PRIME APEX

The moment we stepped off the plane, the cold hit me like a physical force. The Alaskan air was sharp and unforgiving, cutting through my thick coat as if it weren't there.

The sky was an endless stretch of dark gray, and the ground was blanketed in thick, untouched snow. Even though it was morning, it felt like night.

Xander and Vlad, of course, didn't seem fazed. While I was bundled up in layers—thermal leggings, a sweater, a thick jacket, gloves, and a scarf—they remained in their usual attire.

Xander had only added a long black coat over his usual dark clothes, while Vlad, ever the aristocrat, looked pristine in a tailored suit. No coat. No gloves. Just an infuriating lack of reaction to the freezing temperature.

We walked toward a sleek black SUV parked near the exit of the small airport. As we approached, two figures stepped out of the car.

One was a man in his early forties, with a thick beard and piercing blue eyes. He was built like a soldier, broad-shouldered, his stance unwavering.

The other was a woman, younger, maybe in her late twenties, with short auburn hair tucked beneath a fur-lined hood. Her sharp gaze flickered between us before settling on Vlad.

"Vlad," the man greeted, his voice steady.

"Cashmir," Vlad returned with a nod.

"I trust everything is in order?"

Cashmir motioned toward the SUV.

"Supplies, as requested. The location you mentioned is deep in the wilderness. No roads. We'll have to take snowmobiles part of the way."

I stiffened. Snowmobiles? I wasn't exactly trained for extreme survival in the wild.

The woman stepped forward.

"We're dealing with miles of ice, frozen rivers, and temperatures that can kill a human in minutes. If she's coming, she'll need to be prepared."

Her tone was firm, almost dismissive.

Vlad's expression darkened.

"She'll be fine, Piton."

The woman arched an eyebrow but said nothing.

Without further delay, we piled into the SUV, the heater blasting warmth that I greedily welcomed.

We checked into a luxury suite with three bedrooms. The space was modern but had a rustic touch—wooden beams, a stone fireplace, and large windows that overlooked the snowy expanse outside. It was beautiful, in a cold, isolating way.

I sat on the edge of the bed, a sigh escaping me.

"Am I ready for tomorrow?" I wondered aloud, more to myself than anyone.

Early the next morning, we set out. I was wrapped in more layers than I thought humanly possible, yet the cold still seeped through.

Xander and Vlad, as expected, remained completely unaffected.

We traveled by SUV until the roads disappeared, then switched to snowmobiles. The engines roared to life, sending flurries of snow into the air as we sped deeper into the wilderness.

The landscape was breathtaking—endless white, towering trees weighed down with ice, frozen rivers reflecting the pale gray sky.

But there was something else, something beneath the beauty. A silence that felt unnatural.

Hours passed. The wind picked up, howling through the trees. At one point, we had to stop when one of the snowmobiles broke down.

While Cashmir worked on fixing it, I noticed Vlad standing unnaturally still, his gaze locked on the horizon.

"What is it?" I asked.

His expression was unreadable.

"We are being watched."

A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold ran down my spine.

Xander glanced over.

"Wolves?"

Vlad didn't blink.

"No."

I turned, scanning the area. I saw nothing but ice and trees. But I felt it now—a presence. Something old. Something waiting.

We pressed on, moving faster now. The deeper we went, the more the air itself seemed to change. It was denser, heavier, as if the very fabric of reality was thickening.

Then, the storm hit.

The wind turned violent, snow slashing at us in sharp, blinding waves. I gripped onto the snowmobile, struggling to stay upright.

"Keep moving!" Cashmir shouted over the roar of the wind.

Xander reached back, gripping my arm to steady me.

Through the chaos, Vlad's voice cut through.

"We're close."

I could barely see through the whiteout, but as we pushed forward, a shape began to emerge in the distance.

A structure.

No—an entrance.

Carved into the side of a mountain, hidden beneath centuries of ice and snow, was what looked like the mouth of a cave. Massive stone pillars framed it, etched with symbols that I couldn't decipher.

I knew, without a doubt, we had found it.

The nest of the oldest vampires.

The entrance loomed before us, an ominous void framed by the towering pillars of ice and stone.

My breath came in ragged puffs, more from nerves than the cold, as I took in the ancient symbols etched into the rock.

They seemed to hum, their presence heavy, as if whispering secrets only the dead could understand.

"We're here," Vlad murmured, stepping forward.

Cashmir shut off his snowmobile and dismounted, his eyes scanning the cave's entrance with wary calculation.

"No signs of recent tracks," he noted.

"Because they do not need to walk where we can see," Vlad replied, running a gloved hand over the carvings.

"They exist beyond the limits of time and space."

Xander stood close to me, his stance tense. "You still think they'll just welcome us inside?"

Vlad smiled, sharp as a blade.

"They know we're here. We won't have to wait long."

A gust of wind howled through the trees, carrying with it the eerie feeling that we were no longer alone.

The air thickened, pressing down on my chest. Something moved in the darkness of the cave—something I couldn't see but could feel.

Then, the first whisper came.

It wasn't a sound, not exactly. More like a sensation—words forming directly in my mind, slipping through the cracks of my consciousness like cold fingers.

Turn back.

I stiffened. My pulse hammered.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered.

Xander's gaze snapped at me.

"What?"

I swallowed.

"Something—someone—just told us to turn back."

Vlad chuckled, unfazed.

"They are testing you."

The wind picked up again, and suddenly, the shadows within the cave shifted.

Two figures emerged from the darkness, their movements unnaturally smooth. Their faces were pale, ageless, their eyes black voids that reflected nothing.