Crimson Bonds

Options

A few hours go by in silence, everyone lost in their own thoughts. The road stretches endlessly ahead, as if we're caught in a liminal space between the past I'm leaving behind and the uncertain future ahead. There's a strange comfort in the hum of the car engine, the rhythmic blur of the world outside the window, but the conversation we just had lingers like a shadow I can't shake.

I'm not just thinking about becoming a vampire anymore. I'm seriously considering it.

The idea doesn't feel as impossible as it did a few hours ago. It doesn't feel like some horrifying, distant option. It feels real now, close, and that thought settles deep in my chest, a mix of fear and control that I didn't expect.

Dante's right. Lila's right. Nikolai's right. If I don't decide soon, someone else will. But choosing this, embracing it, means accepting that I'll never be the person I was again.

As we continue down the empty highway, I find myself glancing at each of them, trying to see who they are beneath the layers of darkness and centuries of existence. Could I become like them? Would I lose everything that makes me me?

Dante's steady focus on the road is as unshakable as ever. He's a leader, a protector, but he's also weighed down by centuries of responsibility. Lila, with her quiet compassion, is proof that immortality doesn't strip away kindness or empathy, but I wonder how much she's lost over the years. And Nikolai—chaotic, carefree Nikolai—he's the one who revels in it, but even he has scars buried beneath the smirks and sarcastic comments.

What kind of vampire would I be? Would I be someone who fights to protect what's left of my humanity, or would I lose myself in the power, like the rogues or Selene?

"Still thinking about it, aren't you?" Nikolai says, breaking the silence. He's looking at me over his shoulder, that familiar smirk playing on his lips.

I can't help but sigh. "Do you ever stop watching people?"

"Nope," he replies easily, shrugging. "It's one of the perks of being me."

"Don't listen to him," Lila says gently, her hand brushing my arm in a comforting gesture. "This is your choice, Olivia. Don't let anyone pressure you into it."

I give her a small, grateful smile, but the truth is, I do feel pressured—not by them, at least. It's the weight of the situation that's forcing my hand. "It doesn't feel like my choice," I say softly.

"I think you're overthinking it," Nikolai chimes in, leaning back casually. "It's pretty simple, really. You either stay human and let them come for you—or you join us and turn the tables."

"Nikolai," Dante warns, his voice low, but Nikolai waves him off.

"What? I'm just laying out the options."

I roll my eyes, but there's a truth in what he's saying. It really does come down to survival. That's what this choice has always been about.

"How long did you think about it?" I ask, surprising myself. The question is directed at all of them, though I'm not sure who will answer.

Dante's hands tighten on the steering wheel, but it's Lila who speaks first. "I didn't think about it for long. I didn't have much of a choice... I was dying. Becoming a vampire was the only way to survive."

I blink, taken aback by the raw honesty in her words. "I'm sorry," I whisper.

Lila shakes her head, her expression soft. "Don't be. I've had a long time to accept it. And I've found ways to hold on to who I am. But it wasn't easy, especially at first."

I look at her, really look at her, and I can see the depth of what she's saying. Becoming a vampire didn't erase her humanity, but it changed everything about how she exists in the world. I wonder if I'd have that kind of strength.