Nights in Russia moved like shadows, slow, stretched, and silent. I barely slept, constantly waking up in intervals, tangled in my thoughts. But I was safe now. Luthor wasn't here to hurt me.
I had been rescued from everything that once threatened me. This place,this mansion, felt like paradise. Yet, my soul remained restless. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was still caged, just in a prettier prison.
When morning finally came, it rose not in warmth but in silver light. The Russian dawn was nothing like that of Ukraine. The chill lingered in the air like an unspoken warning, but inside the mansion, it was warm. A soft, golden warmth that shielded me from the biting cold outside. Even the sunlight that poured through the frosted windows seemed proud, as if the land itself was watching.
I stepped into the bathroom to cleanse away the remnants of last night's unease. The space wasn't like Luthor's luxurious palace. No, this bathroom was carved in old stone and polished marble. It was ancient but elegant. Humble and regal in one breath. A large window cast golden sunlight across the tiled floor, and for a moment, I stood still, soaking in the silence.
My bath was quick. I moved in a hurry, the eagerness in my chest building. Today was the day I would learn the truth, everything that Luthor had hidden from me. Lucien promised me answers. I was ready.
But I wasn't ready for what came next.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Lucien was sitting on my bed, waiting. That mask still covered his face. He always wore the mask.
"How was your night?" he asked, eyes trained a little too low for comfort.
"Fine," I replied, gripping my towel tightly.
He stood, brushing off nonexistent dirt from his well-ironed trousers. Then he approached me, slowly, each step deliberate.
He smelled like gold. Polished, rich, and clean. Everything about him seemed perfect, but there was one flaw. One ghost.
Luthor.
Lucien had the same stance, the same confidence. And yet... I couldn't let myself feel safe around him.
I took an unconscious step back.
He noticed. But he didn't move closer. Instead, he said, "Get ready. Today, we go to the place where the truth lives."
Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the door.
"I'll wait downstairs."
I didn't hesitate. I dressed quickly, my heartbeat rising with every second. When I reached the staircase, Lucien stood there like a gentleman out of a fairytale, calm and poised.
We drove for nearly an hour. The silence was heavy, but not uncomfortable. I stared out at the icy landscape, wondering what lay ahead.
Finally, we arrived.
The building loomed like something out of a dream or a nightmare. Black stone walls, faded with time, twisted up toward a sky clouded in gray. It looked like a temple built for gods long forgotten or monsters remembered only in stories. It was ancient. Older than the mansion. Older than anything I'd seen.
It was painted in shadow.
A gate to hell.
But I walked forward anyway.
If this was the path to the truth, I would walk it no matter what waited at the end.
Lucien extended his hand, and I took it. Not out of trust, but out of resolve.
I had already made up my mind. Even if I met the devil himself today, I wouldn't flinch.
But I did.
I flinched.
What I saw inside wasn't the devil. It was worse.
Lucien's grip on my hand tightened as we stepped into a massive hall. The ceiling arched high above like a cathedral built by beasts. Rows upon rows of seating climbed the walls in circles, an arena. A place to observe. Or judge.
Eyes. Hundreds. No, thousands.
They watched me. Silent. Unblinking.
Lucien guided me to a single chair in the center. Alone. Exposed.
And that's when I began to tremble.
My body screamed to run. My instincts begged for escape. But I sat. I let him place me there, surrounded by strangers who stared at me like I was a rare jewel or meat.
Then a voice echoed through the hall, loud and triumphant.
"I have finally found her! The last of the Alpha's blood. The relic of a vanished bloodline. The remnant of his kind!"
It was Lucien.
He pointed to me.
The crowd roared.
Confusion and fear swirled inside me like a storm. Who was he talking about? The Alpha's blood? What relic? What kind?
Lucien raised his hands and spoke again.
"Long ago, the Alpha's bloodline was hunted, erased from this world. But before they disappeared, they left something behind."
He paused. Then thundered:
"A daughter!"
The hall erupted in cheers and howls.
"My brother Luthor tried to hide her. He protected her for years. But no more. She is ours now. To feed from. To fulfill the prophecy we've long awaited."
No.
No.
This couldn't be real.
The faces around me began to shift. Their eyes glowed in unnatural colors. Their faces stretched, lips curling into fangs.
My heart stopped. I stood up, ready to flee.
But Lucien stepped in front of me.
"Bind her!"
Before I could move, cold hands grabbed my arms. Ropes. Chains. I struggled, screamed, pleaded but Lucien just smiled.
He leaned in close, his voice a whisper against my ear.
"If only you knew how important you are. Don't fight it. This is your destiny."
I felt terror.
Helplessness.
Then… then I spat in his face.
He wiped it slowly, grinning like a man possessed.
"Now," he said. "We feast."
BOOM!
The walls trembled.
The lights shattered.
And everything….
Everything went black.