I stared at Davis, my stomach churning as a storm of emotions surged within me—hatred, anger, sadness, exhaustion, and shock. My mind screamed a singular command: Kill the bastard. I carefully set Elizabeth down and bolted toward him, fury fueling my every step. Davis greeted my charge with a menacingly wide grin, dodging every strike with infuriating ease, as though he were toying with me.
When I threw my final punch, he caught my arm effortlessly, pried open my fist, and snapped two of my fingers. A scream of pain escaped my lips as the soldiers around him erupted into cruel laughter.
Through the agony, I glared at Davis, shouting with all the rage I could muster. "How could you?! After everything they've done today, after they killed my parents, after they've tried to take the only thing I have left—how could you side with the humans?!"
Davis rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with irritation. "You really don't get it, do you? Growing up with your rich, noble parents, you've had it so easy. You have no idea how these 'noble vampires' treated us plebeians. I was left to die—until he found me. He cared for me, gave me a purpose, and you killed him just because he entered your precious territory by mistake."
His voice darkened, his eyes burning with resentment. "I've despised you and your sister for years. But now… with Elizabeth, I'll finally have pure noble blood in my veins. I'll use it to destroy this corrupt system and make everyone equal. So, I'll say this one last time—hand her over."
"I will never give my sister to a monster like you!" I shouted, my voice breaking with fury.
Davis sneered, hissing in frustration. Drawing a sword coated in a strange white substance, he charged. "Go to hell, kid!" he roared, swinging the blade at me.
A loud clang echoed through the air as Sophia, bloodied and barely standing, deflected the blow with a kunai held between her teeth. Summoning the last of her strength, she lunged at Davis, driving her kunai into his chest. He staggered, coughing up blood, but quickly retaliated, landing a powerful punch that sent her flying back toward me. She crumpled to the ground, coughing violently and gasping for air.
"You stupid bitch," Davis growled, glaring at her with disdain. "You knew that wouldn't stop me. So why bother?"
Sophia smiled weakly, blood staining her lips. "To buy us some time," she replied, her defiance evident despite her battered state.
Suddenly, a figure descended from above, landing gracefully among the soldiers. They instinctively stepped aside, parting to let her through. It was Emma. Her expression was grim, her gaze filled with fury as she approached Elizabeth. After inspecting her friend one last time, the air around us grew thick with tension.
Davis raised a hand, signaling his men to leave. "Go on ahead," he ordered. "I'll join you later—with the girl." The soldiers scattered instantly, leaving Davis, Emma, Elizabeth, Sophia, and me alone.
Without a word, Emma charged at Davis, unleashing a flurry of blows. She landed a two-piece combo to his head, following up with a spinning kick. Davis dodged the kick and blocked her attacks in quick succession before grabbing her hair and pulling her close, intending to headbutt her. Anticipating the move, Emma kneed him in the groin, followed by a swift roundhouse kick and a knee to his face.
Davis stumbled back, laughing as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "You've gotten stronger, Sis. Pesky, too."
"Don't you dare call me that ever again!" Emma shouted, slamming her fist into the ground. The earth cracked and fragmented, pieces levitating toward her hand and forming a massive stone gauntlet. She charged at him, throwing relentless punches.
Davis caught her hands mid-swing, delivering a knee to her stomach, three rapid punches to her face, and an uppercut that sent her flying. Grabbing her by the collar, he smashed her head into the ground.
"You were always skillful," Davis said mockingly, "but no matter how many times we fought, the result was the same. I always won. Fighting you has gotten boring. Time to end this." He pulled out a dagger coated in the same white substance as his sword and plunged it into Emma's stomach.
She tried to block the blade with her hands, but the substance burned her skin. The pain overwhelmed her, and she stopped resisting. I screamed and tried to rush to her, but Sophia held me back, her grip firm despite her injuries.
We could do nothing but watch as Emma's struggling slowed and then ceased entirely. Davis withdrew the dagger, leaving her limp on the ground. He began limping toward us, clearly weakened but still determined. Just as he was about to reach us, the earth around us trembled, forming a protective barrier—a dome of hardened rock. It encased Sophia and i but Elizabeth was left outside.
Davis turned to look back at Emma's body, only to find it gone. Before he could react, a high kick to his nose sent him crashing to the ground. Emma, bloodied and barely alive, stumbled into the dome before it sealed shut.
She collapsed into my arms, sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Viktor," she whispered. "I couldn't save Elizabeth. This dome is the only way to keep you safe. Davis doesn't have the power to break it. This was the only choice."
I stared at her, heartbroken, as blood poured from her wounds. She smiled weakly, brushing away my tears even as her own fell. "Don't worry about me," she said softly, her voice as gentle as the first time we met. "I'm done for, but you… you need to live. Get stronger. Save Elizabeth. And give that bastard what he deserves."
I tried to cry, but no tears came. I hugged her tightly, wishing for the nightmare to end.
Outside, Davis pounded on the dome, shouting in frustration, but eventually, he gave up and left. Inside, Emma leaned close, singing a soft melody as her strength faded. Her final words were a whisper in my ear: "End this madness… You may not see it now, but you're strong. Only you can stop the humans."
Her heart stilled. I held her close, the weight of her sacrifice crushing me. No tears came. Only silence.
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GOT IT