Episode 15 — The Other Vane
1364 Words
The village square had fallen silent.
Everyone stared toward the northern mountain.
Black smoke rolled across the sky, turning the afternoon into darkness.
Silas stood beside Clara, Mara, and Father Matthias.
Viktor remained several steps behind them.
Nobody spoke.
Then a woman screamed.
“Something is coming!”
Everyone turned toward the northern road.
A figure was walking through the smoke.
Slowly.
A young woman.
She wore a dark coat and carried a lantern.
Silas watched her approach.
There was something familiar about her.
Mara suddenly stopped breathing.
“No.”
Silas looked at her.
“What?”
Mara's face had gone pale.
“That’s impossible.”
The woman reached the edge of the square.
She stopped.
Her eyes moved across the villagers.
Then they settled on Silas.
For a moment, neither moved.
The woman slowly removed her hood.
Silas stared at her face.
He felt something inside his chest tighten.
Viktor smiled.
“Silas.”
Silas looked at him.
“You know her.”
Viktor nodded.
“Better than you think.”
The woman stepped forward.
“My name is Elena Vane.”
Silas froze.
The square erupted into whispers.
A Vane.
Another Vane.
Silas stared at her.
“How?”
Elena looked at him.
“Our fathers were brothers.”
Silas couldn't speak.
His father had never mentioned an uncle.
Never mentioned a cousin.
Never mentioned anyone else from the Vane bloodline.
Elena looked toward the mountain.
“I came because the seal has broken.”
Silas stepped closer.
“Why didn't my father tell me about you?”
Elena's expression became sad.
“Because he was trying to keep me alive.”
Viktor interrupted.
“Tell him the rest.”
Elena looked at him with hatred.
“You haven't changed.”
“Neither have you.”
Silas turned toward Viktor.
“What did you do to her?”
“Nothing.”
Viktor smiled.
“I simply found her.”
Elena's hand moved toward the knife at her waist.
Silas noticed.
“You've known Viktor?”
“For years.”
“How?”
Elena looked at the mountain.
“He hunted my family.”
Silas frowned.
“Your family?”
“My mother.”
Silas's eyes widened.
“Who was she?”
Elena looked at him.
“Your father's sister.”
Silas stared.
“My aunt.”
Elena nodded.
“Your father wasn't the only Vane who survived.”
A loud howl echoed from the mountain.
The villagers panicked.
Some ran toward their homes.
Others crowded around the church.
Silas looked at Elena.
“You know how to stop this?”
“I know where the blood room is.”
Silas held up the silver key.
Elena's eyes widened.
“You found it.”
“My father gave it to me.”
Elena looked away.
“He knew the time had come.”
Clara stepped forward.
“What is inside the room?”
Elena hesitated.
“The original blood seal.”
Silas nodded.
“We know that.”
“No.”
Elena shook her head.
“You don't.”
She looked at Silas.
“The room doesn't choose who dies.”
Silas frowned.
“Then what does it do?”
“It reveals who the sacrifice was originally meant to be.”
Silas felt a chill.
“Who?”
Elena looked toward Viktor.
“Your grandfather.”
Silas stared at her.
“My grandfather?”
“Yes.”
Viktor's expression darkened.
“She’s lying.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“You're still protecting the same secret.”
Silas turned toward Viktor.
“What secret?”
Viktor said nothing.
Silas stepped closer.
“Answer me.”
Viktor's eyes hardened.
“Your grandfather was supposed to sacrifice himself.”
“Then why didn't he?”
“Because he was a coward.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at Silas.
“He refused because he wanted immortality.”
Silas understood.
“The pact.”
“Yes.”
Elena continued.
“He tried to take the First's power without paying the price.”
“And what happened?”
“He failed.”
Mara whispered:
“That was when the First became corrupted.”
Elena nodded.
“The creature wasn't evil originally.”
She looked toward the mountain.
“Your grandfather made it hungry.”
Silas stared at the smoke.
“So the entire curse…”
“Started with him.”
The ground shook again.
A crack opened across the village square.
People screamed.
Silas grabbed Clara and pulled her away.
Elena remained still.
She closed her eyes.
A strange silver glow appeared beneath her skin.
Silas noticed.
“You're like me.”
Elena opened her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Can you control it?”
“Sometimes.”
“What happens when you can't?”
Elena looked at him.
“You'll find out.”
Suddenly, the church bell rang.
The doors opened by themselves.
Inside the church, every candle was burning.
Matthias stared.
“The room.”
Silas looked at him.
“What?”
“The entrance has opened.”
Silas immediately started toward the church.
Clara followed.
Elena joined them.
Mara hesitated.
Viktor watched from the square.
Silas turned.
“Aren't you coming?”
Viktor smiled.
“I'll be waiting.”
Silas narrowed his eyes.
“For what?”
“For you to discover the truth.”
They entered the church.
The altar had moved aside.
Beneath it was a staircase descending into darkness.
Silas held the silver key.
Elena walked beside him.
“You've been here before.”
“No.”
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
She looked at him.
“You will remember.”
They descended.
At the bottom was a circular chamber.
Seven statues stood around the walls.
Each represented a member of the original Vane bloodline.
At the center stood a stone door.
A symbol was carved into it.
Silas inserted the silver key.
The door opened.
Inside was a small room.
No treasure.
No weapons.
Only a stone table.
And on the table was an old book.
Elena stepped inside.
Silas followed.
He opened the book.
The first page contained a single sentence.
“THE VANE BLOOD MUST FEED THE FIRST.”
Silas turned the page.
Names appeared.
Generation after generation.
Each Vane who had served as guardian.
Then he reached the final page.
Two names were written there.
Elias Vane.
Elena Vane.
Silas stared.
“Why are your names here?”
Elena didn't answer.
Silas turned toward her.
“Why?”
She finally spoke.
“Because your father wasn't the only person chosen.”
Silas's face hardened.
“You were chosen too.”
Elena nodded.
“The First needed two vessels.”
Silas looked down at the book.
“One to contain the wolf.”
“And one to contain the hunger.”
Silas slowly looked at her.
“What happens if the two vessels meet?”
Elena's eyes filled with fear.
“They become one.”
Silas stepped backward.
“And then?”
Elena whispered:
“The First is reborn.”
A deep growl echoed beneath the chamber.
The walls began shaking.
Clara looked toward the door.
“We need to leave.”
Silas closed the book.
But before he could move, the pages began turning by themselves.
They stopped at a hidden passage.
A final sentence appeared.
Silas read it aloud.
“The chosen vessels must unite before the final blood moon.”
Elena looked at him.
“When is the blood moon?”
Silas waited.
Elena whispered:
“Tomorrow night.”
Silas stared at her.
Outside the chamber, something began scratching against the stone door.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Waiting.
Then a voice came from the other side.
Viktor's voice.
“You finally found it.”
Silas turned.
“How did you get down here?”
Viktor laughed.
“I didn't.”
The scratching stopped.
Viktor's voice became quieter.
“Something else did.”
Silas looked at the door.
A pair of silver eyes appeared beneath it.
Then another pair.
And another.
Elena grabbed Silas's arm.
“Don't open that door.”
Silas stared at the eyes.
“What is it?”
Elena whispered:
“The wolves are coming for their vessels.”
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