Carpathian Mountains, underground ruins.
An underground fortress from the era of the Roman legions remained here. It had weathered a thousand years under the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Habsburgs. Now, this ancient underground castle had welcomed new masters.
A man and a woman slowly emerged from the entrance.
The man wore a well-tailored black long coat beneath a trench coat with dark red lining. One of the silver clasps on his chest had been torn off, and a wound ran from his right collarbone all the way across his back.
Eliphas Bade lowered his head and glanced at his torn sleeve, his expression unchanged.
Mortis walked beside him, tall and slender, her black hair falling over her shoulders. Her face held no unnecessary expression. Half of her clothes had been soaked in blood, though most of it did not belong to her.
The passageways of the underground fortress were long. Eagle insignias left behind by the Roman legions could still be seen carved into the walls, while some of the stone bricks had later been reinforced by Byzantine craftsmen. Faded sacred murals remained on the vaulted ceiling.
The two walked through the corridor in silence until the bronze doors at the end slowly opened.
Beyond them was a vast underground atrium.
The hall, once used to house a legion, had been converted into a temporary throne room. Black curtains hung between ancient stone pillars, newly completed ritual markings covered the floor, and pale black magic flames burned slowly in several silver braziers.
A long table stood in the center of the hall.
It was covered in black velvet, upon which rested several items that had just been brought back from Red Moon.
A bloodstained vampire ring.
Half of a silver badge engraved with a dragon-head crest.
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