The estate was shrouded in eerie silence, a stark contrast to the previous night's chaos. Alastair awoke with a start, his body aching from the battle. He glanced around the room, scanning the familiar surroundings. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting long, dancing shadows across the floor.
He got out of bed and dressed quickly, his mind racing with the events of the previous night. The intruders had escaped, leaving behind a trail of destruction and unanswered questions. Alastair knew he had to do something. He couldn't let them get away. As he made his way down to the basement, he could hear muffled screams of anguish and pain, chilling him to the bone. He opened the door to find Kael at a table, one that held a stopwatch and a book. The vampire was sharpening something, then dipping it into a liquid with a pair of tongs. Alastair sensed something ominous about the object, which he realized was a knife. Kael picked it up and approached the captured vampire with an emotionless expression.
The vampire was tied to a chair with silver chains, bound by both hands and feet, and secured to the chair at his midsection. "Let's try this again, shall we?" Kael demanded in a commanding tone.
"Damn you, I'll never tell," the vampire replied, malice flashing in his eyes.
"Then you leave me no choice," Kael said as he plunged the knife into the vampire's chest, causing him to scream in pain. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Kael looked at him after his screams died down. "You're probably wondering why it hurts so much—or better still, why it won't heal. It's simple really. What is currently in your chest is a silver knife coated in potent Belladonna, aka nightshade. It's toxic both to humans and vampires, but surprisingly more so for vampires. One of the many adverse effects of nightshade on vampires is slowed healing. Naturally, slowed healing doesn't really worry vampires, but that's because they have no damaged vitals. In this case, it's in your heart. In humans, 3 to 5 minutes after such a fatal wound, the heart stops beating. In vampires, 6 minutes after nightshade poisoning— not that much of a difference, don't you think? Because of the slowed healing factor, nightshade poisoning is easily treatable. I have the cure right here," Kael said, pulling a bottle from his pocket. "However, it only works if administered within 4 minutes after ingestion of the toxin. So let's see, I've spent at least a minute explaining to you how it works. Adding a margin of error makes 2, so you have about 2 minutes to tell me what I need to know."
Sabrine and Alastair watched as Kael threatened the vampire. "Is this really necessary?" Alastair couldn't help but inquire.
"It may seem harsh, but vampires aren't exactly the most cooperative. They have too much pride, but I don't think Kael will actually let him die," she whispered to calm Alastair.
"Well, here's my first question. Who sent you?" Kael asked.
"Haha," the vampire laughed, a hint of pain in his voice. "You're bluffing, Kael. You won't kill me."
Kael stared at the vampire for a few seconds before picking up a chair and placing it in front of him. He picked up a book and started the stopwatch that was set on the table. "For every beep, that's 30 seconds gone by. So you have until 4 beeps," he said as he sat down, beginning to read.
"What do you think this is supposed to scare me?" the vampire asked but received no response from Kael. Alastair and Sabrine, observing the unfolding situation, were unsure what Kael was planning.
"Um, Kael, aren't you going to give him the cure?" Alastair asked, noticing the vampire's taunts weren't fazing Kael in the slightest.
"Not until he answers the question I asked," Kael replied, continuing his reading. Alastair then turned to look at Sabrina, who also had no idea what Kael was playing at.
**BEEP.**
The stopwatch signaled its first 30 seconds. The vampire sat there, groaning in pain.
"Ah, come on, Kael, get this damn knife out of me!" But Kael sat there, flipping his book without paying attention.
"You really think this will scare me?" the vampire said. "By the third beep, you'll be the one taking out the knife and just handing me the cure. All I need to do is endure the pain."
Again, Kael gave no response.
BEEP.
As soon as he heard the beep, the vampire turned to Kael, who stood up as expected. "Ha, I knew you couldn't do it," the vampire taunted, but to his surprise, Kael turned towards another door in the room and pulled out a second vampire, dragging him out on a chair with a similar predicament to the first.
kael then placed the vampire's chair beside his before proceeding to sit and continue his reading
BEEP.
"GODDAMIT, KAEL!" the first vampire yelled, now visibly worried.
"He's not actually going to kill him, right?" Alastair asked, turning to Sabrine.
