“No. Mother! Father!!!”
The words escaped me in a desperate, choking cry as I fought against the guards holding me back. My body trembled with helplessness, my limbs weak and useless. Why am I so weak? My mind screamed. Why can’t I be stronger? I wanted to be older, more powerful—anything to save them. But I wasn’t. I couldn’t. I hated myself for being so small, so powerless.
I watched helplessly as they died, their bodies writhing in the flames, their voices silenced by the fire. All I could do was cry.
I felt the King of vampires approach, his presence dark and suffocating. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of fear and rage boiling within me. I hated myself for being so afraid, for being so weak. I should be stronger. I should kill them all, I thought. But I couldn’t hide the terro
