I see you’ve grown stronger

The tension snapped like a drawn bowstring, and before I could process it, chaos erupted.

Sydney's father lunged forward first, his speed beyond anything I'd ever witnessed. In a blur, he was in front of me, his hand raised, ready to strike. I gasped, my instincts freezing in place. 

But Lydia was faster. She slammed into him mid-air, tackling him to the ground. The impact was brutal, a shockwave of force that rattled through the air. Sydney's father growled, baring his sharp fangs, as Lydia stood over him, her own vampiric strength on full display.

"Stay away from Elena!" Lydia roared, her voice fierce, as she engaged him in a flurry of strikes and counterattacks. Every movement was like lightning too fast to follow, too sharp to predict.

Meanwhile, Sydney's mother had vanished, her figure a blur of darkness, circling us like a predator. I couldn't see her, but I could feel her watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.