Poison: Origin

I was aware that I had become fully conscious, I could move all my body, yet my head felt unusually drowsy. It bobbed from side in futile attempts to control the fatigue. I was placed on the floor, and my hands tied tightly behind my back, I could tell that much. In front of me, I could vaguely make out a silhouette opposite to me. My eyes closed but my sense of time seemed be alter, because when I opened them the silhouette vanished completely. I slipped in and out of consciousness each time I awoke for a brief moment a different silhouette stood before me. A blinding light was set behind where the people stood making their face impossible to see.

I lost consciousness once again, but this time it was so relaxing, even when awoke I didn't open my eyes. As I slipped in and out, I heard a beautiful sound - a voice singing. So beautiful, it lulled me to sleep once again. My eyes drowsed one final time before I was suddenly jolted awake with realization. I recognized that song. It was the very same that had caused Leon to leave the opera house that night. Still a bit sleepy, I tried to stand over the light in front of me to find the source of the music only to be pushed down by an invisible pressure on my chest. I instantly fell back.

Suddenly I heard a sharp giggling coming from near me. I turned and saw a girl's silhouette standing before the light. Though my vision was still fuzzy, it didn't look like anyone I knew. Then the light behind her just was just simply turned off. Now my vision began to clear, and the drowsiness began to fade. I still wanted to sleep but I had to find out had happened, either moments, or hours before depending on how much time I had been unconscious. Finally my vision began to clear and the person in front of me became clear. The music stopped.

She was very familiar. I knew her, but I hadn't seen her in such a long time. She stood there with a welcoming smile on her lips and her golden eyes staring playfully at me. I inhaled sharply at the shock of seeing this person involved in all of this. It wasn't possible, it couldn't. I tried to get up again, but as I stood there was a sudden pressure on my chest that pulled me back onto the floor. The pressure stayed there keeping me from making any moves.

My lungs burned from the pressure, and my eyes stung from them trying to adjust to the new lighting. I stayed still, hoping that if I did, maybe I would wake. During all this, she simply stood there smiling - probably waiting for my reaction. Finally, I breathed out her name, and she giggled; an abnormal laughter.

"Hello baby sister." she said and I knew; this person, this thing couldn't be my sister. "I thought you would be happier to see me." she said with a pout. No. No matter what she looked like, how she acted, that thing wasn't my sister! "Oh don't be so dramatic." she said dismissively seemingly reading my thoughts.

"You. Your dead!" I finally said. I had seen so many therapists and they told me the same thing. Alyssa was dead and she would never coming back.

"Correction baby sister. We were dead, but we were saved." She said as if talking about some religious figure and I was scared. She was talking like a cult member. "We were all saved!" she declared waving a hand over the railing. It was only here that I took my attention away from her to glance at my surroundings.

I was at the opera house. The very same I had come to with Leon. Except I wasn't in the private box. Instead I was on the opposite side, on a balcony over stage. Looking out the window I realized it was after dark. I realized that this was where the lighting crew hid during a performance. The audience seats were empty, with the exception of a few near the front. Six people were strewn about these front seats doing nothing but waiting patiently. It was too dark to make out any of their faces.

"We were given a gift." Alyssa said with admiration. All of them, they were vampires. But what had really hit me hard was the fact that my sister too was a vampire. A born class 1. At this stage she had all but lost her mind; like most born vampires. Unless she accepted treatment of her mental instability, she would have to be eliminated. "Don't be so sad Eli. It's not that bad." she said with a pout.

I wondered why I was crying. I had painfully said goodbye to my sister long ago. I refused to go through it again. I had to repeatedly tell myself that what I saw in front of me wasn't real. A degenerated version of what Alyssa used to be. If it came down to it I knew I would have swallow my pain and take care of what needed to be done. "Come on up everyone! She's awake!" Alyssa yelled down at the people downstairs. In unison their heads all turned up to her.

Less than a second passed by, and all of them somehow just vanished and appeared on the balcony. I couldn't waste a moment to marvel at their impossible speed, because what I saw in front me kept me from thinking clearly. Of the seven people in front of me so many were familiar faces.

Besides Alyssa, there was Emma - who I thought meant me no harm - was there. I had thought, hoped that she would never do anything against me. More shocking still was the presence of my friendly neighbor Mr. Jefferson - whose face was now stoic and cruel, and the presence of the woman who I had seen my father with in Roslyn. Even Mr. Scott, the school janitor and Dr. Westerfield - our family doctor. All of them with identical eyes like liquid amber.

