Chapter 23: Ashes(Part 3)
"Why?! Why was I so stubborn?! If only… if only I had listened to you, Sarah, we wouldn't have been in this mess! We were making enough money, we were getting to the amount needed to pay both tributes. But then…"
"But then you witnessed the despair your son was in. He felt weak, alone, shunned by everyone around him. You were merely trying to fill the void in Ezeikel's heart. There's nothing wrong with that," Sarah cut him off, her tone laced with firm assurance.
Silence dawned upon them right after, the only source of disturbance being the unrelenting descent of rain from the tenebrous sky. Their clothes were drenched, hair and body as well, but neither could care less. What existed between them was of far greater concern than mere bad weather. They couldn't afford the whole tribute, and such an act… such an act could never be forgiven.
Soon enough, they continued their journey back home, both consumed by their own thoughts. For Kennedy, he couldn't stop thinking about his actions, and how they might have very well changed their lives for the worse. He cursed under his breath, staring daggers at the water current as his feet tore through them with each grievous step.
What felt like an eternity came and went. They eventually found themselves before the rickety enclosure suffused with wooden fittings to keep their home from being flooded. They swiftly pushed the door open and rushed inside, closing the door right after.
The space within was sparse, with nothing but the essentials they needed for life. They navigated their way through the interior, meeting their son sleeping at one of the corners, his body curled into a tight ball. Ezeikel was adorned with rags, his black hair a hazy mess as shivers travelled all over him from head to toe.
He was cold. Everywhere was cold, and there wasn't much either of them could do about it. They couldn't start a fire, for fear of burning the whole enclosure down, and they couldn't do much to keep him warm either. They were just as cold as he was, but they also had better resistance to the elements. Ezeikel was young… and far weaker than other vampires his age. The chill was like a clingy sibling to him, whether he liked it or not.
The cold hadn't killed him yet. At least that was good news.
Kennedy and Sarah had a light dinner before joining their son in slumber. While it didn't take long for the latter to fall asleep, Kennedy couldn't stop thinking about what awaited them once they woke up.
'No… I can't… this can't be…' his thoughts spiralled all throughout the great storm. The news of the settlement getting a new Emperor barely crossed his mind. All he could think about was his incompetence, and what it would mean for his family going forward.
Kennedy didn't know how much time had passed. His mind was a degenerate mess. It wasn't until he heard the sounds of groans coming from his wife and son that his eyes darted to an intricate device placed in another corner of the room—The Shadow Chest.
The Shadow Chest appeared as a small, intricately carved obsidian box with a series of subtle, shadowy markings etched onto its surface. The box seemed to blend into the surrounding darkness, making it nearly invisible.
The mystical item was one attuned to the subtle fluctuations of the lightless world. It measured time by tracking these fluctuations, allowing vampires to sense the passage of time.
Within the obsidian box, a faint, dark essence responded to the changes in the world's influence with time, causing the shadowy markings on the box's surface to subtly alter. The vampires can sense these changes through touch or intuition, allowing them to determine the current time.
'It's time…' Kennedy thought dejectedly, feeling dire sweat trickled down his forehead in voluminous amounts. He quickly wiped his face with his hands, feeling his hot breath on his callous palms. He forced himself to get on his feet, but his legs quivered as he did so.
He looked back at his wife and son. They were still asleep, merely just changing positions as the rolled on the icy floor. Kennedy heaved out a sigh, closing his eyes as he began to gather his disoriented thoughts.
…It was then that he heard a series of sharp knocks coming from the door, along with a deep, ominous voice that filled the shallow space.
"Open up, you damned low-lives! It's time to pay the monthly due!" Darion's voice was impatient, a heavy wave of knocks following immediately after. Seconds passed by before Kennedy could register what was going on, but it was already too late. Their front door was bashed open, falling on the floor in a deluge of splintered wood and dust. Darion's footsteps crushed whatever wooden shard laid in his path, his expression enveloped in demented glee as he strutted into the pitiful enclosure.
'T-the door…! Why…?' his eyes darted across the tenebrous space, thinking frantically for a possible solution. Still, with each moment that past, the malevolent figure covered the distance from the entrance. The noise of clanking boots carried an ominous wave of dread that course through Kennedy's veins like a bloodthirsty parasite.
He fell to his knees, pressing his head hard against the floor. He struggled to foem coherent words, but all that came were a series of panicked ramblings.
"D-d-darion! P-please… have m-m-m-..."
"Enough with your stammering, fool! Just pay the tribute, so I can get out of here," Darion snapped, crimson energy gathering around his hand. Though his voice gave off a strong sense of impatience, the look on his face said otherwise. The way his lips curled up, it was evident he desired for a different outcome to ensue.
Suddenly, Sarah's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was the Abyssal Gang member moving within their abode. Instantly, her eyes shot open, a sharp pain piercing her heart and she rushed between her husband and the intruder.
"Wait, please! Spare his life! Take me instead!" She pleaded, dropping to her knees as well.
Hearing his wife's plea, Kennedy swiftly grabbed her from behind, turning her head to face him.
"Are you crazy?! What are you doing?!"
Sarah offered him a faint smile, then caressed his face with her arm. "I'm doing what I want to do. What? Do you think I'm just going to sit back and let you go? No. If I can't live without you, then… there's no point in me being here." Her gaze shifted to their son, who was still asleep, despite all the noise they had made. "I know this will hurt him, but it's what I choose to do. If I just watch you die, I don't think I'll be able to be the parent he needs in this world.
"So please, in my absence, be the shield that protect Ezeikel from the dangers of life."
Just as she finished saying what she had to say, a series of slow claps followed, Darion's voice filled with sarcasm as he commented:
"What a moving speech, almost made me reconsider the rule. Still, it seems you people don't have the money. In that case…" the crimson light shrouding his arm moved, forming a double-edged axe. His legs darted with sharp precision, and he swung down his weapon.
Sarah quickly pushed her husband away, his eyes left wide in shock as he stumbled to the floor. His gaze never left her as the weapon descended on her. The crimson axe easily tore through the raggy clothes, digging into her flesh and severing bones. All throughout the ordeal, Sarah didn't scream, her red eyes reflecting a deep sense of satisfaction as the axe tore her body apart.
Blood splashed everywhere, and within moments, Sarah's body was divided into two, bones, organs, and mutilated flesh decorating the miniature space.
It was at this point that Ezeikel stirred from his slumber. His puffy eyes lazily peered into his surroundings, and then, a high-pitched scream doused the eerrie silence with adamantine force.
He bolted to his feet, jaws clenched, eyes welling with tears, and a cancerous wave of contempt spilling from the very depths of his soul. What he was witnessing, the macabre sight he was taking in… it couldn't be real. All of this, it has to be a dream… right?
"What! How dare you?!" He sprinted forward, forcing his limbs to move despite barely having any energy to burn. Within seconds, he was before Darion, raising a shaking fist and punching the vampire in the leg.
Despite his intense feelings and desire for retribution, all the power he managed to gather barely even registered a reaction from Darion. Looking down at the much paler, malnourished vampire, Darion couldn't help but reminiscence of a distant past, of the time when he and his brothers were under the mercy of Levi of the Dark Kings, and Raphael was the one swauring up against the horror despite being younger than this brat currently was.
'Oh, how the times have changed,' back then, they were at the bottom of the hierarchy, barely managing for scraps while the ruling gang reigned over them. But now, things were different, they were at the top, and no one could go against their will like before.
"Welcome to reality, brat. Let me tell you, it's not so pretty. Maybe if you live long enough, you to will have the gall to seek vengeance against me. Till then, I'll be waiting," after saying that, Darion turned to the exit, and left.