The Immortals

SIXTEEN - Abduction And Revelations

Alice awoke in a jolt, her senses immediately on high alert. She sat up abruptly, her eyes darting around the unfamiliar surroundings. This was not her bed, nor her room. Panic began to surge through her veins.

Frantically, she scanned the room, desperately searching for any signs of another presence, but it was empty. And then, the realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

Sam... Oh, Sam... A wave of sorrow washed over her, tightening her throat. Her loyal colleague and partner for years, now gone. The memory of that man brutally tearing out Sam's throat replayed in her mind, haunting her every thought. It was the last thing she remembered after crashing to the ground, before her vision faded to black. How could she be here now, in this unfamiliar apartment? How had this become her reality?

Her gaze darted across the room until it landed upon a door. It beckoned to her, promising escape. There was no time to waste. With swift determination, she rose to her feet and hurried towards the exit. However, as her trembling hand reached for the doorknob, doubt gripped her tightly. The vivid images of Sam's tragic demise flooded her mind once more, filling her with fear and anger.

Just as she hesitated, the door swung open, causing her to recoil in shock. Standing before her was the woman she remembered from that fateful night. The woman who had been stabbed with a wooden stake, only to miraculously heal before her eyes. Alice took a few steps back, her mind spinning with disbelief.

The woman raised her hands in a placating gesture, her voice calm and soothing. "I mean you no harm. I brought you here."

Alice remained speechless, grappling with the staggering reality of it all. Was any of this real? Or was it merely a manifestation of her unraveling sanity, a twisted dream she couldn't escape? The chaos in her mind made it impossible to think clearly.

Undeterred, the woman spoke softly, her words laced with sincerity. "Come, I want to help you."

Alice stood at a crossroads, uncertain if she should trust this enigmatic woman. The world had become a labyrinth of uncertainty, and she was left to navigate its treacherous path alone.

After several seconds passed, Alice finally managed to find some semblance of composure within herself. As much as she did not believe in such supernatural abilities, she knew that she had to accept them and move forward. If nothing else, these strange circumstances would provide the answer to all her questions, so long as she obeyed this woman.

"Okay... All right", she uttered under her breath and slowly took some steps back until she reached the couch and let herself sink on it.

Her eyes darted back and forth between the stranger and the doorway leading back into the unknown. After a short period of hesitation, she asked, "What's your name?"

A gentle smile graced the woman's lips as she extended an introduction. "My name is Antonia Grandel. And I..."

"Antonia Grandel?" Alice repeated in a hushed tone, her voice cutting through the woman's sentence. A glimmer of recognition flickered in Alice's eyes, causing her to pause.

Confirming Alice's suspicions with a subtle nod, Antonia observed her closely, waiting for the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place.

A wooden stake, mysterious healing abilities, an otherworldly strength, men capable of tearing out people's throats... Then, the old photographs with the same person in it and the same names on notes, coming from different centuries.

"V - Vampires," Alice breathed, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes widening in disbelief as the truth began to unravel before her.

Antonia nodded again, her smile softening into a sad frown, her eyes reflecting the emotion in Alice's voice as they gazed upon her.