CHAPTER 197: The Price of Eternity

CHAPTER 197: The Price of Eternity

Somewhere in England, 16th Century.

The coven's hall was in twilight, lit only by rusted iron candelabras that cast trembling shadows on the stone walls. The ancient insignias of the vampire family that once ruled the place hung half-fallen, tarnished by dust and neglect.

In the center, the throne carved from black marble, where Lucian had once reigned, was now Marius's seat. With a relaxed posture, his arm draped over the back of the throne while his fierce yellow eyes scanned the empty hall. Beside him, a small oak table, rough but sturdy, waited.

The doors creaked open, and a woman entered dressed in a simple gray dress that seemed from a forgotten era. She carried a silver platter with cooked meat and, in her other hand, a golden chalice filled with a dark liquid. She placed it before the throne with a bow.

"Always so helpful, Amara," said Marius with a predatory smile. "But tell me, have you ever wondered how many drops of your lineage's blood are in this chalice?"

"It is not my place to ask, my lord. Only to obey," she replied coldly.

Marius laughed, a low, guttural laugh, before biting into the meat. Blood dripped down his chin with grotesque delight.

"Tell me, Amara, how many of your kind do you remember? Your mother? Your sister? The one who used to sing at Lucian's banquets… What was her name?"

Amara pressed her lips together.

"Ah, yes. Annalise. She had a beautiful voice. Too bad she's now… here with me."

The silence grew thick. Marius raised the chalice.

"A toast, Amara. To Lucian, to Annalise… and to everything we have claimed."

When he finished drinking, he slammed the goblet down violently and observed her with mockery.

"You know, Amara, sometimes I wonder how Lucian is still breathing. The rat managed to slip away… but not for long."

He stood up and began to circle her with slow steps.

"For centuries, vampires believed they were gods walking among mortals. We lycans were dogs. Dogs that you marked, locked up, and tortured in your concentration camps."

Amara clenched her fists. Marius smiled.

"Oh, yes. I remember those days well. Your masters purified our race. They chained us under the full moon to see how much we could endure before breaking. How many died like that? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand?"

His voice resonated with ancient hatred.

"But everything changed. I made it change. Now you are no longer the ones who dictate the rules, are you?"

He leaned over Amara.

"And you should be grateful. Because if it weren't for me, you'd be out there with the others. Rotting like the rest of your pathetic family."

Marius stepped back, satisfied.

"Do you know how many vampires have died by my hands, Amara? I lost count after two thousand. Though perhaps I've already reached five thousand."

She closed her eyes to contain herself.

"Ah, and your family… Annalise was especially delicious."

Silence fell like a stone.

Marius returned to the throne, twirling the chalice between his fingers.

"Tell me, Amara, why do you think I let you live?"

"Because I know how to cook vampire meat well, my lord," she replied.

Marius let out a laugh.

"Exactly. A unique skill."

"If you ever thought of betraying me," he continued, "what do you think I would do to you?"

"You would flay me alive and feed me to my own comrades."

"Not bad," he nodded. "Though I would add something more."

He followed her with his gaze as if savoring her fear.

"Another question. Of all my atrocities, which do you think has been my favorite?"

"The night of the siege of Lucian's coven," Amara whispered.

Marius smiled with pleasure.

"That was memorable, I admit it. But my favorite was not killing you. Because now, every day, seeing your face, I remember what I conquered."

Amara swallowed, her hands trembling.

"Marius… did you ever know love? Don't you have any remorse for killing vampire children? They are so vulnerable…"

Marius looked at her with absolute indifference.

"Vampire children are more tender to chew. They are just a means to an end. There is no remorse when you understand the balance of things. Now, leave."

Amara left in silence.

Marius watched the sunset from the window, a twisted smile on his face.

"From the day I was born, everything changed."

He walked slowly through the hall.

"Every lycan that exists today is a shadow of what I was. The virus was born with me. I was the origin. A little gift."

He looked at himself in the mirror, satisfied.

"There are no rules. I destroyed everything you thought you understood. I am your origin, your master, your inevitable future."

A flash of madness gleamed in his eyes.

"I am a god of monsters. And the entire world is at my feet."

"As if I could die. I, Marius, the eternal one. No one can destroy me. I have been immortal since the moment I decided to be."

He contemplated his empire.

"My dominion will endure. The ruins will be mine. The world will bow before me."

"The entire world will be my playground. And when everyone is dead, I will still be here."

He turned to the mirror.

"If anyone tries to take from me what I have built, I will ensure their suffering is eternal. Because I am a monster who will never stop living, killing, dominating."

He left the hall with a laugh that grew more distant.

"I am immortal, and there is no end for me."

The echo of his laugh was the last thing left among those shadows.