengers)

TTI 2011 Sand Viper Edition 

??

Failure:

Death

'The Truth' (Main Quest)

Objectives:

Help Selene Confront Viktor: 

??

??

??

Rewards:

+40 Affection with Selene

??

??

??

Failure:

Death

Death of Selene

'Selene' (Side Quest)

Objectives:

Learn More About Selene's Family: Complete

Reach 100 Affection: 50

??

??

Rewards:

Romance Option Unlocked

Failure:

Romance Option Permanently Locked

Death of Selene

My eyes widened at the amount of quests that had activated while my system was updating. The rewards made me smile a bit. Looking at the 'Selene' quest I was shocked that it displayed my current Affection stat with her. I had dropped down to 50.

'That's promising, it means that she doesn't outright hate me. I mean, I'd rather not have lost points but 50 is still better than zero.' 

Seeing that Selene wouldn't be back for a while longer I activated my time dilation skill and watched in wonder as the world outside the window sped up. Once three hours had passed I resumed time and headed down the stairs just as she walked through the door looking conflicted. 

"I'm sorry," She started. "For walking out like that."

"No, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. Really I was worried about what you would have done had I told you." 

"Why?" 

"Selene, you killed Lycans for over six hundred years. Be honest with me, what would you have done had I told you the first time we truly spoke?" 

"I- I would have thought you were insane, I would have killed you." 

There was silence between us for a moment. "There will be no more secrets between us. On this I can swear." 

She looked down at the floor, closing the distance. I raised her head and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. She didn't pull away, after a second she returned the kiss and I pulled away before it could get heated. 

+10 Affection with Selene

I ignored the notification and gently brushed my thumb across her cheek. Her eyes were still closed and her lips slightly parted as if savoring the kiss. 

"Do you want to blow off some steam?"

She opened her eyes and raised a delicate eyebrow. I had been wanting to test the capabilities of my system. I had wondered if I could bring people into my Dungeons and this was a perfect moment to try. 

'Hera, can I bring others into my Dungeon?' 

It is possible, so long as you are touching whatever you want to bring into the dungeon.

'Good.' I took Selene's hand and gave her a small smile. 

"Do you trust me?" 

She nodded with no hesitation. I had Hera pull up my Dungeon tab and while still holding Selene's hand I selected the Zombie dungeon. She gasped in surprise as we were shifted from my entryway to the middle of a street. 

"Where are we?" 

"This is one of my abilities, it lets me train and practice my skills."

"Is this all real?" She asked while looking at the ruined buildings. 

"That's a good question. Hera?" 

Selene looked at me confused when I called out to Hera. 

The dungeons are all separate from the real world. While there are dungeons that access an alternate reality, the ones you have access to for the moment are all artificially generated. 

Selene looked around confused, it took me a second to realize that Hera had spoken to both of us. 

"Who was that? Where's that voice coming from?" Selene asked. 

"That was Hera, she's supposedly a goddess, but I think she's just a artificial intelligence that helps me use my abilities." 

I am a real goddess. I gave you these powers after…

"After you accidentally killed me with a slipper." I finished for her. 

Selene didn't look too pleased with me having another woman in my head. She glanced around as if she would spot Hera crouching behind some rubble. 

"She killed you?" Her voice was slow and calculating. 

'Well damn, I didn't think she'd be the jealous protective type.' 

"It's a long story… here," I handed her a gun I took from my inventory. "The zombies are coming. I think the noise got their attention." 

She took the offered firearm and looked around before spotting a zombie shambling towards us. She grinned and ran towards the animated corpse and shot it dead before it could lunge at her. Another zombie came around the corner of a crumbling building and she shot that one too. I drew my Benelli M4 and smiled viciously. 

'Let's have some fun then.' 

[Scene Break]

Viktor sat on the marble throne looking at the prisoner his men had dragged in. The man looked pathetically weak, his Death Dealers had beaten the man badly while trying to get information from him. 

"Speak!" Ordered the lead interrogator. 

The Lycan glared at Viktor before spitting at his feet. A sneer found its way onto his face. He stepped down the throne and casually walked towards the Lycan. 

"Make no mistake, Lycan. You will die today, whether you choose to divulge what I want to know or not." 

The battered man chuckled, "It's too late, as we speak Amelia has already been found and her blood taken." 

Viktor hissed and glared around the room, the interrogator frowned. It seemed that this was news to him as well. Viktor struck the kneeling Lycan across the face. The man grunted in pain at the blow. Two guards lifted the man back to his knees. 

"Speak scum, what has been done to Amelia." 

"For years we have been trying to combine the bloodlines, and for years we failed. It was useless, even at the cellular level our species are destined to destroy each other."

Viktor frowned at the implications of what the Lycan was saying. Unease hung thick with the other vampires in the room. The Lycan continued to ramble, mentioning Alexander Corvinus.

"The Corvinus itself which we learned was hidden away in the genetic code of his human descendants. Passed along in its dormant form down through the ages to Blake Corvin," The Lycan chuckled. "His blood allows for the perfect Union between our species." 

"There can be no such union." Viktor hissed, anger barely concealed in his voice. "And to speak of it is heresy."

