The moment the six vampires lunged again, Lucian met them head on.
His blade flashed in a tight arc, deflecting a set of claws aiming for his throat. He twisted, driving his elbow into another's ribs before ducking beneath a vicious swipe. They were fast… too fast. Faster than him now. But he kept moving, adapting, from between his instincts and trained precision.
Why do I feel more alive when I'm fighting than when I'm standing still? Is it because, it's been year's? Or what have been doing to myself?
One vampire lunged from the left. Lucian sidestepped and spun, landing a brutal kick behind its knee… The vampire hissed in pain as its leg buckled. Another came from behind, claws raking for his spine… he dropped low just in time, to roll away. The claws still grazed him, slicing through his coat and skin.
He grunted through clenched teeth. He moved through his instincts now.
From the corner of his eye, he saw another charging for a grab. He pivoted and slammed his knife hilt into the vampire's jaw. A loud crack echoed as it reeled back, he held his mouth.
"My fangs… you destroyed them!"
But they didn't stop.
One grabbed him from behind, his arms crushing his chest. Lucian threw his head back, smashing into the vampire's nose. Its grip loosened… just enough.
Lucian drove his boot into its shin. It stumbled back.
Another slashed connected on his side.
Its claws tore through his coat and into his ribs, drawing blood. He hissed and slashed across, the vampire's forearm. Dark blood splattered onto the stone floor… only for the wound to vanish seconds later.
He was hurting them. Slowing them. But it wasn't enough. Once he makes one mistake just one… and he'd die here.
What can I do escape this? I wasn't thinking that I'd be so weak. I can't die to such low rank vampires, what would happen to Halcyon? I can't let he go forward without her knowing the truth one day.
"Roar."
A vampire lunged low… it's claws carved across Lucian's left arm, he felt pain exploded through him. His fingers went numb. The knife slipped from his grasp, as he staggered back.
His breath ragged. His left arm hung limp. Useless.
Now both arms...
Despite, being physically weaker than the vampires, Lucian was able to hold his own because of his human resilience.
The thing about, the difference between Lucian and a vampire is everything from the human capability and powers, Lucian being human body currently, everything hurt more than it should and last.
Even then his strenght manged to, knock back the strenght of the crimson sanctum member body that's, strong as steel while werewolves is strong as stone even some can be steel.
Also, they can kept up to him, he even saying they lost there manners because, they had been trained with him, since the moment they joined the crimson sanctum and turned into a vampire.
He had once been a part of the Crimson Sanctum, but now these vampires felt... off. Were they truly the same, or had the Sanctum changed them into something else?
All the vampires, battered grinning, but not seriously hurt, began to circle him… Not one of them was dead… They knew.
"You've not so scary now, are you?" one sneered.
"What's wrong? That arm of yours giving out? Can't believe the legendary Hollow Reaper's been taken down by the likes of us." Another laughed, baring his fangs.
Lucian said nothing, his jaw tightened, his eyes darted between them, searching for an opening… There wasn't one.
"Damn traitor!"
"I can't wait to report your whereabouts. The Lord. Will love this."
They could smell his exhaustion... They wanted to savor this.
I have to kill them all before they return back to command.
"Get up, Lucian. You've survived worse than this." He muttered.
As they prepared to strike…
"Bang!"
A gunshot rang out…
One vampire jerked violently… they fell back and everyone saw, a clean hole through their chest. His grin faltered, their face frozen in shock before they crumbled into white-brown ash.
The others froze.
"What the…?"
Another shot… Then another. Whoever was shooting was a professional.
It caused painic rippled through them... They spun around widely, their eyes darting through the shadows.
"Who the hell…?!"
Only two vampire remained… Lucian saw the fear creeping into their faces… as they saw outside in the forest trees a spark flashed.
The vampires gaze snapped, back to Lucian. They felt they were going to die, they'd take Lucian with them
They lunged…
"Bang!"