"Solace. " I said recognizing the last person on the line. Alyssa, Emma, Mr. Jefferson, the woman, Mr. Scott, and Dr. Westerfield. Solace was the only person who I didn't have any connection with before.

But when I called him by his name, all of the people in front of me laughed. "Stupid girl." Solace said harshly. I stared at him confused. I thought that was his name. It was the one he gave me.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven." Mr. Scott said quickly counting his fingers. "We are Solace." He corrected while motioning to everyone around him. All of them. They were Solace? Hearing my thoughts they laughed at me again. "You could be a part of Solace too." he said coming up too me. As he came, he scratched his hand on the jagged railing causing blood to spill. Mr. Scott, brought his hand close to my lips.

Realizing what he wanted me to do, I quickly turned away. I don't know exactly why I did that. If I wanted to be with Leon, I would have to do it someday. Even though I still wasn't sure if I wanted to live forever or not. I would have to leave behind everything I had just so I could be with Leon. I guess I just wasn't ready for that yet. But if someday I did change my mind, I would want Leon to be the one who turned me. Not some psychotic group of people.

"No then?" Dr. Westerfield said coming to the head of the group. "It doesn't matter. We don't need her that much." I was in a mild state of shock. Dr. Westerfield. He was my doctor in back in Sacramento. He was the one that fixed my cuts when I was little and treated my fevers. How long had he been this way?

So many people had plotted against me for god knows how long. All these people saw me and lied to my face. And, I believed them. But I wasn't angry at them for some reason. I was more mad at myself for being so stupid. Angry at everyone who had fooled me. "Why? Why are you doing this to me!?" I yelled at all those who conspired against me.

"You?" the woman said surprised. "Don't be so vain honey." she said from the back of the group. If this wasn't about me then who? These were all people that I knew. Emma, my friend, she was here with these kidnappers. She too was Solace. I couldn't understand what that meant. "It's always been about him." she said sitting on the railing. "You just got in the way."

Leon. They couldn't be talking about him. If they took me to lure him here; with all seven of them here, he. . . He wouldn't stand a chance. Sick was the only way to describe what I was feeling. They were here to kill him. These insane people! I had to do something. Anything that would help. I struggled against my bindings until I felt my wrists go raw, but I found myself uselessly tied down. The other just watched my futile attempts at escape.

"Love you he doesn't" my so called friend said causing me to stop struggling. Even when I knew what she was, I still accepted for the person I knew her as. Yet here she was showing me her true self. Trying to hurt me by telling me lies. "Do you wish to know the only reason why he chose you over the rest?"

"Why don't we show her?" Solace said with a hint of malice. "Lets introduce her to Solace." he said when he saw my confused face added, "the original." I froze. They were Solace, this new person was Solace. They were all Solace, but this new person was the first. The one who created them. I didn't want to meet this person. But what I wanted didn't matter as I heard the clicking of heels coming our way in the balcony.

Out of the darkness of the opera house, she appeared. Beautiful beyond belief and graceful like a human gazelle. Waist long hair, darker than ebony and skin like living marble. She possessed the perfect jawline that only so many people had with that flawless angled chin above which a set of full ruby lips lay. Impeccably arched eyebrows sat above eyes of liquid amber. Each of her small facial features complemented each other with sublime symmetry. She was taller than most of the people here, and her heels weren't very high. But I saw it. The resemblance.

She was an older and more beautiful version but I could still see myself in her; more than I could see in my sister, my father, or my mother. As she came closer, there was a steadily growing pain in my left arm. During her approach, I noticed that the other vampires had suddenly disappeared. She came right in front of me and keeled down to my level. Then she spoke. "How did you like my illusions?" she said with a velvety whisper.

It suddenly made sense. She was Solace but all those illusions too were her. A fake created by her to serve her. So essentially they were still Solace. I had only once seen an illusion, but that was Leon's and his was only a weak mute version. Leon could only create one, but here was Solace creating seven at a time. But to create an illusion, you had to drink a victim dry to absorb all their memories. Once again, I began to cry.

All those people, Solace had killed them. Emma, Alyssa, and all the rest. It was her who had caused so much misery in my life. "I thought you would have enjoyed that small sample of my collection." her soft voice said lowly. So she had specifically chosen those people for me to see.