The Lycan simply smiled. "We'll see… once Lucian has injected himself wi-" 

"Lucian is dead." Viktor bit out. 

"According to whom?" Sneered the Lycan. 

Viktor's head snapped up to the corner where he had seen Kraven cowering. The regent he had appointed had disappeared. Rage flooded through the elder vampire's veins. He faintly heard the sound of a car peeling away and he roared in fury striking the Lycan again, this time not holding back his power. A sickening crunch echoed in the room as the Lycans skull shattered. The guards released the Lycan and he fell to the ground limply while spurting out blood from his crushed head. Viktor stepped over the growing pool of blood and began to order his men. 

"Gather the Death Dealers, we have a hunt to attend." 

He stormed out of the room coat billowing behind him. He reigned in his fury and thought back to when he had Selene before him. He had discovered that his adoptive daughter had been much like his blood daughter. Both had cavorted with Lycans. Only this time Selene had aided in the successful creation of an abomination. He found his way to the armory and took his sword from where it hung on the wall. 

Viktor marched out to the row of SUVs gathered at the front of the mansion. Getting in the lead vehicle had sat silently while they rode out. The sun had fallen below the horizon. They had hours before it would rise again. That gave him plenty of time to ensure that Amelia was safe. He felt anger build in his core again once they pulled into the private station Amelia had arrived in. Charred bodies lay strewn about. Though he couldn't see any of their corpses he could smell the Lycan blood mixed with the other pools of blood that had stained the pavement. 

'The beasts must have taken their dead with them.' He surmised. 

He exited the blacked out SUV followed by his armed escort as they made their way to the lead train car. The blood smelled much stronger here. His anger didn't fade when he stepped into the train. Dead vampires lay in their own pools of blood. So much blood had seeped into the carpet flooring that it soaked into his boots. 

Amelia lay wounded being tended to by medics. Viktor crouched down low next to the first female vampire Markus had sired. Her breath was ragged and shallow, a large chunk of her shoulder had been torn out. 

"Viktor…" She gasped out. 

"Who did this?" He spoke softly. 

Viktor, despite having wanted to get rid of her in the past so that he could replace her with his daughter. Had grown to respect Amelia's resilience and her bravery. For him she was too soft to have ruled properly. Now she lay before him wounded. 

"Lucian's general, he attacked the train. Kraven… he's betrayed us." Her voice was growing weak. 

Viktor nodded to the medics and they hauled her out in a stretcher. She had lost quite a bit of blood, but given her age and strength. She would no doubt pull through. Viktor frowned, the Lycan had been telling the truth. Lucian was alive, and Kraven had betrayed them. He walked back out of the train and watched the vehicle carrying Amelia speed out of the station. 

Lucian cursed loudly when he arrived back in the new hideout they had found in an abandoned warehouse. The ambush hadn't gone as expected. Kraven had kept his side of the bargain, leaving the station devoid of guards. He had hoped that Amelia would see reason as out of the three elders she was the most just and fair ruler. Yet even when faced with greater numbers she had fought back. She had killed seven Lycans before Raze had bitten her shoulder, taking her out of the fight. Extracting her blood had been easy after that. 

He now looked at the crimson liquid in the vial. He took off his coat and shirt before having Raze set up the machine that would begin a transfusion of the blood Blake had supplied them into his own body before injecting himself with Amelia's blood. This was still a shot in the dark, he felt the needle go into his arm. The machine turned on with a hum and the blood began to flow into him. He closed his eyes and prayed that it would work. 

Kraven was panicking, he was currently laying low in a safe house after his attack on Lucian's hideout failed. The Lycans had moved after that. He knew that Lucian suspected him of the attack. He had been the one to bring in the Lycan scientist, Singe, after all. To try and keep up appearances he had kept his end of their original bargain and redirected the arrival team that would have guarded Amelia's arrival. Then Viktor had to interrogate Singe even further. The Lycan threw him under the bus and revealed his involvement with Lucian to Viktor. He had left as soon as Lucian's name had been mentioned. Packed up supplies and weapons before making off with one of the covens' cars. He had made his way to a safe house outside of town hoping that Lucian and Amelia would kill each other. With any luck Selene would find out the truth and kill Viktor leaving only the hibernating Markus to deal with. 

He looked out the window cautiously, his plans on taking over the coven had all gone to shit the second Blake Corvin had come into Selene's life. Her cursed the man and prayed that he would die so that he could take Selene for himself. 

[Scene Break]

We spent several hours in the Dungeon. Selene despite her icy exterior seemed to be enjoying herself as she gunned down countless zombies. I discovered that she had reached her max level when I observed her and noticed that her level didn't go beyond the 400 she already had. Currently we were sitting high up on a ruined building while looking out to the horizon. Looking over at her I glanced at her stats one more time. 

-

Selene Lvl. 400

Race: Vampire (620 Years Old)

HP: 3,000,000/3,000,000

SP: 200,000/200,000

MP: 10,000/10,000

Allegiance: Vampires

Affection: 70

Status: Death Dealer, ? 

