My Tribrid System.

[Shadow Inventory]

[An unlimited void used to store items. Consumes MC cells the longer the items are stored.]

"This is good… it means I could use it to transport my army," Tahir muttered, eyes focused on the interface floating before him. A faint red hue flickered over his pupils as he dismissed the window and stepped out of his room.

The base was quiet—too quiet. It was nearing midnight, the kind of hour where decisions changed lives. He found John already waiting at the corridor with his arms crossed, a small duffel over his shoulder, and a focused look in his eyes.

"John, you ready?"

John nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, I'm ready. Are we taking Alaric?"

Tahir gave a quick glance toward the direction of the holding room. "Yeah, grab him. We'll use the rest of the night to prepare. Be alert—you never know what could happen."

John nodded again, already heading toward the room without another word. Alaric had been quiet since the "session" earlier. No taunts, no resistance. Just silence. Maybe his mind was still recovering—or maybe he was plotting.

Tahir exhaled, then turned around.

"Before I go, I need to do something."

He made his way toward the training room. The lights were dimmed. Bruce and Shaw were still there. Both men had been pushing themselves to the brink lately, determined not to be left behind. Shaw was currently going through a strength routine, each punch backed with force enhanced by his Qi. Bruce was sitting by the far end of the room, meditating with his palms glowing faintly red.

When Tahir stepped into his void they both looked up.

"I need to know how to summon a familiar," Tahir said simply.

Bruce stood up slowly. "You're ready for that?"

"I don't know," Tahir replied, "but I want to find out."

Bruce motioned for him to come closer. "Alright. It's not complicated, but it's not something you should take lightly either. A familiar is linked to your soul. It'll fight with you, grow with you… maybe even die with you."

Tahir didn't flinch. "I understand."

Bruce told tahir to reach into a side drawer and pull out a piece of chalk.

"You need to draw a summoning circle—specifically, a pentagon. Each point of the pentagon represents a part of you. Your will, your strength, your blood, your soul, and your desire. Once the circle is done, you input your blood in the center. The circle and the vampire blood in you does the rest."

Shaw walked over. "Familiars aren't chosen by you. You summon based on your inner desire. What you need most in battle—what you crave without realizing."

Tahir took the chalk, knelt on the floor, and began drawing. His strokes were firm and precise, guided by instinct more than knowledge. Within a few minutes, the pentagon was complete, surrounded by several lines of ancient script that glowed faintly under the training room lights.

He reached into his coat and pulled out a small dagger, slicing a shallow line across his palm. The blood dripped freely as he held his hand over the center of the circle.

"Let's see what I need," he said under his breath, letting the blood fall.

The moment it touched the center, the circle lit up in crimson. The room shook.

A loud boom echoed, followed by a gust of wind that blasted outward from the circle. Shaw took a step back. Bruce's eyes narrowed.

"What the hell" Shaw muttered.

Then the circle began to sink inward, the floor beneath it warping into a swirling red portal. From it, an overwhelming pressure spilled out, blanketing the entire room in thick, suffocating aura. The lights flickered, and the walls groaned like they were about to give in.

Tahir remained standing, staring down at the portal without blinking.

The energy that poured out felt familiar—like blood, rage, and control all compressed into one existence.

Then… something stepped out.

It wasn't immediate. First, two glowing red eyes appeared in the void. Then large, clawed feet rose from the mist. A monstrous figure, easily over ten feet tall, emerged. Its body was covered in sleek obsidian armor, and a flowing crimson mane trailed behind it. It had two curved horns that pulsed with energy,— accompanied with what looked like four wings, two normal, two above its normal wings, and two large saber by it side.

Its presence silenced everything.

Bruce took a step back. His lips parted slightly.

"That's… not normal," he said.

Shaw was frozen, his hands unconsciously tightening into fists. "What is that thing?"

The beast let out a low growl. Its voice wasn't human, but the message echoed clearly inside Tahir's mind.

You summoned me. I am bound to you.

Tahir stood tall, his blood-stained hand hanging loosely by his side. The pressure didn't weigh him down—it energized him. Like something inside him had been missing all this while, and now it was whole.

"What's your name?" Tahir asked.

I have no name… the beast said. You may give me one.

Bruce exhaled slowly. "You don't understand, Tahir. That's not a regular familiar. That thing… that thing feels like a primordial."

Tahir glanced back. "Primordial?"

"Old blood," Bruce said. "Ancient familiars. Most of them shouldn't even exist anymore. They're tied to the original vampire clans—beings with no defined form, born from raw desire and power."

Shaw nodded. "That's not something we train with. That's something you keep sealed unless you're ready for war."

Tahir turned back to the beast. "I guess that means I summoned exactly what I needed."

The creature tilted its head. Its six eyes all focused on Tahir with an eerie calmness.

What would you have me do, master?

Before Tahir could answer, alarms suddenly rang through the base. A loud blaring siren cut through the silence, followed by the voice of an automated system.

[Security alert. Unidentified aura detected across the base perimeter.]

Bruce moved to the side. "Damn it. Whatever that thing is—it's disrupting everything."

Tahir nodded, his gaze still on the creature. "John, get Alaric and the army loaded into the holding room. We leave by dawn. We don't have time."

"Got it," John's voice came through the intercom. He sounded calm, focused.

Shaw turned to Tahir, his expression still tense. "You going to be okay handling that thing?"

Tahir raised his hand and pointed toward the corner of the room. The familiar immediately lowered its head and walked to the side without protest, then crouched like a silent guardian.

"I think it listens just fine," Tahir said.

Bruce rubbed his face. "You better hope it stays that way."

Tahir walked toward the hallway, the pressure from the familiar lingering behind him like a wave of heat.

He didn't look back.