Crimson Bonds

Chapter 38: The Council's Divide

The Council's chambers were a battlefield in all but name. The tension in the air was palpable, each elder entrenched in their position, their voices rising and clashing like thunder in the distance. Draven, the ancient vampire elder, stood at the center of the storm, his voice cutting through the chaos with icy precision.

"We cannot afford to wait any longer," Draven declared, his eyes narrowing at Elara. "The human hunters are growing bolder with every day that passes, and now with the Leviathans' influence creeping into our world, we're on the edge of destruction. If we don't take drastic measures now, we will all fall."

Elara, seated across from him, remained calm despite the venom in Draven's words. "Drastic measures are exactly what we need to avoid," she countered, her voice steady and measured. "We're dealing with forces we barely understand. Unleashing more power will only escalate the chaos. We need to guide Babe-he is the key to controlling the situation, not igniting it."

Babe, who had been standing quietly at the back of the chamber, felt a chill run down his spine at the mention of his name. He wasn't sure what bothered him more-the Council's willingness to treat him like a weapon, or the gnawing feeling in his gut that his power was growing far beyond his control.

Billy stood beside him, his posture tense, ready to intervene if necessary. He had never trusted the Council's motives entirely, especially not Draven's. The vampire elder had always been too eager to use force to maintain control, and that made Billy uneasy.

"You expect us to sit on our hands while the Leviathans' influence spreads?" Draven shot back, his gaze sweeping the room, daring anyone to challenge him. "We should be strengthening our defenses, not coddling a witch whose powers could tip the scales in either direction."

Babe's fingers twitched at Draven's words. It was always the same-whenever his blood magic was mentioned, it was with fear, mistrust, or outright disdain. He hated that they saw him as nothing more than a walking catastrophe waiting to happen. He hated that, in some ways, he feared they might be right.

But Elara's calm voice broke through the storm of his thoughts. "Babe has shown more control over his powers than anyone expected. He's not a threat, Draven. He's our best hope to understand the prophecy and prevent the Leviathans from breaking free."

Draven's lip curled. "And if he loses control? What then? Do we wait until he taps into the Leviathans' power and it's too late to stop him?"

Babe's chest tightened. The truth was, he wasn't entirely sure he could control it. Not anymore. Ever since Chalida had revealed the full scope of his bloodline's involvement with the Leviathans, something inside him had shifted. He could feel it, an undercurrent of dark energy woven into his magic, whispering at the edges of his consciousness. It was like a shadow lurking just beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to pull him under.

And the more he used his blood magic, the louder those whispers became.

"I won't let that happen," Babe said quietly, but with more conviction than he felt. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to him.

Elara gave him an encouraging nod, but Draven's gaze remained cold, calculating. "For your sake, and for all of ours, I hope you're right."

As the Council meeting dragged on, the divide between the elders became more apparent. Kael, the werewolf Alpha, remained mostly neutral, concerned more with protecting his pack than getting involved in the politics of the Council. Anya, the Siren Queen, watched with a calculating gleam in her eyes, clearly weighing her options. She had always been the diplomat, but Babe knew better than to trust her completely.

By the time the meeting adjourned, the tension in the room had reached a breaking point. Factions were forming-those who believed in Draven's aggressive approach, and those who sided with Elara's more cautious stance. But even as they left the chamber, Babe could feel that the Council's internal strife was far from over.

Billy placed a hand on his shoulder as they stepped into the cool night air. "You okay, Tofu?"

Babe nodded, though his mind was racing. "I just... I don't know if I can do this, Mumu. Every time I think I'm getting a handle on my powers, something else comes up-something darker."

Billy's expression softened. "You're not alone in this. We'll figure it out. We always do."

But even as he said the words, Babe could feel the dark energy stirring within him again. He clenched his fists, willing it to stay under control, but it was like trying to hold back a flood with nothing but his bare hands.

Later that night, Babe found himself sitting in front of the ancient text Chalida had left behind. The words danced across the page, filled with cryptic phrases and prophetic warnings about the Blood Moon, the Leviathans, and the fate of the supernatural world. He ran his fingers over a passage that had caught his eye earlier:

"When blood calls to blood, the Ancient Ones shall stir."

The words sent a shiver down his spine. What did it mean? Was his blood magic somehow connected to the Leviathans? Was he the reason their influence was spreading? The more he thought about it, the more the pieces started to fall into place, and the realization left him cold.

He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing, but the dark energy inside him surged, unbidden. Before he could stop it, his magic flared to life, crimson tendrils snaking through the air around him. He gasped, his hands trembling as he tried to pull it back, but the power was too strong, too wild.

And then he felt it-a pulse of something dark and ancient, something that didn't belong in this world. It slithered through his veins, coiling around his magic like a serpent, whispering promises of power and destruction.

"No..." Babe whispered, his voice shaking. "This isn't what I want."

But the dark energy didn't care. It writhed and twisted, threatening to consume him, to drag him down into the abyss where the Leviathans waited. He could feel their presence, distant but growing stronger, feeding off the power he was unknowingly channeling.

Desperate, Babe slammed his hands down on the text, pouring all his will into stopping the flow of magic. It took everything he had, but slowly, the tendrils of blood magic began to recede, leaving him shaken and breathless.

Billy burst into the room moments later, his eyes wide with alarm. "Babe! What happened? I felt-"

"I'm fine," Babe said quickly, though his voice was still trembling. "It's... it's nothing."

Billy didn't look convinced, but he knelt beside him, his hands resting on Babe's shoulders. "This is about more than just your magic, isn't it?"

Babe nodded slowly, his heart still racing. "I think... I think I'm tapping into something else. Something connected to the Leviathans. I don't know how to stop it, Billy."

Billy's jaw tightened. "Then we'll find a way. Whatever this is, we'll stop it before it gets worse. I'm not letting you go through this alone, Tofu."

Babe gave him a weak smile, but inside, the fear gnawed at him. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold the darkness at bay. And if he lost control... he wasn't sure anyone could stop what would come next.