Bio: Selene was sired by Viktor after he murdered her entire family upon their completion of his fortress. He spared her due to her likeness to his daughter, Sonja. Selene has sworn to avenge her family's deaths at the hands of Viktor. She has begun to develop feelings for Blake Corvin. 

-

I felt giddy at the reading that she had started to have feelings for me. That had been a new addition once I had gained an extra +10 to her affection stat after the first few hours we had been in the Dungeon. Apparently she really enjoyed shooting things. 

'A woman after my own heart, if I'm being honest. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make her downright sexy as hell.' 

She coughed an I looked over, a light blush adorned her cheeks. My eyes widened in realization. 

"Did I say that out loud."

"My apparent beauty aside can I ask why you feel that way about me? You just met me, there's no way that you could have developed feelings for me that fast." 

"I could say the same about you." 

"What?" 

I smiled at her, "Tell me I'm wrong. I'm a Lycan Selene, you'd normally gut me before you'd ever let me anywhere near you." 

"I- You're the first one in a long time to see me as Selene and not a Death Dealer." 

"Oh? So you're not a badass vampire assassin who can kill three Lycans with one bullet?" 

She playfully slapped my shoulder, this was the first time I had seen her so care free. 

"I am, but you saw through all of that and… it's like you pulled me from a nightmare that I've been in for over half a millennia. You, my supposed enemy, made me feel alive again." 

"I guess you could say the same for me. When I came here I wanted to keep to myself. To avoid all of this, I was really lying to myself though. When I first ran into you at the hospital, I felt something that I had sworn never to feel again."

She reached out and placed her hand over mine. Her hand was surprisingly warm and soft. I looked over to her and sighed. 

"In my last life, as I told you, I was friendless, working myself to the bone, I'd hardly call it living. Every time I had found something good for myself it would always vanish one way or another and once again I'd find myself alone. When I came here and saw you for the first time, it was like something fell into place. I don't truly know if it's because I have taken the original Blake Corvin's place or because I'm seeking out any form of-" 

Her lips met mine before I could finish what I was saying. She eventually broke the kiss and returned to looking at the horizon where the first sun rays were just beginning to peek over the ruined landscape. Her hand never left mine, giving my hand a squeeze she sighed. 

"There was another man, so many years have passed that it feels like a dream now. I had just turned 19, Marton. His father was the town baker. He had asked my father for my hand in marriage. My father blessed the union, I had been so happy… but then everyone w, Viktor had told me it was the Lycans that had slaughtered everyone."

"He took everything from you…" 

She nodded, "When you had told me that it was Viktor that killed my family I didn't want to believe it. The man had practically raised me as his own daughter. But the more I thought about it the more it didn't add up."

"We'll get him, I promise."

"I want to look him in the eyes when I drive his own sword through his heart. His own actions have proven his guilt. I don't need to hear him admit it any more. I just want him gone." 

"As you wish, Princess." 

"Really? Quoting that movie now?" 

"I wasn't, but now that you mention it since when have you had time to watch movies between killing werewolves and brooding in your mansion?" 

"I don't brood." She huffed. "And for your information, I'm not as closed off and 'icy' as you think I am. I've gone out to watch mortal movies before." 

"Really?" 

"How else would I pass the time?"

"I don't know… brooding in a dark mansion surrounded by other vampires who scoff at humans?" 

"I do not brood!" 

"Could have fooled me." I chuckled at the jovial mood that had settled in. 

Once the sun began to properly rise over the horizon I grabbed her hand and brought us out of the Dungeon. We appeared right where we had left from. Selene looked a bit startled at the sudden change of scenery. 

"Warn me next time." She said after slapping my chest. 

"Sorry, the sun was about to hit the spot we were at. I didn't want to risk it." 

She grumbled before stalking off into my home. I shook my head with a smile Selene came back a moment later with a glass which she handed me. 

"Do the trick where you make it disappear and reappear full of blood, I'm famished." 

"What am I? Your serving boy?" 

"Yes." 

I rolled my eyes at the smirk on her lips. Taking the glass from her I threw it in my inventory. 

"Fine." 

I opened my inventory tab and dragged the blood bag image over to the picture of the glass I had just put in. The picture changed to show that I had put the blood in the glass. I held out my hand and the glass materialized in my palm full of warm blood. Selene snatched it out of my hand and drank it down in one gulp. Her lips were stained red again and the urge to kiss her popped up in my head. 

Closing the distance I smashed my lips into hers muffling the yelp of surprise that she let out. She dropped the glass as her arms flew around my neck, my hands found her hips and pulled her close. Before the kiss could go any further a cough drew our attention. We reluctantly broke apart and I licked the taste of blood from my lips. 

"I hate to interrupt but we have a situation." Lucian said with a small grin. 

"Lucian, your timing is impeccable . That was sarcasm by the way. What is it?" 

"A group of my Lycans have intercepted a vehicle carrying a comatose vampire elder that we happened to have ambushed earlier. We were wondering if we could stash her away here for the moment?" 

"Why here?" 

"Because Viktor doesn't know about this place, and because I actually respect Amelia. Also I don't trust Kraven to not go back on his word about the peace treaty with Lycans after this is done." 

"So you've done it then?" Selene asked. 

"I have and the results were… disappointing."

