Elijah stood outside Layla's door for a while, his thoughts heavy on his mind. His clothes were stained with blood, but he barely noticed. He moved slowly to his room, the weight of his emotions slowing his usually swift steps. Inside, he changed into fresh clothes, but sleep evaded him. His mind raced, and no matter how much he lay there, the thoughts of his conversation with Layla wouldn't leave him.
He eventually rose from his bed, unable to remain still. He walked through the house, aimlessly passing through rooms until he found himself in the garden. His mother, Mireille, was there, tending to some flowers. When she saw him, her eyes softened with concern.
"Elijah, honey, are you okay? You look… troubled," she asked, her voice full of motherly worry.
Elijah sank onto a bench beside her, looking down at his hands. "I spoke with Layla."
Mireille's brow furrowed. "And what happened?"
Elijah didn't immediately respond. The mansion's walls prevented anyone from overhearing conversations, but Elijah still felt a weight in his chest, as if speaking the words aloud might make the situation more real. "Mother… I think I messed up this time. It's not like when Father exiled me."
Mireille, sensing his internal struggle, pulled him into a comforting embrace. She knew something deeper was troubling him. "What happened? Did you apologize to her?"
Elijah let out a long sigh, his voice heavy with regret. "I don't think an apology will fix this. I broke a promise. I told her I'd protect her from the world, that no one would hurt her. But now, I'm the one who's breaking her heart."
Mireille winced at the raw pain in his voice. She gently rubbed his back, trying to offer some comfort. "You don't have to carry that burden alone, Elijah. But you need to show her that you're there for her."
Elijah pulled away slightly, shaking his head. "I promised her I'd always protect her from pain, from everything. And now, I'm the one causing it."
He sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging. "I need to train Selena."
Mireille looked at him with concern but didn't try to stop him. "Maybe I should train her."
Elijah shook his head, his tone distant. "I'll handle it."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the garden. Mireille watched him go, but she knew Elijah needed space to work through his emotions on his own.
Elijah found Selena talking with Cassandra in the hallway. The two seemed to be getting along well, likely due to their teacher-student relationship, but it only made Elijah feel more distant. He interrupted their conversation with a flat tone.
"Selena, are you ready for your training?" he asked, his voice empty.
Selena raised an eyebrow, sensing something was wrong. "Weren't you planning to take a nap?"
Elijah's response was mechanical. "Vampires don't need sleep."
Cassandra immediately noticed something was off. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, studying him closely.
Elijah didn't meet her gaze. His eyes were hollow, distant. "Nothing."
He turned to Selena. "So, are you ready, or do you want to wait?"
Selena hesitated, sensing his emotional turmoil but not fully understanding it. She nodded slowly. "I'm ready."
Cassandra exchanged a look with Selena but said nothing. Something wasn't right with Elijah, and she wasn't going to let it go. As they moved to begin training, Cassandra followed them quietly, determined to figure out what was going on with him.
They arrived in the basement, the usual training grounds. It was almost half the size of the mansion they had previously lived in. To be honest, Elijah had no idea what to teach Selena. He'd never thought of training someone else on how to be a vampire.
He sighed. Well, super speed and strength should be simple enough. He glanced at Selena and said, "Just try to hit me. Hard."
She looked at him, confused. Was that really it?
Cassandra, equally baffled, spoke up. "Yeah, no. You're not teaching her anymore. Something is definitely wrong with you."
Elijah snapped, clearly agitated. "There's nothing wrong with me! How the hell do you even train a vampire? What do you want to learn? To walk on walls? Turn into a bat? How to use super speed? Tell me, Cassandra. How am I supposed to protect her when I don't even know how to protect her from myself?"
He paused, the frustration evident on his face. "It's clear that no matter what I do, I always end up in the wrong, and it's clear that—"
He stopped abruptly, realizing his words had spiraled into something completely unrelated. His eyes glowed purple without him even noticing, a subconscious flare of his power triggered by his emotions. He saw Cassandra standing in front of him, an unexpected wall of calm between him and the outburst he hadn't meant to direct at her.
Cassandra didn't take his anger negatively. She could see it was something deeper on his mind. "Elijah, what happened?" she asked softly, concerned.
He frowned, the weight of everything pressing down on him. "It's nothing. My tongue just slipped. It won't happen again. Just take over and train her. I need to occupy my mind with something."
Elijah walked out slowly, the weight of his thoughts dragging behind him. Selena turned to Cassandra and asked, "Is he going to be okay?"
They both watched as he walked away. Cassandra sighed, her voice soft but filled with concern. "I don't know." She paused, glancing at Selena. "Well, let's start your training." Selena nodded immediately, ready to focus, though they both felt a lingering unease about Elijah.
Elijah roamed the mansion aimlessly, trying to push away the confusion in his mind. He came across Selene, who was being bothered by Elara. At least, he thought, his other siblings got along.
Selene immediately noticed the look on Elijah's face and frowned. "What's wrong with you?"
Elijah sighed deeply, the weight of his emotions clear. "Why does everyone keep asking that?"