"You killed my sister, and my friend!" I yelled at her. Emma, I loved her so much. Ever since I got here she, like Emily, had become my surrogate sister. It was the death that hit me the hardest since she was the closest to me; besides my sister who I had already come to terms with.

"You're friend? Please." she said after a short laugh. "You only knew me." she revealed to me. Liar! I knew for a fact that the Emma I knew wasn't this psychotic girl. This lunatic. I closed my eyes in defiance. "We remain friends am I right?" I heard so I opened my eyes again. Emma stood before me with a hurt and confused expression. All that time, she lived on as Emma taking on her life, everything. My rage grew.

"You cold hearted bitch!" I said though I knew petty insults would mean nothing to a vampire like her. It was all I could do, and that left me frustrated. My frustrated tears blurred my vision, but I could clearly see as her facial features changed. Her hair got darker and she got shorter. In less than five seconds, she had shifted from Emma to Alyssa.

"Me? Cold?" she laughed like a child before walking off. "I wonder what's taking him" Alyssa pondered aloud while pacing much like she did before when she was worried or in thought. This small habit which now Solace displayed around me. I hoped she was referring to no one I knew. Suddenly, she changed again, back to her original form and stopped pacing. "You're nothing but a cheap knock off of me." Solace said flipping her hair.

For the first time in god knows how long; I felt jealous. Leon seemed to have had a past with this beautiful girl and that infuriated me. I refused to believe that they were once together, because if they were that would only mean they would get back to together now that she was back. Solace in all her beauty could so easily steal him from me without a doubt.

"But I don't blame you." she said with a smile. "It's him. He deserves to suffer for what he's done to me." This time she spoke with a ferocity that made me shiver. "And if that means watching you die. So be it." with that she vanished, and I was alone on the balcony frustrated and confused.

Moments later, I heard the voice again. A soprano singing soothed me enough to think clearly. Looking through a gap, I found Solace alone on the stage singing so hauntingly beautiful it made my heart ache. I had learned that when a vampire kills someone by drinking their blood a part of the victim transfers into the vampire. I just didn't expect to be so literal. Solace was able to recreate my dead sister from the bottom up.

Illusions had always remained a mystery to science, but having a such a close encounter with them I was able to learn. My first encounter with Solace she had taken on the form of a cute Asian boy. But he acted more like an illusion - using 'we' instead of 'I'. Yet, he also retained some of Solace's mannerisms; perhaps a work in progress illusion. I learned based on today, that when her illusions took on the shape of one of her past victims they took on their personality too. They essentially became that person, only that they would have to fade and return to Solace. I would have report I learned to Dr. Redson.

Then I as I replayed the conversation I had with her in my mind I realized something. All these people she had shown me they were all different people from different periods of my life; from early childhood to my teenage years. Had Solace been stalking me? "No not you." said, actually I didn't know his name. Another part of Solace, the cute Asian boy had materialized beside me. A temporary guard most likely.

"Then who?" I asked thinking back to all the people involved in my life she had killed.

"Your bloodline." he said simply. I guess he was as bored as I was since he so casually began conversation with me. "You see blood tastes different for every vampire. So when a vampire finds blood that they particularly like they stay close to it." he said. I really didn't care about what he was saying. He seemed like such a good person, I wondered what he was really like before. He continued without me asking anything. "In your case, her first taste of your bloodline was your sister. Since then she has remained close to your family, taking on different identities to stay nearby." I had a vampire stalker for a good part of my life.

"You were to be her next victim you know. The next addition to her collection once you reached that ripe age, but then out of nowhere, he appeared." once he said this he caught my attention. Solace had already targeted me, so Leon had saved me before we were even together. Beneath us, Solace's singing intensified until it pierced my eardrums. "And she knew he too would see the resemblance and come flocking to you."

"Why?" I cut him off. I wanted to know why he seemingly fell in love with me so quickly, I did too I'll admit. But I wanted to know exactly why; that way I could rule out Solace's ridiculous claims.

"Because he's lost." he explained as if it were the only answer. "Like a prince without a kingdom, he's lost. He's looking for a home." he said before turning towards the stage. I tried asking him what he meant but he didn't reply to any of my questions anymore. I wanted to know, more than ever, what had happened in the past and why Leon didn't tell me.

Suddenly the singing stopped and my guard grabbed me and put a hand over my mouth to keep me from emitting any sound. Just then all the lights in the room turned on. I didn't understand what was going on until I heard a door near the back of the room open. I saw a single person cautiously walking down the aisle. Even in the darkness I knew who this was. Standing down there was Leon who had come to my rescue, alone. Already I knew this would end in disaster.

