Chapter 4: Blood, Silk, and Shadows Beneath the City
The city of Vel Riven pulsed with ancient magic and hunger.
Lucien’s boots hit the cobbled alley as the portal sealed behind him with a snap. Lilith landed beside him, her body still humming from the dash through the veil.
Her chest heaved. Her pupils were slitted. Her fangs still out.
"We made it," she breathed.
They were inside the Bloodgate District—a sector once ruled by vampires, now locked behind holy barriers, forgotten by the surface world.
And now crawling with things worse than death.
Lucien flexed his fingers. The Scarlet Mark on his chest pulsed, almost alive beneath his skin. It didn’t hurt... it itched. Like it wanted something.
Or someone.
> [Quest Updated: Explore the Bloodgate Vaults Beneath Vel Riven]
Objective: Locate the Relic of Crimson Origin | Optional: Avoid alerting Church Forces]
> [Passive Effect: Scarlet Mark – Grants "Bloodsense" within ancient vampire zones. Warning: May attract Highblood Entities.]