Talia's pov

The hall was full of darkness, and you could sense the demons inside those walls. You were nowhere to be safe here, as if you were meant to ever be.

I have escaped death plenty of times already. First, was my maniacal father. The second time, it was Darcia. This is my third death. The saying says, 'Third time's a charm'. I can now only pray and hope to survive once again because there's no one to save my cursed life. I'm on my own to save myself.

"Move." Noen hissed and pushed harshly on my right shoulder. I was barely dragging my feet forward. I only sensed the tip of my fingertips. My tongue was weird to feel, and my mouth was extremely dry from the inside. I looked down to see what they changed me into, and to my surprise I was decently clothed. It was a night gown in deep forest color. The top part of it was decorated in spider web hem lace same at the bottom part.

We stopped walking once we were standing in front of a giant wooden double door. Two of Elvira's vampire slaves opened the double door together in sync. The sound of the door squeaking made my skin crawl.

If I wanted to see Darcia's face again, I had to find the strength in me to move. To make further progress. No matter what happens, because this is not how my life will end.

When she took a step ahead, all of us had to move as well. We entered one of the biggest dining halls I've ever seen in my life. A Black Marvel table with clipped corners was placed in the center of the room, with all the vampires living here sitting behind it. The ceiling was painted pitch-black with a border touched in gold color. The chandelier was hung exactly at the center of the ceiling. Ruby diamonds were encrusted on the chandelier, making it sparkle in the light of the candles that were all around it. Emerald color dominated those wingback chairs that immortals sat on.

Elvira's obsession with this color is insane, but on the other hand, Darcia loves red and even sleeps in velvet-red sheets.

The room itself was extraordinary to look at. Every corner of it was shaped asymmetrically. A raven curtains were perfectly hanging to all of the windows. Portraits of unfamiliar faces were attached to the walls. I narrowed my eyes in hope to maybe see Darcia's face on one of them, but I couldn't find her.

Once we made more steps forward and I could be seen, all eyes were on me.

All of the vampires stood up and bowed down to Elvira. She gave them a huge smile, showing her sharp fangs, and indicated that they sit down. She unhurriedly approached the large, lengthy table, and when she was about to sit down, Noen pulled the chair for her as a gentleman.

As for me, I got seated right next to her. On the other left side was seated Noen. I quickly observed the room and tried to count quickly how many vampires were here. I lost the count at ninety-six.

The table was decorated in red wine color and three-tier candle holders were covered in true gold. One is in the center of the table, and the other two are at the beginning and end of the table.

There were no plates, just crystal carved cups in front of them filled with blood. They were all peering at me with nothing but darkness in their eyes. None of them had red eyes, but that moment of their return was coming, and I was the cause of it.

"As you can see, m'lords and m'ladies, we have a guest under our roof." She began speaking. "My dear friend, I hope you don't feel even unsightly uncomfortable and can enjoy this dinner." She asserted as she turned her head to me.

I simply nodded my head but didn't dare look straight into her eyes. I could hear her annoying, high-pitched voice laugh under her breath. I hugged my body to stop the constant quiver. Her maniacal giggling made the trembling even worse.

"Now," she clapped two times and looked for the food servant. "Let's begin the feast!" She announced, and all the vampires laughed evilly like they weren't right in their minds.

All the servants disappeared to the other room next to this one. I suppose it's the kitchen. While we were all waiting for them to come back, another servant poured more blood into the see through cups.

"Why pour more blood if there's going to be way more of it soon?" I thought to myself.

Then it hit me. A living meal will soon enter this room, and I will have to watch as all hundred immortals suck souls out of innocent human beings.

I leisurely turned my head to the open door to the kitchen and focused on any signs of movement coming out of there.

A cold touch made me flinch and snap my head back to Elvira. Her strong grip on my wrist created tears in my eyes. Once she caught sight of them, the corner of her mouth lifted.

I was powerless and completely alone, with total monsters of madness.

Then I could hear the footsteps behind me, coming closer and closer to the direction of the table. Once they were close enough, Elvira's eyes scanned all of the humans that were behind me.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"You, come here." She pointed at someone with her finger. The person walked carefully toward her, however stopped right next to me.

Elvira rose from the wingback chair, and the squeaking sound created goosebumps on my whole body. She slowly approached the person, taking a good look at them. Then she stood behind them, and no one knew what her intentions were for doing so.

"My friend, turn your pretty head to look at me." She demanded loudly.

I gulped and turned to face her. The person who was in front of her was a girl probably my age with gorgeous curly ginger hair. She had a light piece of clothing on her something like a bag for potatoes that was fully covered in dirt. She was blemished with bite marks and other dark bruises.

