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"We\'ll meet up later." Veran nodded as he began floating in the air. Golden light shimmered on the surface of his skin.

Everyone stepped back from the center of the room, giving him space.

Veran roared and descended with fury, his hand coated in golden vitality. There was a large crash as he punched the ground.

Olivia\'s song faltered as if she had taken a hit and with a sharp nod, Valaren and his wives teleported away.

They were gone, leaving the grand hall eerily silent in their wake.

The room, once filled with the chaos of their staged battle, now stood in stillness, only Olivia\'s song lingering in the air.

Ezra and Olivia moved to the center of the hall, their senses alert for any remaining threats.

Olivia\'s song gradually softened and then ceased, her voice fading into the quiet. They stood ready for what they knew was coming.

Moments later, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor leading to the hall.

Gen and Natalia appeared, their expressions a mix of urgency and determination.

Gen and Natalia entered the grand hall, their eyes immediately taking in the scene of destruction.

Overturned furniture, shattered vases, scattered weapons, gouged walls and the huge crater at the center of the room painted a vivid picture of a fierce and desperate struggle.

Ezra and Olivia stood amidst the chaos, their clothes disheveled and faces marked with determination and relief.

Natalia\'s sharp eyes swept the room, taking in every detail. "What happened here?" she demanded, her voice edged with suspicion. "Where are the Blackthornes? Where\'s Veran Blackthorne?"

Ezra wiped a smear of blood from his forehead, his expression grim. "We lost them."

"You lost them?"

"Your intelligence was faulty, Natalia." Ezra sighed. "They were all fourth ring vampires. How do you expect us to win against all of them?"

"Even with Olivia\'s song, the Blackthornes fought hard, but we managed to hold them off long enough to make them retreat. Unfortunately, they escaped in the chaos."

Olivia nodded, her voice weary but firm. "We did everything we could to capture them, but their teamwork was better. They managed to slip through our fingers at the last moment."

Gen stepped closer, her eyes widening as she studied Ezra and Olivia. "It looks like a war zone in here. How many of them were there?"

Ezra gestured to the broken furniture and scattered debris. "More than we expected. They were desperate and determined to escape. It took everything we had to fend them off."

Natalia was silent as she moved around the room, her gaze critical as she inspected the damage. "And Veran? Did you see him?"

Olivia nodded, her expression serious. "He was leading them. He\'s the one who orchestrated their escape. We tried to stop him, but he was relentless."

Gen crouched beside an overturned table, examining a broken chair leg. "Did they say anything? Give any indication of where they might be headed?"

Ezra shook his head. "No, they were focused on getting away. We couldn\'t get any information from them."

Natalia\'s eyes flicked to Gen, then back to Ezra and Olivia. "Griffin won\'t be pleased. He wanted them alive for questioning."

Ezra met her gaze, his expression firm. "We did our best. The Blackthornes were well-prepared and had the advantage of surprise. We\'ll regroup and find another way to track them down."

Natalia\'s expression softened slightly, a hint of grudging respect in her eyes. "You fought well, considering the circumstances. Griffin will understand that it wasn\'t for lack of trying."

Olivia sighed, glancing around at the wreckage. "We need to assess the damage and report back. We can\'t let this setback stop us. The Blackthornes may have escaped, but we\'ll find them again."

Gen stood, her eyes meeting Ezra\'s. "What\'s our next move?"

Ezra glanced at Natalia, then back to Gen. "We\'ll return home and regroup. We need to plan our next steps carefully. The Blackthornes are resourceful, but they won\'t stay hidden for long."

Natalia nodded, her demeanor professional. "Agreed. Let\'s get moving. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

As they left the grand hall, Ezra and Olivia exchanged a subtle glance, their expressions carefully controlled.

They had managed to maintain the illusion of a fierce battle, convincing Natalia of their loyalty and determination.

The truth of their alliance with the Blackthornes remained hidden, and for now, they had bought themselves precious time to secure the Ascension Well and outmaneuver Griffin.

**********

X descended into the dimly lit underground chamber, the air thick with the scent of blood and despair.

The walls, damp with condensation, absorbed the distant, echoing sounds of Griffin\'s mechanical breathing and the soft, pained groans of Lucien, who was still chained to the wall.

Lucien hung limply from his chains, his body battered and broken. His eyes flickered with a mix of defiance and hopelessness as Griffin loomed over him, a dark figure of wrath and authority.

Griffin turned as X approached, his mechanical voice slicing through the oppressive silence.

"Report, X," Griffin demanded, his eyes narrowing with suspicion and barely contained fury.

X took a deep breath, knowing the consequences of delivering bad news. "The mission to capture the Blackthornes has failed, my lord. Veran and his coven escaped."

The air seemed to vibrate with Griffin\'s growing rage. Without warning, he swept all the tools off a nearby table, sending it crashing to the floor.

The sudden display of anger sent a shiver through X and caused Lucien to flinch in his chains.

"Escaped? How could this happen?" Griffin roared, his voice modulator amplifying his fury. "We had them within our grasp, and now they\'re gone!"

X stood his ground, despite the fear gnawing at his insides.

"Incompetence!" Griffin snarled, the word reverberating through the chamber. "All of this effort, wasted because of your failure."

Lucien, sensing an opportunity, managed a weak, mocking smile. "It seems your plans aren\'t as infallible as you thought, Griffin."

Griffin turned on Lucien with a snarl, his hand lashing out to grip Lucien\'s throat. "You will tell me the location of the Ascension Well," he hissed, his grip tightening. "Or your suffering will be the stuff of legends."

Lucien choked, his eyes bulging as he tried to gasp for air. "I-I don\'t know," he managed to rasp, his voice strained.

With a snarl of disgust, Griffin released his grip, letting Lucien collapse back against the wall.

Turning his focus back to X, he took a deep, measured breath, his mechanical voice modulator hissing softly. "Summon the Matten coven," he ordered, his voice now a dangerous whisper.

"I want them here immediately. We will get to the bottom of this failure, and we will find the Blackthornes."

X bowed deeply, his relief at escaping further wrath hidden from sight. "Yes, my lord. I will summon them at once."

As X turned to leave the chamber, the sound of Lucien\'s labored breathing and Griffin\'s cold fury echoed in his ears.

Ezra had done his part but the hunt for the Blackthornes would continue with renewed vigor and a ferocity that left no room for mercy.

Griffin would demand nothing less.