Rushling and hushed strained whispers were what my body woke to, sore and tired. I rose from the bed in the candle-lit room, seeing Knox and Xander beginning to get dressed quickly. Rubbing my eyes I whispered, "What is going on?"
"Adelaide, stay here. Do not leave the chambers. Do you understand me?", Knox ordered quickly as he dressed.
"Wait-What is-", I stutter out confused as fear began to rise in my heart but my words were cut off as Knox yelled at me, "Do you understand?!"
"Yes! Yes I understand", I scream back as I hold the blankets close to my naked frame as I look back between my beloveds. Xander shook his head as he looked at me pressing a strained smile. "Stay. I'm sure it's fine", he muttered to me before nodding.
And they were gone just like that. At that moment, I was afraid. Blantenly and utterly afraid of what was happening inside the estate, by my cause. Quickly, throwing on a robe across my sore body, I rose and shut my eyes. I tried to focus, to call out to them in my mind.
"Knox? Xander?"
I waited for what seemed like hours but were mere seconds until I felt a pressure in my head, Knox entering my mind. And that's when I felt the one emotion I never wanted to feel from them. Fear.
"Barracide the door, do not come out Addy. I'll come fo-", the connection was cut as silencing rang like tinnitus through my ears.
"Xander?!", I called frantically into the void of my mind before calling out to Knox as well.
"Hello?!", I shout.
Nothing.
The cold room surrounded me, closing in as if suffocating me. I began to run piling things in front of the door that led to the hallway, my heart beating a million miles a minute as I pushed the dresser with all my strength. I could hear screams and cries from people from below me and I quickly recognized one of them; Nora. Tears broke from my eyes as my shaking hand pressed against my mouth to silence my sob.
Please, God, don't hurt them.
My mind swirled as I slowly stepped back from the door, my knees buckling with each step but I refused to let myself fall. I needed to pull myself together and think, I needed to survive this. My eyes flicked over to my closet, remembering what I had hidden in the case. I look back to the door before slowly sliding my feet across the wooden floor, trying to keep my weight evenly distributed. My eyes never left the door as sweat dripped down my back, I had finally made it to my closet.
Okay, okay...
Breathe Adelaide, just focus. I can do this.
My shaking hands brought up the knife I had hidden, hesitating as I listened to the eerie quietness now in the estate. In one part of my mind, it tried to tell me that it was over. But I knew better than that. Whatever is in the palace will smell my blood once I do this, which only struck more fear into my heart as I realized both options could lead to my death.
They knew I was here, it was only a matter of time until they found me.
And if they got to me, maybe they would leave everyone else alone. Maybe I could stop them before...before anyone else is hurt. I could only hope that I was strong enough to take on whatever was behind that door, lurking in the corridors. What happened to Knox and Xander? I couldn't feel them in my mind anymore, and that was the scariest thing of all. The emptiness in my head, the silence...
Please god, no.
Tears pooled in my eyes as I slid back over to the middle of the room, knife in hand. Breathe in...I could do this. Breathe out...I will do this.
With a dry mouth and shaking hands, I brought the blade to my palm. This was the only way, they wanted me. I couldn't let the others bleed for me, this was all me now.
I winced as the blade cut into my palm, drawing a line of crimson. The pain shot through me, but I stifled my cries, focusing on the door. With a trembling hand, I pressed my bleeding palm against the wooden surface, leaving a smeared trail as I slid it down.
My heart raced wildly, anticipating what would come next. Moments stretched into an eternity as I waited, my breaths shallow and rapid. Minutes passed, yet nothing stirred beyond the door. Doubt began to creep in—had my plan failed? Had they already moved on?
Just when I was about to retract my hand, a faint sound reached my ears. Soft footsteps echoed from the corridor outside. My breath caught in my throat as the steps grew closer, each one sending shivers down my spine.
The doorknob twitched, and my heart skipped a beat. I pressed myself against the wall, my grip tightening around the knife.
My eyes widened in shock as the door creaked open further, revealing Askel, staggering into the room trying to push the dresser back. I flung myself back over, pulling the dresser to let him into the room. His usual composed demeanour was replaced by a ghostly pallor, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. Dark stains marred his clothing, and he leaned heavily against the doorframe for support.