Selene's frown deepened. "Layla said something to you, didn't she?"
Elijah froze, surprised. "How did you—"
Selene cut him off, her tone almost casual but tinged with concern. "As your wife, I'm supposed to know when something's wrong with you. Besides, your new obsession"—she thought of Selena—"Layla is the only one who could make you look like this." She pointed to his face, still etched with frustration.
Elara spoke up, curious. "What did she say to you?"
Elijah's response was sharp, defensive. "Nothing important that concerns you."
Selene's voice softened with frustration, her gaze on him filled with care. "Then let's go take a nap."
Elijah shook his head, declining. "I tried already."
Selene, determined, grabbed his arm. "I wasn't suggesting." She dragged him to his room and made him lie down on her lap, watching him stretch out.
Elijah sighed, his head resting on her lap. Selene, ever patient, asked gently, "Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to ask Layla?"
Elijah groaned, hesitating before speaking. "Selene, is it true? Do I really not care about the people around me?"
He looked into her eyes, searching for a sincere answer. The response he received was not what he expected.
Selene began giggling, her tone light but with a hint of truth behind it. "Of course you don't. In the last nine years, you haven't spent time with any of your siblings. Occasionally, you see Lloyd, but barely. You've never even seen our mother. And when you do see father, it's always an argument." She paused, letting the words settle before adding, "If you truly cared, I wouldn't have to share you with two other women, now would I?"
Elijah froze, the truth of her words sinking in. He opened his mouth to respond, but she kept going, her voice still playful but sincere. "Elijah, you can love someone, but if you don't show them that you love them, how can they know?"
Elijah sighed, his gaze falling to the floor. "Maybe I'm just going to rest for a few thousand years. Then she'll forgive me. It's much easier that way."
Selene pinched his cheek lightly, laughing. "You're impossible."
He laughed too, the tension slowly starting to lift. Looking at her, he spoke softly. "Selene, I'm glad you're one of my wives. I do love you."
With those words, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted into sleep. Selene smiled, knowing him better than anyone else. She allowed herself to relax, content to stay by his side.
Selene and Elijah had only slept for a little while before the peace was interrupted. Standing outside the room, Cassandra's expression was thunderous. After finishing training Selena—who had gone to spend time with their mother and Amara—she'd learned from Elara that Selene had taken Elijah for a nap. And she was livid.
Her voice rang through the hallway as she pounded on the door. "Selene! You've got five seconds to open this door! I'm warning you, I will set the entire room on fire!"
Selene sighed, carefully slipping out of bed to open the door. "What do you want?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
Cassandra barged in and locked the door behind her, crossing her arms. "It's not fair. You can't sleep with him by yourself. You're not his only wife anymore," she teased, her tone both accusatory and playful.
Selene glared at her. "Hmph. I'm the only wife he needs. You and the other one are just concubines."
Cassandra's eyes narrowed. "He said he'd love us equally. If we're concubines, then you are too."
Selene's glare deepened, her voice sharper. "You don't even know what's wrong with him. Some wife you are. I'm pretty sure he'd much rather be with me, which is why he slept with me," she added smugly.
Cassandra stepped closer, refusing to back down. "Oh yeah? Let's see. I bet he prefers my figure over yours."
Selene smirked. "Hmph. I bet I'll have his child before you do."
Cassandra decided she'd had enough of the verbal sparring. Turning toward the bed, she shook Elijah's shoulder. "Elijah, wake up and answer: which one of us is your favorite?"
Elijah, who had been awake for most of their argument but pretending to sleep, sighed. "Do I have to choose?"
Both women glared at him, their intense stares demanding an answer. Elijah sighed again, feeling the weight of their expectations. Then an idea struck him—a way to escape.
A few hours later…
Elijah strolled into the dining room, his steps slow and deliberate. He sat down at the table, taking the seat next to Selena. The room was already buzzing with conversation, but it quieted slightly as his presence was noted.
His mother, Mireille, looked up from her place at the table. "Elijah, where are Selene and Cassandra?"
Elijah didn't bother answering, shrugging as if the question wasn't worth his attention. Instead, he focused on his plate, taking a bite of the food prepared for him. "Oh, this is good," he said simply, a small, euphoric smile spreading across his face as he ate.
The family exchanged glances, clearly curious about what had transpired. But Elijah gave them no further explanation, content to savor his meal while leaving everyone guessing.
As the family ate dinner, Elijah's father broke the silence. "Well, Elijah, are you planning to join Lloyd's class at the academy, or are you staying in your current one?"
Elijah didn't look up from his plate as he replied, "Cassandra would kill me if I joined another class. Besides, Selena is in my current class too."
Amara, his grandmother, raised an eyebrow. "That cannot be. Aren't you in the talentless class?"
Elijah paused mid-bite, slightly taken aback. "Yeah, why?"
Amara's sharp gaze turned to Selena as she began to speak. "Selena certainly doesn't belong in such a class. Earlier, while we were practicing magic, I noticed her natural aptitude for ancient magic—a talent even I didn't possess."
