One year had passed since Karmila was defeated and thrown into the silent abyss of the Arcane Order's prison.
One year since Nyra had vanished through a blue portal — chasing her own demons from the past.
One year since Kimberly discovered that blood wasn't just inheritance — but destiny.
The scar left on the world had not healed.
Neon flickered outside, reflected across empty bottles and a polished counter.
Kimberly cleaned her pistols — Rebirth and Nocturne — with the same careful precision as always.
Her new sword, Sanguirion, rested sheathed… asleep, but never quiet.
Roshi was drying a glass when a dark envelope, sealed with red wax, slid across the bar — delivered by a messenger who left no name behind.
He placed it before her.
"They gave this to you," he said, worry in his eyes.
Kim raised a brow.
"If it's another bar bill, I swear I'm throwing the mailman into the sewer."
But when she broke the seal, her smirk faded instantly.
The handwriting was sharp. Urgent.
New Salem.
A boy named Billy.
He must be saved.
Only you can stop the ritual.
No signature.
No crest.
No warning.
Behind her, Mandy pulled up her hood and tapped Kim's shoulder.
"Well, at least it's not a boring contract, right?"
"It never is," Kim replied — impatience burning in her eyes.
The sky hung heavy — violet clouds twisting as if something inside them tried to break free.
The mansion they were sent to — massive, Victorian, decaying — seemed to breathe dust and secrets.
Iron gates curled like serpents, vines strangling old statues.
"I stay outside," Mandy said, gripping her magic staff.
"If something tries to run… I smash."
Kim entered without looking back.
With every step, the air thinned.
Silence pressed against the walls — scorched portraits, corridors echoing phantom footsteps.
Kim followed the scent: fear and corrupted magic.
Then she saw him.
A whitewolf — humanoid, immaculate black suit, soulless blue eyes.
Ears sharp, muzzle marked by ancient scars.
He held little Billy by the neck — like a trophy.
Kim aimed both pistols.
"Put the boy down."
A slow smile curled his fanged lips.
"I hired you. I wanted to look into the eyes… of the descendant of Erick and Ulisses Kramer."
Her heart hitched at the names of her ancestors.
He dropped Billy — only to cast a twisted spell.
The child screamed as his body warped — black claws, fire-filled eyes.
Kim sprinted.
Sanguirion flared crimson into her grip.
The blade sang — a voice, wickedly pleased.
One strike tore open a red fissure of light — the corruption shattered.
Billy came back to himself… and ran into the shadows before she could reach him.
The wolf only laughed.
"Still weak, Huntress… still weak."
He dissolved into a pool of darkness — leaving only the scent of snow and ancient blood.
Kim stood there, breath shaking, defeat heavy in her chest.
Outside, Mandy was no longer alone.
A woman stood before her — perfect posture, sharp eyes.
Hair once long and tied tight… now short, tousled, cut exactly like Kimberly's.
A resemblance impossible to deny.
"…Nyra?" Mandy whispered — startled, tense.
The young hunter slid her fingers through her hair, flipping it back with calculated coldness.
Her gaze drifted toward the mansion.
"She's here."
And in the blink of an eye… she vanished.
Kimberly walked, distracted by the reopened wound of failure…
Until something familiar brushed past her like a breeze.
A silver blur.
Kim spun — heart stopping.
"Nyra?!"
The corridor was empty.
Only shadows.
Only memories.
Or… warnings.
She clenched the sword's handle — breath uneven.
"If you're here… why don't you show yourself?"
The mansion answered with silence.
But deep in the hall…
for just a second…
a pair of blue eyes watched her — then disappeared.
The game had begun again.
And once more… blood called to blood.
Rain drummed against the roof of AshenwoodLibrary, a place forgotten by time — hidden among ancient trees, wrapped in thick fog that whispered forbidden secrets.
Dust and old parchment filled the air — until calm footsteps echoed through the hall.
Nyra walked forward, feline eyes burning with unshakable resolve.
The faded crest of the Order on her dark jacket was a reminder: she was no longer the obedient hunter they trained.
Her mission was different now.
Personal.
Among the shelves stood a waiting figure — cloaked in dragging black robes.
Cletus's face remained half-veiled beneath a hood, but his twisted smile made it clear: he already knew the outcome of her arrival.
"Nyra."
His voice scraped like a blade against stone.
"I assume you've come to a decision?"
She crossed her arms, stare unwavering.
"If we're going to open that portal… we need to work together."
Disgust laced every word.
Cletus moved closer — satisfied.
"Usuakari no Me…"
He spoke the name like fire.
"The Demonic Tower will not rise without sacrifices. Ulisses's seal was crafted not to be broken easily."
He raised an ancient tome — symbols glowing like pulsing wounds.
"We must invoke the TenCalamities, gather the blood of the Primordial Wolf and the Ancestral Vampire…"
His lantern-lit gaze flickered.
"And the blood you carry from Ulisses will serve perfectly."
Nyra's jaw tensed.
Something in her chest twisted — a feeling she refused to name.
"And the relics?" she asked.
"The Lycan Amulet… and the CrimsonPendant," Cletus answered, venom in his satisfaction.
"One is already in our possession. The other…"
Nyra's fist tightened.
Kimberly.
No matter how far she ran — fate shoved her sister's name back into her path.
Always as an obstacle.
"I'll find her," Nyra declared, turning away.
Cletus tilted his head.
"Just remember…" he whispered,
"time does not favor us."
Night cut through New Salem, streetlights flickering like dying fireflies.
Kimberly wiped Sanguirion's blade — still haunted by Billy's scream — when a familiar voice sliced through the chill.
"You're still too hot-headed to think before acting."
Kim jerked around, pistol raised.
Her eyes widened as the figure stepped from the darkness.
Nyra.
Kim's heart lurched.
Words tried to escape her throat — and failed.
Nyra didn't wait — she struck.
Steel clashed — sparks flying.
Sanguirion surged red, feeding off the hate blooming between them.
"You didn't have to choose this!" Kimberly yelled, blocking a brutal strike.
"I choose what gives me power!" Nyra snarled — her eyes cold embers.
They moved like broken mirrors — same body, opposite souls.
A violent shove slammed Kimberly against the wall, Sanguirion pulsing like an angry heart.
Nyra's gaze landed on the pendant against Kim's chest.
"Sooner or later, that will be mine."
Kim's eyes narrowed.
"You'll have to rip it from me."
For one small instant — one breath —
Nyra hesitated.
A childhood memory…
laughter, hands clasped together.
And then — gone.
Nyra stepped back, swallowed by shadow.
"We'll meet again soon, little sister."
She vanished.
Kim stood alone under the moonlight — the pendant burning against her skin.
A warning.
That fight was just the beginning.
She sheathed Sanguirion — pain sharpening into resolve.
If Nyra planned to open the portal…
Kimberly knew exactly what she had to do to stop her.
And when these two halves finally collide…
the world itself will feel the impact.