The storm broke over Vienna with a vengeance.
Rain slashed the rooftops like a thousand tiny daggers, turning the alleyways into rivers and soaking the ancient stone façades that had stood for centuries. Thunder growled low, echoing across the city's gothic spires, as if the sky itself were mourning something lost and forgotten.
Adrian Vortigen moved like a shadow beneath the downpour, his long coat trailing behind him. Beside him, Mara kept pace, clutching the staff wrapped in a dark linen shroud. They were silent as they passed a row of shuttered shops and neon-lit cafés, each light flickering in protest as they neared.
"Where are we going?" Mara asked at last, raising her voice over the storm.
"Somewhere the Order can't follow," Adrian replied. "Not easily."
She narrowed her eyes. "And where is that?"
Adrian didn't look at her. "The Catacombs."
Mara stopped in her tracks. "You mean… the ossuary?"
"Yes."
She exhaled, steam rising into the night air. "You want to hide beneath a city full of bones."
"Not hide. Find answers."
He led her to an old church tucked between two high-rise buildings—forgotten by time and ignored by the modern world. Its steeple was crooked, its bells long silent. A rusted gate barred the way, chained and padlocked.
Adrian reached into his coat and withdrew a small, curved blade—no longer than a letter opener but carved from white stone. He slit his palm and pressed it to the lock. The metal hissed, then split apart with a soft sigh, falling to the wet pavement.
Mara stared. "That was blood magic."
"Yes," Adrian said simply. "I don't use it often. Too many eyes."
They stepped through the gate, into the gloom.
The church's interior was untouched. Dust veiled the pews, cobwebs clung to the rafters, and faded frescoes lined the cracked ceiling. A large crucifix hung over the altar—tilted, forgotten, and rusted with age.
Adrian led her to a small door behind the altar. It creaked open to reveal a stone stairwell spiraling downward into the dark.
"No electricity?" Mara muttered.
"This place was never meant to be found."
They descended in silence.
The deeper they went, the more the air thickened—heavy with mildew and memory. The scent of age clung to the walls, mingled with something sharper: ash, smoke… and old blood.
Finally, the staircase opened into a vast tunnel system.
Bones lined the walls in intricate patterns—skulls, femurs, ribs—crafted with reverent precision. Latin inscriptions flanked the archways: Memento mori. Vita brevis.
Mara swallowed. "I've seen photos. Tours stop before this part."
"They stop before the sealed sectors," Adrian said. "Where the ancient bloodlines were buried."
"Vampires?"
"No. Hunters. The first generation of the Order. They weren't always zealots. Once, they understood balance. Some even bled willingly to seal the Vaults."
"And now?"
"They've forgotten their purpose. All they remember is fear."
They walked for several minutes before Adrian paused before an iron gate. It bore a strange emblem—seven stars inside a crescent moon, encircled by runes.
He placed his hand against the center. The runes glowed faintly, then dimmed. The gate creaked open.
Inside was a chamber lined with stone coffins. Each was etched with symbols, names, and bloodline markers. But at the far end stood something different—a raised dais, upon which sat a stone pedestal with a metal cube resting atop it.
"What is that?" Mara asked.
"The Bloodline Codex," Adrian said. "A relic containing every ancestral line linked to the Seals. Vampires, guardians, even human keys like you."
Mara stepped closer. "It looks… mechanical."
"It is. Made by the Mechanists of Thule—mortals who once worked with us, before they were erased from history."
He approached and placed his hand on the cube. It hummed softly, then shifted—panels moving with a whisper of ancient gears. Runes unfolded like petals, revealing a glowing core of red light.
"Place your hand on it," he said.
Mara hesitated. "Why?"
"To confirm your bloodline. We need to know which seal you're tied to."
She stepped forward, heart pounding, and laid her palm over the core.
The cube reacted instantly. A stream of golden light pulsed upward, wrapping around her arm and spiraling into the air. Symbols swirled above her head, then solidified into a shape: a triangle pierced by a vine, crowned by a silver flame.
Adrian's expression darkened. "House Caelestis."
"Is that bad?"
"No. It's the rarest. Only one descendant survives every generation—and their blood is the last key to the Final Seal."
Mara pulled her hand back, eyes wide. "You're saying… I can unlock it?"
"Yes," Adrian said grimly. "Or keep it closed. Depending on who gets to you first."
They were silent for a moment.
Then the lights in the cube flickered. Adrian's head snapped up. "Someone's breached the ward."
"Here?"
"Above. They're tracking you."
The Codex snapped shut. Adrian drew his blade and turned to the entrance. "We move. Now."
They slipped into a narrower tunnel system that branched away from the main ossuary. The ceiling pressed low, and roots dangled from cracks in the stone. Their footsteps echoed behind them like a second set of travelers.
Mara tightened her grip on the staff. "What if we're cornered?"
"Then we fight."
She didn't ask what the odds were. She already knew.
A sound rang out behind them—like steel being dragged across stone. Adrian whirled, eyes flashing red.
Figures emerged from the shadows. Not soldiers. Not Order.
Wraiths.
Translucent, humanoid forms draped in rags of memory and hatred. Their faces were featureless, save for black holes where eyes should be.
Mara froze. "What are those?"
"Souls that died cursing the blood in their veins. They became unbound. No allegiance. No rest."
The first wraith lunged. Adrian struck it mid-air, blade hissing with runes. The creature screamed, dissolving into mist. But more came.
Mara raised the staff, letting instinct guide her. When she swung, a burst of force slammed one wraith into the wall, shattering its essence. Another reached for her throat—only to be met with a golden flare from the staff's tip.
"You're adapting fast," Adrian grunted, slashing two more.
"Maybe it's in the blood."
Another wraith reached for the cube strapped to Adrian's back. He turned just in time, driving his blade through its chest. The runes burned white-hot, reducing the creature to ash.
But more kept coming.
"They're not stopping," Mara shouted.
"They're not meant to," Adrian said. "They're distractions."
"For what?"
Adrian's eyes widened. "The Revenant sent them to lure us away."
Suddenly, the entire tunnel shook. Dust rained down from the ceiling. A thunderous crash echoed through the catacombs.
"No," Adrian whispered.
"What is it?" Mara asked, out of breath.
"They're breaching the Vault."
He sheathed his blade and grabbed her hand. "We run."
They sprinted through the winding corridors, the path lit only by the faint glow of the Codex strapped to Adrian's back and the staff in Mara's hands. The catacombs twisted like a maze, but Adrian knew them well—he had helped build part of them.
At last, they reached a hidden chamber—a sanctuary of sorts. Old relics lined the walls: armor, daggers, scrolls sealed in wax. A map was etched into the stone floor, showing the locations of the Seals scattered across the world.
Adrian knelt and opened a hidden compartment, retrieving a silver flask. He drank deeply, then offered it to Mara.
She sniffed it. "What is this?"
"Phoenix ash and dragonroot. Heals fast. Burns worse."
She drank—and gagged. "That's the worst thing I've ever tasted."
"But you'll feel better in ten seconds."
He turned back to the wall. "They want the Final Seal. It's not just about me anymore. It's about unlocking all of them."
Mara joined him. "What do we do?"
"We go to the first Temple. It's in the Carpathians, buried beneath the ice. We find the remaining Guardians—if any are left."
"And if there aren't?"
Adrian looked at her, fire in his ancient eyes.
"Then we become the last defense."
Outside, the storm raged on.
But beneath the city, two fates had just been sealed.