Ezekiel couldn't stop pondering about one particular thing after saying those words.
What if these guards turned on him once more? Would he have to shed his whole life away just to get brutalized the next moment? After all, none of them understood the nature of his powers. And truly, neither did Ezekiel himself. They might simply believe he was capable of rapid regeneration over and over again. The guard that last assaulted him was already subscribed to this idea, claiming that he would brutalize the young vampire till he tired of the punishments.
Ezekiel also considered just remaining there, pained, but also ruled out that idea. Sure, the pain was sobering, but his life was still withering away while he did nothing. What if he randomly closed his eyes, only to never open them again? He might find himself on the path to Sanctuary, or perhaps to the Underworld, depending on what the deities of vampiric culture deeper acceptable for his life actions.
Three guards had severely beaten him ever since he stepped into the Abyssal Gang's base—Kales, Len, and the man whom the others referred to as Jarul. So far, all were engrossed in the mechanics of conversation, untill a bright orange glow drew all their attention.
In the end, Ezekiel had made his decision. He bit his now reformed lips as his eyes darted sharply across. The process was as refreshing as he remembered, and within seconds, he was fully healed.
The guards glared at him, but his mind was set. Turning swiftly to face the entrance, his legs kicked off with sudden speed, rushing for the towering gates. The noise of clanking boots trailed behind him, but Ezekiel's hands already caressed the gates' oily paint.
The vampires traversed at terrible speed, blood aura shimmering at curled fingertips as they shot out barrages of attacks. However, Ezekiel's movements didn't slow down. His body moved with urgent grace, dodging a plethora of glowing attacks. At times, though, he wasn't so lucky. Just as he began undoing the hidden contraptions keeping the tenebrous gate closed, a blood swipe ripped through his back, a nasty spillage of blood staining the ground as he cursed in pain. Several more followed, and almost immediately, it all spiralled into one sickening bloodbath.
Ezekiel didn't make it out.
His vision blurred as he felt a hand grab him by the hair, hoisting him off the ground. Slanted eyes glared back at him, insanity coiled in their depths as the vampire snickered under his breath. Then, the next second, a devastating punch landed in Ezekiel's gut, eyes rolling back as he spat a copious amount of blood.
Savier didn't stopped there. He geared his fist back once again, this time coating it in blood aura. Veins bulged from his hand as the red light encompassed it. And finally, his arm moved with instant speed, the force digging into Ezekiel's gut, crushing bones and organs as his gut ripped open. Seeing his magnificent work, Savier grinned.
Ezekiel bared his fangs, pupils narrowing as they assumed a brighter glow. From the corners, steaks of orange came into view, and his pathetic power surged. Savier chuckled as he acknowledged the pitiful display, shoving Ezekiel's skull into the dirt right after.
The action was instant, the force brutal. Ezekiel's skull caved in, bone fragments digging into his brain as the agony climaxed to greater heights. His nerve signals jammed, limbs spazzing rapidly as his vision dimmed, blood clogging his throat as he choked ceaselessly.
"That's it. Feel the agony. You'll still recover, anyways," Savier sneered, voice calm and sweet, yet boiling with suffocating bloodlust. Slowly, he licked his lips, hands releasing from Ezekiel's hair strands as he stood up. He looked down in satisfaction as the young vampire stood there, unmoving. Then, he turned to face his comrades, the grin on his face growing wider as he stepped back.
Meanwhile, in the depths of his soul, Ezekiel remained, his panic profound.
'Curse it all,' he said, shaking his fists. 'I couldn't even make it out while I had the chance. These devils, they're hellbent on making my life here a living nightmare!' his eyes shifted across the darkness, hoping for a solution to present itself. Still, as he remained there, drifting endlessly, none became apparent. He clenched his jaw, feeling the weight of hopelessness burrow deeper into his already battered soul.
'Ten years…gone just like that,' Ezekiel eventually muttered, eyes watering as reality settled upon him. 'I gambled ony chances of escape, and ended up loosing five more years in the process. Damn it! Now, what do I do? This is hopeless! This is too damned hopeless! Is this really how life was for those brutes? Is this really what they went through before getting to where they are now?
'So then, if I somehow manage to survive all of this and triumph, will I inflict this very same suffering onto the next generation?' He asked, eyes suffused with desparation. All this pain, all this suffering, was it really right to let others experience it when they didn't deserve to?
While in his thoughts, the enigmatic voice suddenly spoke, drawing his attention.
'Ezekiel, your path is truly froth with peril. I pity you,' it said, its tone sounding deeply dejected.
Ezekiel wanted to scrutinize the voice, but then decided not to. None of that was going to change his current situation. If he didn't somehow find a way beyond the loop, he was bound to meet his end sooner than later.
'Perpahs I should come clean and tell them the nature of my powers. Maybe then they'll stop harassing me,' Ezekiel pondered. But then, his frown deepened. 'But that is if they will even believe me. They might simply view it as me trying to save myself from their unending torment, and dish out more in response. At this point, only Raphael or his brothers can save me from their wrath,' he muttered dejectedly.
Healing would just guarantee another beating, and staying like this may claim his life soon enough. Which path could he choose, and could things possibly change for the better?
'Knowing this wretched Kingdom, I doubt that. People are just corrupted this way, without a shred of remorse for those unbound by blood. It's madness, and it's been like this even before I was born,' Ezekiel monologued, feeling his emotions shift as time crept by.
'When I started this journey, I hated myself. I was scared when I looked into that girl's eyes, and I felt a part of myself die after I killed her and her family. After that, I encountered another bunch of street dwellers, and I dealt with them the same. I killed them, but that time around, I wasn't sad. I wasn't disgusted.
'Instead, I was pleased. Pleased in myself for taking another life. Sorrow departed, giving way for excitement. This must be how these vampires feel, especially Raphael and his brothers. After taking so many lives, just like me, the feelings changes, becoming one of satisfaction instead. You just can't wait to kill another person.
'And during the Rumbling, Darion showed just how much he loved killed people. That, is a memory I will never forget,' Ezekiel thought, slowly shaking his head. 'Just look at where my bloodlust has gotten me? If only I was patient. If only I wasn't so caught up in the thrill. Rumors would've died down. Raphael would've eventually forgotten about the incidents. I could've been able to continue my hunts, building my powers till I was strong enough. But instead, I was caught, and made into this pathetic slave.
'Unless a miracle happens, my death is all but assured. These wretches won't know when I die untill I don't regenerate anymore. Even then, I don't believe Raphael's wrath would be so brutal. He would be harsh, for sure. But still, he needs his men for what might happen in the future. A king cannot rule over read subjects,' he mussed, laughing dejectedly as he drifted on in the darkness.
________
Back in the conscious world, the vampires looked on in modest anticipation. After all, this youngster had shown miraculous healing time and again, it was only a matter of time till he was back with them. And only a matter of time before he was pushed onto death's door another time. Jarul strolled with eager steps, Savier licked his lips in anticipation, and Kales glared forward with a mock expression.
Sure, the young vampire had encited his interest prior, but he was still a weak fool to him, nevertheless. That bout of power he showed earlier was concerning, but after what transpired later, it became apparent that it was just as harmful to the user as it could be to the victim. And on top of that, all these vampires had their eyes on him. Even if he held interest for the boy beyond suffering, he couldn't afford upsetting the others over such a brash thought.
Minutes swept by, but still, there was no reaction from the downed vampire.