"Frey will be ecstatic," Amy remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "He thrives on a good, structured operation."

Morgen scoffed. "Structured? This isn't some military parade, Amy. It's a hunt. A very delicate one at that."

"Of course," Amy purred, his amusement morphing into something a touch more predatory. "But Frey's meticulousness is precisely what makes his team perfect for this. They'll find Bernard's den, and we'll have our viper cornered."

The thought sent a thrill through Morgen. He could practically picture Bernard's face, the disbelief morphing into fear as the shadows revealed his sanctuary.

"And once we have him cornered," he continued, his voice low and dangerous. "That's where Joe comes in."

The mention of the enigmatic owner of Green City brought a thoughtful frown to Amy's face. "He'll want to be the one to overpower Bernard," he said, his voice laced with a hint of concern. "He won't trust anyone else with the scroll."

"Of course not," Morgen agreed. "But that doesn't mean we can't… nudge him in the right direction." He leaned back in his throne, a predator planning the demise of his prey.

"Frey's team will find Bernard," Morgen said, his voice dripping with a chilling certainty. "We'll then… anonymously inform Joe of Bernard's location. Let him believe it's a matter of luck, a stroke of genius on his part."

Amy's eyes widened in understanding, the amusement returning in full force. "A little nudge, you say?" he said, his voice laced with dark humor. "More like a well-placed shove."

Morgen grinned, a glint of steel in his eyes. "Precisely. We'll let Joe think he's the orchestrator, the one who flushed out the serpent. But all the while," he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a sibilant whisper, "we'll be in the shadows, watching, waiting. And when the dust settles, Joe will have his scroll, and we…"

He trailed off, a cold smile playing on his lips. He would eliminate Bernard.Simultaneously, Joe will incur a favor owed to Morgen. Morgen felt pleased at the thought of this.

Nevertheless, smooth sailing isn't always the case. Morgen's usually dependable shadow reconnaissance team let him down this time.

The tension in Morgen's cavern was thicker than the stale blood-wine in his goblet. Frey, his second-in-command and the architect of the elite shadow team, stood before him, his face etched with frustration bordering on despair.

"Nothing?" Morgen growled, his voice echoing in the cavern. "Five days. Fifty vampires trained to sniff out a shadow in broad daylight, and they come up empty-handed?"

Frey, usually unflappable, shifted uncomfortably under his leader's icy gaze. "No trace, Morgen," he admitted, his voice a low rumble. "We've scoured every den, every abandoned warehouse, every forgotten crypt within city limits. We even expanded the search radius, but…" he trailed off, his silence speaking volumes.

Morgen slammed his fist on the armrest of his obsidian throne. "This is unacceptable, Frey! We had Joe breathing down our necks the moment we mentioned the shadow team. Now, after days of 'professional investigation training' as you so proudly boasted, we have nothing!"

"Morgen, temper won't help," Amy interjected smoothly, his crimson eyes flickering between the two males. "We need to understand why Bernard vanished so thoroughly. Frey, elaborate. How are you tracking him? Just scent?"

Frey straightened slightly. "Scent is the primary method, yes. Vampiric senses are far superior to a human's in that regard. We can detect Bernard's unique magical signature even days after it dissipates."

"Days, you say," Morgen scoffed. "And yet, you haven't found a single whiff?"

"There's… something else," Frey admitted, a flicker of unease crossing his face. "We did find a faint trace, ten kilometers outside the city walls, near the abandoned watchtower."

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

Morgen and Amy exchanged a sharp glance. An abandoned watchtower – an inhospitable, desolate location. It didn't fit Bernard's profile.

"Just a trace?" Morgen pressed, a sliver of curiosity fighting its way through his frustration.

"Barely there," Frey confirmed. "Like a wisp of smoke carried away by the wind. It could be anything – a dead animal, a stray spellcaster."

The room remained silent for a moment, the weight of the unknown hanging heavy in the air. Humans, with their limited senses, relied heavily on physical evidence – footprints, witnesses, discarded objects. Vampires, on the other hand, had the power to delve deeper, to track through scent and residual magic. Yet, even their enhanced senses were failing them this time.

