DREGOR IN DISTRESS: THE PROPHECY (THE SAGA OF BLOOD SCAR SERIES)

Chapter 5: "Heartbeat of fear"

I burst out of the cabinet, knife aimed at Lazarus's throat. But he was too quick, catching me before I could strike. His grip was like a vice, his eyes blazing with fury.

"How dare you come to my room?" he snarled, his voice low and menacing.

"A filthy animal like you doesn't deserve to live," I spat back, struggling against his hold.

He sneered, raising his sword. "I thought to keep you alive for Orlando's sake, but you keep wanting to die, bitch."

I dodged and weaved, avoiding the deadly swishes of his sword while pushing the young boy to safety. But Lazarus was too strong, grabbing my hair and yanking me back. I winced in pain as he slammed me to the floor, my arm twisting at an awkward angle.

As I lay there, I summoned all my strength and kicked his leg with a fierce cry. He stumbled, falling on top of me. In that moment, I plunged the table knife into his throat, the cut slow and deliberate.

Blood gushed out, warm and sticky, as I trembled with rage and fear. This was my first kill, and it felt both empowering and terrifying. I leaned in close, my voice a whisper in his ear.

"I am Thanea Vivian Celestino of Volkier Clan, and I am the one who slit your throat. Remember it while you rot in hell."

With a final push, I rolled him off me, his lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling. I stood, my heart racing, my soul forever changed.

I heard the guards approaching, their footsteps echoing outside the room. Panic set in - I had to escape, and fast. I grabbed the trembling boy, my mind racing with uncertainty. If I stayed, I'd be caught, but if I fled, I might make it out alive.

Just as the door knob twisted, a strange, black smoke enveloped the room, blinding everything. I could see through it, but the darkness was palpable, like a living entity. I seized the opportunity, hoisting the boy onto my back and making a break for the window.

We climbed out, my hands and feet finding holds in the concrete as we descended. The darkness followed us, billowing out the window like a dark cloud. I finally dared a glance back, seeing Lazarus's lifeless body with a mix of satisfaction and horror.

We made it to the room below, a storage area filled with dusty crates and cobwebs. The boy's tears subsided, and he looked up at me with scared, yet determined eyes. "I'm a servant's son," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I know how to find my mother from here."

My heart swelled with relief and gratitude. I smiled, trying to reassure him. "You're safe now. Go to your mother, and stay with elders until you're grown." He nodded, his tiny fingers wrapping around mine. "I won't tell anyone about..." he began, his voice barely audible.

I chuckled, my eyes welling up with tears. "You're safe, little one. Go."

With a final nod, he scampered off, disappearing into the shadows. I watched him go, my heart heavy with the weight of what had just happened. I had killed a man, but I had also saved a child. The darkness still lingered, a reminder of the strange, inexplicable events that had unfolded. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead. I had to keep moving, had to keep fighting. For myself, and for those like that young boy, who deserved to be safe.

I gazed down at my blood-soaked clothes, feeling a wave of suffocation wash over me. The weight of what I'd done crashed down on me, but I knew I couldn't afford to be caught in this state. I waited until the dead of night, listening to the guards' murmurs and footsteps as they discovered the body. My heart raced with every creak and groan of the old storage room.

I wrapped myself in a dusty sheet, my eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. The silence was oppressive, and I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. Was it Orlando's spy, or just my paranoid imagination? I moved swiftly and silently, my bare feet carrying me back to the safety of my room.