Amor asked Hekate how well she could wield her power. Hekate replied that she could summon small bursts of flame and command just enough darkness to shroud the two of them. Aside from Diana, no one knew exactly what her Cosmyth was capable of; they only knew it was tethered to the dark. Since she couldn't rely on her dark powers for long, she mostly used them to slip away from combat. Amor pondered for a moment, and then it clicked. Whenever things grew too heated during training, Hekate and Diana would always vanish into thin air.
Amor quickly devised a plan. Hekate would veil them in shadow. If they needed to escape, Amor would use his power to daze their foes, and with a well-timed wall of flame cast by Hekate behind them, they would vanish. He relayed the plan to Hekate, and they put it into motion, treading silently toward the end of the corridor. As they advanced, three figures materialized ahead—two tall, one short. Their muffled voices began to crystallize.
The woman spoke, "Yes, I caught someone last night. For some reason, his blood tasted different from the others. I've never drank blood so exquisite."
The man on the left asked, "Did you kill him?"
"No... I don't know why, but I felt like I shouldn't. It was as if his death would only make things worse."
The other man snarled, "Foolish woman! How much worse can things possibly get? This morning, two people came to the room you two were staying in—a blonde brat and a rebellious youth beside him. Mr. Andreas was so terrified he handed over your room key without asking a proper question. I'll deal with him later. We have greater problems on our hands."
"What kind of problems?"
The man on the left spoke again, "Empusa just called from the capital. A group from Cosmo has been dispatched here. We don't know how many there are, or if they've already arrived. But we must leave Santorini immediately and move the annual gathering elsewhere. They will be here in four days. Even though the most powerful vampires of the Greek Region will be gathered here, those outsiders are Cosmyth users. We cannot afford to risk ourselves."
Amor realized instantly that the girl they spoke of was Evelina. Both he and Hekate were chilled by what they overheard. They couldn't estimate the number of vampires, and if the strongest among them were descending upon the island, their group of eight wouldn't stand a chance. Carefully, they turned toward the stairwell. They needed to get out, and fast. Only a few meters from the stairs, Evelina paused. "Wait," she said, her voice dropping. "Do you catch that? It smells of humans."
Hekate bolted instinctively, but Amor caught her by the arms, trying to steady her panic.
"Yes, a girl. And... what is this? The other scent resembles a human, yet it's different. It smells like you, Evelina. Could it be the youth you fed on last night?"
"I doubt it. He would have bled out by now. Unless, of course, he turned."
"Did you turn the boy you fed on?"
"Of course not, idiot! You know turning requires the person to desire it while being drained. Or perhaps it happened by sheer stroke of luck. Anyway, if he isn't dead, he will return to me. After all, the venom has already breached his veins. Even if he is a vampire now, he's no different from a cub who doesn't yet know how to hunt."
Taking advantage of the vampires' bickering, Hekate and Amor slipped out into the open. The sun stung Amor's eyes once more. They began walking toward the hotel through a narrow alleyway. The fading posters peeling off the walls, the moss-covered cobblestones beneath their feet, and the weathered streetlamps made them feel as though they had walked straight into a fantasy film. Hekate pulled Amor by the arm, drawing him into a secluded, quiet corner.
"Amor, did you really become a vampire? What happened between you and that girl? Tell me, I need to know."
Reluctantly, melted by the sweet, anxious gaze he could never refuse, Amor recounted everything that had transpired. He had but one condition: she must breathe a word of this to no one. He refused to plunge the team into panic.
"I met Evelina at the bar," he began. "The moment I saw her, I knew what she was. Whenever she laughed, she covered her mouth. Her eyes weren't those of a girl looking to mingle; they were the eyes of a monster sizing up its prey. Furthermore, the compliments I paid her were outdated by thirty years—any normal girl would find it bizarre and lose interest. Her attire was far too forced. She dressed aggressively 'modern,' yet it was obvious she didn't actually follow fashion; off-the-shoulder sweaters were a spring trend. Her makeup was heavy and sloppy. Girls my age will wipe off their entire face if their eyeliner smudges even a fraction, but she hadn't bothered to fix it. Only someone entirely detached from these things would do that. Like Diana; she struggles with her makeup sometimes too. On top of that, she was far too experienced in bed. I wager last night wasn't her first time. For a virgin, she was entirely too quick to agree to a hotel room. Yet, when we slept together, she was a virgin. That was the final proof I needed. Her body was regenerating. So you see, I knew she was a vampire all along. I let myself be turned on purpose just to find their nest."
