Elijah stood at the door, hearing the laughter of Lloyd, Selena, and Layla. He slid the door open with a slam, the sound reverberating through the room. Cassandra, already inside, sighed heavily. The moment they saw him, the room went silent, and his siblings froze—they knew he was about to do something.
Elijah's sharp gaze landed on Lloyd. "Tell me, which student was the leader?"
Cassandra interjected, her tone firm. "Elijah, calm down."
Without looking at her, Elijah responded curtly, "I wasn't talking to you, Cassandra." His piercing eyes shifted to Selena. "Fine. You tell me their names."
Selena stood, her expression hesitant. "Maybe you should just take a seat and calm down."
"Sit back down," Elijah snapped, cutting her off. "Since you three clearly think this is a laughing matter, stay here and recover. I'll find out who did it on my own." He turned to leave, his movements sharp and deliberate.
"Elijah, you can't kill 30 students!" Cassandra called after him, her voice tinged with frustration.
Elijah paused, his voice cold and detached. "Death? He would be lucky." He slammed the door behind him as he walked out.
The four exchanged uneasy glances, the tension in the room palpable. Selena, her brow furrowed, asked hesitantly, "Death… He would be lucky? What does that mean?"
Cassandra's voice was grim as she answered. "Torture."
Elijah roamed the halls, his heightened senses picking up the faint scent of Selena's blood. Following the trail, he found the group laughing amongst themselves, one of them holding Lloyd's number one student emblem like a trophy.
Elijah approached them without hesitation. The leader of the group noticed him first, narrowing his eyes. "Huh? Who are you? A friend of theirs?"
Elijah grabbed the leader's shoulder, his grip unyielding, and forced him to his knees in one swift motion. The sound of the leader hitting the ground echoed like a warning bell to the others.
"No," Elijah said, his voice low and menacing. "You tell me something."
His glowing red eyes bore into the leader's, their intensity freezing the group in place. They stared, stunned, unable to process how Elijah had effortlessly subdued their strongest member.
Who was he?
Elijah looked up briefly, as if confirming something, before his gaze landed on a girl standing nearby. Her face was pale with fear. Without hesitation, he walked toward her, grabbing her by the neck and dragging her in front of the boy he had just subdued.
"Oh, is this your girlfriend?" Elijah asked, his voice dripping with mockery.
The boy's face paled further as he stammered, "Hey, what are you going to do to her?" The girl struggled in Elijah's grasp, her eyes brimming with terror.
Elijah tilted his head, feigning curiosity. "Tell me something. Do you love her?"
The boy nodded, trembling.
A sinister smile spread across Elijah's face. "Oh, then I guess this will make you a bit upset."
Before the boy could react, Elijah forcefully kissed the girl, her muffled cries echoing in the stunned silence. The boy shouted in protest, but what happened next left him utterly frozen.
Elijah gripped the girl's head as she screamed in terror, and with a sickening sound, he crushed it, her body collapsing lifelessly to the floor. Blood splattered everywhere, the group of students erupting into horrified screams. The boy stared in petrified silence, his mind struggling to comprehend the scene before him.
Elijah's voice cut through the chaos, calm and cold. "Who said I was finished? Get back on your knees and watch as I kill your friends."
With terrifying efficiency, Elijah made quick work of the group, their cries of fear silenced one by one as blood painted the walls and floor. When it was over, the boy sat motionless, drenched in the blood of his friends, his body trembling violently.
Elijah crouched down, wiping the blood from his hands onto the boy's face. "Now, you're coming with me. Tell me where you live."
The boy, paralyzed by fear, gave him the address in a broken, trembling voice.
Elijah carried the boy by the collar, dragging him into a lavish noble's home. The moment they entered, he blew the door off its hinges, the sound echoing through the house. The boy's parents rushed into the living room, startled by the commotion.
"Marcus, what is—" the boy's mother began, her voice faltering as she noticed her son's bloodied state and the predator who held him.
She screamed as Elijah's glowing red eyes locked onto hers, the sound of her terror piercing the air. The boy's father tried to cast a spell, but Elijah was faster, decapitating him in one swift motion.
