90. "ARE YOU SCARED DADDY?"

While I'm unconscious, a strange mist envelops my mind. Suddenly, I'm somewhere else, no longer on the cold stone of the sanctuary, but in a space filled with soft light and warmth. The figure of my mother appears before me, as real and alive as if she had never left.

"Mother?" my voice echoes in this ethereal space, my confusion evident.

"Nyra, my dear," she says, her voice as calm and reassuring as I remember. "You need to wake up. You need to fight against the one who has hurt you, who can hurt the one you truly love."

Her words fill me with sudden urgency, but also fear. "Mother, what do you mean? How can I fight?"

She looks at me, her eyes full of unwavering love and intense seriousness. "You are stronger than you imagine, Nyra. Within you, there is a power that even you don't fully know. Trust yourself, my daughter. And trust Alaric. He truly loves you and will do anything to protect you."

The scene begins to fade, as if made of smoke and shadows. "Mother, don't go!" I try to reach out to her, but she is dissipating quickly.

"Wake up and fight, Nyra. It's time to face your destiny," are her last words before everything darkens again.

Suddenly, I return to reality, feeling a surge of energy coursing through me. I open my eyes, the sanctuary slowly coming into focus around me. The memory of my mother's words still resonates in my mind, urging me to act.

I rise slowly, still weak, holding Anna's hand. I look around and see Alaric battling Elijah, each of their movements filled with desperation and strength. The sight of Alaric in danger reignites the flame within me, the desire to protect him, reminding me of the vision I had where he was in danger and I could do nothing but despair. Now it can be different; I can protect him, but how?

"What are you doing, Nyra?" Anna whispers, helping me to stand. They seem so focused on their own battle that they don't even notice me awake.

"Mom, she appeared again. She said I need to fight, that I'm stronger than I imagine," I murmur, feeling weak, my body almost faltering.

Anna holds my arm firmly, keeping me steady as she quickly looks towards the confrontation between Alaric and Elijah. "Nyra, you need to feed on human blood now," she says urgently. "It will give you strength to fight. One of the men with Elijah is human."

I look at her, confused and still weak, but the insistence in her tone makes me trust her suggestion. "How do you know?"

"I just know. Trust me," she replies. Her determination urges me to act. She discreetly points to the man away from the center of the fight, trying not to draw attention.

"Go, Nyra. I'll distract them here. You need to do this quickly," she encourages me, looking firmly into my eyes to convey the gravity of the situation.

With effort, I approach the man, trying to maintain my discreet approach. He seems surprised to see me so close, his expression a mix of confusion and fear. "Sorry, I need this," I say to him, my voice weak.

Before he can react, my fangs find his neck. The blood flows, and a wave of energy washes over me. It's powerful, overwhelming, more intense than anything I've ever felt. The thirst is insatiable, and before I realize it, I keep drinking, driven by a primal need I can't control.

When I finally pull away, the man falls to the ground, lifeless. The horror of what I've done hits me full force, but the power I feel now is indescribable. I look at my hands, still trembling, realizing the transformation that has occurred. I'm more vampire than ever, every sense sharpened, every part of me vibrating with a new strength.

Anna comes to my side, her gaze a mix of horror and understanding. "Nyra, you're..."

"I know," I cut in, facing the reality of my actions. But there's no time for regrets. Alaric still needs me.

With my newfound strength, I turn towards where Alaric and Elijah continue their fight. I lean against the stone I was lying on, carefully watching every move Elijah makes; I need to get his attention.

As soon as I find the right moment, I raise my voice, tinged with sarcasm and provocation. "I guess your plan didn't quite work out, father," I call out, using the word with a venom I never thought I'd employ.

Elijah whirls around, his expression of surprise quickly turning into fury as he sees me standing there, vibrant and clearly no longer under his control. The shock on his face is evident, and for a brief moment, he's disoriented, the advantage now clearly on my side.

"What have you done?" he snarls, his voice a mix of disbelief and anger.

I smile, feeling the energy pulsating through my veins. "Let's just say I found a little... inspiration," I reply, my voice strong and confident. "And now, I'm more than ready to put an end to whatever you've planned."

