Dear Journal,
               The veil has finally fallen to reveal the verity of this kingdom. It is the wrong time to be impotent.

           - 𝓔. 𝓢𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓮
           (1605)

"Elias!" Emma shouted at him. "Run!"

Elias was frozen in stupor from seeing Odelina. It was only when the beast was in close proximity that he finally snapped out of his shock and reacted, but it was too late as the monster used its paws to toss them both backwards.

As they were flung into the air, Elias grabbed Emma, placing her infront of him so he could cushion the impact of them colliding in to the wall. It cracked as his body made contact with the stone surface.

Elias groaned as he stood up, Emma still in his arms.
He use his hand to touch the back of his head as he felt warm liquid running down his back. He was bleeding but it was already healing. Had Emma hit her head like this, she would have died.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"Not really" she answered honestly, her breath ragged from the attack.

The great hall floor was now decorated by a carpet of thick blood from the beast's previous victims. The rest of the attendees tried to run away as they screamed in terror at the barbaric viciousness they had just witnessed.

This grand room which was once filled with the life of the sophisticated and privileged was now a slaughter house for the impotent.

The beast roared once more sending shivers up Emma's spine. It resembled an an oversized wolf but something was different. Standing on its hind legs, its body was filled with the muscles of a burly man. It howled loudly at the scurrying patrons before snarling like an estranged animal. As its mouth parted, sticky saliva could be seen stretching across its razor sharp teeth.

Its odor was even more repulsive up close, Elias thought.

King Evans and King Koren were closest to creature, their bodies quaking with fear at the sight of the monster.

"What are you doing men? You are the Kings guard! Protect your king!" King Evans shouted at the seven knights surrounding him.

They shook in horror as they glanced at each other. Reluctantly, they charged at the beast with their swords, screaming cowardly battle cries.

"NO!" Emma shouted at them but it was too late.

The creature swung its paws at the first three knights, tossing them into the wall across the room then it bit they heads off the rest, spitting them across the great hall as it shook its head like a dog.

Elias sped over to block the creature from the king. He could not have this monster kill him before he did. After all, everyone here was his prey.

The creature swung its paw at Elias but he caught it.

"Emma!" He shouted.

He wanted to tell her to get everyone out of the great hall but his lack of concentration on the enemy caused the beast to use its other paw to swat him to the side, sending him flying into the lower table of food, destroying it.

Elias recovered quickly but it was too late. The kings turned to run but the beast caught the slowest one. It growled in satisfaction as it tore King Evans apart, limb from limb.

"Father no!" Alice bellowed as she let out a heart wrenching scream.

Only Baltazaar, King Koren, Alice and Emma were still present in the great hall. Everyone else had successfully evacuated but Elias could still hear their shrieks from outside.

The creature then changed courses as it charged at Alice and Baltazaar. Elias sped over to them quickly, blocking beast's attack again. Alice fell to the ground in terror at the sight before her.

Elias used his foot to kick the wolf beast in its chest, sending it flying across the great hall, tumbling over into the trestle tables on the other side of the room.

"Everyone run! I will hold it off" Elias shouted at them.

Baltazaar was astonished at the strength Elias displayed before him. He did not want to leave, he wanted to watch this vicious battle to protect the monarchy, he wanted to see the blood shed for himself.

"Go!" Elias shouted again when no one moved, his voice thundering sternly.

They all ran off towards the door. Elias had been caught off guard by Odelina's sudden appearance but he was awake now.

The beast was already recovering from Elias's kick. It jumped to its feet, roaring angrily at him.

Elias did not wait for it to charge at him. He zipped over to the monster, climbing its back and using his fingernails to clawed its eyes out.

It bellowed in pain as it tossed him to the floor. With his sharp reflexes, he landed kneeling.

As the creature howled in agony due to being blinded by Elias's attack, it swung its paw in his direction but he caught it in his hands before it could crush his skull.

Using all the strength he could muster, Elias lifted the creature and tossed it up on the dais, destroying the table of food.

