The Last Shadow of Oldhaven
The Last Shadow of Oldhaven
The heavy cellar lid yielded with a screech, and a rush of cold, stale air flooded into the basement from the darkness. Stone steps led down into the abandoned city catacombs—a labyrinth of damp corridors where the centuries-old gloom barely retreated, even under the light spilling from the house above. In the silence, the crunch of small pebbles underfoot, a hollow echo, and the rhythmic drip of water somewhere in the depths were clearly audible.
In a dead-end branch, behind a pile of collapsed bricks against a cold wall, a girl sat. She pressed her knees to her chest, as if trying to make herself smaller, less noticeable. An angelic face, vast bottomless eyes, plump crimson lips, and thick, curling black hair—everything about her seemed simultaneously fragile and strangely calm. She wore a heavy, high-necked black cloak with a spacious hood and sturdy laced boots. There was no fear in her gaze—only bewilderment and a quiet hope.
— Are you a hunter? Mother told me about hunters... Did you come for me? And Mother? Is she not coming back?
Who is he? He doesn't look like a hunter. How did he find me? But Mother told me to wait here... What is this? More people? I can feel them. Is he not alone? What do they want to do to me?
She looked at me with those enormous, bottomless eyes—it wasn't fear, it was pure confusion and wonder.
— Hey! Where are you? Did you forget to lock the door again?
Confident footsteps echoed from above: Isolda, a neighbor who helped with the housework a few times a week, was slowly making her rounds, peering into every room.
— Mom, look, the cellar door is open! Hey, come out! We're here!
The footsteps were already sounding in the basement itself. Mira, Isolda's daughter, often came along with her mother and eagerly helped out whenever she could.
— Save me. Please... Why are you silent? Say something! Will you save me?..
In this moment, it becomes clear who has been found. This is Letitia—the daughter of Merca, the last of a great vampire lineage, recently slain by the Order's hunters. Now, she is the sole heir to her kind. A choice stands before you: tell Isolda everything, or hide the girl's presence. What will you do?
— Tell them it's just rats, and I'll hide in the shadows! Or... Or just tell them who I am and let's get this over with!