"Askel!" I rushed to his side, my hands trembling as I tried to steady him. "What happened? Are you okay?"
Askel struggled to speak, his voice barely a whisper. "They... they're here. The intruders... they are lycans. We couldn't... hold them off."
My heart sank at his words. The ominous feeling that had been gnawing at me suddenly intensified. I glanced back at the window, the flames illuminating the night sky, and then at Askel, his condition worsening by the second. The estate was in flames, and we would burn with it if we didn't leave now. I could smell it now, the smoke wafting throughout the hallways. They were going to burn us out, like rats.
"Why aren't you healing?!", I screamed as scanned his wounds that were oozing crimson with black flecks engraved inside.
"Their claws, they were dipping them in something...", he grunted and hissed as he slumped against the door. A pale look and sweat were coating his face as my mind began to spiral. My hands began to rake through my hair as I mumbled; my voice growing louder and louder, "Fuck. Fuck!".
"Min Dame?", Askel questioned quietly through hazy eyes making me shake my head.
"We have to get you out of here," I said urgently. "Can you walk? We need to find a way to escape."
Askel nodded weakly, his breathing becoming more laboured. With my support, he staggered forward, each step a struggle. He wasn't healing, gashes in his legs and arms; no...claw marks. I kept my mouth shut as we hobbled into the hallway, my ears trying to focus on anything but the roaring flames. The once pristine hallways were now chaotic, debris scattered everywhere, and the distant sounds of destruction echoed through the corridors.
My home...
Suddenly, a guttural growl reverberated from the shadows ahead. I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. Emerging from the darkness, grotesque figures emerged, their forms twisted and inhuman. Their eyes glinted with an otherworldly malevolence, and their movements were unnaturally agile. Lycans, but they seemed to be halfway through their transition. Half beast and half man, twisted with skin and fur.
Askel's grip tightened on my arm, his strength waning. "Run, save yourself."
I could stare into his eyes, tears pooling in both of ours as we weren't ready to die. I couldn't, not yet. My mind raced with fear and desperation. I glanced around, searching for an escape route, but the creatures were closing in, their ghastly forms blocking every path.
Refusing to abandon Askel, I raised the knife in a trembling grip, ready to defend us both. I couldn't think, I couldn't stop the worry and fear coursing in my veins as the growls of the beast came closer and closer towards us. Thinking back to all the training I had, thinking of Elijah's words...
Focus your powers, Adelaide, focus them. Everything that Elijah taught me, just focus!
My breathing steadied as I harnessed the elemental forces within me. Askels yells at me to run became ringing silence as my tears stopped. Remembering my training with the elements—earth, fire, water, and air—I drew upon their energy, feeling the familiar tingle of power at my fingertips. The knife in my hand shimmered with an ethereal light, infused with the essence of my elemental command.
The creatures, hesitated, uncertain of this unexpected display of power. I focused on the earth beneath my feet, feeling the solidity of the ground. With a swift motion, I slammed the blade onto the floor, and fissures snaked outward from the point of impact, spreading rapidly toward the approaching Lycans.
Rocks and debris shot up from the ground, forming a barricade, and obstructing the advance of the creatures. A wall of earth and stone rose, shielding Askel and me from the malevolent beings.
"Adelaide, what are you doing?" Askel's voice trembled with disbelief as he witnessed me wielding the elements.
"I won't let them harm us," I replied, my voice infused with determination.
The Lycans, thwarted by the sudden manifestation of earth and stone, howled in frustration, attempting to break through the barrier. Yet, the elemental fortification held, a testament to my growing mastery over my abilities.
Emboldened by the success of my earth manipulation, I turned my attention to the flaming torches lining the hallway. With a flick of my wrist, I gestured toward the torches, and a gust of wind swirled around me, carrying my command. The flames danced, bending to my will, and transformed into a whirlwind of fire that surged forward, enveloping the creatures in a blaze. I had to hold into this control, even though I grew weaker with each passing moment.
The corridor was illuminated with a fiery spectacle as the Lycans struggled within the inferno. My eyes glowed with the intensity of my control over the elements, my focus unwavering amidst the chaos.
Askel watched in awe and trepidation, witnessing my prowess with the elements. "Adelaide, this power..."