"So you're not a hybrid?" 

He looked at me. "Unfortunately no, I seem to have gained a slight resistance to silver now and a newfound taste for blood but I am still the same as the day I was born."

"Interesting, it should have worked. With my blood flowing through your veins the bloodlines should have blended seamlessly." 

"No point crying over spilt milk. We should probably bring her in before she bleeds out though." 

"Fine you can have your men set her in the basement." 

Lucian nodded before exiting the room, Selene looked over at me. 

"Is it wise to keep her in your own home?"

"Probably not, but this place is easily defendable, not to mention I have a security system that will turn any intruders into paste." 

"Thank you for this Blake." Lucian said as he came back in followed by Raze. The two of them were holding a stretcher with a bloodied Amelia laying in it. 

"Don't worry about it, I have a plan for her now that I think about it." 

They came back up a moment later, Raze continued out the door while Lucian lagged behind. 

"Whatever you plan for her, do not let leave her unguarded. Now we must return to our hideout, Kraven wants to meet." 

"To beg for asylum no doubt, I'm coming with you." Selene said before turning to me. 

"You go on ahead, I have to make sure our unexpected guest doesn't die just yet and make sure that when she inevitably wakes up that she doesn't escape." 

She nodded, placing one last kiss on my lips she followed Lucian out of the door. The door shut and I let out a slow sigh. Making my way to my basement I looked at the comatose form of Amelia. The vampire elder was actually gorgeous despite the ragged wound on her shoulder that was just beginning to heal. Seeing that she wasn't bleeding I pulled a change of clothes from my inventory along with a few blood bags and set them next to her on a medical table. Purchasing another auto-turret I set it up facing her and set it to fire at her should she try to leave the room. I also set the rounds to tranquilizer darts loaded up with a powerful paralytic agent. 

Satisfied with my work I locked the door behind me and started to head up the stairs. I pulled away from my home in my Bugatti after activating all the defenses around my home and setting them to target hostiles with lethal rounds. The drive to Lucian's new hideout was quiet, almost unnaturally so. I immediately got the feeling in my gut that something was wrong so I sped up. My heart sank when I reached the hideout and spotted Lucian's car flipped over and in flames. Raze was laying next to it unmoving and Lucian was sitting up against the wall of the warehouse over a growing pool of blood. Selene was nowhere in sight. 

I shut off the engine to my car and ran to Lucian's side. I looked at his injuries and realized he was leaking silver fluid from multiple gunshot wounds. He was fighting off the silver but it seemed like he was in a great deal of pain. He grabbed my arm before gasping out. 

"Ambush… he knew where to find us. They took Selene." 

"Viktor?" 

Lucian nodded before releasing my arm and clutching his side. I focused intently at his wounds and shut my eyes. I felt the drain on my MP as soon as I started manipulating his blood to push out the rest of the poisonous silver. Once I was done Lucian gasped in pain. I handed him a pistol I pulled from my inventory and stood up. 

"Can you make it back to my mansion?" He nodded. "Good, take my car, that should get you through the security. I have to go get Selene." 

Before he could say anything else I took off my clothes before choking them into my inventory. Moments later I was running faster than I had ever run before in my full wolf form. The wind whistled through my thick fur and a growl left my jaws. 

'I haven't killed anything in a bit, I guess it's time to add more notches to my pipe.' 

[Scene Break]

She knew that something was off once Lucian pulled into the Lycan hideout. Selene had been right, the second the car came to a stop Death Dealers blocked off their exit and began firing at them. She had managed to avoid getting hit, the Lycans that stormed out of the warehouse weren't. The attack had caught everyone off guard, her included. She had tried to take the device Blake had given her to contact him but before she could she had been hit hard causing her to black out. When she finally came around she woke to an unfamiliar place. 

She observed the room she was in, noting that it was large and cavernous. There was an intricate looking contraption high above her in the stone ceiling. She looked at the restraints holding her in place. She had been chained to a pillar in the center of the room. Struggling against her bindings she silently cursed at her carelessness. A door opened behind her and she strained her neck to see who had come in the room. 

Viktor strode into the room with a grim look on his face. Selene glared at the elder vampire who just looked at her with disgust. She wanted to tear his throat out, she wanted to scream, but at the moment she couldn't find the will to do so. 

"Once again I find myself betrayed. You were like a daughter to me." Viktor angrily spat. 

"And like Sonja I find myself disgusted by you. Your lies, your false sentiments." 

Viktor looked shocked. "Like Sonja you trample on our traditions. Fraternizing with the Lycans like some common whore." 

"I have no words for you… I just want to know why? Why my family." 

"That is information you are not entitled to." 

"Why? Because you don't think I know about William Corvinus? How my father built his prison." 

Once again Viktor had a look of astonishment. "You are well informed. No matter… soon you will draw the abomination here where the both of you will be dealt with accordingly." 

Selene felt dread creep up her spine. 'Blake, he'll have realized that I've been taken.' 

"Yes I see you are coming to understand the position you are in." Viktor said with a sneer. 

"He will free me, and I will have my vengeance."

"He will come, and he will die. You will watch as I cut his head from his body. Then you will follow him to the void of death." 

