CHAPTER 401: THE WAR (II)

(Third Person).

Draven stepped closer for a brief moment, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "Stay near me, no matter what happens."

"I will," she said.

Then his expression returned to unreadable. A few seconds later, his eyes flickered back to her. Her hand gripped her sheathed sword tightly against her side.

She could hear her heart pounding in her chest—quick, hard, alive.

"Now!" Draven’s commanding voice rang out.

In an instant, they moved.

The iron gates of the government house had already fallen under the vampires’ assault, leaving the path open in the confusion.

Jeffery led two warriors forward, swift and silent, clearing the immediate path while Draven, Meredith, and the others followed close behind.

Everywhere she looked, Meredith saw death—soldiers lying motionless, blood staining the marble of the courtyard, the acrid scent of gunpowder thick in the air. Yet her steps did not falter.

She had fought before, but tonight, something was different. She felt Valmora in her chest like a second pulse.

But that exact second, a vampire dropped from the rooftop ahead, its red eyes catching the moonlight. It lunged, but before it could strike, Meredith drew her blade in a clean, silver arc. The steel caught the faint gleam of firelight before slicing through flesh.

The vampire’s head hit the ground, rolling into the chaos.

Jeffery turned back briefly. "Nice work, Luna."

Meredith said nothing, her eyes already tracking the next threat. She sidestepped another charge, pivoted low, and drove her blade upward into a vampire’s chest, straight through the heart.

The motion was fluid, practised, and powerful.

Draven moved beside her, his claws unsheathed, cutting down two vampires in a single motion, each movement silent and precise.

"Keep close," he said, his voice a low growl beneath the roar of gunfire.

Meredith nodded, her breath coming steady now. Her fear had melted into focus.

---

Meanwhile, inside the government house, the chaos had reached the conference room.

Brackham’s senators stood in clusters, their faces pale, their voices loud with panic. The sound of explosions and gunfire outside seeped through the thick glass.

One of the advisors shouted, "Those vile things are already inside the compound!"

Another, trembling, demanded, "How is this possible? How did they get here so soon? See what that Alpha has landed us in."

Brackham slammed his fist on the table. "Quiet!" His voice cracked through the room, trembling with fury.

"You think shouting will help? They must have come from outside the city—escaped when Draven cleared the others!"

One senator, his voice shaking, said, "Or maybe Draven never got rid of them."

The words hung in the air like smoke.

Brackham froze. The echo of that accusation clawed through his thoughts. A chill ran down his spine. His throat felt dry for a bit.

"Mayor!" someone shouted from the hall outside. "The security has been breached! They are heading toward the main building!"

The senators erupted in panic. "Do something!" "Call the army!" "We’ll all die here!"

Brackham turned sharply toward them. "No one leaves this room!"

They froze, startled. "But—"

"I said no one," Brackham barked. "This floor is the safest in the building. I will handle this personally."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and stormed out, his steps echoing down the long corridor, the distant sounds of gunfire growing louder with every stride.

---

Outside, the fighting was closer now—vampires clashing with human soldiers, their shrieks and gunfire blending into a single, horrifying symphony.

Flames licked the outer walls where grenades had exploded.

Jeffery turned to Draven. "They are distracted. If we go now, we will make it inside before the next wave."

Draven nodded once, his tone curt. "Move."

Meredith followed close behind, her heart pounding softly as they slipped through the shattered entrance.

The marble floors were slick with blood. A soldier, half-dead, reached out toward them, his eyes glazed.

"Help..." he croaked.

Meredith froze for half a heartbeat, but Draven’s low voice pulled her focus. "Keep moving."

She swallowed hard and did as he said.

Every corridor was chaos. There were broken glass, abandoned weapons, and trails of blood that led to nowhere. The building shook with distant explosions.

"Alpha," Jeffery murmured, tilting his head toward the far left corridor. "Smell that?"

Draven inhaled once, sharply. His eyes narrowed. "Yes. Formaldehyde. Blood. Steel."

Meredith frowned. "The lab?"

"We are close," he said quietly.

---

At the same time, Brackham had already left the conference room and reached the secured elevator that led underground. His hands shook as he pressed his palm to the scanner.

For a moment, he hesitated, torn between fear and pride.

’If that creature is causing this, I will end it myself.’

Minutes later, Brackham stepped out of the car and made his way to the elevator.

A few seconds later, the elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and he stepped inside, descending into the depths where his secret pulsed beneath the earth.

The fluorescent lights flickered when the doors reopened. The air smelled sterile, of chemical and metallic.

As Brackham stepped out, the muffled explosions above vibrated through the walls. The scientists nearby froze when they saw him.

"Where is the vampire?" he demanded.

"In the containment chamber, sir," one of them stammered. "We have begun phase two, but it’s... unstable."

Brackham ignored the warning and walked toward the glass room.

Inside, the vampire leader was still chained—his skin pale as death, his eyes burning faintly red even in sedation. The chains creaked as he stirred.

Brackham’s voice was a hiss. "You have caused me enough trouble, monster."

The vampire’s lips curled faintly despite the drugs. "And you... have no idea what you have invited to your door."

Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the ground. Dust fell from the ceiling. The lights flickered again.

For the second time, Brackham felt true fear.

He turned sharply toward the nearest scientist. "Double the sedation! And get more restraints!"

The scientist hesitated. "Sir, the dosage—"

"Do it!" Brackham shouted, his voice cracking from anger.

But at that moment, the lights flickered once more. Then came the sound—a deep, vibrating growl that seemed out of this world.