A wave of panic washed over her, her heart raced and cold sweat broke out on her forehead. The word "dungeon" echoed in her mind,conjuring images of a dark,damp place filled with despair. She felt a knot tighten in her stomach, a mix of fear and uncertainty gripping her.
As they made their way into the dungeon, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive. The flickering touchlight cast long showdown on the wall. The air was damp and musty,filled with the scent of decay and despair.
Each step echoed ominously, amplifying her fear.
The two men held her firmly, their grip unyielding as they led her down a narrow, winding stairway. The stairs were cold beneath her feet and she could feel chill seep into her bones. Her heart was beating madly against her chest, each beat resonating with the fear that threaten to overwhelm her.
As they descended deeper,the sounds of dripping water and distant echoes filled the silence, making her feel as if the dungeon itself was alive, watch her every move.
She caught glimpses of dark cells along the way, their heavy iron doors closed tightly, and she shuddered at the thought of what might lie behind them.
Finally, they reached a heavy wooden door at the end of the passage. As it creaked open, a wave of stale air rushed out, carrying with it the weight of despair that lingered in the dungeon. She felt a chill run down her spine as they pushed her inside, the door slamming shut behind her with a finality that left her feeling utterly alone and trapped in this dark, unforgiving place.
All alone now, Mia dragged herself to the corner, her back against the stone cold wall. She brought her knees up and hugged them, trying to keep herself warm. She gazed into the darkness,where the faint outline of the metal bars could be seen. Her mind raced with thoughts on why she was brought her and what they were planning to do with her.
'Was she going to suffer the same fate as the man? Who was that man and why did he drink another man's blood? Was he vampire?'
A dry chuckle left Mia's lips as she thought of the word vampire.
How could she even think vampires exist?
Right now she needs to think about how to get out of here. But how? The only thing she could see was darkness and nothing else.
She took in a deep breath, the air was thick with a musty scent of damp stone and decay, and the silence was only broken by the sound of dripping water echoing through the chamber.
Time passed and Mia every spark of hope Mia felt faded. Her clothes were now damp from the chill in the air, the fabric clung to her skin.
Every second there felt like a lifetime.
Her throat felt painfully dry, like sandpaper scraping against her tongue with every shallow breath. Each attempt to swallow was a struggle, the dryness making it feel as if she were trying to swallow shards of glass. Her lips, cracked and parched, pulled tightly across her mouth, leaving them chapped and sore. They tinged with a faint shade of red, a stark contrast to the pallor of her skin, and every time she tried to moisten them with her tongue, it only intensified the discomfort. The thirst gnawed at her, a relentless reminder of her dire situation, making her long for even a single drop of water to ease the burning sensation that lingered in her throat.
*******************
Elara stood before the man sitting casually in front of her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew he had a dark past and an even darker sense of humor but what he told her he just did, sent chills down her spine.
"Tell me this is some kind of a sick joke," she told him, hoping he was pulling her legs but he just smiled, bringing the glass he was holding to his lips and taking a huge gulp.
"I wish it was,Elara, I wish it was," he chuckled, a wide grin across his lips.
Without saying a word to him, Elara turned, walking towards where he told her he was holding the human captive.
As she stepped into the damp musty air of the dungeon, her mind raced. The next full moon was in two weeks and his desperation to lift the curse was driving him to reckless actions. Did he even think of what would happen if Lysander got to know about this? They were trying to work under the shadows to avoid mistakes but leave it to him when it comes to doing things that would piss Lysander off.
Elara sighed, shaking her head.
She could feel his presence behind her as she made her way to the end of the passage.
The flickering touchlight illuminated the stone walls. She could hear muffled cries from within which made her heart drop.
With a wave of her hand, she whispered an incantation,unlocking the door with a soft click. As it creaked open, she was met with the sight of a frightened woman, her eyes wide in terror.
"Stay calm, I'll get you out of here," Elara urged,her voice barely above a whisper.
Before she could act further, his voice sounded behind her:
"What are you doing Elara?this is not your concern," he growled, his fangs glinting in the dim light.
"It's my concern when you're about to sacrifice an innocent life for you selfish desires," Elara shot back. "She'll die before the next full moon if this is how you're going to treat her."
"She won't….I won't make her. Besides I need her."
"Well then treat her like someone you need."
With that, Elara threw one of the human's hand over her shoulder and started away out with her.
"You always kill the fun," He rolled his eyes as she walked past him.
Mia did not know what was going on around her but she was relieved to hear that she was going to leave this place.
The kind woman placed Mia's arm over her shoulder and helped Mia get up.
With much difficulty, they stared walking out.
Each step felt like she was shedding a heavy weight.
Soon, they were out of the dungeon. The air grew fresher with each step but anxiety was eating her up as well. She had heard them talking about using her to break a curse.
What curse was that?
Finally they emerged in the opening, the brightness hit Mia like a tidal wave. Pains shot through her and she winced, tears rolling down her cheeks. It felt as if the sun was burning her skin.
'But how was this possible? She was sure the dungeon was in the castle so why where they outside now?
Elara made her sit under a tree and she left to get some water from a flowing stream.
Seconds later she returned with the water which Mia gulped down hungrily.
"Pl…please let me go," Mia begged weakly after regaining her voice.
"We have to make sure you get well first. Then we'll continue from there," Elara said.
She watched as Mia closed her eyes.
Elara felt bad for what Mia had to go through. She knew the rivalry between he and Lysander was legendary among their kind, each encounter marked with sharp words and cold flares. His disdain for Lysander was palpable,fueled by jealousy and resentment that festered over centuries.
But even with that, Elara never imagined he would as far as to kidnap a human just to hurt Lysander.
Elara was very positive he did this because he knew how much Lysander cared about this human.
Elara sighed, taking the human with her to the castle. She took her to one of the rooms and left to get her something to eat.
Elara almost bumped into him when she walked out of the room, his eyes was flickering with a darkness that made her heart race.
"Elara….."he said his voice low and strained. "I know what I did was necessary."
"What? What are you saying?" She asked, her stomach sinking.
"I've taken her and I'm not going to let her leave here alive," he said, a smirk creeping up his lips.
"What….what are you saying?"
"I want Lysander to suffer. I want to cause him so much pain that he would wish his curse was never broken."
"You can't be serious. You can't kill her. I'm with you on making Lysander suffer but we don't have to shed innocent blood," Elara said firmly.
He shrugged, the indifference in his posture deepening her horror.
"It's about time he felt the pain he's dealt me. I'll let him pay."
Determined to stop him, Elara took her step forward, her voice firm.
"You will not harm a hair on her head. If she was able to break Lysander's curse with nothing going wrong, she'll do this too. We won't kill her. It's Lysander who has wronged us and not her. She won't pay for his crimes."
But his eyes were cold,and she realized the man standing in front of her had been consumed by his desire for revenge.