"We both acknowledged the looming inevitability of a confrontation, yet we jointly agreed that such a clash was premature." David probed, "Did the mutts tail you, or is this an exceptional instance where they gleaned their intel from the same source?'"
"Step into The Gray, and I'll enlighten you," Colan countered, fully aware that mere provocation wouldn't easily sway David. Without interruption, he pressed on, "We covet you. The mutts desire you and the bounty. Striking a more reliable, agreeable deal with them seems far more feasible than dealing with someone of your ilk."
"Oh, can you? I'm curious to witness it. Rodents and mutts may resemble a bedtime story to children, but for you, Colan, it should serve as a cautionary tale."
"Retreat, Novak!"
"You can't!" David charged at Novak, who made an unsuccessful attempt to re-enter The Gray. The Terminal Dimension felt sealed tight from the other side. "Your Insight pales in comparison to mine," David declared.
His movements proved swifter than Novak's, despite the latter's more robust and monstrous physique. David deftly evaded Novak's claws, unleashing a crescent red wave with each skillful swipe.
"Tsk, both inexperienced and immature, much like a boy I know…" With disdain, he seized Novak's arm and flung him out of the building. Novak ignited like a match in an oil barrel, his fiery form rolling on the sidewalk, inducing pained screams that alarmed pedestrians.
Abruptly, a figure materialized seemingly out of thin air – Colan emerged from The Gray. His presence caused every person within a hundred-meter radius to physically and mentally pause. Colan, too, burst into flames. Despite his Insights of The Gray not surpassing David's, in an open field and at a certain distance, the latter couldn't prevent Colan's reentry into the Terminal Dimension.
"Drink!" Colan compelled a bloody Health Potion into Novak's mouth while imbibing one himself. "What…" He wheezed between sips, not due to a lack of air – Vampires didn't need to breathe – but because of a discharge of particles of black blood. "What happened to your Magick?" He glared at David, who was no longer concerned about venturing into The Gray.
"What prompted the esteemed Lord to dispatch someone who barely cleared the First Metamorphosis after me? Furthermore, a mere quartet of you... Does he underestimate me, or is his confidence in you a blind spot?" David inquired with a sardonic tone.
"Do not malign my Lord!" Colan retorted, rising to his feet. "In fifty-four years, your technique has evolved, your Magick transformed into something entirely different... I pondered why... Now I comprehend, along with that disparaging nickname, 'Empty Flask'!"
"You were always the cleverest of your litter, not just the strongest," David sarcastically praised.
"That remains true," Colan's voice grew lower, rougher. His stature expanded by two heads in height and width, every facial feature elongating with his skull. "Did you assume brute strength would grant you an advantage against us?"
"Alight, Carsonia!"
"Crescent Blood Ray!"
David lunged forward.
Colan elegantly waved.
Each harnessed their Magick to invoke a potent Ability.
A stream of green flames traversed the colorless expanse of The Gray.
Simultaneously, a blinding crimson wave surged from the opposite direction. The two attacks collided, nullifying each other in an explosion of vivid green and red.
"Again!" David bellowed. "Alight, Carsonia!" He darted around, thrusting five times in rapid succession.
"As cunning as ever!" Colan discerned that David sought to create a spectacle, drawing others into the fray – individuals eager to eliminate members of the prestigious House of Dobroutes to improve their odds for the bounty. "I need your assistance, Novak!" He swiftly carried him away, this time opting for evasion over more expansive displays of Magick.
"I-" Novak, in his semi-Vampiric state, coughed. The potency of the Blood Health Potion revealed itself gradually. "Am ready!"
Colan spun in the air, propelling the semi-Vampiric Novak toward David.
"Bats Swarm!" Novak shouted, dispersing into dozens of small, black bats that encircled David.
'Colan vanished?' David quickly discerned amidst the swirling veil of black bats. "Carsonia Guard!" With a swing of both arms, a protective dome of green flames materialized around him.
The black bats were repelled, some incinerated to dust. They regrouped and reformed into a kneeling Novak.
"You inquired about my Lord's choice of a First Metamorphosis, and thrice I provided the same response," Colan's voice emerged consecutively behind David, within the protective dome.
His voice reverted to its usual tone, and his stature followed suit – appearing more refined as a human than ever, devoid of any blemish on his features. In contrast, the motionless David's height surged by a head. Green scales enveloped his skin, and his pupils narrowed to slits in an ocean of emerald. Silently, he transformed into a humanoid snake.
"Then, you're just like me…" David replied. Simultaneously, both turned.
"First Blood!" Colan's flawless hand thrust forward, emitting a fang-shaped red aura.
"Shed!" David whispered, allowing the red fang to pierce. The light in his eyes extinguished, and his body slumped onto Colan.
Colan snorted. Following the rupture of the green dome with the stabbing motion, the red aura from his hand liquefied the vacant skin into chunks of red-green mush.
Leaping, Colan swiftly reached Novak's side in the blink of an eye.
