~Rowena
I never thought I'd find myself in a place like this. The cold, damp stone beneath my feet is a stark reminder of my confinement. The faint scent of incense and decay hangs heavy in the air. Time loses all meaning when the sun never rises. We've been down here for what feels like an eternity.
They claim they're protecting the world from us, but they've forgotten how our kind once protected them from the calamity that vampires wreaked upon this town. Humans can be so insecure and foolish, always trying to clean up their mess. Led by worldly desires, they claim to be righteous and holy, but deep within, they are full of sin and inequity.
I glance over at Beatrix, my fellow apprentice my sister , who sits at the edge of her pallet, her eyes fixed on the wall as if she can see right through it. If only we could harness our powers, but we're still too young and yet to reach our potential. We can't even cast a simple spell, let alone perform complex witchcraft.
I still remember the day my mistress, Lady Marston, was captured by the Knights of the Church, who call themselves the Guardians of the Faith. She was taken to the town square, bound in chains to a wooden pole, and burned at the stake while the rest of us were bound and taken away. The sound of her screams still echoes in my mind – she begged for mercy, but the priest called upon God to accept her soul instead, as the congregation rejoiced.
The sound of scurrying rodents, the creak of rusty hinges, and the faint whispers of prayers from the chapel above offer a strange kind of comfort, reminding us of our fate. We are the last of our kind, just Beatrix and I. It's as if the universe is conspiring against us, and they've done a remarkable job of filling our lives with agony.
We were forced to drink a potion designed to suppress our powers, rendering us powerless. Since our capture, we've had nothing to eat, yet we still appear fresh and healthy – but it won't last. Our ability to remain healthy is a result of our unique physiology.
"Bring out the witches!!" My heart racing, I turned to Beatrix, who stared back at me with wide eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. "They're going to burn us alive, just like Lady Marston," I whispered, feeling hopeless.
The guards arrived, chaining our legs and tearing our hands apart. They bound us separately, leading us out of the cell. Two guards escorted Beatrix away, while the other two led me out behind her. We arrived at the town center, where Lady Marston had been burned at the stake. This time, there were two poles, one for each of us.
Beatrix was bound to one pole, and I was tied to the other. The crowd's eyes were filled with hatred and disgust. I had never been so terrified in my life. "Burn them!" an elderly man shouted. "Not yet," the priest intervened. "It must be done properly."
The priest and his assistants recited verses from the holy book as the Guardians of the Faith piled wood beneath our poles. A moment of silence fell, and I turned to Beatrix, who was staring at me, tears streaming down her face.
"You look stunning tonight sister ," I said, jokingly. Beatrix burst out laughing. "Maybe you should seduce the priest." She smiled, and I could tell she needed a hug. "I love you, Rowena," she whispered.
I burst into tears, unable to control myself. "I love you, Beatrix..." My voice cracked as I smelled smoke coming from Beatrix's pole. I looked down to see flames engulfing her. "No! Beatrix!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my head spinning.
Soon her pole was on fire. Beatrix's screams of agony filled the air. Everything ceased, and I was left to watch in horror as Beatrix was consumed by the flames, her body reduced to ashes.
Tears streamed down my face as I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. The priest's voice cut through the air, "May thy soul be lost in the outer darkness." The congregation responded in unison, "Amen."
I could no longer contain my rage. "You are all fools!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the square. "Hypocrites! You'll all burn in hell! I'll haunt this town, and every priest will suffer. I'll feed you all to the vampires, you and your descendants. You all shall be livestock for the vampires. I'll murder every single one of you!!!"
My voice sounded like a hundred people; I didn't notice the dark clouds gathering above, the thunder rumbling in the distance. It was as if I was unleashing a storm, my words summon.
"Set her on fire right now"!!!
The priest yelled.
As I felt my body surge with an otherworldly energy, the church knights who had been preparing to set me ablaze suddenly erupted into flames, their screams echoing through the square. The congregation descended into chaos, their terrified shrieks and wails filling the air.
In an instant, I was freed from the pole, my bonds shattered as if by an unseen force. But I knew I wasn't the one responsible for this newfound power. He was…
At first, I didn't see him. But then, a gust of wind swept through the square, extinguishing the flames that had consumed the knights. The wind died down, revealing a figure standing at the edge of the crowd. His eyes gleamed with an unnatural hunger, his gaze fixed intently on me.
The priest, still clutching his cross, took a step back, his voice trembling as he quoted scripture. "Thy lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." But his words trailed off as the vampire began to move towards him, his eyes never leaving mine.
The air seemed to grow colder, the shadows deepening and twisting around him like living darkness. His presence was a palpable thing, a malevolent force that seemed to fill the entire square.
"He's a vampire!!!!" a woman screamed, her voice piercing the air throwing the congregation into chaos. But the vampire didn't flinch. His eyes remained fixed on me, his gaze burning with an unholy intensity.
"Shut your trash, old man," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "I'm here for the girl."