Demise

Moving around, forgetting fear from before with my explorer avatar, everything fascinated me.

I came across a torch-like thing hanging on the wall.

When I pulled it down, suddenly the rumbling and shaking sound of rocks rang out.

"What happened?" Martha looked around, shocked.

"Look here!" Ned shouted.

It was actually a lever for a dungeon.

Douard and Frank were looking mysteriously at that. When I approached it was just a dungeon filled with skeletons. Ned jumped down and looked at them cautiously. He touched one of the skulls lying there.

It turned to dust immediately.

"These are centuries old. It's just that their shape didn't get affected as it hid from outside animals and birds." He said, looking up at us.

I thought I made a mistake and accidentally triggered traps, but it wasn't.

Sitting down on the altar like a thing in the middle, I sighed.

'Well, everything is fine,' I thought.

Soon, the stone on which I just sat started oozing out strange smoke. It scared the crap out of me. I jumped back and gasped.

"Frank!," I screamed.

"Douard, help Alene." Ned shouted.

Douard was near me, so he came jumping at me and took me back. Frank smothered his hands on my forehead.

"Are you fine?" He asked, concerned.

His wide palm and warm touch made me feel good.

"Look there! What are those?" Martha exclaimed.

Douard and Ned examined them.

"human-like figures…," Douard mumbled.

'Go back… Go back..'

But suddenly, a distorted voice started coming out of them.

"Go back!" Douard mumbled.

'Go back..'

Voice came out again.

"I smell vampires." Ned exclaimed.

Martha looked back at the entrance of the ruin.

As soon as she sensed vampires, human-like smoke figures vanished into the air.

A loud scream came from towards where our camps were.

Thought of Saya and William came to my mind.

"Saya and William!" I shouted.

"It's vampires. Ha!" Ned got furious.

Without even thinking, Ned and Martha ran towards the scream. Frank held me in arms and ran along Douard. It was hard for Douard to maintain an equal pace, but he managed. I didn't know even only being half-ling, one could possess an ability surpassing any other human.

After a few minutes, we arrived at the campsite, but everything was upside down.

Firewood and pots scattered around and tents torn apart. When I looked around, I could not see Saya and William.

Moving through tents stained with blood, my heart stopped when I saw Saya soaked in blood.

"Saya!" I screamed in despair.

Friend who stood by my side and spent happy times together is lying on the floor lifeless. Her eyes filled with fear and shock, gave a sudden cold chill down my spine. I froze at what could have done such an atrocity.

William lied, faced down. Suddenly, I heard him mumble something. I thought he was alive and approached him, but his chest cut wide open made me puke when I flipped him. He saw me and smiled with red eyes and blood filled mouth.

"thank… thank god.. you are safe." he muttered in pain.

He lost his life due to me, and even at deathbed; he cared about me. His smile showed how relieved he was. My tears rolled down at his state and I grabbed my mouth with my hands crying.

'Only if I didn't bring them with me, they would have been alive,' I thought.

My heart felt tight as I thought about my mother, who also died trying to save me from danger and now my friends and colleagues died because of me. I couldn't shake the thought of being solely guilty.

I fell down on my knees hard on the ground and held his head on my lap. His lifeless eyes. I closed them with a stone heart. I wanted them to be alive and safe deep in my heart. But even though I cry and repent all my life, they won't come back.

"Calm yourself!" Frank came close and tried to console me.

Upon hearing his words, my emotions swirled even more and I let out a loud, despaired cry.

Words choked in my throat. Only fear and grief I felt overflowed inside my heart.

Douard looked around and found no one. Ned and Martha felt traces of the vampire's scent and secured the area. Frank put me on the bed and arranged the scattered things.

It was going to fall at night soon. After burying the dead bodies of Saya and William, Frank packed my belongings and held me in arms.

"Lets' go!" Ned called from outside.

Douard and Ned carried some things which were necessary. And we moved to the pack house.

It was my first time seeing a werewolf pack house. In stories, I read werewolf houses made of caves and trees. Wooden compound and thatched rooftops made up of woods and twigs. But that was going to turn into something unexpected, I could never guess.

From the woods, we crossed a hill ahead of us and down in the lap of one of the large hills next to it came to view. It was amazing and very fantasy-like, no; it was not like that.

Concrete buildings, large yards with grass mowed perfectly, windows wide enough to fit four people together, large wooden doors and mysteriously familiar smell around. It felt known but yet majestic and heartwarming.

"It's where I live." Frank whispered in my ears.

I smiled, and he chuckled.

"Let's move!" Martha and Ned moved ahead.

Douard and we followed them. Paved pathways and blooming flower trees made the scene even more beautiful and nice. Some werewolves around stared at us. Frank showed no difference in his face, but it felt weird for me.

We entered, and the gate closed from behind. I felt shy as I was being held in Frank's arms. I thought that might be the reason everyone was looking at us strangely.

Some females there even giggled.

At the front door of the large house, someone with an unwelcoming face is standing. Frank then put me down. I trembled, but Frank supported me.

The person at the doorway laughed.