The group's journey had begun.
Hours later, they reached their destination.
The heat in Blackshore felt different.
Even though it was a small coastal town, the air was heavy — almost suffocating — as if something unseen was draining the freshness from the wind.
Orange clouds hung low above the narrow streets and short buildings, and the scent of sea salt mixed with rust and decay.
The van parked near the old pier, where only the cries of seagulls and the distant crash of waves gave any sign of life.
"Looks like a normal town," Mandy muttered, peering through the window.
"But… something feels wrong here."
Roberto scanned the area with his tablet, displaying a thermal map of the perimeter.
"No signs of movement in the industrial sector. But…" — he pointed to a red, pulsing spot on the screen — "there's an area blocking the signal. Some kind of energy interference."
Kimberly adjusted her shoulder holster and loaded her pistols.
"Sounds like a good place to start."
Tory opened the van door.
"I'm coming with you."
"I'll stay and monitor everything," Mandy said, folding her arms. "If something happens, I'll call right away."
"Just don't set the van on fire this time," Kim teased with a smirk.
Mandy muttered something under her breath as the team split up.
The old structure was half-hidden beneath rust and creeping vines.
An abandoned warehouse near the docks, its roof sagging, the floor covered in dark sand.
The air was damp and metallic, thick with the stench of salt and rot.
Kimberly and Tory walked silently through the wrecked corridors, their belt lights slicing through the gloom.
"Something's wrong with this place," Tory said, eyes sharp. "The air… it feels dead."
Kim stopped before a cracked wall covered in faded symbols.
She brushed the dust away with her fingers, revealing the mark of a black moon over crossed bones.
"Circle of Night," she whispered. "Same symbol as before."
Tory crouched and brushed away some sand — uncovering fragments of human bones, smooth and white like ivory.
"They were doing something here… something big."
A metallic sound echoed behind them.
A click. Then another.
When Kimberly turned, the shadows in the back began to move.
From piles of bones and rusted metal, figures started to rise — skeletal shapes knitting themselves together, wrapped in corroded armor, eyes burning with blue fire.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Tory muttered, stepping back.
One skeleton drew a rusted sword. Another raised a bone-made bow.
Kimberly drew both pistols in one fluid motion.
"No jokes here. Necromantic skeletons — and they don't seem to like visitors."
The first one lunged.
Kim dashed forward, firing twice — shattering its skull — but more came from the dark.
Tory dodged an arrow and kicked a shield aside, stumbling slightly from the impact.
"There's a ton of them!" she shouted.
Kim passed her by, firing precise shots — but the numbers didn't drop.
"Catch!" she yelled, tossing one of her pistols. Tory caught it midair.
"Hope you've got spare ammo," Tory said, unlocking the gun.
"Always," Kim replied with a grin.
Gunfire echoed through the suffocating air. Bones cracked. Dust filled the room. Arrows whizzed past.
Kim vaulted over an archer skeleton, firing point-blank, then spun aside to dodge a blade.
Tory, quick on her feet, slid across the floor and fired twice, blasting two more apart.
Then, from the shadows, a larger skeleton emerged — wielding a broken spear and wearing a cracked silver helm.
Its presence radiated an ancient, heavy energy.
Kimberly backed up, glancing at Tory.
"Aim for the chest — that's where the energy core is!"
They fired in unison.
The bullets hit dead center, and the creature let out a soundless scream before bursting into ash.
For a moment, silence returned — only the sound of the sea outside breaking through.
Tory breathed heavily.
"These skeletons… they were summoned to guard something."
Kimberly knelt by the remains of the last one, running her hand over the ground.
An inscription, carved into the concrete, caught her eye.
"Linea Noctis," she read aloud.
"That means 'The Line of Night' in Latin," Tory said, stepping closer.
When Kim touched the inscription, the floor glowed briefly — revealing a triangular mark with three circles connected by lines.
"It's a map," Kim realized.
"A fragment of the line that links all the marked cities."
She snapped a photo and sent it to Mandy.
"We found the first fragment. The Circle was here."
Kim rose, holstering her weapons.
"Let's go. The air here's getting too heavy."
The two walked out of the lair as the sunset bled red across the Blackshore sky.
The ocean wind carried a distant whisper — an ancient murmur, as if the dead were still watching them.
The first fragment was in their hands.
And the next destination… was Winterfall.