He looked at Susie, then at Gideon and Bruno. Everyone was silent, but their eyes showed support.
He gripped the black weapon tighter and nodded.
"Yes, I'm ready."
Flash stood up and took a small key from the table.
"Let's go."
He led them down the corridor to an inconspicuous door at the end of the apartment. Behind it was a narrow staircase leading downward. The steps were old and wooden, creaking under their feet.
There was almost no light, only a dim bulb on the wall. Anna walked behind Ethan without saying a word. Her footsteps were nearly silent.
They descended into the basement, a spacious but possibly low-ceilinged room with concrete walls, old shelving units, and a single lamp hanging from the ceiling.
Flash turned on the light and looked around.
"No one will disturb us here," he said.
"I'll be upstairs. If you need anything, just shout."
He gave Ethan a wild look.
"Be careful."
Ethan nodded.
Flash left and closed the door behind him. The click of the lock echoed, and now they were alone.
Anna slowly walked around the basement as if assessing the space. Then she stopped opposite Ethan. Her gaze became focused, almost instructional.
God, this is so awkward. Okay, just act natural, Ethan thought to himself, trying hard to hide the feeling.
"First, I'll tell you about us," she began calmly.
"Alright, then I'll sit…" He looked around and realized there was nothing to sit on.
Well… guess I'll sit on the floor.
Ethan sat down on the floor and looked up at her.
"I'll tell you about the true power of vampires."
She took a small step to the side and suddenly… dissolved.
She turned into a misty haze and simply vanished from sight in a fraction of a second.
Ethan blinked. In the next instant, Anna appeared behind his back, almost silently, and sat down beside him.
"This is Luft," she said, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Our shadow shell. We can transform into it when we need to move quickly, unnoticed, or when we want to hide. In this state, we are almost invisible, leave no traces, and can pass through small gaps."
"Yes, it requires energy. The stronger the vampire, the longer they can remain in Luft form."
She returned to her original position and looked at Ethan.
"After the turning, each of us develops a unique trait. It's connected to who we were in life, our strongest personality characteristic."
"Mine is speed and swiftness. I was always impatient, sharp, always wanted to be first."
"After the turning, it became my power. I can move faster than any human eye can see."
She paused, looking at Ethan.
She reached out and gently touched the weapon with her fingertips. Ethan flinched and pulled back slightly.
"Now I'll show you one of our real abilities," she said quietly.
She took a small step back to give Ethan more space to observe.
"We can recreate weapons or any object we're used to fighting with directly from Luft. But it comes at a very high cost. Every time we create something from Luft, we expend part of our own essence."
"Strength, energy, and much more. The more complex and powerful the object, the higher the price. That's why we only do it when we truly need to."
Anna raised her right hand, palm up. Her fingers trembled slightly. The air around her began to thicken, as if gathering into an invisible vortex. A faint silvery mist appeared out of nowhere and started to envelop her palm.
"Watch carefully," she said.
The mist spun faster. It grew denser, darker, almost black. Shapes began to emerge from it.
A couple of seconds later, two shadow daggers materialized in Anna's hand. They were completely black, as if forged from darkness itself, with thin silvery veins that pulsed like living blood vessels.
The blades were incredibly sharp; even in the dim basement light, they cast a cold, dangerous gleam.
Anna easily twirled both daggers in her hands, demonstrating their balance.
"Like this," she said.
"I can create them from Luft in a second. They're as real as any other weapon. They cut through flesh, bone, and even certain types of magic."
She paused. Her face grew slightly paler for a moment. A single drop of sweat rolled down her temple.
"But it drains a lot of strength. Each dagger is a part of me. If I do this too often or for too long, I'll start to weaken."
"I might even lose consciousness. Some vampires collapse after this and can't get up for several days."
She held out one dagger to Ethan, handle first.
"Take it. You can touch them."
Ethan carefully took the dagger. It was cold, almost icy, and carried a living, pulsating energy. The blade felt impossibly sharp; even the air around it seemed to prickle across his whole body.
"This… is incredible," he whispered, turning the dagger in his hands.
"It's made from your flesh and blood…"
Anna nodded.
"Yes. But remember, we vampires can do this. You won't be able to replicate it. And I wouldn't advise using that stake you're holding."
"That stake is the opposite kind of weapon. It's like a copy of ours, but it kills its wielder. We draw power from ourselves and give it to the weapon."