Chapter 65:Broken By Grief

Killian raised his hand, his fingers curling ever so slightly as if commanding the very air around him. Selene's body jerked violently before she was yanked backward, slamming against the cold stone wall with a sickening thud. Her feet dangled inches above the ground, her wrists and ankles spread apart as if invisible chains bound her there.

She struggled, her screams echoing through the room like a siren's wail. But Killian merely smirked, the faintest trace of amusement curling at the corners of his lips as he stepped closer. His cold eyes gleamed, relishing her helplessness.

With a flick of his wrist, her screams were abruptly silenced, her mouth snapping shut as though stitched by an unseen force. Her muffled cries turned into a low, agonized hum, her eyes wide with terror as they darted frantically around the room.

Selene's chest heaved, her eyes locking onto his in desperation, her silent pleas burning brighter than any words she could have screamed. Killian cocked his head, examining her like one might inspect a caged animal, his smirk deepening.

"Don't worry," he said mockingly, his tone softening to a mockery of kindness. "This is just the beginning. You'll understand soon enough that resistance is... futile." He traced a finger lazily in the air, and the pressure holding Selene to the wall tightened, forcing a guttural gasp from her throat.

Killian moved closer. His smirk faded as he reached up and cupped Selene's face in one hand, his touch deceptively gentle. His icy fingers pressed against her skin, forcing her to meet his glowing eyes, which now burned with a sinister brilliance.

"Tell me," he murmured, his voice smooth yet laced with malice, "who do you cherish most in your pathetic little life?"

Selene's breath hitched, her tears spilling freely down her face as she struggled to look away. Her lips trembled, though no sound could escape. Killian watched her intently, as though savoring her agony, his thumb brushing over her tear-streaked cheek.

When she didn't answer, a low chuckle escaped his throat. "Ah," he said, releasing her face abruptly and letting her head drop. He turned on his heel, his movements sharp and almost playful, like a child excited to try a new toy. His gaze landed on Eleanor, who was crumpled on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Selene's body jerked violently against the magical bonds as she struggled harder, her eyes widening in horror. She knew what he intended to do, and her silent screams were written all over her face.

Killian moved faster than her eyes could follow, a blur of darkness as he closed the distance between himself and Eleanor. One moment, she was on the ground, and the next, she was dangling in his grasp. Killian held her effortlessly, his immense height making her small frame seem weightless as he lifted her so that her head was level with his mouth.

"Your daughter," he purred, his voice low and taunting as he looked back at Selene. "She loves you so very much, doesn't she?" He tilted his head, his teeth gleaming as his lips curled into a wicked grin.

Eleanor sobbed, her hands clawing at his arm, but Killian didn't even flinch. He turned his head slightly, his sharp fangs glinting as they caught the dim light. His eyes flicked back to Selene, watching her reaction with sadistic pleasure.

"I'm so very hungry," he whispered, his voice a venomous promise . His vampiric nature rippled to the surface, his glowing eyes narrowing as his grip on Eleanor tightened.

Selene thrashed against the invisible chains, her body writhing as tears streamed down her face. Her muffled cries of protest filled the room, her desperation to protect Eleanor only feeding Killian's cruel amusement.

He brought Eleanor closer, his fangs brushing against her neck as he breathed in her scent. "What a pity," he murmured, his gaze locking onto Selene's as he taunted her with the inevitable. "She smells so sweet, doesn't she? Almost as if she were meant for this."

Eleanor's body convulsed in Killian's grip, her legs kicking as she thrashed violently, her face contorting with fury and fear. "I hate you," she gasped, her voice strained, though it was still muffled by the pressure around her mouth. "I hate you!"

Her words burned with venom as she struggled, her fists pounding weakly against his arm. "You forced Alaric to turn against me! You manipulated him!" she screamed, her voice a rasping whisper, the anger and betrayal clear in her eyes. "I told him everything—everything!"

At those words, Killian's grip tightened, his expression shifting from casual amusement to a deadly mask of rage. His veins pulsed with blackened magic. He sneered at her, his lips curling in disgust.

