The Sun's Awakening

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Speak. Tell us about the voices inside her. Tell us how to fight them." Oxin demanded the captive vampire, who was in no position to bargain or conceal valuable information that may help them save Ele.

Kaanan rose to his feet only to lean back against the cold stone wall, a sardonic smile curling his lips. His eyes, dark and unfathomable, glinted with an unsettling mask of amusement. "You think you can simply fight them? They are insidious beings beyond our comprehension, weaving their way into the very fabric of one's soul. To destroy them would require killing their host... And even then, they'd find a way to return."

Voice taut with frustration, Roman questioned him next. "Then tell us what they want. You know them best, if they get whatever they're after, will they leave her alone?"

Kaanan looked down. "You don't understand, do you? The demons feed on fear, doubt, and anger. The more she struggles, the stronger they become. She's their favorite kind of vessel... Desperate. They never revealed their end game to me, I only saw glimpses of it."

"And once they achieve their grand plan, what then? I refuse to think they'll stay in her forever as a walking puppet. You loved her once too, what aren't you telling us?"

Silence fell. Crickets chirped outside the cave, the sound carrying down the chamber. Roman hardly heard them as his stare bore down on his cousin, refusing to be the one who spoke first. He'd waste as much time as war allowed if it meant finding a way to save her.

"I remember one thing." Kaanan grimaced, trying to push away the memories he'd rather forget of the time they inhabited his mind. Then he cracked a smile and the facade of a tortured soul melted away. He bared his fangs as he rushed towards the bars to snarl, "They told me you would try to steal her away from me. When I emerged, I thought they were merely getting under my skin and tormenting me. But here we are. You got the girl and now you expect me to help you?"

Oxin and Roman exchanged a silent look, acknowledging that this interrogation had reached its futile end. Without granting Kaanan another moment of their attention, they turned their backs on him. They left him to languish in his chains, knowing that one day those unforgiving shackles would be the only things left to embrace his lifeless body. The air in the dungeon grew still; the echo of their footsteps fading to nothingness marked the inevitability of Kaanan's fate.

Kaanan waited, listening intently as their footfalls faded, replaced by the chorus of crickets and toads. The time had come. Summoning the remnants of the dragon's blood coursing through his veins, he flexed his muscles, feeling the raw power surge within him. The iron cuffs that bound him snapped like twigs under his grasp, clattering to the floor.

A feral grin spread across Kaanan's face as he stood, feeling the intoxicating strength that made him nearly invincible. The blood of the dragon– Stolen in a callous act during the battle from one of the downed and dying beasts. It granted him a fleeting but formidable power. He would bide his time and strike behind their lines when they least expected it. 

For now, he had the advantage and intended to make the most of it. He reached around the bars and yanked the lock free from the door, which slid open with an exaggerated creak from the rusted hinges. 

The shadows embraced him, a predator on the prowl, ready to unleash his wrath upon the unsuspecting kingdom. Even as the rush of strength coursed through him, a conflict brewed within. One he least expected given the circumstances.

Two paths stretched before him, each laden with its own promises and perils. The satyroid ruler, Oxin, stood as a symbol of the kingdom's unity. Eliminating him would plunge the kingdom into disarray, tearing apart the fragile alliances that held their enemies at bay. Kaanan's lips curled into a sinister smile at the thought. The chaos that would ensue would be the end to all the council's foes.