Hekate was left in a swirl of conflicting emotions. She didn't know whether to be shocked, embarrassed, or utterly awed by Amor's sharp eye for detail. Deep down, she wanted to tell the team and ask for their help, but she was determined not to break her promise to Amor. She told him she would handle the talking when they reached the hotel. Amor expressed his gratitude, and together they returned.
Everyone had gathered in the boys' room, discussing the fruits of their investigation. Amor and Hekate were the last to arrive. The others admitted they hadn't found much.
With a tight smile, Amor announced, "We found them. We crossed paths with three vampires in the basement of that abandoned building at the far end of the island."
Sol gasped, "What! You weren't bitten, were you?"
Hekate glanced at Amor. "No. We used my power to slip close enough to overhear their conversation."
Han pressed, "And? What are they planning?"
Amor replied, "A gathering. We have four days. The most formidable vampires of the Greek Region are coming here."
Neptune asked, "How many vampires are we talking about? How vast is their number?"
"We don't have an exact headcount," Amor said, "but my guess is upwards of fifty."
Sol frowned deeply. "We must deal with the vampires here immediately, or it will be too late for everything. We could call for reinforcements, but even if every Cosmyth user in the region showed up, we couldn't best an army of that size."
Diana suggested, "Should we consult Aidoneus?"
Aurora nodded. "That might not be a bad idea. We're going to need the counsel of someone with experience."
Thus, the team reached out to Aidoneus. He informed them that he would contact the administration and return shortly, advising them to relax in the meantime. Seizing the moment, just as Urania and Hekate had suggested earlier, they decided to go for a swim. Within half an hour, they were ready and headed down to the beach beneath the hotel, a stretch of shore reserved entirely for them. While all the girls except Diana dashed into the sea in their vibrant bikinis, Diana chose to lie beneath the sun in her swimsuit, soaking in the heat.
Sol and Han chose training over the water. Amor and Neptune dove into the waves to savor the moment. Aurora made the grave mistake of engaging in a water fight with Neptune; the tiny splash she flung at him returned as a gargantuan wave. The cresting water swept over the girls, engulfing Aurora and depositing her back onto the shore. Laughter echoed across the beach. They truly needed this. For a fleeting moment, they even forgot the absence of Magni.
While they reveled, Magni was slowly trying to reclaim his former strength. Far from the school, in a nearly barren field where Aidoneus had brought him, the two were sparring. The purpose of this training was not only to help him recover but also to master new techniques that could aid him in battle. Aidoneus had been personally tasked by Headmaster Bacchus to train Magni while the others were away. Magni was overjoyed by the arrangement; he couldn't bear the thought of sitting idly in his room or the infirmary while his friends were hunting vampires and growing stronger.
Aidoneus launched assaults from all sides using creatures and human skeletons summoned from the underworld. Rather, his summons attacked while he pointed out Magni's flaws. Once their session concluded, Aidoneus escorted him back to the infirmary.
Before his teacher departed, Magni spoke up, "Mr. Aidoneus, I want to try something new during tomorrow's practice, but I'm not sure if I can pull it off. Will you help me?"
"If it is within my power, why not. What is it you wish to learn?"
"The Heir technique."
"Ah, that matter," Aidoneus sighed softly. "I am afraid that is beyond my hands, Magni. I learned my 'Heir' from my family. How to wield it, when to call upon it, or how long I can sustain it—I gleaned all of this from the memories of the preceding Cosmyth users. Besides, mastering a 'Heir' takes an immense amount of time. You must write your own legacy. Rest well tonight; I want to see this technique you speak of tomorrow."
"All right. See you tomorrow."
"Goodbye, Magni."