Chapter 30: The Truth

***~STAGE~***

***"Answer me, Lisa!" I thundered, my voice a tempest of rage, though my words were laced with a deadly calm. "Know what? That you and your father are creatures of the night, vampires who've been playing me like a pawn? That your mother is a weaver of dark magic, a witch who's been manipulating the threads of our lives? That our three years together were nothing but a masterfully crafted lie, a ruse to get close to me, to uncover my secrets and exploit my weaknesses?" My grip on her arms tightened like a vice, my fingers digging deep into her skin as I spat out the words, my voice low and menacing.***

***"Or is it the part where you and your twisted family murdered Jean, and turned Chris into one of your kind, a mindless drone to take the fall for your crimes?" The air was heavy with the weight of my accusations, and Lisa's eyes seemed to bore into mine, as if searching for a glimmer of doubt, a crack in the armor of my rage.***

***"How unfortunate for me, you finally know the truth." Lisa whispered, her voice a fragile, delicate thread, as she struggled to stifle a maddening giggle. Blood continued to seep from her wounds, like blood tears, as she spoke in slow, measured tones.***

***"Killing me will merely be a hollow victory, for it won't alter the course of destiny. My parents will hunt you down, relentless and merciless, and when they finally get hold of you, you'll come to understand the true meaning of terror." Her weak, mirthless chuckle sent shivers down my spine, as her eyes gleamed with a evil light, even in the face of death.***

***"Why have you finally decided to show yourself?" Lisa asked, her voice a steady, unflinching melody, devoid of even a whisper of fear or remorse. "Have you come to deliver the killing blow personally, or to extract answers from me through torture?" Her eyes sparkled with a defiant glint, as she continued, "You've already rummaged through my mind, haven't you? I'm sure you've uncovered every secret, every hidden truth. And yet, you still linger, seeking answers that I don't possess." A low, husky laugh escaped her lips, a sound that was both captivating and unnerving.***

***I recoiled from her, my mind reeling as the truth settled in like a shroud: the Lisa I thought I knew was merely a facade, a masterfully crafted illusion concealing a heart of stone, a soul as cold and unforgiving as the darkness that had spawned her.***

***"Where's Chris?" Lisa's voice sliced through my turbulent thoughts like a razor, its sharp edge leaving a trail of unease in its wake.***

***"Chris's fate is the least of your concerns," I spat, my words dripping with venom. "You'd do better to worry about your own neck, because right now, it's the one on the chopping block."***

***"How could you betray her so brutally, Lisa?" I demanded, my voice a mixture of outrage and anguish. "Jean was more than just a friend to you - she was a sister, a confidante, a kindred spirit.***

***She loved you with a fierce and unwavering devotion, and yet you repaid that love with the ultimate treachery. How could you kill someone who shone so brightly in your life?" I searched her face for a glimmer of remorse, a flicker of regret, but her expression remained as unyielding as stone, her eyes frozen in a mask of indifference.***

***"Jean stumbled upon a secret she was never meant to keep," Lisa said, her voice a detached, emotionless whisper. "And in our world, knowledge is a luxury few can afford. She became...expendable. A mere pawn sacrificed in the game of survival." Her words hung in the air like a cold, calculated mist, chilling me to the bone.***

***"You're lying, Lisa," I accused, my voice low and even, as I struggled to rein in my simmering rage. "You could have erased her memories with a mere thought, but instead, you chose to unleash a storm of agony upon her. The truth is, Jean's discovery was merely a pretext for your cruelty. She died not because of what she knew, but because you willed it so - a victim of your own twisted desires." My words hung in the air, a challenge to her conscience, but Lisa's expression remained an icy mask, unyielding and unrepentant.***

***Lisa's voice was a frail, venomous whisper, as she spat out her retort, "Your point is...?" Her words dripped with malice, but were laced with a weakness that only fueled my outrage. "I couldn't care less about your judgments, Stage," she sneered, her eyes blazing with a cold, calculated fury. "You and your precious witch can burn in the depths of hell, for all I care." Her heartlessness was a slap in the face, a brutal reminder of the monster she was and always would be.***

***"Jean's love for you was a flame that burned bright and true, but you've proven yourself to be a soulless void, incapable of reciprocating or even comprehending the beauty of that love," I said, my words a scorching rebuke. "You're a monster, Lisa, a creature driven by cruelty and a hunger for destruction, and you don't deserve to be loved."***

***"I'll confess, Lisa, that I once feared our encounter would awaken a spark of pity within me," I said, my voice a low, simmering growl, as anger seethed beneath the surface. "I dreaded that I might falter in my duty to avenge Jean's, that your manipulative charm would lull me into sparing your wretched life. But now, as I stand before you, I feel nothing but hatred for you."***

***"Murdering Jean and transforming my best friend into a vampire was the fatal misstep that sealed your fate and that of your parents, Lisa," I hissed, my voice dripping with venomous intent.*** 

***"Every torment, every agony, every shred of suffering that awaits you is a debt you've earned, a price you'll pay in full. And as for your parents... their reckoning will be a symphony of suffering." With that promise, I took a deliberate step back, leaving Lisa to confront the darkness that was closing in around her.***

***"And now, Miss Miller," Paris declared, her voice a rich, velvety purr that resonated through the halls like a ominous drumbeat. "I believe it's high time we extended an... cordial invitation to your family."***

***"A little social call, if you will." As she spoke, Paris glided towards Lisa with the majestic elegance of a dark queen, her every step a testament to her power and her purpose. The air seemed to vibrate with anticipation, as if the very shadows themselves were stirring, eager to witness the reckoning that was to come.***