I lost both my father and Lily— two most cherished people in my life, in a short span and it forever changed me.
I arrived home in Romania, accompanied by Uncle Dacianus, only to be shown my father's grave.
They had been unable to deliver the tragic news to me because, during my training, there was no contact with my family. My uncles viewed it as a form of distraction.
But unknown to anyone, before leaving the town of Kyiv after my training, I had devised plans of my own. I had schemed day and night, plotting my revenge in secret.
I entrusted someone, a lad a few years older than me, with the task of uncovering the identities of the drunken men who had a habit of tormenting Lily, particularly the one who had struck her.
In the years that followed, I maintained contact through messengers, traders, and travelers, receiving letters and important updates about these men from my spies.
With their help, I kept a watchful eye on these men, tracking their every move from afar. I was aware of everything that transpired in their lives, even the minutest of details.
Then, three years later, on my sixteenth birthday, I was turned into a vampire by my mother, granting me the power… the raw strength to fulfill a promise I had made.
A promise of retribution.
Armed with the knowledge and the strength I needed, when the time was set, I left my home in Romania and traveled back to Kyiv with only one aim in mind. Ensuring that those who had caused Lily pain would face the deadly consequences of their actions.
I arrived in the alehouse Lily's mother owned, at night, after being assured by my current spy the men would be present.
Disguised in black, I sat patiently in the alehouse till I was able to identify five of the men—five of them who had a habit of harassing her. Formerly, there were six, but one passed away last year. Luck had chosen to shine on him.
They were seated together at a table, clearly friends. A group of worthless individuals.
"What may I fetch you, fine sir?" Lily's mother asked, trying to catch a glimpse under the hood that disguised my face.
There was a small resemblance between them—the same hair colour and face shape.
I had grown taller, my physique far beyond that of a typical sixteen-year-old.
Esme eyed me, noticing the fine material of my hood. "Tell you what, we sell the finest ale in town but my pub boasts of more"
She smiled coquettishly and jiggled her bosoms "For the right amount of coins, I'll give you an evening of unmatched pleasure" She bent to whisper "I'll also indulge in whatever fantasies come to mind"
I pulled back my hood slightly, and looked into her eyes, compelling her to send away the other patrons who weren't my targets and leave the pub after. Without protest, she did as she was told.
I wasted no time in making my way to my first target, a burly, bald man.
Without uttering a word, my hand shot out, seizing him by the throat and slamming him against the wall with bone-crushing force. He died instantly.
The other patrons, taken aback by the sudden attack, watched in stunned horror before rising to confront me.
I moved fast, cutting down each man with a fatal force that allowed no chance of survival.
One by one, they fell before me, their bodies hitting the floor.
One remained, he crawled on his belly, dragging blood on the ground... a pathetic sight, and I sent a sharp kick to his ribcages, causing the man to roll over.
"Yuri Dragunov," I said dangerously "Where is he?"
My boot pressed heavily on the man's neck as blood trickled from his split lip. His gasps were loud in the quiet room, and I released the pressure on his neck just enough to allow him to speak.
"Take me to him" I commanded "Now"
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Yuri Dragunov was on top of a whore when I kicked the door open. The fat man's eyes rounded in fear as he rolled off the woman with difficulty, his short fingers fumbling with his trousers.
"What is the meaning of this?" he blustered, his voice shaking with anger and terror.
Ignoring his protests, I brutally snapped the neck of the man who had directed me to Yuri's doorstep, flinging him to the ground. The whore screamed.
Yuri trembled, sweat forming on his forehead. "W-who are you? If it's coin you desire, I have none!" He stammered in fear.
My expression remained stoic as I stepped over the lifeless body and approached the bed where Yuri cowered. "Years ago, you struck someone very dear to me," I said, my voice cold as death itself.
"M-my apologies, sir," Yuri babbled.
"Her name was Lily," I stated, as I met Yuri's confused stare. "She was young. Scarcely old enough to be your daughter, yet when she would not let you have her way with her, you struck her...with great force."
Yuri shook his head blankly "I-I don't..."
I sent a punch to his face, and the man sprawled to the floor with a cry of pain. As he struggled to rise, I removed the hood that concealed my face, revealing my young features that left both people in the room shocked.
Yuri's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Y-you are but a lad. H-how is this possible?"
I continued, ignoring the man's cries. "Weeks after it happened, her face remained marred by bruises and swelling. I dread to imagine its appearance in the immediate aftermath."
Yuri's eyes narrowed, his brain working to remember who I spoke of.
"Esme's child" he blurted out suddenly. "The skinny lass"
"Yes"
"B-but she is no more. She died years ago, torn apart by wild beasts"
"Indeed. And you will die here today" I looked into the man's eyes "My face shall be the last you gaze upon as you draw your final breath. The face of the lad who took your life,"
The whore, forgotten in the chaos, attempted to flee, but my commanding voice froze her in her tracks.
"Move and you die"
Then I turned back to Yuri "First, I shall take from you, that which you allow to control you. Your manhood," I spoke coldly.
Before Yuri could protest, I took out a knife from my inner pocket and moved forward, pinning the old man to the bed. Despite Yuri's feeble attempts to escape, I effortlessly held him down with one hand, while the blade approached him.
With my compulsion, I silenced him as he attempted to scream, and also reached out to the whore who was a few meters away from me to hold her tongue as well.
She remained frozen in fear, daring not to move like I had warned.
It was no secret that I was no ordinary boy.
Not with how quickly I moved and the extraordinary strength I possessed.
"What manner of monster are you?" Yuri wailed in agony.
"It is not I who is the monster here," I answered. "It is you. I am merely the one who hunts down and metes out retribution to your filthy and despicable kind."
