A terrible nightmare had gripped Maya. In an eerie woods, she kept chasing after Elena's shadow, unable to find her. When she'd finally caught her hand, she'd disappear.

A whisper lingered in the air, "You can't keep what isn't there…"

Maya sat up abruptly, gasping as she woke up, finding Anastasia softly calling her name to nudge her awake. When Maya finally gathered her mind, she said, "Your snake has gone beyond the wall."

Maya's hand clutched her bedding tightly.

'No. Elena can't be out there. It's too dangerous.'

If one could die within the safety of the walls, what could be waiting out there? Before Maya could ask for more information, Anastasia was gone.

Clutching her rose pendant, she ordered as soon as Leo appeared, "Find Elena."

"She'd just jumped off the wall and is running toward the forest."

Maya tossed the bed covers and began frantically putting on clothes. Still struggling to pull her arm through her jacket, she leaned through the window. It was cold outside.

"No, Maya," Leo warned her, knowing her thoughts exactly. "Don't you even think about it!"

"She needs my help," Maya was firm.

"It's two AM. Stop it!"

Turning a deaf ear to his pleas, Maya jumped out of the window, using an air burst to jump again from mid-air and avoid having to use the plank.

Manipulating elements had become second nature to her—she was sure she could take on even a vampire if need be. She won't let fear grip her ever again. After all, Maya had four elements and 'eyes on her back' in her arsenal, while Elena had nothing.

"She can't even use magic, for heaven's sake. What was she thinking?!"

Leo protested, pleaded and cried, but he could do nothing to stop her.

"I'm not returning without her. You can either help or leave me to this."

Left with no other option, he begrudgingly led her deep into the woods.

The forest was creepy—unusually quiet with thin mist lingering. However, the weather had been oddly warm lately, as if spring was prematurely rushing in.

'Spider webs are still here at night! Of course, they are.'

It was easy to get lost in the dark. Thankfully, Maya had a guide to rely on. However, soon what gave her comfort started fading away.

"No. No! Not now!"

Leo's presence was broken up, then he disappeared completely.

'Ah! The worst possible timing!'

The grim reality suddenly caught up with Maya, and she had to admit how terrible an idea this was.

She'd always wondered what idiocy compelled those lost souls to venture outside, but now she had herself to look at. Maya was all alone in the woods with monsters lurking in the dark and no idea how to orient herself.

As she had already ventured deep within, Maya started running in the direction Leo had led her earlier. Her only escape from the crushing despair was finding Elena. In her fear, she began feeling like a target.

Although Leo had said Elena wasn't too far ahead, it was still impossible to find someone in this vast forest with no knowledge of their goal. Naturally, Maya was panicking.

"Go right!" Anastasia's voice echoed, providing her assistance.

Maya could not see her, but she trusted her. She ran as far as her legs would take her in the pointed direction before she ran out of breath and slowed down. A cliff wall emerged on her path. She could go no further in that direction.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Elena's voice startled her. Naturally, she was beside herself seeing Maya had followed her.

"I came as a backup," Maya said, catching her breath.

She attempted to lighten the mood with a nervous laugh, all while trying to calm her racing heart.

'Together through thick and thin.'

"Are you, fucking insane?" Elena erupted in anger. "Are you actively seeking death?" She paced back and forth, unsure of what to do next. "How did you find me?"

After asking the question, she threw her head back and expelled a sigh, already knowing the answer.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Why are you here? Why do you have to go hunt in the middle of the night? You can do that in the day," Maya deflected.

"RUN!" Anastasia's panicked voice interjected.

The sound of rustling in the darkness halted Elena's snarly retort. Realizing they were not alone, tension gripped Maya as she turned towards the sound. In a protective manner, Elena began to cautiously back towards Maya.

"Who's there!?" Maya yelled, breaking the uneasy silence.

Feeling foolish after, it was surprisingly successful. A lean, red-haired woman with a pale complexion and sunken eyes emerged from the tree's shadow into the moonlight. She radiated confidence, clearly in her element.

"What brings you girls here? Don't you know it's dangerous out here at night? There are vampires," the redhead said playfully. As she spoke, she revealed her fangs, delighting in the terror she induced.

However, she wasn't alone. Two more guys approached, tilting their heads as they studied their prey.

"Well, this is new. Pray coming to us…" one of them commented. He had a nasty scar coming from his cheek, all the way to his neck. Noticeable even in this darkness.

"Saves us from the trouble, so I won't question it," the other one said. He was the tallest one amongst them.

They all looked malnourished, with hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes that made their eyes so much bigger and hungrier. However, none of them looked as young as the vampire Maya saw kill Elena. They were in their twenties.

"Haa…" Elena sighed. "Then come and get us."

