LOGINGILDEON
He watched the next scene unfold. Young Vergilius, now a vampire, stood in the old priest’s depraved chamber. The sick bastard had gathered another group of young women, some already naked on his bed.
The old man paused halfway through removing his robe and turned to the doorway. “Vergilius, is that you?” he exclaimed, narrowing his eyes. “Word reached me that you had escaped, you ingrate! Bold of you to show your face here after you nearly sent me to meet our Lord.”
“Our Lord?” Young Vergilius scoffed, glancing at the naked girls. “You dare invoke His name while committing such a profane act, you old wretch.”
Without waiting for a response, Young Vergilius launched himself at the old priest, hurling him across the room. His mouth latched onto the man’s neck, and the wet sound of blood being drawn filled the air as the girls around them screamed, too terrified to move.
Gildeon watched as Young Vergilius nearly drained the p
GILDEONHe didn’t like how the sylph dodged his question. His jaw tensed, ready to press him for an answer, but the blue-haired man beat him to it.“I’ll explain everything once Araheen is safe,” the sylph said, turning his back without waiting for a response.Gildeon felt his lieutenants glance at him, awaiting a command. He didn’t meet their eyes. Without a word, he followed.As they moved through the island’s twisted terrain, time lost all meaning. Minutes blurred. One moment, they were near the town square, and with a blink, they were walking the dirt road that led to their property.“She’s in there,” the sylph said, pointing toward the house ahead.“That’s our home,” Gildeon muttered, narrowing his eyes. He scanned the house with dragon sight, but picked up nothing. No trace of Arah. No trace of the hunter. Just a dead, hollow aura smothering the place.“Every time I try to step past the boundary…” The sylph gestured toward the flickering pulse of energy running along the fence g
GILDEONHe studied the black wall, which curved from the back like a real tidal wave frozen mid-surge. When he reached out and touched it, a sharp jolt of electricity slammed through him—an instant, violent shock that lit up every nerve in his body.He heard simultaneous groans from Eitan and Yadira on the other side. They must’ve tried the same thing even though they couldn’t see the entire thing.Before he could warn Roselia to stay back, she stepped forward and slipped right through the edge of the wall like it wasn’t even there.“What is it, My Lord?” she asked, pausing when she saw the look on his face. “Did I step through it?”“You don’t feel anything?”She raised her chin, the pre-evening light glinting off her sunglasses. “Just a heavy surge of energy. But it doesn’t hurt.”Gildeon nodded slowly, turning back to inspect the wall. “It’s probably only dangerous to higher mortals.”“Is there an entrance?”
GILDEONHe tried calling Arah several times, but she wasn’t answering.“Damn it, Arah,” he muttered, throwing the phone onto the dashboard and slamming his foot on the gas, pushing the car harder down the road.“How the fuck is there a hunter here?” he growled through gritted teeth. Thoughts of those Earthland sylphs detecting Eitan and Yadira’s arrival flashed through his mind like warning flares.“Witch,” Yadira said from the backseat, “didn’t Caylao Island have enough chaotic energy to make it difficult for them to sense the anomaly?”From the corner of his eye, Gildeon saw Roselia’s lips pursed. She clearly didn’t like the way his lieutenant addressed her.“Well, something big must've drawn their attention,” Roselia replied beside him, a restrained bite in her tone. “These hunters aren’t fools, salamander.”
ARAHShe sprang to her feet, skin prickling with a sudden wave of unease. She didn’t know who the man in the white suit was, but every instinct screamed threat. He hadn’t come here as a friend. He didn’t look like a tourist, either. There was something about him—something cold, practiced, dangerous—that made her want to run and not stop.Finn rose as well, much calmer than she was, stepping slightly forward as if to position himself between her and the stranger.“Do you know him?” she asked, eyes flicking to Finn. Maybe this guy was after him.But then her gaze shifted to Mabel, who was still refusing to meet her eyes—and Arah knew, right then, that this was about her.“I appreciate your assistance in locating her, Mrs. Torres,” the man said, addressing Mabel.Arah’s eyes narrowed. She noticed Mabel’s fingers briefly graze her shoulder—the same spot where the man’s hand had rested just moments ago.If Arah had to gues
GILDEONThat afternoon, after his last class was canceled, he felt an urge to swing by Roselia’s place. The witch had returned. He could sense her energy pulsing faintly from the workshop. Confirming it through his dragon sight, he strode straight inside.The smell hit him first—a heady mix of herbs and simmering animal bones that burned the inside of his nose.“I told you to see me the second you returned,” he growled low.Roselia stopped stirring the cauldron and spun to face him. He froze at the sight of her eyes that had turned eerily white.“What happened?” he demanded, the hardness in his voice cracking with worry. Whatever this was, it didn’t look like something magic could simply mend.Roselia’s hand swept across the table, searching until her fingers brushed a chair. She pulled it out and lowered herself onto it with quiet control.“I found other witches abroad,” she said. “We worked together to locate the br
ARAHShe drove to the other side of the island—somewhere no one would recognize her. But more than anything, it was to make sure Gildeon wouldn’t find her too quickly if he decided to follow. Her phone rang a few times before she powered it off completely.Arah ended up at a quieter beach. A few locals lounged under trees, chatting. Children splashed in the shallows, their laughter distant but warm. The sand wasn’t as white as the sand from the tourist spots, but it was just as soft beneath her hands. She sat down and stared out at the horizon.The sky was beginning to change. Muted shades of copper and bruised violet stretched across the clouds. The hue felt heavy, like the weight pressing down on her chest.The wind was still reacting to her restraint anger, tugging at her hair in restless gusts. But here, it blended into the stronger afternoon breeze—easier to lose, harder to trace.She took a long breath and closed her eyes, bi







