The group returned to the main hall with the large wooden staircase.

“There was another staircase downstairs”, Charlotte said after the others looked through the open doors of the other rooms. “I found it while Sergeij was busy. I think it leads to the living quarters.”

So they moved back downstairs into the entrance hall. The broken tiles had now been covered in dark blood and the earthy floor beneath has been busy soaking it all up. They followed Charlotte through the lower floor until they arrived at a much narrower staircase that hadn’t been kept in such good shape as the main one.

“I don’t want to jinx it”, Charlotte nervously said, “But I expected more enemies.”

“You’re right”, Sadie mumbled. “But maybe it’s because we have forced them to retreat back here?”

“Shh!”

They approached the top of the staircase and went silent to listen to any noise coming from the rooms. The hallway was small and tight, fighting in here would be dangerous but if Charlotte was right and this was indeed the servants’ living quarters, then the rooms wouldn’t be any different.

“Sergeij, you’re coming with me. Charlotte, you’re going with Sadie”, Jonathan said.

They approached the door furthest from the staircase. It was slightly open, but there was no light lit inside. Jonathan pushed the door open carefully.

“Nobody’s here”, he whispered as they checked the room.

Just as they exited the room, they met up with the other two women.

“Nobody’s here”, Sergeij said.

“Let’s continue anyways”, Sadie said when suddenly a shriek echoed through the hallway.

“Vampire!”, Sadie shouted as she drew her pistol out from the trench coat.

Two people ran upstairs, and Sadie managed to shoot one of them, his body immediately falling onto the staircase like a bag of sand. The other, however stumbled over the other’s body, lashing out at Charlotte, who was standing closest to him.

Sadie pushed her out of the way and took another shot. The vampire dropped like the first one and Charlotte screamed out in pain.