Bloodlines Legacy Arc 1 Eternal Night

Chapter 23: Under Pressure

The air inside the warehouse was thick with tension. Sergei paced back and forth, his boots slamming against the concrete floor, each step harder than the last. His fists clenched at his sides, and without warning, he grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it across the room, sending it crashing into the wall. Papers scattered, monitors flickered, and the sound of smashing glass echoed through the space."This is all your fault!" Sergei's voice boomed as the others began to enter, his eyes locked on Hugo. "You were supposed to keep an eye on things! You fucked up!"Hugo barely had a chance to react before Sergei turned his rage on Lucian. "And you, Lucian! You always act like you've got everything under control, but look at where we are! A fucking mayor died, Ivan imprisoned, and we have no answers!"Lucian's jaw clenched, but he didn't speak. Instead, he held Sergei's gaze, his muscles tensing beneath his shirt.Sora and Violet exchanged glances, already sensing that things were spiraling out of control. Violet stepped forward, trying to keep her voice calm. "Sergei, this isn't helping. We need to—"But Sergei wasn't listening. His eyes flared with rage as he stormed toward Hugo. "Do you even care that we're on the brink of war? That every second we waste is another second we're closer to being exposed?"Before anyone could intervene, Sergei swung his fist, hitting Hugo square in the chest. The force of the blow sent Hugo flying across the room, crashing into the far wall with a sickening thud. Dust and debris fell around him as he slumped to the ground, groaning in pain.Lucian snapped. He lunged at Sergei from behind, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him into the air before slamming him down hard enough to crack the concrete floor. The ground trembled under the impact. Without hesitation, Lucian

straddled Sergei and began throwing punches—each hit landing with bone-crushing force.Blow after blow, Lucian pounded his fists into Sergei's ribs and head. "You want to talk about control, Sergei?" Lucian growled between punches. "You've lost your shit!"Sergei's anger only fueled his strength. With a feral snarl, he shoved Lucian off and rolled to his feet. In a blur of motion, he rushed at Lucian, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground. Lucian's hands clawed at Sergei's iron grip as his feet dangled above the floor, gasping for air.Sora and Violet, frozen in shock at first, finally snapped into action. They rushed forward, both grabbing hold of Sergei and prying him off Lucian with all their combined strength. Sergei struggled, but the two women managed to pin him to the ground, forcing him to stay still."Stop this!" Violet shouted, her voice cracking with urgency. "Calm the fuck down, Sergei!"For a moment, Sergei's chest heaved with rage, his eyes wild, but then he stopped struggling. The fire in his eyes dulled, and he let out a ragged breath.The warehouse fell into a heavy silence. The table where they usually met was shattered, computers and monitors lay in pieces on the floor, and blood from their wounds spattered the walls. The three men sat, bruised and battered, their bodies already healing at incredible speeds, but the emotional wounds cut deeper.Violet broke the silence. "Now is not the time to turn on each other," she said, her voice steady but firm. "We're running out of time. We need to work together and figure out who the hell is behind this."Sora nodded in agreement. "If we keep tearing each other apart, we're fucked. We'll never get to the truth."Sergei sat on the floor, his head hanging low as he caught his breath. His voice was quieter now, tinged with exhaustion. "I just... I don't know who to trust anymore."

Violet looked around the room, taking in the wreckage around them. "We will find the truth. And when we do, we'll take those bastards down."

Across town, Cedric Blackthorne sat in the quiet of his study, the fire casting long shadows on the walls.He leaned back in his chair, the phone pressed to his ear. His face was set in a deep frown, tension thick in his voice. "How long will this shit continue?"The voice on the other end was calm, almost amused. "It will go on as long as I need it to. Remember, Cedric, you may hold some power now, but I can make you irrelevant faster than you fucking realize. Don't forget who's really in charge."Cedric clenched his fist, staring at the flames in the fireplace. His grip on the phone tightened as the voice on the other end chuckled softly before the line went dead.