Viktor spun on his heel with a swish of his coat. The ancient vampire left the room without another word. She was left with her own thoughts, praying that Blake would stay away so that at least one of them would survive. 

Kraven paced in the hallway of his safe house. He had cashed in a few favors with a few Death Dealers who owed him. He had learned that Selene had been captured. He made up his mind and walked over to the weapon rack taking a gun loaded with the new liquid silver ammunition. He hoped that Viktor would overlook his past digressions by offering him his services in bringing in Lucian. Though his chances were slim this also allowed him the opportunity to get his revenge on Selene for belittling him. 

'Blake Corvin will no doubt come rushing in to save his bitch. I can kill two birds with one stone.' 

The thought of killing the Lycan upstart made him grin, he would savor the look on Selene's face once he brought her the Lycans head. He left the safe house and started heading towards the mansion. Kraven stepped through the doors of the mansion only to find the entire place abandoned. He felt a cold chill run up his spine and he spun around brandishing his gun. There was a flutter of something flying through the air behind him and he turned again. 

"Show yourself!" 

Whatever it was it never responded, Kraven felt eyes boring into the back of his head before he could turn he was slammed into a wall causing his vision to momentarily flicker. The creature that attacked him spun him around and his eyes widened when they saw what had pinned him to the wall. A large humanoid bat had skewered him through the shoulder and was looking at him with such loathing. It's pitch black eyes burning a hole into his face. 

Fear trickled into his gut, he struggled to look over to where the last elder should have been. 

"Markus…"

"Save your words traitor, I have no need for them." 

With that he felt the twisted elder yank his head to the side before tearing his throat open. Kraven had hardly got a scream out before Markus latched onto the bleeding wound. Kraven felt his limbs grow heavy as his blood was drained away. His eyes got too heavy to keep open, his last thoughts before everything faded away;

'Where did it all go wrong.' 

Markus ripped at the traitorous regent's neck, stealing the vampire's memories for himself. He saw visions of Kraven's shady dealings, the man's unhealthy obsession with Viktor's adopted daughter, and the human known as Blake Corvin. If he was right, and he knew that he was, then Blake Corvin was his distant descendant on his mortal brother's side of the family. That meant little to him, what caught his attention was the fact that the coven record keeper had been exiled, and that Lucian was still alive. From Kraven's memories he took the knowledge of where the record keeper was, if anyone knew where William was it was Tanis. 

He would deal with Viktor soon enough. He wanted the Lycans to potentially weaken the scheming bastard's army of Death Dealers before dealing with the man himself. He was the first, the strongest, he had deferred to Viktor's whims for far too long and their species have been turned into weak shadows of what they once were. 

'First my brother, then I'll see about fixing this mess.' 

[Scene Break]

I arrived at the coven's mansion and frowned, I could immediately feel something was off. The smell of blood hung thick in the air. I shifted back to my human form before quickly putting my clothes back on and taking my p226 from my inventory. Making my way to the front of the deathly quiet mansion I pushed the door open. It was unlocked, I pushed Gamer's Mind to the max and looked around. Broken bodies lay in pools of blood. Mostly vampire bodies and a lot of them were recently killed. 

Following the trail of carnage I found myself in the 'throne room' where I realized what must have happened and cursed. There in the center of the room was where the elders had been kept, keyword, had been. It didn't take supernatural senses to know that Markus had woken up judging by the trail of blood leading from Singe's broken body to the top of Markus' pod. I scanned the room for any signs of the elder vampire and spotted Kraven's body laying not too far from the entrance to the room. Walking calmly over I nudged Kraven with my foot and raised an eyebrow when he groaned. 

'I'll be damned… the smarmy bastard is still alive.'

I raised my gun and shot a hollowpoint into his knee causing him to open his eyes and let out a shrill scream. I crouched down and dug the suppressor of my gun into the fresh wound. Kraven screamed again before gritting his teeth. 

"Good! You're awake. What the fuck happened here?"

"You'll get nothing from me, Lycan." He spat. 

"Hmm, wrong answer." I replaced my p226 with a wickedly sharp seax knife. "Left handed or right handed?" 

"What?" Kraven said with a frown. 

"Left then." I reached out and snatched his left arm before he could say anything else. 

Fear filled his eyes as he realized what I was about to do. With one broad stroke I sliced the skin on his arm from his elbow all the way to his wrist. Another scream tore from his throat and I sneered at the writhing man. Using my time powers I froze him and restrained him with some enchanted ropes. Resuming time again, his eyes widened when he suddenly found himself unable to move. 

"What happened here?" 

"Fuck you!" 

I rolled my eyes before grabbing his left arm again and used the knife to peel another strip of skin from it. Kraven screamed and tried to thrash around. I punched him in the face, breaking his nose. 

"Sooner or later I'm going to run out of skin to… well, skin. So either you start talking or I'll crucify your flayed corpse to a cross." 

Brutal? Yes. Pointless since I already had a suspicion on where they had taken Selene? Maybe. I wasn't a sadist by any means, no. What I was, however, was pissed off. At myself for my own carelessness and not staying on top of things despite already knowing the potential outcome. Kraven started whimpering as I grabbed his arm to tear another strip of flesh. 

