Inside the abandoned mansion.
The grand hall was wrapped in dense shadows. Moonlight filtered weakly through the cracks in the boards covering the windows, drawing silver stripes across the dusty floor. A cracked marble fireplace dominated one of the walls, though no fire had burned in it for decades. The air smelled of rotten wood, dampness, and forgotten old splendor.
Simon stood by one of the boarded-up windows, watching the outside with the blunderbuss resting on his shoulder. His platinum-white hair gleamed faintly under the moonlight that managed to slip through.
Violet was seated in an old worn velvet armchair, methodically reloading her revolvers. Her hands were still trembling slightly from the adrenaline, but her gaze was steady. Her military braid had come slightly undone, and a few black strands fell across her face.
Emely, a bit further away, was cleaning her weapon with a rag while pacing back and forth with contained nerves. She was a woman of precise movements and a sharp gaze, her black uniform slightly torn on one sleeve.
Simon stepped away from the window and looked at the two women.
"Falcon is on his way. He says he killed some kind of monstrous stag that had one of ours impaled on its antlers. He put the poor devil out of his misery."
Violet looked up.
"Was it someone we knew?"
"He didn't specify," Simon replied, shaking his head. "He just said the man was wearing the uniform and the lion on his back. At least he rests in peace now."
Emely let out a long sigh and leaned against the wall.
"First Derek… now another one. This forest is swallowing the entire team. And that coward Chris just fled with the airship. If I see him again, I'll put a bullet in him myself."
Violet pressed her lips together and looked toward the boarded-up window.
"We have to survive until Falcon arrives. Then we'll decide what to do about the Iron Vesper… and about Chris."
Simon nodded slowly, his electric-blue eye shining with determination in the gloom.
"We'll survive. We're L.I.O.N. We don't give up that easily."
Silence fell over the mansion once again, broken only by the distant howling of wolves and the occasional creak of old wood.
The three waited, weapons ready, in the darkness of that forgotten house.
The silence was so thick it seemed to have weight of its own. All that could be heard was the distant creaking of old wood and, from time to time, the faint whistle of wind slipping through the cracks.
Simon began to speak, his voice low and grave:
"We need to understand what's really happening with the research team. These animals in the forest aren't ordinary beasts. They seem straight out of hell itself. They move with unnatural intelligence… as if something had corrupted them from within."
Violet, still seated in the worn velvet armchair, checked the cylinder of her revolver with precise movements.
"I agree. Those beasts seem to have some kind of rabies… or mm, I don't know. Honestly, I still can't believe what's happening."
Emely, leaning against the wall beside the phonograph, crossed her arms.
"I say the same. We've already lost one teammate, the entire research team is missing, and some of its members are dead."
Suddenly, a dry metallic sound echoed somewhere on the upper floor. As if something heavy had fallen, followed by a faint dragging noise.
All three tensed instantly. Simon raised the blunderbuss, Violet aimed her revolver toward the darkness of the staircase, and Emely drew her weapon with a quick motion.
"What was that?" Emely whispered.
Violet narrowed her eyes, looking toward the landing of the first floor.
"It came from one of the rooms upstairs… It could be Falcon. Maybe he's already here."
Simon shook his head, frowning.
"It can't be him. There's no way he could have gotten here that fast from where he was. And Falcon wouldn't make that much noise while moving."
Violet took a step toward the staircase, determined.
"I'll go check. If it is him, better to know as soon as possible."
Emely moved away from the wall and positioned herself beside her.
"You're not going alone. It's too dangerous. I'll go with you."
Simon hesitated for a moment, looking back and forth between the two women and then toward the darkness of the hallway leading to other areas of the ground floor. He let out a heavy sigh.
"Alright…" he said finally. "But be very careful. If anything strange happens, shoot first and ask questions later. I'll investigate the rest of the ground floor. For now, this hall will be our rendezvous point. If anything goes wrong, come back here shouting. Don't separate."
Violet nodded firmly.
"Understood. We'll be back soon."
Emely gave Simon a quick glance.