You would suppose this girl would have a scared face, yet there were no emotions shown on her face.

Elvira hugged her from behind and placed her pale hand against her neck. She sniffed her neck, dragging her nose up to her hairline.

Her claws bore into the girl's neck, and without any warning, she cut a long line across her neck. When the drop of blood began to release from the open skin, I was out of the chair straightaway. My hands grasped the girl's body, and my teeth were sunken deep down into her open skin. We fell onto the cold ground as my weight brought her down.

Just like that, in a blink of an eye, I sucked every drop of blood out of her system; I couldn't dig out my teeth out of her. I was destroying her motionless body. I kept on holding her shoulders, like she could escape from me. Like she could stop me. I scratched her arms, shoulders, and even her neck. Traces of my long fingernails were all across her body. Red long marks. I licked the wound on her neck, taking every tiny drop of blood that would go to waste.

Once I released my teeth from her neck, her eyes remained open, and that was the moment I realized I killed a human—that I became a monster like every other being in this dining room.

I became one of them.

Darcia's pov

In agony and angriness, I sat outside on the stairs, thinking about Talia.

It's been a week and a half since she was taken away from me. Me and Nicoli were constantly discussing the best plan to get there and take her back, except everything seemed not to be good enough. Failure, to be exact.

I sat on those stairs as it was pouring, replaying the last moments with her in my head. The last time I saw those beautiful hazel eyes.

An indescribable feeling was lingering inside my chest. It wanted to explode and tear my body apart. I touched my chest, pressing hard on it. My breath became quicker, as if I were really about to explode.

"Darcia," Nicoli called my name behind me. I escaped from my thoughts immediately.

He closed the front door and sat down next to me. My head was leaning against the wooden pillar as my eyes swam with tears. I turned my head away from his direction. I was looking weak enough in front of Nicoli. The last thing I want is for him to see me cry.

"I- know how you're feeling, Darc-"

"No, you have no fucking idea what goes through my mind at this moment, Nicoli. How they might torture her there. How my sister has her claws dig inside her. How every other vampire craves her blood. So please don't try to emphasize with me. Because you don't know how I'm fucking feeling." I coldly shouted.

Silence filled the air around us.

I grabbed onto my hair and pulled it in frustration. The only precious person I could ever have is far away from me with my lunatic sister.

My wrists were grabbed by Nicoli, and his eyes bore into mine. "Don't feel guilty because you had no idea what would happen. Your sister had this planned very well, and I'm so sorry, Darcia, that I didn't kill her when I had the chance." He apologized in a low voice.

"Now we have to do everything necessary for her rescue. I won't let you go back there alone." He added.

My forehead creased. "I cannot ask you to come with me. Please, don't make me take away your happiness from you. We might not return back home." I cautioned.

"I know the risks. I know there's a chance we won't ever come back to this house, but I can't bear to see you like this. You are my family, Darcia. My only true family. Don't push me away." Nicoli pressed me into his chest, and more tears flooded. I locked my hands around him, holding him tight to my body. His finger wiped away the tears from my cheek. He patted my back rhythmically to calm me down.

What kind of friend would I be if he died there? Putting his life at risk. I could never forgive myself. He's stubborn like me; perhaps that's why we stuck together for all those centuries.

Love changed me. In the best ways possible, of course. However, weakness won't help me bring back Talia. As much as I hated to allow this to happen to myself, I have to bring back my old self. Not the one who kills the innocents, but the one who kills evilness.

I would slaughter everyone in that cursed castle, undoubtedly including my parents, if they stood in my way. As for my sister, she's the first victim on my list to kill. I had mercy on her considering she's my family, despite that I'm done playing nice. I'm done always letting her get her way just because she knows where I live. If she wants to reveal it to my parents, then I'll let her do it. Or more precisely, I'll let her get her way for the last time because I will murder her with my own hands before she has to chance to inform them.

I've had enough of my forsaken, twisted 'family'. I sacrificed and have been hurt more than I can count. I ran and hid all those long years. Except now I'm exhausted. I will kill my own kind thanks to her. I will destroy the whole world if it's needed, but I will take back what's mine.

I snatched his blouse and held it tight. "I will kill them all," I muttered for myself. "I will destroy them all."

It didn't matter what was the right thing to do because I had decided long ago what was right for me. No one can change my mind about Talia and our relationship. She belongs to me by all rights.

If Elvira thinks I will let her live this time, she better be prepared when I arrive because no mercy will be given.

The war has begun.