-The Land of ETERNALS-

-Part 12-

Alarics POV

I stood in front of the massive castle doors, my hand trembling as I reached for the handle. Memories flooded my mind, threatening to drown me in a sea of pain and resentment. It was in this very place that I had made my escape, leaving behind my father's attempts to explain the unexplainable.

I was just fifteen years old when it happened. When I came to know my own father had killed my mother when I was five and kept it a secret for 10 whole years and would've kept it for the rest of the eternity. It was the moment that shattered my world and turned my heart against the one person who was supposed to protect me. 

Father had called me to his study that day, his voice filled with an odd mixture of concern and guilt. I could still hear his words echoing in my ears, trying to justify the unjustifiable.

"Alaric," his voice resonates with authority, "we need to talk."

I lift my gaze, meeting his hardened stare. I can already feel the weight of disappointment and frustration in his eyes, and I prepare myself for the reprimand that is about to come. "What is it, Father?" I ask, my voice laced with bitterness.

He steps forward, his footsteps echoing through the chamber. Standing before me, he looks down with a mix of concern and authority. "You know, Alaric, being a vampire in the Land of Eternals is not a game. It is a responsibility, a duty that has been passed down through generations."

My bitterness seeps into my words as I retort, "And what about your duty to protect Mother? You failed, Father. You failed her, and you failed me."

Father's eyes flicker with a hint of remorse, but his voice remains firm. "Nova's death was a necessary sacrifice, Alaric. I had to protect our kind. I had to protect us."

Anger surges through me, my emotions threatening to consume me. "Protect us? Is that what you call it? You tore our family apart! You tore my heart apart!" I shouted.

His voice grows stern, his disappointment palpable. "Alaric, being a vampire in the Land of Eternals is not a game. It is a responsibility, a duty that you must learn to embrace. You cannot let your anger blind you."

I stand up abruptly, my fists clenched at my sides. "Blind me? You think I'm blind? I see you for what you truly are, Father. A monster! And I want nothing to do with you and your so-called duty!"

Father's eyes harden, his patience wearing thin. "You will respect me, Alaric. I am your father, and I demand your obedience."

My anger reaches its peak, and I can no longer contain my rage. "Respect you? How can I respect a murderer? A tyrant? I will never be like you, Father. I will never follow in your footsteps!"

With a surge of adrenaline, I storm towards the door, my voice filled with venom. "I'm leaving, Father. I'm leaving this castle, this suffocating prison you call home. I will find my own path, far away from you and your twisted notion of responsibility."

Father's face contorts with a mix of anger and concern. "Alaric, you cannot run from who you are. The Land of Eternals is your home, and one day, you will have to face your true self."

I pause at the threshold, my eyes burning with defiance. "I will never be like you, Father. I will forge my own destiny, far away from your shadow."

And now, here I stood, reluctantly answering his call again, drawn back to the place I swore I would never return. The doors creaked open, revealing the opulence and darkness that lay within. I stepped into the familiar halls, their cold stone walls a stark reminder of the secrets and lies that dwelled within them.