Chapter 53. Fight

**53. Fight**

***Third Person's POV:***

Rafael proceeded to assemble everyone and began addressing everyone, explaining the important things. Rafael was used to always managing the issue with his words and authority; he never envisioned himself needing to go to such lengths to obtain something.
This would mark the first time his soldiers engaged in what could be termed a "war."
Despite the gravity of the situation, Rafael exuded confidence, emphasizing the importance of unwavering attention on the battlefield. He urged his soldiers not to be distracted and to exploit any opportunity when opponents were preoccupied, emphasizing targeting their opponents' necks.
"Does anyone feel forced to fight for me?" Rafael inquired but received no response. "If that is the case, please do not feel threatened that it will have any effect on you. You have, and you will always be close to me, and walking away will not change my feelings for you. If someone still wants to back away, please do so," Rafael urged, unwilling to coerce anyone. He emphasized that they shouldn't blame him if harm befell them.
No one was willing to back down.
"Your father stole our identities, your highness, and he even dared to threaten our mates; we were always waiting for a chance to stand with you; it would be our absolute pleasure to give our lives for our beloved king. We owe you our lives, king," Daniel explained.
Elliot tormented his Daniel's mother once, and everyone in the room had been Elliot's victim, and they were eager to revenge their loved ones.
Rafael was the one who saved them many times, instilling a sense of gratitude in them, and they were always willing to sacrifice their lives for him.
"Thank you; I always owe you for this one, and I promise you that I will avoid causing any harm to you all," Rafael said.
As they all moved out, Rafael stepped outside his mansion for the final time. He found Astrid standing by the railings, looking over him. He smiled at her before turning to leave.
Astrid diligently followed Rafael's instructions, making her way to the dungeons. A linked section guided them safely, with a handful of soldiers Rafael had stationed to watch over them. Concern etched the faces of all the women, with only a few being humans, as they worried about their mates.
Rafael landed in a wide field not far from his coven, and opponents were quickly seen approaching from the south.
They had firearms and daggers in their hands, as did Rafael's men. Those firearms were specifically designed cartridges packed with their King's blood.
When the royal family's blood is linked to the others, it serves as poison to the vampires. If Eva, Astrid, Rafael, or Elliot's blood is combined with other vampires' blood, it will kill other vampires. Royal blood should not be combined with that of other vampires.
Rafael offered his father one more warning to back down, but instead he fired the first round, which was aimed at Bryan. Bryan, on the other hand, was fast to evaluate his motions and ended up dodging his attack.
Rafael's men responded with accurate retaliation, firing upon Elliot's forces. Over 80% of the shots found their mark, injuring or claiming the lives of Elliot's men. Amidst the chaos, a piercing cry echoed as one of Rafael's men fell victim to an attack, stabbed through the heart, with slim chances of survival.
Here in the secret location, one of the Vampire's mates who was injured in the battlefield felt the anguish and fainted in front of Astrid.
Astrid and Eva attempted to revive her but failed, opting to have her rushed to the emergency room.
Astrid's anxiety increased tenfold. She wanted to be with Rafael and make sure he was all right.
'Astrid, our mate, he needs us,' Scarlet said.
Astrid turned to Eva and asked her to look after everyone until she returned.
"Astrid, you can't go there. It's too dangerous; we can't risk your life, and Rafael won't let you." Eva tried to stop her, but Astrid disregarded her.
Eva ordered their guards to stop Astrid, but she seemed to have her own mind and went wherever her legs took her.
When those guards tried to stop Astrid on Eva's instructions, Astrid utilized her power, and they still didn't move. Scarlet took over Astrid, shoved those guys aside, and fled.
Even though she wasn't sure where she was going, she followed her heart, and as she got closer, Astrid transformed into her Lycan form. When Astrid admonished Scarlet, all she had to say was that she was sent to Astrid to defend the world from darkness and that she should fulfill her duty.
Astrid believed that if she turned away, a lingering sense of guilt would overshadow her. However, joining the fight and defending her people offered solace and reassurance that she had tried to save them.
Astrid entered the battlefield and emerged behind Rafael, who was deeply engaged in combat with his soldiers. Rafael had just knocked down a man with his bare hands when Astrid walked in.
Rafael tensed in his stance as he sensed Astrid's arrival. He let go of the shattered bits in his hands. Everyone's attention was drawn to a Lycan who had appeared from behind them. Everyone was taken aback when they saw a wolf that big, with violet eyes and white fur.
"Just great," Rafael groaned, warning Astrid to leave the place, but before that, Elliot had composed himself and signalled to his man to get hold of Astrid.
He'd been waiting his entire life to see anything like this, and now he couldn't pass up the chance of a lifetime.
Astrid's gaze locked onto Rafael's before shifting to the assailant aiming at her. "Watch out!" Rafael yelled, and Astrid dodged the bullet.
Rafael realized that there was no way to take Astrid to safety; everyone present had to fight to survive.
They fought for a bit more, but Rafael's attention was always on Astrid.
Astrid could sense something out of the ordinary within her, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was.
