Book I: Near Death Experience (18+) ✔️

Epilogue

Elijah winced as the needle pierced his skin, the cold metal biting into his flesh. A momentary shiver ran down his spine as the contents of the syringe flowed into his bloodstream, like a clandestine messenger delivering an unknown payload. The room seemed to blur and pulse, and his senses weakened as the mysterious substance took hold.

"No...NO!", Elijah's anguished scream echoed through the space, a desperate plea for release from the unfolding nightmare. The room seemed to vibrate with tension as Knox, the embodiment of malevolence, revelled in the chaos he orchestrated. The air crackled with suppressed energy, the aftermath of Elijah's futile struggle against an unseen force.

As Knox stood back with a twisted satisfaction, a burst of cruel laughter escaping his lips, I observed the scene with a heavy heart. The room bore witness to a clash of powers, an uneven battle where one's abilities were rendered obsolete. Elijah, once formidable, now knelt defenceless, his magical prowess nullified by the insidious substance coursing through his veins.

The cold, dark ambiance of the space served as a backdrop to this sinister display. Elijah's descent to his knees marked not only a physical defeat but a symbolic surrender to the malevolent forces at play. Knox, a puppeteer of sorts, revelled in his triumph, a predatory glint in his eyes as he closed the distance to the fallen man.

"Power hungry filth", Knox sneered as he sent the swift, brutal punch Knox delivered resonated through the room, a sickening thud as flesh met stone. Elijah's body arced through the air, a puppet tossed aside by an indifferent puppeteer. The collision with the unforgiving stone wall added a cruel finality to his torment.

The surge of anger coursing through my veins fueled each deliberate step toward the fallen Elijah. The atmosphere thickened with an unspoken rage, a visceral response to the betrayal that unfolded before me. As I approached, a sense of determination radiated from my every movement, a resolute force seeking retribution for the crimes committed against our beloved.

With a controlled yet forceful motion, my boot connected with Elijah's stomach, a swift and punishing blow. The impact echoed through the room, a physical manifestation of the pent-up frustration and fury. Elijah, once considered a friend and family, had twisted those bonds into weapons against us. The pain inflicted upon him was not only a reprisal for his actions but a desperate attempt to restore justice to the disrupted equilibrium of our shared history.

His powerlessness mirrored the depths of the betrayal, the stark contrast between the formidable force he once represented and the broken, defeated figure now at my feet. The lines between friend and foe blurred, and the dichotomy of emotions intensified as I grappled with the betrayal of someone who had once been an ally.

Memories of shared laughter and camaraderie clashed with the harsh reality of Elijah's transgressions. He had not only taken our beloved but had attempted to extinguish her very essence. The question echoed in my mind, cutting through the pulsating anger – for what? What motivated Elijah to betray the bonds of friendship and family? Was it an insatiable thirst for power that drove him to such extremes?

Knox's hushed interruption pulled me away from the relentless onslaught on Elijah's abdomen. The room, once filled with the cacophony of struggle, fell into an eerie silence. His question hung in the air, a disquieting prelude to an unexpected revelation.

"Wait..." Knox spoke quietly, making me stop my insisting blows to Elijah's abdomen. He looked behind us as he asked me, "Do you hear that?"

As I ceased my actions, my attention shifted towards Knox, his gaze fixed on something beyond our immediate focus. His inquiry about a distant sound registered, but before I could respond, my eyes followed his line of sight to Adelaide.