CHAPTER 34: Torture

**AKIHIRO**

“How are you feeling, pureblood king?”

I was drenched with my own blood. I wasn’t healing right now due to the antidote that they had put inside me. It wasn’t the first time I was caught by some vampire hunter but it was the first time I had fallen into the trap of an ancient vampire hunter whose lineage came from witches! Fuck!

“How is the feeling of not being able to heal your wounds? Perhaps, a glimpse of being a human being like us.” He was wearing a mask yet I could still see his grin behind those.

My lips were shaking as I spoke, “You better kill me now…or I will be the one…to end your bloodline.” I warned them.

I might be on the losing side, but sooner my friends will come to get me. If not, it would be my grandfather. I hope it will not come to that.

“Do you intend to kill me?” I asked, with a little smirk as I tried get back my strength but it was so hard to do so especially that my body is adjusting yet to whatever they had put in my cells. It seems that throughout the years, they managed to perfect an antidote to make us weak.

“Who wouldn’t want to kill you?” He replied. His voice is familiar yet it’s common so it was hard to identify it. It is also my first time to see him, even with his mask on and some gear for me not to recognized him, I am sure that he is a fine man with strong characteristics, the most powerful vampire hunter, with the blood of the first ancient vampire hunter who ended our bloodline.

“It’s a pleasure for us hunters to kill the next pureblood king like how our ancestors killed your ancestors. Perhaps, we can make this lifetime another success.” He grinned, putting another liquid on my body, giving me so much pain that it almost broke my bone.

It’s been a day but I felt like I am losing my mind right now. What more after this? The sayings are true, we cannot sit tight unless all of the hunters are dead.

“It would mean war if you kill me.” I spit blood. “My grandfather might be on his way to—”

“Your grandfather cannot pass the Tunnel of Illusion.” He replied to me.

I blinked. I heard of that myth, but I never thought I would hear it again from him which means I am in their place — in their ancient land. Damn! It’s now making sense why I cannot use my power. It has been sealed by this place.

“How will he save you?”

I grinned. “My friends can…so they might be the one who will save me.” I confidently said. “Don’t feel proud, Ala!” I said, calling him by their hunter’s clan name. “Remember that I stabbed you with a dagger that burns your skin. It will not heal that easy…knowing the dagger has a magic spell that a dead witch casts on…”

“Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself.” He replied. I cannot believe it didn’t work. Don’t tell me they have the cure for that? Damn! I am losing all my chances right now…and I don’t know what to do anymore.

“What…do you need from me?” I asked. “Why can’t we be just in peace?”

“We will never be in peace with vampires because you are traitor. We are doing this for the humanity. You kept on killing innocent lives. It has to end.”

“It wasn’t our clan!” I defended. “We never hurt anyone again—”

“You never hurt, but how about your grandfather? It might not be your clan, but it was your kind. And, the king of the pureblood vampires should be responsible.”

“We can talk this.” I suggested. “If you will allow me to talk then I can tell my grandfather–”

“Your grandfather betrayed us once…and we will never let it happen again!” He put the dagger inside my wound making me scream in pain.

I bit my lower lip to resist the urge to close my eyes and sleep. I need to be awake. I need to do something or else I would die. I cannot die. I have someone to protect to. She might be in danger right now as the other pureblood vampire knew of her ability. I have to stay awake for Alicia.

“I am not my grandfather. You can trust me!” I said.

“A Kuran can never be trusted…so there is no way we will have peace with you.” He said, pulling the dagger. Blood spill from my body like a fountain. I am still not healing and if I continue to bleed, I will lose strength.

I am dying to drink blood right now.

“Thirsy?” He asked. “I am sorry, we don’t drink blood.”

“I’ll drink your blood soon.”

“Or you might drink your friends’ blood.” He stopped torturing me when I heard someone from the outside.

He walked towards the door while I focused on the outside sense…realizing one of them is Alicia. I started to panic. No, she cannot be here! What the hell my friends doing? I will never forgive them if something happens to Alicia.

They’re negotiating outside. I couldn’t understand clearly as I tried to use my power to talk to Alicia in her dreams, but due to my weak immune system, I cannot get inside her head. I tried to use my power…nothing.

“Alicia!” I shouted, hoping she could hear me. “Please, leave! Alicia.” I kept on saying.

“Hades,” I called my friend in whisper and he would probably hear it. “If you are here to exchange Alicia for my life, I will never forgive all of you! You better leave now or I will be the one to kill you all!”

“It’s too late now.” I heard Hades said from a distance. “We are already here. I am sorry but you are more important than her…so we will do the bargaining now!”

“It’s impossible!” I reacted, pulling all my strength to get away from this chair, but it just damage my whole body due to the strings tied around me. “She is a human! She’s not useful to them.”

“She cannot be compelled, Akihiro. More so, she has the blood of a witch. I am sorry, but it is the pureblood king who ordered us to do this. Between the two of you, the pureblood king is the highest of all.”

I closed my fist and screamed, “No!! Just kill me! Aliciaaaaa!” I screamed.

“It’s too late…” Leah whispered.

It took another seconds before I felt a dagger in my chest…and everything went black.