Confidence can get you a lot of things in life. Even when feigning it, it builds within you until you have a true grasp on it. Too much can get you killed. Even holding your cards close to your chest can only take one slip, and then everything you had built up becomes naught. A gamble, just like most of life was. For eons, I had tried not to even play, but I was soon to learn that the house always wins.

I tried to stare at the thin glass container but my arm slunk to the side. Why had it been empty? Had something happened to it?

“A simple illusory trick, Sire.” The soft footfalls of Basil came across the padded floor. “What good luck that we hadn’t needed them until this moment.”

“Woods…worth?” My question came out stilted. Half suppressed by pain and half enraged by his betrayal.

“Maybe you are wondering why.” He placed a hand on my shoulder, standing behind me.

No heal came.

“You think I stuck around forever, even past my death, because I enjoyed serving you? The wasteful wretch who did nothing with his power but mope?”

I could do nothing but growl, my muscles not even allowing me to turn my head to look him in the face.

“I waited year after year for you to slip up and make a mistake. How easy it truly was. ‘Try and be a Hero, Sire,’ ‘Take this pill to take away your powers, Sire,’ you are a pitiful excuse for a Villain.”

“What are you doing, Basil?”

“Now you have these two brats besotted, but what do you think they’ll do once they find out what you really are?”

“Don’t,” I hissed through my clenched jaw.

“Too late. I already have a deal with Peony here. I deliver the brats, and I get to end you. Usurp you. Take everything you own and become prolific in my endeavors. You could have taken over the world - or at least some shitass village. Instead. Of. Being. Miserable.”

I felt his hand tighten on my shoulder. He was really angry because I wasn’t living my life to its potential? Part of me resented the very fiber of his being. The other part knew that it was the truth - that is why I was in this position. But what could I do to stop him now? I had led these two humans into his trap, and their lives had to end alongside mine.

There was no point in arguing a deal for their safety. He held all the cards, and I wasn’t even able to stand.

“I’m afraid to say that I took a little more than this pissing book that you allowed me. First off - let’s remove that Mask, shall we?”

A pulse of energy flooded over me. I paled. My hair turned a few shades darker. Within my mouth, my fangs returned. Not the most dramatic of reveals, but if they could see the amber bands in my crimson eyes, they would know what I was.

“Oh, also, I have a few baubles to increase my power.” His hand dug into my skin, and he flung me backward.

I thudded to the floor on numb muscles, my nerves still ablaze. Jakob could clearly see my face now. If only I could explain things to him or apologize - but I barely held his gaze. I had failed them more than I had failed myself. Brought them into this. The anguish was even more painful than what my physical body was going through.

The shadow of Basil stood over me. In his hand, a wide object was held. Brown. Sharpened. The end.

“Goodbye, Victor. May your ashes fertilize this foul ground, and you finally find peace.”

White flashed in my vision as he drove the stake into my heart. Without taking my first blood, I may not be a fully-fledged vampire - but a wooden spike to the chest would kill most mortals anyway. Funny how little thoughts like that danced around in your head at the most inopportune times.

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“I’ll be off then, Peony. Thank you.”

“Pleasure will be all mine,” the guttural laugh came in response.

My hearing was sinking away, and my vision had adjusted to a faded grey. The last of me played out as I left the mortal world. A flash of blue signaled Woodsworth had made his departure - a teleport off to the estate, no doubt. Committed the crime and got away with it. Almost seemed unfair.

There was the sound of shouting nearby. As if Jakob was yelling out in… fear? Panic? It was hard to tell. It was selfish of me, but I hoped to fully pass before their fates were decided. I didn’t want to… I couldn’t… they deserved better than this. What had I become?

A bright flash followed warmth against my numb body. A flare of light that filled my vision. Maybe the death throes of my waning imagination. I was feeling especially cold, so the impromptu fire was appreciated. I never thought that death would take so long - although it was nice to have some quiet time with my thoughts, maybe reminisce about better times.

