The castle was massive, its ruins stretching endlessly in all directions. Generations of neglect had transformed the once-grand fortress into a place of crumbling walls and collapsed ceilings. Moonlight streamed through gaping holes in the roof, casting long shadows across the debris-strewn floors.
"Do you think we'll find the altar?" I asked, stepping carefully over a fallen beam.
Regina limped behind me, consulting an ancient text she'd brought. "According to the legends, this castle was built over a natural cave system. The Selenias used it as a sanctuary during the Great Purge."
"The Great Purge?" I frowned. That term was new to me.
"It was a time when many of your kind were hunted down and slaughtered," she replied matter-of-factly, her eyes never leaving the yellowed pages. "The vampires feared the Selenias and their connection to the Goddess. They wanted to eliminate any threat to their growing power."
I shivered despite myself. "And what happened?"