"Don't play hero by yourself, Captain."
The three separated in silence. Violet and Emely climbed the stairs stealthily, stepping carefully to avoid making the wood creak too much. Simon watched them until they disappeared into the gloom of the first floor, then turned on his heels and headed into the dark hallway of the ground floor, blunderbuss in hand.
The hall was left empty once more.
Only the stopped clock showing 3:27 and the faint distant clic-clac of invisible gears broke the silence.
Upstairs, the footsteps of Violet and Emely slowly faded away.
Downstairs, Simon disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind the large portrait of the rampant lion, whose eyes seemed to follow him with an almost living attention.
The mansion, ancient and patient, seemed to hold its breath… waiting.
Violet and Emely climbed the stairs stealthily, each step measured to keep the old wood from creaking too loudly. The hallway on the first floor was narrow and oppressive. The wallpaper, a dark green that was almost black, peeled in some places like dead skin, revealing damp stains that formed irregular shapes. Thin beams of moonlight filtered through the cracks in the boarded windows, drawing silver lines on the dusty floor.
The air was colder up here, heavy with the smell of mustiness, rotten wood, and something metallic that both women knew all too well.
Emely walked a step behind Violet, revolver in hand, looking from side to side.
"This place gives me the creeps," she murmured. "It's like the house is breathing. Have you noticed how the cold gets worse the higher we go?"
Violet nodded without taking her eyes off the front.
"I've been in worse places… but few this quiet. It's the kind of silence that comes before something bad."
They moved down the hallway until they reached the area where the noise had come from. A slightly ajar door swayed very gently, as if someone had left it that way not long ago.
Emely lowered her voice a little, trying to ease the tension.
"Hey, Violet… that scar you have on your left cheek. I've never asked. How did you get it?"
Violet instinctively touched the thin line that crossed her left cheekbone, barely visible in the dim light.
"During the final tests to join L.I.O.N.," she replied in a calm tone. "It was a combat simulation in the Division's underground facilities. A drill that went wrong. One of the instructors didn't hold back enough. He opened my face with the edge of a bayonet. He said it was 'to toughen me up'."
Emely let out a low whistle.
"Damn… It left a mark. I remember when you joined the Crown's Special Operations Division. You were one of the youngest… and one of the most outstanding. Everyone was talking about you." She paused nervously and smiled weakly. "It's a bit silly to say now, but… I've always admired you. From the first time I saw you, I thought: 'this girl is going to go far.' You've always been a bit…"
Violet suddenly raised her hand, making a clear signal for silence.
Emely fell quiet immediately.
Both women froze. A new sound came from inside the room: a slow, steady dripping. Ploc… ploc… ploc…
Violet pointed at the door with two fingers and then made a circular gesture. Emely nodded. They advanced with extreme caution, pushing the door very slowly with the barrel of the revolver.
The room was an old master bedroom, now a picture of decay. A large four-poster bed with dark red velvet occupied the center, its curtains torn to shreds and covered in dust. A carved mahogany wardrobe stood slightly open, and on a fine wooden desk lay several yellowed papers and an overturned inkwell. Moonlight entered through a broken window, illuminating the parquet floor.
Large amounts of fresh blood stained the floorboards. It wasn't just any puddle: it formed an irregular trail leading from the center of the room toward a half-open door in the far wall, as if someone — or something — had been dragged.
Violet crouched slightly, examining the blood.
"It's recent… it's still shiny," she whispered. "It hasn't been here more than half an hour."
Emely swallowed, looking at the trail that led to the second room.
"There's another door in there… looks like a dressing room or private bathroom. Do we go in?"
Violet glanced at Emely for a second, then turned her gaze back to the blood trail.
"We go in. But carefully. If you see any movement, don't hesitate."
The two women moved slowly toward the half-open door at the far end, the sound of dripping growing clearer.
Ploc… ploc… ploc…
The air inside the room felt heavier, colder.
