The Journey to the village

After realizing the guards were no longer a threat, the trio finally lowered their defenses.

"It's really hard, isn't it?" Lucan's voice held a mix of sadness and a slight hint of fear.

"Yes... it's really hard, especially that lady," Remi replied, her voice chilling.

"I think I am now out of the royal family after this incident..." she added, disappointment evident in her tone.

"Wait... WAIT, YOU'RE A PART OF THE ROYAL FAMILY?!" Lucan exclaimed, shock etched on his face.

"How do you think that lady recognized Remi?" Malcom said as he walked into the room they were in.

"Ahh... that makes sense now... By the way, why are you helping me?" Lucan asked, still processing the revelation.

"It's because Malcom asked me to... and perhaps I don't care about what title I have," Remi said with a hint of directness.

Remi then turned to Lucan, her tone sharpening, "Now for you, Lucan, I don't care about you and I would have neve—"

"Alright, alright, I think we should go to the nearby village to figure out our next move," Malcom interrupted, wanting to steer the conversation back to their task.

"Ah, you're right. It's near morning now. I think we should depart," Lucan agreed, his voice calm.

The trio headed out, moving through the foggy morning with the red sky above them. As they approached the village, they saw two vampires moving in a strange, fast manner, almost as if they were targeting them.

Malcom's eyes widened in recognition. "They are cursed bearers."

Without hesitation, Lucan slashed at one of the vampires with his light magic, successfully dividing it into two with a mana slash. Watching this, Malcom became angry but knew it was not the time to let his guard down.

"LUCAN, REMI, HOLD THAT SECOND ONE STILL... LET ME CURE HIM!" Malcom shouted as he ran toward the remaining cursed vampire. Lucan and Remi grappled the cursed one, struggling to keep it still.

Malcom pulled out his grimoire, which he hadn't shown them before. It was dark blue with a design of a half-moon and intricate symbols glowing faintly.

Malcom opened the grimoire, chanting words of power. Dark blue energy emanated from the book, surrounding the cursed vampire. The creature writhed and screamed, but Malcom's magic held firm. Slowly, the curse's influence began to fade, and the vampire's features softened.

With a final, agonized cry, the vampire collapsed, breathing heavily but free from the curse.

"It's done," Malcom said, his voice exhausted but triumphant.

Lucan and Remi released their grip, both panting from the effort. The cured vampire looked up at them with gratitude and confusion.

"Thank you," the vampire whispered, tears in his eyes.

The vampire's shoulders shook as he wept, and he began to speak, his voice choked with emotion. "My village... our chief has been cursed. He's losing control, hurting people. Please, you have to help us. We don't know what to do."

Malcom exchanged a glance with Lucan and Remi. The pain in the vampire's eyes was a familiar sight, one they had seen too many times. It was a reminder of the stakes, of the innocent lives hanging in the balance.

"Alright," Malcom said, his voice steady and confident. "Count on us. We'll help you."

The vampire looked up, hope replacing the despair in his eyes. "Thank you, thank you so much."

"Lead us to your village," Malcom instructed. The vampire nodded and began guiding them through the foggy morning towards his home.

When they reached the village, the scene before them was a nightmare. Bodies of villagers lay scattered on the ground, rivers of blood flowing through the dirt paths. Some corpses were grotesquely mutilated—one with an eye plucked out, another crushed under the remains of a house. The air was thick with the stench of death, and the sight was a hellish vision of chaos and destruction.

As they tried to regain their composure, a booming voice echoed through the village. "NEW PREY!!!!!!!" The sound was followed by a sinister, maniacal laugh. From the shadows emerged a towering figure, his form obscured by darkness.

The big man lunged at them with alarming speed. They barely managed to dodge his initial attack, but Remi was not as fortunate. She was knocked to the ground, and before anyone could react, the monstrous man grabbed her and leapt into the woods.

"No way... he took her to the ancient temple," Malcom muttered, his eyes wide with fear and disbelief.

"What happened?" Lucan asked, his voice tinged with panic. He looked around frantically, trying to understand the sudden turn of events. The air grew colder, a chilling omen of what was to come. Malcom was nowhere to be seen.

Lucan's heart raced as he continued to search the area. Suddenly, he felt a strong hand clamp around his neck. His vision blurred, and the next thing he knew, darkness engulfed him.