Wang's Pov.
I can't remember how many blood bags I drank before we got to Qrison. With each feed, the hunger worsened, intensifying the craving within me. The insatiable desire for blood consumed my thoughts, clouding my memories and numbing my senses.
As we arrived at Meng's grandmother's house. We could see her bustling around, preparing various items for the ritual. The room was adorned with symbols and candles, creating an eerie ambiance.
However, to my dismay, she informed us that the ritual couldn't commence until midnight. The clock seemed to tick slowly, prolonging my agony as we waited for the darkness to descend upon us. The hunger within me continued to gnaw at my insides, growing more unbearable with each passing minute.
I tried to distract myself by counting the minutes until the ritual began, but I could not suppress the hunger inside me. Every 20 minutes, I felt a void in my stomach that needed to be filled. I knew that the only thing that could sate my hunger was blood's sweet, warm taste.
Liu walked into the room, dragging a vampire behind him. The sight took me by surprise, as I hadn't expected him to arrive at Qrison so quickly.
"Glad to see you're awake," Liu said as he punched the guy back to life.
"That was fast," Jackson said.
"Oh, we got here two days ago," Liu said, surprising me.
Who is he? Meng asked, pointing to the guy grunting on the floor.
"This is Wu," Liu said. "He's a vampire. He's been following us for a while, and I caught him sneaking into my hotel room."
I raised an eyebrow. "We?" I asked. "Who's we?"
Liu sighed as he sat beside me. "Myself and Hemfire," he said.
The human hunter, where did you find him? I heard he was impossible to find. Meng asked.
"You can always find him at the right price," Liu murmured. "He's well-known in the underworld for his skills and his discretion. I paid a hefty sum to get him to help me out."
"What did you give him?" I groaned, feeling a sharp pain through my ribs before it turned into a dull ache.
"Nomos." Liu sighs, shooting me a questioning stare.
Hemfire was crazy to give him Nomos; it was a powerful weapon that could do damage in the wrong hands. I sigh.
I considered the risk. But he was our only hope, and we tracked Zhan here. He was at a bidding auction. I asked Hemfire to get him while I dealt with Wu.
Zhan was worth more to me than anything else, but that lunatic with Nomos could cause damage.
Is he compelled? Meng's grandma asked as she walked in.
Liu nodded and replied, "Yes, he's compelled."
Good, give me two hours. She sounds excited. It's been a long time since I've done this. My hands itch. Bring him to me," she said, and she walked out.
We hear excruciating cries occasionally, but I am not bothered. I'm down to whatever means she chooses to use. And once I'm strong, they will pay dearly for what they did to me and Zhan.
I know I have wronged Zhan and hurt him deeply. I can only hope he can forgive me and understand that I never meant to hurt him. I will do whatever is necessary to make it right, even if it means going down on my knees and begging for his forgiveness. Zhan is the most important person in my life, and I would do anything to make things right with him.
Liu called Hemfire, and my heart leapt with joy.
Is he coming with him? I asked, and Liu shook his head. Call him back, I growled.
If you don't come with him, we don't have a deal. I said as Liu handed me the phone. He groaned and said, Okay.
In the midst of a conversation between Meng, Liu, and Jackson, the sound of the door opening caught everyone's attention. Zhan stood before us with Hemfire by his side, and I got up immediately. Liu stood, holding me beside him. The atmosphere became tense. Overwhelmed with emotions, I struggled to compose myself as I sipped the blood. My hands trembled. Avoiding eye contact, memories of our past interactions flooded my mind, leaving me unsettled.
"Zhan, it is good to see you again," Liu said, breaking the awkward silence.
Hemfire looked at me curiously. "Your brother?" he asked Liu, his eyes narrowing.
Yes, Liu replied.
"Dark objects, huh?" he said, sitting down. "You don't need to wait till midnight." You can channel him. He said pointing towards Zhan.
We all looked at each other in surprise, but I quickly composed myself and looked away, not wanting to give Zhan the impression that he was here to be used.
Meng's grandma entered the room, smiling. Faster than I expected. "The compulsion has been broken," she stated. Her voice was filled with relief.
Her attention then shifted to Zhan, and her smile widened. "Well,well, aren't you a ray of sunshine?" she exclaimed warmly. As if to express her affection, she gently held Zhan's hands, cupping them within her own.
She then abruptly turned to me and said, "We don't have to wait till midnight. I can channel him and break the ancestral spell." Her gaze twinkled with divine power. She added, "So much power for such a young soul."
"No," I growled, stepping forward. "We are not channeling him. I'll wait until midnight." My voice was firm and unwavering.
"If the blood you drink now does not kill him, the spell will, because you are not supposed to be awake, but you are awake, there will be consequences." Hemfire said and looked me right in the eye.
"Hemfire is right; it's too risky to wait." Meng's grandma added.
Zhan looked at Meng's grandma determinedly and said, "Do it."
No, you are not, I growled. He looked at me blankly.
"You don't own me; you don't have a voice in what I do." He sneered.
"Well, technically he does; he is my client," Hemfire said, worsening the situation.
I glared at him, obviously unhappy with his response.
"Well, isn't that what you bought me for? To save you. "Get on with it," Zhan said, looking away.
My heart ached at his words. "Of course that's not why you're here," I said firmly. "I'll wait until midnight," I said, sitting down.
"Is my Nomos at the agreed location?" Hemfire asked.
"Yes." Liu nodded.
"Good," Hemfire said, relieved. I made some kind of reassurance. He called, and someone confirmed, and then he sighed in relief. "Let's get this done quickly," he said, turning to Zhan. "I don't want to risk anything."
Hemfire reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe filled with glowing blue liquid. He quickly injected it into Zhan, who groaned in pain as the liquid coursed through his veins. Hemfire apologized and took a step back.
You know where to find me. Nice doing business with you, he said, walking out the door.
I started throwing up blood at lightning speed as Zhan rushed to hold me. The sudden and intense nausea overtook me, causing my body to convulse with each retch. I could feel bile rising in my throat before everything turned black.