Ice and Fire [Edited]

[1288 BC]

On the coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the land that will soon be known as Sparta, there stands a small inn that appears somewhat old. This inn features a simple architectural style.

Inside the inn, one can see a man sitting, deep in thought. He is a young and very handsome man, with long dark hair and light blue eyes. Another feature that draws a lot of attention is his pale skin.

Even while seated in the chair, it is possible to perceive his beautiful physique and his height of 6'1''. He is wearing a black himation with white accents.

[Main Pov]

"It has been seven years since I was born into this world, a really long period. Time really goes by so fast, and a lot of things have changed during that period. One of those things is my appearance. I'm not sure if I'm beautiful, but luckily I'm not like my dad. Let's agree on one thing: he's not the most attractive person in the world.

During that time, all sorts of things happened to me, some good and some not so good. One of the main challenges I faced was becoming a loner. I didn't become one of those people who don't talk to anyone. In fact, I do talk to my family, but it's just my family, especially my aunt.

The reason for this is because I grew up really fast, which can be good, but it also meant that I never had friends my own age. When I started playing with kids my age, they weren't my age anymore. I grew up at an alarming rate, much faster than anyone close to me.

That was very funny. Little by little, I got bigger than my aunt and then bigger than Aro, and I even managed to get revenge on my aunt. Every time I remember the day of my revenge, I feel happy. Now that I'm bigger than her, she has become little Didyme.

Leaving aside the good memories, there is something that distresses me a lot. I stand up and remember a quote I heard in my old life. I smile a little and whisper to myself,

"Too little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and too much sincerity is absolutely fatal." My life has been like this. From the moment I was born into this world, I was forced to lie to everyone, especially my father.

Nowadays, it's actually much simpler to hide this from my father, and that's only because my father stays with me for a short time. Thanks to the birth of the Volturi coven, I only noticed the beginning of the coven about 3 years ago when my dad came home with Marcus. From that day forward, almost every time my dad was home, Marcus was with him.

Thanks to my development, I find myself having to interact more with my family, and I ended up becoming friends with Marcus. He seems like a nice guy, and I like him. My relationship with my father has also developed well. Sometimes I even help him with his business, but only with the ones I think are ethically correct. No killing innocent people or doing things I think are inappropriate or disrespectful. It is precisely because of one of these "helps" that I came to this small inn. I call it small, but it's pretty big compared to the others.

Judging by the level of importance I'm having for my father these days, apparently, I'm going to become a member of the most powerful coven that ever existed. Even knowing all the dangers I will have to face if I join the Volturi, I'm tempted to join. After all, I'm a vampire, and I need a coven. But I'm still not sure. Maybe I'll create my own coven.

If I were to create my own coven, it would be just out of curiosity. I would bring together the greatest minds in the history of mankind. It would actually be very interesting. Imagine Oscar Wilde having a conversation with Plato, a dialogue between Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso.

It was going to be very funny and interesting. While I was lost in my idea of creating the Nerd Coven, I silently walked around the inn, taking a few turns inside, and then returned to my chair. I rested in peace and thought about the debates I could witness, until something caught my eye.

I looked at the door of the inn and saw a tall man standing in front of me, with a surprised expression on his face. Two features stood out on this man: his old, bloodstained himation, giving off the scent of human blood, and his red eyes, the same color as my father's eyes. This man was the "help" I mentioned earlier. Realizing that my long-awaited visitor had arrived, I spoke to him in Doric Greek.

"Good morning, my dear friend. You weren't at home, so I thought it would be cool for me to come in. I apologize in advance for any mess I may end up making in your residence. To be completely honest, I didn't want to do this, but you drove me to it."

"For your grotesque attitudes and primitive behavior, I have come here to revoke your right to life." After I said my old catchphrase, he looked at me as if I had told a joke. Then, he glared at me menacingly and spoke.

"You bastard, how dare you enter my house? I'm going to tear you to pieces, break every bone in your body, and torture you to death, you miserable human." Seeing his reaction, I cracked a smile. It happens constantly because of the color of my eyes and my scent. Many vampires end up getting confused and think I'm human.

He bares his teeth, as if he wants to intimidate me, and finally he lunges towards me at an incredibly fast speed, something that can only be described as superhuman. I watch him approach, his fist clenched, as if his intention is to punch me.

I remain seated on the chair, making no move to stop the man. When he is just inches away from my face, a massive wall of ice erupts from the floor, towering so high that it pierces through the ceiling, causing significant damage to the old inn.

I look towards where the man was standing and speak.

"I apologize for destroying your home, but look on the bright side, your fate will be the same as your dwelling. A somewhat poetic ending, where home and creator perish together."

[General Pov]

The old house that once stood in the meadow now lay in ruins. The ice wall, resembling a stalactite, had impaled the house, splitting it in half and compromising its entire structure. It was a tragic sight, considering the beauty the house once possessed compared to others of its time.

The man with whom Morpheus had fought gazed at the wall that had suddenly appeared before him. He was so taken aback that he wondered if he was dreaming, but unfortunately, his vampire nature deprived him of sleep.

The wall had materialized so swiftly that, from his perspective, one moment he was about to strike Morpheus with a powerful blow, and the next, his fist was embedded in a solid wall of ice.

After the man's failed attack, Morpheus calmly crossed his legs—a signature move known among those familiar with him. In fact, he had acquired a nickname for it, referred to as the "prelude to the end."

As Morpheus finished crossing his legs, the vampire's fate had already been sealed. His hand, trapped within the icy wall, began to succumb to the freezing grip.