A hundred meters away, David, in his human form, flashed a smile. "It's His, right?"
"That belongs to Him, isn't it?" Colan retorted.
Their phrasing remained intentionally ambiguous, both having reached similar conclusions that neither wanted to articulate.
David nonchalantly shrugged. "Oh well, let's conclude this. Unless you believe you can capture me?"
"I will," Colan declared, his tone carrying the weight of an oath. "Soon."
"Soon, meaning 'not now.' It's good to have confidence, but you're still weak, even if you 'understand'. And together, all four, I won't give you another opportunity. Yes... another opportunity. You had it, yet you chose to send them after the girl. It can't be His order. If he could foresee the future, I'd have been dealt with decades ago. So, you're following someone else's directives. Venessa? She..." It was another question that didn't necessitate an answer to confirm, and, for the first time, genuine anger and a lethal intent flickered in David's demeanor. "Sold me off!"
It lasted only a moment, but Novak sensed the weight of abundant Magick restraining him. Despite both being of the First Metamorphosis, they found themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"The bounty is mine," David calmly asserted, his foot hovering outside The Gray. "I'd like to say, 'may we never meet again,' but it seems your group doesn't know when to concede. Farewell, for now, Colan."
Ensuring David had departed, Colan turned to leave, with Novak trailing behind. The confrontation was sure to draw attention, perhaps even spectators from a distance.
"Colan-"
"Whatever you think you heard, Novak, I implore you to forget. Focus solely on the Lord's directives, including his approval of her requests."
Novak bitterly swallowed his questions.
They sprinted in the direction MK had departed, tracing the path through the Blood Tie established among them before leaving the House.
"Do you comprehend the nuances between understandings?" Colan shifted the topic.
"I do. I was aware. I simply wasn't prepared for a human to so effortlessly surpass our racial superiority."
"Seldom does racial superiority make a difference when opponents are at the same level of Metamorphosis but on opposite ends. Nevertheless, you underwent the First Metamorphosis only three years ago, and this is your initial mission. Targeting David elevates the challenge to its zenith, for he's not your average human. Even I am uncertain if I can defeat him alone, and were it not for the mission's requirements, I would have entered Deep Slumber in preparation for the Second Metamorphosis instead."
"Can he even be considered 'human'? You witnessed his transformation. It feels... different, in comparison, yet more potent."
"Consider him a human monster. I can't divulge more. These are among the questions you must forget. Instead, reflect on the encounter, the factors that precipitated it, how it unfolded, and why it concluded as it did. Provide me with a satisfactory summary, and I'll uphold my promise to recommend you as my successor once your Magick capacity reaches the limit of the First Metamorphosis."
Vigor surged back into Novak's eyes. Colan's endorsement would grant him recognition as the best of his generation. As a contender for a coveted position among his peers, he needed to seize this opportunity to solidify his standing!
"Everything…" He pondered on the primary factor. "Begins with Venessa."
Colan neither confirmed nor denied.
…
"Fortunately, I made arrangements in the coffee shop, and the Dobrouteses are eager to pursue the bounty," David contemplated, navigating the Material Dimension with agile steps reminiscent of a panther. Drivers and pedestrians alike appeared oblivious to his presence as he crossed their paths.
He hadn't intended to directly confront the Dobrouteses. Before meeting Novak in person, he wasn't certain what he would encounter, only that the precautionary net he cast at the coffee shop to detect a Demonic Presence similar to Michael's had yielded results. The subsequent chain of events unfolded due to the Dobrouteses' oversight. The most significant gain from this? Confirmation!
'Venessa concealed the girl from me but informed Him. And He... He accepted Colan into his inner circle. The boy is likely oblivious to the peril inherent in this recognition. Well, for better or worse, he's merely a bothersome variable. If the House is willing to lose a talent, then don't mind me turning him into a pawn.'
He came to a stop, turning his body to allow an oblivious teenage couple to pass.
'That's twice in the same day...' He retrieved a syringe with silvery serum from an inner pocket in his trench coat.
'Hope I won't have to use too many of these before dawn. Though this one might give them an interesting surprise...' He injected on the spot, as nobody significant was around to witness him. As the silvery serum entered his bloodstream, David momentarily trembled, restraining a bestial groan.
"Oh…"
…
16:07
Detective Ilmar parked his wife's red Eclipse Cross Mitsubishi two streets from his destination, only to realize it was the adjacent building to his home.
"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" He cursed through gritted teeth, covertly observing from two hundred meters away.
His building was overrun with the local press, squad cars, an army of officers – those were just the eyes outside the lobby.
The closest he dared to approach was behind a column at the building's entrance. He had climbed fences to reach it and was ready to make a swift escape if needed. One wrong step out of this hideout in the wrong direction would thrust him into the spotlight.
'I must see them! At any cost!' Getting arrested would result in questions he couldn't answer, explanations he couldn't give, and likely charges he didn't deserve – charges that would prevent him from…
The thought of what he would do upon finding his wife and daughter was a bridge he was not ready to cross, suspended above an abyss of sounds and images already attempting to pull him off the ledge.