"There can be an explanation," Amy finally broke the silence, his voice laced with a contemplative edge. "Maybe Bernard used some kind of potent cloaking spell, masking his magical signature."

Frey shook his head. "Possible, but unlikely. Such spells typically have a telltale energy residue, a distortion we'd pick up on."

Morgen tapped his fingers on the armrest, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames. "Then where is he?" he muttered, his voice laced with a dangerous glint. "Bernard wouldn't simply disappear into thin air. He's up to something, planning something.”

Frey stood before him, the once confident glint in his eyes replaced by a dull resignation. "Nothing, Morgen," he said, his voice a low rumble. "We've exhausted all leads, even expanded the search beyond city limits."

Morgen slammed his fist on the armrest, the clanging sound echoing in the cavern. "Five days, Frey! Days of boasting about your 'professionally trained' team, and we have nothing!"

"Shouting won't bring answers," Amy interjected, his voice laced with a sharp calm. She understood Morgen's fury, but blind rage wouldn't solve their predicament.

Morgen took a deep, steadying breath, forcing himself to back down from the precipice. "You're right, Amy. We need a new approach." He turned back to Frey, his voice calmer but no less steely. "What are the possibilities? Has Bernard vanished into thin air?"

Frey ran a hand through his hair, the frustration evident in the gesture. "Two possibilities, Morgen. Either he used a far-flung teleport spell, one that takes him beyond Green City's reach."

Morgen grimaced. Joe wouldn't be happy with that. Finding Bernard within his city limits was one thing, chasing him across the continent quite another.

"The other possibility?" Amy prompted.

"That he's still within city limits," Frey said, "but cloaked by magic. A potion, perhaps, or an artifact that masks his presence from our senses."

The silence that followed was heavy, thick with the weight of uncertainty. Morgen knew the limitations of human investigation – physical evidence, witnesses, footprints. Vampires, with their superior senses of smell and preternatural awareness, were better equipped. Yet, even their enhanced abilities were stymied.

"Then we're at a dead end?" Morgen finally breathed, a flicker of despair creeping into his voice.

Amyis shook his head, a predatory glint in her crimson eyes. "Not quite. Bernard might have vanished from sight, but he'll make a mistake, Morgen. He'll need supplies, allies, something. We wait, tighten our grip on the city, and when he shows a single scale, we'll strike."

Morgen studied her, a grudging respect blooming within him. Amy was right. Bernard wouldn't stay hidden forever. He needed resources, a way to enact whatever scheme he was brewing. In the meantime, Morgen wouldn't sit idle.

"You're right," he said, a steely resolve settling over him. "We double down on security, make Green City a fortress. And we turn our eyes inward as well. Someone might be aiding Bernard, someone within the Covenant who's been swayed by his promises."

Frey met Morgen's gaze, a spark of renewed purpose igniting in his eyes. "We'll find him, Morgen," he said, his voice low but firm. "He can't hide forever."

Morgen nodded, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. Bernard might have vanished, but the game wasn't over.

Frey and his team have been tirelessly searching for Bernard these past few days, their faces marked with exhaustion.

Morgen reached out, placing a hand on Frey's shoulder. "No shame, my friend," he said, his voice gruff but sincere. "You and your team have done well. Rest. We'll regroup and consider a new approach."

Frey nodded, a hint of relief crossing his face. The pressure, both from Morgen and the unspoken threat of failure, had been immense. With a silent bow, he turned and led his exhausted team out of the cavern.

Morgen closed his eyes, the silence ringing in his ears. He couldn't afford to crumble. Bernard's disappearance was a blow, a sign of the viper's cunning. He needed a new plan, a way to flush out his nemesis.

A sly grin spread across his face. It was time to visit Joe, the enigmatic owner of Green City. The strained alliance could be manipulated to his advantage.

Moments later, Morgen found Joe in his opulent office, a stark contrast to his own dark cavern. Joe, ever impeccably dressed, looked up with a hint of annoyance.

"Morgen," he said, his voice clipped. "To what do I owe this… pleasure?"

Morgen ignored the thinly veiled hostility. "News from the search, Joe," he said, his voice dripping with false regret. "Unfortunately, no trace of Bernard."