"Alaric should always pick me. It should always be me."Killian hissed, his voice low and vicious. His hand tightened on her throat as he lifted her higher, her feet barely brushing the floor."He is my other half, my entire life. He belongs to me. Do you understand that?"

Eleanor's eyes burned with defiance, but Killian wasn't done. His voice took on a maddening, almost possessive tone, his words like nails scraping against the very soul. "Alaric may be upset with me for a long time," he continued, his lips curling into a cruel, sharp smile. "But he will always forgive me. Even back then, he forgave me. And he'll forgive me again... and again."

The final word hung in the air like a threat, and as he repeated it, his eyes turned black with dark veins snaking beneath his skin, a terrible energy radiating off of him.

"Again," he whispered, his voice turning guttural and sinister, the room growing colder, darker.

Selene's heart pounded in her chest, her entire body thrashing with renewed force as she fought against her restraints, knowing what was coming next. She could feel it—the undeniable sense of dread washing over her as Killian's focus shifted entirely to Eleanor.

"No!" Selene screamed in her mind, desperate to stop him, her limbs aching from the struggle. But she was powerless, unable to break free.

Killian's fingers dug into Eleanor's throat as he drew her closer, his face now inches from hers. His lips brushed against her skin as he growled, "Alaric will always forgive me. He always does. You never stood a chance."

Selene's heart hammered painfully in her chest, her mind screaming as she watched, helplessly bound by Killian's magic. Her eyes were wide with terror, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she could do nothing but witness the nightmare unfolding before her. She wanted to scream, to beg him to stop, but her voice was stifled, her body trapped.

Eleanor's wide, tear-filled eyes met her daughter's, a quiet sob escaping her lips. "Selene…" she whispered, her voice cracking with the weight of her love. "I love you…"

The words were soft but filled with an emotion so pure, it broke Selene's heart. She wanted to say it back, to comfort her mother, but all she could do was watch in agonizing silence. A tear slipped down her cheek, her body wracked with helpless sobs as she watched Killian's mouth sink into her mother's throat.

A cruel, satisfied sound escaped Killian as he began to drink, his eyes closing in sheer pleasure as he sank deeper into his feast. His muscles rippled under his clothing as he pressed his body closer, crushing Eleanor against him as though savoring the moment. His throat worked with hunger as he drank from her, the sound of his swallowing a sickening rhythm that seemed to echo through Selene's very soul. Every desperate gasp from Eleanor only fueled his desire, and he drank deeper, faster, greedier.

The blood flowed thick and warm, a tangible force that seemed to fill Killian, igniting him from within. His fingers dug into Eleanor's flesh, his body trembling as he fed. His pulse quickened, his grip becoming tighter as he drank, sucking her life from her with an insatiable hunger. He could feel her weakening beneath him, her body going limp, but he didn't care. This was all he wanted—the taste, the power, the release from his own hunger.

Eleanor's cries grew softer, her strength slipping away with each passing second. She gasped, the final remnants of her strength fighting to hold onto life, but her body betrayed her. She called out once more, her voice breaking with the last of her strength. "Selene… I love you… I'll always love you…"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but to Selene, it felt like a knife piercing her heart. She could hear the life draining from her mother's body, the sound of her fading was unbearable. The tear streaked down Selene's face, her body wracked with the force of her sobs as her mother's words echoed in her mind.

Killian's grip tightened once more, and just as Eleanor's last breath escaped her lips, he silenced her with a brutal, forceful magic. A wave of energy surged through the room, and Eleanor's mouth snapped shut, her voice stifled before she could speak another word. Killian didn't even flinch. He continued to drink, the blood now staining his lips, dripping down to his chest as he fed.

When the last drop was consumed, Killian pulled away, his face covered in blood, his fangs gleaming with satisfaction. His breath came in slow, deep inhalations, his eyes still blackened as he licked the blood from his lips, savoring the taste. "Delicious," he murmured softly, a twisted smile curling at the edges of his mouth.

