the timeless Vampire

The lab shuddered as the Eternity Core's hum faltered, its red veins sputtering. The single bulb swung erratically, casting wild shadows across the Chronovault's cracked walls. Outside, the violet sky roared with chaos as a monstrous horde shattered the shield—hulking beasts with molten eyes charging forth, their footsteps shaking the ground, while wraiths trailed deathly mist, their screeches piercing the air. Kael's hunger gnawed fiercely, fangs throbbing, as the survivor's blood scent sharpened. He gripped The Alchemy of Eternity, the new equation glowing on the tablet, but the door exploded inward, splintered by a beast's massive claw.

A 29-year-old woman staggered in, her dark hair clotted with blood, clutching a jagged blade. "Dr. Kael, I'm Lira—enclave scout!" she gasped, shoving the survivor behind her. Her green eyes burned with resolve, though her torn uniform sagged with exhaustion. "They're coming!"

A beast barreled through, its molten gaze locking on Kael. He dodged its swipe, the heat singeing his sleeve, and tackled it, driving the tablet's edge into its skull. Black ichor sprayed, but another beast roared, its claws raking the console. Kael rolled, grabbing a shard of metal, and stabbed upward, piercing its throat. The creature collapsed, but a wraith materialized, its mist coiling around him. He choked, vision blurring, until Lira leaped in, her blade slicing through its ethereal form. The wraith shrieked, dissipating, but a third beast charged, its jaws snapping.

Kael's hunger surged, the beast's blood tempting him, but he fought it, lunging again. He jammed the metal shard into the beast's eye, twisting until it howled and fell. Lira parried a wraith's tendrils, her blade glowing faintly, but exhaustion slowed her. Kael grabbed her arm, pulling her back as another beast crashed through the wall, debris raining down. He smashed a chair leg into its leg, toppling it, then stomped its head, black blood pooling.

"Focus on the Core!" Lira yelled, dragging the survivor to a corner. Kael staggered to the console, hands shaking as he input the equation. The Core pulsed, stabilizing briefly, but his hunger roared as the beast's blood glistened. Memories of his mother's voice—"Survive, Kael"—anchored him.

Lira returned, breathless. "We need to hold them off. The enclave's last stand depends on this." Kael nodded, the vampire shadow merging with his hunger and determination clashing. The Core's light flared, forcing the monsters back, but the siege raged on.