Elias dashed over to where the fallen kings guards had dropped their swords to retrieve two of the weapons. The swords had a firm hilt and the pommels looked like lions carved out of gold. The blades were as sharp as needles and made of stainless steel. They were quality weapons, afterall, it was his craftsmanship.

Elias walked over to the wolf beast, dragging both swords on the floor. They gashed against the stone as he approached the beast. He had never been able to fight as Elias the silversmith but tonight he would become a warrior.

His mind could not help but see the similarities between he and the beast. He had massacred the townfolk of Marewood just like this monster had killed Gandalwell's finest. He had not cared who died as he murdered his own friend much like this beast had killed the king. Despite this, it did not matter, for it would die at his hand by night's end.

The beast scrambled around as it jumped down from the dais. It was still blinded but it sniffed the air to find his location. It snarled at him as he approached it.

"Come!" Elias called at it as he charged at the monster.

He ran towards the beast, jumping into the air and using both swords to form an "X" as he slashed it across its face.

He had watched men spar with the swords he had created as they tested them out. Along with his vast memory of these faux battles and keen senses, Elias went up against the monster.

It bellowed at the deep gashes that now adorned its face but it did not fall. Surprising Elias, it lashed out with its paws causing him to step back to dodge the attack but at the last moment, it extended its claws, slashing Elias across his chest and sending him tumbling backwards with the swords still in his hands.

Elias wailed in pain as his black silk shirt was now ripped to shreds revealing a deep graze across his chest. The beast jumped over to him as it tried to stomp him under its feet but Elias was quick as he rolled away from the attack, jumping to his feet once again.

The gash across his chest began to heal but the pain was excruciating.

"You disgusting wolf!" Elias bellowed at it.

He was seething with anger so strong that the depths of his soul became ignited with rage.

This beast had killed the king, Elias's prey. It had destroyed the Emma's birthday banquet, killed most of the patrons in attendance then attacked he and Emma and now it had wounded him so terribly that he actually felt pain. He had been suppressing all his anger since the moment he had arrived in the castle but now, his cup had runneth over.

The air became thin as the castle began to shake. It was even more violent than the tremor that occurred in the morning.

The beast became unsteady as the castle shook violently beneath it. Elias's honey-gold eyes turned scarlet red as his soul began leaking a sinister red aura that engulfed him in a bloody silhouette. The swords clattered to the ground as he began to levitate from the floor, his hair floating in the air and his wounds healing instantly whilst he grew another pair of fangs. Veins emerged from within his skin to the surface as they ran from his eyes to his cheeks.

Outside, everyone was frozen by the sheer terror of the atmosphere Elias had created.

Emma, Alice, Baltazaar and his father were pinned to the floor in the corridor towards the royal chambers.

"Wh-what is this sinister feeling?" Alice asked as she cried.

"I-I can't move" Emma said stuck to the floor.

It became hard to breathe as the thin air became filled with malevolence.

Elias had gone into intense rage which had caused him to become both unrecognizable and uncontrollable.

He zipped over to the wolf beast, kicking it across the room. It crashed through the trestle tables and then through the wall, breaking down the stone structure as it skidded into another room.

Elias did not wait for it to get up. He sped over to the creature, raising his hand and thrusting his claws into its chest to rip its heart out. The beast wailed loudly before becoming limp and unmoving against the cold stone floor.

It took a moment for Elias to return to normal. His honey-gold orbs were back and his second pair of fangs had retracted.

He could barely remember what had happened after the beast had clawed him across the chest.

He staggered as he walked away from the dead creature, dropping the heart as he fell to his knees.

His muscles felt weak as the now unfamiliar feeling of fatigue took over his body.

"Elias!" Emma shouted as she ran to him, clutching her dress in her hands.

She fell to her knees before him, touching his face gently.

"Are you okay? What happened?" She asked frantically as she looked at his bloody face.

"E-Emma you should come and see this!" Alice said as she stood over the monster's body.

Emma helped Elias up as she provided him with the support to stand.

