Somewhere in Dunkeld, it was almost evening. The sky was dimming, the light thinning as dusk slowly crept in. The road was filled with the dead bodies of vampires who had been brutally killed. Blood was everywhere—soaked into the asphalt, splashed against broken stones, pooling beside lifeless limbs. The air was heavy with the metallic scent of death. The place was completely quiet, unnaturally so, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Just near the side of the road, Milan and the others stood in silence. No one spoke. Everyone was trying to clear their heads after what had happened, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Raven was sitting beside Nadia. Nadia was sobbing uncontrollably, blaming herself for everything that had gone wrong, her shoulders shaking as guilt crushed her. Raven kept her arms around her, gently pulling her closer, whispering soft words, trying to calm her down. Zero was nowhere to be seen among the group.
Scarlet was sitting alone, a little distance away from them. Her knees were pulled close to her chest, her head lowered. She was asking herself countless questions, one after another, with no answers in sight. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, falling silently onto the ground. Milan was sitting some distance away, watching her without saying a word. Nutaila appeared and slowly sat beside him. Together, they watched Scarlet cry.
"She thinks what she has is a curse, She regrets having it."Nutaila said quietly to Milan.
"She just wants to be a normal human being, just like everyone else, We all want the same thing. I never asked for darkness, and I don't want it. If there's a chance out there, or any ritual that could take it away from me, then I'm willing to do it."Milan replied, his voice low.
"You know, Vessel is the most powerful bound among all the five bounds that Victor created, isn't it?"Nutaila continued, turning slightly toward him
"Well, things have changed, Now there are six bounds, and the Witcher seems to be stronger."Milan said.
"The problem is that you don't have control over the darkness. But in that fight, you could have won all by yourself, and I think they know that you didn't take control of it. That darkness, Milan, can stop things you cannot even imagine. You have the power to move closer to Victor and finish him. Just like Scarlet—well, we all know she is on another level, impossible to defeat. The power inside her chose her for a reason, and we don't know it yet."Nutaila said calmly She paused, watching Milan closely.
"But you, Milan… your darkness is different. You must find a way to control it and overcome it. The way you were fighting today, I saw that the darkness didn't want to fight against Vision and the Witcher. Somehow, it was refusing, but you were forcing it. And then you gave up. That's when the darkness faded and hid. It didn't want to emerge." Milan stared at her, absorbing every word.
"So what do you think I should do?" he asked.
"Let me teach you how to control it, Allow me to show you how. Because if you don't control it now, then you will become a danger to your own sister. If she truly carries the pure blood, then you and her cannot stay together. You will lose control, and you will try to hurt your own sister. When Victor said he had plans for you, believe me—he meant every word."Nutaila said as she slowly stood up.
"Then teach me, Show me how to control it."Milan said without hesitation.
Nutaila stared at him for a moment, then smiled.
"Come on, Let's gather everyone. It's time to move. Sobbing time is over."she said.
She helped Milan up, and together they walked toward the others. Everyone gathered and moved closer to Scarlet, forming a quiet circle around her. Scarlet wiped her tears quickly, trying to compose herself.
"I'm sorry, guys," Nadia said through her sobs.
"What I did… I just thought I saw Zara for real."
"It's okay, Nadia, It wasn't your fault. They used you because they knew you could break easily once they used your daughter as a weakness. We understand that."Nutaila said gently.
"What now?" Scarlet asked, her voice tired but steady.
"Now we keep moving forward, Just as we all agreed. Nothing can stop us—no bounds, no vampires. All of us, as one, we move together. We will find Zara, find my sister, find the one with the pure blood, and together we will go and meet the Wise. She will tell us what to do next. But no matter what happens, we will stay together."Milan said firmly. He looked directly into Scarlet's eyes and held her hand. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Are you okay?" Raven asked Scarlet. Everyone turned toward her.
"Guys," Scarlet said, forcing a small smile,
"what happened has happened. I don't remember anything while I'm in that power state. But what I do know is that we won the battle. And we are still alive. Now we have to move forward."
They all agreed, though Nutaila kept her eyes on Scarlet, knowing she was trying to comfort herself more than anyone else.
"By the way," Milan asked suddenly,
"where is Zero?"
At that moment, the sound of an engine echoed down the road. A vehicle approached them—a camper van—and stopped right in front of the group. The window slowly rolled down. Zero appeared, smiling widely.
"You guys need a lift?" he joked.
They all laughed. Zero opened the door, and one by one they climbed inside. The van was surprisingly well-equipped: a small toilet, a narrow kitchen along the corridor, bunk beds above and below, and a small bed at the back of the vehicle.
"So, where to now?" Zero asked as Nutaila moved to sit in the front seat beside him.
"We drive straight ahead," Nutaila said.
"No stopping. We switch shifts. When one gets tired, another takes over, and you get some sleep. We stop only if we see a fuel station or a small market where we can get supplies and food."
"Roger that, boss," Zero said with a grin as he started the engine and drove away.
Back in the Scottish Highlands, groups continued setting traps all around the perimeter. Wires were stretched, sharp mechanisms were hidden beneath leaves and dirt, and dangerous contraptions were placed carefully in strategic positions.
Ayanna was working alongside Emma, helping her secure one of the traps. In the distance, they could hear gunshots and low, feral growls. The fighting wasn't far—it was constant. Vampires kept coming.
"With those guns the vampires will keep coming."Emma said, tightening a wire
"You seem like an expert at this," Ayanna said, watching her work.
"I was taught by my father," Emma replied.
"When I was young, we used to go hiking and hunting. He taught me everything—how to set traps, how to catch animals, how to survive."
"Good for you," Ayanna said, though something in her tone felt distant. Emma noticed immediately.
"What about you?" she asked.
"Didn't your father teach you how to fight? You seem like a fighter."
"I'm not a fighter," Ayanna replied, picking up her tools.
"My life is complicated. I don't want to talk about my parents."
She moved to another section to continue setting traps. Emma watched her go, thoughtful and concerned.
Inside Dr. Patel's quarters, chaos reigned. She was still working relentlessly, surrounded by notes, broken vials, and scattered equipment. She conducted another test, pouring chemicals into a beaker. The reaction failed.
She screamed in frustration, kicking a chair and knocking over tools.
"What the fuck is this?!" she shouted.
Breathing heavily, she dropped into her chair and closed her eyes, trying to regain control.
Somewhere in Dunkeld, Witcher and Vision stood together, their expressions dark with disappointment.
"The girl has powers," Witcher said.
"She's unstoppable. It's impossible to fight her through darkness."
"A long time ago," Victor said through Vision, his voice cold and distant,
"there was a power that existed—unknown, undocumented. No book in history ever recorded it. I believe she has that power."
"Do you want us to follow them and launch another attack?" Witcher asked.
"No, It's time for me to wake up. They are getting closer to the one with pure blood. Let them reach her."Victor replied.He paused.
"You will go to the Amazon, Retrieve my heart. Find the box where they sealed it. Keep it safe—and restore it to me."Victor continued.
Without another word, Vision turned away. Witcher followed. They vanished into the darkness, carrying out the task they had been given.