The ice started to move, as if it possessed a life of its own. It gradually encased his arm, initially unnoticed by the vampire, still dazed from the sudden turn of events. Lost in contemplation, trying to comprehend the origins of the ice wall, he momentarily forgot that he was in the midst of a fight.

For a few fleeting seconds, his guard was down. Though those seconds may have seemed inconsequential, they proved to be costly. Due to his momentary distraction, he only realized the gravity of the situation when it was too late.

Within seconds, the ice had enveloped his entire arm, spreading like a virus, until it nearly consumed his entire body, leaving only his head exposed—a deliberate torment.

He exerted all his strength to break free from the ice, managing to shatter some portions. However, the ice, seemingly conscious, regenerated every cracked or broken part. The vampire fought relentlessly for his life.

Meanwhile, Morpheus sat calmly, but he felt a sense of discomfort with the chair. Although it was suitable for the occasion, it didn't meet his aesthetic standards. He extended his right hand towards the chair's armrest, and upon touching it, the ice began to envelop the chair, transforming it into an imperial-style throne. Morpheus gazed at the throne and remarked, "This is much better—more comfortable and visually appealing." As Morpheus reveled in his new seat, the vampire found himself locked in a battle against Morpheus' ice powers. With time passing, he began to realize the futility of fighting against the formidable ice, as it mended itself much faster than he could damage it.

The sequence of events instilled fear in the vampire that Morpheus was hunting, causing him to tremble. Through his heightened senses, he could sense the escalating danger of the situation. Since his transformation a few years ago, he had never experienced fear; in fact, he had always been the one instilling fear in others, never its recipient.

He relished in the fear and screams of his victims, finding mere feeding to be tiresome. That's precisely why he took his time to slowly torture his prey with each feeding. He was a formidable and bloodthirsty vampire, caring little for discretion, which was why Aro sought Morpheus' assistance.

Morpheus was growing weary and now desired nothing more than to put an end to this encounter as soon as possible—right after.

The vampire heard a noise emanating from ahead and witnessed the massive ice wall splitting open in the middle. Once again, he laid eyes on the man who had invaded his home. However, this time, he appeared different. The chair on which Morpheus had sat was now transformed into an icy throne, emanating a blue glow from his right eye.

[Main Pov]

My father had asked me to eliminate this guy, which I don't particularly enjoy doing. It's not that I'm afraid of killing; I've long passed that phase, and unfortunately, it happened at a very young age. Being Aro's son is no easy task.

So, while I am capable of killing, I simply don't relish it. However, I always make exceptions for cases like this individual. My father knows this, which is why he requested my presence here. This guy was a completely unscrupulous vampire who engaged in all sorts of torture.

I don't seek to portray myself as a hero, but I cannot allow such a despicable creature to roam freely. I'm snapped out of my thoughts by a fearful voice.

"How did you do that? It can't be possible. How did you manage to trap me in this infuriating ice?" He looks at me with eyes filled with fear. Observing his expression, a small smile forms on my face. The smile arises from finding his reaction amusing, and I respond to him.

"My little grasshopper, I'm sorry to say this, but I hope you reconsider your notion of what's possible and impossible. What you're witnessing right now is not only possible but very real. The only thing impossible here is for you to leave this place alive." After listening to my speech, I see him struggle to find words, and then he speaks, attempting to conceal his fear as much as possible.

"My little friend, I don't know you, and I have nothing against you. We can negotiate. If you let me go in peace, I'll give you anything you desire. I can acquire whatever you ask of me. Let's just remain calm and rational." I gaze at him calmly, doing my best to conceal the disgust I feel towards him. I rise from my chair and walk slowly towards him. When I used the ice wall, I distanced myself from the vampire for safety reasons. Now that the threat has been neutralized, I can rest easy.

Throughout my approach towards him, I maintain a poker face.

The blue light in my right eye dims, and along with it, the ice wall and throne behind me start to crack and disappear. I move a few meters closer to him, and I notice a smile forming on the vampire's face. Seeing his smile and realizing his fear dissipating, I speak.

"My sincere apologies for my rude behavior. My name is Morpheus, and may I ask for the pleasure of knowing your name?" I say this while giving him a small salute, which genuinely surprises him. I understand his astonishment; one moment, I was attempting to kill him, and the next, I'm apologizing for my rudeness.

He, unsure of what is happening, tries to overlook this sudden change and grasps onto what feels like his last chance. He looks into my eyes and replies.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Morpheus. My name is Ajax, but you can call me whatever you wish. Could you please release me?" I begin to release him, and the glimmer in my eye gradually fades until it disappears completely.

With the blue glow gone and the ice he was trapped in nearly shattered, I place my left hand gently beside his cheek and speak.

"Have pleasant dreams." As I utter these words, my left eye begins to glow a vivid red. Witnessing this, he tries to break free from the ice and screams.

"NOOOOO!" However, before he can fully escape, I employ the powers of my left side and ignite a flame inside Ajax's mouth. The fire slowly spreads, reaching his nostrils and eventually his brain. It takes a few seconds until his demise. Throughout the process, he screams in agony. It's a swift death, unfortunately, for a man who had committed such abominable acts. He did not deserve an end that came so quickly.

I glance at his lifeless body for a brief moment before it starts to ignite, engulfing the remains of the once splendid inn. It was a shame that such a magnificent establishment had an owner who was a monster in every sense.

To be continued.

"[ N/A ] If you've read this far, thank you very much, and as I don't know how to handle compliments very well, please curse me please."