Chloe's heart raced as she stared at the empty bed, the curtains fluttering gently in the night breeze. Panic surged through her, as she frantically ran toward the window, hoping to catch a sign from the Drifter. But there was nothing—no trails, no broken branches, no sign of where he might have gone.

"D-Dammit, where could he gone?" Chloe muttered. She needed to alert her father. She hurried to his room, knocking gently before pushing the door open.

"Dad, wake up," she whispered urgently.

The Village Chief stirred, sitting up with a groan. "Chloe? What's wrong?"

"The Drifter... he's gone. The window in his room is open."

The Village Chief rubbed his eyes, quickly processing her words. "Stay here. I'll gather the search party."

Chloe shook her head, "No, Dad. I'm going to search for him, alone. Stirring panic in the middle of the night, it may alert the Police."

"Wait, what? What are you planning to do, Chloe?"

"I brought him here; I need to see this through myself. And if he hurts someone...," Chloe grasped her pendant, "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. But if morning comes and I'm not back, gather everyone."

He sighed but nodded. "Alright, but please be careful," the man rose and grabbed an old blade from his cabinet, "Use this to protect yourself."

Chloe took the blade and nodded. She rushed back to her room, grabbing a warm cloak and her lantern. She had to find the Drifter before anyone else did—or else, both of them would be hurt.

Stepping outside the house, Chloe made sure no one saw her. She knelt, touching the soil with her hands. Dark electrical currents snapped out from the soil, forming an ominous magic circle.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Blood trails guide me to my prey. Thirst of blood, bring me to my next victim. Carrion Swarm," Chloe chanted, summoning a plethora of shadow insects that hurled in all directions. She closed her eyes, assuming control over their vision, scanning the area around the village.

Through the dense foliage, cutting through dead trees and rivers, one swarm caught sight of a man running frantically. He was not alone—the wolf pack chased him relentlessly. Chloe opened her eyes and started dashing to the north. The Drifter was in danger!

Dammit, with how weak he was, why the hell he went to the forest?!

As Chloe sprinted through the dark forest, the sound of distant howls grew louder. The night was cold, and the ground was uneven, but Chloe moved seamlessly as if a trained hunter. It wasn't long before she reached the area where her swarm had located the Drifter.

"There you are," Chloe sighed in relief when she spotted him.

The Drifter was exhausted and cornered by a pack of snarling wolves, his back against a cliff with nowhere to run. He wielded a broken branch, trying to fend off the attackers, but it was clear he wouldn’t last much longer.

"Go away! Don't come near me!" the Drifter shouted, but the wolves ignored him. He took a step back, realizing that one more step would send him over the cliff.

Suddenly, "Hey!" Chloe shouted, drawing the attention of the wolves. She brandished the old blade her father had given her, "Leave him alone!"

The wolves turned their attention to her, growling and snapping their jaws. Chloe approached the pack cautiously. Memories of her military days flickered in her mind, but her will was unbending. She took a deep breath, raising the blade. When a wolf lunged at her, she moved with deadly precision and speed, beheading it instantly.

Blood spurted, painting a gruesome picture of a silver-haired vampire standing over her headless nemesis. Her eyes shone red, spreading terror among the wolves. Realizing they had no chance of winning, the wolves scattered, running away from the predator.

"It's over," Chloe sighed in relief before she swung the sword and sheathed it. She glanced over at the frightened man and offered her hand, "Hey, are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"S-Stay away from me! Y-you monster!" the man refused her hand, his voice trembling. In his panic, he stepped off the cliff and lost his balance.

With haste, Chloe caught the man's hand and cast a binding spell between her body and the trees nearby, stopping his fall. Drenched with cold sweat, she smiled wryly at him and said,

"You're truly a piece of work, huh, Mister Drifter."