The first thing Mathias felt as he emerged from his unconsciousness, and before he could even open his eyes, was the intense cold that covered him, even more terrible than a cold winter. And also, this viscous and moving matter that he clearly felt covering almost all of his body.

Inflicted with a terrible headache as if a mountain had fallen on his head, Mathias came out of his heavy torpor, his eyes sticky and his mouth as dry as a desert.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyelids was that he was completely immobilized, entangled in a large mass of this living black mold that held his arms, legs and lower body firmly. Only his upper body and head were in the open. Mathias tried to free himself, in vain, the black organic matter showing itself as hard and resistant as concrete.

_ "Damn ... but what the ...?" Mathias began to grumble, but immediately fell silent when he noticed the place around him where he was now.

The amazement was total, because he immediately recognized this place, having seen it before, even if it was not in reality ... this large stone circle covering the ground, and surrounded by these four stone pillars worn by time, each marked with a coat of arms of one of the four families ... the rose of Dimitrescu ... the crescent moon of Beneviento ... the horse of Heisenberg ... and the mermaid of Moreau... all carried lighted torches, the red flames dancing in the light, cold wind that had risen.

All around the great ritual circle, stood the ruins of this ancient fortress dating from the Middle Ages, and also these four large statues of kings seated on thrones and whose frozen eyes gazed towards the center of the circle. A fifth statue was in the middle of them, but had been half destroyed.

And finally, at the very center of the ritual circle, was the fifth pillar, the one bearing the coat of arms of the dragon ... the coat of arms of the Derune family.

In front of the Derune pillar, stood Miranda, clad in her big black priestess robe, and who seemed to be finalizing something for the ceremony.

_"Slept well?" she asked without turning to Mathias. "It would be a shame if you missed the ceremony that will see the greatest miracle in the history of this world take place."

_ "What? What are you talking about? Let me go, right now!" Mathias answered angrily, but also feeling an immense fear to gain him. He felt completely overwhelmed by the monumental aura that permeated this place.

_ "Come on, you should have guessed by now, right?" said Miranda, still very calm and cold. "This dear Alcina has already told you a lot. That once, here, centuries ago, your ancestor Ivar, along with the founders of the other four families, ruled here without sharing. They had formed a powerful alliance in order to control the region ... but one thing intrigued me: why? Why rule over this particular valley? I have studied the question for a long time and finally I discovered the answer ..."

She straightened up, turning to Mathias, showing him a smirk. Mathias glared at her, gritting his teeth. She then took one of the torches and pointed to a mural on one of the walls near the five statues of kings. This fresco represented the five lords, together and appearing to join forces to seal something in the depths of this mountain ... an immense and terrifying thing in the form of a mass of living and monstrous flesh ...

_ "Millennia ago, long before the birth of the five lords, the people who lived in this valley worshiped an unknown and giant organism, which they called the Black God ... this same god ended up devouring them all, and did the same with all the peoples who succeeded one another... until the day when the five lords arrived, and wishing to protect their people but also the world from this entity, decided to seal it forever in the bowels of this mountain ... for centuries, the five families have kept the secret and contained the evil imprisoned in this prison ... but times changing and mentalities with, the Dark God became a myth and was forgotten, and the five families dispersed, forgetting their sacred mission and abandoning this valley ... "

Mathias listened without being able to hide his surprise. Miranda then moved away from the fresco to approach more of him, while continuing his macabre little story.

_ "In 1919, when I had just lost my daughter, I no longer had any reason to live ... so I came to this isolated valley to die there ... but after falling into a crevasse, I was arrived in the heart of the mountain ... and it is there, that I discovered it ... imprisoned, asleep for millennia ... this ... marvelous creature, a forgotten masterpiece of the evolution, from where this dark matter that we call mold flowed ... this substance changed me, made me become stronger than I had ever been, and gave me abilities that no one could imagine. .. but above all ... this mutation opened my eyes ... thanks to the power of this mold, everything was possible ... it was there that I understood that it was the new goal of my existence. I was going to bring my daughter back to life. But for that, I had to do some tests first, and that's how I met the descendants of the lords, including yours, Alice Derune. Alice was the first test subject, and thanks to the mold, she too was endowed with extraordinary abilities, in particular her blood ..."

