3. Silhouettes

Axel couldn't discern what the figure in the forest was. It resembled a human, but Axel was certain it wasn't.

Checking on his friends, he saw Maxwell watching the road while Felix was engrossed in his painting. Maybe it was just a hallucination, Axel thought. He had seen his deceased family a few times before.

Axel continued to observe the forest but saw nothing unusual. He got up and moved to the back of the RV. Felix noticed Axel's movement but didn't pay much attention as he was focused on his painting.

Axel walked straight to the hidden compartment at the back of the RV. Opening the compartment, he saw an array of weapons: axes, daggers, swords, and some firearms. These weapons were custom-made, crafted from special alloys developed in a laboratory, making them almost unbreakable even by vampires. Axel had spent a significant portion of his fortune on these weapons, as creating new alloys was costly.

As he looked at the weapons, his eyes lingered on the twin axes he had made for himself. He took the axes and fastened them to his special belt. Axel usually didn't carry weapons in everyday life, but he wanted to be on guard after seeing that figure in the forest.

Returning to the front of the RV, Axel saw Felix still painting. He glanced at the painting and realized it depicted a forest scene. But then, he noticed a detail in the painting: something behind the trees. It felt like he was locking eyes with the creature he had seen in the forest again. This was Felix's special ability. His paintings often contained glimpses of the future.

Not wanting to worry his friends or ruin their fun, Axel didn't mention the figure he had seen. When he sat down in the front passenger seat, Maxwell gave him a questioning look before turning his attention back to the road.

Maxwell knew Axel very well and found his actions suspicious. He was sure something had happened but knew that Axel wouldn't share it unless he wanted to.

Axel kept watching the forest. Although Maxwell initially thought about Axel's strange behavior, he soon let it go because he trusted Axel.

Felix, meanwhile, was examining his painting. He noticed a tree next to the mysterious figure. While the figure was striking, what caught Felix's eye was the axe embedded in the tree. He recognized it as Axel's axe.

Axel hadn't seen the axe in the painting earlier because Felix hadn't finished the artwork. Felix was torn between showing them the painting or not, knowing that few things could threaten Axel.

The team had visited many places before, traveling to different parts of the world. In his research, Axel had found records of vampires, shapeshifters, and werewolves. While some archaeologists and scientists had come across similar records, they dismissed them as nonsense. Axel, however, took these records seriously. He had seen strange creatures in the records, creatures unlike anything he had seen before. He shared his findings with his friends.

Their research led them to discover various unknown creatures. The scientific community deemed these creatures as fantastical, but Axel knew that vampires themselves were considered fantastical beings. If vampires existed, so could these other creatures. Since the vampire descriptions in the records were accurate, the likelihood of other creatures being real increased. Their current mission as a team was to uncover information about this mysterious past.

Among the different creatures, there were many powerful ones. Some depictions showed a group of vampires battling a monster, with the monster eventually defeating all the vampires. Axel's main curiosity was how such powerful creatures had vanished. If a group of vampires couldn't defeat them, it should have been impossible for humans to do so.

The weapons Axel had prepared were for creatures more dangerous than vampires or werewolves. He wanted to ensure his team's safety in case they encountered any such beings. Although they weren't related by blood, they were as close as siblings. Felix's ability wasn't particularly useful in combat, but it was incredibly valuable. Maxwell, on the other hand, he is faster than any vampire. Thanks to Axel, the team's combat power was at its peak. Felix and Maxwell excelled in areas that didn't require fighting. 

The team's reputation had spread. Many vampire groups had heard of them, though few had interacted with them directly. Most vampires stayed away out of fear of Axel. Those who encountered Axel by chance realized he wasn't as ruthless as rumored. As long as they didn't provoke him, Axel wouldn't harm them. Despite knowing this, they didn't spread the word, fearing that if they did, Axel might get angry.

Only two vampires fully understood Axel's power: Felix and Maxwell. Other vampires only knew about his destructive strength. Word had spread about Axel single-handedly defeating five vampires without getting hurt.

Axel knew this had been heard but found it useful as it kept other vampires from causing trouble. He could do whatever he wanted. When he encountered vampires who harmed innocent humans, he killed them, which greatly disturbed other vampires. Yet, none dared to confront him.

Axel continued watching the forest, now shrouded in the deepening night. The RV moved slowly, the headlights casting long, eerie shadows on the trees. The road ahead was empty, and the sense of isolation grew as they ventured deeper into the woods. The rustling leaves and distant hoots of nocturnal creatures added to the foreboding atmosphere.

Maxwell, sensing the tension, glanced at Axel occasionally but chose to trust his friend's judgment. Felix, engrossed in his painting, pondered over whether to share the ominous details with his friends. The weight of the unknown hung heavy in the air, as the team unknowingly approached a potentially dangerous encounter.

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