"OKAY! ALRIGHT! They probably went to the old fortress in Romania. Castle Corvinus, in the Carpathian Mountains." 

"That's not very descriptive Kraven. Maybe I should start taking fingers. How does that sound to you?" 

"Fuck you! I told you everything I know." 

"I need a name Kraven. Some vague location in the countryside by some mountains isn't going to help." 

The vampire just glared at me, sighing deeply I held up my hand and transformed my fingers into razor sharp claws. Kraven's eyes widened, I grinned as I pressed my claws into his chest. His breathing grew ragged and I slashed him across the chest. A scream echoed in the empty mansion. 

"Do you know that I can't transmit the werewolf virus through a scratch? That said, the wounds left from my claws on a vampire will never heal properly. Oh, and did I mention the burning pain that follows?" 

Kraven didn't respond, his mouth open in a silent scream as he began to convulse in his bindings. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and I sighed again. I stabbed my claws into his leg rousing him with a scream.  

"Oh good, you're not dead yet. Had me worried there for a moment. That would have been rather rude, dying on me without telling me what I want." 

Kraven was crying now, "P- Pl- Please… I don't know. I don't know where the castle is. I don't remember." 

"Then what good are you?" 

He didn't reply. I let out a slow breath, grabbing him by the neck and started to dig my claws in. He struggled in his restraints but they held strong. I beat back the rage that my 'inner wolf' felt and squeezed even harder. 

"Goodbye Kraven." 

With that I tore out the rest of his throat showering the wall with his blood. I wiped my hand off on a tapestry hanging on the wall and looked around one last time. It was clear that Markus had attacked and killed everyone. The newly awoken elder was probably headed towards the same location. I had some preparations to make before heading to Romania. Mainly dealing with the other vampire elder I had stashed away in my basement. 

When I got back to my mansion Lucian was passed out on a couch and Amelia still hadn't woken up, I watched her unmoving body and groaned. I couldn't exactly stuff her comatose body in my inventory, hell I didn't even know if I could put bodies in the hammer space. 

Sentient beings can be placed in your inventory. They will be put into stasis until removed from the inventory. 

'Well that's helpful, anything else to add Hera?' 

While the update to your system has made your inventory capacity limitless, there may still be consequences to placing too many living beings in your storage space.

'What do you mean? Why would that be a problem?' 

The inventory might put them in stasis but their minds will still be conscious. They will be aware of their situation but will not be able to do anything about it. 

'That sounds like a great way to torture someone.' 

Of course you'd think that…

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' 

. . .

'Hera? Fine, be like that then.' 

I stomped over to Amelia and put a hand on her, placing her in my inventory with a flash of light. I opened my UI manually since Hera was still giving me the silent treatment and pulled up my inventory tab. I chuckled to myself when I saw a mini picture of Amelia under the label 'Spunky Vampire Elder'. I also noticed a button to display her stats. Pressing it I looked at the information that appeared. 

Amelia lvl. 297

Race: Vampire

HP: 24,943/1,000,000

SP: 1,670/500,000

MP: 278/50,000

Allegiance: Nordic Coven, New World Coven

Status: Vampire Elder

Rep: 0

Ailments: Unconscious due to blood loss, Poisoned by Lycan bite. 

Bio: Amelia is the first female vampire sired by Markus Corvinus. Honorable and loyal to those she considers allies, she is a more favored ruler compared to her two counterparts. She is aware of the plots Viktor has to dispose of her despite his apparent care for her. 

Interestingly enough I didn't spot any bite marks on her. I frowned at the implications. I never knew that Viktor was scheming to get rid of her. Then again I should have expected it from the paranoid bastard seeing that he was obsessed with power. He would have most likely replaced Amelia with someone close to him, like his daughter. Unfortunately both his adopted and biological daughters 'betrayed' him. I pulled free from my own internal musing and wondered what I should do about Amelia. 

I've always felt like her character was given a shit deal. They killed her in the first movie only to give her so much backstory and development in the following movies only for her to remain dead. I shrugged and made a note to cure her somehow. I vaguely remembered her having a son in one of the movies and I couldn't bear the thought of killing someone's mother. Especially since she had never wronged me. 

I went over to my armory and stashed a few more guns in my inventory snickering at the fact that I also had a vampire sharing the same space that the guns occupied. The thought of the guns rattling around when I moved and smacking into the unconscious vampire almost made me giggle. I found 'my' passport and put it in my pocket. I grabbed a fanny pouch with an expansion enchantment and stuffed a few stacks of cash into it. Once I was ready I left Lucian a note for when he woke up and hailed a cab. As I quietly planned out my next move as the yellow car drove towards the airport. 

Booking a flight was surprisingly easy all things considered. Cost a lot less than I expected too. During my time, in my past life, a round trip international flight cost at least a thousand dollars if not more and that was for economy seats. First class would set you back several times that amount. Here I just bought a first class plane ticket for just under five hundred dollars. 