Eleanor's lifeless body slumped in his arms, her blood splattering across his shirt, soaking through the fabric. The blood dripped down his chin, staining his skin as he tossed her body aside carelessly. The sight of her lifeless form crumpling to the floor felt as if a great weight had descended upon Selene's heart.

She couldn't look away, her entire being consumed by grief and horror. She cried out silently, her eyes flooding with tears as her mother's lifeless body lay before her, blood pooling around her. The person she had loved most in the world—her protector, her guiding light—was gone. She could never have her back. Never again.

Her mother's last words echoed in her mind, the only thing that remained of her now: "I love you…"

And Selene sobbed, her chest heaving with the force of her grief, unable to stop herself.

Killian watched her for a moment, taking in the sight with a twisted sense of satisfaction. Then, without a word, he moved closer, crouching in front of her, his eyes still fixated on her tear-streaked face.

"You see, Selene," Killian said softly, his tone almost comforting, though every word dripped with venom. "Your mother... would still be alive if you hadn't meddled with what was mine."

Selene's lips trembled as she slowly raised her eyes to meet his. She could barely find the words to speak, her voice dry and hollow.

"You're a monster," she whispered, the accusation leaving her mouth like a hollow breath, but the power of her words was undeniable.

Killian smiled then, a soft, almost affectionate smile, as though her words were nothing more than a fleeting annoyance. He tilted his head slightly, his expression one of gentle amusement. "I wouldn't have to be," he said, his voice low and almost melancholic, "but you left me no choice. You forced my hand, Selene. You took something that was never yours to take."

His words were slow, deliberate, his fingers tracing the air lightly as he spoke, as though emphasizing his control over everything in the room. He reached forward, placing a finger under her chin, gently tilting her face up to meet his eyes.

"You chose to defy me," he continued, his voice growing darker, the playful undertone replaced by something more sinister. "You chose to stand in the way of what was always meant to be. You thought you could save her, but in the end, you sealed her fate."

Killian's smirk faltered for just a moment as he looked at her, kneeling in front of her. His voice softened, taking on a more eerily calm tone. "But I am a very just person, Selene," he said. "You can't say that I didn't give you a chance. You chose your path, and now, you'll die with the consequences."

Killian's smile widened unnaturally, his lips stretching far too wide as his skin began to split along the corners of his mouth. The rip expanded slowly, the pale, flawless flesh around his lips cracking like porcelain until his mouth was grotesquely open, revealing fangs that seemed far too large for any human to possess. His dark eyes glinted with malice as he leaned closer to Selene, the air around them thick with a sense of finality.

Selene's eyes widened in horror as the realization hit her. Her hands trembled as she tried to pull away, her body shaking with terror. She knew exactly what Killian intended to do. She had heard of the power he sought, the ability to consume another's magic and life force, to take everything from them and claim it as his own.

Her heart hammered in her chest as her limbs tensed, instinctively trying to fight against the pull of his darkness. But before she could even attempt to move, Killian was upon her. His fingers shot out, gripping her face with brutal force. His touch was cold, like ice, and it sent a shudder through her entire body.

Before she could even scream, his mouth opened impossibly wide, the darkness inside it like a chasm of endless void. His body trembled with the hunger that coursed through him as he pulled her closer.

"Stop!" Selene tried to scream, but the words caught in her throat, and all that came out was a choked gasp. She struggled against him, her hands weakly pushing at his chest, but Killian's grip tightened, anchoring her to him. His mouth loomed over her, the unnatural gaping maw of his darkness swallowing everything in its path.

As his mouth neared her, she felt the energy in her veins surge, like the last frantic heartbeat before death. Her magic, once so vibrant and alive, was now being torn from her, ripped from her very soul and drawn into Killian. She felt it—her essence, her power, being siphoned away, draining from her body as if a black hole had opened inside her chest.

Her skin began to age, the effects of the magic draining from her instantaneous. Wrinkles formed on her face, her hair turning brittle and gray, and her body shriveled like a flower wilting in a matter of seconds. Her breaths became labored, and her heart raced as she felt herself slipping away.

