Night had fallen over Elysium, wrapping the campus in a veil of darkness. Only the moon, pale and mysterious, cast a wan light, projecting unsettling shadows on the sleeping buildings.
Aiden and Ethan crept through the deserted corridors, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpets. They had donned dark clothing, hiding their faces behind black masks that revealed only their eyes. Eyes that shone with fierce determination.
They had meticulously prepared their plan, chosen their target carefully. The senior who preyed on the weak, the one who used his strength and influence to tyrannize and terrorize. The one who deserved a lesson.
But as they approached the meeting place, an abandoned classroom away from the main buildings, Aiden felt doubt creep into him.
"Do I really have the right to do this? To judge for myself?"
He thought back to Lana's words, to the responsibility she had placed on their shoulders. They were the heirs of ancestral knowledge, the custodians of immense power. But did that give them the right to act like this, outside of any legal framework?
Aiden shook his head, dismissing these disturbing thoughts. He couldn't afford to falter, not now. Not when his friend was counting on him, not when his thirst for blood twisted his gut, demanding to be quenched.
"And besides, if it's to rid this campus of someone like him, while increasing my powers to protect those I care about, I have no reason to hesitate."
Because that was the other side of his motivation, the shameful secret he struggled to admit to himself. This mission, beyond justice, was also a means for him to quench his thirst, to become stronger. Each drop of blood he took made him stronger, amplifying his dhampir powers.
It was wrong, he knew it. But a part of him, that dark and greedy part, couldn't help but shiver with anticipation at the thought of the coppery taste of blood on his tongue, of the power that would pour into his veins.
They arrived at the classroom door, positioning themselves on either side. Their heightened senses told them that their target was already inside, waiting for them.
Ethan nodded to Aiden, signaling that he was ready. Aiden took a deep breath, trying to calm his frantic heartbeat. Then, with a quick gesture, he opened the door and rushed into the room, Ethan on his heels.
The senior was there, casually leaning against the teacher's desk. An arrogant smile played on his lips, as if he was already savoring his victory. But when his eyes fell on the two masked figures, a glimmer of uncertainty crossed his gaze.
"What's the meaning of this?" he growled, drawing himself up to his full height. "Who are you?"
Aiden didn't answer, advancing resolutely toward his prey. He could feel the fear beginning to emanate from the senior, mingling with his anger and confusion.
The senior, refusing to be intimidated, lunged at Aiden, fist raised. But the dhampir was ready for him. With superhuman speed and agility, he dodged the blow, seizing his opponent's wrist in the process. With an expert twist, he sent him flying against the wall, eliciting a cry of pain and surprise.
"I'm going to teach you what happens to those who prey on the weak," Aiden hissed in a voice made unrecognizable by the mask, while maintaining his grip on the senior.
He punctuated his threat with pressure on his victim's wrist, threatening to snap it like a twig. The senior paled, all his swagger gone, replaced by growing terror.
"Who... Who are you?" he stammered, his wide eyes desperately searching for an escape.
In response, Aiden slightly released his hold, just enough for the senior to think he had a chance. When he tried to break free with a sudden movement, Aiden caught him with a knee to the sternum, knocking the wind out of him.
As the senior took the blow, falling to his knees, feeling the fear, Aiden approached again, slowly, each step seeming heavier than the last, increasing the fear felt by the former bully.
Then, with a fluid, almost graceful gesture, Aiden struck his target on the temple, putting all his supernatural strength into it.
The senior swayed, an incredulous expression on his face. Aiden saw understanding dawn in his eyes when they met his aggressor's scarlet pupils. An understanding mingled with dread, the kind of primal fear that only the presence of a predator could inspire.
Then he collapsed to the ground, like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut.
For a moment, silence reigned in the room, broken only by Aiden and Ethan's ragged breathing.
Aiden contemplated the lifeless body at his feet, a mixture of disgust and fascination overwhelming him. He had done it. He had crossed that line, the one that separated the student from the executioner.
Slowly, almost reverently, he bent over his victim's body. With a trembling hand, he sliced the senior's arm, making a trickle of scarlet blood bead.
The hot liquid flowed down his throat, quenching the furnace of his vampiric appetite. Aiden closed his eyes, savoring this feeling of power pouring into him, this sense of invincibility.
When he opened his eyes, a notification was flashing before him:
"Congratulations! Your characteristics have increased: +1 in Strength, +1 in Agility, +1 in Intelligence, +1 in Endurance, thanks to the absorption of new blood."
Aiden contemplated these words, an unhealthy exultation invading him. So this was the true power of blood? This ability to strengthen oneself, to constantly evolve?
Ethan approached his friend, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He said nothing, content to be there, a solid and reassuring presence in this moment of doubt.
Together, they rearranged the senior's body into a sitting position, staging the scene to look like an ordinary assault. Then, with a final glance, they left the classroom, melting into the shadows.
This night had marked a turning point, Aiden knew. He had crossed a line, tasted a power both intoxicating and terrifying.
But as he made his way back to his room, the first light of dawn appearing on the horizon, he couldn't help but feel a strange serenity. As if, by embracing his true nature, he had finally found his path. He didn't regret his action, on the contrary. He was beginning to enjoy it all, the adrenaline, the power, the fear he could instill in others.
He didn't yet know if these actions would have consequences, but he would find out soon enough.