Violet and Emely entered quickly but cautiously, weapons raised. The second room was a small private dressing room, with a broken vanity, a cracked mirror, and several old garments hanging from rusted hooks. Moonlight entered weakly through a small barred window.
What they saw froze them in place.
A human figure — or what had once been one — was kneeling over another person lying on the floor. The creature was slowly and sickeningly devouring the neck and shoulder of its victim. Wet, repulsive sounds of flesh being torn and chewed filled the air. Blood fell in thick strands from its mouth, forming a dark pool that dyed the parquet floor a deep wine red. The metallic, sweet smell of fresh blood flooded the room, making the air even denser and more suffocating.
Emely startled violently and took a step back. The old wooden floor creaked loudly under her boot.
CRACK.
The creature stopped instantly.
Slowly, in a terribly eerie way, it turned its head toward them. The movement was unnatural, as if the bones in its neck didn't fully obey human laws.
It was a pale, almost cerulean face, covered in fresh blood that dripped from its chin and cheeks. The eyes, sunken and shining with a sickly yellowish glow, stared at them without blinking. The mouth, still slowly chewing a piece of flesh, curved into a slight, disturbing smile, revealing teeth stained red. A thread of bloody saliva hung from its lower lip.
The wet sound of chewing continued for another second… crunch… slurp…
Violet reacted first. She went on guard, aiming her revolver directly at the creature's head with both hands.
"Don't move!" she ordered in a firm voice, though her pulse quickened.
Emely, still recovering from the shock, raised her weapon as well, though her breathing was ragged.
The creature did not stand up. It remained kneeling over its victim, watching them with that twisted, bloody smile. Its head tilted slightly to one side, as if studying them with morbid curiosity. From its throat came a low sound, almost a gurgling purr, mixed with the noise of the flesh it was still chewing.
Violet clenched her jaw.
"Emely… back away slowly. Don't take your eyes off it."
The creature swallowed what was in its mouth with an audible and unpleasant sound. Then, with that same disturbing slowness, it began to rise, never breaking eye contact.
The blood from its victim continued dripping to the floor.
Ploc… ploc… ploc…
The silence that followed was worse than any roar.
The creature began to stand up slowly, with fluid but unsettling movements, as if its joints weren't quite connected correctly. The blood of its victim slid down its chest and arms as it got to its feet.
Emely, her voice trembling but trying to stay in control, spoke to it:
"Who are you? What did you do to that person? Can you… understand us?"
Violet, without lowering her gaze or her weapon, replied dryly:
"It's no use, Emely. Look at its eyes. It's lost all trace of reason. It's no longer human."
The creature tilted its head, that bloody smile still curving its lips. Suddenly, Violet pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet fired… but the creature dodged the shot in a supernatural way, moving its head to the side with impossible speed. Before they could react and fire again, the beast lunged at Emely in the blink of an eye.
Emely barely had time to raise her arm. She put her left hand between the creature and her face to protect herself. The creature's mouth closed with brutal force around her hand, sinking its teeth deep into the flesh.
"AAAAAH!" Emely screamed in pain.
"EMELY!" Violet roared, horrified.
Violet began firing frantically at the monster's head.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The bullets struck the creature's skull and face, tearing off pieces of skin and bone, but it wouldn't release Emely's hand. The young woman's blood gushed between the beast's teeth.
With a desperate effort and her face contorted in pain, Emely drew her combat knife with her right hand and stabbed it with all her strength into the side of the creature's neck.
The beast let out a guttural, high-pitched howl — an inhuman sound of pain. Its body shook violently. Emely, screaming with rage and suffering, twisted the knife and then kicked it hard in the chest, finally pushing it away.
The creature staggered backward, the knife still embedded in its neck and several bullets lodged in its face.
Violet seized the moment. With quick and precise movements, she reloaded her revolver, took a step forward, and aimed coldly.
"Die already."
BANG!
The final shot struck right in the center of the creature's forehead. Its head exploded in a grotesque rain of blood, bone, and brains that splattered the walls, the cracked mirror, and the floor. Chunks of gray and red matter flew across the room.
