After a while, Lynx and Alex sat talking. The air between them was calm, but heavy with curiosity.
Lynx finally stood up, brushing off his coat. "Alright, I'll let you rest. You probably need some privacy."
But just as she was about to step out, Alex stopped him.
"Wait," Alex said, narrowing his eyes. "Which family are you from?"
Lynx smiled slyly. "You'll know tomorrow."
she walked out, leaving Alex confused and oddly restless. That night, Alex lay on his bed staring at the ceiling — but his mind couldn't stop drifting back to Lynx.
Then suddenly, ring ring.
His phone vibrated beside him.
Alex panicked, picked it up, and saw the name — Liana.
"Oh no," he whispered. He hesitated, then answered. "Uh… hello?"
Liana's soft voice came through the line. "Hi. How are you? I bet you're busy now."
Alex scratched his head nervously. "Not really."
"So… you're still training?" she asked.
"Yeah… kind of."
"Okay, that's all. I just wanted to hear your voice and get your news. Bye."
"Bye," Alex replied.
They ended the call. Alex lay there in silence, his phone still in his hand.
He stared at the ceiling again and sighed. Tomorrow's going to be… interesting.
Then he finally fell asleep — wondering what the next day would bring.
Morning light spilled through the curtains. Alex got up, stretched, and started getting ready for the big event.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
He opened it — and standing there was an old man in sunglasses and a perfectly serious face.
"Zayn?" Alex blinked.
"Faster!" Zayn barked. "We're late!"
"Wait a minute! And where are Encinto and Jogo?" Alex asked, still buttoning his shirt.
"They're already downstairs," Zayn grumbled.
A few minutes later, Alex stepped out looking sharp — his black suit fitting perfectly, his hair neat, his eyes calm but determined.
Zayn gave him a once-over and nodded. "At least you look like someone who can afford to be late."
They entered the lift and descended to the lobby. But when the doors opened, the place was empty. Not a sound.
Alex frowned. "Uh… where is everyone?"
Zayn smirked. "The event's not here."
"Oh."
Zayn walked to the counter, handed the cashier a small card, and suddenly — ding! — a secret elevator door opened from behind the wall.
Alex's jaw dropped. "No way…"
"Come on," Zayn said casually, stepping inside.
Alex followed, pressing a glowing button on the panel. The elevator began descending, and as it did — the walls turned transparent, revealing a breathtaking underwater view filled with glowing sea creatures swimming gracefully.
"Woah…" Alex whispered in awe.
When the doors finally opened, the sound of laughter, music, and clinking glasses filled the air. They had arrived at a massive underwater ballroom, packed with people from the Hunter family celebrating like royalty.
Zayn turned to him. "You like it?"
Alex blinked, taking it all in. "I don't know… but the vibe's definitely hype."
From behind them, someone shouted, "Hey yo, come on! Don't just stand there — party!"
Alex turned to see Lazon, holding a drink and grinning ear to ear.
Zayn rolled his eyes. "What do you want now?"
Lazon shrugged. "Relax, I just wanna fit in with the family!"
"Good luck with that," Zayn muttered and walked off, Alex following behind.
They stopped at a table where an elderly man with a majestic beard sat — Barisco, one of the oldest Hunters.
"Hey old man, how are you?" Zayn greeted.
Barisco chuckled. "Good. But you're old too, you know."
"Yeah, but I'm not ten thousand years old."
Barisco laughed heartily. "Haha! Fair enough. And who's this young man?"
Alex stepped forward politely. "Hi, I'm Alex — his grandson."
Barisco raised a brow. "What happened to your son, Zayn?"
Zayn's smile faded slightly. "He passed away."
Barisco nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Zayn sighed. "It's alright. So, where's your son?"
Barisco pointed across the room. "There — talking to someone."
Alex and Zayn turned to look. A tall, well-dressed man with a charming smile was chatting confidently with others.
When he noticed them, the man excused himself and walked over. "Uncle Zayn! It's been a while." He shook Zayn's hand warmly, then turned to Alex with a grin. "And you must be Alex."
"Yeah," Alex said, returning the handshake.
"So how are you, my generation?" Zayn said with an awkward smile.
Alex frowned. "Wait, what the hell is that supposed to mean — 'generation'?!"
Zayn ignored him. "Whatever. Sorry, what should I call you?"
The man chuckled. "Just call me Marlon."
"Ooh, alright then," Zayn said. "Sorry for calling you 'generation' — I'm still learning to talk like the modern crowd."
