In the vampire castle, inside the dimly lit council room, only two figures remained. One was Duke Heon, seated confidently at the King's table. He raised a glass filled with blood, took a sip, and spoke:
"King Vlad's mind is truly something else. He's trying to awaken someone whose story exists only in myth and ancient legend. So, everyone left to gather information to revive him from the depths of hell, huh. I wonder… is the story even real. what do you think?. "
From the shadows, a man stepped forward. A long rifle was strapped to his back, and his face was filled with scars. He speaks with high tone:
"If that man says it exists, then I believe it's real. I don't trust general harlod and vlad fully but the one who leaked the details... was none other than the Council's right-hand man."
Heon's expression darkened. Just the mention of that man sent a chill down his spine.
"The information was leaked by that man?," he mutterd
He took another slow sip from his glass, then looked toward the man in the shadows.
"The Council's right-hand man... he's a demon. Every time he joins a meeting, he's drenched in blood. Someone as strong as you is still cautious around him... That alone says everything.
So I won't question it any further.
Am I right... Ignis the Bounty Hunter?"
Ignis smirked and stepped into the candlelight.
"You flatter me. I may be strong, but you, Sir Heon… you're far more dangerous than I am."
Bounty hunter
Ignis.
At the same time, the masked girl had just entered the forest. The air was thick with the stench of blood, and vampire corpses littered the ground like fallen leaves. By seeing the state of bodies she whispered:
"Disgusting... I hate to work places like this."
Her eyes gathered the information left on the scene carefully with every details.
"Judging by the bodies, it was clear the vampire hunters had no trouble wiping them out and there wasn't a single hunter corpse lying in sight. So who… summoned me here?"
With a faint smile tugging at her lips, she stepped deeper into the forest. "Let's dig a little further, shall we?"
Somewhere near the castle gates, a middle-aged man was pinned to the wall, his body covered in fatal wounds, barely clinging to life. All around him, the lifeless corpses of vampire hunters lay scattered across the blood-soaked ground.
The worst part was it wasn't just his injuries. He was forced to watch the slaughter, his comrades' broken bodies deliberately positioned within his sight. It was a slow, cruel death.
Tears streamed down his face. The pain was unbearable, but he couldn't scream. His lips had been sealed shut… by someone..
He wasn't sure how much longer he could stay conscious. his memory drifted back.
Back to the past.
He remembered standing in front of them, saying, "We'll bring light back to Romania. This cursed night will end oneday and we'll be the ones to end it."
They all believed his words. They know he was the only hope for Romania.
But now?
Now all he could do was stare at the moon and curse himself.
"If I hadn't made that call... if I'd just waited... maybe they'd all still be alive. With their families. With their kids. Laughing somewhere far from all this blood."
A tear fell slowly in his eyes regretting his decision.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… I was never the leader you needed."
Astrange sound of walking was heard. The sound grab his attention and he noticed that someone was approaching the castle.
His eyes widened in disbelief,the person walked without hesitation, completely unfazed by the blood and bodies scattered across the path. So calm… so fearless.
Desperate to warn, the dying man shifted what little strength he had left, scraping his foot against the stone in a faint attempt to make a sound.
The figure stopped.
Wearing a hooded cloak, the person slowly looked up. For a moment, their eyes meet one was filled with pain, the other was unreadable.
Then, the stranger reached up and pulled back the hood.
It was a girl.
She looked at the dying man with quiet pity and spoke in a calm voice,
"Are you… the vampire leader, Karlos?"
Karlos was stunned after hearing her words. how did this girl know who he was? Only the vampire hunters knew his identity. Slowly, with the little strength he had left, he nodded.
The girl stepped closer and spoke again, her voice calm yet piercing.
"Karlos, leader of the vampire hunters. You led your final hundred warriors to end this war. At first, you were winning, you made it all the way to the castle gates. And then… the tide was turned by someone."
She glanced at the corpses scattered across the ground.
"A powerful vampire appeared, and everything changed. But still… you did the impossible feat. With just a hundred soldiers, you guys took down over a thousand vampires in one night. A glorious stand but at the cost of everything."
Her tone darkened.
"But you also made one mistake. A fatal mistake by trusting the wrong person. You thought money could buy loyalty. That man... he was the reason for your downfall."
Karlos lowered his head in shame. He already knew who she meant.
" Ignis , The Bounty Hunter. Known for killing anyone, as long as the price is right. He betrayed you because the opposing party offer more money."
Silence hung in the air. Karlos's eyes welled up with guilt. His reckless choice had doomed them all.
She spoke with a firm, serious tone.
"You did one thing right, Karlos. Before marching to war, you signed over your wealth to our organization. But under one condition and that was upon your death, one wish would be granted."
Karlos's eyes widened as he noticed the dagger-shaped badge on the girl's shoulder. Shock flickered in his fading expression.
That badge…
Memories flooded in. He recalled an old contract hidden deep within his family's treasure vault. An ancient pact his parents once spoke of in fairy tales.
"If you ever sign this contract, one wish will be granted after your death," they had said, laughing as if it were just a bedtime story.
But now he knew, it was real. All of it.
Tears streamed down his face, not from the wounds, but from the weight of truth and regret. He couldn't speak, but his eyes were bloodshot and pleaded silently. He wanted his wish fulfilled. He wanted revenge.
The girl understood the wish. She stepped closer, voice unwavering.
"So... your final wish is to kill everyone inside this castle, isn't it? Especially that traitorous bounty hunter… and the vampire."
With what little strength he had left, Karlos gave a weak but clear nod.
Suddenly, without warning, a sharp stone came flying at high speed striking Karlos in the head. It ended him instantly, sparing him any further pain.
The girl stood over his body, her eyes unreadable.
"Farewell, Karlos.",
"Your wish will be fulfilled."