Doubts and Blood

The following morning, sunlight filtered gently through the curtains of Eva's bedroom. The air was cool, carrying the scent of dew from the garden below. Elias sat beside her on the edge of the bed, his hand clasping hers as they watched the world wake. After the chaos of yesterday, they both needed this quiet moment.

Eva turned toward him, her eyes soft but troubled. "Elias," she whispered, voice trembling slightly. "I'm sorry about last night."

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "You don't have to apologize, Eva. I was just… worried."

She inhaled deeply, gathering courage. "There's something I want to tell you." Her gaze dropped to their intertwined fingers.

Elias's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

Eva closed her eyes, her voice barely more than a breath. "I was perfectly fine—happy, even—until I realized I'm being reincarnated over and over." She looked up, tears pooling. "All this time, I thought I had a chance at a normal life but now I know Lucian's magic keeps pulling me back... and I'm terrified."

Elias's chest tightened. The words hit him like a blow. He opened his mouth to comfort her but felt a pang of hurt he hadn't expected.

"I… I didn't mean to bring this up now," Eva continued, voice breaking. "I just…" She trailed off, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Elias let go of her hand and stood. "I see," he said quietly, turning his back. His shoulders slumped as he grappled with rising feelings of inadequacy and pain.

Eva sat up, alarmed. "Elias, please—"

He ran a hand through his hair, voice soft but distant. "You were fine without me... until you found out you're cursed to be reborn because of me...."

Eva's heart seized. She reached out but hesitated, tears shining in her eyes. "Elias—I love you this isn't your fault."

He spun toward her, eyes glistening. "Then why does it feel like I'm the reason you're unhappy?"

Eva swallowed hard, her own tears falling. "Because I'm afraid you'll leave me like I've left myself over centuries. I don't want to lose you too."

Elias's expression softened. He knelt before her, gently tilting her chin up. "I'm not going anywhere," he vowed, voice thick. "We'll face this together."

Eva sobbed, relief flooding her. She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. Elias held her tightly, pressing a kiss to her hair. In that embrace, the weight of their fears lightened, replaced by the promise of unity against the darkness ahead.

As Eva rested against him, a semblance of peace settling in the room, Elias's thoughts spiraled into guilt. He stared at the wall, his mind replaying her words. "This is all my fault," he thought bitterly. "If I hadn't insisted on finding her, she'd be living a normal life right now."

Eva shifted closer, her warmth grounding him, but it wasn't enough to drown out the echo of his self-recrimination. His anguish created a fissure in his defenses, one that a watchful entity lurking in the shadows was quick to exploit.

Far away, Lucian's servant, his connection to Elias sharpened through dark magic, sensed the cracks forming. A subtle whisper threaded into Elias's mind, insidious and quiet. "She'll never truly forgive you," the voice suggested. "You've condemned her to this fate."

Elias's jaw tightened, his grip around Eva momentarily faltering. The whisper faded before he could recognize its source, leaving a residue of doubt that he couldn't shake.

As the voice dissipated, Elias's mind began to conjure painful visions. He imagined Eva smiling radiantly in Blake's arms, her laughter filling the air as if Elias had never existed. The thought cut deeper than any blade, and for the first time in five centuries, a single tear of blood escaped the corner of his eye.

He quickly wiped it away, but the crimson streak left a lingering sting. "Maybe," he thought bitterly, "she truly would be better off without me." That fleeting moment of vulnerability gave Lucian's dark forces an even stronger foothold in his fractured heart.

The visions intensified as the day wore on. Elias saw Eva turning her back on him, her hand slipping into Blake's. He imagined her voice, filled with warmth and love, speaking words meant for another. Each scene felt unbearably real, leaving Elias breathless and trembling. The more he tried to push the images away, the stronger they became.

Lucian's servant, sensing Elias's turmoil, poured dark energy into the connection. The whispers grew louder, taunting him with cruel possibilities. "She deserves someone better," the voice sneered. "Someone who doesn't bring pain into her life."

Elias clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. A low growl rumbled in his chest as an all-too-familiar hunger stirred within him. The bloodlust he had suppressed for centuries began to resurface, its primal call clawing at his mind.

"No," Elias muttered through gritted teeth, his fangs briefly elongating before he forced them back. He pressed his hands against his temples, trying to block out the invasive whispers. "I won't let this happen. I can't."

Eva's laughter from another room momentarily broke through the storm in his mind, grounding him. Elias inhaled sharply, focusing on her voice. The sound was a reminder of what he was fighting for, a tether pulling him back from the edge.

The whispers, however, did not relent. "You're weak," they hissed. "She'll see it soon enough. Just give in."

Elias shook his head violently, his vision blurring with unshed tears. "I won't," he growled, his voice trembling with defiance. "I won't lose myself again."

In a desperate attempt to regain control, Elias left the house, stepping into the cool night air. The stars above seemed indifferent to his struggle, their light faint against the shadows creeping into his heart. He leaned against a tree, breathing heavily as he fought the pull of the darkness within. For now, he resisted, but he knew the battle was far from over.

Resting against the tree, Elias's mind betrayed him once more. In the shadows of his thoughts, he saw Eva standing only a few feet away, her arms wrapped tightly around Blake. She laughed softly, the sound carrying a warmth that wasn't meant for Elias. The vision twisted the knife already lodged in his chest.

He growled low, the sound feral and guttural. His fangs began to elongate again as his bloodlust surged. Clenching his fists tightly, he slammed them against the tree bark, splintering it slightly as he fought for control. "No," he snarled to himself. "This isn't real. It's not real."

As he struggled, the faint sound of footsteps reached his ears. He barely had time to react before Magnus stepped into view, his sharp eyes widening at the sight before him. Magnus's expression turned to shock when he noticed the thin streaks of crimson tears on Elias's face.

"Elias," Magnus said, his voice steady yet concerned. "What's happening to you?"

Elias turned away, ashamed to be seen in such a state. "Leave," he said gruffly. "I'm handling it."

Magnus stepped closer, ignoring the warning. His eyes flicked to the shattered tree bark and then to Elias's trembling form. "This isn't handling it," Magnus retorted. "You're breaking apart. Talk to me."

Elias's shoulders tensed, his growl softening into a defeated sigh. "It's everything. The guilt, the visions... the hunger. I can't stop it. I can't—" His voice cracked, the weight of centuries crashing down on him.

Magnus placed a firm hand on Elias's shoulder. "Then let me help you," he said resolutely. "Whatever is feeding this... we'll face it together. But you need to fight. For Eva. For yourself."