With my inventory sneaking in all my guns and a whole person had been laughably easy. They didn't even question the bottomless fanny pouch. I wondered what they say when they X-Rayed it. I settled into my comfortable leather seat and closed my eyes. The plane took off a few minutes later and I woke up from a short power nap dismissing the notification that popped up about my HP and MP being recovered slightly. The stewardess came around the cabin handing out menus for food. My stomach growled and I sighed, 

'I guess I'll take one of everything.' 

The nearly ten hour long flight from JFK Intl. to the airport in Bucharest went by smoothly. It was only after I had started heading north that I found myself getting a bit antsy. Using my Skills I could safely navigate my way around without drawing too much attention. My problem came when I stood at the foot of the mountain range. 

'Hera, why hasn't a quest appeared to rescue Selene yet?' 

The notifications for quests has been set to 'off' by default after the update. You never brought it up so I never thought to mention it

'Damn it, turn it on. Then bring up my quest panel.' 

Quest 'The Truth' Updated

New Objective Added

'The Truth' (Main Quest)

Objectives:

Travel to Castle Corvinus:

Help Selene Confront Viktor: 

??

??

??

'Hera, mark the location of Castle Corvinus on my map.' 

Location marked, it's about forty miles 334* north west of your current location

'Thank you Hera.'

Go save her

'You don't have to tell me twice, let's get this show on the road.' 

I stripped out of my clothes and took my Lycan form and began to run on all fours. My nose started picking up scents that I followed for a few miles before they veered off to a hidden tunnel. Through the tunnel I slipped past a few vampire sentries and continued my journey following the blip on my minimap. 

It took me exactly five minutes going at a leisurely pace to reach the ancient castle built on a mountain side. I noticed that some of the towers were crumbling and there was a set of ruins further atop the mountain. 

I opened my inventory and looked at the item I had been thinking about for the last few days of travel. I had used my smartphone to do research on them along with using observe. The abilities they offered far outweighed the drawbacks of not really knowing what they could do. I confirmed my selection and closed my eyes as a wave of power washed over me. When I opened my eyes again I felt a strange itching in the back of my skull. Taking out a mirror I looked at myself and frowned. Nothing had changed, I still looked the same. Shrugging I threw the mirror back into my inventory and looked at the castle. The sun was slowly starting to set. I began to plan out my approach and patiently waited for the opportunity to strike. 

The sun finally dipped below the horizon and I sat up from where I was meditating. I changed out into tactical gear before taking out my suppressed HK416 and putting my p226 in a holster on my battle belt. I also put over half a dozen spare PMags on my plate carrier along with a serrated combat knife. Putting on my ballistic helmet I flipped down my NVGs and made my approach. Along the way to the castle I spotted a guard house with a generator outside. Grinning to myself I snuck over before stabbing the shit out of the generator causing it to sputter out and die. The spotlight around the castle died almost immediately leaving only the torches to light the area. A vampire stepped out of the guard house and walked over to the generator. The man looked at the generator and gave it a kick before reaching for his radio. He never got to his radio, I was behind him plunging my knife into his spinal column before he could grab it. I muffled a scream from him before yanking out the serrated blade and stabbing him six more times in the back before stabbing the knife into the jugular and twisting. 

The vampire fell to the ground with a wet gurgle, his blood pooling around him rapidly. I sheathed my knife and continued on my way to the castle. With my senses dialed up to a hundred by the adrenaline I navigated through the castle unnoticed. Those that came close to spotting me either wound up stabbed to death or double tapped in the head. Soon I found myself facing double wooden doors. I cracked them open before slipping in through silently. The chamber was much too bright so I turned off my NVGs and looked around. There was a lone pillar in the center of the massive room and I growled when I realized where I was. I rushed over and let out a sigh of relief when I saw Selene chained to the pillar but unharmed. She woke with a startle and her eyes met mine. 

"Blake?"

"Yeah it's me, don't worry. I'm getting you out." 

"No, you shouldn't have come. It's what Viktor wanted." 

"It's fine Selene, I'm getting you out either way." 

I drew my p226 and shot the chain only for the chain to remain undamaged. I frowned and shot it again only for the same results. I felt my eyes itch as I focused on the chain. There was a pulse of power and a link shattered. I felt the itching behind my eyes again and blinked away the uncomfortable feeling. 

Selene almost fell forward before I could catch her. I handed her a blood bag which she gratefully took and started drinking. This was undoubtedly the room Lucian was tortured in and forced to watch as Sonja was executed. I wanted to tear it all down. Selene slowly got back on her feet and I took out a pair of MP7s. Handing the SMGs over to Selene who nodded at me and gave me a small smile. Before I could say anything the doors burst open and a swarm of Death Dealers stormed in. They surrounded Selene and I as Viktor strutted to the front of the large group of vampires. The elder had a sword on his belt, I sensed the silver on the blade without even having to see it. 

"How predictable…" He sneered. 

"Funny you should think that I'd unknowingly walk into a trap." 

"Hold your tongue Lycan." 

"Oh fuck right on off cunt. Selene, anything else to say to Viktor before we kill him." 

The vampires around us shuffled nervously. Viktor glared at me and opened his mouth to hiss another insult or slur. I interrupted him with a hush before he could. 

"The adults are talking, wait your turn Vikkie." The vampire elder turned impressively red considering that he was a vampire. 

