~The Queen's Castle, after the events in the village~
And so, after that small victory for humanity, Maria immediately summoned her faithful warriors back to her.
She ordered them to retreat, to avoid any more meaningless losses.
Selene, one of her strongest recruits, had been defeated by Azrael , even though she had received a portion of the Queen's own power.
Even worse than that, Raum had also fallen, consumed by her ego and her obsessive need to possess her prey.
Maria, unwavering in her purpose, could not allow such a failure.
The mission to retrieve the children had been lost.
Also Sagast had failed her, even though at least he had gathered valuable intelligence on the White Wolf Guild, the capital, and its corrupt sovereigns.
Through his vampiric sorcery, he had injected drops of his blood into many villagers, allowing him to watch through their eyes and ears, collecting any fragment of knowledge that could be useful.
He knew perfectly well that even Azrael would hesitate to act if it meant harming human lives.
Thus, he, Selene, Raum, and Shandrath were summoned by Maria herself , right into her private chambers.
For some strange reason, the aura of the castle felt darker than usual, heavy and alive, as if the entire structure breathed under the pulse of Maria's own emotions.
The air itself was enough to make even vampires shiver.
A single wave of her presence could have annihilated an entire squad of hunters.
Raum and Sagast, however, did not flinch.
In a heartbeat, hundreds of candles placed along the walls burst alight, revealing the queen resting upon her grand bed, her back against the headboard, white sheets draped around her up to the chest.
The bed was enormous, regal — and alive.
Sheer veils hung from above, cascading to the marble floor, partly concealing her face.
At first, she seemed to be resting.
Sagast could glimpse her pallid skin, her crimson eyes brighter than candlefire. But her expression was unreadable.
Cold.
Sharp.
Neither rage nor sorrow, only the silence between the two.
Selene trembled.
Shandrath kept his gaze on the floor.
Each of them felt something different, but one truth united them all: someone was going to suffer.
"Enter, my children." Maria's soft, almost maternal voice echoed directly in their minds — telepathic, irresistible.
Their bodies moved of their own accord.
After only a few steps, the great door behind them slammed shut, violently.
A chill ran through each of their spines.
No one dared to speak.
Selene immediately knelt, followed by Shandrath.
Her broken body still ached; Azrael's blows had wounded even her soul.
Sagast and Raum — the eldest among them — remained standing in silence.
"I imagine you all know why you are here," Maria said, as a faint breeze moved through the room, caressing their faces like ghostly fingers.
No one answered.
They only bowed their heads lower.
Then Maria's gaze shifted toward the deceiver.
"Sagast," she said softly. "Do you have something to tell me? You've had plenty of time to act. Why didn't you do anything?"
A chill ran through Sagast's spine.
"Yes, my Queen," he said, his voice steady yet cautious. "I spent most of my time gathering intelligence on the capital and the guild of the hunter Noctis. I've seeded my blood in many soldiers and villagers, keeping every movement under watch. As for the two heirs of the Primordial tribes — I couldn't act immediately."
He spoke the truth.
No one could lie to Maria. She could read the deepest part of everyone's soul.
Silence filled the room, heavy and endless, before she finally replied: "I see…" she murmured, exhaling slowly, while the entire room shaked.
She sensed his sincerity — and, more than that, his cunning.
She knew he had withheld his hand because of another presence: a powerful hunter — Freya Valken, one of the last heirs of the Royal Elfs of King Asmodio.
"So," Maria continued, her eyes narrowing slightly, "you held back because of that elf?"
Sagast swallowed and nodded. "Yes, my Queen. She placed a magical barrier around them and was constantly watching. Yet, somehow, her magical flow was completely concealed. She could be anyone."
He knelt in respect — and relief, for he realized Maria would not punish him.
She remained silent for a while. Only the sound of her calm breathing echoed through the living darkness of the chamber.
"I understand," she finally said. Her words came like sacred whispers — impossible to interpret.
Then her crimson gaze fell upon Selene, still kneeling, her wounds glowing faintly purple, held together by Shandrath's binding magic.
"You, my sweet Selene…" Maria said, her tone turning maternal again.
"You lost, yes… but you survived against the strongest assassin the world has ever known — while wielding only a fragment of my power. Not many could have done that. You are not yet ready to win… but you have proven yourself capable of bearing my power without losing your mind."
Selene looked up, trembling, her voice fragile and filled with shame. "Thank you… my Queen."
She remained bowed, her trembling hands brushing against the cold black marble floor — as if praying to it.
Maria's eyes drifted from her, and slowly turned to Shandrath.
The silence thickened — until the candles flickered violently. A crackling sound filled the room, like the birth of an unseen fire.
"You… instead."
Before Shandrath could even lift his head, red ethereal flames erupted beneath him, engulfing his body.
They were not ordinary fire — but spectral shapes, screaming in tongues of light.
Maria watched him burn, unblinking, her voice steady and wounded:
"This is the pain I felt…watching that pitiful spectacle between Raum and Azrael. And you, Shandrath — you dared obey her instead of my command. I told you to bring him to me alive… not to stand idle while she played."
The flames vanished.
Shandrath collapsed to the floor, still alive — but shattered.
Maria had also healed his body.
He had felt an eternity of agony compressed into a single heartbeat.
Maria's gaze turned now to Raum.
The air itself grew colder. "And you, Raum…"
The vampire looked up — her golden eyes blank, emotionless, reflecting only candlelight.
That cold defiance shattered the Queen's composure.
Maria rose from her bed, and the entire chamber seemed to bow with her.
The moment her bare foot touched the ground, everyone felt their hearts pulse in sync with hers.
"You have disobeyed me — your mother. The one who gave you a second life to fulfill your dream."
Her words were sharper than any blade.
Raum stayed silent.
She knew punishment was inevitable.
"Do you know what I hate more than failure?" Maria's eyes flared crimson. "The thought that the Gods might still have hope."
A dull sound — then silence.
Raum's head fell, severed by an invisible force.
Her body dissolved into blood and reformed — only to be destroyed again.
Five times.
Once for every chance she'd had to kill Azrael — and wasted, lost in her lust and obsession to own him.
Raum never even had the time to scream.
When it was finally over, she collapsed, trembling, barely alive.
Maria sat back on her bed.
Her hands trembled faintly.
From her eyes flowed tears of blood, dripping onto the white sheets like falling rubies.
"I hate having to hurt my own children…" she whispered softly, her voice warm yet empty. "But the pain of a mother unheard by those meant to love her…is nothing compared to what I've endured."
Silence reigned.
Only her slow, broken breathing filled the room.
Then, without looking at anyone, she spoke again:
"Sagast."
The vampire lifted his head, awaiting his fate.
"You will go north — to the fortress of Hyztec. You will find Artor inside the chambers of an abandoned castle and assist him in his research. It must be completed as soon as possible. Erebahl is near… I can feel it. We can no longer prevent his path from crossing Azrael's. I want Mark to breathe again before another meaningless war begins."
Sagast bowed deeply.
"As you command, my Queen."
Maria closed her eyes.
The chamber darkened.
One by one, the candles extinguished — as if the castle itself wished to sleep with her.
"Now go rest, my children, and wait for me." Maria's voice echoed in their mind.
The remaining four vampires bowed in silence and left the room.
Behind them, the faint, rhythmic sound of blood-tears dripping onto the floor echoed through the night.
And so, the castle fell silent once more.
Maria, alone, gazed into the void before her and whispered a name no one should ever hear:
"Mark… soon… we'll be happy again…"
She caressed a scarf — the last trace of the man she had loved beyond death.