The air was crisp from the retractable glass panels, cracked open just enough for the city's muted hum to filter in. Morning sun scattered gold across the polished floors. But the warmth didn't reach the group gathered near the main console.
Sofie stood at the head of the circular table, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
Richard projected the report.
Black and white images flickered on the screen, abandoned alleys, torn-up roads, clawed walls, and bodies. Some dead. Some still twitching.
General Richard's tone was calm, but grim.
"Initial sweep cleared the outer districts. These weren't random attacks. These defectives… they were dumped."
He switched to a red-flagged image, a mass grave. Twisted corpses, their veins blackened, eyes still glowing faintly.
"They weren't meant to survive. Just to destroy."
Slacovich muttered, "So Volton's using them like flares… distractions."
"Exactly," Richard nodded. "The defective vampires were all unstable, deformed, violent, uncoordinated. But not stupid. They moved together. Hit isolated zones. Caused panic. Drew out hunters."
Sofie's voice was low. Controlled.
"And the successful ones?"
Richard tapped the console.
A new set of footage played, sleek, agile figures slipping through the shadows. These weren't the defectives.
These were trained.
Silent.
Efficient.
"These weren't part of the sweep. No trail. No scent. But we confirmed at least eight infiltrators in different regions, all untouched by chaos. They're not attacking."
He turned toward Sofie.
"They're scouting."
Carolina's voice broke in through the comms from the lab.
"Which means Volton's keeping the real soldiers close… and letting the failed ones burn the map."
Li chimed in next, seated by the building's security interface.
"I've tightened every firewall. If they come here, they're not walking in."
Sofie nodded, but her gaze never left the screen.
"We let them toss their garbage. We'll clean it up."
She turned toward Richard.
"Continue the sweep. Tell the Black Knights I want a deeper probe into the core zones. No mercy on the defectives. If we can capture one alive, good. If not, burn it."
Slacovich leaned back, arms folded.
"And what of Volton's elite?"
Sofie's eyes narrowed, the Ring of Seal pulsing faintly.
"Let them come closer."
"I want to look him in the eye when I end this."
The images faded. Silence lingered.
Then Slacovich stepped forward.
His stance wasn't commanding, it was commanding's definition. The kind that reminded the room who led the Demonfires long before titles or thrones existed.
He looked to Sofie, not above her, not beneath her. Just… beside her, as always.
"Sofie," he said firmly, "I need eyes where our blades can't reach."
She turned, sensing his intent.
"Volton?"
Slacovich gave a single nod. "He's too quiet. He's thrown his scraps at the world, sure, but he hasn't moved. Something's anchoring him down. We need to know what."
He paused, then added without force, just trust,
"Can you send one of the six?"
Sofie gave a small nod and lifted her hand.
The shadows beside her shifted. One of the tall, silhouette-like Shadow Guards stepped forward, its form rippling like ink in water, awaiting command.
"Find Volton," Sofie said softly, "Don't engage. Observe. Return."
In a blink, the shadow vanished into the floor, melting through space like smoke.
Li was already making notes. "I'll monitor the outskirts near Volton's last known hideout. If our scout returns with coordinates, I'll backtrace movement patterns."
Slacovich nodded. Then, calmly,
"Let's finalize the strategy tonight. I want the Demonfires on standby by dawn. We strike when the intel returns."
Sofie turned to the group.
"Until then, we have something more important to bring home."
Sun University – Early Afternoon
The sound of approaching engines drew the attention of the young hunters in training. The sleek, dark vehicles bearing the Demonfire crest stopped just outside the reinforced gates.
Nicholson looked up from the bench where he was trying, and failing, to keep a certain little girl from using her coat as a superhero cape.
Ania spotted them instantly.
"They're here!!"
She bolted across the courtyard.
Slacovich, still in uniform, knelt down just in time to catch her mid-jump. She wrapped her arms around his neck like she'd been waiting a decade, not three days.
"You smell like war and soap."
He blinked. "Is that a compliment?"
"It means you stink, but I missed you."
Sofie stepped beside them, brushing Ania's hair from her face.
"Ready to come home?"
Ania nodded. "Yup! I finished all the cookies here."
Nicholson handed over the packed bag and scratched his head.
"She's been safe, but my sanity isn't."