The decapitated body remained standing for an eternal second… and then collapsed heavily onto the pool of blood with a wet, final sound.
Silence returned abruptly.
Emely fell to her knees, breathing hard, clutching her bitten hand that was bleeding profusely. Her face was pale and covered in sweat.
Violet approached quickly, still aiming at the corpse just in case, and knelt beside her companion.
"Emely… damn it! Let me see that hand."
The room was left in semi-darkness, lit only by the moonlight coming through the barred window. The smell of fresh blood and gunpowder was overwhelming. On the floor, the headless body of the creature still twitched slightly with its final spasms.
Violet looked toward the door they had entered through, worried.
"Simon… we have to warn him. If there are more creatures like this in the mansion, I doubt he's safe right now."
Emely gritted her teeth, trying to control the pain. Her hand burned like fire.
Violet pulled a small leather first-aid kit from her coat, opened it quickly, and began cleaning and bandaging the wound with precise and firm movements.
"How do you feel?" she asked without looking up.
Emely let out a short, shaky laugh, trying to lighten the moment.
"Like I got bitten by a horse in a bad mood… but I'm still in one piece. I'll survive. Thanks."
Violet finished the bandage with a secure knot and then bent down to retrieve the knife still lodged in the monster's neck. She pulled it out with a sharp tug and handed it back to Emely by the handle.
"Here. You earned it."
Emely took it with her good hand, still breathing heavily.
The two stared at the decapitated body of the creature lying motionless in the pool of blood.
"What the hell…" Emely murmured in disgust, wrinkling her nose. "What the fuck was that?"
Violet put away the first-aid kit and wiped her hands on her coat.
"There's something very wrong with this forest. Not just the animals… but the humans themselves."
Emely nodded slowly, still pale.
"Well, if this keeps up, we're going to need more than bullets to get out of here."
They cautiously approached the other corpse, the one the creature had been devouring. The man lay on his back, completely disfigured: deep bite marks across his chest, arms, and neck, flesh torn in irregular strips. His face was frozen in an expression of pure terror, eyes wide open, mouth slightly agape as if still begging for mercy.
Emely crouched with difficulty, holding her bandaged hand against her chest. She searched through the remains of the torn black uniform until she found a small metal identification tag. Blood covered it almost completely, but the engraved name was still legible.
"George Cooper," she read quietly. "He was from the Erebus Scientific research team."
Violet stared at the corpse in silence for a few seconds.
"Another one…" she whispered.
Emely pocketed the tag and stood up slowly, holding her bandaged hand against her chest.
"We have to tell Simon about this right now," Violet said, holstering her revolver but keeping her hand on the grip. "If there are more of those things around, we can't stay separated."
Emely nodded, still pale.
"Let's go."
The two descended the stairs stealthily, each step careful on the faintly creaking wood. The grand hall on the ground floor received them in silence. The black marble fireplace was still there, with its eight carved marks on the mantel. The portrait of the rampant lion seemed to watch them from the wall, and the stopped clock eternally marked 3:27.
"Simon?" Violet called softly.
No answer.
They searched the main hall and the small adjacent rooms: a narrow study with empty shelves and a side parlor with furniture covered in dusty sheets. Their boots left clear footprints in the dust, but they found no trace of the captain. Not a single fresh footprint that wasn't their own.
"Simon?" Emely repeated, louder this time.
Only the echo of her voice bounced off the walls.
Violet activated the communicator on the collar of her coat.
"Simon, this is Violet. Do you copy? We're in the main hall. Respond."
Silence.
She tried again, adjusting the volume.
"Captain Simon, respond. Emely and I are downstairs. We have important information. Do you copy?"
Nothing. Only a faint crackle of static, and then absolute emptiness.
Emely looked at Violet, concern clear on her face.
"He's not answering…"
Violet slowly lowered the communicator, her eye fixed on the darkness of the hallway.
The mansion remained silent.
Only the distant clic-clac of invisible gears and the faint dripping of blood upstairs broke the quiet.