Those hidden in the dark ~159

The ancient one was still looking for more news about the Foundation, and often, she tried to learn more about these SCP objects, hoping to learn more about these new possible threats before they appeared.

After all, clearly, she wasn't able to use the time stone, which meant that her usual method of finding information about situations requiring her attention didn't work.

While the ancient one was out looking for the changes in the world, other forces, too, were starting to take notice of things happening. For while normal people were easily fooled, those creatures of the night weren't blind.

Those who lived in the dark knew something was going on; they just didn't all know what it was. Slowly, some of them were starting to find out the truth, or at least parts of it.

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[castle of darkspawn coven]

Within a deep, dark chamber, a group of people had gathered, each with a long history and a dark and dreadful legacy. They weren't the type of people to meet in person like this; many had been lifelong rivals. Yet, for this, they had gathered all the same.

"There has been a rather large undercurrent recently. It's becoming almost impossible to ignore." One of the dark figures said, his voice smooth and youthful.

"That is an understatement if I ever heard one, it's like calling the sorcerer supreme a small snag in our plans." Another voice came back, dripping with sarcasm.

"Boys, don't go fighting now; we are here to discuss these recent events, not listening to your bickering." A seductive female voice rang out from one of the shadows.

"Speaking of that bitch of a sorcerer, are we sure she is not behind this?" A childlike voice asked.

"No, this is something or someone else. It's not her way of doing things at all" The smooth voice answered.

"Who but her could have done it then? This is the first time in a long while an entire coven has been taken out, even if it was just that blood drowned." And an aged voice sounded.

Indeed, the news that had caused the leaders of multiple vampire covens to gather together was the destruction of another one. This didn't happen that often; after all, vampires were far superior to humans, and unless something truly major happened, it would be hard to face an entire one.

And even then, vampires weren't fools, if they thought they might be in danger, they would flee, which meant that whatever killed the entire coven this time must indeed be rather dangerous or powerful.

"It's hardly the only thing of note; there is also that mysterious island, something like that doesn't happen every day." The female voice said.

"Indeed, many things are happening, and we have to figure out what so we don't end up like the blood drowned." The childlike person said.

The way they talked about the now-gone coven was filled with scorn and mockery. After all the blood drowned, they were down on their luck, having been kicked out of the castles and forced to live hidden away in caves like some strays.

And all by some pathetic humans who fancy themselves as a league of monster hunters. Yet it didn't change the fact that they were all gone now. Something that couldn't be ignored, more so since they didn't know the how, the why, or the who.

"I hear whispers of many things happening in the underworld these days. Even that so-called vampire Ricci ended up dead not long ago. Things are changing, and we need to figure out why." The old voice said.

The room grew quiet after that. Everyone was deep in thought, for indeed, he wasn't wrong. As someone who were all forced to live in the shadows, they were sensitive to what happened. And a lot was happening very quickly.

While they all knew that Ricci was no vampire, they all knew he wasn't someone to be taken lightly, having been alive for far longer than most would accept; he was a mystery, but no less powerful.

Many a foolish vampire had tried to take control of his crime empire and had paid the price for it. He wasn't to be taken lightly, and even they had to merely do business with him. Yet for someone like that to die, clearly things were happening.

Then, there was other waves being made, mysterious forces hunting down every stray with frightening efficiency. Then there was that auction; they didn't know about M,C, or D before, but they hadn't just been invited to the event; some were even invited on for work.

The items shown last time were amazing, and the final item, in particular, was something even these people had desired, but in the end, much of their wealth was spent on hard-to-liquidate assets, while the new Ricci girl clearly had no problem using her dead relatives' money.

But the fact that such things and groups were popping up without them knowing about it was a cause of concern. Something they would have to take serious, which is why they had gathered here today.

"We need to gather more intelligence," the smooth-voiced vampire finally said. "We must understand who or what is behind these changes and prepare to defend our interests."

"I agree," the female voice responded. "We need to stay ahead of whatever is coming. If we remain ignorant, we risk sharing the fate of the Blood Drowned."

The leaders nodded in agreement, their ancient rivalries set aside for now. The survival of their kind depended on uncovering the truth behind these new threats and adapting to the rapidly changing world around them.

"I do know something, at least about the island." The old man spoke up.

The others quickly focused their attention on him, waiting for him to share what he had learned.

"One of my informants, a rather resourceful warlock, mentioned that the island is linked to ancient curses and powerful entities. The kind of magic that binds it is old, very old. It predates even the Sorcerer Supreme's guardianship," he continued, his voice grave and steady.

That definitely did surprise the others, just as much as it intrigued them. "That does sound worthy of further investigation, something I'm sure you have done." The woman's voice sounded.