Ania poked his side. "You're too old to be cranky."
Slacovich chuckled. "She's not wrong."
"We'll have a room ready," Sofie said. "Safer this time. Reinforced. Ward-protected."
"And a proper bed," Slacovich added. "No more makeshift nursery in a lab office."
Ania stretched her arms wide. "I want a window. With clouds. And a blanket that doesn't smell like gun oil."
The three of them laughed. For a moment, war could wait.
They had their girl back.
As Slacovich and Sofie turned to walk back to the car, Ania clung to his arm like a koala, swaying with every step. But then she tugged his sleeve and pointed firmly back toward the building.
"Wait! I need Yureiv."
Slacovich blinked. "...He's in the painting, sweetheart."
"Then bring the painting," she said without pause. "I'm not going without him."
Inside the hallway, the painting on the wall subtly pulsed with faint light, as if Yureiv himself heard and was suddenly reconsidering every decision he made since childhood.
Sofie glanced at Nicholson with a brow raised. "Permission?"
Nicholson didn't hesitate. "Take it. Take him. After what they did to me earlier, I'm all for making him suffer a little."
"I was just answering questions," Yureiv's voice echoed faintly from the canvas, tone panicked.
"Exactly," Nicholson muttered. "You answered too well."
Slacovich sighed, adjusted Ania's weight in his arm, and gestured to one of the guards.
"Carefully unhook that thing. Wrap it in the softest blanket we have. That's a living soul now."
One of the staff nodded and rushed off to secure the painting. Meanwhile, Ania grinned smugly as if she'd won a silent battle.
"He's my friend. He should stay with me. What if she talks again and I need help understanding?"
Sofie ruffled her hair gently. "Sounds reasonable to me."
As the convoy prepared to leave, Ania leaned out the car window, watching as the painting, now securely padded and boxed like a precious relic, was loaded into the back with gentle reverence.
"Now I'm ready!"
Nicholson just waved them off again, sighing deeply. "May the heavens guide that poor painter's soul."
The convoy rolled up to the towering Demonfire building, its reflective glass panels gleaming in the late afternoon sun. From the outside, it looked like any other high-rise in the city, corporate, polished, untouchable. But the very top floor told a different story.
As soon as the elevator doors slid open to reveal the converted floor, Ania's eyes lit up. It was a fusion of luxury and practicality, sleek black floors, warm wooden walls, and a spacious open area with retractable glass panels revealing the skyline. Wind danced through the partially opened roof, bringing in the scent of distant rain.
Diego was already waiting near the elevator, arms crossed, but his lips tugged up the moment he saw her.
"Welcome home, kiddo."
Ania flung her arms around him, squeezing tightly. "I missed you too, grumpy uncle."
"You're calling me uncle now?" he muttered, face twitching, but the hug stayed longer than necessary.
Behind him, Li popped into view from a hallway, her tool belt still fastened, hair tied up in a haphazard bun, grease stains across her cheek.
"Finally! You're here!" she practically shouted, rushing forward and sweeping Ania up into a tight bear hug. "I was so bored! Do you know how long I've been setting up security protocols alone? They left me with wires, screens, and no one to talk to but silent Shadow Guards!"
Ania giggled. "Weren't you the one who said you work better alone?"
"That was before silence started driving me crazy!"
Without letting go, Li carried her through the hall, pointing out reinforced doors, hidden weapons systems, pressure-sensitive flooring, and sleek biometric panels by every entry.
"See that?" she said proudly. "Nobody's getting in here. No vampire, no Reaper, not even a cockroach."
"Wow," Ania whispered, eyes wide. "It's like a fortress in the sky."
Li placed her down gently on her new bed, her room a cozy blend of tech and childlike warmth. The walls had soft lights woven into circuitry patterns, the window doubled as a digital screen and a real view, and her painting of Yureiv was already hanging safely beside her desk, propped perfectly at eye level.
"Now you're safe, boss," Li said with a wink, brushing Ania's bangs aside. "And I've got something fun cooking in the tech room once you're settled. Think night vision bubble drones."
Ania grinned, reaching for the blanket. "Thanks, Big Sis Li. I love it here."
Just outside, Slacovich glanced at Sofie with a rare softness in his eyes.
"She's back with us."
Sofie nodded. "Now we protect her. No matter what comes next."