CHAPTER 104: Dark Revelations

CHAPTER 104: Dark Revelations

As Marcus and Anna recovered from the shock of Alex's sudden appearance, the latter settled into the gloom of the prison's north wing, enjoying the moment as if it were a spectacle. His smile was almost mocking, an expression that conveyed both amusement and imminent danger.

"Have you ever wondered why I'm so hard to eliminate?" Alex began, his tone light, as if sharing a secret with old friends. "It's because I'm not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill vampire. I was... modified, so to speak. The labs have ways of enhancing our abilities, and I am the result of one of those experiments."

Anna frowned, still on alert.
"Modified? What do you mean by that?"

Alex took a step forward, as if the darkness embraced him.
"One ability you're already familiar with is that my blood, when it makes contact with a wound, doesn't heal it instantly. The magic behind it causes whoever suffers that wound to be unable to regenerate properly. What happened to Phoenix wasn't a coincidence; it was a direct effect of my blood."

Marcus nodded, processing what he was hearing.
"That's what you tried to do to Phoenix in your last confrontation. But what else can you do?"

Alex's laugh echoed through the room, a mocking sound.
"Oh, that's just the beginning. There's something even more interesting. If I recite certain words and take someone's blood, I can draw a pentagram on the ground. And here's the fun part: any damage I inflict upon myself, that person receives it. It's like an exchange of pain."

"Are you saying you can hurt someone just by harming yourself?" asked Anna, incredulously.

"Exactly," said Alex with a satisfied smile. "It's a fascinating ability, don't you think? I might not be able to heal instantly like some vampires, but I can play with my enemies' lives in ways they never imagined."

Marcus felt a chill run down his spine.
"What do you plan to do with that? Try to finish us off that way?"

Alex shrugged.
"I'm not here to make promises. I simply enjoy the games that present themselves. But, as always, don't underestimate me. Pain is a two-way street, and it could be very fun to explore that possibility."

Anna and Marcus exchanged looks, understanding they were facing an enemy more cunning and dangerous than they had anticipated.

The conversation grew heavy, and Alex, with an expression of boredom, decided that words were just an obstacle. Without warning, he lunged at them.

Marcus reacted quickly. With an agile leap, he managed to dodge the blow and counterattacked with a spin, breaking Alex's arm. The crack of the bone echoed, but for Alex it was only a minor inconvenience. Within seconds, the broken bone regenerated with a sinister snap.

"Is that all you have?" Alex taunted, his tone dismissive.

Enraged, he launched himself at Marcus again. This time he struck him. His claws cut into the man's abdomen with chilling precision.

"Shit!" Marcus yelled, falling backward as blood gushed out.

Anna held her breath, paralyzed for a moment, watching her wounded companion.

Marcus, with searing pain, reached for his gun with a trembling hand and fired. The shots echoed through the prison, but Alex dodged every bullet with supernatural agility.

"Was that an attempt to kill me, or are you just playing the hero?" he mocked, baring his fangs in an arrogant smile.

His laughter reverberated off the walls... until the building decided to intervene. Several unstable structures swayed, and suddenly, rubble fell on Alex, burying him under its weight. The laughter cut off abruptly, leaving a grimace of surprise and fury.

Marcus, breathing with difficulty, looked toward the debris.
"It doesn't matter how much power you think you have. There's always something bigger than you."

At that moment, Lucian and Vanessa appeared from the gloom.
"What the hell is going on here?" asked Lucian, his gaze fixed on the spot where Alex had been.

"There's no time! We have to go!" Vanessa exclaimed urgently.

Marcus, staggering, nodded.
"Agreed. It's time to get out of here before this becomes even more dangerous."

The group gathered and began to retreat through the dark corridors, the echo of chaos still resonating around them.