CHAPTER 400: THE WAR (I)

(Third Person).

The word ’provoked’ landed like a curse.

Brackham’s gaze flickered toward the floor, his mind, toward the hidden levels beneath this very building— the sedated vampire secretly under his custody.

Then, he remembered the gunshot he had fired into its skull, the other day, and the way its eyes had still burned with fury before it lost consciousness.

Just then, the realization coiled cold in his stomach.

Could that be it? Could those demons somehow know that one of them was captured?

"Mayor," said another senator again, his voice low now, suspicious. "You look like a man with a secret. What aren’t you telling us?"

Brackham snapped his gaze up. "Nothing," he uttered too quickly. "Nothing of consequence. What matters is handling this crisis. I have been trying to reach Draven. His line isn’t connecting."

"That’s very convenient," someone muttered.

The room filled with the rustle of movement, half of them demanding explanations, the other half demanding evacuation.

"Do you realize," said one of the senators, "that if the vampires try to overrun the government house, we are trapped here? Our evacuation choppers barely made it through the airspace. We should be leaving, not waiting to die in this room."

Immediately, Brackham slammed his palm on the table, the sharp sound silencing them. "Enough! No one leaves until we have a plan. This city is under my control!"

But his words rang hollow even to him. The sound of gunfire outside seemed to mock his declaration.

Just then, a military aide hurried into the room and leaned close to whisper something in Brackham’s ear. The blood drained from his face.

"Sir, the vampires have completely surrounded the city," the aide reported quietly. "And I believe this place would be their next target."

The senators erupted—shouting, demanding orders, arguing over who was to blame. Brackham barely heard them. His mind was spinning, his breath shallow.

’They are coming for him. For the one below.’

Brackham turned toward the aide, his voice hoarse. "Double the guards on the lower levels. No one goes down there without my permission. Understood?"

The aide nodded and rushed out.

As the arguing grew louder, Brackham stood perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the window where the horizon glowed red.

For the first time that night, he felt a genuine tremor of fear.

But somewhere deep below this building, the chained vampire was waiting. And if his suspicions were correct, every creature in the dark was now on its way here to reclaim him.

---

The distant roar of chaos still echoed faintly through the streets of Duskmoor—gunfire, screams, and the low, guttural growls that belonged to neither man nor beast.

Yet here, several blocks away from the government house, the world seemed unnaturally still.

Draven crouched low beside a half-crumbling wall, his eyes fixed on the sprawling structure ahead—the government house, its concrete walls gleaming pale under the searchlights that swept across the grounds.

Behind him, Jeffery and the warriors they had brought along crouched in silence, the moonlight catching on their weapons and tense faces.

Meredith’s boots barely made a sound as she moved closer to Draven. Her gaze followed his line of sight, taking in the heavily armed soldiers standing guard near the gates, their rifles raised, their eyes darting at every sound.

The rhythmic whirl of helicopter blades filled the night air; two choppers circled lazily above the building, their floodlights cutting through the dark like probing eyes.

"They have tightened security," Meredith whispered, her voice low but steady. "There are more soldiers now than when we came here last time. He must be expecting an attack."

Draven didn’t look at her, but his lips curved slightly, that cold, knowing smile that told her he was already several steps ahead of everyone else.

"He is expecting one," he said softly. "But not from the right direction."

Jeffery glanced toward him. "So we wait here?"

Draven nodded once. "The vampires aren’t here yet. When they arrive, every single guard out there will have their attention split between surviving and protecting their Mayor."

Then he released a small breath. "The vampires should be close now. They can smell their leader’s trail. He is in there, buried beneath that building like a trophy. It’s only a matter of time before they reach him."

A tense and expectant silence followed his words.

The wind shifted slightly, carrying with it the faint tang of smoke and blood from the city.

Jeffery adjusted his position, scanning the upper floors through the faint glow of his binoculars. "It’s going to be messy when they get here."

"That’s the idea," Draven said.

Meredith studied him quietly for a moment. Even in the dim light, the sharp outline of his jaw and the steady glint in his eyes made him look almost otherworldly—a commander who didn’t just anticipate chaos but wielded it like a weapon.

She inhaled deeply, steadying herself. "You’re sure we will be able to find the lab in time?"

Draven finally looked at her then, his gaze steady and confident. "Yes. But remember, we have to wait for the vampires to lead us to it, one way or another."

Just then, a low rumble rolled across the distance. Instantly, Jeffery straightened slightly, his eyes narrowing.

"Alpha..." he said quietly. "I think our waiting’s over."

Meredith felt it before she saw it—that unmistakable shift in the air, the faint, piercing shriek that split the night from far across the city.

Then came another, and another closer this time.

From the direction of the east, shadows began to move through the sky. Dozens—no, hundreds of them.

The helicopters’ searchlights caught the blur of movement for a brief second before the radio chatter from the guards below turned frantic.

The vampires had arrived.

Draven’s eyes gleamed as he rose to his full height. "Positions," he ordered, his voice calm despite the chaos now breaking loose across the city.

The soldiers at the gate were already firing, bullets cutting through the night, muzzle flashes flickering like dying stars.

The vampires dropped from the air, tearing through the line of defense, their speed a blur, their snarls rising above the gunfire.

Meredith’s pulse raced. She felt Valmora stir deep within her—a silent, steadying force that hummed beneath her skin.

Draven turned to her, his gaze unreadable. "Once the gates fall, we move. No hesitation."

Meredith nodded. "Understood."