What I expected, even I didn’t know. So many things could have happened the very moment I decided to let my blood spill. Yet for all the risks, all the terrifying scenarios that course through my infuriating overactive imagination, it couldn’t possibly have dreamt of what was happening before me now. 

The Matriarch. The unkillable, untraceable silent predator that in name alone is capable of instilling fear in the hearts of many. 

“I don’t… want… to.”

Such a powerful being… and she was moving away from me with quivering steps back, hiding her face in a downcast gaze. Her lofty grey hair with strands poking out, her skin paling to a sickly pure white. 

This was not how I had envisioned her. I especially did not envision having a conversation, because now I had no clue what to say.

I attempted a previous question.

“Can you please tell me where I am?”

Again, indecipherable mutters under her breath, leaving me without even a sliver of an answer.

Confusion was gradually starting to overtake fear.

“Why don’t you talk to me?” I asked, feeling calm for the first time ever since entering the inescapable black void.

Calmness that was easily toppled over by a stronger, more harsh voice that answered me, which certainly wasn’t hers.

“She isn’t supposed to,” the voice said.

I turned to look behind me. 

Another person had entered the fray, another woman, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the only other person in here with me with the only thing setting them apart was that her hair was a shade of black as opposed to grey. Her face twisted into an unsightly scowl, baring her fangs for all to see. 

The other Matriarch. Twins...

Just the sight, the very air surrounding her cold, harsh demeanor, was enough to smother my voice into silence once more. 

“Sister…” whispered the first Matriarch. 

“Adalia,” said the second, her lips pursing and her nostrils flaring. “What did I tell you? You promised me, didn’t you?”

The first Matriarch, Adalia, trembled before speaking. “Terestra… was...”

“He isn’t Terestra!” She shouted, causing Adalia to flinch. I felt a wave of hatred swim through me as her eyes momentarily flickered to my direction before setting themselves back onto her sister. “None of them were!”

“But sister… said…”

“I know what I said,” she interjected, her footsteps echoing loudly as she marched aggressively towards her sister, passing by me with another loathing stare. 

“You keep your mouth shut,” she told me.

No way was I going to go against an irate vampire’s order. I happily complied. 

Anger peaked, the way her eyebrows flicked upon reaching her sister. I saw her draw a hand, pointed razor-sharp claw-like nails at her fingertips, then in the tense silence, her hand shot across Adalia’s face with a magnifying, resounding slap that drew blood from her cheek.

“You nearly frenzied going after that succubus last night, I told you, you can’t be out!” She shouted.

Whether or not Adalia felt the slap, she didn’t show. Still maintaining the same dreamlike, dazed-out focus as she stared indifferently at her sister.

“Terestra…”

“I told you I’d handle the food,” she said through gritted teeth. “I already got one here - but no! You just had to sneak out, had to abduct another one! He isn’t Terestra!” 

“Sister…  please don’t… be angry.”

Adalia’s words only seem to enrage her sister even further. 

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“You aren’t listening to me. You’re starving yourself… you won’t eat any humans I bring… you won’t even eat the Elf - “

“Elf?” I uttered before I could stop myself.

“I said be quiet!” She lashed out, baring her fangs at me with a hiss. “Final warning.”

Adalia shook her head lethargically. “I don’t want… to eat… you promise… Terestra…” 

“I’ll find her,” said the sister, calming slightly. “You’re about to frenzy again, you can’t be picky now… eat.”

“Don’t… want…”

“Stop being picky, Adalia!” She said, shaking her by the shoulders. “You eat now, or you die! And I’m certainly not going to let you make that second choice.” 

Adalia kept silent, as did I. Silence that eventuated with the sister turning her gaze towards me. 

Now they were both staring at me.

“Eat him,” said the sister.

Instinctively, I backed away at the mention of those words.

“No…” whispered Adalia.