Together, they walked over to stand beside Alice.

Elias's eyes widened with disbelief as he looked at the body. The body of the wolf beast had turned into that of a man.

"He-he was a monster just now and then he began to shrink!" Alice shrieked.

Elias broke away from Emma as he looked at the man more keenly. He was naked and all but one of the wounds from their battle had disappeared. Only a hole resided in his chest where his heart was once located so Elias was not mistaken, not by the familiar scar across his face.

For this had been the man that had ran a sword through his heart.

Elias's body finally collapsed under exhaustion.

Vampires did not sleep so Elias was fully aware of everything that was going on or being said around him.

Unknown to him, out of pure rage, he had unlocked a new level of his power that had caused his body to under go immense change, increasing his strength. It went beyond all laws of nature much like his rebirth.

This feat was so great, it shook the earth. The birds that had slept soundly in their nests keeled over and died, the animals became maniacal as they killed each other and humans froze under the pressures of the diabolical power that leaked from his soul.

He had morphed into a god-like state that froze time and stilled rivers. But he could barely remember it as he had no control over it.

When he finally opened his eyes, Emma was staring at him. A damp cloth sat on his forehead as she caressed his cheek.

He sat up so suddenly that it frightened Emma.

"Relax Elias, it is only I" she told him.

"W-what happened?" He said groggily.

"You fainted after defeating that creature.. or I suppose it was Sir. Davius. I told them to take you to my chambers after they brought you to the infirmary because the door to yours was sealed shut"

"Davius? That was the name of the man with the scar across his face?" Elias questioned.

"Yes, do you know him?" Emma asked curiously.

"He...killed me" Elias said lowly, looking at the palms of his hands.

He was shirtless, only wearing his hose, the gashes on his chest now non-existent.

Emma's chambers was nothing like his. It was large and full of elaborate furniture. She had bed side tables on both sides along with a matching, polished oak table and chair in the left corner of her room. She had a polished wooden dressing table with a mirror and her stools were covered by fancy cloths made of cotton and embroidered with toscano designs.

The room was brighter than his as many oil lamps irradiated all perimeters of her chambers.

Her canopied feather bed was an expensive luxury. The sheets were white linen but the pillow and bed covers were thick, brown patterned materials decorated by golden strewns of thread sewn into intricate designs.

"He was the... what?" Emma said a little breathless from disbelief.

"He and his men were sent by your father and Baltazaar to murder me and my wife for your disappearance" Elias told her as he avoided her eyes.

"Are you sure it was him?" Emma queried. She was ashamed that she was the cause to his pain.

"Ofcourse I'm sure!" He shouted at her, she jumped at his sudden rise in tone.

"Forgive me" he apologized. "It is just that I could never forget their faces, not even in death" he said sadly.

"No, you forgive me. I am the reason for all your troubles. It is truly my deepest regret" she said to him.

"It was not suppose to be like this Emma" he told her, his voice trembling with anger and sadness. "I wanted to kill him...better. I wanted him to suffer. If I had known.. if I had known it was him I would have fought harder, I would have been more vicious"

"But you were" Emma said, resting her hand on his thigh. "I-I can't explain it but.. something happened. You changed. There was this dark, evil air pressure that just... crippled us. No one could move and then I found you, victorious as you kneeled beside his lifeless corpse. You did it, you won"

"No" Elias said shaking his head. "I have not won anything. In fact, It seems I've been played for a fool"

Emma frowned at his statement, confused as to what he could have meant.

"Who is this Duchess of Pretvar?" Elias questioned her as he looked at the necklace she wore. It looked as gorgeous on Emma as it did on Genevieve.

"I've known her since I was a little girl. My sister, Alice was in a Pretvar looking for a suitor. Well actually, she was looking to marry their prince to strengthen military ties and bonds between the two kingdoms" Emma told him.

"What did she look like?" Elias pressed.

"Dark hair streaked with gray, she wore a green silk gown. She's rather old, Elias. Why do you ask?" Emma wondered.