"We need to find a way out," I said, my voice resolute. "I can't hold them off forever."
My mastery over the elements began to falter. The fire whirlwind flickered, its intensity diminishing as I struggled to maintain my focus. The creatures trapped within the blaze seized the opportunity, clawing their way out of the dwindling flames with renewed vigour. The thing with fire, the flames didn't want control. They wanted balance, they wanted you to blend with it. But I couldn't stop fighting it, I just needed it for a second. But I was too weak in reality, I wasn't a master. I wasn't able to do this, because in reality, this was still all too new to me. Brought into this new and dangerous world that was hidden from me as a girl, and now...
Askel's grip tightened around my arm. "Adelaide, we have to go. You're not well."
My breaths came in ragged gasps, my strength draining rapidly. I nodded weakly, my vision blurring at the edges. "I... I can't hold them much longer."
With faltering steps, Askel and I staggered away from the dwindling inferno, the creatures advancing behind us. My movements grew sluggish, my once steady pace now a struggle.
"We need to find somewhere safe," Askel urged, concern etched on his face as he supported my weight even with his injured self.
I nodded faintly, my head swimming with exhaustion. Every breath felt like an uphill battle, and the world seemed to sway around me. My grip on the knife loosened, the once-shimmering blade now dulled by my fading connection to the elements.
Our surroundings blurred into a chaotic haze as we stumbled through the corridors, the distant sounds of destruction echoing around us. My focus wavered, my control over the elements slipping through my weakening grasp.
"We're almost there," Askel encouraged, his voice strained with effort as he helped me forward. My hazy eyes gazed upon the bodies, laid within the halls as our feet soaked in the blood. It was all I could smell, warm blood and death of burning body as the flames licked and cleaned the corridor.
Everything was slipped out of my fingers...even my control.
But before we could reach safety, a sudden surge of energy rippled through the corridor. The elemental forces, once obedient to my command, began to rebel, responding erratically to my weakening control. Everyone was right, I truly was a ticking time bomb.
The earth trembled beneath our feet, rocks and debris rising unpredictably around us. The gusts of wind twisted into uncontrollable whirlwinds, whipping wildly in every direction. Flames sparked erratically, dancing out of control, threatening to engulf everything in their path.
I stumbled, my knees buckling under the strain. Askel tried to support me, but the tumultuous elemental outburst threw us both off balance. We collapsed to the ground, vulnerable amidst the chaos.
"I can't... I can't stop it," I gasped, my voice barely audible amidst the cacophony of elemental turmoil.
Askel shielded me as best as he could, his body acting as a feeble barrier against the unpredictable elemental onslaught. Desperation etched his features as he watched me weaken further, my connection to the elements slipping away. His body lay on top of mine, shielding me from the falling debris. His blood soaked into my clothes, cold and wet against my skin.
"Where are they?", I cried out pathetically to the ground as my snot mixed with my tears. I could hear Askel mumbling, something that I couldn't hear over my screams.
The creatures, sensing the chaos, closed in on us, their distorted forms advancing through the maelstrom. Askel cast a desperate glance around, searching for any means of escape, but the swirling elemental forces had become a prison, trapping us within our uncontrollable power.
The creatures closed in, their distorted forms lurking within the tumultuous storm of elemental forces I had inadvertently unleashed. Askel, shielding me as best as he could, stood between me and the encroaching monstrosities, his every movement a testament to his fading strength.
Despite his valiant efforts, Askel was outnumbered and overpowered by the grotesque beasts. Their twisted forms moved with a sinister grace, their inhuman claws gleaming amidst the chaos. Askel fought fiercely, his loyal determination a stark contrast to the overwhelming odds against him.
Weak and overwhelmed by the uncontrollable elemental storm, I watched in horror as the creatures attacked Askel. My heart pounded in my chest, my breaths shallow and frantic. My mind clouded with fear and anger, struggled to grasp the reality of the unfolding tragedy.
The scene unfolded in a flurry of raw, savage violence. The creatures lunged at Askel, their razor-sharp claws tearing through his defences. His valiant resistance was no match for their ferocity, and the chilling sounds of his struggles mixed with the beasts' guttural snarls echoed through the chaos.