She kept battling, proud of herself for being able to combat so many skilled soldiers on her own. Her white fur was stained with blood. One of the men got behind Astrid's back and slid a knife into Scarlet's hip bone. Astrid and Scarlet wailed in agony.
Rafael's attention was drawn to her scream. "Astrid!" he yelled. He hurled a knife at the guy, managing to take him down.
Astrid's wound had healed, and she was able to get up again, but Rafael remained concerned. That prompted his father's guy to fire a round at him, knowing full well that the bullet would be useless but deciding to use it as a diversion. Bryan, instinctively shielding Rafael, took the hit.
As Bryan lay injured, Rafael cradled him, grappling with the sudden turn of events. "Bryan, what did you do to take my place?"
Astrid took on human form and approached them as their people protected them.
Bryan's breathing was labored, and no one knew how to save him; evidently, there was no cure.
Rafael, overwhelmed by grief, unleashed his fury on Elliot, gaining the upper hand.  He grabbed his father off the ground and hit him with all his might.
"What a terrible father you are. I wish it had been you who died that day," Rafael added, alluding to his mother's death.
His crimson eyes had become dark, leaving just those pitch-black orbs. Rafael had no idea that everything he was doing was part of Elliot's strategy. He let his guys battle and remained hidden in the darkness, so Rafael couldn't see his motions.
Bryan was extremely dear to Rafael's heart, and witnessing him take his final breaths aroused Rafael's darkest side, and he went on a killing rampage, killing all of Elliot's men except for his father.
Approximately ten of Rafael's soldiers were killed in this battle.
"Long Live My King," Bryan yelled loudly enough for his voice to be heard throughout the gathering.
"Bryan, please don't talk; you're going to be alright." Astrid sought to comfort him.
"You are the finest queen our coven could ask for. Please stay with my brother forever," Bryan struggled to utter as few left his eyes.
Rafael's father was the only one remaining, and just as Rafael considered killing him, his mother's words came to mind. "Leave and don't show your face to me again. I will come to seize my kingdom," Rafael said, causing his father to cringe and flee.
Rafael's attention shifted to Bryan, who rested his head on Astrid's lap and was attempting to reassure him that everything would be fine, but Rafael knew otherwise. Bryan had been more than just his assistant and friend to him; he was like a little brother to Rafael, and seeing him die was something Rafael could never imagine.
He started walking slowly towards Bryan, but before he got there, he sucked in a deep breath.
"Bryan... Bryan," Rafael called out, but tears enveloped him, delivering the grim news of Bryan's death.
"Rafael, tell him to wake up; he can't leave us like that. Make him come back!" Astrid yelled, vigorously shaking Bryan.
Rafael was almost there, walking slowly, trying to process everything that had just happened when he felt someone's presence behind him. Just as Rafael was about to turn around, he felt something plunge into his spine, knocking his breath out.
"Rafael!!!" Astrid yelled, glancing at Rafael, then at Elliot, who was standing there smirking. Astrid dashed towards him, leaving Bryan's lifeless body on the floor.
When Astrid was closer to Rafael, Elliot took the letter from Rafael's pocket and abandoned the scene, and Astrid followed him.
Rafael's eyes were wide, but he was still standing, which made Astrid heave a sigh of relief. However, her happiness was short-lived as blood began to ooze from Rafael's mouth, and he dropped to the ground with a thud, his eyes drooping shut.
Astrid's face became horrified. Everyone else began to band together as well. A few of them were tending to their deceased mates, and Eva stood around the corner, staring at Rafael's lifeless form on the ground.
Sprinting towards Rafael, Eva cried, "What happened to you, Rafael?" But there was no response.
"This isn't funny, Rafael. Wake up!" Astrid shouted, shaking him. ""You've said you can't be killed, so what is this?" Astrid blurted out, took Rafael's hand in hers, and touched his cheek.
"I think my overconfidence led me to my end. I love you, my little dove," he whispered, and his hands fell to his side.
Everyone who had surrounded the royals gasped and murmured.
"No, Rafael, you can't leave me." Astrid shook her head, her face bathed in sweat and tears.
"No, my brother can't die. He's immortal. Nothing can kill him," Eva sobbed, and the blade that was Rafael's spine vanished.
Everyone was taken aback when they saw this scenario. Daniel, one of Rafael's trusted men, stepped forward to check on him, accompanied by a doctor. "He's dead," they both declared. "Our King is no more."
Astrid pleaded, "Baby, you can't leave me. You have to come back," but he didn't move.
All of the hopes began to fade. She burst into tears and bawled her heart out.
"Rafael!!!" Astrid screamed, staring at the sky in anguish.
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**No... No, I'm not satisfied with the way I wrote this chapter. Yes, this was planned, but I am unhappy with the scenes. Sorry for the delay in updating... I was probably a half-day overdue, but trust me, I was a bit sick the night I gave you guys the previous update, and ever since then I've been trying to recover and wanting to write more, but my health won't let me, and I'm worried I screwed up my writing pattern in this chapter. I'm concerned that if I keep writing in this manner, I'll end up doing something horrible, so will it be acceptable if I take a day or two off and then return? I vow to post as soon as I feel better. Also, how do you feel now that Rafael and Bryan are no longer alive?  They are really dead. Want me to write a chapter anew? scene remain.**