Chapter 69 The False Prophecy

Chapter 69 The False Prophecy
Jane glanced down at the lifeless body on the ground like it was nothing more than an inconvenience. “Well,” she said calmly, “We’ve fixed your problem,” and her voice carried no weight of what had just happened, and there was no guilt, no hesitation, just certainty. “Better clean up the body fast,” and then she reached for my hand, and her fingers slid into mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Let’s go, Stephen,” and I let her pull me slightly, but I didn’t move. “Wait,” and my voice came out steady, and Jane stopped, and so did everyone else. “I need to clarify something,” I said, and I looked at Juliet first, and she looked… shaken, completely frozen, and her eyes were locked on the dead man like she couldn’t process what she had just witnessed, and her breathing was uneven, and her body was stiff, like she was still trying to convince herself this was real. Then I shifted my gaze to the others, and Timi looked like he wanted to say something but held it back, and his jaw was tight with tension, and Daniel… Daniel was staring at me like I was a problem he hadn’t solved yet, and Francis? For once, even he wasn’t smiling. “We all need to talk,” I said. “Let’s go inside,” and for a brief moment, no one responded, then a voice came from behind them—one of Jane’s crew. “How about we go meet Waje instead?” I turned slightly, and my eyes landed on him, and there was something in his tone… something almost mocking. “I’m sure she’ll be delighted,” he continued, stepping forward just enough to be seen clearly, “To finally meet the famous Dhampir…” and the word hung in the air, heavy. “…The one that’s been on every vampire’s lips for centuries now,” and silence followed, thick, uncomfortable, and then— everyone looked at me, not casually, not curiously, but fully, like they were finally seeing me for what I was, and I felt it, the weight of it, the prophecy, the fear, the expectations, and I didn’t look away, and I stood there, Jane’s hand still in mine, calm on the outside… even as a storm quietly built within me. Juliet lifted her head and looked at me, then towards Timi. “Shut the hell up, Timi,” Juliet snapped suddenly, and her voice cut through the silence like a blade, and Timi scoffed, clearly not backing down. “Come on,” he said, spreading his hands slightly. “She’s been having visions about him since she was spellbound in that cave, and don’t you think she deserves to meet him?” I stayed quiet, watching, and another man—Francis—stepped forward, and his tone was calmer but firm. “I don’t want anything to trigger her,” he said. “She still suffers from PTSD because of her past,” and Timi shook his head. “She didn’t freak out when she met us,” and Francis exhaled, already irritated. “That’s because she was expecting you, and she needed to warn you about him—” and he pointed at me, then looked at me directly. “No offense,” and I didn’t react, because I had heard worse, and I stepped forward slightly, cutting through whatever argument was about to start. “Look,” I said, and my voice was steady. “We don’t have time for this,” and they all turned to me. “The sun’s about to come up,” I continued, “And Jane and I need to be out of here before then,” and Jane squeezed my hand slightly beside me, silent but present, and Juliet glanced between all of us, then made a decision. “Let’s go meet Waje,” she said. “I’m sure whatever he wants to say… she’ll want to hear it too,” and she turned and started walking without waiting for approval. “Follow me,” and there was a brief pause, then one of her crew stepped forward, glancing at the body on the ground. “Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll take care of this,” and no one questioned it, and we all started moving, and the air was still heavy, and the tension wasn’t gone—just… delayed. As we walked back toward the mansion, I could feel it again, their eyes, on me, and not just curiosity anymore, but something deeper, something uncertain, and as the sky slowly began to lighten behind us— I turned, scanning the area quickly. The girl, the one I had just turned, she was gone, and my eyes narrowed. “Wait,” and everyone stopped, and they all turned to me. “Where’s the girl?” I asked, and for a moment, no one answered, and they all glanced around, as if noticing it for the first time, and Juliet let out a small grunt. “She’s a big girl,” she said dismissively. “She’ll be fine, and come on, let’s go,” and I didn’t like that, but there wasn’t time, so we moved, all the way to the back of the mansion, where a small black cabin stood alone, tucked away like it wasn’t meant to be seen. From the outside, it looked… insignificant, almost too small to matter, and Francis stepped forward and opened the door, and we walked in, and immediately, I knew something was