Somewhere on an Edinburgh road, it was deathly quiet—a lonely, abandoned street stretched under the burning sun. The heat pressed down mercilessly. Zero lay collapsed on the road, unmoving, his body battered and broken, dust clinging to his clothes. Soft footsteps approached slowly.
Nutaila appeared from the distance and rushed to him when she saw how badly he was injured. She knelt beside him at once.
"Zero, I'm here," she whispered.
She gently lifted his head and placed it on her lap. Darkness bloomed in her eyes as she called upon it, her power flowing through her veins. She began to heal him. Zero's wounds slowly closed—his shoulder knitting itself back together, the torn flesh sealing, bones mending. Every place where he had been hurt began to restore itself, returning to its original state.
All the wounds and scars on his body disappeared. Yet he remained unconscious.
Nutaila stared at him in shock.
"Zero… Zero, wake up," she said urgently, shaking him slightly. There was no response. Slowly, her eyes returned to normal.
"Come on, Zero, you have to wake up. Please… we need you," Nutaila said, her voice breaking as she began to sob quietly.
Suddenly, Zero gasped, dragging air into his lungs. His body jerked as he caught his breath. He looked up and froze when he saw Nutaila.
"Oh," he said weakly,
"I thought I told you to leave me behind."
Nutaila smiled through her tears.
"I came back for you as soon as I got my darkness back."
Zero looked down at himself. Every wound that had covered his body was gone, his skin unmarked.
"Wait," he said, narrowing his eyes at her, "were you crying?"
Nutaila immediately pushed his head back down onto the ground and stood up.
"You say one word about this to anyone, and you're dead."she warned him coldly,
Zero chuckled softly as he stood up and picked up his swords.
"Where are the others?" he asked.
At that moment, they saw figures walking toward them. Zero's eyes widened when he recognized Milan.
"You're back," Zero said in disbelief.
"So are you, The hero who stayed behind."Milan replied with a grin.
Zero smiled, and the two shook hands firmly.
"Guys, we have to keep going," Nadia said as they all geared up once more.
Milan slung his backpack back over his shoulder, and together they started walking away. There was no car, no vehicle to take them. They continued on foot, disappearing down the silent road.
At Dr. Patel's perimeter, Ayanna slowly opened her eyes. She was alone in the room. The doctor was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello… Doc?" Ayanna called out.
She carefully sat up and removed the IV from her hand, wincing slightly. She stood and began walking through the room, calling for Dr. Patel. As she moved, she noticed several failed experiments scattered across the table. She examined the instruments, her curiosity growing. Then she saw it.
One blood sample inside a beaker was moving strangely, almost alive.
"What the hell is that?" she whispered to herself as she stepped closer.
She reached out to touch it—but a voice stopped her.
"You shouldn't touch that."
Ayanna froze and turned around. Dr. Patel was standing behind her.
"What is this?" Ayanna asked.
"It's a blood sample from a vampire," Dr. Patel replied calmly.
"If you accidentally drop it, or if it gets into your body, then you're gone. You'd be as good as a vampire."
Ayanna stepped back instinctively.
"So… how are my results?" she asked.
"Am I getting better or worse?"
"I've seen some improvement," the doctor said. "I sedated you and treated you with antibiotics. You'll recover soon. But there's something I need to ask you."
Ayanna walked over and sat on the bed where she had been lying earlier.
"Yes?"
"Do you know anything about your blood?" Dr. Patel asked.
"Have you ever been bitten by a vampire before?"
"When the Rising started, I was on your operating bed, Don't you remember? After you came to me, we were together the whole time. Why would you think I was bitten? And if I had been bitten, I'd be a vampire by now."Ayanna said firmly.
The way Ayanna answered made it clear—she had no idea about her blood condition. Dr. Patel realized it immediately and chose not to tell her the truth.
"Alright, I was just curious. I'm sorry if I misunderstood."the doctor said softly.
"Can I leave now?" Ayanna asked.
"I need to get back to Zara and Ben."
"Yes," Dr. Patel replied.
"See you later."
Ayanna stood up and walked out of the room.
That same night, Nutaila and the others were still walking. The silence between them was heavy. Milan walked behind the group, staring at them quietly. Scarlet noticed him watching and looked away. She slowed her pace until she was beside him. Nutaila saw this but kept walking, minding her own business.
Scarlet spoke gently.
"Hey… are you okay?"
"I don't think I should go with you guys," Milan said.