"Don't worry," Marlon said with a smirk.
Just then, Encinto and Jogo arrived, each holding fancy drinks and wearing flashy suits like they'd just robbed a fashion store.
"Where did you two get those?" Alex asked, half impressed, half suspicious.
Encinto grinned. "We just used a bit of our job payment. You know—"
Then his voice froze mid-sentence. His jaw dropped, eyes widening. Everyone's heads turned to see what he was looking at.
There she was — Lynx.
She looked stunning, confident, walking through the crowd like she owned the place. Heads turned as she smiled and made her way toward Alex's group.
Marlon stepped forward. "Hey, Lynx, what do you want? Did something happen?"
But she brushed past him, her eyes locked on Alex.
She placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, then traced her fingers down his arm, pausing at his chest with a playful smirk. "How are you, sweetie?"
The entire table froze.
"WHAT?! SWEETIE?!" everyone shouted in unison.
Lynx glanced at Marlon and scoffed. "Why, Marlon? You think I'd fall for someone like you?"
Marlon folded his arms, pretending to stay calm. "Why not? I'm better than him."
Lynx smirked and tilted her head. "Oh really? Keep telling yourself that."
Zayn whispered to Alex, "Well, congratulations, boy — you've just started a family war over your abs."
Alex groaned, "Grandpa, please not now."
Encinto sipped his drink dramatically. "Ah yes… romance, chaos, and jealousy — my three favorite appetizers."
Jogo nodded. "I'm just here for the snacks, honestly."
"Yeah, that's right — my son deserves it," Barisco interrupted proudly.
But before anyone could respond, a voice came from behind.
"No. It's her choice, not yours."
Everyone turned.
Zayn squinted. "Alibas? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," said Alibas calmly, sipping his glass of water. "And she's my granddaughter."
Lynx turned to him. "Grandpa, can I and Alex go somewhere?" she asked softly.
"Of course you can," Alibas said with a gentle smile. "There's nothing much going on here anyway."
"Let's go, Alex," Lynx said, pulling his hand.
They walked out to the balcony overlooking the glowing underwater lights. Lynx handed Alex a drink and leaned casually against the railing.
"So," she said with a smirk, "tell me what you and your grandpa have been through in your exciting adventures."
Alex chuckled, rubbing his neck. "Nothing exciting, honestly. Just some criminals… and missions here and there."
She laughed softly, sipping her drink. "You make dangerous stuff sound like a walk in the park."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall — chaos.
Encinto and Jogo were throwing money at a gambling table, surrounded by groaning losers.
"Come on! How do they always win?!" one man complained, slamming his hand on the table.
Encinto, now tipsy, grinned. "Guess we've got luck on our side, brother! This is enough for the night. Let's go, Jogo."
He staggered away with Jogo following, both of them laughing like fools with pockets full of chips.
Back at the main table, Alibas and Zayn sat facing each other, talking like two ancient kings.
"So tell me," Alibas began, "does age treat you well, Zayn?"
Zayn laughed heartily. "I don't feel a thing! Honestly, I feel just like my young days — maybe even better!"
Alibas raised an eyebrow. "Still doing jobs like before?"
"Yeah," Zayn said proudly. "I don't know what else to do, to be honest."
"Why not start a business?" Alibas suggested.
Zayn shook his head. "No way. That's not my thing. I prefer a gun and chaos over spreadsheets and taxes."
Alibas chuckled. "Still the same old troublemaker."
Scene: The Mysterious Night
Later that night, muffled voices echoed from Alex's room.
"Ah—! Don't touch me there, Alex, honey," Lynx's voice teased.
"But I can't help it— it's hot in here," Alex replied breathlessly.
The scene faded into moonlight and silence.
Scene: The Morning After
The next morning, Alex woke up in his bed, his head pounding. He looked around — Lynx was gone.
At the bar, Encinto and Jogo were passed out, each hugging a whiskey bottle like it was a teddy bear.
Zayn and Alibas were snoring loudly on the bartender's table, empty glasses scattered everywhere.
Then, all at once, everyone woke up.
"OOOH SH*T— WHAT HAPPENED?!"
Alex jumped up, panicked, and rushed to the shower. Encinto and Jogo scrambled to their rooms, tripping over chairs, while Zayn stumbled drunkenly down the hall muttering, "Who moved the floor?"
Alex caught up to him and helped him back to his room. "Zayn! I need to talk to you — it's important!"
Zayn squinted, still half-asleep. "What is it, son?"