Selene glared at Viktor as if contemplating on saying something but she eventually shook her head. "No, I have nothing else to say to him." 

"Well then, perfect." 

Not waiting for them to retaliate I immediately cast a time lock over the room. I took out a broadsword from my inventory replacing my rifle. Moving quickly I moved around the room stabbing and slashing everyone except for Viktor. I knew Selene would want to kill him herself. 

Once I let go of my hold on time Viktor's eyes widened in shock as all the Death Dealers around us exploded in a shower of blood and severed limbs. Selene was quicker to recover as she already knew about my 'powers'. In a blur of speed she punched Viktor across the face sending the still shocked man flying into a column. 

As Selene continued to attack Viktor I went around stabbing the remaining vampires who hadn't burst into flames yet. I was honestly rather confused as to how that worked. Shrugging, I figured that they'd only burst into flames if killed with some sort of UV weapon and not when I slashed them to ribbons with a bastard sword. 

A yelp made my head snap back to the figure between Selene and Viktor. He had his sword stabbed into her shoulder pinning her to a wall. A growl came from the back of my throat and I tackled Viktor into another Column. He kicked me away as he jumped back to his feet. Viktor hissed as he drew two silver daggers from his back. I used my powers over the elements and had a gust of wind levitate my sword back to my hand from where it fell. Eyeing the vampire elder I dared him to make the first move but he wasn't stupid. He had over a thousand years of experience in battles, Viktor wouldn't be goaded into attacking first. 

'Fine, the first move is mine then.' 

[Scene Break]

The force of Viktor pinning her into the wall with his silver plated sword had nearly knocked her unconscious. Selene gasped in pain as her movement caused the sword in her shoulder to cut into her flesh more. The sound of clashing steel made her look up and freeze. Blake and Viktor trading blows faster than she'd ever known anyone to move. Viktor was a vampire elder, one of the strongest next to Markus Corvinus. Yet, here was a Lycan not only keeping pace but also pushing Viktor on to a defensive position. Blake's sword sang as it cut through the air, Viktor's twin silver daggers caught and parried every blow but she could tell that the vampire elder was slowing down. Blake only seemed to get faster, angrier even. 

With a roar Blake swung his sword in a horizontal slash that Viktor should have been able to block. Only the elder seemed shocked, his eyes locked on something behind Blake. There was a sound of fluttering, like blankets being shaken out and Blake's sword was wrenched from his hands. A large bat-like creature landed behind him and I opened my mouth to scream as the bat-like creature stabbed Blake through the gut with his own sword. Viktor saw the opportunity and plunged his daggers into Blake's exposed back. I tried to scream again but a voice echoed in my head. 

Selene, it's alright. You must remain unnoticed if you wish to save him. Trust me. 

It was the voice she had heard when Blake took her to that alternate world filled with undead. 'Hera', Selene remembered the name Blake had mentioned. She grit her teeth as she pulled the sword free. Cushioning her landing she continued to watch Viktor and the large bat-like creature. 

That is Markus Corvinus, the blood of a Lycan woke him. This made him into a sort of hybrid, though due to his origins, he only inherited the strength of the wolf and nothing else. He may be immune to sunlight. 

'What does that mean?' Selene though. 

It means that he's currently very dangerous and you should listen to me. Blake is still alive, poisoned by the silver but alive. I'm using the link between you two to speak with you. You need to wait for Markus to leave. 

'Alright, I'm trusting you on this.' 

She watched as Markus circled Viktor who stood frozen glaring at the other elder. 

"Viktor…" 

Markus began to shift, the sound of bones and flesh reshaping filled the room and Selene frowned, hearing about it was one thing but actually seeing the vampire elder transform like a Lycan was another thing. 

"Markus, you're awake." 

Markus laughed with no real emotion, "Let's not delay the inevitable Viktor. Tell me where have you hidden my brother." 

"Somewhere you'll never find. I myself don't know its location." 

"You're not lying… no matter. Your blood will show me."

Selene watched in abject horror as Markus shifted again and pinned Viktor to a column with his wings. Viktor screamed in pain but was silenced when Markus tore open his throat. The scream turned into a wet gurgle as Markus lapped up the blood greedily. Selene continued to watch as Markus drained Viktor before tearing out his chest and ripping some sort of metallic device free from Viktor's sternum. Markus released Viktor and flew through the roof of the room causing rubble to rain down. Once Selene knew it was safe she ran out and grabbed onto Blake's still form. She began to panic when she felt how cold he had gotten. She took the daggers out of his back and felt for a pulse. It was weak, slowing down but still there. 

Bite him. It's the only way Selene. 

'What? That'll kill him.' 

He's a Corvinus, he will be fine. Just trust me on this, if you wish to save him you will bite him.

Selene looked down at Blake who looked peaceful enough to pass as someone sleeping. She remembered everything they had done together, how Blake had brought back a part of her she had buried under centuries of hate. She pulled at his coat revealing his unblemished neck. She heard Viktor shift not far from where she held Blake and she looked over to the dying vampire. Turning back to Blake she ignored the hateful glare Viktor sent her way. 

"I love you Blake, please be alright."

Selene bit him.