Eternity is Only A Lifetime Away

Emotions and Time

Tristan was shocked at how long he slept for. Usually, on the rare times he did opt for slumber, he slept for three, four hours maximum before feeling rejuvenated and ready for anything. However, today, he had slept for well over six hours. Immediately, he grinned, realising that he must have really tired himself out the night before, and if he was so tired, then what state was Aleka in?

He rolled over to check on her, surprised to see her side of the bed empty, the sheets still rumpled from where she had been laying. The vampire set up, eyes scanning the room. Everything was just how it had been when they finally reached the bed the night before and nothing looked disturbed. There was no noise coming from the bathroom, the door to it slightly ajar.

Something was wrong. He could sense it. Climbing quickly from the tangles sheets, Tristan grabbed his pants and shirt, redressing with speed that only a vampire could muster. In a panic of emotions he searched the bedroom for any trace of the young warrior but to no avail. The sun was setting outside the thick blinds that were fluttering in the slight breeze. He paused, staring through the thin gap, a lump appearing in his throat as he realised that this was the first time he knew of any window open in the castle. Open windows were not safe and he knew that Aleka knew better.

Racing from the room, Tristan stood at the top of the stairs, his knuckles white as he gripped the balcony and peered over it. She had to be in the castle somewhere. Aleka wouldn’t have just left, risking everything like that. She couldn’t.

“Aleka!” He roared, his fangs appearing and his eyes darkening as he began to lose control of his emotions.

He could feel the consumed blood bubbling in his body as the worst began to unfold in front of his eyes. Creatures appeared, wondering why he was yelling, which was unusually out of character for the calm vampire. He cursed, breaking the wood in his hands and launching it at the wall without a care for anyone who may have been in the path.

Tristan rushed through the castle, calling Aleka’s name everywhere he went, ignoring those who questioned what was happening until finally he realised that his fears were true; she wasn’t in the safety of the walls anymore. He punched the wall, the dust from the crushed brick billowing into his face as his fist impacted.

Kaleb and Lilia heard the commotion and chased Tristan down, confused by his actions. He had built his reputation on being calm and collected even in the face of deadly danger, yet here he was running around with his emotions flaring, his true strength destroying the castle as his blasted down each ancient corridor, leaving everyone shocked.

“What’s happened?” Lilia asked, her eyes fixed on the hole in the wall of the library.

“She’s gone. Aleka’s gone.” Tristan explained, his voice scarily dark.

“What do you mean, ‘she’s gone’?” Kaleb’s voice shook with his own fear.

“She snuck out during the daylight. Her window was open when I awoke and there is no sign of her anywhere.” Tristan kept his eyes on the stone floor, unable to trust himself to look elsewhere.

“Let’s just calm down. She has to be around her somewhere. The castle is secure by a ten foot wall with no way over it.” Lilia said, keeping her cool and trying to think this through logically.

“She’s more than capable of scaling a wall with her powers.” Tristan pointed out, finally flicking his dark eyes up to look at his companions.

“What does this mean?” Kaleb asked, his voice barely above a whisper and his eyes wide.

“It means that she went after Sullivan. Alone.” Tristan pushed past his friends and stormed back towards his own room. He had to go after her, bring her back before it was too late and she got herself killed.

“She’s a smart kid, she wouldn’t do that.” Lilia said, trying to reason with Tristan.

“Yeah, just tap into her thoughts, you’ll see.” Kaleb said, joining them and thoroughly liking Lilia’s theory.

“Her thoughts are clouded. There’re too many emotions and mixed ideas blocking me out, but I know that she’s not here.”

“How?”

“She told me her plan last night. I told her it was stupid, that she should forget it. She agreed with me at the time, but clearly that was part of her plan. She wanted to confront Sullivan alone, so that he wouldn’t grow suspicious of our numbers on approach.” Tristan pulled a long sword from its sheath and examined the silver blade in the candlelight.

“So she’s gone alone to his castle?” The fear returned to Kaleb’s voice.

“Yes. She will not make it back alive if we do not do something.”

“Then we assemble the troops. Even on foot, she will only just have reached the castle of Sullivan. We have plenty of time to invade his land whilst she distracts him.” Lilia said, her logical thinking returning also as she tied her hair back.

“There’s no time! By the time the troops are prepared he will have killed her!” Tristan yelled, spinning around to face the witch.

“And if you go in all guns blazing then he’ll kill her even quicker.” She countered, her eyes meeting his in a defiant glare.

Kaleb watched as the battle of logic and love shone from their eyes. He had never expected this to happen and now that the end was clearly in sight, he didn’t know what to do. His loyalty was to both allies and now he had to choose between what would save one life and what would save many.

At that moment, the answer was decided for them, as one of the rebellion members fell through the door. “Sirs and Lady, there’s new from the mortal realm; it seems Sullivan has sent his troops to slaughter as many as they can. It’s a bloodbath on the streets of the cities.”

“We need to save them Tristan. They come first.” Lilia said sternly. As much as it killed her to make the choice, she knew that Aleka would never forgive them if they sent thousands to fight for her life whilst countless numbers of her own kind were tortured on the streets.

“Then send the troops through to the cities. I will go alone to rescue Aleka.”

The witch wanted to argue with his decision, but she knew it was futile and would waste precious time. She moved to the door without another word, before pausing and spinning on her heel. “I know what you feel for her Tristan, but the prophecy has been written and her fate was decided long before she came to us. Don’t die in vain.”

The angry vampire had no intention of dying at all, but he wouldn’t believe the words of a prophecy that Aleka had convinced him carried no truth at all.

In the prophecy room, the scrolls began to glow again. A luminous light filled the room as the stars aligned, and their true intentions seeped through the universe. They had never been wrong, not once, and as the final battle began far below them, the destinies foretold on that old parchment entwined for the final time as the prophecy’s meaning slowly started to come true…

The arrival of two…