Miranda then approached Mathias, and with one of her sharp fingernails, made a small gash on Mathias's cheek, who winced in sharp pain and felt a drop of blood flow. Miranda smiled and took the drop of blood on the tip of her finger, showing it to Mathias.

_ "But Alice had finally discovered my true intentions concerning her, and she preferred to run away and disappear in nature, to start a new life ... thus, from generation to generation, her mutated and powerful blood was transmitted, until to finally flow through your veins, Mathias, last living descendant of Ivar and heir to the Derune family. Thank you for coming back to the cradle of your family and thus allowing me to finish what I started there for a long time."

A real crazy story, thought Mathias, but who could only believe it now, having already seen the beginning of the truth in the Dimitrescu chapel. He wished it was all a fucking horrible nightmare, but what's the use of denying reality, however surreal it might be?

Miranda brought the drop of blood to her mouth and tasted it, with Mathias' contemptuous gaze on her. But suddenly she was surprised to see the young man, despite being at her mercy, smiling softly and emitting a slight sarcastic laugh.

_ "I know what it feels like to lose someone dear to your heart ..." Mathias said darkly, defying her eyes. "But you are not strong, Miranda, because you are unable to accept reality and mourn your loss ... you think you can play god without suffering the consequences one day or another? You go see ... Alcina will come and make you regret everything you have done to our families and our past."

Although slightly annoyed by the certain audacity with which he spoke to her, Miranda did not let herself be unsettled so easily and in turn smirked at the young man, who did not really like it.

_ "Oh, but I'm counting on her to come for you." she says. "Your blood is not the only one I need to achieve my ends."

A Bait... Mathias should have known it, he felt really stupid not to have guessed it before when it was obvious. He was nothing more than a maggot hanging from a hook to attract prey. "Alcina ..." thought Mathias desperately in his head.

*************

Meanwhile...

For many long minutes now, Alcina Dimitrescu had been walking with a determined step on the rocky path uphill leading to the top of the great rocky hill where the ceremonial site of the lords was located, and she hoped in her heart, where Mathias was too. Behind her, following her with a heavy step and in silence, Karl Heisenberg, his hammer on his shoulders, showed a dark gaze. Donna Beneviento had stayed at the castle with Bela and Cassandra, to watch over them both and serve as the last line of defense in the event of another attack by the lycans.

Speaking of the lycans, Alcina, like Karl, had been surprised to see that since their departure from the castle, no attack against them had taken place ... to tell the truth, no lycan, not even their shadows, did not take place, have been seen ... what did that mean? Was Miranda that confident? Despite the abnormal absence of enemies, the two lords remained on their guard.

_ "You are well aware that we are heading straight into a trap, aren't you?" Heisenberg sighed darkly.

_ "And what do you think am I supposed to do? Turn back and let Mathias die without doing anything? It's out of the question and be warned that if you tried to stop me, I would kill you without hesitation." Alcina replied firmly without turning around and continuing to walk.

_ "I know that ..." Heisenberg replied "... but it's your love for this mortal that may cost you both lives, I hope you are at least aware of that."

_ "Of course I do ... I don't even think that ..." said Alcina, gloomy, but still determined to go through with it.

Suddenly, as they were halfway up the summit of the ritual mountain, a group of bestial grunts and roars tore the night wind. Around the two lords, dozens of fierce lycans appeared, their fangs salivating and their wolf eyes gleaming in the darkness.

_ "I was telling myself that it would be too simple ..." Heisenberg said with a cruel smile, preparing his hammer for the fight.

Alcina was about to do the same, but Karl prevented her from activating her claws and motioned for her to continue.

_ "It's okay ... go rescue your boyfriend. I'll take care of them."