The old man was heard sighing. "I have tried, but the humans are taking no chances, its impossible to reach the island or the ruins surrounding it. Everyone I sent have been killed, and my human servants are useless."

The room fell into a tense silence as they absorbed this information. The stakes were higher than they had anticipated, and the danger was very real.

"We need a new approach," the smooth-voiced vampire said. "If we can't reach the island directly, we must find another way to uncover its secrets. Perhaps through alliances or subterfuge."

The childlike voice chimed in, "We should consider using intermediaries. There are many who would do our bidding for the right price or incentive."

"Agreed," the old man replied. "We must tread carefully. If the humans are guarding this place so fiercely, there must be something truly valuable or dangerous there."

The seductive female voice added, "I have contacts within the human world. I will see what information I can gather discreetly. We need to know what we're dealing with before we make our move."

The leaders of the covens nodded in agreement. They had a plan, and each of them would play their part. The shadows were shifting, and they had to be ready to adapt.

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[The Adirondack Mountains]

Far from the dark secret halls of vampire-infected castles in the American outback, two friends made their way through thick woods. The place was a great hunting ground for what they were after.

Dale and Danny had met online, sharing the same passion for rumours and legends. They started out just talking about it, looking over other people's evidence, cursing at the fools who didn't believe.

Eventually, they had learned that they didn't live far from one another, and this trip had been in the planning stages ever since.

It had been a long drive down here. Not to mention, it had taken far, far longer to convince the wife to let them spend the weekend so far away. But here they finally were, out in ground zero, ready to snag some proof they could use to finally convince the rest of the world.

The Adirondack Mountains had long been a hotspot for mysterious sightings and cryptid legends, making it the perfect location for their expedition. Armed with cameras, audio recorders, and enough camping gear to last them a week, Dale and Danny trudged through the dense forest, their excitement barely contained.

"This is it, Danny," Dale said, adjusting his backpack. "This is where we'll find the proof. Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, whatever's out here—we're gonna get it on tape."

Danny grinned, his camera already recording the path ahead. "I've got a good feeling about this, Dale. We've got the equipment, the expertise, and the determination. This is gonna be legendary."

They trekked deeper into the woods, their eyes scanning for any signs of unusual activity. Hours passed, and the sun began to set, casting long shadows through the trees. As they set up camp, the forest grew eerily silent, the usual sounds of wildlife replaced by an unsettling stillness.

"Something feels off," Danny muttered, glancing around nervously.

Dale nodded, his senses heightened. "Yeah, it's too quiet. But that just means we're close. Keep your eyes peeled."

As night fell, they huddled around a small campfire, the flickering flames casting dancing shadows on the surrounding trees. They shared stories of past expeditions and the legends that had brought them here, their excitement mingling with a growing sense of unease.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the darkness beyond their campfire. Both men froze, their eyes locked on the source of the noise. Slowly, Dale reached for his flashlight, his hand trembling slightly as he turned it on and directed the beam into the trees.

The light revealed nothing but dense foliage, but the rustling continued, growing louder and more frantic. Danny raised his camera, capturing the moment as they both stood, their breath held in anticipation.

"Hello?" Dale called out, his voice wavering. "Is someone there?"

The rustling stopped abruptly, replaced by an oppressive silence. Then, without warning, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was humanoid, but its proportions were all wrong—too tall, too thin, its limbs elongated and twisted. Its eyes glowed an eerie red in the flashlight's beam.

Danny's camera captured every detail as the creature stepped closer, its movements jerky and unnatural. "Dale, what is that?" he whispered, fear creeping into his voice.

Then, Danny heard a loud thump beside him, something heavy hitting the floor. He looked over, gasping in shock, Dale was there, on the ground, not moving at all. Danny looked up, not using the camera at all, and saw the creature that came out of the woods. Then, he and the camera fell to the ground.

The camera was still recording, capturing two huge fur-covered humanoid creatures walking out from between the tree line. Looking down at the two dead humans. "Even here we aren't safe, no place is." One of them spoke.

"They will never let us go. We have to take the fight to them. They are weak and easy to kill. If only we leave the forest, the planet will be ours again." The other one said. It was male and shorter, younger than the first.

"Don't be stupid, they are dangerous; if they find us, they will kill us all; even if they can't see us, they will burn the forests and level the mountains; we can't face them, not yet." The first said as he reached down and picked up the camera.

"I don't like this, waiting, hiding, this was our work, and they are destroying it while we hide and live like animal." The younger one angrily spat.

"We must be patient, for they, they are ruthless." He said as he figured out how the human tech worked in moments and turned off the recording.

A/N

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