The boy fell to his knees, screaming and begging for Elijah to stop. His cries grew louder as Elijah stomped on his mother's head, crushing it without hesitation. Calculating as always, Elijah cast a spell to clean the room of blood and bodies, ensuring no trace remained.
The boy's screams turned to incoherent wails as the events replayed in his mind—his friends, his girlfriend, his parents—all slaughtered before him.
Elijah grabbed him by the jaw, forcing him to look up. "Now calm down," he said with chilling nonchalance. "I'll be taking my time with you."
With that, Elijah sank his fangs into the boy's neck, turning him into a vampire. He wasted no time, dragging the newly turned vampire into a dense forest with supernatural speed.
There, beneath the shadows of the trees, Elijah began his gruesome work, torturing the boy relentlessly until the sun dipped below the horizon.
Elijah finally put the boy out of his misery, ending his life in the manner his father had once taught him. As he made his way home, blood splattered across his clothes and face, his expression remained cold and murderous.
When Elijah walked through the door, the room went silent. His family turned to him, their gazes filled with varying degrees of concern, curiosity, and frustration.
His mother, Mireille, was the first to speak. "My god, what happened?"
Elijah turned his piercing gaze toward Cassandra. "Did you not tell her about how those three got into a fight and I had to clean up their mess for them?"
Cassandra's anger flared. "Elijah, you left the bodies of over 30 dead students with blood everywhere!"
Elijah met her anger with calm defiance. "I did what had to be done. Marcus dared to touch three of the closest people to me. He got what he deserved."
Bella, standing nearby, sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Elijah, it was all caught on camera. I saw it. Where did you take him next?"
Elijah's lips curled into a devilish grin. "Well, after forcing him to watch his girlfriend and friends die, I had to kill his family. Then I turned him into a vampire, dragged him into the forest, and tortured him until I finally put him out of his misery."
His family stared at him in a mixture of disbelief and quiet acceptance. His father, Lucien, broke the silence with a chuckle. "Elijah, go take a shower at least. Join us for dinner after—you reek of their rotten blood."
Elijah nodded silently and turned toward the stairs.
Cassandra, still fuming, looked at her father with disapproval. "Father, are you really just going to let him get away with that?"
Lucien leaned back in his chair, unbothered. "What did he do wrong, though?"
Cassandra opened her mouth to argue but stopped, realizing the futility of the conversation. She sighed in exasperation.
Lucien turned to Bella, his tone more serious. "Bella, where is this video? I want to see how Elijah dealt with them."
Bella frowned and exchanged a concerned look with Cassandra and Selene. "I can show it to you all, but Elijah's methods were… excessive. Cruel, even."
Cassandra crossed her arms, her irritation still simmering. "Just show us the video."
Bella hesitated for a moment before nodding, preparing to replay the carnage Elijah had wrought. The room grew heavy with tension, the weight of Elijah's actions looming over them.
Before the video started, Elijah came down the stairs, his hair damp from his shower, and sat between Selene and Cassandra. He leaned back, trying to appear nonchalant, though his guarded demeanor betrayed him.
As the video began, Elijah glanced at the screen and frowned. "Is this what was on camera?" he asked, his voice low.
Bella nodded. "Every second of it."
Elijah's jaw tightened as a thought crossed his mind. Looking at Bella, then at the two women sitting beside him, he sighed, his worry surfacing. "Bella, can't we skip a few seconds ahead? You know, after the first one."
Bella raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "Hmm, why should I? You caused me trouble, so maybe I'll return the favor."
Elijah groaned and frowned. "Why are you like this?"
Bella chuckled, her tone playful. "You could've just killed them normally."
Elijah crossed his arms defensively. "He had to suffer."
Selene turned to him, her sharp gaze narrowing. "What exactly did you do to the first one?"
Elijah's face tensed, and he avoided her eyes. "I… killed them," he muttered, though his voice faltered.
The video played, showing Elijah's menacing figure stalking through the scene. The moment he grabbed the girl and kissed her, Selene and Cassandra immediately tensed.