Killian's grip on her face never loosened, his expression almost savoring the moment. His eyes glowed with the power now coursing through him, and he drank deeply from her, his mouth expanding even wider, greedily sucking the magic out of her body as if he was starving.

Selene screamed in agony, but it was futile. Her voice was swallowed by the blackness that consumed her. Her magic, the very thing that had defined her, was slipping through her fingers like sand. The strength left her body, and the life drained from her eyes.

She could feel herself aging in real-time, her muscles withering and her bones growing brittle. The power that had once radiated from her, the magic that had defined who she was, was now nothing more than a fuel to keep Killian alive and strong. He took it all.

With one final, desperate breath, Selene felt her heart falter, her limbs no longer able to hold her up. Her body buckled as she crumbled to the ground, the last remnants of her power now completely consumed by Killian.

And then, there was nothing. Her body lay motionless on the cold stone floor, her once vibrant eyes now glassy and lifeless.

Killian slowly released her, stepping back, his eyes glowing with the power now coursing through him. His mouth closed with a sickeningly satisfied smile, his lips curling slightly as he licked the remnants of her power from his teeth, savoring the taste. The blood and magic mingled on his lips, and he gave a low chuckle of satisfaction.

He glanced at Selene's lifeless form, his expression one of twisted satisfaction. Her death, her magic—everything she had been—was now his. "Thank you for your gift, Selene," he said, almost tenderly, though his voice held no remorse. "You were... useful."

His dark laughter echoed through the empty chamber as he turned and walked away, leaving Selene's body crumpled on the floor, a broken vessel of the power he had claimed.

As Killian stood over Selene's lifeless body, savoring the remnants of her power still lingering in the air, his sharp eyes caught a flicker of movement. A small, glowing thread of magic detached itself from her, swirling through the air like a wisp of smoke escaping a fire. It moved with purpose, darting away from the still form of Selene as if it had a life of its own.

Killian's gaze sharpened, his dark eyes tracking the movement, intrigued. The thread pulsed with energy, vibrant and raw, leaving a trail of faint light in its wake. He watched it for a moment, curiosity piqued, as it slowly made its way toward another source in the room.

But after a long, measured pause, Killian's lips curled into a small, amused smile. His eyes narrowed, his amusement laced with a cold, calculating edge.

"Smart little witch," he muttered, his voice thick with venomous admiration. "You really thought you could keep something for yourself."

The magic, once part of Selene, seemed to possess its own will as it hovered in the air, but Killian made no move to follow it. He wasn't interested in where it had gone or what it was doing now. His mind was already on something far more important.

Killian turned on his heel.He didn't care who the witch had passed her power to, nor did he care about the lingering traces of magic that danced out of reach. His focus was singular now. The only thing that truly mattered was finding Alaric.

His expression hardened as he thought of the immortal. His other half, the one person who hadn't betrayed him,but had strayed too far from his grasp. No matter how long it took, no matter the cost, Killian would make Alaric see the truth.

Killian's breath grew ragged as his body suddenly began to weaken. His muscles trembled, and the blood that had been coursing with unnatural strength now felt like it was draining away, leaving him brittle. Something was pulling at him from within, something he couldn't control—Eric, he was awakening.

His eyes narrowed, the familiar surge of anger and frustration beginning to bubble within him. Not now, he thought desperately. Not now when everything was so close to falling into place.

He had to get to Alaric. He had to reach Alaric before anything else happened. If someone—anyone—saw him while Eric was in control, it would be easy to kill him, to end everything.

Killian pushed himself forward, stumbling through the thick haze clouding his senses. Alaric... he thought desperately. I need you.

Summoning every ounce of his power, he propelled himself toward the pull of Alaric's presence. The closer he got, the more his awareness sharpened, his awakening accelerating with every step. Finally, he reached the heavy prison door, his breathing ragged but determined.

With the last remnants of his strength, he unleashed his magic, shattering the door in a brilliant burst of energy. As the dust settled, Killian crumpled to the ground, utterly spent. For now, he would wait—wait for his reincarnated body to remember who he truly was.