"Well… looks like I just found my main character, if not the hero reincarnated," I thought to myself.
Mr. Argos stood frozen in shock. Zack Richmond was the first triple-element user he had encountered in years. After a few moments, he composed himself, clearing his throat before delivering a speech to the new Baptists. He spoke about how great power comes with great responsibility, emphasizing discipline and wisdom in using their abilities. When he finished, the audience erupted in applause, though many were still fixated on Zack, their amazement overshadowing the speech entirely.
Mr. Argos left the stage, his expression betraying a simmering jealousy. Little did he know, this was just the beginning.
As Zack marched toward the school grounds, the earth beneath us began to tremble violently, as though an earthquake was ripping through the area. The arena erupted in chaos. Panicked screams filled the air as people scrambled to maintain their footing.
My eyes darted toward Mr. Argos, but even he appeared bewildered by what was happening. Before anyone could process it, the ground split open, and a massive stone pillar shot upward. At its peak, a glowing device resembling a television from my past life emerged, emitting a loud, mechanical whir. The screen blazed with brightness, making it impossible to see the symbol displayed on it.
I tapped Emma on the shoulder, desperate for an explanation. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"
When I looked at her, however, her expression stopped me cold. Her face was twisted with an emotion I had never seen before: pure, unbridled hatred. It radiated from her like a suffocating aura. She glanced at me briefly, then turned to Sophia.
"Do you have any combat experience?" Emma asked.
Sophia nodded, producing two kunai from her side.
Emma placed a hand on her shoulder. "Keep your eyes on Viktor no matter what," she instructed firmly. Then she turned to me, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Viktor, please stay hidden. I need to save Elizabeth, and if anything happened to you, it would break her heart. Promise me you'll stay with Sophia."
I hesitated but nodded, deciding not to ask any more questions. Emma whispered an incantation under her breath before leaping onto the central stage with uncanny grace.
The screen's brightness dimmed slightly, revealing an ominous broadcast. Around me, the dust began to settle, exposing injured people and rubble. My chest tightened painfully as I surveyed the scene—a sensation I hadn't felt since meeting Iris. But this time, there was something else: rage. A fiery, uncontrollable anger burned within me.
Focusing on the screen, I strained my senses to hear the distorted audio over the chaos. A deep voice emerged, resonating with malice.
"This is an important message to all vampires. We humans refuse to acknowledge being subdued by feeble creatures like you. Effective immediately, we renounce the truce and declare war. This is only the beginning, and we will make our presence known across the world."
The screen flickered, showing scenes of destruction—a train blown apart, its side emblazoned with the name Kowpen. My heart sank. It was the same train my parents had been traveling on.
"They'll be fine," I reassured myself. "The Kernes are strong."
But then, the image changed. The screen now displayed a barren field filled with crosses, each bearing lifeless bodies. My breath caught in my throat as the camera zoomed in on two specific crosses. Hanging from them were my parents.
My vision blurred with tears as the broadcast continued.
"We bring you the heads of the distinguished Kernes family as proof of our resolve. Let this serve as a warning of what we are capable of."
A man stepped forward, holding a white dagger-like object. Without hesitation, he plunged it into my mother's chest. Her screams of pain echoed through the stadium. I clamped my hands over my ears, desperately praying for it to end, but the agony stretched on.
Finally, her cries ceased. My mother's lifeless body was paraded as some grotesque trophy, her executioners hailed as heroes.
The man turned to my father, who glared at him with fury and grief. "But what have we done?" my father roared. "We've abstained from human blood, lived in peace, and stayed out of your affairs. This is how you repay us?"
The man smirked coldly. "This is for power and the greater good of humanity."
My father's expression softened into an eerie calm, and he smiled. "You'll regret this," he said quietly.
The man sneered. "I never regret anything."
He drove the dagger into my father's chest. My father groaned in pain but managed to lift his gaze toward the screen, as if looking directly at me.
"I know you're watching, my son," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I just want you to know that your mother and I love you dearly."
With those final words, my father died, a peaceful smile on his face.
The screen went black.
I stood there, frozen, my mind unraveling.