Chapter 52

With a surge of rage coursing through my veins, I wrench the knife from my back, the blade glinting malevolently in the dim light. I raise it menacingly, prepared to strike at her, my eyes aflame with fury. But before I can plunge it into her, a voice pierces through the tension, halting me in my tracks.

"Wait!"

Annabelle's breath comes in ragged gasps as she stares at me, her expression a mix of fear and desperation. while, Elena's voice echoes in the room, pleading with me to stop.

"Don't come any closer!" I snarl, my grip tightening around the hilt of the knife. "I'm almost finished."

Annabelle's trembling hand reaches out, tears welling in her eyes as Elena interjects with urgency.

"The girl... she's gone! Someone must have taken her."

The words hit me like a thunderbolt, momentarily stunning me. I release my hold on Annabelle's neck, my mind reeling with disbelief. Annabelle struggles to compose herself, trying to grasp the gravity of the situation as Elena presses for a plan of action.

I shoot a glare at Elena, frustration bubbling within me. "I told you to keep a close eye on her!"

Elena's voice trembles as she responds, "She vanished in seconds. I tried calling you, but you have too many phones. I couldn't reach you."

Annabelle, still trying to make sense of the chaos, looks between us, her brow furrowed in concern. Elena turns to me, desperation evident in her eyes. "What do we do?" she implores, her eyes wide with apprehension.

Without hesitation, I retrieve my phone from my pocket and toss it to Annabelle.

"Call your sister. Right now."

Annabelle hesitates, confusion etched across her features as she processes Elena's revelation.

"The girl... Are you referring to my sister?" she asks, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

Elena couldn't meet Annabelle's gaze, her eyes filled with guilt and sorrow. Annabelle's expression was a mix of pain and desperation as she snatched the phone from my hand, her fingers trembling as she dialed her sister's number. "Where are you, Jade?" she demanded, her voice quivering with emotion.

Suddenly, a chilling laugh echoed through the phone, causing Annabelle to tense with apprehension. "Hello," the voice on the other end spoke, amusement evident in his tone. "I've been waiting to meet you."

Annabelle's heart pounded with fear as she demanded answers. "Who is this? Where's my sister?"

The voice revealed the sinister truth. "She's with me. He told me you'd come if I had her. Black Soul."

Annabelle's eyes squeezed shut, tears streaming down her cheeks as she struggled to process the horrifying revelation. I watched helplessly as she remained on the call, her entire world crumbling before her.

Furious determination filled her gaze as she confronted the unknown caller. "Where do I need to go?"

The person on the other end provided a location, and as Annabelle ended the call, her tears flowed freely. She turned to leave, but I couldn't let her face this alone. With a swift motion, I grabbed her wrist, guiding her into the car as we raced towards the given description.

The night blurred past us as we sped towards the forest, our hearts pounding with urgency. But just as we reached a critical point, a car blocked our path, startling both Annabelle and me.

Mr. Thomas emerged from the vehicle, his expression a mix of concern and confusion. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? What's going on?"

His gaze shifted to Annabelle, his concern evident. "Miss Annabelle, are you alright?"

Annabelle wasted no time, hastily exiting our car. I followed suit, attempting to reason with her, but before I could intervene, she made a surprising move.

She attempted to get into Mr. Thomas's car, pleading with him. "Let me borrow your car!"

Mr. Thomas was taken aback, bewildered by the sudden request. "What?"

I rushed to her side, trying to dissuade her. "Get out! Don't you understand? It's a trap! You'll be killed!"

But Annabelle remained resolute, locking herself inside Mr. Thomas's car. Ignoring my pleas, she insisted, "Get out of my way! I don't care. My sister will get hurt if I don't go. I have to go."

I watched helplessly as Mr. Thomas and I exchanged a bewildered glance.

Frustration surged through me, boiling over as I confronted Annabelle. "You can't save her! Don't be stupid. Just wait here. I'll go save her."

With tears welling in her eyes, Annabelle shot back at me, her voice trembling with emotion. "How can I trust you? Just moments ago, you were going to kill me!"

Mr. Thomas's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

Before I could respond, Mr. Thomas grabbed my clothes, his expression twisted with anger. "I knew it! You bastard!"

As Annabelle slowly drove away, leaving us standing there in disbelief, I cursed under my breath. "Damn it!"

But Mr. Thomas wasn't about to let me chase after her. He pushed me away and locked the car, his expression stern. "You can't go after her."

I protested, desperation creeping into my voice. "Didn't you hear us just now?"

Mr. Thomas's gaze bore into mine as he spoke firmly. "I heard you loud and clear. You tried to kill her."

Frustration gnawed at me as I pleaded with him. "But if she goes alone, she'll die!"