'Can I wait?' He was anxious even at the thought of postponing a second longer. It wouldn't be unusual for the investigation to extend to nearby buildings. 'I don't have a choice. At least until the press leaves and it's dark.'
He would need to change his hideout and endure hours of anxiety.
'But... But... But…' Choosing to wait would imply there's no urgency to find his wife and daughter. The only reason for urgency not to matter is if time is not a factor for their condition. In other words, they're – "No!" He muffled his voice with his hand as the internal conflict, sounds, and images nearly sent him spiraling mentally and physically.
'Calm down, Lois! Calm down! Only Aisha and Nura matter! First and foremost!'
He was exhausted, wounded, undeniably shattered.
"Aisha and Nura," he breathed their names in and out. "Aisha and Nura," he listened to his voice, envisioning them in his mind, overriding the tormenting sounds and images.
He resolved and stepped out from behind the column. "Time is of the essence," for Aisha and Nura surely awaited him!
"Detective Ilmar!" Officers from the 98th Precinct on the scene immediately spotted him.
Aware that they would attempt to stop, detain, and hinder him, Detective Ilmar disregarded them, hastening his steps past the crowd restricted from approaching his building, moving to the next.
"Detective Ilmar!" His name echoed in varying tones—initially surprised, now stern.
He didn't want to. He didn't have a choice. He ran, knocking anyone in his path, using some as obstacles to obstruct the first of his pursuers.
He entered the building and raced up the stairs.
'Where?! Where?! Where?! Where?!' The closest the location app could get him was pinpointing the building where his daughter's device was. Not the floor, let alone the apartment.
"There!" His eyes gleamed. He slammed his elbow onto the fire alarm button, pulled out his gun, and shot the ceiling to intensify the noise and evoke a sense of hysteria among the residents.
Instantly, chaos erupted in the building. Doors swung open. It was the beginning of the weekend, so despite the time being just past 16:00, most people were back early from work.
"FIRE! Everyone, get out! The building is on fire!" Detective Ilmar yelled, preempting questions about the lack of smoke and its smell. Holding his gun in one hand and waving his badge in the other, he continued, "Police! There's an arsonist in the building! Fire on the roof!" He captured their attention.
Adults and children rushed out of their homes.
"Use the stairs!" He needed them to impede the officers pursuing him – it was also the safest option in a fire.
'Where?! Where?! Where?! Where?!' He focused on the apartments left with unlocked doors. The building wasn't as new as his. There were only seven stories, with four apartments on each floor, and luckily, most residents were home.
Third Floor. Three out of the four apartment doors were unlocked.
"Please..." He whispered, dialing Nura's number. He couldn't kick the doors open – it was too noisy. Instead, he placed his ear against the door, attempting to listen for his daughter's cellphone ringtone.
Detective Ilmar frowned. He couldn't hear and couldn't tell if it was due to the surrounding noise or if Nura's cellphone was on silent. Squeezing the handle of his gun, he pushed himself away from the door and ascended to the Fourth Floor.
Two doors remained open. One was unlocked. The fourth, also unlocked. He turned around, prepared to head for the Fifth Floor when he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of two figures inside the apartment.
At first, it was challenging to grasp, to register in his head, the sight inside. His vision was blurry from the quick turn of his head, and the figure sitting on the couch appeared... limp?
"NURA!" Detective Ilmar exclaimed, seeing his daughter seated beside an old man, motionless, head slumped, her complexion so pale it seemed to chill his breath.
He nearly stumbled, crossing the threshold. "Nura!" He reached for her and froze, his eyes fixed on the cut across her forehead and her chest – the bloody hole on the left side.
"NO! NO! NO! NO!" Something inside him snapped.
The gun and badge slipped from his hands. Detective Ilmar attempted to lift his daughter, trying to help her stand on her own so they could leave. There was an arsonist in the building. She had to hurry and go.
"Stop dillydally- HAAAAAAA!"
He wailed, his strength faltering. As she fell onto him, the corner of the table struck the side of his waist. Nevertheless, no physical pain could match the anguish in his heart and the madness in his head. This became evident when he spotted the blood puddle extending from the entry to the kitchen.
His brain struggled to process the sensation of his cold daughter. Unaware that she had slipped off him as he shifted for a better view of the kitchen, he failed to register the sound of her body hitting the floor when he stumbled, driven by an automatic response. He wasn't consciously aware of what he was searching for; he simply operated on autopilot, fueled by a mere fragment of the man whose sanity had been forcibly stripped away by real-life monsters.
The world lost its sound when he entered the kitchen and just stared at the headless body of a woman somehow still sitting on a chair – a woman he could recognize if only he could see even the tip of any of her fingers… his wife, Aisha.
Detective Ilmar remained standing in silence as the officers chasing him entered the apartment. He didn't respond when they called him, when they asked, and then demanded that he raise his hands. Detective Ilmar was no more than a shell of a man when they handcuffed him, leading him out.