Chereads / FALLEN VEIL / Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: The Revelation

Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: The Revelation

Adrian sat in the alley, his body trembling as he wiped his tear-streaked face with the back of his hand. His hands were still stained with blood their blood and the realization of what he had just done made his stomach churn. The hunger, the raw, primal thirst for blood that he couldn't control, had taken over. The men, the thieves, were lying lifeless in front of him, their blood drained. His vision was blurry from the tears, but one thing remained clear: the horror in his heart, the confusion in his mind. This couldn't be happening. Vampires weren't real. But here he was, no longer human, no longer the person he once was. He had done something so monstrous, something he could never take back. The weight of it all was too much for him to bear. He slumped against the cold brick wall, his body shaking as he broke down once again. His breath came in ragged gasps, his mind spiraling. How could this have happened? He didn't believe it was real. Vampires? They were a myth, a story. But now he was one. How was that possible? And why had it happened to him? As he cried, a voice cut through the darkness. Soft, almost teasing, but unmistakable in its clarity. "Well, well. I wasn't expecting you to consume this much. That's… bizarre."

Adrian froze. The voice was familiar, though his mind struggled to place it. He looked up, still weeping, and saw a figure approaching through the dimly lit alley. As the figure drew closer, Adrian's heart skipped a beat. He knew her, or at least, he thought he did. The woman stepped into the light, and it all came rushing back. The crimson red eyes, the glasses that shielded her gaze, the aura of something ancient and powerful it was her.

"Lilith," Adrian whispered, his voice trembling with confusion and fear. "It's… you. Lilith."

She gave a soft, amused smile, her fangs barely visible beneath her lips. "Oh, that's the name I tell people," she said nonchalantly, slipping off her glasses. As she did, her eyes glowed a fierce crimson. "But my name is Eliana DeLacroix."

Adrian's heart pounded as everything started to click into place. Lilith. Eliana. She was the one who turned him. "It…was you that night you made me into this monster".

"I…. I don't understand," Adrian stammered, still not quite believing what he was seeing. "You… you turned me into this. But why? Why did you save me?" His voice cracked with desperation. The flood of emotions and confusion threatened to overwhelm him again. Eliana tilted her head slightly, studying him with an almost pitying expression. "You asked me to save your life that night," she said softly, her voice laced with an eerie calmness. "So, I did. Just what you asked. And this was the only solution, plus kept repeating one sentence I don't want to die, so I had to do it. "

Adrian shook his head, trying to process her words, but it felt like his mind was unraveling. He stepped back, his fists clenched in anger and confusion. "But… I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to be turned into a monster!"

Eliana's expression remained unchanged, though a flicker of something regret? passed through her eyes. "It wasn't easy," she said, her voice softer now. "I had to replace your heart. But… I didn't have an extra heart, so I gave you mine. It's more than I hoped for. But the outcome… well, you're a vampire or rather a half vampire now."

Adrian blinked, stunned, his confusion deepening. "A half-vampire?" He couldn't make sense of it. His mind was still clouded, still reeling from the hunger he had just felt. Half-vampire? He took a step forward, his chest tightening. "No. No, this can't be real. You can't just " His voice cracked, and before he could finish, the anger that had been simmering inside him boiled over. He lunged at her, ready to fight, to get answers. But before he could even get close, metal bars shot up from the ground, wrapping around his arms and legs, trapping him. Eliana's expression remained calm, almost amused.

"You can't harm me, silly," she said, her voice almost playful as the bars tightened. "I'm leagues above you."

Adrian struggled against the restraints, but it was no use. His strength was nothing compared to hers. "Let me go!" he shouted, thrashing wildly. "I don't want this! I don't want to be like you!" Eliana raised an eyebrow and sighed. "And yet here you are." She extended her hand, and the bars holding him in place disappeared as if they had never been there. "Come with me. You need guidance… and I can't have you wandering around the city, confused and dangerous." With a flick of her wrist, the air around Adrian shifted, and he found himself swept off his feet, his body levitating as if by some invisible force.

"Where are you taking me?" he demanded, his voice laced with defiance.

"To my hideout I can't risk hunter catching with the blood from your new heart they'll be able to track me ," Eliana replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "There's much for you to learn, Adrian. Much for you to understand… about yourself, about what you've become."

As she carried him through the night, Adrian could feel the pull of her power, the weight of his own new existence crashing down on him. He wasn't human anymore. He wasn't sure what he was anymore. The world he had known his old life was slipping away from him, and all he had left was this woman, Eliana, who had transformed him into something… else.

And despite the anger and fear burning in his chest, despite the pain and confusion that gripped his soul, a part of him couldn't help but wonder: Could she show him a way to live with this? Or was he destined to become a monster, just like her?