Scarlet stopped in her tracks, shocked.
"What are you talking about?"
"You saw what I did," Milan continued.
"I was ruthless. Angry. A complete monster. I stabbed Raven with a spear. I choked Nutaila and hurt her. What do you think will happen when that monster comes back again? Raven nearly died. If Nutaila's darkness hadn't returned, she would've been dead."
"It's not your fault, Milan," Scarlet said, taking his hand.
"Don't blame yourself. You just need to focus on the darkness and find a way to overcome it—just like Nutaila did. I believe you can do it."
Milan remained silent as they walked.
Eventually, they found a small place where they could lay low for the night—a quiet market nearby. Nutaila was the first to stop.
"It's safe here, We should make camp for tonight. We'll continue in the morning."she said.
Everyone was exhausted, and they agreed.
"I'll secure the perimeter, You guys go inside first."Scarlet offered.
"It's okay, sis. I've got this," Nutaila replied.
Her eyes turned dark, and she vanished into the shadows, moving impossibly fast through the night. Two minutes later, she returned.
"Well, that was quick," Nadia said.
"It's safe. We'll hold until dawn," Nutaila replied.
They walked inside the market and locked the door behind them. One by one, they collapsed from exhaustion. Nadia lay down first and fell asleep almost instantly. Nutaila lay beside Scarlet and Raven. Milan sat on a chair next to Zero.
He reached into his backpack and pulled out Ayanna's teddy bear.
"She's waiting for you," Zero said quietly.
Milan smiled faintly.
"I know. She's too stubborn to die. She's a survivor."
He put the teddy bear back and lay down on the floor beside Zero.
"Well, see you tomorrow," Zero said softly.
Soon, they were all asleep.
In the middle of the night, far from town, there stood a small hut marked with decorations of old cults—blood symbols, herbs, and ancient markings. It was a vision.
Milan found himself walking toward it in his sleep, drawn by his powers. He opened the door and stepped inside. A table stood in the center, holding black and white sand divided perfectly apart. On the wall hung a deer's head, its blood dripping slowly into a bowl beneath it.
"What is this place?" Milan murmured.
"I see that you have come," a woman's voice said behind him.
Milan turned sharply. An old woman stood there, leaning on a walking stick. Her eyes were pure white—blind, yet seeing everything.
"Who are you?" Milan demanded.
"Where am I?"
"You have come too early, Vessel, But I can see something troubles you."she said calmly.
"I asked you who you are!" Milan shouted as his eyes turned dark. Rage surged through him. He threw a punch with all his strength.
The old woman raised her hand.
Milan's fist collided with her palm, creating a violent burst of air that shook the hut. When the air cleared, Milan's eyes returned to normal in shock. The woman was still standing.
"I'm sorry," Milan said quickly.
"I don't know what came over me."
"It's alright, The Vessel inside you is furious—angry beyond measure. That anger has made it strong, and every day it grows stronger."she replied. Milan stared at her in disbelief.
"You're the one, You're the Wise. The one who killed Victor and his five Bounds with a ritual."he said slowly.
The old woman smiled, though her hand trembled in pain. She had been hurt by his strike, but she hid it well.
"Yes. The ritual blinded me. It nearly killed me," she said.
"Your darkness is beginning to consume you. It wants to awaken and return to its original body. You are dangerous to those you love. One moment of anger—and you could kill them."
She turned toward the shadows.
"The Sixth Bound has been named. The Witcher is with the Vision, and they are not far. They are coming for the Vessel and the Herald. They cannot access the Herald's darkness—Nutaila overcame it long ago. So they are tracking yours. Every time you use it, they feel you. They follow you. Learn to control it before you reach the one with the pure blood. When you are complete, come to me." She blew softly behind Milan's head.
Milan woke up suddenly in the market, gasping quietly, careful not to wake anyone. He looked around—Scarlet, Nutaila, Nadia, Raven, and Zero were all still asleep.
He sat up slowly and took out the remaining sword given to him by the old man at the bar.
"I'm sorry, guys," he whispered.
"I hope you'll understand."
He gathered his belongings, slipped on his backpack, and quietly left the market, closing the door behind him. The night was silent.
He entered the woods and kept walking—until he froze.
Standing in front of him were Nutaila, Scarlet, Raven, Nadia, and Zero, all staring at him angrily.
"I can't believe you were actually sneaking out and leaving us behind," Scarlet said, her voice burning with anger. Milan was left quiet staring at them.