"What happened last night? Why does it feel like a dream?" Alex asked, his tone serious. His heart pounded with unease.
Before Zayn could reply, Encinto and Jogo burst into the hallway, carrying their half-packed bags.
Knock-knock-knock-knock!
Alex opened the door. "What do you want?" he said, suspicious.
"What the hell happened last night? Why do I feel like I'm part of some weird movie sequel?" Encinto asked, clearly shaken.
Alex turned to Zayn, waiting for answers.
Zayn sighed deeply, suddenly sober. His tone changed — calm but heavy.
"Listen. Once you discover the truth, there's no turning back. You'll never see lies the same way again."
Alex hesitated. "We're ready, but—"
Zayn cut him off. "There's no 'but.' You either know it until the end… or you'll stay trapped in confusion forever. So — what do you choose?"
Alex met his grandfather's gaze, then nodded firmly. "I'm in."
Zayn extended his hand. Alex gripped it.
"Alright," Zayn said. "Remember I told you our ancestor married a vampire?"
All three nodded.
"This—" Zayn gestured around them — "this is the old castle. The first one. The place where they married, raised their children, and… died."
He paused, staring blankly into space.
Alex nudged him. "Why'd you stop? Forgot your own story?" he teased.
Zayn glared at him. "No, idiot. I just realized something."
"Then tell us what you realized after you finish the story," Alex said, half laughing.
Zayn sighed. "Fine. After their marriage, the couple cast a spell — a family oath. It said: All my generations will gather here to celebrate our marriage every hundred years. And according to my calculation… today's that day."
Encinto blinked. "So… is that good or bad?"
"Maybe good," Zayn said. "It's just an arranged marriage thing — one night only."
Encinto shrugged. "One night? Easy. Could've been worse."
"Yeah," Zayn said with a small grin, "but legend says that one night feels like a whole month."
Alex groaned. "So… do we at least get food?"
Zayn laughed. "We'll see tonight."
Scene: The Castle Gathering
By noon, everyone from the Hunter family gathered in the lobby, preparing to move to the old castle. Zayn, Alex, Encinto, and Jogo stood aside, whispering.
"So what's the plan?" Encinto asked.
"Maybe we wait until the marriage's over," Jogo suggested.
"Or maybe," Alex said, "we just go and enjoy it?"
Zayn looked at them all seriously. "No. Here's the plan: we act normal. But if any of you feel something strange — anything — you come to me immediately. We leave together. Got it?"
The tension in his voice made the air heavy.
Just then, a familiar voice interrupted. "Hey! What are you guys doing?"
It was Lynx, arms crossed, clearly suspicious.
Zayn raised an eyebrow. "I should be asking you that, kid." His tone had that mock-gangster "bob dada" energy.
"My grandpa sent me to find you, old man," Lynx snapped, marching toward him. "And don't call me kid!"
"Alright, alright, calm down," Zayn muttered, hands up as he walked away.
Encinto and Jogo followed. Alex was about to go too — but Lynx grabbed his hand.
"What?" Alex asked.
"Why are you guys having secret meetings in hallways? You some kind of weird spy group with a weird leader and even weirder teammates?" she said, glaring at him.
Alex sighed. "Okay, listen. My grandpa told me something — kind of a superstition. Or maybe a legend."
"Just tell me what it is," she insisted.
"Fine," Alex said, taking a deep breath. "It's about one of our ancestors — from around King Arthur's era. He married a vampire woman. That's why our family can live longer than normal. But the real curse came at their wedding. The man made a vow: We stand here until death, and our sons will shine forever until death comes. Then the woman added a spell — 'Valiasito.' It means every hundred years, all of their bloodline must gather to celebrate their marriage again. And tonight… is that night."
He finished, breathing hard from the long explanation.
Lynx blinked. "So basically… we're gonna celebrate it tonight?"
"Yeah," Alex said, nodding. "That's the basic version."
They walked down the grand staircase where everyone had gathered, waiting for something.
Alex approached Zayn. "So what's going on now?"
"I'm not sure," Zayn said quietly. "But it looks like everyone's waiting for something… or someone."
Lynx looked at Alex nervously. "What are they waiting for?"
Alex shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe some magic vampire thing — like a door that opens and bam we're in another world? Like, 'abracadabra, teleportation!'"
Lynx rolled her eyes. "I don't get your humor sometimes. Why are you even laughing?"
Alex grinned. "Because if I don't, I'll probably start panicking."