But things didn't start out as I thought I would. Solace gingerly came down from the stage and gracefully walked over to him. Leon didn't do anything; their lips moved in conversation but Leon didn't do anything. For all I knew, they could just now be introducing themselves. He showed no sign that he recognized her at all, and it made me happy.

Then something strange happened. She kept getting closer, closer to him, and still he didn't do anything. She even went as far as wrapping her arms around his neck, but still he didn't do anything and my fears steadily increased. He wouldn't. They continued talking in the close proximity and I wished I could hear what they were saying. I watched on in horror as she began to lean in; my worst nightmare come alive. Then as if it couldn't get any worse, I saw Leon react. He leaned in too.

I couldn't take it. I brought my head back hard on my gard's causing his grip on me to loosen. Taking this opportunity, I flung myself away from him, and almost over the railing. "STOP!" I yelled at the top of my lungs leaning over the railing. I almost tipped over the edge but my guard caught me by the collar of my shirt and pulled me back on to him. Leon quickly pulled away from Solace. She had other plans in mind as she shoved him away. Again she displayed her superior power as Leon flew back a few yards, skidding before coming to a complete stop on the ground.

"You don't dare leave her here alone do you?" Solace purposely said loud enough for me to hear. Leon looked up at me and seemed shocked by my appearance. Between me and him, stood the mighty Solace in all her glory, but if he didn't come here for me, then why? I was mad, I wished I could have heard their private - and seemingly intimate - conversation more than ever. "Look she's getting frustrated. I think she deserves some answers about us." she said loudly while waving her hands in the air in dramatic gestures. Then as if seeing how ridiculous she looked she began to laugh at herself.

Just over Solace's laughter, just very faintly, I heard a "don't." coming from Leon's muted lips. A steadily forming glare in his eyes slowly shifted towards Solace.

"What was that?" Solace taunted putting a hand to her ear. "I don't think I heard you." she said in her soft voice though her hearing was much better than mine, and she was closer too. Leon didn't respond. Instead his glare intensified and I shivered. Never had I seen him cast that look on anyone. The closest I ever saw was that day when I was in the medical ward at Ragnarok and Ez showed up. Even then, it wasn't to this extent. "Fine then." Solace said as she shrugged her shoulders.

How angry he seemed to be right now, how hot his blood boiled just under his skin he didn't do anything. He took no step towards Solace, if anything he drew back. Just then, I felt a rush of wind beside me and my guard was gone. In his place stood his creator. She then leaned into me till I could feel her breath in my ear. "I am his mother, his master, and his lover. I am his everything."

Mother? Master? Lover? This woman. This beautiful, but horrible, woman was the one who turned Leon into a vampire. The one who stopped his time. Speechless, I turned to look at her but my sister's face stared back me. I had to look away. I couldn't associate my sister's memory with this terrible one. "And I've come to claim whats mine." Solace finished.

I knew there were rules, vampire rules, concerning a vampire and her spawn. So strict were these rules, even the Company's mighty manors bent down to these laws. Dr. Redson was just barely covering the relationships between a newborn and it's creator but something particular stuck out in my mind.

The imprinting. Very much like avian imprinting a 'mother/father' had a special bond with it's 'child'. The 'child' vampire is stricken by a strong desire to please their creators and are conditioned to protect them from any harm. In exchange, the 'mother' vampire must provide a steadily supply of blood to her 'child' to keep their bond strong. Seeing how Leon just stood there showed that even though Leon hadn't had any of her blood in a long time, the strength of the bond he shared with Solace was still strong.

Leon was prevented form harming her because of the imprinting. Then Solace's earlier threat suddenly rung in my ears. 'He deserves to suffer for what he's done to me. . . And if that means watching you die. So be it.' Leon, he couldn't save me. Not from her.

My heart sank and I lowered my head in defeat. Solace would kill me soon, and Leon would be forced to watch. I wondered what fate awaited me soon. Would it be quick? Or would the sadist Solace make me suffer till my last breath? I didn't know, but if it was the second one, I wouldn't go down without a fight.

