The heavy steel door to the holding chamber creaked open, the sound reverberating through the tense silence. Lynara, Tarren, and Grall looked up simultaneously, their expressions a mix of wariness and curiosity. Two guards stepped inside, dragging Max's limp form between them. His pale skin was slick with sweat, and his once-sharp crimson eyes were half-lidded, dulled by exhaustion.
The guards dumped him unceremoniously onto the floor and left without a word, the door slamming shut behind them. For a moment, no one moved, the oppressive stillness broken only by Max's shallow breaths.
"They brought him back," Lynara said softly, breaking the silence.
"For now," Tarren muttered, pushing off the wall. He crouched next to Max, lightly slapping his cheek. "Hey, little vampire. You alive?"
Max's eyes fluttered open, his vision swimming. "Unfortunately," he rasped, his voice barely audible. He tried to sit up, wincing as pain lanced through his body.
Grall grunted. "Welcome to the club buddy."
Lynara knelt beside him, her glowing veins casting a faint light across his face. "What did they do to you?" she asked gently.
Max exhaled shakily, his gaze unfocused. "Took blood… injected me with something. Cut me open to see how fast I'd heal. Called it… testing my limits." His hands clenched into weak fists. "Said I was unique... and somewhat adaptive."
Tarren let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, that's how it starts. They poke and prod, marveling at how special you are. But it doesn't stay that way. Each time, it gets worse."
"Worse how?" Max asked, his voice gaining strength as he pushed himself upright.
Grall's eyes darkened. "You'll see. They'll push you further and further until there's nothing left. You're just another tool to them, vampire or not."
Lynara's expression softened, but her voice was tinged with sadness. "They'll break you, piece by piece. That's what they do."
Max's jaw tightened, and he forced himself to sit straighter despite the pain. "Not me. I'll survive."
Tarren raised an eyebrow. "That's what we all thought." He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "How'd you end up here, anyway? You don't exactly look like you belong in a place like this."
Max's crimson eyes flicked to Tarren, then to the others. For a moment, he hesitated, the memories clawing at the edges of his mind. "I don't remember all of it," he admitted. "But my home was attacked. Everything was… chaos. Fire, screams. I think my family…" His voice faltered, and he looked away. "I don't know if anyone survived."
Lynara placed a comforting hand on his arm. "It's okay. You don't have to remember everything now."
Max nodded, swallowing hard. "Whoever attacked us, they knew what they were doing. I tried to fight, but…" He clenched his fists, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "Next thing I knew, I woke up here."
"Same story, different details," Tarren said with a shrug. "We all have our 'how we got here' tales. None of them end well."
"What about you?" Max asked, his gaze sharpening. "How did you end up here?"
Tarren's smirk faded, replaced by a bitter scowl. "I was a merchant. Dealt in rare goods, the kind that attracted attention. Wrong deal with the wrong people, and next thing I know, I'm in a cage. They thought my scales were 'interesting.'" He gestured to the patches covering his face and neck. "Turns out, they could make them worse."
Grall spoke next, his deep voice steady but grim. "I was a soldier. Fought in the border wars. One day, my unit vanished. Taken. They experimented on us, trying to make 'better' fighters. I guess I survived longer than the others."
Lynara hesitated, her glowing veins pulsing faintly. "I was… part of a family that served nobles. They said my blood had 'potential.' They took me in the middle of the night. I've been here ever since."
Max studied them all, a flicker of determination igniting in his eyes. "We all ended up here because they thought we were useful. But that doesn't mean we have to stay."
Grall let out a low chuckle, though it lacked humor. "You've got fire, I'll give you that. But fire doesn't burn long in this place."
"Maybe not," Max said, his voice steady. "But it's enough to keep me alive."
The chamber fell silent again, the weight of their shared stories pressing down on them. But for the first time, a spark of something unspoken lingered in the air—a fragile thread of hope, however faint.
...
Hours passed in the oppressive quiet of the chamber, broken only by the occasional clinking of chains or the muffled sounds from the corridors beyond. Max leaned against the wall, his body aching but his mind racing.
"They're scared of us," he said suddenly, breaking the silence.
Tarren looked up from where he sat, raising an eyebrow. "Scared? You think they'd go to all this trouble if they weren't?"
"Think about it," Max continued. "They're not just testing us—they're trying to control us. If we weren't a threat, they wouldn't need to break us."
Grall's deep voice rumbled. "Maybe. But knowing that doesn't change anything. They have the power here."
Max's crimson eyes glinted in the dim light. "For now."
Lynara tilted her head, watching him closely. "You're thinking of something. What is it?"
Max hesitated, then leaned forward. "I don't know yet. But if they think I'm adapting to them, maybe I can use that."
"Use it how?" Tarren asked, skepticism clear in his voice.
"We'll figure it out," Max said firmly. "I'm not planning on staying here forever."
The resolve in his tone drew a brief silence from the group. Even Grall's usual cynicism seemed to falter as he studied the young vampire.
"Then you'd better be ready for what comes next," Grall said finally. "Because they're not going to make it easy."
"They never do," Max replied, his voice unwavering. 'But I've survived worse.' Thought Max, remembering this body`s past or accurate to say his body.
"The younger you are the more you ambitious". Grall said with faint smile and laid down on the floor.