It was the blackest night yet when they finally seized control of the Black Fortress. The operation had gone so smoothly that Jack and Josh were already bickering over who had slain the most vampires, a difficult tally to keep, given that the bloodsuckers had fled in chaos, desperate to escape with their lives. Thalion had engaged in a brief skirmish at the entrance with a cluster of straggling vampires, but the fight was short-lived. Their blood, as always, was hungrily consud by the Crimson Virethorn.
What truly vexed Thalion, however, was the state of the fortress itself. Sections of it had collapsed or were completely destroyed. The blood ponds had been drained dry, and worst of all, the captured low-level humans were all dead. That discovery ignited sothing cold and furious inside him. He had no intention of showing rcy to the vampires or their pawns, but this… this was unforgivable. Sotis, he questioned whether he had truly beco evil. And yet, monts like this reaffird that every ruthless decision he had made so far had been necessary. If he wanted to survive in this broken world, he had to act before others ended up like the corpses now surrounding him.
He had neglected the people of his city for too long, focusing solely on his own ascent. Worse, he had given individuals like Amalia far too much power. A purge was long overdue and with the tutorial nearing its end, there would never be a better ti. He had so free ti now, and once the ships portals were sealed, escape would be impossible for them. More and more weak individuals joined his base, easy prey for the witch if left unchecked. And with others baptized, he no longer needed Amalia or Jim to power the formation for the lightbeam.
Standing before the dry, hollowed corpses of over four hundred humans, Thalion clenched the control token and opened a direct channel to the two elite guards stationed at the skyships portals.
“Deactivate the portals imdiately. If anyone asks, say there’s a malfunction. It’ll be fixed soon,” he ordered.
They accepted without hesitation. Monts later, confirmation ca: the portals were closed. Thalion exhaled slowly, suppressing the urge to let his killing intent flood the fortress. The looting was still underway, and revealing himself too soon would compromise everything. First, he needed to inform the others. There were too many witches to face alone.
A ssage went out to Kaldrek, Maike, Jack, Josh, Evelyn, and Kargul:
“The purge begins. Eliminate every witch under Amalia’s command, and especially Jim. Leave no survivors.”
Maike responded almost instantly, her tone fraught with panic.
“Wait... do you have any idea how many there are? Hundreds, maybe!?”
Another ssage followed seconds later.
“We need a list of targets! So of them can influence souls, if we’re not careful, their attacks could be lethal! And what about the regular survivors? They’ll panic when they see us kill their teammates!”
Thalion understood her fear. It was all happening too quickly for Maike’s cautious nature. But he also knew this was the best chance they’d get. Before he could reply, Jack chid in:
“Execute Order Filthy Witch: Broomsticks down, pointy hats off. It’s witch-hunting season.”
Kaldrek sent a quieter, more serious ssage.
“Stay silent. If they sense what’s coming, they’ll trigger their escape tokens.”
He was right, of course. That was one of the main reasons Thalion hadn’t moved against them earlier. But at least now, with the portals sealed and the elent of surprise on their side, they could strike decisively. Even if so escaped, they'd be cut off, never again allowed to return and prey on his people. And with luck, they would be caught off guard by the suddenness of his betrayal, still believing he was too hesitant to act.
The Black Fortress was a sprawling labyrinth of corridors and ruins, its shadowy depths perfect for ambush and misdirection. If any witches survived, they’d likely assu rogue vampires were still lurking in the ruins. Thalion wouldn’t risk exposure either. With a single thought, he shed his human form, becoming the crippled Eclipsari once more. Darkness clung to him like a second skin, and the shadows at his feet twisted unnaturally, stretching longer and deeper with every step.
He should have done this long ago. But tonight, finally, the reckoning would begin.
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