Solace let out a short chuckle before disappearing again under the stage. In her place she left another illusion of a guard. The same one as before; the one I couldn't name. Once again, Solace began to sing; so rich and beautiful if I closed my eyes I could pretend I was somewhere else. That I wouldn't die soon. Her voice now didn't sound so evil, an angel took her place on stage. My guard - which I had taken to calling him - lifted me up over the railing and I could see everything; the stage, the empty seats, even the box which Leon and me shared that day. Everything within the opera house was within sight, but I couldn't look at Leon. I could imagine his face, and I didn't want to see it. It wold only make feel much worse. My guard made me stand on the other side of the railing where a simple push could plunge me to my death.

"Eli." I made the mistake of looking down, but I realized, the fall wasn't very high. It would hurt, but it wouldn't kill me. Realizing this, a glimmer of hope began to shine in my heart. Perhaps they didn't know that it wouldn't kill me. That way I could fall, and I'm sure Leon would get me! He wasn't too far away, he was closer to where I would be landing than how Solace was. Leon caught on, as he began to step closer still to where I would be landing. I looked at him and smiled slightly. It could work! It could!

I was overjoyed by this small chance. Then I saw Leon's face fall. I didn't understand why until I felt a noose placed around my neck. No, of course they weren't stupid enough to make such a foolish mistake. A short rope would snap my neck before I hit the bottom. Solace continued to sing an angel's choir that was to be my funeral song. With this song as a reminder, at least I would have something nice to listen to before I died.

"Stop!" Leon shouted at the singing Solace. Her song continued, no hit of pause in her breath. "What is it you want!? I'll do anything!" Solace's song was his only response. Then from the back of the audience, out of the shadows, came out Alyssa.

"There isn't anything you could do that will save her now." Alyssa spoke for Solace. "No pleading words will spare her the sealed fate we have chosen." Just she finished those words, the ground fell from under me and I was falling.

Adrenaline caused me to see everything in slow motion. Leon wasted no time in leaping over the orchestra pit for to catch me, though I didn't know what exactly he planned to do when he did. I just hoped that he would save me. I didn't want to die, especially not this way. Just as he cleared the pit - his hand outstretched - just centimeters away from me, Mr. Jefferson appeared within it. Very easily, he reached up and took a hold of Leon's ankle. With effortless grace he tossed him away, just as I felt the noose tighten around my neck.

What happens in those final moments before you die? I didn't see my life flash before my eyes like so many say. Maybe experiences differ from person to person, because I didn't see that white tunnel either. Instead, I felt an ultimate peace. There was no pain, or sorrow. It was like hovering in mid air for a moment in time and gravity didn't exist. All I could hear was the song of Solace echoing in the distance. Then the moment passed and I heard a horrible boom in my ear, and everything went dark.

Dying. I didn't think it would be this way. I felt like I was falling, alone in the darkness. I was aware that I could still feel the wind under me. Was this what everyone feared so much? It wasn't so bad, I thought to myself. But then I came to sudden, and rather painful stop. I landed on my side and I heard something pop. And there I stayed, not moving. Sleep was the only thing I could compare it to.

"You idiot." I heard. Then I opened my eyes and I found that I wasn't dead! Shocked - but very much relieved - I struggled to sit up. I was on the floor of the stage where I had estimated I would fall before the horrific noose was placed around my neck. My whole left side hurt where I had fallen and it hurt to take any deep breaths. Still, the fall had strained the rugged rope around my wrists even more. I could now feel blood trickling from them.

Shortly thereafter, I found that I could move and - afraid of what I might see - hesitantly opened my eyes. My fears proved correct when I could still see the opera house with Solace standing before me with increasingly angering eyes. I struggled to get up and get away to safety. Or at least for a way to cut the ropes that made me practically useless.

Using my legs, I began to push myself away. I knew it was futile, but I didn't want to go down a coward who did nothing. When - if - I looked back on this day, I wanted to know I fought till my last breath. Suffering, and in pain, but fighting none the less. Solace's anger slowly shifted into amusement coming my way. Watching me, she sighed. "I always have to do things myself." she said before reaching down towards me.

I heard a commotion coming from the audience seats, but I didn't dare look away. I feared that if I did, Solace would pounce in the most horrible of ways. I thought on what to do, in those fateful seconds. Like our trainer had taught us, in a position like this, I could always kick her; since my legs were free. But I wondered if it was really wroth it. If I aimed right,and hit her just as she came down, I could quite possibly break her nose. She would instantly heal, and that would be the end of it buying me merely seconds before she was on me again.