Taking advantage of Elijah's distraction, Alaric launches a quick and precise attack that forces him to retreat. Together, we move in perfect unison, encircling Elijah with a coordination born of our newly strengthened connection.

Elijah, quickly regaining his composure, looks from one of us to the other, realizing that his situation is rapidly turning unfavorable. "This won't end as you think," he threatens, his voice still laced with confidence, but now there's a hint of desperation in it.

"Are you afraid of being defeated by your own daughter, father?" I open a malicious smile, feeling Alaric's proximity, right behind me, inhaling my scent intensely.

"You've finally transformed, young lady," he whispers, kissing my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

Elijah starts clapping, walking towards where Anna is, which puts me on high alert, causing me to turn sharply, as does Alaric.

Elijah casts a piercing glance in my direction, malice and contempt evident on his face. "Daughter, you don't understand the forces you're toying with. This will cost you both dearly," he says, gesturing dramatically to emphasize the gravity of his words.

"You really don't remember, do you? How your dear mother died?" He pauses theatrically, relishing the tension of the moment. "When I found her, she was pregnant with that treacherous bodyguard. It was too easy to channel all her magic into me, leaving her weak enough to force an urgent birth in the middle of the forest. And she died, Nyra, alone and helpless."

Elijah smiles, cruelly. "And your beloved love? Ah, he died in his relentless pursuit of vengeance. So tragic, so pointless."

Every word of his is like a blow, trying to shatter my resolve, trying to make me doubt myself and my actions. I feel a mixture of anger and pain bubbling inside me, but I strive to keep calm. Alaric senses my tension and places a comforting hand on my shoulder, a silent reminder that he's with me.

"You may try to torment us with the past, Elijah, but you won't break us," I say, my voice trembling slightly with emotion but firm in its determination. "We know who you are and what you've done. And we won't let you continue to destroy lives."

Alaric joins in, his voice strong and clear: "She's right. You can play with memories and try to weaken us, but we're here, fighting. Not just for vengeance, but for justice — so that no one else suffers as we have."

Elijah watches, the smile fading from his face as he assesses the determination in our voices and stances. He takes a step back, recalculating his approach, perhaps realizing that words alone aren't enough to destabilize us.

"There's still plenty of game to be played," he murmurs, before launching a new attack, this time more direct and physical.

His movements are so swift and obscure that my body freezes as he grabs Alaric by the throat, lifting his body as if it were mere paper.

Elijah holds Alaric with a supernatural strength, his eyes gleaming with cruel malice. "Does this remind you of something, Alaric?" he whispers venomously, his face inches from Alaric's. "Does it remind you how pleasurable it was to watch your beloved die? How it can happen again, here, now."

Alaric struggles against the pressure on his neck, his eyes fixed on Elijah, anger and pain palpable in his gaze. "You'll never understand what love is, Elijah. Nothing you do will break me."

Elijah laughs, a cold laugh that echoes through the dark sanctuary. "Ah, but Alaric, I've broken you once before. Wasn't it delicious to see everything you cared for crumble? I'm just wondering how long it'll take for you to give in again. Until you lose everything... once more."

He tightens his grip on Alaric, his eyes sparking with anticipation of witnessing pain. "What do you think Nyra will feel when she sees you, her great love, shattered and defeated? Will she still love you when there's nothing left but an empty shell?"

Despite the pain and pressure, Alaric finds an inner strength, a flame that seems to only grow stronger with Elijah's taunts. "It won't work, Elijah. You may hurt me, but you can't touch what we have. Nyra and I are stronger than anything you can conceive."

Elijah narrows his eyes, assessing Alaric. He seems to consider his words, but then shakes his head, dismissive. "We'll see then, Alaric. We'll see how strong you truly are." With a swift and brutal gesture, he hurls Alaric against the sanctuary wall, watching as he crashes to the ground with a dull thud.

Seizing the moment of Elijah's distraction, I force myself to act. Every venomous word he hurls at Alaric only reinforces my resolve to protect the man I love and to put an end to Elijah's tyranny. With silent but steady steps, I advance, preparing to intervene and give Alaric the chance to recover and strike back.