☆Chapter 5☆

Maya stood by the old well just outside of town, the faint

glow of dawn barely visible on the horizon. The cold morning air was still, the

tension thick as she waited for the Crimson Twilight gang to make their

appearance. She wasn't worried, not in the slightest. Her fingers traced lazy

patterns in the dirt, each movement causing a flicker of flame to spark and

extinguish, a sign of her mounting anticipation.

The wind shifted, and with it, the unmistakable sound of

approaching footsteps. Maya straightened, a smirk tugging at her lips as a

group of figures emerged from the shadows of the surrounding trees. At their

head, a tall, imposing man with sharp features and glowing crimson eyes strode

forward. His pale skin and flowing black cloak marked him unmistakably as a

vampire.

Xavier.

Behind him, a handful of rough-looking mercenaries flanked

his every move, their hands resting on their weapons, eyes locked warily on

Maya. Two of them, larger and more heavily armed than the others, stepped

forward with arrogant grins, clearly expecting an easy fight.

Xavier stopped a few paces away, his eyes narrowing as he

assessed her. "So, you're the one who caused me all this trouble. I must admit,

I didn't expect the infamous Maya to be so… unimpressive."

Maya's smile widened. "Unimpressive, huh? That's new. I

usually get 'devastatingly gorgeous' or 'unbearably powerful.' But, to each

their own." She shrugged, her eyes dancing with amusement as she watched the

mercenaries shift uneasily behind him. "You didn't come here to trade

compliments, though, did you?"

Xavier sneered. "No, I came to collect your head for what

you did to my men. You may have taken down a few grunts, but the Crimson

Twilight doesn't take kindly to those who interfere with our business. Boys?"

The two brutes who had stepped forward earlier cracked their

knuckles and approached Maya with confident smirks, clearly relishing the

chance to deal with her. One of them, a burly man with a jagged scar across his

face, pulled out a spiked club, while the other, wielding a large axe, grinned

menacingly.

Maya tilted her head, amused by their bravado. "Two on one?

How very sporting of you."

"You're gonna wish it was five on one by the time we're

through," the scarred man growled, raising his club.

Maya didn't move, simply standing there as if completely

unconcerned by their threats. "Go on then," she said lazily, waving her hand

toward them. "Let's see what you've got."

The first man swung his club toward her head with all his

might, but Maya sidestepped effortlessly, the weapon crashing into the ground

with a thud. The second man followed up with a wide slash of his axe, aiming

for her midsection. Maya twisted, her movement fluid and precise, and the blade

cut through the air where she had been standing a second ago.

"You'll have to do better than that," she taunted, her voice

light and playful.

The two men exchanged frustrated glances before charging her

in unison, their weapons raised for a combined strike. But Maya was faster. She

darted between them, ducking and weaving as they swung wildly, each strike

missing its mark by a wide margin.

She toyed with them, moving just enough to avoid their

attacks, letting them tire themselves out as they grew more and more desperate

to land a hit. Her movements were almost playful, like a cat toying with a pair

of clumsy mice.

The mercenaries' breaths became labored, their frustration

evident as they struggled to even touch her. Maya, on the other hand, remained

perfectly calm, her smirk never fading.

"Is this really all the Crimson Twilight has to offer?" she

mused, her voice dripping with mock disappointment. "I expected more from a

gang with such a fearsome reputation."

The scarred man, clearly enraged, swung his club again, this

time aiming directly for her head. But Maya had grown tired of the game. With a

flick of her wrist, she caught the club mid-swing, stopping it cold. The

mercenary's eyes widened in shock as he realized what had happened, but before

he could react, Maya twisted the weapon from his grasp and swung it around,

delivering a crushing blow to his chest. He flew back with a cry, crashing into

the ground in a heap.

The second man barely had time to process what had happened

before Maya was upon him. She stepped forward, ducking beneath his axe swing

and driving her fist into his gut with such force that he dropped his weapon

and collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.

Maya dusted off her hands, her smirk widening as she looked

down at the two fallen men. "And here I thought this would be a challenge."

Xavier's eyes narrowed as he watched his men fall, his

crimson gaze burning with fury. But Maya could see the hesitation in his stance,

he hadn't expected her to handle them so easily.

"So, Xavier," Maya said, her voice carrying an edge of

excitement. "Care to join the fun yourself, or are you going to run away with

your tail between your legs?"

Xavier sneered, his fangs glinting in the rising light.

"You'll regret crossing me, witch. But not today."

With a dramatic flourish, he turned to leave, his vampiric

speed carrying him swiftly toward the trees.

"Oh, we're not done yet," Maya called after him, her hand

glowing with fiery energy. She flung a series of fireballs toward his

retreating figure, one of them catching the edge of his cloak, setting it

ablaze.

Xavier snarled as he disappeared into the shadows, his cloak

smoldering behind him. "You'll regret that, Maya! I'll return for your head!"

His voice echoed in the distance as he vanished from sight.

Maya laughed to herself, her eyes still glowing with the

remnants of her fire magic. "I'll be waiting."

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