Time began to slow down like a movie, each frame flicking in my eyes as I watched them tear into his skin. Crimson flew in the air, coating the flames and my cheek as he staggered back towards me. His eyes...his eyes were glazed and filled with the realization of what was happening to him. That death brings him into her arms, that she brings him to a softer place. My mouth was wide as screams were echoing around the grounds, my screams.
No...no....This...this can't be.
The last thought I had, was that I wished that death was kinder in his next life. And that he didn't fail, he never did.
I felt a surge of agony and rage as I witnessed Askel's valiant last stand. A primal scream tore from my throat, tears blurring my vision, my entire being consumed by a searing, overwhelming fury.
The elemental forces around me responded to my emotions, intensifying with my rage. The air crackled with unrestrained power, the ground trembled beneath me, and the flames surged higher, fueled by my unbridled fury.
My grief and rage erupted, merging with the volatile elemental energy I commanded. A surge of power radiated from me, an explosive release of raw emotion and uncontrolled magic.
The whirlwind of elements swirled into a cataclysmic frenzy, lashing out indiscriminately. The creatures, caught off guard by the sudden escalation of power, were ensnared within the maelstrom. Thunderous roars of wind mixed with crackling lightning and searing flames as the elemental fury wreaked havoc upon the beasts.
Consumed by my uncontrollable outburst of power, I barely registered the cataclysmic chaos around me. My grief-fueled rage manifested in a tempest of elemental forces, an unyielding storm of vengeance. His lifeless form lay still amidst the chaos, a stark testament to the price paid in the face of insurmountable odds.
My eyes blazed with a fiery intensity, my grief-stricken fury fueling the tempest I had unleashed. My every thought, every ounce of my being, was consumed by an overwhelming desire for retribution against those who had claimed Askel's life.
I stood amidst the chaotic tempest I had unleashed, my grief-stricken rage driving me beyond reason. My eyes blazed with an intense, otherworldly light as the elements responded to my tumultuous emotions. The creatures, caught within the tumultuous storm I had summoned, were now the targets of my unbridled fury.
With a primal scream echoing through the chaos, my every movement became an embodiment of vengeance. My hands trembled with power, and the knife I held pulsed with an ethereal glow, fueled by my overwhelming rage.
As the creatures attempted to regroup amidst the elemental onslaught, I surged forward, an unstoppable force of nature. My movements were a blur, a dance of fury and grace, as I wielded the elements as extensions of my being.
I lunged at the nearest creature, my knife slashing through the air with lethal precision. The blade, imbued with the elemental energy coursing through me, cleaved through the beast's twisted form, sending arcs of shimmering power scattering in its wake. I could hear their memories, children and family waiting for them...
But they will burn in my hellfire, they will die for their crimes. The only mercy I will give is death and death to all.
The air crackled with energy as I commanded the elements to obey my will. Gusts of wind whipped around me, swirling into cyclones that enveloped the creatures, tossing them like rag dolls within the ferocious storms I conjured.
The ground beneath my feet trembled as I channelled the earth's power, sending jagged spikes erupting from the floor. The creatures, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, howled in agony as the earth's fury impaled them with relentless force.
Flames danced at my command, erupting from my fingertips as I directed searing torrents toward the remaining creatures. The fire, an extension of my wrath, consumed the beasts in a blaze of scorching intensity, reducing them to smouldering remnants and dust.
My movements were a symphony of destruction, my grief-fueled rage transcending reason. My cries of fury mingled with the cacophony of elemental forces, the very fabric of nature bending to my command.
The creatures, overwhelmed and outmatched by my unleashed power, faltered and fell under the relentless assault. Their twisted forms writhed and disintegrated amidst the elemental onslaught, their malevolent existence snuffed out by my vengeful wrath.
How dare they...how dare they!
My heart was broken, and my mind was clouded with only one thing. Rage. And my rage would burn them, destroy them. End them. There was no mercy in my head anymore, nothing would hold me back. I will not hold back, not anymore.
Yet, amidst the chaos and destruction I wrought upon the creatures, I remained a figure of tragic fury, my heart heavy with the loss of Askel. My eyes, still ablaze with an unquenchable fire, reflected the tumultuous storm of emotions within me—a tempest of grief, rage, and inconsolable sorrow.