off, because the inside was far larger than what the exterior suggested, and the space stretched out wide, and the ceiling was higher, and the walls were lined with lit torches that flickered softly, casting dancing shadows across the room, and a fireplace burned steadily at the far end, and its warmth filled the cabin, and the crackling sound echoed faintly, and it was simple, almost rustic, but there was something ancient about it, something powerful. We all took our seats, and Jane and I sat together on a small couch, slightly apart from the others, and her presence beside me was calm, grounding, and her fingers were still loosely intertwined with mine, and Francis remained standing, then he spoke. “Excuse me for a moment,” and without another word, he turned and disappeared into a hallway deeper inside the cabin, and silence followed, heavy, and no one spoke, and minutes passed slowly, then— footsteps, and Francis returned, and he wasn’t alone, and he was holding a woman, beautiful, and she looked to be in her thirties, and her features were soft yet striking, but something about her… was off, distorted, not physically broken—but like her presence didn’t fully belong in this world, like she was somewhere else entirely, and Francis guided her gently and sat her down on the couch directly in front of us. She blinked slowly, and her eyes were unfocused at first… then they found me, and locked onto me. “Who are you?” she asked softly, and I opened my mouth to respond— but Timi spoke over me. “He’s the son of the Count,” he said. “The prophesied Dhampir… the one who’s meant to destroy all of us,” and the room went still, but the woman didn’t react the way I expected, and she didn’t look shocked, and she didn’t look afraid, and she just kept staring at me, studying me, then slowly— she shook her head. “It’s not him.” Timi suddenly sat forward, and his attention snapped fully to the woman. “That’s impossible,” he said firmly. “He’s the Count’s son, and Juliet’s half-brother, and she’s fought him before—he’s not an ordinary vampire, and it has to be him,” and then he turned sharply to Juliet. “Say something, Juliet,” but she didn’t, and she just sat there… staring at the woman, confused, lost, like everything she thought she knew was slipping through her fingers, and I exhaled slowly. “This is exactly why I said we need to talk,” I said, and my voice was calm but firm. “I am not who you think I am,” and all eyes shifted to me again. “I mean… yes,” I continued, “I’m a Dhampir,” and I paused. “But I’m not the Count’s son,” and silence filled the room. “I’m—” and the door suddenly opened, and the man who had stayed behind to clean up the jogger walked in casually, like nothing serious was happening, and he glanced around the room, then dropped himself beside Juliet. “What did I miss?” he asked, and no one answered him, and I continued anyway. “I’m not the prophesied Dhampir,” I said. “I’m just… a regular one,” and that didn’t sit well with them, and Francis frowned slightly. “But the chances of a half-human, half-vampire existing are… almost impossible, and one in a million,” and I shrugged lightly. “That’s not my concern, and what matters is—I’m not the one you’re looking for,” and Timi narrowed his eyes at me. “And how do you know that?” I didn’t answer immediately, and I just let out a slow breath, then I felt it— Jane’s hand tightening slightly around mine, and I turned and looked at her, and she met my eyes… and gave a small nod, like she already knew what I was about to say, and I turned back to them, and this time— I was ready to speak. “I went to the Count’s home,” I said, and Juliet snapped instantly. “You did what?” Her voice cracked through the room, sharp and disbelieving, and I turned to her slowly. “I’m sorry… your friend is dead,” and the words landed heavy, and she froze, completely still, then slowly… her eyes filled, and tears began to fall, and the guy sitting beside her leaned in, placing a hand gently on her shoulder, trying to comfort her— but she shrugged it off immediately. “No…” she muttered, shaking her head. “No, no… it’s my fault… it’s my fault,” and her voice broke. “I’m the reason he’s dead,” and then she broke down completely, and her body trembled as the weight of it crushed her, and before anyone could stop her, she stood up and rushed off toward the hallway Francis had come from earlier, and moments later— a door slammed shut, and the sound echoed through the cabin, and I let out a slow breath, then continued. “I challenged him to a fight,” I said quietly. “The Count,” and no one interrupted this time. “He won,” I added. “Easily,” and I paused, remembering it. “And when he was about to kill me…” my jaw tightened slightly. “I was saved,” and their attention sharpened. “By the man who let me into the estate when I first arrived,” I continued. “He