The room grew quiet, all eyes now on Selena. The mention of talent and ancient magic was enough to make everyone stop eating.
Selena, feeling the weight of the attention, shifted in her seat and spoke hesitantly. "Well, I've never really had access to ancient magic before. And… the magic they teach at the academy doesn't work very well for me when I try it." Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
Amara leaned forward, her expression firm but not unkind. "Dear, your magic circuits need to draw on raw magic. The newer magic they teach these days has too many unnecessary tricks. Hmph! I knew that academy didn't know how to teach properly. They think old magic is useless, but the truth is, it's just a matter of talent. New magic is made for talentless schmucks."
Her last remark drew laughter from several members of the family.
Amara continued, now addressing Elijah. "You must have had a boon of good luck to find a girl like her. She's kind, pretty, and talented in ancient magic. She certainly has my approval."
Elijah nodded, still eating calmly. He had already suspected there was something special about Selena, but this revelation of her talent for ancient magic took even him by surprise. From the way Amara spoke, it was clear Selena's talent was on an entirely different level.
He glanced at Selena briefly, who sat quietly beside him, her face a mix of embarrassment and pride. For once, Elijah felt that his grandmother's praise might be justified.
Elijah continued eating, occasionally glancing at Layla. She noticed his gaze but looked away, choosing instead to chat with their siblings. He sighed. It would be a while before they talked again. Turning to Selena, he asked if she liked it here.
Selena nodded, smiling. "Everyone's much nicer than I expected, especially your grandmother, who's been teaching me magic. Cassandra's also been helping me train my vampiric abilities. She even taught me how to use my compulsion and walk on walls at will."
Elijah nodded approvingly. "That's impressive. Good work."
Dinner eventually ended, and Elijah returned to his room, only to find Selene and Cassandra sleeping on his bed—both naked. He sighed heavily before lying down between them. Though he tried to sleep, it didn't come easily. Eventually, exhaustion overtook him.
By morning, he woke on schedule to find Cassandra gone, while Selene clung tightly to him. She didn't have to teach or attend school, and Elijah thought she was lucky. After slipping out of her grasp, he took a quick shower and headed downstairs, where only his parents and grandparents were present. He guessed Astrid was doing maid training, and the others had already left for the academy.
As he ate breakfast, his mother tossed him his ring. "It's finished," she said.
After pocketing it, Elijah decided to walk to school, using his vampiric superspeed. He arrived in his class and took a seat next to Selena, who blushed slightly at his presence. The two talked casually, which felt natural to him but left her flustered.
Cassandra entered the room to begin her lesson, sighing as Elijah's attention drifted almost immediately to the window. Selena, however, diligently took notes.
Moments later, Elijah suddenly stood up. The entire class went silent as he walked up to Cassandra, leaned in, and kissed her. Cassandra's face turned crimson, and her words faltered. Before she could react, Elijah smirked and casually walked out of the classroom.
The stunned silence broke into chaos.
"He has a death wish!"
"She's going to kill him!"
"He assaulted a Velmont!"
"Forget 18—he won't survive the day!"
Cassandra, still frozen, snapped the chalk in her hand angrily. The room went silent again, her furious glare silencing any further comments. Meanwhile, Selena blushed but kept her head down, pretending to focus on her notes.
Elijah, grinning to himself, roamed the halls. Bored, he decided to visit Bella in the headmaster's office. When he entered, he was greeted by a surprising scene: Bella, mid-action with a teacher. The teacher quickly blushed, scrambled to dress, and fled the room, leaving Bella sighing.
Already clothed, Bella looked at him with a smirk. "Ruining my fun, are we? Shouldn't you be in class?"
Elijah leaned against the doorframe, grinning. "Should you be doing that in your office? I thought headmasters handled paperwork."
Bella laughed. "Paperwork? I'm a vampire. I have superspeed. Why would I waste my day on that?"
Elijah chuckled. She had a point.
The bell for lunch rang, but Bella asked, "Are you staying for lunch?"
He shrugged. "Sure."
They shared a quiet meal in the office, but before long, Elara stormed in, pouting furiously.
"Hmph! Lloyd's in the nurse's office, along with Selena and Layla. They were attacked, and they lost!"
Elijah froze, his jaw tightening. "Huh?"
Elara frowned, but Bella interjected, her tone calm. "He heard you. Explain."
Elara took a deep breath. "Apparently, Selena was looking for you and asked Layla if she'd seen you. Layla said no, so the two of them decided to check with Lloyd. But when they found him, some upperclassmen from the talented class—about thirty of them—ambushed him. They had a vendetta, but Lloyd refused to fight back because of the numbers. Selena and Layla tried to defend him but ended up getting hurt too."
Bella sighed, shaking her head. "Lloyd did the right thing. Covering up thirty deaths would've been a nightmare. Layla doesn't kill, and I doubt Selena would have gone that far either."
Elijah didn't respond. He stood silently, his expression darkening. Without a word, he walked out of the office.
The students in the halls shrank away from him as he passed. His glowing red eyes and the cold fury on his face made him look like a predator on the hunt.