𝑨𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒎 - 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑽𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔

「Chapter 7」

Elias swiftly surveyed the room, his focus intent, but his concentration was shattered when a sudden, searing wave of pain surged through him.

He crumpled to the floor, his hands gripping his head in agony as a jumble of blurry images flashed through his mind.

As the pain intensified, Elias yanked at his hair, and with each tug, his vision gradually cleared.

As his sight cleared, he found a pair of shoes right in front of him, and a figure knelt down before him in apparent confusion.

Looking up, Elias came face to face with none other than Malachai Parker, better known as Kai Parker.

Kai squinted his eyes, his voice laced with curiosity, "You can see me, can't you?" he inquired.

Elias remained in stunned silence as he stared at Kai in disbelief, unsure of how to react.

Kai, growing impatient, snapped his fingers in front of Elias's face. "Hello?" he called out, trying to elicit a response.

Elias watched as Kai dropped his hands and muttered to himself, "So you can't see me."

Kai then rose to his feet, his confusion evident. "Where is this place?" he muttered, his words more to himself than anyone else.

Elias watched Kai with a mixture of awe and disbelief. How was it possible that he could see Kai?

Before Elias could utter a word, a voice rang out, breaking the silence. "Who's there?" the voice called out, startling them both.

Elias and Kai both snapped their heads in the direction of the voice, and Elias quickly rose to his feet.

Elias's mouth felt dry as he locked eyes with Wes Maxfield, who was staring at him in astonishment.

"Elias Gilbert?" Wes questioned, his tone filled with surprise.

Elias nodded stiffly, tension in the air as he faced Wes's scrutiny.

Wes's suspicion was evident as he inquired further, "What are you doing here?"

Elias struggled to provide an explanation, his voice trembling slightly. "Um... I know my dad used to teach here, so I just wanted to come down and visit... you know," he trailed off, attempting to come up with a plausible reason for his presence.

Wes nodded in understanding, his expression softening. "Oh, of course, you're welcome anytime. I'm sorry about your loss," he said, taking a step closer to Elias.

"If you weren't down here, I might actually believe you," Wes cryptically remarked, his suspicion lingering in his tone.

Elias furrowed his brow in confusion, about to ask for clarification when Kai's urgent shout interrupted him.

"Behind you!" Kai shouted.

Elias instinctively turned around to find two men wielding syringes, clearly a threat.

As Elias began to back away, he suddenly felt Wes's grip from behind, and panic set in as he was cornered.

"I truly am sorry. I hope you understand, Elias," Wes spoke with an apologetic tone, his grip on Elias remaining firm.

Kai's initial shock gave way to quick thinking as he processed the sudden threat. In a decisive move, he raised his hands in the air and began to siphon energy.

With a whispered incantation, "Motus," he unleashed a surge of power.

The magical force he conjured sent a powerful shockwave rippling through the room, causing the two men with syringes to be thrown backward, their weapons clattering to the ground as they struggled to maintain their balance.