looked… dangerous, and not someone you’d forget,” and I glanced briefly at Timi, then back at the others. “He got me out of there, and took me all the way back to my car,” and silence followed. “He told me the truth,” I said. “That he’s my real father,” and I could still hear his voice in my head. “He apologized… for abandoning me and my mother,” and Jane’s hand tightened slightly in mine again. “And while I drove off… he stayed behind and fought off the vampires that were coming after me,” and I finished. “I left,” and silence followed, deep, heavy, and no one spoke for a long moment, then Timi finally broke it. “Are you certain… of what you’re telling us?” I looked straight at him. “Of course,” and another silence followed, longer this time, then Timi leaned back slightly, exhaling as everything began to settle in. “So…” he said slowly, almost to himself, “My dad saved you…” and he looked at me again. “…Which means…” and a small, disbelieving breath escaped him. “We’re half-brothers.” The words hung in the air: we’re half-brothers, and I didn’t react immediately, but inside… something shifted, and a strange feeling crawled up my chest—unfamiliar, uncomfortable, not warmth, not joy, just… confusion, because this was a man who had looked at me with suspicion since I walked in, and a man who clearly didn’t trust me… didn’t like me, and now— he was calling me family, and I didn’t know what to do with that, and before I could process it fully, Timi stood up, and he stretched his hand out toward me. “Welcome to the family,” and I looked at his hand, then at his face, and he was smirking, not warmly, not sincerely, and there was something else behind it—something calculating, something that didn’t sit right with me. “We need all the help we can get,” he added, “Against the coming threat,” and that was it, not acceptance, not brotherhood, just… usefulness, and I didn’t take his hand, and instead, I turned slightly and looked at Jane. “Let’s get out of here,” I said quietly, and she didn’t hesitate, and I held her hand, and we both stood up, and without another word, we began walking toward the door. “Stephen,” and Timi’s voice stopped us. “What?” I asked without turning, and “What are you going to do?” he said. “Turn your back on your family?” I stopped, then slowly— I turned around, and looked at him. “What family?” I said, and my voice was calm but cold. “The one that’s been hunting me my entire life?” I continued. “Just because I was born a Dhampir?” No one spoke. “Five minutes ago,” I went on, “I was your greatest enemy,” and I took a step forward. “And now you’re welcoming me?” I let out a small, humorless breath. “There’s really no difference between you and the Count,” and that landed hard. “I’ve said everything I came here to say,” I finished. “So you can all stop wishing me dead,” and my eyes moved across all of them. “Not like there’s anything you can do about it anyway,” and silence followed. “Good luck,” I added, and my voice was lower now, sharper, “…Against the Dhampir that’s actually coming for you,” and then I turned, and walked to the door, and opened it. We stepped outside, and the sky had already begun to change, and the darkness of night was fading fast, replaced by the pale glow of morning, and the sun was just at the edge of the horizon, threatening to rise fully at any moment, and Jane let out a small grunt beside me, and I looked at her. “Don’t worry,” I said softly. “I’ll get you home,” and without hesitation, I lifted her into my arms, and she leaned into me instantly, and her body was close to mine, conserving what little strength she had against the rising light, and as I adjusted my hold on her, I could still hear faint voices coming from inside the cabin, and the woman’s voice was calm, certain. “We’ll need his help,” she said, and a pause. “The destroyer is almost here… I can feel it,” and my jaw tightened slightly. “And he will be our greatest ally,” and I didn’t wait to hear more, and I looked down at Jane. “Are you ready?” She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling herself closer, and her face brushed against mine. “Ready,” she whispered, and I nodded, then I moved, and the world blurred instantly, and the ground beneath my feet became nothing more than a passing shadow as I surged forward, cutting through the early morning air with impossible speed, and trees, buildings, streets—they all stretched into streaks of motion as I ran, carrying her tightly against me, and the cold wind rushed past us, but I didn’t slow down, not for a second, and the rising sun chased us from behind, and its light crept across the sky, threatening to touch her, but I was faster, faster than the morning, faster than the light, and as I ran deeper into the waking world, one thought stayed locked in my mind— whatever was coming… everything was about to change.