Stupid Yet Brave

Skyla stayed on the ground, frozen still as her eyes followed Aurelia's each movement. Her fingers shook when she saw Aurelia appear beside Julie. She bit her lips to stifle her gasp when she heard a loud crack reverberate inside the room accompanied with Julie's painful screech.

Immediately Skyla covered her ears as she closed her eyes shut, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She didn't know what she had to do or wanted to do but she could still vaguely hear the mocking as well as sounds of someone kicking the other.

Lifting her eyes slowly, she saw Julie curving her body into a ball while her face was contorted in pain. Her hands fell limply to her lap as she stared with unshed tears.

Suddenly, she met with Julie's gaze across the room for a brief moment and felt thunder-struck. Even after all those cruel hits, Julie had a smile resting on her lips as she gazed at Skyla. As if telling her that she was okay even though Aurelia was kicking her stomach hard.

Skyla's eyes widened as she stared at Julie, her eyes slowly losing its focus as she got lost in her thoughts.

How was she different from Julie? Weren't both of them humans?

Yet, why was she sitting behind a shelf watching someone torture he...friend?

Skyla slapped her forehead as she continued asking herself.

Why did Julie have more courage while I was a crying mess?

She continued hitting herself as she hurled questions at herself.

'Just what the hell am I doing?'

Her hand halted in the air as determination grew within her.

'Even if what Julie did was plain stupid...but wasn't she brave? Brave enough to stand up to her enemies and protect her in her own way'

'And yet, here I was shaking in fear' Skyla scoffed inwardly at her ridiculous behavior.

Skyla regained her focus just in time to see Aurelia pull Julie up by her hair making Skyla narrow her eyes coldly. Yet in the next second, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Julie spat on Aurelia. Her lips twitched as it fought to smile widely.

She was bowled over by Julie's fighting spirit.

Wasn't she like her before?

Even if the outcome was death, Skyla was always prepared to die. She never gave in and allowed others to rampage over her. Yet when she looked at herself now, she couldn't help but slap herself again.

'What changed when she arrived here?'

Was it because of the foreign world? Or because of the vampires?

Skyla snorted.

The people around her changed… the people who wanted her blood now changed but aren't they all the same? Every single one wanted her blood, so why was she scared because they were bloodsuckers?

Wouldn't she die even if she stayed hidden in this place?

Skyla felt her body burning in determination as she slowly rose from the ground. Yet the next thought made her pause.

'Or is it because someone helped me last time?'

The blurry figure of the man who rescued her flashed in her mind, making her press her lips into a single line.

'Was I thinking of someone to rescue us?'

"Stupid," Skyla scolded herself as she grabbed the shelf to steady herself. She couldn't believe that she relied on someone just because they saved her once. But, a voice whispered in her mind, "But that was the first time someone helped you"

Skyla shook her head to clear her thoughts. She wouldn't… shouldn't rely on anyone.

The only person who can save themselves is them alone and she had learnt this lesson in a hard way.

Skyla was grateful towards Julie… but now it was her turn, she wanted to return the favour. Her eyes immediately fell on the dagger lying beside the shelf, coated in blood. A smile graced her face when she remembered how Julie wielded it to slash a vampire.

Picking it up, she saw the silver gleam along with the blood making her wonder what in the dagger made it critical for the vampires. Nevertheless, she clutched the dagger tight and shifted her eyes to Aurelia who had a nasty expression on her face.

Since the vampires were all focusing on Aurelia, no one noticed her raising her dagger and aiming at Aurelia. In the next second, Skyla hurled the dagger.

There was no surprise on Skyla's face when the dagger neatly buried inside Aurelia, making her scream bloody murder. Skyla's lips rose as she felt like she avenged Julie for the pain inflicted upon her.

Skyla smirked when she saw Aurelia glance at her. She said remorselessly, "Sorry to interrupt your fun"

Simultaneous shouts echoed inside the room, breaking the frozen atmosphere.

"HONEY"

"Skylaa"

Alec flew towards Aurelia and caught her before her body fell to the ground. An anguished look crossed his face when he noticed the dagger deeply buried inside her. Skyla looked at the couple mockingly before her eyes shifted to Julie, who shouted at her.

Skyla smiled at her signalling that she was okay when she heard a thunderous voice.

"KILL HER"

Skyla pursed her lips and turned to Alec who was glaring at her while holding his wife in his arms. She clenched her fists as she took a step back, plastering herself against the shelf. But in the next instant, a group of snarling vampires surrounded her.

The vampires leered at her as if killing her was an easy task.

"You smell really delicious," one of the vampires commented as his eyes glistened in hunger.

Skyla narrowed her eyes when she noticed all of them wearing the same excited expression as they leapt at her. In the next instant, Skyla threw something powdery at their faces not knowing what it would do but to her surprise, she saw them scream in agony as their faces burned.

The powdery substance performed the same thing as what the dagger had done, maybe a bit too much. Startled, she looked at her hand and noticed the black glittery powder substance smeared on her palm.

Her eyes flew towards the small open pouch which contained the black powder.

"Skylaa" Julie shouted in alarm, startling Skya from her thoughts.

She turned around instantly but was too late as Alec appeared in front of her, with a maddened expression. He raised his arm and flung her towards the wall. Skyla screamed as she crashed against the wall and felt her bones protest before her body fell to the ground.

She coughed blood when she saw shoes halt in front of her. Gritting her teeth, she raised her eyes difficulty and saw Alec standing in front of her, cracking her knuckles.

When he grabbed her hair and lifted her from the ground to smash her against the wall, Skyla instinctively plastered her palms on his face, smearing him with the remaining black powder.

Alec screamed as he let go of her and took some steps back as he tried to scratch the powder out from his face. Skyla panted heavily as her eyes stayed on his face which was beginning to show gaps exposing his facial bones.

"HOW DARE YOU"

A furious shout reverberated inside the room making Skyla's eyes widen. And before she knew it, Aurelia flashed in front of her with her hands around Skyla's neck, strangling her tightly.

Skyla struggled as she tried to plaster her hands around her wrists but to her dismay, it did nothing. There was no remaining black powder in her palms making her eyes widen in horror.

"Huh?" Aurelia snorted, "Did you think you could escape here?"

Aurelia smirked as she tightened her grip, "Not even in your dreams, bitch"

Blackness started to cloud Skyla's vision as she felt her strength slowly drain from her body. She felt death looming in front of her, his claws nearing her face to grab her when she heard a loud breaking sound, startling everyone.

CRASH

A moment of silence descended upon them before everyone turned towards the sound. With the blood moon behind him, a guy stood upon the arched window. His silver hair gleaming in the moonlight, his black clothes fluttering in the wind while his cold black eyes glowered at everyone present in the room.

Skyla blinked, feeling the figure so familiar yet couldn't recognize where she had seen him before, until she saw him jump down from the window, landing neatly and quietly on the floor. His eyes immediately went towards Skyla and instantly she recognized him.

'It's him'

The flicker of flame which was about to die in the whirlwind, now stood strong, flaring brightly with hope. Even a dying flame would grow strong once we enclose the flame within our hands, protecting it from the wind. And, it was what Skyla felt when her eyes met his.

Hope…