But instead of letting them react to her taunt, Elena attacked first. A knife swiftly flew out of her hand. This time, instead of her room target practice, the target was made of flesh and blood. It lodged itself into the chest of one of the guys, while Elena used their stunned pause to jump at the girl.

'Offence is the best defence.' Maya could imagine Elena's words.

Her tactics were the same as months ago when she auditioned for Warrior's Practice, but this time, it was endlessly more ferocious.

Elena's struggle with the redhead girl was short-lived as she was swiftly hoisted up with remarkable strength. However, she used this to her advantage and kicked the other vampire in the face, toppling both of them to the ground.

While Elena did all that, Maya was still frozen in shock from the brutality of Elena's sudden first attack. All that confidence in her powers slipped away. Now, making choices seemed like a terrible burden. Maya couldn't decide on what method, which stance, or even which element to use. It was as if she had forgotten how to make a single move.

The vampires were furious, not expecting the prey to draw first blood. Elena was caught in a fierce struggle with the two adversaries, enduring numerous blows in the process.

To Maya's horror, the first vampire who met Elena's blade rose up and slowly pulled the knife from his chest.

He howled in pain, drawing a sharp breath. His eyes burned with a desire for vengeance, and his already scarred face assumed a sinister expression—someone had to pay.

He started toward Maya, flipping the knife in his hand.

Maya was backing away in panic, too scared to shift her gaze even for a moment. She knew instinctively that running was her only chance. However, just as she tried to turn, the rock wall beside her exploded.

Her pursuer had hurled the knife he was wielding. It struck the rock with such force that it cracked, sending small shards flying towards her and breaking the knife upon impact.

Startled by his power, she froze in her tracks, tripped over a sharp rock, and fell onto the brittle but razor-sharp limestone ground.

She attempted to crawl away as he rapidly closed the distance. Her clumsiness couldn't have returned at a worse moment.

Although he leisurely approached already good-as-captured prey, it still felt too fast to the panicking Maya.

By the entertained grin on his face, she could tell he intentionally missed earlier. It seemed strange he would carelessly discard a weapon, but soon realization hit her—he didn't need it. A lion doesn't need a knife to butcher a lamb.

The tall cliff wall behind her was blocking her escape route. Maya was utterly cornered.

"Come here, sunshine," he taunted with his coarse voice.

He was already upon her and, as a last attempt at resistance, Maya prematurely kicked him in the shin. It felt harder than a rock, only resulting in angering him more.

In return, she was pressed to the ground, sharp rocks sinking into her back. Maya flailed and cried, terrified of what he could do to her. His overbearing strength seemed able to crush bones in his grip, and he prepared her neck for him to bite into.

"Get off her, you motherfucker!" Elena yelled from behind.

It momentarily distracted him. The girl was against two adversaries and still could issue a crude threat his way. But there was nothing more Elena could do, as she was being slammed into a tree by the other guy.

As she rebounded off the tree, Elena's hand grabbed the stake from her boot, and she rushed at him, sinking it into his abdomen. Firmly holding it with both hands, she continued to press it deeper.

"Crkni!" she growled through her teeth.

The redhead girl, who was on the ground pulling a knife out of her leg, screamed as she saw what Elena had done to her companion. This drew the attention of the scarred man, providing Maya with the opportunity to act.

Inspired by Burcu's display of power, Maya quickly spun her hands, creating an air vortex that lifted the man upwards. She then propelled him with a strong gust of air into the treetop of the nearest tree, where a branch impaled him through the abdomen. She gasped in horror and shock at the sight of what she had done, her heart sinking.

Maya got up to her shaky feet, paling at the man gurgling blood. Her gaze slowly returned to Elena, who was on the ground, pinned by the redhead's fury. Curses were hurled at Elena, wishing her a slow and painful death, while she choked, gripped by the throat.

Her hand was desperately searching for the stake on the ground, fallen just outside her reach. Forced to give up on it, she pushed the vampire's face to keep it away from biting. It was clear she was in trouble.

Maya knew she had to do something.

They were seemingly stuck at an impasse. Elena, running out of breath, still hissed profanities at her opponent.

Then, Elena's hands grabbed onto the redhead's hair. Instead of pushing her away, she suddenly pulled her in. The illogical action had taken the vampire aback, but not as much as Elena violently biting into her neck.

Instantly, the girl backed away, stumbling in shock, grasping at her gushing wound. It seemed not until now had she realized that Elena was a vampire.

Before she could fully comprehend her oversight, Elena had used this chance to reach the stake and stab it through her chest. Elena used her whole body to reinforce it. Then she pulled it out and plunged it again, screaming in frightening rage.

At this moment, Elena's behaviour resembled more of a vicious animal fuelled by vengeance. Nothing was differentiating her from the ones who preyed upon them.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.