Hours later.
The stone statue of what was once Heald, stood in the dimly lit hall.
Figures were around it, all thrown in despair.
Kylian's entire wounds has healed up. His shattered jaw, the splitting headache and his blurry vision. Everything is gone now.
But the overwhelming sadness that's tearing through his soul right now easily outweighed all the pain Akotal has caused him tonight. It was as though he jumped from frying pan to fire.
Right now, he's standing about three meters away from the stone statue which is his friend. His eyes, filled with sadness and distant, were solely fixated on the stone.
All of a sudden, he plunged his fist into the wall which is near him.
Bang!
His fist shattered through the wall and a fist sized hole appeared there.
"Haaaaaaaaaaa!" Kylian screamed out at the top of his voice. His voice tore apart at the end. It became hoarse.
"Hey." Hector moved to him.
Kylian pointed his palms a him, making him stop on his tracks. "Don't!"
"I told you, if I had known he would use the dagger I would have stopped him." Hector stated. His eyes glistened as he muttered. "He was trying to save me."
"Trying to save you?!" Kylian snapped. "You swooped in with a dagger that would kill the user if he uses it and you let it fall into another hand!"
Caius was beside his son, Adrian, holding him close to him and waiting for him to wake up from his unconsciousness.
His face had sadness on it too. When he saw Kylian reacting, he wanted to talk as his lips twitched but then, he kept quiet.
"I had told Sarai that I would do it myself and I was ready." Hector sighed, with dejection.
"Now, he's gone." Kylian sniffled and turned away.
Hector bowed his head in dejection.
"It's my fault. I always bring doom to those who consider themselves my friend." Kylian placed his two hands on his head as he gazed at the statue.
"I have said it times without number. This is not about you anymore." Benzo snapped.
"Can't you see?!" Kylian yelled. "This is all me. I bring death to those around me?"
"I don't think that's the case here. It seems you haven't realized what we just accomplished." Caius muttered. "We sent a Primordial vampire running with an arm lost. And that was done by a group of normal vampires and some other supernaturals. Perhaps, it's the first in history ever."
"So I should be happy? I just lost the very person who believed me when no one did. He kept my secret and took me to a witch." Kylian growled.
"But look around. We won. We could have lost our lives for challenging a Primordial but here we are, still standing." Caius stood up. "I am not saying losing your friend is good but know that we are alive because of him. And we must not disregard that us being alive is through his sacrifice. There's always a sacrifice during a battle."
Kylian raked his fingers through his silver hair and leaned on the wall.
"I need to get my son's blood to Bellerin or he will die." Caius mutters. He bent down and scooped his son in a bridal style. He nodded towards Hector before zooming off in a whoosh of wind.
Grunts and loud screams could be heard from the outside of the hall.
Kylian's eyes flashed and his brow lifted as he looked towards the entrance.
Hector sighed. "It is Mac."
"What's happening to him?"
"He's having a hard time turning back to his human form due to the lot of damage he's taken in his wolf form." Hector's face was solemn as he explained.
Kylian sighed and relaxed on the wall. What can he do now? Not only did he lose something, everyone among them all sacrificed a lot in the battle.
Kylian knows some things about wolves. If they are too shaken up in their wolf form, to the extent that to turn back to human is hard for them, to take their wolf form again will be as hard as nails.
So to say that after this fight, he and the group has lost Mac's help is natural.
Mac waltzed in, using the walls as support. Soon he was a few meters from Kylian.
Kylian lifted his head to look at him. Mac's face, still bruised, flashed with a flinch as he parted his lips. "I will be leaving."
Kylian nodded. "Thanks for your help. And, please, be careful. Akotal is still out there even though he's wounded."
"I understand." Mac nodded. He turned away and with limps and weak steps, he exited the place.
"This….." Someone was saying when the voice trailed off.
Kylian was even too doused in his thoughts that he didn't even hear.
It was Hector who saw the person first, and talked. "Mei Li?"
Mei Li was leaning on the pillar near her. Trails of red blood were running down her head. She squinted her eyes as if she was in the sun. In truth, her vision is blurry.
But she could at least make out the stone statue in the center of the hall.
"Sarai won't forgive this." Mei Li muttered.
Kylian turned his gaze to where Mei Li was in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Mei Li leaned off the wall and opened her lips to reply but she slumped and collapsed to the ground.
Kylian rushed over to her. His hands caught her lithe body before it struck the ground. His eyes wide and his heart banging hard.
She's in extreme danger. Her nose streamed with red blood and chest was also bleeding, profusely, that her dress began to stick to her skin.
Even though her black ninja outfit tried to hide it, the red was so much that it tainted the black, red.
Hector appeared before Kylian in a second. His shoulders were slumped beside him in defeat. "She's incurred internal damage."
With urgency shining in his eyes, Kylian placed his index finger on her neck vein. Her breathing is weak. This made Kylian's heart crash even more.