I needed a better plan. As my mind raced for any other exit strategies Solace came down again, and I saw the only opportunity I had come up with. However, just as I readied myself, and Solace was merely inches away from me, a loud boom echoed throughout the room. Shortly after, Solace reeled back in pain and all I could do was stare in shock. It was the very same 'boom' I had heard when I had been pushed off the stage balcony. With what I was, I should have recognized that sound as soon as I heard it. Maybe I just wasn't thinking clearly.

I took Solace's moment of weakness, to quickly glance at the audience. A whole new set of people had entered the room. It wasn't the huge rescue squad I expected, but a small thee person unit. Two people weren't familiar, but I recognized Amy among them. Her appearance surprised me since we were technically not 'official' yet, but it quickly passed as I remembered that Amy was the best what she did. That, and that she was our trainer's favorite. Amy would have pleasurable life in the company now that she's set up good connections.

More booms reverberated throughout the room. Bullets hitting Solace from a distant place. With their 'mother' distracted, she couldn't create any more illusions but the ones she had now. At the same time, two of the hunters quickly distracted Mr. Jefferson, and my guard - who had come down from the balcony by now - from defending their creator. Four capable people on our side, and a mystery gunman hidden somewhere, against Solace had two of her illusions. We had the upper hand.

Amy, instead, of making herself useful, came running to the stage - knife in hand - right to were Solace was being pelted by repeated fire. As she was took a small while climbing the stage, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. Instinctively, I began to struggle against them. "Eli! Calm down." I heard, and looked up to see Leon holding me tightly. I instantly relaxed, but as I did this, Leon's arms around me began to suffocate me.

My side hurt horribly. A pulsating throb went down all of my side from chest, all the way down to my hips. Breathing became a labor too as every time I took a deep breath my very lungs burned. I cried out in pain and Leon instantly released me. It was a mistake, to relax my body when it was in such a bad condition.

Amy had come up to us, and quickly began cutting at the ropes binding my hands. She cut it in just a few strokes, but each one sent new shivers of pain up my arm. I resisted the urge to cringe. Once my hands were free, the first thing I did was wrap my arms around Leon's neck and pull him close to me in a hug; despite the pain. Just seconds before I didn't even think I would ever hold him like this again. Now that I was with him, I was happy. I wouldn't let him go as my side burned from the hug. Leon didn't repeat my actions.

I looked up at him in confusion. He looked so . . . . I couldn't even describe it. There was something there, I had never seen before. Anger? Relief perhaps. But most of all, he seemed torn. Between what, I didn't want to find out. Leon put a hand to my face, cupping my cheek. "I didn't think I woul-" Leon began, only for Amy to cut in our intimate moment.

"There's no time for sentiment." she said rather rudely shoving Leon away. I quickly outstretched my hands to break my fall. I looked at Amy in surprise at her frankness. Amy ignored my look as she pulled out needle from her pack. "Nata has only so many bullets." she said before shoving the needle in my arm and releasing the liquid inside. I gasped in surprise rather than pain.

"What do you think you're doing!" Leon immediately said slapping away Amy's hand away pulling out the syringe in the process. I began to feel strange almost immediately. My whole body became numb and relaxed, just like being asleep while being awake. All the pain my body had been previously racked with vanished completely.

"Modified diacetylmorphine it'll ease the pain." she explained using a word I couldn't repeat without hearing it a few times. Slowly. It didn't stop Leon from trying though. "Can you stand?" Amy asked quickly. I nodded feeling no more pain. "Here." she said giving me gun. I could at least defend myself now. "our priority is to get the hell out."

"diacetylmorphine. . . . " Leon said finally able to say it all. "That's Heroin!" he shouted accusingly. Strangely enough, Leon - who hardly followed the law - never really approved of the hunters' heavy use of addicting painkillers for to ease wounds. I don't think he understood that we weren't all as strong as him.

"It's modified!" Amy shot back. Leon didn't have a chance to respond because just as she said that, the heavy fire ceased and everyone in the room froze. I think I was secretly hoping that the fire had ceased because Solace had finally been brought down. But that wasn't the case. There were no more bullets.

Amy nudged me towards the end of the stage. Taking Leon's hand, I brought him with me. The bullets within Solace's body slowly began to retract from her body and fall to the ground in a series of soft 'clinks'. Hundreds, possibly thousands of bullets clinked on to the stage, but Solace still stood with an evil glare on her eyes. Amy and Leon were helping me off the stage when Solace once again came back to life.

