RALPH

The scent of blood was everywhere.

Not fresh. Not human. Not even real. It was tainted—an illusion. Something this cursed realm twisted in the air to confuse you. To lure you. And I was already starting to feel it claw at the back of my skull.

Aaron sniffed sharply beside me on his horse and muttered, “Something here smells off.”

I nodded slowly. “I know, right…”

We were riding in silence, flanked by the vampires who were supposedly leading us toward the damn castle.

But something was wrong.

And then—it happened.

The vampires ahead of us stopped. All at once. Like puppets with their strings cut.

The horse snorted,...