Daniel dire teenage vampire hunter extraordinaire

Chapter 25: Betrayal in the shadows

Daniel Dire sat in the shadows of the old library, his mind racing with the events of the past few days. The victory over Sandra Jussy had been hard-fought and costly, but he knew the war was far from over. He had barely had time to recover when new information reached him, and it sent a chill down his spine.
Benny, his best friend and the "guy in the chair," was supposed to meet him there to discuss their next move. Benny was always punctual, but tonight, he was late. Daniel's unease grew with each passing minute.
Suddenly, the large wooden doors creaked open, and Daniel turned, expecting to see Benny's familiar face.
Instead, a tall, imposing figure stepped into the dim light-Dracula. His presence was overwhelming, the air seemed to thicken with his mere arrival.

"Looking for your friend, Daniel?" Dracula's voice was a silky whisper, yet it echoed through the empty library.
Daniel's heart pounded in his chest.
"What have you done with Benny?" he demanded, stepping forward, his fists clenched.
Dracula smiled, a cold, cruel smile. "Ah, Benny. Such a clever boy. He figured out more than I expected. Too bad for him, really."
Before Daniel could react, Dracula snapped his fingers. Benny stumbled into the light, his eyes vacant and his skin pale. He was a vampire.
"No!" Daniel shouted, his voice breaking with anguish.
"Yes," Dracula hissed. "I turned him.
And now, watch what happens next."

With a swift motion, Dracula threw Benny towards the windows, shattering the glass. Benny's body tumbled through the air and landed on the library's rooftop, bathed in the early morning sun. His scream of agony was brief before he disintegrated into ashes.
Daniel's eyes widened in horror and grief. He turned back to Dracula, fury blazing in his eyes. "You'll pay for this!"
Dracula merely laughed. "You think you can defeat me, boy? You're nothing compared to my power."
Without another word, Daniel launched himself at Dracula, superhuman strength fueling his attack. But Dracula was ready. With inhuman speed and precision, he parried Daniel's blows, striking back with devastating force.
Daniel felt every impact like a hammer against his bones. His regeneration was slow, too slow to keep up with the onslaught.

Dracula's eyes glowed with madness and delight. "Your parents thought they could stop me too. Look where that got them."
The mention of his parents ignited a final surge of determination in Daniel.
He struck out with everything he had, landing a blow that momentarily staggered Dracula. But it wasn't enough. Dracula recovered instantly, grabbing Daniel by the throat and lifting him off the ground.
"You are no match for me," Dracula snarled. "This ends now."
With a final, bone-crushing squeeze, Dracula threw Daniel across the room.
Daniel's body slammed into a bookshelf, collapsing it. Pain wracked his body as darkness threatened to take him.

"Know this, Daniel Dire," Dracula said, his voice echoing in Daniel's fading consciousness. "You will never win.
This town, this world, will belong to me."
As Dracula's footsteps faded into the distance, Daniel lay amidst the wreckage, struggling to remain conscious, but he knew he had to rise again, for Benny, for his parents, and for the town that depended on him.