The flickering torchlight cast moving shadows across the stone walls.
Miria lay stretched out on the stone altar, her wrists and ankles bound by runic chains that slowly drained her strength. The damp air of the castle made every breath heavy.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor.
She didn't even need to turn her head to know who was coming.
The door creaked open.
Vareck entered, followed by two guards.
"Good morning, Miria," he said with a honeyed smile. "I hope you had a pleasant night."
She barely lifted her eyes toward him.
"As pleasant as one can be when chained like an animal."
Vareck pretended to look hurt.
"Still as insolent as ever. So… have you thought about my offer?"
A provocative smile stretched Miria's lips.
"You can keep dreaming. I will never tell you where the grimoire is."
Then she added calmly:
"And even if I wanted to… I couldn't. My father erased my memories. You know that."
Vareck's expression hardened.
"You're deliberately choosing not to remember."
He stepped dangerously closer.
"But don't worry… we'll fix that."
He snapped his fingers.
A man entered. Tall, pale, with dull red eyes. A vampire.
Miria frowned slightly.
Vareck continued, almost proudly:
"Look at him closely. He used to be human. Stricken with an incurable disease. He was suffering terribly."
The vampire remained motionless.
"He begged us to transform him. He wanted to live… at any cost."
Vareck gave a cruel smile.
"But even after his transformation… his blood remained infected. Poisoned."
A cold shiver ran through Miria.
"He is immortal… yet his blood still kills."
Vareck's gaze darkened.
"I'm going to ask you one last time… Where is the grimoire?"
He took another step forward.
"Unless you'd prefer to die in ago—"
**BOOM!**
An explosion shook the entire castle.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Screams echoed through the corridors.
A guard burst in, panicked.
"My lord Vareck! We're under attack!"
Vareck's eyes blazed with rage.