"Oow, I laugh because this is the first time I talk like this. Before this, I've never been like this. Maybe I'm trying to be Spider-Man or something? You know—funny for once?" Alex said, scratching his head, realizing how strange yet freeing it felt.
Lynx giggled softly.
"Hey, look—something's happening. The door's moving," Zayn said, pointing toward the massive wooden doors.
The doors creaked open slowly, mist crawling out like a scene from a horror movie. Everyone gasped as a couple in old wedding clothes appeared, walking gracefully toward the altar. They looked royal—timeless, like ghosts of beauty and pride.
Everyone silently took their seats in the church. There was no priest, but a mysterious voice echoed through the hall, speaking about the sacred union of the couple.
As the clock ticked, the church bells began to ring rapidly—each chime sending chills down everyone's spine. The tension was thick, almost suffocating.
"Hey… do you think the couple on the altar are our ancestors?" Alex whispered to Lynx.
"Yeah, maybe. They look beautiful and handsome, right?" she replied, smiling.
"Yeah—wait, how did you know what I was thinking?" Alex blinked in surprise.
"We think the same thing," Lynx said sweetly, grinning.
A moment later, the couple kissed—and just like lightning, everything flashed pure white. Alex couldn't see anything. Then, in an instant, he woke up on his bed, completely lost and disoriented.
Meanwhile, in Zayn's room, the old man woke up scratching his head. "Ugh… why does my head feel itchy? Did I sleep on a cactus or something?" he muttered, feeling like he had a hangover.
In Encinto and Jogo's room, things were… awkward.
"Hey! Stop hugging me!" Encinto shouted.
"What? Oh man, sorry! I didn't even know I was hugging you! Ew!" Jogo replied, pulling away with a disgusted face.
Encinto groaned. "Let's just pack up and meet at Zayn's room before anyone sees us like this."
"Wait—maybe we should ask Alex first," Jogo suggested.
"Yeah… good idea. You're actually thinking smart today," Encinto said, half impressed.
They called Alex. Ring, ring!
"Yeah, hello?" Alex answered groggily.
"Hey, it's Encinto."
"So? What do you want?" Alex asked suspiciously.
"Now's the perfect time to leave. Everyone's still asleep and probably hypnotized or something," Encinto said in a serious tone.
"Alright, meet me at the garage. I'll wake up Zayn and we'll get the hell out of this nightmare," Alex replied firmly.
"Got it."
Alex grabbed his stuff and sprinted to Zayn's room. He knocked. No answer. So, he kicked the door open like an action hero.
"Zayn! Wake up!" he yelled, shaking him, but Zayn didn't move an inch.
Alex ran to the bathroom, filled a glass with water, and splashed it right onto Zayn's face.
"WHAT THE—!?" Zayn jumped up, eyes wide. "What happened? Why do I feel like I got hit by a bus made of hangovers?"
"Quick! Pack your things. We have to leave now. Everyone's still trapped in some kind of dream or trance," Alex explained urgently.
"Alright, give me a minute." Zayn rubbed his face, suddenly full of energy. "Let's move fast."
After packing, they met outside the room.
"Let's go now," Zayn said, tightening his grip on the bag.
"Yeah, you're right, I already knew that—so basically… don't repeat it please," Alex said, trying to sound cool but failing miserably.
Zayn smirked. "Son, that was the worst joke I've ever heard."
They dashed down the hallway toward the parking area, where Encinto and Jogo were already waiting beside the car.
Zayn jumped in, started the engine, and floored it. The car roared through the mist, racing out of the island's territory within minutes.
After five intense minutes, the view of the creepy castle disappeared behind them.
"Well, Grand, where are we going now?" Alex asked, catching his breath, hoping for something thrilling.
"Italy. We're going back home to continue our normal lives," Zayn said firmly.
"What? Really? But… I have my tournament in Italy's center!" Alex protested.
Zayn sighed. "Fine. Only for the tournament, nothing else. Deal?"
"I promise," Alex said with a grin.
"Looks like we can still have some fun when we reach Italy! We're going to Rome, right?" Encinto said from the back, grinning like a kid.
"Yeah, I'm with you, Encinto! Rome, baby!" Jogo cheered.
Zayn shot them both a warning glare. "No trouble this time, understand?"
"Yes, sir!" they both said in unison like two soldiers caught red-handed.
Hours passed. Night fell. Alex and Zayn stayed awake while Encinto and Jogo snored in the back seat like two hibernating bears.