A final bullet tore through both the vampires chest mid-leap… they crumpled a few inches before Lucian.
Suddenly, Lucian slumped against the cave wall, he breathed hard, blood soaked into his torn coat. He looked toward the forest.
He knew who it was…
A minute later, he beard the sound of heels clicking against the stone echoed toward him.
Then he saw, Halcyon emerged from the shadows, a long sniper rifle slung over her shoulder. She stopped a few feet away, their eyes locking.
They both remained silent.
Halcyon raised her brow. "Once again, I'm the one saving you."
Lucian sighed, his head lowered. "Are you really complaining? You know how this always goes. Now."
"N… No. I'm not," she replied, stepping closer. "I'll keep doing it if it keeps you alive."
Her eyes swept over the carnage, gaze settled onto something. "There were wolves too. Why?" she was easily able to tell, who killed who.
"Vesack Potion," Lucian muttered. "Sanctum gave it to them."
Halcyon gaze narrowed as her expression darkened. "Control…"
They both knew what that meant... The Vesack Potion is an artificial substance that the Sanctum used to control their transformed members… and others. Into obedient monsters.
They even know, side effects include memory loss, emotional deadening, and spiritual erosion.
Halcyon noticed Lucian's limped arms. "Why aren't you healing?"
Lucian looked away…
She stepped closer, her voice low. "You're not healing. That makes two times today. First that scar on your stomach… now this?"
She was confused, because she knew healing capabilities she seen it all, how fast it is but this was a first in long time she can't remember, the last time he wasn't healing…
What the hell is happening to, Lucian? Did he lose it? And he didn't tell me.
"You don't need to answer… Now." she added. "But whatever you're doing… it's going to get you killed."
Lucian clenched his jaw.
Sorry, Halcyon. I can't tell you. You've always helped me… but this time, I have to walk through it alone… I just need to figure, what happening in this city before that. Who's back running behind everything. What vampire with special healing gives it up?
Halcyon moved beside him and helped him to his feet. She decided that they needed to leave now because all this noise, death, and blood she us sure already is attracting all sorts of creatures from the forest and the city.
As they moved, Halcyon couldn't shake the feeling… Lucian wasn't the same. The man she once knew would've killed those vampires and wolves without being touched... He would've feasted on their blood, without a care.
While she had her own problems, she was also tentative that he had his own.
She remembered the Crimson Sanctum member, they both have been around also knew any a very long time. To the degree of what changed, it could be the potion and the way the organization works.
Beside the relic… Is he finally amining to control Ebonhaven… we can't have him catch this or he will bring and end to everything. We need some changes. But how?
As Lucian fought to hold onto his sanity… had he ever truly been free, or had they always been in charge of his fate?
A while later…
Back at Lucian's house, Halcyon helped him remove his coat. She folded it neatly before noticing him trying to fix his arm?
She caught his wrist… They locked eyes, tension sparking between them.
"Let me."
He nodded.
"Pop!"
"Pop!"
She gripped his arm, bent it, and popped it back into its socket. Lucian grunted, but he didn't cry out… He even remembered, a pain he felt before that almost crushed his soul.
He rolled his shoulder. "Thanks."
Halcyon looked at him seriously… she knew his wounds would take a while to fully heal. "Lucian. What's really happening?"
Lucian's inability to heal properly now is a key indicator to her that something was wrong… as knew something in the past she can't remember, but his ability to heal also represented a larger memory of Lucian struggle as a child.
Halcyon question pull his attention, he stared at her he was hesitant to speak, but he knew what to say for now…
"Nothing," he finally muttered. "Those wolves… they were going to ruin my normal life. I handled it."
She tapped her foot against the floor, as she rubbed her temple. "Lucian, stop. You haven't used your ability. You've refused blood. That's not like you. Please. Talk to me. What's really going on?"
What does she fear more. Lucian's physical wounds, or the emotional distance growing between them?