Ava stood up to face Ruby. She cracked the bones in her neck as she examined her opponent with her pitch-black eyes. The eerie eyes of something otherworldly. An ineffable force, capable of annihilating entire cities. A stare corrupted by a single objective - to destroy everything on its way.

To everyone else, it would be a sign to leave while they still can, everyone but Ruby, who was smiling ear to ear. Brimming with excitement she launched herself forward, quicker than the eye could see. Ava or whatever power that was now in control of her body, didn't bother moving and simply took every single attack that was thrown at her. They were strong enough to turn a person into a bloody pile of unrecognizable mesh from skin, guts, and bones, but the girl remained unfazed. Her wounds heal almost instantly.

She dodged the following kick to the face by leaning back and bending her knees. After another one came flying to her ribcage, she grabbed Ruby by the ankle and slammed her on the floor, breaking the tiles in the process.

"You do not disappoint." Said Ruby, getting back on her feet. "Isn't it more fun like this? Neither of us has to hold back any-"

She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence before getting hit in the stomach. When Ava retracted her fist, it left a trail of guts hanging out from the woman's body.

"How bloody disgusting..." continued Ruby, backing away to get the chance to heal her injury. "You're leaving me with no choice but to take this seriously." She ran past Ava before she could deliver her next attack and grabbed one of the silver-coated sabers being hanged on the wall. Ruby then proceeded to slash her, moving with the speed of lightning and the precision of a skilled swordsman. She nearly managed to sever her left arm, leaving the bone hanging by torn muscle fibers and tendons.

As always, there was no reaction. The expression on Ava's face was that of a constant unwavering rage. The next strike, however, she blocked with a bare hand. The impact created a sound similar to the clang of two metals. As if she had suddenly found a way to harden her skin. The blood gushing out of her open wound appeared to be retracting, moving like it had a mind of its own. Ruby watched with bewilderment as spikes started forming from the blood drops. They pierced her flesh quicker than she could react and any further attempts to avoid them proved completely futile.

Ruby's body was suspended in midair, held by the thousands of tiny spikes that were impelling her. She couldn't move an inch without being in an excruciating pain. Her body then stooped to the ground as the spikes retraced, turning back to their liquid form.

"I was wrong..." Ruby said, trying to stand on her feet, but she couldn't muster the strength to do so. "I thought that your power was super strength, but it appears that you are a bloodbender. You control the blood inside your own body instead of using your muscles when you swing at me. How interesting." She smiled as she sat back, looking up at Ava who was slowly limping closer to her. Her legs were covered in cuts and bruises, and her left arm, which hung by a tread swung back and forth with each step. "I see you're in pretty bad shape yourself, so how about we end it here? Let's just call it a draw-"

Ava had torn off her own arm, smacking Ruby across the mouth before she could say another word. At least three of her teeth hit the ground, leaving her dazzled. She looked up just in time to be met with another smack and then another, the following one dislocated her jaw. The beating didn't stop even when she screamed in agony, she tried using her hypnosis, but to no avail. There wasn't a moment for her to even get the chance to open her mouth, let alone say anything. It was the first in a long time that she felt utterly helpless.

***

Lynn ran down the corridor, looking around for anyone who might tell him where Ava was, ready to beat the truth out of them if he had to. His head was still spinning, he kept seeing things that weren't there. Elenor's blood was enough to slow down his transformation, but nowhere near enough to stop it. There was a reason vampires drank the blood of other vampires only as a last resort. This act alone could potentially make them sink deeper into delirium if they kept doing it. He hated himself for what he had to do, but there simply wasn't a better alternative in sight.

It was awfully quiet. During that time, the majority of residents were still sleeping. Lynn expected that he would be chased down by hundreds of guards by now, but there was no one. Only the sobbing of people being locked up in the rooms, waiting for their time to be taken out and drained. He wanted to free them. Passing by each room made his heart heavy, but he couldn't waste another minute before ensuring his lover was safe.

As he scooted towards the first floor, he heard the sound of screeching approaching closer. He rolled on the ground just in time to avoid the pair of claws aiming for his neck. Two rogue vampires were charging at him in a savage rage. Although still dizzy, Lynn managed to neutralize them without taking too much damage. There were more coming at him, the state that he was in, it was getting harder and harder to avoid their attacks. He fell to the ground with one of the creatures on top of him, who was trying to claw out his eyes.

"Stop it!" A voice yelled, making the rogues turn their heads and move away from Lynn's battered body. It was Syd, wearing an expression that could only be described by an unimaginable grief that had been eaten away by an uncontrollable wrath. "I'd like to take him out myself."

Lynn tried to get up, but a kick to the ribs put a quick end to his attempt.

"What did you do to her, you fucker!?" Syd continued, unable to keep his voice from cracking due to the overwhelming emotions clouding his mind.

"I had no other choice..." said Lynn with a sad look in his eyes. "I can't blame you for hating me."

"Hate? Hate doesn't cut it! If I could have the power to resurrect people, I would murder you and bring you back, only to experience the satisfaction of killing you twice!"

"What is she to you anyways? You claim you care about Elenor and yet you serve the one who made her this way." He spoke with disdain in his voice.

"Shut it!"

"If she meant anything to you, you would have gotten her out of this place for good."

"You don't get it!" Syd yelled."Wanna know how I got this scar on my face? It wasn't from a fight or anything cool like that. It was from a cat! The fucking cat that belonged to one of the brats I had to babysit when I worked for the previous owner of this mansion. I can't go back to being a nobody, I just can't! No shit Ruby's a psycho, but if it wasn't for her - I would still be swiping the floors of this goddamn mansion. She was the one who turned me into a vampire. She gave me purpose. I have no other option than to follow her until the end."

"Then you're a fool." Lynn kicked him in the calf to make him lose his balance, then swiftly threw him on the ground. He placed his hand on the man's neck, sinking his sharp nails into his flesh. "I don't have time for this. Command them to retreat or I'll rip your throat out. I won't kill you, but you'll be left in such anguish that you'll wish you'd be dead."

"I don't care... if I could only see your body torn to shreds by the rogues, I'm prepared to suffer the outcome." Syd's face spelled indifference. It was evident enough that he wasn't bluffing.

Before Lynn could make good on his promise, the sounds of hundreds of footsteps approaching shifted his attention to whatever was coming their way. The hallway was flooded with vampires as soon as he tilted his head. None of them seemed to be paying attention to the two men fighting, their minds preoccupied with something of greater importance.

Whispers were being exchanged. Bewildered faces, filled with curiosity. Every single one of them headed to the dining hall with haste to see if the roomer was true.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Syd yelled, aggravated by their ignorance.

"Haven't you heard?" One of them said, slowing down their pace, but not stopping out of fear of losing a good spot for the spectacle. "Boss is losing the fight."