Victoria calmly walked along the dark, wooded path, humming softly to herself. Clad in her dress that was equally as dark as the night, the most a person would see were her two piercing red eyes that clearly stood out in the otherwise pitch black environment that was The Nocturnal Vale at night. It's name wasn't just for show, the region's dense pine forest made it notoriously lacking of light.

The vampire noble wasn't out for only mere pleasantries tonight, as much as she enjoyed her nature walks.

On this particular evening, she knew where Eliza and her ilk would be hunting at. Even with vampire attacks increasing so greatly in the recent century thanks to her sister, there was never a shortage of those foolish or desperate enough to try their luck in the dark forest for whatever reasons they had. But all such attempts always ended the same.

The amount of blood that had been spilled because of her... It was unimaginable.

"Lady Moreau."

A sudden voice brought Victoria back to reality. She had been lost in thought, thinking about her sister.

Catching sight of the all-too-familiar frilled white headdress, Victoria felt a sense of calm.

"Maria." She answered in return. "What does the situation look like?"

The black-haired maid gave a small bow of acknowledgement to her lady before answering.

"I'm afraid we are too late. Everyone I've found were already dead before we arrived."

Victoria nodded, solemnly accepting the situation as it was. "Did you see Eliza?" She asked, a bit quieter, curious if her sister herself had led the attack.

Maria shook her head. "No. They were already gone before we got there. No doubt it was her doing though, with how the bodies looked."

Victoria didn't say anything, she just continued walking past Maria.

They were too late yet again. They always seemed to be one step behind.

She took in the familiar sight as they walked along the path. Bodies littered the ground and fresh blood stained the dirt. Yet another one-sided massacre.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of her eye. There, slumped against a tree, was someone still clinging to life. A dead vampire lay next to them. Clearly they were a cut above the rest. Having killed a vampire in this forest was an impressive feat. Or maybe it was just luck. It mattered little.

"Maria. This one lives. Bring them back home."

Rosenkreuz Keep was the only safe place. They would have to bring them back there, there was no other option.

---

Some time later, back at the castle...

Victoria sat quietly next to the new arrival, her eyes scanning over their features. It had been around 30 minutes now, she wanted to be there for when they woke to explain the situation.

No doubt they would be confused as to why vampires had saved them.