The wind howls until it seems to announce the presence of an unseen entity. I could hear it rustling through the bushes, stirring up a flurry of leaves that dance in the night air like frightened wraiths. Something is out there, watching us. I could feel its malignant gaze upon us—Vampires. Its hunger for our warm blood is palpable in the air.

“Whew! Vampires really give me the chills,” Klevon comments as he grips tightly on his sword.

I prepare my knife and coat it with my fire magic. Klevon is right. The presence of these vampires is sinister, much more than the original vampires with us.

“They’ve drained dry...