The trees trembled as the creature charged, the ground cracking beneath its hooves. The dense undergrowth gave way like brittle twigs and even the air felt suffocating, thick with tension and miasma.
Nick dove out of the way as the beast barreled toward him, its massive frame crashing through the clearing like a force of nature. He hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet as the monster skidded to a stop, pawing at the dirt with a snarl that shook the air. He summoned a fireball in his palm, letting the heat grow until it glowed fiercely.
The creature’s wild, glowing eyes fixed on him again, and Nick shuddered as a wave of malevolent energy radiated from its twisted form. Its jagged horn pulsed with magic, casting an unnatural glow across the darkened forest. It snorted and lowered its head for another charge.
He hurled the fireball, aiming directly for the creature’s glowing horn. The ball of flame collided with it, exploding on impact, but the magic glow seemed to absorb the flames, growing a bit brighter in the process.
“Well that’s nice…” Nick deadpanned.
The creature slammed into him, the horn catching on his shoulder. His indestructible jacket protected him from being stabbed, but the force spun him as he flew backward, tumbling until he came to a stop against a tree.
Pain shot through his neck and shoulder, and he groaned as he forced himself to his feet. “Y’know, you could help instead of just standing there,” he called out to the vampire.
She smirked. “I’m fairly sure I told you that you’d die if you stayed.”
Nick rolled his shoulder, feeling the ache subside somewhat. “I guess you did,” he admitted. “Fair enough, I’ll figure something out.”
The creature snorted, scraping its hooves against the ground as it turned toward him, eyes glowing even brighter. Nick wiped dirt from his face and muttered to himself. “I guess it’s time…”
As the beast lowered its head for another charge, Nick raised his hand. Its massive form barreled straight for him again. He took a deep breath and summoned his Infinite Wardrobe.
With an audible thud, the massive, intricate wardrobe appeared out of thin air, standing tall and immovable like a fortress. The creature didn’t have time to react. It crashed headfirst into the wardrobe, the impact reverberating through the forest like a crack of thunder.
The beast staggered backward, dazed, its horn now visibly cracked and sparking with unstable magic.
Nick grinned. “I love magic physics.”
The monster shook its head, its glowing eyes flickering as it tried to regain its bearings. Nick unsummoned the wardrobe and then pointed at a spot above the monster’s head.
The wardrobe materialized in the air, dropping like a stone. The monster looked up just in time to see the massive structure plummeting toward it. The wardrobe smashed into the creature’s back with a resounding crash, pinning it to the ground.
The beast let out a guttural roar, its limbs flailing wildly as it struggled beneath the weight of the wardrobe. The cracked horn shuddered, the cracks along its surface spreading as the magic within grew more unstable.
“Still think I’m going to die?” he asked.
“You’re doing better than I expected,” the vampire replied. She studied the wardrobe with interest. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen a spell quite like this one before. It’s similar to a Holy Smite, except more… stylish?”
“I quite like it myself.”
“I’m more of a minimalist, but to each their own.”
The monster roared in defiance, limbs thrashing as it slowly regained its footing. With a loud grunt, it pushed itself upward inch by inch, lifting the wardrobe despite the crushing weight pinning it down.
Nick clenched his fist and tried using a skill that hadn’t worked for him until now. Somehow, he had a feeling that it would work now.
“Execute.”
The wardrobe shimmered ominously, the edges of its intricate carvings glowing with a faint, eerie red. A soft hum resonated in the air. The wardrobe disappeared, leaving the beast momentarily unbalanced. Then it materialized high above the creature.
The moment the wardrobe reappeared, the red glow surged to life along its surface, radiating with lethal intent. Time seemed to slow as it plummeted. With a thundering crash, the glowing wardrobe slammed into the creature one final time. The impact shattered the horn completely, sending a surge of unstable magic spiraling outward like a star imploding in slow motion.
The creature let out a final, deafening roar of defiance, but the red glow pulsed and the sound cut off abruptly. The massive form slumped to the ground, lifeless.
=You have defeated (1) Half-Unicorn.=
=You gain 0.5 skill points=
=Current skill points: 0.8=
-Level up! Execute is now Rank 2/100. Execution threshold is slightly increased.-
Nick stood there silently, watching the magic dissipate into the air with an expressionless face. Slowly, the tension in his muscles eased, and he let out a long breath.