Selene pinched his arm sharply. "Hmph!" She turned away with a scowl.
Cassandra leaned closer, her voice dangerously low. "We are going to have a very long talk about your recklessness later."
Elijah sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. He knew he'd crossed a line, but he justified it in his mind. I had to make Marcus feel despair in any way possible.
The video continued, showing Elijah blow the girl's head apart, then slaughter Marcus's friends with terrifying precision. His taunts and the sheer malice in his demeanor as he dealt with Marcus sent a chill through the room.
When it ended, Lucien finally broke the silence. "Well…"
Mireille frowned deeply. "Elijah, dear, where did you learn to be so… cruel?" Her tone carried both concern and disappointment.
Selene, clearly still upset, jabbed Elijah under the table, making him yelp. "More importantly, what possessed you to kiss that girl?"
Elijah flinched, trying to explain himself. "Well… he touched one of my wives…"
Selene's pinch tightened, and her tone turned icy. "So, because he touched one of your wives, you kissed his girlfriend? Are you brain-dead by chance?"
Elijah grimaced, realizing how foolish his actions seemed in hindsight. "It was to make him feel the most pain possible…"
Cassandra crossed her arms, her voice stern. "Elijah, the way you acted today was unacceptable. Reckless and over the line."
Elijah frowned but held his ground, even as guilt gnawed at him. "I still think my actions were justified," he muttered, though he knew they wouldn't let him off that easily.
Layla sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the screen as the video replayed Elijah's actions. A strange warmth stirred in her chest. Despite the lingering frustration from their earlier argument and the horror she felt at the sheer number of lives he had taken, there was something oddly comforting about his actions. It was disgusting, yes, and terrifying—but knowing he would go to such brutal lengths to punish those who harmed her ignited an unsettling mix of gratitude and pride.
He's like an anti-hero, she rationalized to herself, though her lips pressed into a thin line.
Selena, seated beside Layla, shared a similar conflict. Watching Elijah kiss the girl had tightened something in her chest, a quiet sting she couldn't shake. Yet his unwavering strength and willingness to avenge them with such ferocity was undeniable. Still… did he really need to kiss her? She glanced at him briefly, her thoughts a mix of admiration and irritation.
Across from them, Lloyd sat without much expression. On one hand, he was grateful his brother had taken revenge for what had happened. But on the other, Elijah's anger earlier in the nurse's office felt uncalled for. My choice not to fight back was more responsible, Lloyd thought with some conviction. And far more mature.
Elijah, oblivious to their inner turmoil, sighed audibly. Torturing and killing Marcus had drained his energy, and he was ravenous. With little ceremony, he dug into his meal with vigor, the clinking of his utensils filling the otherwise tense silence at the table.
Cassandra watched Elijah eat, her anger simmering beneath the surface. She was still fuming over how he had completely disregarded her earlier, blatantly telling her he wasn't talking to her and snapping at the others to sit back down. Everyone ate their dinner in uncomfortable silence.
Elijah's grandfather, much like his father, thought Elijah's actions were justified—after all, during Dorian's younger years, he had done far worse. However, Elijah's mother, Mireille, and grandmother, Amara, strongly disapproved. Mireille glared at her husband, silently fuming. If Lucien hadn't pushed Elijah out of the family so harshly, perhaps her son wouldn't have become so detached and cruel. Amara shared Mireille's sentiment, her piercing gaze fixed on her son, blaming Lucien's influence for Elijah's behavior.
The three generations—grandfather, father, and son—ate their meals in stoic indifference, seemingly unfazed by the disapproving glares from their wives. The only exception was Dorian, whose wife directed her anger entirely at Lucien instead of him.
Once Elijah finished his food, he retreated upstairs, eager for some well-deserved rest. But just as he closed the door to his room, the doorknob began to wiggle. Moments later, Cassandra and Selene entered.
Cassandra immediately marched over, grabbing his ear and twisting it, causing Elijah to flinch and try to pull away. "If you ever yell at me, ignore my words, or disrespect me again," she said sharply, "I promise I'll snatch this ear right off."
