Chapter 19: He Came

My heart was trapped in restless slumber, with spasms in between; nightmares could touch my weary soul at the mere thought of certain death. It was a feeling I could barely grasp, thus sorrow-stricken emotions tormented my every breath.

There was no purpose behind resting if everything would end in hours; I just stood there lost in a perfect trance, thinking… rethinking things, imagining what could have been.

I barely touched the realm of dreams, and now, with the first clinking sounds, my eyes were wide awake. The weirdest tension captured my entire body, pushing cold beaded sweat throughout my skin.

"No!" my lips muttered on their own.

The fear itself was utterly surreal; I knew I was condemned, and yet my soul refused to lose its hope. I don't know why or how, but I suppose it's built in all of us… that wicked kind of hope, delirious in nature that numbs all of your senses.

My back was curled against the cold stone wall, right as that wretched dampness suffocated my every breath. I didn't even know how I reached that corner of the room.

It was the sound of keys, or maybe tools of torture, I couldn't say exactly. One thing was crystal clear, that fear had robbed me of my breath. Deep gasps came now in turns, as wretched thuds could be heard from outside; all I could do was wait and see.

My hands and feet were numb and stiff, preventing me from moving much. Those last few moments I'd enjoy alive felt like a wicked rat race, carved for the amusement of others.

"No, no… please…" I quivered silently, closing my eyes altogether.

The squinting turned to pain, but I refused to see! Eventually, the large cast iron door was open, with screeching sounds as it was slammed against the hard stone wall. By now, the rustling turned intense, and I could only crawl my way onto that putrid cot that was supposed to provide comfort.

"Please, have mercy!" I begged senselessly, but I knew well my words would be in vain.

The sound of their footsteps reverberated ominously, making my heart race in fear. A last deep breath was all my weary flesh could churn… and I was done!

By now, beaded teardrops began to streak across my face, as I accepted my own fate; I could do nothing to save myself, I felt so powerless and weak, hating my destiny with all my essence.

My eyes picked up two shades through the thick darkness, right as my heart began to pant inside my chest. Clearly, that deluge of gruesome thoughts I had had over the night began to take its toll on me. Utter lament for my own coming death turned grievance into physical pain… one I could feel down to my core.

"What wretched fate…" I thought for a mere glimpse.

Then, out of nowhere, a splendid "Shh" occurred.

I couldn't hear a word, yet I knew that voice well, I recognized its vibe and strength, seconds before Viktor fell to his knees next to me.

His mighty arms engulfed me with a soothing effect, but I still struggled to discern; it felt surreal to have him there, with me. Viktor's musky scent enveloped me and I breathed it in greedily. "He came; indeed he came!" a voice echoed inside my head.

Amidst the strife and terror, my heart was now trapped in rapture; sadly, I didn't even know how to rejoice. My laughter soaked in tears could find no end, right as my weary head plunged to his chest.

"I'm here, I'm here!" he whispered with a burdened voice.

Our peril was still real and lurking around every obscure corner.

"We need to go! We don't have much time."

Raising my eyes, I saw the figure of Raoul, who stood close to the entrance; his senses were utterly acute and listening for coming danger. I couldn't help but notice the disarrayed state of both Raoul and Viktor's appearance. Viktor's shirt was torn and his face was flushed with scarlet scratches, while Raoul had a gash on his arm and a swollen lip. It was clear that the two had been fighting. The sight of them filled me with dread.

At that moment, the awfully looking guard who had been guarding my cell came into view. Viktor and Raoul had managed to knock him out, and he now lay there unconscious. We did not have much time to contemplate our victory; we had to hurry if we were going to make it out alive. One guard was down, but more would follow.

My ears could pick up Viktor's voice, but it still felt like a dream; I watched him carefully, a dazzled gaze inspiring my soul. And the best part of it was I could hear his heart, pounding right next to mine, in perfect symbiosis. True love had never tasted the same, not even in my wildest dreams, thus I felt paralyzed in his arms.

"Can you move?" he asked with worry in his voice.

I nodded only, keeping my words for later times. I was no human anymore, but I was still too weak to stand up by myself.

A mere moment ago I walked closer to hell, but now I was in heaven. Those gorgeous eyes and strong jawline stirred up a storm inside of me, one whiffing through each breath.

"Fear not!" he added.

Then, with a gentle embrace, Viktor carefully helped me up. He pulled me gently by my waist while I held onto his shoulders. I could feel the strength of his arms and the warmth of his body against mine, so close to me that I almost felt as if we were one.

It was now time for us to go. Babel had been a horrible host, one I was too eager to erase from my memory.

"Let's go!" Viktor instructed me, but then I stumbled and almost fell. I had been through so much and hadn't eaten for a long time - my body was so exhausted and feeble that I could barely stand. 

"Merde!" Raoul gasped. "They're coming!"

The dungeon lay in the underbelly of the tower; therefore, we could only go up. All three of us listened carefully to what seemed like a strong dozen approaching us. However, they were far away. I was surprised at my own ability to hear footsteps from afar. I guessed being a vampire had its advantages.

"What now?" Raoul asked.

Viktor pondered the answer for a glimpse, right as his icy blue eyes turned fiercer.

"We'll fight!"

"How?" Raoul asked. "That's a bit too many for only the two of us... Especially since you're out of practice", he teased Viktor.

I could see Viktor scoffing, as he refused to admit his fighting days were behind him, and I found it kind of amusing.

"I'll fight. We'll see who's out of practice."

Raoul was unconvinced, and he smiled cheekly at Viktor.

"Can you fight?" Raoul then asked me, and I just couldn't lie to him.

My head shook slightly, right as I bit my lips.

"I'm sorry, I can barely walk… I haven't fed in a while…" I said, while I leaned on the wall.

Viktor paced the room, rubbing his palms together as he pondered. His gaze then drifted to me. I didn't know it at first, but it was clear we had to take a 'darker' path in order to survive.

"Fuck!" Viktor growled "How long do you think we have left?"

I saw Raoul shrugging slightly.

"Maybe twenty five minutes? It can be less…"

The tension grew berserk and I could feel the fury mixed with fear crawling under his skin. The air we breathed in those moments could fairly be the last, thus Viktor grabbed me tightly.

His head turned slightly towards his friend.

"Don't look!"

I couldn't tell what followed, but I could hear Raoul's chuckle.

"Fine, as you wish… if that's what you want to do before you die!", he said jokingly.

Now, both of Viktor's hands were wrapped around my face, and I could feel his warmth and energy right as he gazed into my eyes.

"Listen." He whispered gently.

Our lips were close to touching at this point, and our breaths had started a magnetic dance.

"You need to bite me and drink my blood."

My eyes grew wider suddenly. I knew this act to be taboo, with little details in between. It was the reason why the Council was so angry at us.

"But…" I merely muttered watching Viktor's utter resolve.

"You MUST do it! Consuming vampire blood is a treacherous endeavour, one that could drive you to madness and beyond. Sadly, there is no other way to ensure our survival. You have to do it!"

I trusted him with all my heart, and my eyes gazed at that splendid neck, the strength of his heartbeat pushing its way up. The thoughts themselves turned hypnotising, inspiring a kind of lust I hadn't felt before.