“That was surprisingly effective, although somewhat unconventional.”
He wiped his brow, feeling the adrenaline start to fade. “Did you enjoy that?”
“‘Enjoy’ might be an overstatement. It was amusing when you flew through the air like a helpless fool.”
He shot her a look, but before he could respond, something flickered in the air around them—barely perceptible, like a ripple. Nick’s eyes narrowed as the low hum vibrated beneath his feet.
“…What’s going on?”
The vampire’s smirk deepened. “Ah, there it is.”
“There what is?” Nick asked, glancing around warily. His gaze dropped to the ground, and he noticed that there were faint, glowing runes etched into the earth, forming an intricate circle beneath where the beast had fallen.
The vampire walked toward the glowing circle with an almost lazy confidence. “I told you not to stay, human. But you didn’t listen.”
Nick’s heart raced as he stared at the runes, realization dawning on him. “Is this some sort of… ritual? And that monster is a sacrifice?”
She gave him a half-smile, her crimson eyes glinting with satisfaction. “I would have killed it if you didn’t. But yes, this was a sacrifice.”
The glow from the runes intensified, the energy swirling around them growing stronger. He took a step back, his pulse pounding. “What the hell is this supposed to do?”
The vampire’s voice was smooth, almost melodic as she circled the glowing runes. “Something far beyond your understanding. But don’t worry. I’ll take it from here.”
The glowing runes beneath the fallen beat pulsed with deep, ominous light, the energy swirling in slow, deliberate waves around the circle. The air thickened, vibrating with power, and Nick felt an unnatural chill creep up his spine. He could sense that something was deeply, fundamentally wrong.
The vampire stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with purpose as she positioned herself at the center of the glowing circle. “You might want to step back further, human,” she said softly, her voice laced with an eerie calm. “Things are about to change for the better.”
Nick stayed where he was, unable to tear his eyes away from the unfolding scene.
As the energy in the circle swirled faster, tendrils of light snaked upward, wrapping around the vampire’s body like spectral chains. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she lifted her arms slightly as if offering herself to the unseen forces. The air hummed with anticipation, and the forest around them seemed to hold its breath.
Suddenly, the runes flared with blinding light. The air crackled with raw magic, and the vampire’s body convulsed as the energy poured into her like a dam breaking open. Her chest heaved and her pale skin began to glow with a faint, silver sheen.
“What the hell…” Nick instinctively took a step back, the primal sense of wrongness almost palpable.
As the magic surged through her, the first change came—a soft, unnatural shimmer in her left eye. It flickered, then shifted, turning from its deep crimson hue to a striking violet, glowing faintly beneath her lashes. Her breaths grew shallow as more of the energy snaked around her, weaving through her hair and skin.
Her dark hair began to lighten, the black strands giving way to silver as though drained of all color. The transformation spread like wildfire, turning her entire head of hair into shimmering, metallic silver that gleamed in the glow of the ritual. Her previously cold, calculating gaze wavered. Her body jerked again, and she doubled over, her hands clutching at her chest. Her form started to distort and regress, her limbs growing slender and more childlike. Within moments, she took on the appearance of a teenage girl, her clothes slightly looser on her smaller frame.
“What…?” the vampire gasped in shock and bewilderment.
Her breath hitched, and her body trembled as the final stage of the ritual began. A sharp, painful cry escaped her lips as an invisible force seemed to tear through her. Nick watched, helpless, as a translucent wisp of energy was ripped from her body, writhing and struggling as it was pulled away. In its place, something else descended—a blank, pure essence. The air grew heavy with silence as the new wisp settled into her.
The energy in the circle swirled faster, turning chaotic. The runes flickered violently, sputtering as through the ritual itself had encountered something it couldn’t process. A pulse of malevolent energy surged outward, shaking the ground beneath them.
The vampire gasped as the energy recoiled and fractured. Her violet eye flashed dangerously. Her head snapped up, and Nick saw the fear in her now-younger face, her once cool demeanor shattered. “No…” she whispered, her voice trembling. “This isn’t right…”
A sudden shockwave blasted outward from the circle, knocking Nick to the ground. The air crackled with unstable energy, and the once-brilliant runes flickered and died. Silence fell, but it was far from peaceful.