Alcina looked at him, and accepted his proposal without hesitation. Although she disliked Heisenberg, she was grateful to him for accompanying her here.

_ "Thank you, Lord Heisenberg..." Alcina said as she walked away, saying it coldly but solemnly, like a real lady could.

_ "Bah ... none of that with me. Go ahead, before I change my mind." Karl sneered, showing his teeth in a smile at the thought of slaughtering all those Lycans that surrounded him. The creatures seemed to ignore Alcina and not pursue her, focusing on the man with the hammer. The lycans circled around him, like predators circling their prey and waiting for the right moment to pounce on him. Karl snickered even more and then dropped his hammer at his feet.

_ "Hey guys ..." he said. "You know that this mountain is strewn with mines which were exploited during the Middle Ages... But do you know what they contain? ... Iron!"

With that, Heisenberg, with a sneer that turned into a mad laugh, unleashed the full power of his mutation.

From his body, a very powerful magnetic field emanated, manifested by some electric shocks coming from his mutated organs. The magnetic field widened more and more, and to the amazement of the lycans, the patch of the mountain began to shake violently. The rock was gutted by huge cracks, from which arose whole deposits of iron, attracted by the power of Heisenberg.

The man spread his arms, surrounded by a veritable giant tornado of iron ore, and little by little, voluntarily allowed himself to be covered by these pieces, allowing the highest level of his mutation to act. Faced with this transformation, the lycans recoiled. Before their eyes, Heisenberg had tripled in size, now measuring more than ten meters, and having the appearance of a huge quadrupedal creature made of metal, and whose two arms were armed with huge circular saws, sharp and roaring.

Now fully transformed, Heisenberg reopened his mutant eyes beneath his metal shell, gazing at the lycans with unparalleled cruelty, the latter, though very numerous, now appearing reluctant to attack.

_ "Ready for the carnage? I will make a carpet with your furs!" then roared the powerful and metallic voice of Heisenberg, who without the slightest hesitation threw himself on the first group of lycans and tore them to pieces with his circular saw, in an explosion of blood, flesh and bones.

***********

While Heisenberg had stayed behind to hold back the hordes of Lycans, Alcina had run, as fast as she could, through the darkness of the night and the falling snow, to finally reach the top of the great mountain, on the ceremony site.

Immediately her gaze focused on the large stone circle in the center, lit by the torches hanging from the pillars ... but her heart leaped tremendously in her chest when she finally noticed Mathias. He was alive, thanks to the gods, but was held captive, hampered by a large mass of black mold.

_ "MATHIAS!" Alcina yelled, starting to come to him to rescue him.

The young man then raised his head, appearing to be very weakened.

_ "Al ... Alcina! Don't approach! It's a trap!" Mathias managed to say.

Countess Dimitrescu then stopped in her tracks when Miranda appeared, emerging from behind the black mass of mold and a smirk at Alcina, came to stand near Mathias.

_ "Welcome, my dear Alcina ..." said Miranda in a falsely ceremonial way. "So predictable, but I'm not going to complain about it. This will save me wasting more time."

Lady Dimitrescu clenched her teeth and her fists, feeling once again rising within her that rage and hatred she now felt towards this woman in whom she once had an almost blind trust. Miranda saw very well this hatred which was addressed to her, but was not at all afraid of it, on the contrary.

_ "Come on ... you know very well what will happen if you let your anger take over? Is that what you want? Go ahead ... show your dear lover the monster that you really are."

Alcina met Mathias' weakened gaze. Her heart ached, but she focused on Miranda.

_ "You are in a bad position to judge me like this ..." Alcina replied contemptuously, managing to control herself. "You were the one who made me the monster that I am, Miranda, but you already were, even before the mold changed you."

This insult did not even touch Miranda who was showing herself as callous as ice.

_ "You ... Heisenberg, Beneviento and Moreau ... you were only tests, mishaps which will however have helped to advance my work in order to achieve my real project. Now, it is your blood to all I need ... come on, Alcina, it would be so much simpler ... give me your blood, and so, when I have mixed it with that of Mathias, your spirits will be united, and will live together forever in the collective ancestral memory of the mold. And I could finally find my daughter."