The knife sliced through his flesh, drawing blood, and I continued to speak. "Over the years, I thought of countless methods to exact vengeance upon you for your wicked deeds. I imagined ways to inflict the utmost agony on you while you still drew breath... before I settled on this."
I sliced again and Yuri stifled a yelp.
"I practiced to perfection. For years, I practiced"
My concentration refused to waver, and I continued my horrid task until Yuri had been stripped of his manhood, weakened and broken.
Sweat poured out from his pores, his lips exhaling, a bit relieved the torment was over, but I was not done.
"Is that relief I sense?" I asked in a guffaw. "Sorry to disappoint, but I am not finished with you yet,"
Yuri pleaded, his voice weak from the attack. "Please, I beg of you. I have grandsons your age"
His pleas fell on deaf ears as I reached out to take one of his arms.
"The hands which struck her..." I began slowly "...shall strike no more"
Using the same bloodied knife, I started to hack away Yuri's wrists, careful not to cut an artery.
He struggled to speak, his life slowly draining away, but I sent a sharp slap to his face to jolt him awake.
"Life slips away from you," I noted calmly, "But time is still on my side"
Then I repeated the same sequence with his other arm. By the time I finished, Yuri lay lifeless, and the bed was drenched in blood.
I gazed at the naked whore trembling uncontrollably on the bed and started to loosen the button on my breeches.
"Spread your legs" I commanded.
The whore froze in shock but complied.
After witnessing what I had done to Yuri, she dared not disobey.
Afterward, as she lay dead at my feet, I left, my mission of vengeance far from complete. I made a short stop at my uncle's villa.
It was the first time they had seen me since I left Kyiv three years ago. They were taken aback by my unexpected appearance, especially with my hands and clothes stained with blood.
Lucius greeted me with a proud smile.
"I always wondered why your mother chose to name you after the angel of death," he said, his eyes shining with approval. "Now, I know why"
They did not ask where I had come from, nor why I was in that state. Instead, they silently welcomed me in, offering me shelter for the night, oblivious to the dangerous motive I had in mind.
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The next morning, I goaded Lucius into a fight.
"How about a rematch uncle? It's been three years" I began. "I am of equal strength now. A vampire, like you"
"You're a Vlad" Lucius stated casually "Although you're now stronger, I'm certain I can still best you" he bragged, removing his shirt with a casual shrug.
I took off my shoes and walked to stand beneath the shade of the training grounds, waiting for him to join me.
"Let's see how well you fight now," he said, striding confidently to the training grounds and picking up two swords from their resting place.
"If a threat approached the Alesul, how would you defend him?" he asked, tossing a sword my way. I caught it effortlessly.
"Show me."
He didn't even ask how I'd defend myself if the danger was aimed at me. All they cared about was Dragos. I was expected to prioritize his safety above my own.
Geta and Dacianus, stepped out to watch from a safe distance, remaining shielded by the shade.
Lucius moved first, swinging his sword at me. I reacted quickly, raising mine to deflect the blow. With a deft turn of my wrist, I redirected the attack with equal power, aiming for Lucius' upper arm. But he was quick to dodge.
The two of us moved across the training grounds, our swords flashing with inhuman speed as we started to use our vampiric abilities.
For minutes, we fought skillfully, but as the seriousness escalated, I began to gain the upper hand.
I slashed Lucius deeply across the chest and he grunted.
I did not stop there. I slashed again, and again and again, drawing blood and leaving him stumbling back under the relentless attack.
Knowing that I had almost won, I released an angry shout, bringing my sword down toward him, aiming to deliver the one move that would end the duel once and for all. But as my sword lowered, Lucius moved away at the last possible moment.
The sharp edge of my blade cut through the air instead, narrowly missing him and falling to the ground.
For a moment, both of us stood, glaring at each other, our breaths, ragged. Then, without warning and with a quick, calculated finishing move from the ancient shadow arts, I equally disarmed Lucius, sending his sword falling to the ground.
I pushed him back with supernatural strength a few paces toward the edge of the training area where the protective canopy gave way to the open sunlight.
"What are you doing?" Lucius snapped, a bit of fear in his voice as he tried to push back. But my strength as a Vlad gave me the upper hand. I drove him closer and closer to the boundary.
Geta and Dacianus straightened, coming in my direction.
"Azrael!" They yelled. "STOP!"
"For Lily," I said through clenched teeth, anger and pain clear in my voice. With a final hit, I pushed Lucius backward, beyond the shelter of the canopy and into the rays of sunlight.
Gasps filled the air, followed by a second of silence, before Uncle Lucius' screams pierced the air.
He writhed in agony under the destructive sunlight, his flesh blistering and burning.
My other uncles, who had arrived at where we had both previously battled, yelled for me to intervene.
"HELP HIM!!" Dacianus yelled desperately. "You can walk in the sun, help him!!!"
Geta grabbed me by the shoulders. "Save your uncle, Azrael... please"
But I was not moved. I replied with a voice devoid of emotion that they both flinched at the sound of it. "No,"
I looked on, unmoved, silently enjoying the sight of Lucius' suffering as his screams continued to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. When the sunlight had consumed him until he was nothing but ash,
I left the scene satisfied.
Fearing that my involvement in Lucius' death would bring to light the injustice I had suffered at the hands of our own family, my uncles chose to bury the truth, presenting it as nothing more than an unfortunate accident.
Normally, those who underwent the ancient shadow arts training were sworn to secrecy, and forbidden from speaking of the trials they endured. Had the truth about Lucius' death at my hands come out, they would have asked why, and in seeking those answers, they would have uncovered everything I had been forced to endure.