The vampire stood there, breathing hard, her body trembling as she tried to regain control. She looked down at her hands, her face confused as she twitched her fingers.
Nick pushed himself up from the ground again and his gaze locked on her. “What just happened?”
She didn’t answer. Her violet eye flickered toward him, and he saw something unexpected there—panic.
The vampire didn’t answer immediately. She stood there, her smaller frame trembling. She looked fragile. Vulnerable. She blinked, her silver hair falling over her face as she glanced around in confusion. Then her gaze settled on him, wide-eyed, as if seeing him for the first time.
“Who… who are you?” she whispered, her voice soft, uncertain—nothing like the cold, calculating tone he heard before.
Nick stared at her for a moment, then a sharp laugh escaped him before he could stop it. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered, shaking his head. “You were so confident, and then you wiped your own memory?”
The vampire girl flinched at his laughter, her confusion giving way to something like fear. She wrapped her arms around herself, her breath hitching as she took several steps back. “I… what’s happening?” Her voice cracked, a tremble of panic threading through her words.
His smile faded when he saw the distress in her eyes. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut—she wasn’t just confused, she was terrified.
“Hey, hey, relax,” he said quickly, guilt creeping into his voice. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Her hands shook, and she looked down at them as though they weren’t hers. “I don’t know who I am,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
Nick grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, uh… this is awkward.” He took a tentative step forward, his voice softening. “Look, we’ll figure it out, alright? Just… don’t freak out on me.”
She glanced up at him, eyes wide with uncertainty.
He sighed, feeling the weight of her fear settle over him. He hadn’t exactly planned on dealing with an amnesiac vampire today, but now that she was this helpless, he couldn’t just leave her.
“Okay,” he said, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. “I’m Nick.”
“Nick…” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper as if trying to make sense of the unfamiliar name.
Nick exhaled slowly,. This was a mess, no doubt about it, but leaving her alone in this state wasn’t an option. Not anymore. She looked so lost—so completely unlike the powerful, composed vampire he’d faced moments ago.
“Damn me and my bleeding heart,” he muttered under his breath.
“Huh?”
“That’s right, I’m Nick the Saint,” he replied dully. “Hero, slave to the whims of society, and all that jazz.”
“I…. what?”
“I don’t know what just happened to you, but I’m not going to leave to figure it out alone.”
Her gaze flicked up to meet his, wide and full of vulnerability. She swallowed, hesitating, then took a shaky breath. “I don’t know what to do…”
He bit back another sigh, unsure of how to navigate this. “Well, the way I see it, you’ve got two options. You can sit here and panic, or you can let me help you.”
She blanked, her lips parting slightly as if she were considering his offer. “Help me? But why…?”
Nick scratched the back of his head, trying to come up with a response that wasn’t too honest. “I had a daughter. You don’t look anything like her, but…” His voice broke and he looked down at his feet with a pained grimace.
She looked at him, her expression wavering between suspicion and hope. For a moment, she seemed unsure, but then she slowly nodded. “Okay,” she whispered. “You can help me…”
Nick gave her a small, comforting smile that looked fake. “Good. Let’s start with a name.”
She blinked, her brows furrowing in concentration. For a moment, she was silent, her fingers twitching as she searched her fragmented mind. Finally, she looked up, a glimmer of faint light in her eyes. “Ray,” she answered. “I don’t remember, but the name ‘Ray’ feels right.”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “Ray, huh?”
She nodded, affirming that the name sounded right to her. “Yes.”
“Alright, Ray. Let’s get back to my camp and figure out what comes next.”
Ray glanced at him, uncertainty still lingering in her eyes, but, for the first time, she gave a small, almost tentative smile. It was fragile like she was still piecing herself together, but it was a start.
“Okay,” she said.
Together, they turned away from the now-silent ritual circle, the air still heavy with the remnants of its magic. Neither of them noticed the faint pulse of energy that rippled across the ground behind them, a quiet promise that neither of them would understand for a while yet.
Project Knightfall 