"It wasn't anger at you!" Elijah protested, wincing in pain.
Cassandra twisted harder, making him cry out. "Oh, really? And then you go and cheat on us after all that? You've got some nerve, Elijah!"
"It wasn't cheating! There was no emotion behind it!" Elijah exclaimed.
Selene, sitting on his bed, interjected calmly, "That doesn't matter, Elijah. You can't just do as you please and expect no consequences."
Elijah sighed, frustrated. "I know the kiss was unjustified, but the torture? That was necessary! How dare he lay a hand on the people I care about!"
Cassandra finally let go of his ear and crossed her arms, glaring at him. "And how would you feel if I went and kissed another man?"
Elijah stared at her as if she'd lost her mind, crossing his arms in defiance. "I wish you would try."
Cassandra let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm not saying I would do it, but that's how it feels—even if it didn't mean anything, it was still wrong."
Elijah sighed, rubbing his ear. "Fine. I was wrong."
Cassandra huffed, her glare still sharp. "Hmph. If I didn't have so much patience, I'd have beaten you to death by now."
Cassandra sighed deeply and lay down, still clearly upset. "And you're still not off the hook," she said sharply. "You told Selene, but you didn't tell me. This is the second day in a row you've completely disregarded me. Do you think I don't deserve an explanation? Am I just a joke to you?"
Elijah exhaled, his voice low as he lay back beside them. "Of course not," he said quietly. "I didn't exactly tell Selene; she just figured it out on her own. And as for yesterday…" He hesitated, guilt creeping into his tone. "It wasn't intentional. I was still thinking about Layla."
Cassandra turned her head slightly toward him, her curiosity piqued despite her anger. "Layla? What about her?"
Elijah closed his eyes, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "I broke a promise to her," he admitted, his voice filled with regret. "I didn't even remember it until she brought it up. In my selfishness, I've been so caught up worrying about myself that I've completely neglected her. I let her down, and the way she looked at me… I deserved every bit of her anger, but it still hurt more than I can put into words."
Selene, who had been lying beside him, shifted slightly. The earlier anger in her icy eyes was already softened as she rested her head on his arm, offering quiet reassurance.
Cassandra sighed, her expression softening ever so slightly, though her tone remained firm. "So let me get this straight. You broke a promise to Layla, didn't even remember it, and now you're here sulking about it?"
Elijah nodded, his voice almost a whisper. "It wasn't just about the promise. I didn't realize how much I hurt her until it was too late. And now, I can't fix it."
Cassandra rolled onto her side, her back to him as she spoke. "You're an idiot, Elijah. Layla's angry because she loves you, and instead of fixing it, you've been wallowing in self-pity."
"I know," Elijah murmured, the weight of guilt settling heavily on his chest. "I'll find a way to make it right."
Selene stayed silent, her grip on his arm tightening for a brief moment before she closed her eyes. Cassandra, however, wasn't ready to let him off the hook entirely. "You're on time-out for the rest of the week," she declared sharply. "If you so much as breathe wrong, I'll make you regret it."
Elijah sighed deeply, staring at the ceiling. The crushing weight of Cassandra's scolding left him feeling more drained than before. He indeed had lot's of things to fix going forward.
Elijah wanted to sleep, but he couldn't. His mind raced, and Selene's tight grip on his arm made it impossible for him to shift or get comfortable. Cassandra, though turned away from him, seemed to be asleep, her breathing steady and calm. Still, he could feel the tension lingering in the room, her unspoken disapproval hanging in the air like a heavy fog.
He wondered about the others. Was his other wife angry at him? He had snapped at her earlier, telling her to sit down when she and the others thought the situation was something to laugh about. In hindsight, he wasn't sure if his outburst had been justified or another mistake in a day filled with them.
As for Lloyd, Elijah doubted he was truly mad. His brother rarely held grudges, even when he disagreed with Elijah's choices. And Layla… well, Layla was already furious. There was nothing more to lose on that front.
Elijah closed his eyes, trying to quiet his thoughts. The events of the day weighed on him, but exhaustion eventually overtook him, and he drifted off to sleep.