_ "I beg you, Alcina! Don't listen to him!" Mathias begged despite the weakening caused by his prolonged contact with the mold. "It's not a way of living together forever. It's not even life, it's only death!"

Lady Dimitrescu remained silent in the midst of the snow and the blowing wind. With trembling fists, clenched teeth, downcast eyes, she was utterly confused. To be reunited with Mathias was what she wanted most... the mold had been able to accomplish everything and could certainly accomplish this miracle... no, she thought! I must not let my feelings blind me to this point! I'm no longer your puppet, Miranda! Now I am free to make my own choices!

_ "You killed my daughter Daniela ..." breathed coldly Alcina, raising her gaze, revealing the sparks of boundless hatred. "You have defiled our families' past and you are about to kill the man I love, without remorse ... I have been more than patient with you, Miranda, but now it's over. I will make you suffer so much that the devil himself will have nightmares for eternity!"

Mathias managed to smile when he saw Alcina's resistance, recognizing her there. This strong, stubborn woman he had fallen in love with. Miranda, meanwhile, sighed softly, still very sure of herself, and expected a reaction like this.

_ "Well ... in that case ..."

With these words, Miranda, in a gesture of superhuman speed, plunged her hand into Mathias' chest, under Alcina's more than horrified gaze. The young man, eyes bulging from the pain and his mouth open in a mute cry, saw a spray of blood come out as Miranda pulled out his bloody, thumping heart, holding it in the palm of her hand. Miranda then lifted her heart and crushed it in her hand, reducing it to a pool of blood that she let run down her face.

_ "Al ..." Mathias moaned, blood flowing from his mouth, before falling, inert.

In shock at what had just happened, Alcina was shaking all over her body and unable to do anything to intervene. Miranda, her face red with the young man's blood, turned to her again. Willingly, Miranda began to transform. Her skin grew paler, the top of her face covering a layer of grayish skin covering her eyes, but a single monstrous eye appearing in the middle of her forehead. Her arms were covered with a bark-like material, and his fingers stretched out with claws. Her legs transformed to leave a cluster of roots forming almost like a tall dress. Behind her back, his six raven wings spread, much larger.

_ "Well ... shall we begin?" she said with palpable cruelty in her voice.

Everything ceased to exist around Alcina as she was plunged into silence. Nothing mattered now, except revenge. This time ... no more holding back his hatred.

In a howl of indescribable rage, Alcina looked up at the sky, her cry echoing throughout the valley and tearing the air.

Alcina let her long claws appear on her fingers, but not only. Her eyes reddened with blood and her pale skin was covered with fine black veins. But letting her anger get the better of her, the mutant parasite in her caused her to undergo further mutations. In intense pain but ignored by Alcina as the rage was great, the skin of the countess's back tore, revealing two pale big mutant growths, very much like dragon wings. It was the first time Alcina had allowed her mutation to manifest at such a stage, and she had hoped never to resort to it. Indeed, she knew that there was a great chance that she could not come back from this form. Her whole body inflicted vile pain on her as though she were pierced by thousands of blades, and tears of blood flowed from her eyes. But seeing Mathias' lifeless body, she told herself that it didn't matter anymore. All that counted was her revenge and the thousand sufferings she was going to inflict.

Seeing the countess releasing her mutation, Miranda showed an even more cruel smile, as well as a spark of madness in her eyes.

_ "Yes, yes! That's good, Alcina! It's so easy with you! You have always been bloody, devoid of wisdom! Taking your blood will be even easier!"

Breathing heavily and in terrible pain from the mutation that was growing in her, Alcina nevertheless managed to stay upright, clenching her carnivorous teeth and gazing hatefully at her enemy.

_ "MIRANDA ... IT'S TIME TO END IT!!" Lady Dimitrescu then roared with all her fury, and in a leap and propelled by her mutant wings, go the first to attack.