"I don't think so," she replied, uncertainty lacing her voice.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you what you need to know. Just get this knife out of me!" the first vampire pleaded, trying to maintain a semblance of confidence.
"If I die, people will come for you!" he added, desperation creeping into his tone.
BEEP.
The stopwatch beeped a third time. Kael stood, putting the book down, and walked toward the vampire he had stabbed. "You're already dead, but there's always a slight chance that the antidote can still work if you answer my question quickly. So, who sent you?" he demanded, locking eyes with the vampire.
"Fuck, we're from the Order of the New Dawn, a rogue organization whose aim is the resurrection of the evil that was prophesied."
"What are you doing, 002?" the second vampire exclaimed in disbelief as his colleague began to talk.
"Seems like you're not lying," Kael said, observing the second vampire's reaction. "Okay, 002, keep going. You haven't much time."
"I—I'm just a lower member. I'm not that high up in the power ranking, so I'm quite lacking in knowledge," the first vampire stammered.
"Is that so? Well, then I guess you've lost your purpose," Kael said as he uncorked the antidote bottle, poised to pour it away.
"Wait, wait, just ask me what you want, please!" 002 yelled in fear.
"You could've just said you needed help, 002," Kael responded, placing the bottle back on the table. "Why are you trying to defy the prophecy?"
"We believe that the evil to come will bring about a new era—one where vampires rule supreme," he replied, his voice shaky.
"That's absurd. You really believe this despite knowing the prophecy?" Sabrina asked, incredulous.
"Sabrine, I told you to stay quiet!" Kael interjected angrily.
"Alright, final question. What do you want with the estate?" Kael demanded.
"We were sent to this estate to retrieve an item—the blackened crown." At the mention of the crown, shock flashed across Sabrina and Kael's faces.
"What do you need it for?" Kael asked.
"Don't tell them anymore, 002!" the second vampire shouted.
"You will if you want to live, and you're running out of time!" Kael said, his tone urgent.
"The higher-ups say it's to hasten the evil one's resurrection," 002 responded.
"Come on, give me the antidote, man! I have a knife in my heart; I can't answer you satisfactorily in this situation!" he cried, desperately trying to appeal to Kael.
"The knife isn't in your mouth, is it? But since you've answered all my questions, I think I'll listen," Kael said, drawing out the knife with a swift motion. Blood spilled as the blade came free, and 002 coughed, sputtering blood.
Kael poured the antidote down the vampire's throat, but as 002's eyes widened, he noticed something was wrong. His wound wasn't healing; he was finding it hard to breathe.
"Kael!" he called, his voice raspy and filled with panic.
Sabrine quickly moved to see the problem. "He's not healing, Kael! The antidote didn't work!" She turned to Kael, desperation in her eyes, but he met her gaze with a cold indifference.
"What do you need me to get, Kael?" Alastair asked, eager to save the vampire.
"Nothing," Kael replied flatly. "He's going to die."
As 002 gasped for breath, his eyes darting between the two vampires and Alastair, the tension in the room grew thick. The seconds felt like hours, and the frantic beeping of the stopwatch echoed in the silence.
Sabrine stepped forward, her voice steady. "You can't just let him die. He told us vital information. We need him to help us stop the Order!"
Kael's expression hardened, his jaw clenched. He stood motionless, the decision weighing heavily on him.
"Please…" 002 croaked, his voice barely above a whisper, "I can help you... don't let this be the end."
As 002 gasped for breath, his eyes darting between the two vampires and Alastair. The tension in the room grew thick, the frantic beeping of the stopwatch echoing in the silence.
Sabrine stepped forward, urgency in her voice. "You can't just let him die. He told us vital information. We need him to help us stop the Order!"
Kael's expression hardened, his jaw clenched. He stood motionless, the decision weighing heavily on him.
"Please…" 002 croaked, his voice barely above a whisper, "I can help you... don't let this be the end."
As the final beep echoed through the basement, time hung suspended.
Kael's gaze shifted to the dying vampire, then back to the antidote in his hand. In that moment, uncertainty danced in the air, heavy and charged.
With a chilling finality, Kael turned away, leaving 002's fate sealed in darkness.