The Immortals

TWELVE - A Betrayed Original

Antonia slowly opened her eyes, her head throbbing with pain. As the fog cleared from her mind, she realized that she was not in her own familiar surroundings. Confusion washed over her as fragmented memories flooded her thoughts.

She remembered the attack, how Victor had assaulted her and her men. But what struck her the most was the sudden rush of memories from a distant past.

Flashes of images from the year 1796 when Victor had turned her and Timothy into vampires. The pain and exhilaration of the transformation came rushing back, leaving her momentarily disoriented.

As Antonia struggled to sit up, her gaze fell upon Victor, who was sitting in an armchair across the room. His presence sent a jolt of fear coursing through her veins. She realized that he had brought her to his apartment, but she had no idea what he intended to do next.

Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. Antonia recalled Victor to be no ordinary vampire. His unpredictable nature made him all the more dangerous.

As she observed Victor, a mixture of apprehension and curiosity filled her. She wondered what his motives were, why he had chosen to spare her life after their confrontation.

The uncertainty left her on edge, unsure of how to proceed. Antonia knew she had to tread carefully, for Victor's unpredictable nature could lead to dire consequences.

With a deep breath, Antonia gathered her courage and met Victor's gaze.

However, before she could utter a word, the older vampire spoke first.

"Ye had a good time, going down merry ol' memory lane?"

His tone held a hint of amusement.

Antonia just got up swiftly, with a gruff motion, and said sharply: "So, you incited that?"

A little, cold yet nostalgic chuckle escaped Victor's lips. "Just like I incite many things."

"Like death and destruction?", Antonia said brusquely to which Victor simply scoffed and replied: "Please, you brought this on yourself. You cannot simply stake me and then expect me to, what, let it go? No, no, my dear. That is not an option."

"Then why am I still alive, Victor?", Antonia responded and crossed her arms as she continued, "You had a good trip down memory lane, as well?"

To that, Victor's piercing gaze swiftly shifted towards her, hardening with an unyielding resolve as he uttered, "Those memories, they tend to intertwine and blur over the expanse of centuries."

A flicker of defiance danced in Antonia's eyes as she closed in on him, her voice laced with accusation, "That, my old friend, is a falsehood. Your memory remains as sharp as ever, and I know it. I remember the night you turned me, James by our side. But as soon as our transformation was complete, you abandoned Timothy and me. Almost a century and a half later, you saunter back into our lives, masquerading as a comrade during the chaos of World War II, only to betray us and slaughter most of my loyal squad. And now, after over two centuries, you resurface, shrouded in malicious intentions as always, concealing your true supernatural identity. I am still standing here, alive, contemplating your true motive, while you, Victor, remain indecisive about everything. But I have come to realize one undeniable truth."

Victor's countenance remained stoic, devoid of any discernible emotion, yet his eyes betrayed a glimmer of glassy intensity as he coldly inquired, "And what truth might that be?"

Antonia continued. "You've been indecisive your whole live. You're older than me, right? But how old? I suppose, old enough to grow quite bored with life, with anything, so you turn everything - no matter how cruel - into a game. You don't know what to do with yourself, Victor, you might just kill yourself."