Lauren steeled herself, drawing in a deep breath before carefully positioning her thumb within the Damien's hand, intoning the mysterious incantation.
As her whispered words faded into the air, she was enveloped in an eerie, otherworldly sensation, her surroundings morphing and melting away until she found herself standing on a desolate road, her consciousness fragmented as she became aware that she was inhabiting her own dream.
A ghostly version of herself darted across the road and rushed toward an unseen figure, the memory of this very dream rushing back to her, a jolt of recognition igniting within her. Without hesitation, she pursued her phantom self, hurtling into the gloom of a forbidding alley. A distressing sight awaited her there—her mother lay sprawled upon the ground, wounded, blood staining her pallor. Desperation knifed through Lauren as she screamed out, her voice lost in the ether.
In helpless horror, she bore witness as her mother was preyed upon by a malevolent figure, a vampire feasting upon her very essence. Tears coursed down Lauren's cheeks, her heart heavy with a despair that threatened to consume her. Then, as the vampire lifted his gaze, her world crumbled around her. For there, gazing back at her with eyes that were unmistakably his, stood Damien.
Before her trembling legs could give way, Marcel interceded, catching her before she could crumble. The Benneth sisters, Alanna and Ariana, gathered around, their expressions a mix of concern and confusion as they witnessed the tears streaming down Lauren's face, oblivious to the harrowing vision that had unfolded before her.
"I give you a month to give up yourself to me and I'll release your father, otherwise I will send you the head of the former king on a platter" Vladimir said laughing hysterically before leaving the vampire boy's body.
In the wake of Vladimir's foreboding ultimatum, the room fell into a weighty silence, each word lingering like a heavy fog. His ominous laughter still echoed in their minds as he withdrew from the vampire's vessel, leaving an unsettling hollowness in the room.
The vampires surrounded Damien, their somber expressions reflecting the overwhelming truth that had been revealed. His complexion was drained, a visual testament to the gravity that now burdened him. Derek placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, silently communicating shared understanding.
"We should depart before daylight fades," Venessa urged, breaking the oppressive quiet that hung in the air.
Gathering at the heart of the house, the group awaited as Venessa conjured the shimmering portal, their passage back to the safety of the Benneth household. As they traversed the ethereal gateway, each member disappeared into the unseen threshold, except for Damien, who remained rooted in place, consumed by the weight of the impending pact.
The portal materialized within the grand living room of the Benneth household, revealing Madame Veronica and a gathering of venerable witches from various covens.
As the assembled witches stood on alert, the sight of the Benneth sisters ushered a momentary respite. Madame Veronica, hurried to embrace Lauren, relief and gratitude illuminating her gaze.
However, Damien's absence did not escape notice. Madame Veronica's gaze fell on the group, her eyes lingering on the void left by the Voltorie scion.
"Where is the Voltorie boy?" she inquired, her tone at once concerned and inquisitive, prompting the group to acknowledge the conspicuous absence of damien.
The elders, fueled by palpable unease, expressed their outrage at the intrusion of the vampires within the sanctity of the Benneth estate, citing the breach of longstanding pacts and accords crucial to the preservation of the supernatural realm.
Derek, resolute in his defense, countered the elders' accusations, citing the vampires' voluntary collaboration to secure the release of the abducted lauren as justification for their presence.
Madame Veronica, unwavering in her assurance, rebuked the dissent, dismissing their grievances in light of the greater good achieved. With a graceful poise, she extended her gratitude to the vampires for their aid before guiding them to the threshold, acknowledging their invaluable assistance.
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Lauren took slow, heavy steps into her room and shut the door with a soft click. Utter weariness pervaded her entire being, a weighty burden from hours of unrelenting weeping. With a weary sigh, she discarded the garments she had worn for what felt like an eternity, and surrendered to the beckoning bathtub. There, warm, foamy waters waited to envelop her, offering a brief reprieve from the tumult of her emotions.
A gentle exhale escaped her lips as the warmth enveloped her, tenderly caressing her fatigued flesh. Cupping the water, she meticulously cleansed her face, erasing every lingering remnant of sorrow from her delicate features before yielding herself to the embrace of the foamy liquid.
Yet, as she submerged under the warm water, spectral recollections of her mother's tragic end resurfaced, unwelcome intruders in her fleeting peace.The struggle against Damien, the heart-wrenching surrender, and the vivid sight of blood seeping into the cold ground on that dreaded night loomed large in her mind, threatening to pull her under once more.
Grief, an unrelenting force, threatened to submerge her, its crushing weight constricting her very essence. In that harrowing instant, every muscle strained against the unyielding weight, until at last, she emerged from the water's embrace, gasping for air.
As she scanned the expansive bathroom with a frantic intensity, a hollow silence echoed in response to her unspoken distress. With one final, firm stroke across her face, she rose from the bathtub, enveloping herself in the comforting white towel.
Seated before her vanity, she gracefully wielded the hand dryer, each passing second heightening her anticipation as her phone chimed. Hastily retrieving the device, the relief she sought was momentarily eclipsed as Chloe's name illuminated the screen. A sigh of longing escaped her lips, the fervent hope of a different call left unfulfilled.
Buried deep within her heart was a wellspring of yearning—for Damien to reach out. Despite it all, she harbored no malice; she doesnt hate him for what he'd done, she had tried but she couldnt, maybe because of what she learned about the blood rage and that he couldnt have helped himself, whatever it was, she want to hear him explain everything to her, she knew she would understand him.