Kylian sat on the floor like a kid and placed her head onto his thigh. He quickly bit his hand and placed it on her lips, letting the red blood stream down to her throat.
His eyes were filled with panic as he awaited her consciousness.
"She will live." Benzo muttered.
"I really, hope so." Kylian whispered back.
*********
Caius got into the ruins of the building of what was once Sarai's house.
"Just in time." Bones-the-old's eyes lit up instantly. He glanced at Bellerin's closed eyes and pale white face. If Caius had been a little more late.
Sarai turned to face him too. She has been pacing around, awaiting the news of the outcome of the battle.
"A warrior returns." Melissa sprung up from the heap she's seating on. She opened her lips to say more but paused when she saw the blood stains all over Caius.
"Caius." Sarai called. She couldn't help the look of confusion that crossed her eyes. Although, she knew Akotal is not an enemy to be reckoned with, she still couldn't help the slight shock at how messy Caius and his son, Adrian, who's unconscious in his arms, looked.
Caius nodded towards her and dropped Adrian on the floor and rested his head gently on a small heap of rubble.
Sarai wanted to ask what has been on her mind as she paced the place since Hector left. The result of the battle against Akotal. Is he dead?
She would have gone with Hector but after she casted the spell, she was very weak that even before Melissa told her that she can't go to the battle, she already knew that she won't be able to go.
"I see the battle was not so easy, is it?" Bones-the-old sighed.
"It's not, I must say." Caius muttered in response as he made a slight cut on Adrian's wrist and made the blood drip on his palms. When his palms became filled with the red blood, he stopped and dropped Adrian wrist.
He went over to Bones-the-old and knelt before him. Nodded to Bones-the-old and the latter, having understood opened up Bellerin's lips. Caius fed the blood in his palm to Bellerin.
Caius sighed.
Bones-the-old asked in a whisper. "Is he dead?"
"Not yet. He ran off." Caius replied as he stood up to his feets. "But hes short of an arm."
"Ah!" Sarai's face flushed with disappointment for a few seconds. But then, her face lit up. "That means Hector is still alive then?"
"Indeed." Caius replied, with sober.
Sarai frowned.
Melissa raised a brow as she asked. "No one died, right?"
Caius hesitated.
Just then, Bellerin sneezed back to consciousness.
Bones-the-old sighed in relief. "Welcome back, kid."
Bellerin's face was all sweaty as he lifted from bones-the-old's arms.
Sarai and Melissa were on edge as they awaited Caius' reply.
Caius exhaled and turned his back at Sarai as he muttered. "Of course, someone died."
*********
At the hall.
Kylian stood, shoulders slumped and eyes reeked with sadness as he gazed at Mei Li who was laid on a torn beige cloak. She's still unconscious. But Kylian's vampire blood stopped the bleeding.
As he stared at her, he couldn't help but recount his life. He has been a survivor in his whole life. Death has always swirled all around him, haunting him and hunting for his life. But those around him has always been the price.
Heald has been only one true friend he has had in his life of over eight centuries. But now, he is gone.
Kylian's eyes fluttered with tears as he gazed at the beige cloak on which Mei Li is laid. That color was the trademark of his dear friend. That cloak was a symbol in Kylian's life. Someone dear to him carried the symbol and bared it. But now, he's gone.
Footsteps sounded behind him. He glanced at the scattered shadow on the floor. It's a vampire. And the only vampire still standing among the group apart from him is Hector.
"She will be fine."
"She said Sarai won't forgive this. What did she meant?" Kylian asked.
Hector blinked and sighed. "Sarai and Heald. It appears they have a chemistry."
"Uh?!" Kylian frowned hard. His face turning ugly. He never noticed that. Never.
Kylian faced Hector with shock filled eyes. He asked again to be sure. "They have something for each other?"
Hector was about to reply when someone spoke behind Kylian. It's Mei Li, she's awake.
"Yes. In fact, that's her first since college."
Kylian stood on a spot speechless.
Hector went to Mei Li. "You are awake."
He helped her to sit upright. All her wounds has healed up. Thanks to Kylian's vampire blood.
"She must not learn of this." Mei Li's face was anxious as she added. "She will be devastated."
"Devastation will be the least of her problems if she learns that the blade she enchanted was the cause of his death. She won't survive it." Hector sighed.
All of a sudden, a voice shrieked from the entrance.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Benzo wanted to turn to look at the person but he was pushed from the way.
It's Sarai. She's here. She has learnt of Heald's demise.
"Sarai?" Hector moved towards her.
Her eyes were filled with horror as she stared at the statue before her. "No, no, no, no." She dropped on her knees as she cried out like a wounded mother. "Nooooooo!"
Kylian dropped his head as he drowned in defeat. Unable to bear it, he sped away from the hall.
********