Chapter 4 The path of blood

No one answered her. The heavy silence pressed against the stone walls of the hidden corridor. Angela looked up, clutching her teddy bear tightly against her tiny chest.

"Akira," her little voice trembled. "Where is everyone?"

Akira forced a small smile, though unease twisted inside her stomach. "They are outside. They are waiting for us. They are fine." She repeated the last words more for herself than for her little sister.

Together, the two sisters quietly slipped through the back exit of the manor. The small golden dragon rested safely inside the deep pocket sewn into Akira's dress, while the Dragon Scroll remained tucked securely beneath her arm.

She slowed to a stop beside an old patch of wood and sand hidden behind a thick cluster of bushes. Angela blinked at her in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Akira knelt in the dirt. "This has to stay here so Mother and Father can come back for it later."

The place had already been hollowed out long ago, as it was one of Akira's secret hiding places whenever she wanted to be alone. She carefully placed the Dragon Scroll into the small cavity, then she laid the tiny golden dragon right beside it sealing them with a piece of cloth. After covering everything with the wet sand , she picked up a small growing plant nearby and planted it in the loose dirt to mark the spot.

"There," Akira said, patting the mud flat with her hands. "Now we will remember where it is."

Angela smiled. "Can we go now?"

Akira nodded, she wiped her hands on her clothes. Hand in hand, they ran toward the front of the estate. They had not gone very far before a man stepped out from the thick smoke. Akira froze in surprise. "Uncle Kasper?"

The man's expression softened into a familiar, warm smile. "There you are." He crouched before her, gently brushing a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "I have been looking everywhere for you."

Pure relief flooded Akira's face. "Uncle!" She threw her arms around his neck. "I could not find Mother or Father!"

Kasper held her close to him. "I know. They sent me to find you. They asked me to bring both of you to them."

Akira hesitated for a second. "But Father told us to stay hidden until everything was safe."

"It is safe now," Kasper replied, smiling reassuringly at her. "They are waiting."

Akira turned excitedly toward Angela. "I told you they are okay."

Angela giggled happily. Still hugging her teddy bear, she reached her arms up toward Kasper. He lifted Angela into one arm while taking Akira's hand with his free hand.

"Come," Kasper said. "I will take you to them."

As they walked through the burning estate, Akira's smile slowly faded away. Dead bodies lay scattered across the courtyard, the sharp smell of smoke filled the air, and bright blood stained the stone pathways. Her steps became slower and heavier.

"Uncle?" she whispered, squeezing his hand. "Why are they sleeping outside?"

Kasper never looked down at her. "They don't have where to go. Do not worry."

She wanted to ask more questions, but something inside her mind told her to remain silent.

When they reached the center of the courtyard, several armed soldiers stepped forward. Kasper gently lowered Angela onto the ground, then he motioned toward the guards. "Stay behind them. They will keep both of you safe."

Akira obediently nodded, and the soldiers quickly surrounded the two young girls.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed across the ruined courtyard. "So, it was you all along."

Alexander's breathing was ragged and heavy. Kasper slowly stepped out from the line of soldiers, his warm smile instantly disappearing.

"Long time no see, Big Brother," Kasper said.

Alexander's eyes burned with deep hatred. "I should have searched the world for you after Father died. I should have found you."

Dimitri laughed quietly from the side. "That was your mistake."

Kasper folded his hands behind his back. "But I am willing to spare what is left of your family." His cold gaze settled back on Alexander. "Tell me where the Dragon Scroll is, and the heirloom."

Alexander's lips curled into a bitter smile. "The Dragon Scroll belongs to my wife's bloodline. A werewolf cannot wield it. It would kill you."

Kasper shrugged his shoulders. "I do not care. The old legends say the Dragon Bride will emerge through the Dragon Scroll. I will place it before the Lycan King, then everything I have ever wanted will finally belong to me."

Alexander frowned. "I thought you said the Lycan King ordered this massacre."

"He did," Kasper answered without a single hesitation. "Now, tell me where the Dragon Scroll is or i kill your daughters "

"You will never find it," Alexander said, his eyes narrowing.

 "My daughters are safe."

Kasper chuckled darkly. "Safe?" He lifted a single finger into the air. "Bring them."

The soldiers stepped aside, and Akira and Angela were roughly shoved into the open space. Alexander's face drained of all color.

"Akira!" he gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Akira lowered her head, unable to answer as her small hands trembled violently. Angela simply hugged her teddy bear closer to her chest.

"Akira," Angela whispered innocently, looking around. "Why is Mommy sleeping over there?"

Akira followed her sister's gaze, and everything around her seemed to stop. She saw her mother's motionless body lying in a pool of blood. Then her eyes landed on Ethan, whose lifeless body lay nearby and his head on a different path . For a terrifying moment, Akira forgot how to breathe.

Alexander dropped to both knees on the blood-soaked sand. "Kasper, they are children, your niece's . Please. My wife, my son, they are already gone. Do not do this."

Kasper's expression remained completely unchanged. "The Dragon Scroll. Where is it?"

Alexander closed his eyes in defeat. "The western chamber. Inside the hidden shelf."

Kasper gestured to a nearby soldier, who quickly sprinted into the manor. Moments later, the soldier returned. "It is empty."

A heavy silence fell over the courtyard. Then, Kasper drew his sharp sword. Before anyone could react, the silver blade flashed in the light. Angela's teddy bear slipped from her tiny hands, and her small body crumpled onto the hard ground.

"No!" Akira's scream tore through the burning estate.

"Noooooooo" Alexander roared in pure anguish. For the briefest instant, a bright golden light flickered deep within Akira's eyes. Alexander saw the glow and his heart stopped. He knew he could not let them see it. Before Kasper could turn toward her, Alexander lunged forward with the last of his strength, forcing everyone's attention back onto him.

Dimitri's blade slashed brutally across Alexander's chest. He staggered forward. Another strike hit him, and he dropped heavily to one knee. Blood poured onto the stones and sand beneath him, blurring his vision. Still, he lifted his head one last time. His eyes found Akira, and every ounce of strength left inside him became a final command.

"Run," his voice barely carried through the noise. "Run, and never look back."

Something inside Akira broke. She tore herself free from the stunned guards and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Stop her!" Kasper shouted angrily. "Dimitri, do not let her escape!"

Several soldiers immediately gave chase. Kasper slowly walked toward the fallen Alexander and crouched beside him. Alexander was still breathing, but only barely. Blood filled his mouth as he looked up at his brother.

"Please," Alexander whispered. "My daughter, the last Logan. Do not hurt her. The Lycan King will come for you."

Kasper smiled coldly into his face. "The Lycan King is the one who ordered this."

Those awful words reached Akira's ears just as she disappeared into the dark woods. She did not stop running, because she could not.

Behind her in the courtyard, Alexander gathered the last fragments of his fading strength to speak his final words. "My father pulled you from a burning house, raised you, loved you as his own. And this is how you repay him."