"I do not think that was your Duchess" Elias said solemnly. "I saw Odelina"

"What?!" Emma said standing at once.

"She smiled at me and winked" Elias continued.

Emma was quiet as she watched him look at his palms. She had not told him how she knew of Odelina or what she knew about Baltazaar's misgivings. She had told him to come to her chambers earlier but things were so different now.

"I have something to tell you, I have alot of things to tell you actually" Emma started as she sat down once again.

Elias stared at her, his eyes piercing as ever.

"Baltazaar... Baltazaar is my brother" Emma said as she hung her head in shame.

"I beg your pardon?" Elias asked loudly.

"Please, just listen for a moment" she begged.

Elias was at a loss for words. He did indeed see their resemblance the moment he saw the both of them in the same room but he thought nothing of it.

"My father, King Evans was blessed with twins. One boy, one girl. At that time, Gandalwell was in danger of being conquered as we were at war with Asphal. Luckily, King Koren could not get an heir no matter how many wives or concubines he took, so my father proposed a deal. His first son for a truce and a permanent allegiance between both kingdoms. King Koren agreed and Baltazaar was given to he and his third wife"

"Does he know of this?" Elias asked, his voice laced with incredulity.

"Yes, our father told him. In order to ensure the allegiance was permanent I was set to marry him, despite our relations. Only I, King Koren, my father, and Baltazaar know of this. Koren's third wife died of illness last year, our mother died after giving birth to us" Emma finished.

"Do you two..." Elias found it hard to ask the question. It was sick and vile and he did not want to think of it but he had to ask.

"No.. we do not. We both agreed that it was wrong" she said answering the question despite his inability to ask it.

"But to keep up appearances..." Elias started to say.

"We have to pretend" she finished.

It made sense why Baltazaar had not cared if Elias had taken a liking to Emma. He did not love her romantically because she was his sister.

"What will happen when.." Elias started to say but he could not finish the question.

"That time will never come" Emma said finally looking at him, her expression grave and serious.

"I was about to tell you earlier when the earth shook. It happens every year on our birthday but I could never understand why. I found something in Baltazaar's chambers. A book and a few scrolls" Emma said getting up from the stool. She reached under her bed to retrieve the items.

"I cannot read one of the scrolls or the book, but it seems to be full of spells" Emma said handing it over to Elias.

Elias scanned the book. It was a grimoire. The cover was old and worn as dust had settled on top of it. He had seen one of these before when he had helped Odelina return to flesh but she had taken it with her when she disappeared. As he scanned the pages, he realized the words were written in the language he had spoken to bring her back.

Studying the grimoire further, he stumbled on the exact spell that brought Odelina back to life. There were a few notes under the spell. If only he could understand the words.

"I know this spell" Elias said running his finger tips over the ink.

"You can read it?" Emma asked incredulously.

"No, but I recognize the words" he said solemnly.

He closed the grimoire and unravelled one of the scrolls and began to read.

"A phenomenon so strange will occur when the

prisoner is thought to be defeated. A demon will rise

before the chaos ensues and his world will collide

with that of the faes. A war is coming and the victor

will be the most prepared.

Peace will reign through

betrayal "

"What is this?" Elias frowned.

"I think it is a prophecy... about us! Look, it says a demon will rise. That is you, is it not?" Emma said, her eyes alight with fascination. "And the bit about faes, I cannot help but wonder if it is referring to us, Baltazaar and I. The earth shaking every year on the anniversary of birth must be a sign of the extraordinary"

Elias was surprised by this new revelation. He had thought that his rebirth was sheer luck but perhaps it was his fate....his destiny.

"We will come back to this one" he said as he unravelled the other scroll.

His mouth was agape at what he read.

"You said you can't read this one Emma?" He asked her curiously.

"No I can't, why?" She asked frowning.

"Because I can. This... this tells how to create more and it's not a spell either. It is all up to me" Elias said stunned.

"More? More what?" Emma asked again, confused by his statement.

"More of me" Elias said as they both stared at each other.

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