11.Fight for Survival (Part 4)

[Bonus Chapter]

'.....'= Thoughts

 "....."= Conversations 

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The female vampire, who had been about to continue speaking, suddenly stopped and looked at the male vampire.

"Get some rest for a few minutes," he ordered the remaining captives.

Then he and the female vampire left the room, instructing the masked individuals to clear the dead bodies.

The male and female vampire made their way through the dark, opulent corridors of the mansion, their footfalls echoing in the silence.

They approached a set of intricately carved double doors. Without wasting any time the male vampire pushed open the doors and they entered a spacious chamber that exuded an air of authority and power. At the far end of the room, seated on a grand throne-like chair, was a figure draped in regal robes. Besides him stood another vampire with his head lowered, while patiently waiting for any orders from the person sitting on the chair.

Approaching with measured steps, the male and female vampires came to a stop before the figure, bowing ninety degrees in a show of deep respect.

The figure in the chair acknowledged their presence with a subtle nod, and spoke," Eliza, my child. There is no need to bow before me. You will soon be joining our ranks anyway."

Eliza raised her head, her eyes meeting the piercing gaze of the man on the throne. "Thank you, Your Excellency," she said, her voice laced with reverence. "I deeply respect not only your position but also you as an individual. Even if I were to join higher ranks, I would never forget the manners and etiquette that have been instilled in me."

The man seemed to consider her words for a moment, his sharp eyes scanning her face. "You possess a rare quality, Eliza. It is not often that I encounter such humility and grace, especially in one so young."

A small smile tugged at Eliza's lips, and she inclined her head once more. "I have been taught to uphold the values of our kind, Your Excellency. It is an honor to serve and learn from those who came before me."

The man nodded in acknowledgement as a small smile crept on his face, as the answer given by Eliza was quite honest and to his liking.

"Report," The man slowly muttered a word while looking knowingly at Eliza while completely ignoring the existence of the male vampire named William.

William who standing beside Eliza moved away and went to stand with the other male vampire, with his head still lowered. The position he held was far below the man in the chair and also far below that of Eliza who was considered as a unique and valuable existence in their coven.

If not for his relationship with Eliza, he wouldn't even have the honour to be a part of the coven.

"Your Excellency, from the sixteen batches of inferior beings that we brought here, we found only one suitable candidate," Eliza answered.

The man in the chair sighed as he disappeared from his place and appeared beside the window of the room. He moved at such a speed, it felt like he almost teleported himself near the window.

Even Eliza, William and the other vampire named Victor too were in awe of the man's speed.

"Only one from sixteen batches. In the last one hundred and fifty years we only found three of such people," The man murmured while looking out of the window.

Eliza quickly approached him and bowed her head," I beg for forgiveness, your Excellency. My ability is not up to the mark."

The man turned towards her, his eyes piercing and making Eliza feel like she could hide nothing from him.

"Though your ability has quite a few restrictions, the current situation has nothing to do with you Eliza. I already know that you are giving your all. Without you we wouldn't even have been able to expand and strengthen our coven. If not for the influence of Volturi....." The man didn't complete his sentence.

Eliza's face stiffened as she knew how powerful Volturi was and if not for them, their coven wouldn't have to live in the dark for all the time.

The man sighed and turned back towards the window, his thoughts clearly troubled. "Volturi has always held a tight grip on our coven, and their influence has only grown stronger over the years," he said, his voice heavy with resignation. "They are the ones who dictate the rules and regulations that we must abide by, and they are not afraid to use their formidable power to enforce them."

Eliza nodded, her expression somber. She had seen firsthand the consequences of defying the Volturi, and it was a fate that no one in their coven wished to face. "They are ruthless in maintaining their control," she added quietly. "And anyone who dares to challenge them is swiftly dealt with."

The man nodded, his jaw clenched. "Indeed. It is a precarious balance we must maintain, treading carefully so as not to let them catch a wind of what we are doing. But it is a burden that weighs heavily upon us all."

As they spoke, the man couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment towards the Volturi. Despite their claim to uphold the laws of the vampire world, he knew that their actions were often driven by their own thirst for power and dominance. It had been centuries since their coven had lived in fear of the Volturi's judgment, and still, they remained at the mercy of their rulers.

"We must tread carefully," the man said finally, turning back to Eliza. "But that does not mean we are without hope. We must continue to seek out those with rare abilities, with your help, Eliza. With the increasing strength of our coven, perhaps we can one day stand against the Volturi and put an end to their rule."

Eliza nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "I will do everything in my power to help our coven thrive, Your Excellency. I will continue to train and harness my ability to its fullest potential and help finding people with abilities to join our coven."

The man smiled faintly, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes. "You are a valuable asset to our coven, Eliza. Your diligence and dedication inspire us all."

Suddenly the smile disappeared from his face and he became serious.

"We must not grow complacent," the man continued, his voice firm and resolute. "The Volturi are becoming more active recently, and it is imperative that we stay ahead of them. We will need to change our current temporary base in five years to a more secure location. I will begin formulating a plan, but I will need all of your help to make this transition as smooth as possible."

The vampires in the room nodded in agreement, their expressions reflecting their determination to carry out the orders of their leader.

"As we prepare for this transition, we must also be vigilant in seeking out others with rare abilities," the man continued. "We will need to expand our numbers in order to stand a chance against the Volturi. Eliza, I will rely on you to use your gift to bring them into our fold. Though, always remember quality before quantity."

Eliza nodded, her resolve unwavering. She had always taken her role within the coven seriously, but now it felt even more crucial. She knew that the future of their coven depended on their ability to grow and adapt, and she was determined to do everything in her power to make it a reality.

The man turned to the other vampires in the room, his gaze steady and unwavering. "We cannot afford to have any weaknesses when it comes to facing the Volturi. I expect each and every one of you to dedicate yourselves to this cause."

The vampires in the room nodded in agreement and bowed more deeply at the man's order. They knew that the coming years would be filled with challenges, but they were ready to face them head-on.

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