The night air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and something else—something ancient, tainted with power. The abandoned estate loomed before them, its once-grand stone walls now cracked and overgrown, standing as a silent witness to centuries of forgotten horrors.
Kol's fists clenched at his sides as he stared at the decaying structure. He could feel it—Lisa was inside. Her presence was faint but still there, a flickering ember barely holding on against the consuming darkness that wrapped around this place.
"We move now," Kol said, his voice cold and sharp.
Elizabeth, standing beside him, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful," she warned. "This isn't just an enemy's stronghold. It's a trap."
Kol didn't respond. He knew that. He just didn't care.
Brad stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the estate. "Jacob and I will go in first," he said. "We'll find Lisa's location. You two will draw their attention."
Kol narrowed his eyes. "You're underestimating what's inside that place."
Brad turned to him, his expression unreadable. "No, I'm not. But you're the one they expect. If you go in first, you'll trigger whatever they've set for you. Let us work from the shadows."
Jacob, despite his injuries, nodded in agreement. "I'm with him. We sneak in, locate Lisa, and get her out while you two keep them busy."
Kol exhaled slowly, then gave a short nod. "Fine. But don't take too long."
Behind them, Dain, Orin, and Valen stood at the ready.
"We'll stay outside," Dain rumbled. His massive frame seemed even more imposing under the moonlight. "If things go south, we'll make sure no one leaves this place alive."
Orin smirked. "I'll have an eye on you, sister. If you get in trouble, I'll be there before you know it."
Valen simply cracked his knuckles, his infernal chains humming with restrained energy. "They won't know what hit them."
With the plan in place, they moved.
Brad and Jacob split off, their figures disappearing into the shadows. Kol and Elizabeth strode toward the main entrance, their presence like a beacon in the night.
The moment Kol stepped inside, the doors slammed shut behind him.
A low whisper filled the air.
Then the illusions began.
—
Jacob and Brad moved like ghosts through the ruined halls, their steps silent, their breaths controlled.
The deeper they went, the worse the stench became.
And then they found it.
A room filled with corpses.
Jacob's stomach twisted at the sight. Hunters, their bodies torn open, their blood smeared across the walls in ancient runes. Some had their eyes gouged out. Others had their hearts removed.
"They've been using them," Brad murmured, his fists tightening. "Sacrifices for something…something big."
Jacob's eyes scanned the markings. His gut told him they were running out of time.
"We need to move," he said.
Brad nodded, and they pressed forward.
Lisa was close.
But so was something else.
Something waiting for them in the dark.
—
Kol swung his blade, cutting through an enemy that wasn't real. The illusions were relentless, twisting reality around him.
Elizabeth stood beside him, her eyes glowing with divine fury. "They're powerful," she admitted, "but I can break through it."
Kol's patience was wearing thin. "Then do it. Fast."
She closed her eyes, channeling power.
And then—
A shift.
A new presence.
Kol turned just in time to see a hooded figure step from the shadows.
"You're finally here," the figure said, voice dripping with amusement.
Behind them, in a distant chamber, Lisa screamed.