Chapter 6: The Phantom of the Guild

Three days after the massacre at the Crimson Chapel, Valenfort was suffocating in a nightmare that refused to end.

On every news broadcast, only two words echoed: “epidemic outbreak.”

The Hunter’s Guild issued an official statement claiming a toxic leak from an abandoned industrial zone had caused the mysterious deaths.

No one mentioned the pillars of blood. No one dared to say that half the city had seen the sky burn red like hell itself.

In a small room at the top of a derelict apartment complex, Evelyn Cross sat against the wall, the dim light tracing exhaustion across her face. Black burn marks still ran along her arm the remnants of the Black Blood .

Adrian Wolfe , shoulder bandaged, monitored the intercepted radio frequencies.

“The Guild’s locked down the entire Northern District. There’s a two million credit bounty for anyone who turns you in, Eve.”

Evelyn gave a faint, bitter smile.

“Guess that makes me hunt now.”

“Not just you. They’re looking for Lucien Draven too. But… no one knows where he’s gone.”

She fell silent. In her mind, only fragments remained the blinding red light devouring the chapel, and Lucien’s hand clutching hers before vanishing into the sea of blood.

---

Outside, wind howled through shattered windows. Along the ruined street, flickering billboards looped the Guild’s broadcast:

“The Purification Operation was successful. The Blood King has been eliminated. Traitor Evelyn Cross is wanted across Valenfort.”

Adrian shut the screen off, voice raspy.

“We can’t stay here. Marcus transferred command to someone new named Aster Crowe . They call him the Gray Angel of the Guild.”

Evelyn looked up.

“Crowe? Never heard of him.”

“I have,” Adrian said grimly. “He’s a hybrid born from a failed experiment. The Guild took him in, trained him, then purged the vampire blood from his system. But everyone knows… once blood turns black, it never truly turns white again.”

---

A sudden knock echoed against the steel door.

Adrian drew his gun, signaling Evelyn. Both moved silently.

A low voice came from outside.

“Evelyn Cross. I come on behalf of the Guild.”

Adrian muttered under his breath,

“Damn it they’re fast.”

Evelyn motioned for silence, then cracked the door open. Standing in the misty night was a man with a gray coat that reached the ground. His face was sharp, beautiful in a chilling way, and his silver eyes gleamed like blades.

Pinned to his chest was the insignia of the Gray Angel, Aster Crowe.

“The Guild wants you to return,” he said evenly, his tone deep, almost devoid of emotion.

Evelyn met his gaze.

“Return? After they branded me a traitor?”

“I don’t care about politics,” Crowe replied. “All I know is that the Guild needs you alive. The blood inside you… is the last key to the Blood King.”

Adrian gave a hollow laugh.

“Oh, that sounds familiar. They said the same thing to Lilith then turned her into a weapon.”

Crowe’s expression flickered just for a moment.

“I know. Because I was the next experiment.”

The air froze. Evelyn’s grip on her blade tightened.

“Half human… half vampire. Like me.”

Crowe nodded faintly.

“Except you still have a choice. I never did.”

---

A shrill noise shattered the tension glass breaking downstairs.

Adrian swung his gun toward the stairwell.

“Strike squad! They’ve found us!”

Dozens of shadows surged upward hunters in silver armor, moving too fast, too precise to be human.

Crowe tilted his head slightly, silver light flashing in his eyes.

“Not mine. They’re Silver Hounds bio-soldiers bred by Dr. Alaric.”

Evelyn leapt up, cocked her pistol, and fired three rapid shots. One creature fell, but its blood shimmered silver instead of red, hissing as it hit the floor.

“Holy hell…” Adrian hissed. “He’s creating vampires from synthetic blood!”

Crowe unsheathed a slender blade that gleamed like moonlight and sliced through the air two enemies fell, torn apart by a silver arc.

“Go! Out the back! I’ll hold them off!”

“No!” Evelyn shouted. “You’ll die!”

“I’ve been dead for a long time, Evelyn Cross,” he murmured, eyes glinting with something almost human. “Now it’s time for another ghost to save you from this cursed Guild.”

Before she could stop him, Crowe lunged down the stairs, blade flashing. The darkness exploded in silver light and metallic screams.

Evelyn grabbed Adrian, pulling him toward the rooftop. From there, Valenfort stretched below them bathed in crimson light. Far away, Guild aircrafts swept search beams across the night.

“Eve! Where are we going now?”

She gazed at the burning horizon.

“The only place they won’t dare follow the Abyss District. ”

“That sealed zone beneath Valenfort? The site of the Great Massacre?”

“Yes. If I want to understand what the Black Blood truly is, I have to go where it began.”

---

Below, Aster Crowe was surrounded by the Silver Hounds. He looked up toward the rooftop where Evelyn had vanished.

A silver bullet tore through his shoulder, blood splattered, glowing neither red nor black, but pale blue-silver.

He fell to one knee, smiling faintly through the pain.

“She’s like me… but she still has hope.”

He pressed a switch on his belt. A sphere of light erupted, engulfing the lower floors in a blinding white explosion self-detonation.

---

Two days later, in the underground meeting chamber of the Hunter’s Guild. Marcus Vale stood before a projection of the ruined chapel, Dr. Alaric beside him.

“Crowe disappeared with Cross. We can consider them enemies now.”

Alaric smirked, adjusting his glasses.

“Not quite. Their blood is still the key. I can trace the energy signature. Once they reach the Abyss District, the ancient seal will break. And when that happens…”

Marcus turned sharply.

“When what happens?”

Alaric’s smile widened, voice echoing like a curse.

“The Blood King will have no choice… but to awaken.”

---

In the dead of Valenfort’s night, Evelyn gripped the steering wheel of an old truck, driving through the abandoned tunnel that led deep underground.

Adrian lay slumped in the passenger seat, his bandages soaked in blood.

Evelyn’s eyes fixed on the darkness ahead, a yawning void like the mouth of some ancient beast.

“The Abyss…” she whispered. “If the Black Blood began here, I’ll end it here.”

From somewhere in the darkness ahead, a low, familiar voice drifted through the air one that made her heart falter for a beat.

“You won’t be going alone, Evelyn.”