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EIGHTEEN, You will burn eternally
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JUNPEI HADN'T LEFT his sister's side since he had cradled her in his arms and brought her back to one of Klaus's hideouts. Not Alaric's apartment. Somewhere safer. Far away from the chaos just until it was time, which there wasn't much of. He only had little of it— a short amount to convince Himari to do this ritual. And if she's as stubborn as he remembered her to be, then it was going to be difficult. It's why he was here. To persuade. Because if there was any sense of family left in her, she'd do it. Despite the anger and duty to their ancestors. She'd do it because she still loved him. He was counting on it. His life was counting on it.
Klaus made sure that if he didn't survive tonight, neither would Junpei. It was to make sure Himari lost even if Klaus wouldn't be there to see it.
Truth was, there were no winners besides Klaus. Everybody else involved was damned to carry grief, to deal with the anger after it was all over, to let the feeling of defeat settle. There was no point in trying to fight— and Junpei had tried. For centuries. Since the moment he got turned, he fought to break whatever this bond was between him and Klaus so he could find Himari and explain to her that everything he's done was out of his control— that he didn't mean it. The countless of dead bodies, the blood spilled in the name of hunger. It wasn't his fault.
But every time, he failed. The shame and guilt had brought him to his knees begging for forgiveness— for a chance to redo all he has done. It brought him back to Klaus. A man who'd justify the monster Junpei had become. Said that his hunger was natural. Instinct.
It wasn't true. It couldn't be. The thirst he had wasn't normal. It was feral and torturous to the point where he couldn't stop himself. It was too much. Ugly and disgusting.
He knew when Himari found out of everything he's done— of what he's become— she'd never look at him the same. And he wasn't sure if he could handle it.
