Elias gritted his teeth. He stood up abruptly and charged out of their hiding place, intent on saving his friend, even if it meant facing the entire village alone.
But Elijah, despite his own injuries, was quicker. He grabbed Elias's arm, his grip surprisingly strong despite his broken leg.
"Where do you think you're going, Elias?" he snapped, his voice rough with pain and a desperate edge.
"Everyone of you just sits here like you've all given up. I'm going to save my friend," Elias retorted, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and defiance. Tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision.
"And how do you intend to do that?" Elijah's voice rose, his face contorted with a mixture of frustration and fear for his twin. "You couldn't do anything then. What do you hope to accomplish against those numbers? You're weak!" The word hung in the air, heavy and cutting.
Elias's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. He recoiled as if struck, his face registering disbelief and a profound hurt. His brother had never spoken to him like that, never with such harshness. Even when he knew Elias was weaker, Elijah had always offered words of encouragement, support, a gentle hand. So, what had changed? What had twisted his brother's usually kind words into such a cruel weapon?
"..." Elias stared, his mouth agape, his heart pounding in his chest. A wave of betrayal washed over him, threatening to drown him.
"With your pathetic, fragile body, what do you hope to accomplish?" Elijah continued, his voice relentless, each word a painful blow. "Don't go playing hero because you're from a special bloodline... You can't save anybody." His eyes, usually filled with warmth and affection, now burned with a strange, cold intensity.
"Enough, Elijah!" Lenore's voice boomed through the small space, cutting through Elijah's harsh words. His face was etched with pain and disapproval, his eyes flashing with a warning.
Lilith began to cry softly, her small shoulders shaking. The sight of her beloved brothers at each other's throats, their words laced with such venom, was unbearable for her timid heart. It shattered the fragile sense of security she had clung to.
Elias broke down at Elijah's words. The truth of them stung. He knew, deep down, that Elijah spoke the truth. But why did it hurt so much? Why did it feel like Elijah had been faking his affection all along, finally revealing his true, cruel feelings? His world, already shattered by the events outside, crumbled further.
Then, the familiar pain struck with renewed ferocity. Elias doubled over, clutching his stomach, his body convulsing with an agonizing intensity. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced, a searing fire consuming him from within.
"Elias, is it happening again?" Lenore rushed towards him, his face etched with worry. He knelt beside his son, his hand trembling as he reached out to comfort him. Lilith's cries intensified, her small voice filled with fear and confusion.
"Elijah, you should watch the way you speak..." Lenore said, his voice firm but laced with disappointment. He looked at Elijah, his eyes pleading for understanding.
"How's it my fault?" Elijah retorted, his voice defensive and strangely detached. "It's his fault for being born with a fragile body and being so weak to words. He's so weak, he can't accept reality." His words were devoid of empathy, lacking the warmth and compassion he usually possessed.
The area suddenly pulsed with tremendous energy, the air crackling with an unseen force. The ground beneath them trembled violently.
"What's this? An earthquake?" the village chief exclaimed. He instinctively pulled Lilith closer, shielding her small body with his own.
The villagers outside, who were still searching for the outcasts, felt the tremors too. A collective gasp rose from their throats, quickly followed by shouts of twisted joy.
"The gods have accepted the offering!" they rejoiced, their voices filled with a chilling fervor.
"Now we'll get food to eat!"
"Why don't we offer those bastards to the gods too for more blessings... I bet the gods would love to have a taste of that little girl..." they growled, their voices laced with a disturbing hunger as they intensified their search, their steps quickening, their eyes gleaming with a predatory light.
Meanwhile, back in the hideout, Elias, still writhing in pain, began to move strangely. His limbs jerked and twisted, his movements unnatural and puppet-like. His body seemed to be controlled by an unseen force, his former self fading away.
"What's up with you? Are you that pained by the truth?" Elijah stepped closer to him, his voice laced with a strange curiosity, his eyes fixed on his twin's contorting form.
Elias slowly turned to face them. His eyes, once filled with warmth and innocence, now glowed with an eerie crimson light, the same intricate pattern that marked their mother swirling within them.
Elias had awakened his vampire nature.
Elias lunged at his brother with terrifying speed and ferocity, his movements a blur. He seemed driven by a primal rage, his former self completely consumed by the awakening power.
But Lenore, despite his injuries, reacted with incredible speed. He threw himself between the twins, barely managing to snatch Elijah away from Elias's deadly claws. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to prevent a deep scratch from tearing across Elijah's left face. Blood welled from the wound, marring his once-unblemished skin.
With inhuman speed, Elias bolted out of the hideout and towards the village square, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. The others, their hearts pounding with fear and dread, followed behind, desperate to stop him.
Elias collided with the villagers who were still searching for them, their faces twisted with bloodlust. They turned back, their eyes widening in surprise as they saw a lone, blood-soaked child standing before them.
"Ha, there you are. Tired of hiding?" they all laughed, their voices laced with cruel amusement. "Or perhaps trying to save your already dead friend?" the village advisor sneered, pointing a mocking finger at Adrian's charred corpse, burned beyond recognition.
Elias's gaze fell upon Adrian's remains, his body stiffening. A wave of agonizing grief and fury washed over him, threatening to drown him. His eyes burned with an unholy fire.
"You see, the gods have accepted the ritual..." the advisor continued, his voice smug. "Pretty sure you felt the tremors too. Apparently, they're not satisfied, so seeing that you're out here, alone, we might as well do the needful." He gestured to the villagers, their faces twisted in anticipation.
Boom...
The entire village square erupted in a horrifying spectacle of crimson violence.