3 - The Council's Lies

As the TV flickered off and the ambient quiet settled back into the room, Damien's mocking laughter lingered in the air. The absurdity of the town’s explanation for the 'blood shower' was too much for him to take seriously, yet it gnawed at him. He couldn’t deny there was something unnerving about it. His taunt echoed through the elegant yet mismatched room, a strange blend of timeless aristocracy and modern convenience.

“Come on,” he scoffed, “a scientific phenomenon? Really? The council’s got a lot of nerve, trying to pass this off as some kind of atmospheric oddity. No one with half a brain is going to buy that.”

Nate, still sprawled lazily on the couch, didn’t bother responding, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Josh, on the other hand, sighed, carefully marking his place in the ancient grimoire before responding in his usual, steady manner.

“You give people too much credit,” Josh remarked, his voice carrying a quiet authority. “They'll believe anything with the right explanation. Science is comfortable. It’s logical. Most will cling to it, even in the face of the unbelievable. It’s easier to believe in physics than to confront the existence of magic.”

Damien had to admit Josh had a point. Humans clung to the rational like a lifeline, desperate to avoid any crack in the fragile veneer of their reality. But as the weight of recent events pressed down on him, he couldn’t help but feel unsettled. Something didn’t add up.

“Why would the council even get involved in this?” Damien mused, pacing restlessly. “Rain of blood isn’t exactly a vampire issue. Not directly, at least.”

Josh’s lips twitched into a faint, knowing smile. “Maybe they’ve decided to play protector of all things supernatural now. Or maybe,” his voice took on a sharper edge, “they’re as confused as we are.”

Damien grimaced, a knot of frustration forming in his chest as he replayed the events in his mind. He remembered the blood, the couple, and the hunger — how he let himself slip, let his instincts take over, and how that primal urge made everything else fade into insignificance. He had stopped caring about the consequences. The council's rules? They felt like nothing more than a chain he was tired of dragging behind him.

A sharp inhale from Nate brought Damien out of his thoughts. Nate’s light eyes gleamed under the chandelier as he sat up on the couch, watching Damien with that knowing, suspicious look.

“It’s funny, isn’t it?” Nate began, leaning forward with a glint of mischief. “This ‘blood shower’ happens right after you bring home a girl who’s too pretty to kill. Coincidence? I think not.”

Damien’s eyes narrowed, and in one fluid motion, he chucked the remote at Nate’s head, but Nate dodged it easily, laughing under his breath.

“Shut up, Nate,” Damien growled. “She resisted mind-control. I told her not to scream, and she did. Nearly blew out my eardrums. That’s the only reason she’s still alive.”

Nate shrugged, clearly unimpressed. “Sure, that’s the reason.”

Ignoring him, Damien turned to Josh, who remained unnervingly focused on his book. There was always something about Josh that put him on edge — the quiet wisdom that seemed to hold secrets no one else could touch. 

“What do you think caused the blood rain?” Damien asked, his voice softer now, betraying the curiosity behind his hardened exterior.

Josh paused, slowly closing the ancient tome in his hands with a reverence that almost seemed ritualistic. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, contemplating for a moment longer than usual.

“It’s an omen,” he finally said, the words heavy in the room. “A bad one. Blood rain has always symbolised a shift, a warning that something dark is either upon us or soon will be.”

Damien’s mind spun at the implications. An omen. That explained the unease he’d been feeling, the sense that everything was about to spiral out of control.

Nate, still lounging with a smirk, added, “You think this has anything to do with the girl in the dungeon? The one Damien brought in last night? Seems too convenient to me.”

Damien bristled at Nate’s sarcasm, but Josh’s deepening frown said it all. There was tension in the room now, a palpable sense of dread as the gravity of the situation settled in.

“Or,” Damien interjected, his voice dropping lower, “our enemies have found what they’ve been looking for.”

Josh didn’t respond, but his stiff posture said enough. Something was brewing—something that could change everything. The girl in the dungeon was tied to it somehow, and if they didn’t act soon, they might be too late.

Damien’s eyes darkened as his resolve hardened. “We’ve wasted enough time. We need answers. Let’s go.”

Without waiting for a response, Damien turned and headed for the spiral staircase, Josh falling in step beside him. As they descended into the shadowy depths of the mansion, Nate followed with a smug grin.

“I’ll come too,” Nate drawled lazily, stretching his arms. “I’m curious to see who this ‘beauty’ really is.”