Chapter 6

*Modern Day*

Lizzie was pacing with impatience, her desire to extract answers from Macy palpable. She had restrained the girl in a chair, binding her with ropes soaked in Vervain water, a substance that burned vampires upon contact. Macy, however, was in transition, an intermediate stage where one grappled with the urge to consume human blood or risk death.

Not everyone possessed the willpower to resist the primal pull of blood during this transitional phase. Strong-willed individuals could resist, returning to the human state, and eventually die. Weaker ones were consumed by their desire for blood. Macy seemed perilously close to the latter.

A bag of human blood awaited Lizzie, knowing that Macy's weakened resolve could lead her to succumb. Before long, Macy regained consciousness and struggled futilely against her restraints. Lizzie approached, intent on extracting information.

"Who did this to you?" Lizzie inquired as she advanced.

A cloth in Macy's mouth muffled her response, but it was removed, resulting in a piercing scream that filled the room. Lizzie assured Macy that rescue was impossible, having cast a soundproof spell around the house.

After Macy's initial outburst, she realized the futility of screaming and resorted to questions. "Why am I here? You're the new girl, right?" Macy's heart raced, her terror evident.

Lizzie drew close to Macy, menacingly, her face inches from the trembling girl's. "What transpired on your way home?" she asked, a malevolent smile on her lips.

"I… I… I can't remember," Macy stammered. The blankness of her memory was the result of compulsion, a power vampires wielded to control the thoughts of their victims. To break this compulsion, Macy needed to drink a human's blood to become fully activated vampire.

Before Lizzie could force the blood into Macy's mouth, an invisible force hurled her backward. Diana appeared in the doorway, preventing Lizzie from making an irreversible decision. The soundproof spell, though, effectively isolated them from the outside world.

Lizzie bristled but soon realized she was confronting a formidable adversary. Diana's objections and warning about the consequences of forcing Macy into vampirism struck a chord.

"You know you can't stop me, Diana," Lizzie declared.

Diana, however, asserted her own strength. With immense power, she subjected Lizzie to excruciating pain, causing her body to convulse. Lizzie's determination remained unbroken, her loathing of vampires transcending the torment.

Drawing herself close, Lizzie defied the pain and grabbed Diana's hand. She snapped Diana's neck, ending her resistance. "I'm sorry, Diana, but you know how much I despise vampires."

Lizzie returned to Macy, who had witnessed this macabre struggle. "Now, where were we?" Lizzie resumed, picking up the blood bag and preparing to continue her interrogation.

*****

Sky, Macy's twin brother, returned home from school, his tired, disheveled appearance revealing the toll of his day. His parents' questions barely registered as he stumbled through the house, exhaustion weighing him down.

"Are you okay, son?" his father inquired as Sky ascended the stairs.

"I'm fine… I'm just tired," Sky replied, though his weariness muddled his words.

Reaching his room, Sky collapsed onto his bed. He felt drained as if he had fought a personal battle. His tendency to engage in physical activities when angered or upset had left him feeling as though he had fought a war within himself.

Meanwhile, his mother inquired about Macy, concerned by her late return. Sky assured her that his older sister could care for herself, dismissing her worry. His philosophy was simple: Macy was practically his age, her being older by only twelve minutes was insignificant.

Sky's mother was preparing for a shopping trip alone when she walked out of the room, realizing the futility of waiting for her daughter. "I guess I'll have to go shopping alone," she sighed.

Sky chuckled, appreciating the irony that his sister's absence had an upside. "Too bad for her," he mumbled as she left.

Soon, exhaustion overcame him, and he drifted into a deep slumber.

*****

With the consumption of the blood, Macy transformed into a fully activated vampire, and the Vervain-soaked ropes began to burn her skin. She screamed in pain, her restraints now torturous.

"Please, let me go! I'll give you anything. My dad will pay you whatever you want," she pleaded desperately.

Lizzie had no pity for Macy, and she had other intentions. With a gloved hand, Lizzie held a sharp, lengthy silver object. Silver affected both vampires and werewolves, similar to Vervain and Wolfsbane, rendering it an effective tool against them.

"Now, let's try this again. What happened to you on your way home?" Lizzie inquired, raising the silver object threateningly.

Macy replied through her tears, "I don't know… I can't remember, I swear… please, let me go."

Despite Macy's cries, Lizzie impaled her several times. While it was not as excruciating as the Vervain-soaked ropes, the pain was unbearable. Macy continued to plead, but the torture persisted.

As Lizzie was about to end Macy's suffering, an invisible force suddenly hurled her across the room. Diana had returned to protect Macy, using her powers to free her from the restraints.

Diana issued a warning to Macy and snapped the silver rod out of her, allowing her to escape. "Run as fast as you can, don't stop until you reach home," Diana instructed.

Meanwhile, Diana confronted Lizzie, making it clear that she would not allow the innocent girl to be turned into a vampire, only to meet her demise afterward. She held Lizzie back with her powers, displaying her formidable strength. In an ultimatum, Diana conveyed the dire consequences if Lizzie pursued her vengeful path.

