The curse of the hunted.

Chapter Four

The next few days blended into a blur of activity. The facility, with its peeling paint and eerie silence, became our training ground and makeshift headquarters. Each morning began with Alaric and Cassandra delving into the intricacies of his new powers, while Jared and I mapped out the practical applications of his abilities. Lila's tech setup was running smoothly, providing us with crucial data and keeping an eye on the facility's perimeter.

One evening, as we gathered around the table for a brief meeting, Lila broke the silence. "I've found something," she said, her fingers flying over her laptop's keyboard. The screen flickered with images of old documents and blueprints.

"What did you find?" I asked, leaning closer.

Lila adjusted her glasses and turned the screen towards us. "These are schematics of the facility, but they also include annotations—notes about experiments and subjects. Some of it looks like it's related to vampire lore."

Cassandra's eyes narrowed as she studied the documents. "This could be significant. If there's information about how the vampires were studied or contained here, it might give us insight into what Alaric is dealing with."

"Exactly," Lila said. "And there's more. I found references to an ancient artifact—something called the 'Crimson Obelisk.' It was mentioned frequently in the notes, and it seems to have been a focal point of their research."

"An artifact?" Jared asked, crossing his arms. "What does it do?"

"That's the problem," Lila replied. "The notes are incomplete. They mention it in the context of controlling or amplifying powers, but there's no detailed explanation of its purpose or current location."

"Maybe it's still here," Alaric suggested, his interest piqued. "If this artifact has anything to do with controlling or understanding my abilities, it's worth finding."

Cassandra nodded. "Agreed. We need to locate this Crimson Obelisk. It might provide answers or at least give us a better understanding of what's happening."

The plan was set. We decided to search the facility for any clues related to the artifact. The process was meticulous—every room, every hidden corner was examined, and the notes and schematics were scrutinized for any mention of the obelisk.

By late evening, our search had yielded little beyond some old research files and equipment. Frustration was starting to set in when Lila called out from the library, her voice filled with excitement. "I think I've found something!"

We gathered around her as she pointed to a dusty book on a high shelf. The cover was worn, and the title was barely legible. "The Secrets of the Crimson Obelisk," Cassandra read aloud, her eyes widening. "This could be it."

I glanced at Alaric. "Let's hope it holds the answers we need."

With a careful touch, Cassandra opened the book and began to flip through the pages. The text was filled with archaic language and intricate diagrams, but there were passages that stood out. Cassandra's eyes skimmed the pages rapidly, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"This," she said, pointing to a passage, "describes the obelisk's properties. It seems to have the ability to amplify or dampen supernatural powers. It was created by an ancient vampire cult as a means of controlling their own kind."

"That sounds like exactly what we need," I said. "But how do we find it?"

Cassandra continued reading. "There's a reference here to a hidden chamber beneath the facility. It was supposedly used to house the obelisk. We might have missed it during our initial search."

"Let's check it out," Jared said, already moving towards the hallway. "We need to see if this chamber still exists."

We followed the directions in the book, navigating through the labyrinthine corridors of the facility. The air grew colder as we descended deeper, and the walls seemed to close in around us. Finally, we reached a heavy metal door, partially concealed behind a crumbling wall.