Bloodlines Legacy Arc 1 Eternal Night

Chapter 7: An Ominous Beginning

Olivia Brooks stood at the edge of the crime scene, her breath coming in short bursts as she surveyed the alley. She'd arrived just minutes ago, her heart racing with the thrill of pursuing a lead that could blow this story wide open. She had slipped past the yellow police tape while the officers were distracted, and now she stood in the very spot where the latest victim had been found.

The scene was eerily quiet, the alley dimly lit by a flickering street lamp. Something about the place felt... off. Olivia crouched down, her eyes scanning the ground for any signs, anything the police might have missed. Her fingers grazed the cold pavement, feeling for any clues that hadn't been disturbed.

But there was nothing. No blood. No struggle. Nothing to suggest that the victim had been brutally killed, despite the coroner's reports of a withered body, drained of blood. It was as though the crime had never happened here.

"This doesn't make sense," she muttered to herself, frustration building as she combed the area for something—anything—that could explain the mystery surrounding the deaths.

Olivia was so focused on the ground that she almost missed the faint shuffle of footsteps behind her. Her heart jumped into her throat, and she spun around just in time to see a police officer heading her way.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here!" the officer barked, his flashlight beam cutting through the darkness and landing directly on Olivia.

"Crap," Olivia whispered under her breath. She quickly stood up, dusting herself off, her mind racing for an excuse.

"Sorry, I'm just—" She stammered, trying to look as innocent as possible. "I'm with the press, Global Insight News. I'm just trying to—"

The officer cut her off, his voice stern. "Doesn't matter who you're with. This is an active crime scene. You need to leave."

Olivia held up her hands in mock surrender, offering a sheepish smile. "Alright, alright, I'm going. Just doing my job."

As the officer escorted her toward the edge of the alley, Olivia's eyes darted around, searching for anything she might have missed. Just as they were nearing the police tape, she overheard a conversation between two officers standing by a squad car.

"...the victim's name was Thomas Shaw. His wife's been notified..."

That was all she needed. Thomas Shaw. She repeated the name in her head, burning it into her memory. If she couldn't get answers at the crime scene, she would go straight to the victim's family.

The officer finally led her out of the crime scene, pulling the tape closed behind her. Olivia offered a polite wave before slipping into the crowd of onlookers gathered nearby. Her mind was already racing ahead, formulating her next move. She would find Thomas Shaw's wife and get to the bottom of what had happened to him.

As she disappeared into the night, Olivia couldn't shake the feeling that she was getting closer to something big—something dangerous.

Across town, in the Cleaners' warehouse, Violet sat at the large table, her mind wandering as the rest of the team gathered around.

Sergei had been the last to arrive, his expression hard as he pulled out his notes from their investigation at the crime scene. He and Violet had altered the scene just in time to avoid detection, but there was still something unsettling about the whole thing.

"There's no blood," Sergei began, his voice gruff as he glanced at the maps on the walls. "No sign of struggle. The body looks like it was drained dry, but there's no evidence to suggest how."

Hugo leaned forward, his brows furrowed. "That doesn't make sense. Even if a rogue vampire was responsible, there should be traces. But it's like the life was sucked out of them without a drop of blood being spilled."

Sora crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "The bodies we've seen so far... they're withered. Twisted. This isn't normal feeding."

Violet listened quietly, her mind racing with possibilities. The deaths had been strange from the beginning, but now it was becoming clear that something darker was at play—something beyond the usual vampire territory wars.

Lucian, seated across from her, spoke up. "If someone is targeting humans like this, they're not trying to feed. They're trying to send a message. This kind of exposure will bring the authorities down on us in no time."

"Whoever's behind this doesn't care about keeping the vampire world a secret," Sergei added. "They want to cause chaos."

The room fell into a heavy silence as the weight of Sergei's words settled over them. If someone was trying to expose the vampire world to the humans, it would spell disaster—not just for the Cleaners, but for all the vampire families.

Violet's mind wandered as the conversation continued. She had a sinking feeling in her gut, a sense that she had seen something like this before. A memory from long ago, something buried deep in the Blackthorne estate's extensive library.

Her thoughts drifted back to the early days of the vampire families—the Before Time, when the first vampires had discovered their powers and learned to control them. She remembered reading about the early struggles, when the first vampires hadn't yet mastered their ability to feed. Back then, they had been able to drain the blood of their victims completely, leaving them as twisted, desiccated husks.

Just like the bodies they were finding now.

The realization hit her like a cold wave. Whoever was behind these killings wasn't just a rogue vampire—they were using an ancient, forgotten power. Something that hadn't been seen in centuries.

Violet looked up, her eyes meeting Sora's across the table. "I think I know what's happening," she said slowly. "But we're going to need to dig deeper."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Violet's voice was steady, but there was a hint of urgency behind it. "Back at the Blackthorne estate, in the library... there's an old book. It talks about the first

vampires—before they learned to control their powers. They could drain the life out of their victims, leaving them like the bodies we've been finding."

Sergei frowned. "You think someone's using that power now?"

"I don't know," Violet admitted. "But it's worth investigating."

The Cleaners exchanged uneasy glances. The idea that someone could be wielding such ancient, destructive power was unsettling. But they all knew that Violet was onto something. If these deaths were connected to the old ways, it meant that the danger they were facing was far greater than they had imagined.

Violet stood, her determination clear. "I'll head back to the estate tonight. We need to find that book. It might be the only way to understand what we're up against."

The others nodded in agreement, and as the meeting came to a close, Violet felt the weight of responsibility settling on her shoulders. Whatever this was, it was bigger than them all.

As she left the warehouse and stepped into the cool night air, Violet knew one thing for certain: this was just the beginning.