CH.75

Silence enveloped the room as everyone struggled to process this tragic revelation.

Meredith's gaze drifted back towards the swirling dark mist like storm surrounding Knox with her expression growing even more somber. "I'm afraid that is not the only grave concern we now face.” Her voice took on a grim edge.

She extended one long to indicate the churning black vortex. "This hostile energy had been in deep slumber within my grandson. It is an ancient and incredibly dark force that has taken root within him since his mother sent out his life force to find its new host. And it was unfortunately awakened during manipulating the stream of time."

Her lips pressed into a tight line as her eyes narrowed. "And from what I can discern, this sinister entity requires nothing less than the very essence, the life force, of a living being in order to sate its ravenous hunger. I am certain it won’t stop with just one."

Another heavy silence descended over the group as they all exchanged worried looks.

The gravity of Meredith's words seemed to suck all the air from the room with its ominous implications.

Enzo's features were etched with concern. Anyone who paid him a close look would be able to tell he knew exactly what was wrong with his grandson.

Killian eventually found his voice again. "So let me get this straight," he began slowly as if testing the words before giving them voice. "Not only is my brother’s own life hanging by a thread after making this crazy sacrifice...but now this dark entity, this force, could potentially feed on one of us to survive?"

Meredith gave a grave nod. Her expression was somber as the weight of the situation settled heavily on her shoulders. "You're absolutely right. We cannot afford to take any chances or show even an ounce of hesitation when facing this darkness."

Her piercing deep blue eyes narrowed as she turned her steely gaze towards the violently whipping tendrils of blackness undulating through the air. "It seems to have an insatiable, all-consuming hunger that only grows stronger and more ravenous with each passing moment. We must act swiftly yet carefully to uncover a way to contain and neutralize this unholy threat before it becomes too powerful for us to control."

She clenched her fists tightly at her sides, the tendons straining against her delicate skin. This was no ordinary foe they found themselves battling against. One wrong move, a single misstep, could prove utterly catastrophic in the face of such an ominous force.

Seven ran an anxious hand through his closely cropped chestnut hair. His brow furrowed deeply in consternation as he struggled to make sense of the events rapidly unfolding around them. "I don't understand how any of this could have happened..." he muttered in a low, gravelly tone more to himself than Meredith. "When I first met Don all those years ago, I knew from the moment I laid eyes on him that he was no ordinary man. He had this undeniable aura, a palpable sense of dominance and power that radiated from his very being - the kind that only a true Supreme ruler among our kind can possess."

The former soldier paused, his mind drifting back to that pivotal moment when he had made the life-altering decision to willingly pledge his allegiance to Knox, despite his bloodline destining him to serve the ancient Delgaard lineage.

At that time, he had no clue about Knox’s true identity other than a weak young man who looked deserted by his family.

Seven recalled the event like it was yesterday. He recalled how he felt like a failure to bow his head to a member of his greatest enemy. The pull that had drew him to Knox back then was similar to that of a mate bond. It was called the ‘gaurdian’s bond’ in their world.

He tried to fight this so-called bond for as long as he could until Knox earned his trust and he decided to serve him as his master.

"Don has showed us all of what an extraordinary yet fair and just leader he could be when the situation called for it. He commanded respect and fealty through his actions, not just his title."

And yet, Seven couldn't deny the other, harsher side of Knox’s nature he had witnessed firsthand on numerous occasions. The latter could also be a brutal, merciless tyrant who showed no qualms about employing excessive force when he deemed it necessary.

Seven replayed a myriad of memories in his mind - fleeting glimpses of inexplicable tenderness and protectiveness that Knox showed to those closest to his inner circle, even if the man himself didn't fully realize the depth of his own emotions.

"You two have been through more with my grandson than any of us over the decades. Youhave suffered more, fought more, bled more..." Enzo’s gaze grew distant as he reflected on the trio's journey until now.

It took decades but his grandson eventually let his walls down enough to truly trust them as his guardians, his brothers-in-arms bound by destiny and blood magic. They became more than just allies or subordinates - they became family.

Seven's expression grew pensive and clouded with uncertainty. "There's one question that's been nagging at me for ages now, one that I've never been able to find a satisfactory answer to..."

He fixed Meredith with an intent stare, his piercing blue eyes boring into hers as if he could unravel her deepest secrets through sheer willpower alone. "What exactly is Don? Because he's clearly no ordinary supernatural being. The immense power he wields...it's like nothing I've ever encountered before in all my centuries."