Deep within the Forbidden Forest—a place few dared tread—a violent disturbance shattered the eerie quiet.
Leaves trembled violently. A black blur shot from the dense woods with a sharp whoosh. The figure rolled across the ground, shoulder-length hair whipping into the air before settling around a striking face—cold, sharp, and beautiful.
She landed in a half-kneel, twin silver pistols drawn in each hand. The tight black leather of her combat suit clung to her athletic frame, accentuating both her grace and lethal precision. Her sapphire eyes locked onto the trees ahead, unblinking.
A heavy, lumbering sound followed—the thudding of boots against soil, the brush of limbs parting foliage.
Without hesitation, her fingers squeezed the triggers.
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Her twin pistols spat fire like twin machine guns, spraying bullets in a deadly arc that shredded branches and leaves. The gunfire echoed like thunder through the ancient woods.
The noise from the underbrush ceased.
But she didn't relax.
She dropped one hand to the ground, pressing her ear low to listen. Silence… then—
Bang!
She vaulted into the air, rising nearly two meters in a blur of motion.
Just beneath where she'd been crouching, a hail of bullets ripped through the earth, sending soil flying.
Gunfire blazed again. One attacker fell from behind a tree, riddled with silver rounds. Blood seeped into the moss-covered roots.
Then—a low growl. Deep. Guttural. Inhuman.
More bullets rained down.
She dove behind the nearest tree, panting hard. The bark splintered behind her as bullets struck like a storm beating a tin roof.
"Damn it," she hissed, clutching her leg.
The leather had been torn. Blood oozed from the gash on her pale thigh—bright red against soft skin.
Her sapphire eyes narrowed. The pupils dilated. And between her parted lips… a glint of sharp fang showed.
"You have nowhere left to run, vampire!"
A towering man—well over two meters tall—emerged from the trees, voice thick with disdain. His rifle hung at his side, relaxed but ready.
Flanking him, two more mercenaries crept forward, weapons raised, their boots crunching through fallen leaves.
The vampire checked her pistols—one magazine left. Her jaw clenched. She'd kill whoever fed her that intel.
"Just a lone werewolf wandering Britain," they said. "Should be easy," they said.
Then where the hell did this rogue pack get silver rounds and military-grade hardware?
Either the informant was a fool… or a traitor.
Just then, the leader paused. He sniffed the air.
His eyes snapped toward the bushes to his left.
"Who's there?! Come out!"
A new voice answered. Light. Amused.
"Oh? Impressive nose."
A young man stepped out from the shadowy woods—calm, composed, cradling a porcelain teacup that still steamed in the chill night air.
In the heart of this haunted forest, he looked utterly relaxed, as if he'd wandered into a garden party.
And that unmistakable smell of strong black tea? Anyone could track him just by scent.
The tall man's eyes narrowed at the sight of the youth's black robes and silver trim.
"…A wizard?"
"Oh, good—you recognize the robes."
The boy took a small sip from his cup. His expression lit with quiet satisfaction.
With a wave of his hand, the teacup floated beside him, suspended in the air.
Then, with a practiced elegance, he bowed.
"Kai Adler. Second-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
The werewolf leader exchanged a glance with the others.
He hesitated—he'd been told never to mess with Wizards. Especially not on British soil.
But this one looked young. Too young.
A floating cup might be clever, but how dangerous could a child really be?
Besides… wasn't that why they'd come here?
"Where's your teacher, boy?" the man asked, taking a slow step forward.
Kai gave him a pleasant smile. "Back at school."
"Then what are you doing here, all alone? Dangerous place for a kid."
Kai nodded thoughtfully. "I got lost. Couldn't find my way back."
Which wasn't entirely a lie—he had lost track of the path back to the Chamber.
The man took another step, closer now.
Kai's tone darkened, just slightly. "Then again… seems like you're lost too, aren't you?"
"That's quite an American accent. Why are you in Britain? Why trespass in the Hogwarts Forbidden Forest?"
The man was now within three paces. He dropped the act.
"Because you fetch a good price, boy!"
His hand lunged forward.
But there was nothing there.
The young wizard vanished from sight.
The man whirled, only to hear Kai's voice behind him—calm and curious.
"Here to kidnap young Wizards, then?"
The leader's pupils shrank. Not just any wizard could Apparate that fast. And certainly not a student.
"Enemy Wizard! Take him down—now!"
Gunfire exploded. The wizard flickered—bullets bounced off an invisible wall mid-air, falling harmlessly to the ground.
Shield Charm.
"Anti-magic rounds! Use the anti-magic rounds, you fools!" the leader barked.
Kai's eyes gleamed faintly. Anti-magic bullets, is it? How thoughtful.
Just as the men scrambled to reload, new gunshots rang out—from the vampire's tree.
One of the mercenaries cried out, hit in the gut. His skin grayed and shriveled on contact—enchanted silver rounds.
The second turned to retaliate, threw aside his gun—and transformed.
His bones cracked. Flesh warped. Fur sprouted. In seconds, another werewolf had joined the fray, leaping toward the vampire's position.
"Idiot," the leader muttered under his breath.
His focus returned to the boy, whose hands hadn't even moved.
"Who… are you really?" he growled.
Kai tilted his head.
"I believe I already said—I'm a Hogwarts student."
He smiled.
"Your prey, wasn't I?"