She called back her illusions and they quickly vanished. I remember Dr. Redson saying that only the strongest of vampires could make illusions last longer than a few minutes. Judging by what I had seen, Solace could only make seven last for about eleven minutes. Eleven minutes was more than enough time for her to kill all of us if she decided to call out all her illusions.

But as we grouped together, Solace didn't call up her illusions like I had expected. Instead she began to sing. Rich and silky, her voice nearly made me forget the evil person behind it. It was only a few notes long, before she quickly finished with a dramatic high pitch that echoed in the empty room. Immediately after a fire sprouted from the darkness of the opera house. The abnormally fast flame consumed the velvet seats, and curtains that decorated the walls in a matter of seconds.

"We have to get out of here!" one of the unfamiliar hunters said, holding up the other female hunter; a severe gash across her chest. I hadn't noticed things were going so badly, but by the seemingly painless look on her face she had taken a hit of diacetylmorphine too.

The building burned, while we were inside it. If we didn't get out soon, we would either suffocate with the smoke, or burn with the building. A split decision was made, and while Solace stood with a smile on her face on the stage - the whole stage ablaze - waiting.

"You guys go on ahead." Leon said just as we were about to leave. Smoke was beginning to cloud my lungs; a clear indicator that we should leave. Everyone else did as he said as they moved up the isle - avoiding the blazing fire as they went. I remained however, a bit hesitant to leave him alone against Solace. "I'll catch up." he told me with gentle smile that I knew he was lying.

"No!" I said defiantly holding him tighter. After all this, I wouldn't run and hide while his life was at risk. I would do everything in my power to bring him back to the home we had built at Ragnarok. With my parents house in shambles, he was the only welcoming thing in life right now. "Where ever you go, I go too!" I said gripping tightly onto the gun had forgotten til this point. I would get out of this hell alive, and I'd bring Leon with me.

Leon looked back to an awaiting Solace, then back at me. It was clear to me now that Solace was waiting to get Leon in private; who knows for what. "Alright, we leave together then." he said and I was happy. Now all we would have to do was escape Solace.

A crack was heard above us, as a beam fell from the ceiling. Leon wasted no time in lifting me up and quickly moving away from the falling beam. Leon, pinned me down on the ground in the wake of the beam. With the isle blocked, the only way out was to go through the seats around the debris. The others had left the building by this point, I don't think they had noticed I hadn't followed.

"How sentimental." both me and Leon looked up at the source of the voice. The woman I had seen with my father was sitting causally on the seat next to us with her legs crossed. No hesitation, I raised the gun I had clung onto for so long, and shot her directly in the head. Not that I had to aim at such close range. She vanished instantly. Solace wasn't amused by my actions.

"Go on! Run like you always do!" She taunted as Leon helped me up, and took a firm hold of my hand, as if afraid to loose be again. "Just like in Berlin, and Mumbai." Solace's illusions, had been called back for the moment. We both ignored her and began making our way out to the back of the all. The smoke was thick and my eyes blurred with tears. Leon stopped.

"No. I won't run. Not anymore." Leon said defiantly taking Solace's bait. Where ever he'd go, I knew I'd follow. "You won't kill me as I run away a coward." he said letting go of my hand and pushing me protectively behind him. "If you're going to kill me. Kill me as I make a stand." he declared. I beamed with pride at having someone so brave. However, secretly, I wished he would run. I wanted to tell him that cowards live longer than heroes, but I knew, for something like this, he wouldn't listen.

"You feeble minded fool!" Solace laughed. Suddenly Leon's fierce demeanor changed. His breathing became labored as he put his hand to his chest. At the same time, a felt a mild sting in my arm where the discoloration was left from when Leon had healed me using his blood.

"Leon!" I shouted in alarm as he began to fall. I put my arms around him to keep him up. I felt a knot in my chest when I saw his teeth were gritted in pain. "What's wrong!" I asked, but words seemed to escape him. I looked around me for some kind of help. There was no one. Not able to hold up his weight, I let him fall and crouched next to him.

"You should know by now, that there are always counter measures for controlling strong willed children." Solace said with grin. I didn't know what has happening. Dr. Redson didn't go this much into detail concerning a vampire and their creator. "It is my blood, that now runs through your veins that keeps you mine." she gracefully came down from the stage and slowly made her way towards us through the fire she had somehow created.

