The Torn Sins

Chapter XXXIIIV

The crowd shuffles as people quickly move towards where their hearts lie. Harsh words are tossed out as they pass each other, fury and rage showing on their faces. When the crowd has split I lift my hand to quiet them once more.

"You all have chosen then. I could've left you here to starve and go mad with each other, but instead I've decided to fight," I call out.

"Good! At least you're not a coward, I will fight if it means the Castle stays as it should be," someone calls out and rallies the crowd as well.

"Then we are at war," I take in a deep breath and close my eyes, enjoying this final moment of peace.

"I'll start by cutting the head off the bitch who calls the shots!" a voice yells. I hear the rushing of feet as vampires make their way towards me, eyes red with rage, malice and hatred in their hearts. Before they can even get close the gunshots are fired and they stumble during their race. My troops rush out, and the collision of sides is so loud there's ringing in my ears.

"Cybil, let's go," Natham's voice pulls me out of daze and I feel my fangs slide out.

"I'm ready," I growl.

The three of us rush into battle with the smell of blood already swirling in the air. 

Natham's POV

I never thought I'd get to see the day where I'd rush into battle with Cybil by my side. When Matrix locked me in that cell I thought it was all over, that I'd spend my miserable vampire life stuck in there forever. And I deserved that, I deserved to be left there to suffer and eventually die.

But she didn't let me. I look over at her now and feel my heart swell with emotion. As the sweat drips down her brow from the heat of the fires and the muscles on her body coil as she races towards danger I can't help but wonder how I ever was willing to hurt something that fierce.

Before I can get too caught up in her I collide with a strong body and we both roll, into the chaos of the crowd. I hear Cybil call out for me, but I don't get the chance to look around for her. The vampire on top of me flashes a fierce blow to the jaw and I feel blood well in my mouth almost immediately. He goes for another and I catch his fist, surprising him with my strength. Catching him off guard I swing my other fist down on top of his extended arm and hear the bone crack. He lets out a wail of pain and I twist us so that his head is locked in my arms and he's down on his knees. My eyes connect with Cybil's in this moment and fear races through me. What if, what if, what if?

What if I snap again, what if I like causing pain again, what if something goes wrong and I lose myself again?

"Natham," she's in front of me now, ignoring the battle ensuing around us. "Do it Natham, fucking do it. Because every single one of these bastards will do it to you," she growls.

With my eyes closed I snap his neck and the dread washes away from me, replaced by a feeling of grim determination.

"Thank you," I whisper to her, but she's already gone. It doesn't take me long to be engaged in another fight, a sea of bodies being kicked and punched is all around me. The humans fire bullets out as well, close range of course. The guns are their only chance at survival against the ferocious beasts we all are. I claw, bite, break, and destroy anything that gets in my way. Blood covers my body, as well as bruises and injuries of my own, but I don't stop fighting. I fight for the people I have wronged, I fight for the version of myself that I lost so long ago, and the person I am now. I fight to make sure the monster never comes back.

As I smash through a foe's skull with my bare hands and feel god knows what splatter on my face I think of how lucky I am to have her. How fucking lucky.