Warmth grasped at the back of my head, and I found my gaze lifting to meet a face. It was Florence, but her skin was charred and blistered. Fear and anger still blazed in her eyes.

“You’re a vampire, right? Bite me, and you’ll live.”

Her words were muffled, but I still parsed them clearly. What she was asking was... I couldn’t. There were several things wrong with that whole sentence, but my slipping grasp on existence was able to utter two words.

“Fuck off.”

“You can bite both of us if it makes you feel better.” Jakob came into view, standing behind her. Tears had run clear tracks through his grim face.

I just hissed slowly. They knew what I am… what I was… and yet they did not leave me for dead or finish the job. Even if I could speak, I would find my tongue caught in my throat. I didn’t understand - perhaps this was a trick of my mind. They sure made death by stake sound more instant; I was getting tired of the pain and distance from my conscious mind.

“Well… this… is also interesting…”

This voice came clear to me, even despite my current situation. As if it were completely skipping the ear part of the process and massaging my brain with the information. The demon maybe comes to gloat - or no, probably annoyed that I will not be able to fulfill his task for me.

“I can… offer a… reprieve… one time only… and… there is a… cost.”

His whispered tones filtered slowly in as my vision faded further. The pair of humans were frantically trying to get my attention or wake me. Maybe still trying to force me to drink from them. They did not know what they were asking. Yet still, they asked. They wanted to save me. No reaction to the demon, so I must be his sole audience.

I felt the last of my breaths run through my body. The oxygen in my blood ran too low for my brain to function properly. Part of me wanted that final nail in the coffin, so to speak. After living so many lifetimes - I had earned a rest. The world would do better without me. Florence and Jakob could do better without me; they had what it takes.

Still, despite my waning lust for the endless void of death… part of me screamed internally. Howled for vengeance. Craved to split the Betrayer’s head in twain and scatter his remains across the breeze. I was the most powerful living Vampire, and he thought a mere stake could stop me.

I accept. Internally I shouted it loud, the last words of the angered husk of whatever I had now become.

“Very… well… I will… see you soon… Victor…”

My lungs burned as I gasped for air, my hand throbbing in agony as I pulled the stake from my chest - half convinced that this was not me performing the action and I was just an outside observer.

I rolled away from the humans and vomited. Black ichor and blood. I coughed as it burned my insides, all the way up my throat and onto the plant floor. The smell of burning wood was oppressively strong and, combined with the convulsions of pain, sought to crush my skull with a headache. Eventually, the spasms relinquished, and I was able to push myself into a sitting position, facing away from the humans.

“You must go.” My voice was hoarse and pained. I narrowed my eyes and glanced to the side.

The Necromancer was fully aflame, and parts of the canopy and surrounding area were caught alight and billowing out smoke. A charred trail eight feet wide traveled from the Villain back to where the Party had been.

“We all need to go.” Florence put a hand on my shoulder. It was still burning hot, and I winced beneath the pressure.

I stood as she removed it and slowly turned to the pair. Whatever she had done, she had suffered burn damage to her whole body; now, only her resistant petticoat remained. Yet her eyes were bright and determined, tears and confusion welling behind her stern expression. Jakob had not suffered so much but looked torn between emotionally broken and completely dissociative.

“I… am a vampire.” I hung my head.

“No shit,” the Mage growled. “You just got staked by the Cleric, and now you’re alive again?”

“Are you a Villain?” Jakob wavered on his feet, his eyes darting between the increasing fire and me.

“I used to be. I’m trying to be a Hero now.” I continued glaring at the floor. It seemed so juvenile and basic when spoken aloud.

“Look at me when you say that.”

I looked up at Florence. The tears had rolled down her charred face now, but there was still ferocity behind those eyes. Still undecided whether to trust me or cast me into the fire.

“I want to be a Hero,” I repeated, looking her straight in the eyes.

“Good,” she rubbed the tears from her face with the back of her forearm, “because we’ll need your help to kill the fucking betrayer.”