"But our bond is weak. You're no longer obedient. Perhaps we need to strength it again." Solace brought her hand to her mouth and bit down on it creating an open wound. I found it hard to concentrate with all the black smoke swirling around me. I stood up to meet her in the eyes standing between her and Leon. Solace ignored me, as if only Leon were the only one in the room. "You don't remember what we had. Your obligation to me." she stopped right in front of us. "But my blood will make you remember." With nothing to do, I brought up my gun again aiming it at her. Up close, her amber eyes contrasted against the surrounding fire. The tip of barrel just barely grazed the milky skin of her chest.

Finally, Solace was forced to acknowledge my presence. She looked at me and laughed. "Don't kid yourself girl. You're nothing but a pawn in my game. Everything in your life, has led to this moment." I stared at her. "I led you here."

"Liar!" I accused, but she laughed again.

"Who was it that took away your sister? Who do you think it was that tipped off the hunters that the infamous 'Poison' was in Olympia? Why sweet little Emma did!" she said mimicking Emma's voice. "Who was it that brought your father into infidelity? Who was it that herded the werewolves out of their territory into human contact to get the hunters sent out in Roslyn? Who was it that slaughtered most of the hunters in Ouroboros keeping Ragnarok busy with it's overflow?" she said. Then in a low voice she said, "And don't you find it the least bit fishy that you were sent to Olympia and not somewhere else?"

"Coincidence." was all I could say refusing to believe Solace had such a huge impact in my life. She shrugged off her lighthearted demeanor and quickly shifted into that evil persona.

"Stupid girl." She suddenly said. "You aim for the head." she reprimanded. I mentally slapped myself for forgetting the cardinal rule involving guns and vampires; always aim for the head, or knees. While I was distracted, Solace grabbed my wrist - faster than I could pull the trigger - and pulled it up and around me. She somehow bent my arm painfully behind my back. I heard a snap, but I think I too drugged up to feel anything but a throb. None the less, I dropped my only hope for a defense.

After she had disarmed me, she just pushed me out of the way forcing me to trip over a stray pile of debris. She smiled sweetly, before turning back to Leon. I was nothing to her. I wasn't even a pebble in her shoe and that infuriated me. I spent so long training to someday be able to fight back, and when the opportunity arose it was as though I wasn't even there!

Leon saw my distress, and against his better judgment began to stand to come to my aid. Just as he lifted himself he cried out in pain as Solace made him suffer even more. He fell back on his knees. "Drink." Solace demanded outstretching her hand to Leon. "It will make the pain stop." just as she said that, Leon cringed again as another wave of pain hit him. He looked up desperate to make it stop. A desperation that could force him to do the impossible.

I searched around the ground and found something sharp. Without wasting any time I got up again and ran to her. I jumped on Solace's back unsure of what to do but to get rid of her. I pulled her hair back, pushing her head back and exposing her throat. With that, I lifted up what happened to be a sharp piece of metal ready to plunge it through her throat in hopes that it would kill her. Solace was much faster.

She grabbed onto my hand and yanked me from her back, swinging me clear over her head. The carpeted floor helped cushion my fall, but I still saw stars for a few seconds. Solace now held the sharp metal I had used. "Nuisance!" she said as she lifted the deadly metal over her head intending to plunge it through me like I had just tried to her. The smoke was all but incapacitating now. I felt like passing out, so I could hardly move.

Before Solace could get through said task Leon came to my aid; surprising both me and Solace. He tackled her against the fallen debris that had fallen from the ceiling. There he impaled her through a steel bar. More debris fell as the ceiling slowly began to cave in. I watched as Solace slowly began to pull herself out of the bar. "Come on!" Leon shouted over the crackling fire. I followed him. He helped me over the seats, then around the blockage.

From there on it was a straight path to the exit. I ran as fast I could despite the smoke clouding in my lungs. Finally, after running the length of the isle I could see the exit. Amy was clearly visible through the doorway. Ready to get out of this hell, I ran faster still until I could no longer feel that thick stench of smoke in the air and my feet hit pavement instead of carpet. I was out.

I looked back hoping to see Leon right behind me, but he wasn't there. I quickly looked for him and found him standing in the doorway of the opera house with the fire burning brightly behind him. He looked at me, something indescribable in his eyes, before he pushed the heavy door shut trapping himself inside.

"No!" I screamed. I couldn't think as I raced back to the opera house. Someone held me back, keeping me from running back into a burning building. "You bastard!!" I screamed again this time at Leon for lying to me. How dare he think he could do this on his own. We were supposed to do these things together!

I don't know how long it was, or how long I had screamed that night before the opera house came crumbling down. No one came out.