Surprised, Mr. Thomas shouted, "what?" And I told him that. "Her sister is being kidnapped and there's no time on our side." I pushed Mr. Thomas to one side and get into my car.

Mr. Thomas was confused and say, "what---what is going on? He hesitated for a moment before relenting, joining me inside the car beside me. As we sped towards the reservoir, he voiced his concerns. "The kidnapper told her to come to the reservoir?"

I didn't answer, I look at Mr. Thomas then focus on my driving before my mind consumed by memories of centuries past. I recalled the night we hunted a vampire on the water, the sudden attack that had nearly claimed King Vale's life. The creature dislocated his arm, As I jumped into the water to save him,blood seeped from the wound that night. The memory flooded my senses, vivid and raw as I snapped out still driving.

As we raced towards the reservoir, Mr. Thomas urged caution. "We should call the police first."

But I shook my head, my jaw clenched with resolve. "They won't be of help."

Mr. Thomas's frustration mounted. "Why the hell not?"

I remained silent, I glanced at Mr. Thomas, who was seated beside me, his arm clearly causing him discomfort. "Does your arm hurt?"

He met my gaze with a grimace. "Just focus on driving."

Attempting to alleviate his pain, Mr. Thomas tried to exercise his arm as we continued our journey. Eventually, we came to a halt, spotting Annabelle's parked car on the side of the road. Both Mr. Thomas and I cast a wary glance at it.

As Mr. Thomas moved to exit the car, I stopped him with a firm command. "Stay in the car, and don't go near the water."

He looked at me in surprise, his expression questioning my authority. "What was that? Does he think he's my dad or something?"

Nevertheless, he complied and stepped out of the car alongside me. Meanwhile, Annabelle had already sprinted into the forest, calling out her sister's name with desperation. She dialed Jade's number, the sound of the ringing phone indicating its proximity.

Spotting a river ahead, Annabelle hastened towards it, her heart pounding with dread. Wading into the water, she moved towards a boat at its center, the phone's ringing emanating from within.

As the water grew deeper, Annabelle began to struggle, her cries for her sister drowned out by the rush of water. Suddenly, she was dragged beneath the surface by an unseen force.

Reacting swiftly, I plunged into the water, pulling Annabelle to safety as she thrashed and screamed. "Let go of me!"

Gasping for breath, I admonished her. "I told you it was dangerous! It's a trap!"

But Annabelle remained adamant, her voice choked with tears. "Jade is on that boat!"

Frustration boiled within me as I shouted back at her. "Get yourself together!"

Collapsing to her knees, Annabelle sobbed uncontrollably, clutching Jade's abandoned bag. "You said my sister was safe. You said she was much safer than when she was with me. Why did it have to be her? Why not me?"

I reached for Jade's phone, its surface stained with blood, a chilling reminder of the danger that surrounded her. Anger surged within me as the device began to ring, its screen displaying an unsaved number. Annabelle's gaze followed mine, her expression tense with anticipation as I answered the call.

"See? Because you didn't destroy her soul, an innocent girl got hurt," the voice on the other end taunted.

My voice trembled with fury as I demanded answers. "Are you behind this?"

The caller denied involvement, attributing the chaos to impatience and a past life as a monster. " No, it's was an impatient being--" I recognized the voice immediately—it was Black Soul, orchestrating the mayhem from the shadows. His mention of an impatient individual hinted at one of the reincarnated vampires seeking revenge.

"You give him intel and tell him what to do," I accused, my frustration boiling over.

Black Soul shook his head, "are you blaming me for this? Oh no! This is more your fault than mine." Black Soul deflected blame, revealing the true motive behind the attacks. "The vampire you killed are trying to take revenge on you. They're after Annabelle, who has your soul. Once her soul is destroyed, they will stop! Bring her here before other people get hurt."

I listened intently as he continued, his words laden with warning. "Let me remind you again, you and I are not enemies. Our real enemy is that woman."

As the call ended, I withdrew the phone from my ear, the weight of Black Soul's words weighing heavily in my mind. Annabelle stood before me, her eyes pleading for answers. "Was that him?"

I hesitated before responding, knowing the gravity of my decision. "Yes."

She was resolute, willing to sacrifice herself to save her sister. "Tell him to take me. Tell him that I will come to him. He can have my soul or whatever he wants, but tell him to let my sister go."

Tears streamed down her face as desperation consumed her. "I don't care if I die. Call him back now!"

Refusing to comply, she tried to snatch the phone from me but I held the phone out of her reach. "No. I will save your sister. You asked me to kill Imoogi Vampire, right? To get revenge for your family. You said I was the sword that could kill him."

Her confusion was obvious as I made my demand. "Find a way to kill him. Until I do, I will let you live as a human."

Anabelle's gaze bore into mine, a mixture of pain and uncertainty reflected in her eyes.