Macy fled at full speed, though, to her amazement, she moved with a swiftness that defied logic. Within seconds, she found herself outside the house. The cloak of night protected her from the sun, and she had no time to ponder her newfound abilities. Her sole focus was to reach home safely

*****

Lizzie awoke, bound to a chair that Diana had enchanted to neutralize her powers while seated. She couldn't help but express her frustration.

"Great, spelled to a chair," she grumbled.

Diana, seated in front of her, aimed to reason with Lizzie. She couldn't comprehend Lizzie's current attitude.

"I don't understand why you're behaving like this. You've already avenged Michael's death by eliminating all the involved vampires, and you've spent 200 years as a vampire assassin. Haven't you had enough?" Diana asked, hoping to appeal to Lizzie's sense of reason. "And what's more, you were about to kill an innocent girl."

Lizzie leaned her head against the chair, exasperated. "Diana, she doesn't comprehend what she is. She would return home, get hungry, and inevitably kill her family. Then, overcome with guilt and anger, she'll switch off her humanity, and more people will die."

Diana tried to reason with Lizzie, "I'm pretty sure she didn't choose to become a vampire, and ending her life won't be the right solution."

"I swore that I'd kill any vampire I encounter," Lizzie declared, her resolve undeterred.

Diana continued, "I know your history with vampires, but this vampire you tried to kill today has never met you, let alone harmed you. She's still very young, Lizzie."

Lizzie heaved a sigh. "I won't kill her anymore, but I'll find whoever turned her and eliminate that person."

Diana nodded, accepting Lizzie's decision. "If it brings you some peace, then go for it."

*****

Lizzie heard an insistent banging on her door. Diana had been knocking for several minutes, but Lizzie hadn't responded. She could have easily used her magic to open the door, but Lizzie disliked when Diana resorted to such measures.

Lizzie opened the door, displaying her disheveled appearance, revealing that she had just woken up.

"What?" Diana exclaimed, frustrated.

"What's the issue?" Lizzie asked sardonically.

"You're not even dressed yet! It's our second day, and you're going to make us late!"

"I made it clear yesterday that I'm not going back to that prison," Lizzie retorted.

"It's school!" Diana corrected.

"Whatever," Lizzie retorted again before returning to her bed. Diana entered her room, keen to persuade her.

"You know," Diana began, "I learned a new spell last night. Would you like to hear how it works?"

"I'm not interested," Lizzie responded.

Diana wasn't deterred and pressed on. "You really ought to know. In case you ever find yourself in the middle of class, this spell makes someone do exactly what you want for an hour. Do you have any idea what I could make you do in one hour?"

Before Lizzie could respond, Diana started chanting and waved her hand, attempting to use the spell on her. Lizzie promptly intervened. "Stop!" she nearly yelled.

Diana chuckled, noting Lizzie's predictably defiant nature. "You're quite the pain, you know."

"That's one of my many talents," Lizzie quipped, then proceeded to prepare herself for school.

*****

Macy was distraught, crying in a corner of her room. Sunlight filtered into her room, and with every step she took away from her sanctuary, her body burned. She was confused and frightened, experiencing heightened senses and abilities that left her feeling as if she were losing her mind.

She decided to test her limits, setting a goal to reach her closet. Running with inhuman speed, she almost couldn't contain the pain as she neared the sunlight. With immense relief, she retrieved a thick, hooded jacket, black jeans, and an umbrella from her closet. Despite her disheveled state, Macy opted for this peculiar attire to protect herself from the sun.

Without bathing, she donned the clothes, concealing her skin from the sun's harmful rays. As she went down the stairs, she greeted her parents, explaining her outfit by feigning illness.

Macy's mother, puzzled by the heavy attire on a hot day, questioned her choice. Her father suggested she visit a doctor after school. Macy agreed, planning to consult a therapist instead.

She joined her parents at the dining table for a brief moment but left after her mother cut herself accidentally. Macy, tempted by the scent of her mother's blood, could feel her eyes changing color and quickly retreated. Her parents noticed her disappearance and expressed their confusion.

Meanwhile, Macy swiftly left her house, using her supernatural speed to reach her car and drive off to school.

*****

Lizzie sat in the school's basketball hall, lost in thought. Unbeknownst to her, a group of boys began practicing, and their noise brought her back to reality.

"Alright, everyone, gather 'round!" Andy called out, and the players formed a circle, leaving Andy and Sky in the center.

"Our Captain has something to say," Andy announced.

Sky addressed the team, reflecting on their upcoming match against the Red Stars. He emphasized the challenging circumstances they faced and prompted his team to affirm their resolve.

"When things get hard, what do we do?" Sky asked.

"We keep moving!" the team responded.

He continued to rally his team, posing more questions. "When everything gets tough, what do we do?"

Again, the resounding response was, "We keep moving!"

Sky proclaimed the team's identity, and they affirmed it: "What are we? The Bulls!"

With the pep talk complete, Andy signaled the start of practice, and the team enthusiastically engaged in their drills.

Andy praised Sky, patting his shoulder. "Well said, man."

"Yeah, thanks," Sky replied as he rejoined the team.

During this time, Lizzie suddenly felt an intense gaze upon her. When she turned to investigate, she was astonished to see someone she had never expected to encounter again—her mate.

Could this be reality, or was she trapped within a dream?