“Do it,” said the sister, glaring. “Do it, Adalia. You brought him here… he’s your prey - “

“Terestra…”

“He isn’t Terestra!” She shouted, a hoarse demonic growl emerging from the depths of that shout. “Do as I say, Adalia. Get out of his head, wake him up, and eat him.”

Adalia’s eyes searched my own, her unblinking clouded mystic eyes bearing a strong hint of reluctance. The sharp fangs protruding past trembling lips, jagged nails clutched tightly into fists.

“NOW!” echoed the sister’s voice.

Between the two sisters, Adalia was clearly the more reasonable one, so I tried - I pleaded. Silently, with expressions alone… and she saw it. The frantic shake of my head, the desperation stirring in my eyes.

She must have seen it…

Yet still she faded away, disappearing from sight without a trace.

Leaving me with her… the other sister.

Seeing as I haven’t got much left to lose now, I dared to open my lips and talk to Adalia’s more aggressive half.

“You’re going to eat me?” I asked, painfully aware of how obvious the answer was.

She also was aware of it, scoffing irritably with revulsion. “Is that really much of a surprise? You’re the idiot who called her to you. Hmm, spreading blood? Real smart.”

“This Terestra… is she - ?”

“Stop talking to me, human,” she growled. “Be quiet and accept your fate.”

“Your sister doesn’t seem to want to eat me. Maybe you could let me - “

In a blur of movement, she streaked to within inches of my face, her hand at my throat and her eyes brimming with fury.

“If she doesn’t, then I will! I will see to it personally that you don’t leave this place alive, not even as a thrall. You’ve seen and heard too much already.” 

“Like what? The fact that you're from Kronocia? The fact that you're both Matriarchs?”

I didn’t know what made me say it. The lack of options, the fact that death was staring directly at me in the face, clearly it couldn’t get worse than this. There was nothing left to fear for me after being told the inevitable, so I just said what I wanted, and it definitely got a reaction out of her.

She released her hold on my neck. 

“So you know,” she said.

It wasn’t a question, certainly wasn’t pharased that way, but the silence she left after her words was an obvious sign for me to start explaining my case. I wasn’t going to though, not when I had my own things that needed explaining.

I might not get a second chance to ask.

“What did you do with Ash?” I asked, staring, empty of fear. “Where’s the Elf?”

I felt her exhale a breath. A cold, icy breath. Like the touch of a corpse. 

“You know her too,” she muttered, gaze never once straying. “Intriguing.”

“Eighth night, eighth victim. I’ll be sure to send you the bill for all the damages you’ve caused in my apartment.”

She receded a few steps, understanding shown in the slow nod of her head. 

“I remember now,” she said. “Salt and blood at every corner of the room. You were in that bedroom, weren’t you? I would have gotten to you too hadn’t the Elf sealed the door shut. You came looking?”

“Yes.”

“Idiot.”

Insulted again for the second time. 

“Idiot how?” I asked.

“She gave you a second chance,” she explained, turning her back towards me. “Rather ungrateful for you to go and waste it for no good reason.”

“Taking her back isn’t a good enough reason for you?”

“How noble of you. I’ll be sure to save a small piece of you leftover to show to her so she’ll know just how commendable your efforts were. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

My dislike for this Matriarch kept growing exponentially for every second spent alone with her here. Reaching a climax, where I could do was glare back at her glare.

A glaring contest.

“I’ve changed my mind,” she suddenly said.

“What?”

“After Adalia’s finished with you, I’m killing the Elf,” she said, walking away far into the distance. “Talking with you has only worsened my mood. You're just like him.”

Her disappearance was imminent, any second she’ll fade into nothingness. For some petty reason, I couldn’t have that, let her just walk away with the last say. So I opened my mouth again.

“Who's him?” I asked.

Fading… vanishing.... slowly into translucency. Twirling to face me again, her glare almost like an imprint in the darkness… as she disappeared from sight, her voice rang through the empty air.

“Nobody you know.”