I broke from the humanity and morality that lay in my mind, the things that kept me in line and full of worry for others. It was gone, snapped and shattered; unable to be repaired. There was no more control to be held, there was no need. Death was their future now, pain for their new memories.
"Death to your kind," I growl fiercely as I drive the blade into one of the creatures still twitching from the impaled earth. Its grotesque form writhes with the impact, blood oozing from the fresh wound. I lean in closer, meeting its fading gaze, its eyes glazed and life ebbing away. "You wanted a battle?"
With a grim determination etched on my face, I declare with a chilling intensity, "I will bring you a war." The words echo through the chaos, carrying the weight of my resolve to confront and vanquish every threat that dared to challenge me or those I held dear.
The thing about using so much magic is that it weakens me. It tore at my soul as I collapsed onto my knees, holding the deadened creature on my blade.
The wind had seized, the fire turned to smoke and the earth crumbled to ash around me. I was drained, weak and unusable now.
Amidst the lingering echoes of chaos and the fading elemental tumult, a distant sound disrupted the eerie silence—a slow, rhythmic applause that seemed out of place in the aftermath of the tempest.
A voice cut through the air, a haunting mockery. "Bravo, Adelaide," he uttered with a tone that seemed to revel in the chaos he had orchestrated. The words carried an unsettling weight, a twisted acknowledgment of the tragedy that had unfolded.
"Bravo indeed," Elijah echoed, his voice a chilling refrain that lingered in the aftermath of betrayal. Each repetition felt like a malevolent encore, underscoring the calculated nature of his actions and the facade that had concealed his true intentions.
The sudden appearance of Elijah, accompanied by his unsettling praise, left me disoriented and vulnerable. The echoes of his false praise resonated through the air, a sinister congratulation that sent a shiver down my spine. As I struggled to comprehend his presence, his repeated affirmations only deepened the confusion.
"Elijah?" I managed my voice a blend of confusion and weakness. The events that had transpired had left me drained, my control shattered, and the revelation of Elijah's unexpected presence added another layer of uncertainty. I watched as he stepped towards me through the smoke, fire dying as the corpses were laid across the ground.
"What are you doing, HEY-" I began to protest, but my words were cut short as I felt a sudden, sharp pressure against my neck. Panic surged through me as I realized a needle was being pressed into my skin with alarming speed.
The world blurred, and a wave of dizziness washed over me. My limbs felt heavy, and the dim corridor seemed to sway. Elijah's voice, now distorted and distant, continued to resonate in the haze of my fading consciousness.
"You really did it this time, I must say..." Elijah's words became a mere murmur as the effects of whatever substance the needle carried began to take hold. The needle's sting was a cruel punctuation mark to the chaos that had unfolded, a sinister twist that left me succumbing to an unsettling descent into unconsciousness.
Elijah's mocking voice pierced through the haze of my fading consciousness, his taunts adding another layer of disorientation to the already chaotic scene. "Shhhh...you still haven't gotten it?" he jeered, his words a cruel reminder of my apparent naivety.
"You really are as naive as they say...so trusting," Elijah continued, his tone dripping with disdain. The realization that I had been played, that trust had been misplaced, settled in like a bitter taste. Confusion and disbelief clouded my thoughts as I grappled with the sudden betrayal.
"No...no...you?" I stammered, my voice a mixture of anguish and disbelief. Tears welled in my eyes as the weight of the betrayal pressed upon me, the foundations of trust shattered by Elijah's deceit.
"Surprise, Plaetive," Elijah spat, the revelation delivered with a venomous satisfaction. The term echoed with a sinister significance, a piece of a puzzle that I had failed to comprehend until it was too late.
"Get off me!" I cried out in desperation as Elijah's grip tightened around my fragile body. Panic surged through me, fueled by the realization that the person I had once considered an ally had become an adversary.
Elijah's sickly sweet voice sliced through the haze of my confusion, pressing into my skull like a bitter reminder of the betrayal that unfolded. "Come on, our carriage awaits," he cooed, the words a stark contrast to the turmoil within me. My eyes, struggling to focus, were drawn to the lifeless form on the ground; the one who deserved nothing of this pain — Askel.
_____________
Askel :(
All he ever wanted to do was save the people around him...
Twist of events there, who guessed Elijah for being the one behind it all?