As Blake and Nana watched the scene unfold before them, a sense of weariness settled over them. They were merely humans, powerless amidst the supernatural beings that surrounded them. If even the vampires seemed scared of this man, just who was he?
Suddenly, the man opened his mouth for the first time, a smirk appearing on his face. His voice was soft, yet it sent a shiver down the spine of everyone present, including Blake and Nana. It was a voice that seemed to crawl beneath their skin, filling them with an inexplicable sense of unease.
"The younger generations are so uncultured," the man remarked, his tone dripping with condescension. "I have given you all ample time to pay reverence to their king, yet it seems they lack manners."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "But I, on the other hand, am quite the opposite. I am disciplined, and I command respect. Now, knell!"
As the man's command echoed through the air, an immense pressure descended upon everyone present. Despite their inner turmoil, they all knelt down without hesitation, their bodies bending to the unseen force compelling them to obey. Even Reggie and his brothers, who struggled against the command with all their might, found themselves unable to resist.
It was as if their bodies had betrayed them, rendering them powerless against the overwhelming aura of authority radiating from the man before them.
As Elena knelt alongside the others, her mind raced with thoughts and questions. This aura, it was unlike anything she had ever encountered before. It was akin to that of a vampire, but amplified to a degree that surpassed even her wildest imaginings. In her centuries of existence, she had faced lords, high lords, and beings of immense power, but this... this was something else entirely.
This was like being in the presence of a god.
"This power..." Elena thought to herself, her mind whirling with possibilities. "Who is this person, and what manner of being could possess such unfathomable strength?"
The figure chuckled, a wave of amusement rippled through the air, palpable even to those who knelt before him. He observed the struggling vampires with a mixture of disdain and indifference, his gaze flickering over them like they were mere pests beneath his notice.
Elena's heart pounded in her chest as she summoned the courage to speak again. "Are you... are you who I think you are?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
The man smirked, amusement dancing in his eyes. "And who do you think I am?" he countered.
With trembling feet, Elena took a deep breath before responding, her voice barely above a whisper. "Our god, the first true king, the original of all original," she said, her words filled with reverence and awe.
The man nodded with a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. With a chuckle, he released Elena from his grip, allowing her to stand on her own once more. "And what do you truly think I am?" he inquired, his voice dripping with sophistication and swagger.
Elena felt a surge of nervousness as she tried to find her words. "I-I think...you're Duncan Salvador," she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
As the name Duncan Salvador escaped Elena's lips, a wave of shock rippled through the assembled group. Reggie, Gunther, and Randal's eyes bulged out of their sockets as the realization dawned on them. Duncan Salvador, the legendary figure of vampire lore, the one true original? It couldn't be possible... or could it?
Their minds raced with disbelief and confusion. The legends they had heard throughout their lives suddenly seemed all too real. But how could Duncan Salvador be walking amongst them? Wasn't he supposed to be enclosed in the volcano on this very island, sealed away for eternity?
Then it clicked. Tessa, with her unwitting actions, must have somehow awakened him from his slumber. A sinking feeling settled in Reggie's chest as he realized the magnitude of what had just transpired. If only Tessa knew the true extent of the chaos she had unleashed upon the world.
Meanwhile, as Blake heard the name Elena addressed the man as, he turned towards Nana with wide eyes. The name sounded familiar... hadn't Nana mentioned it in her story about the island and its dark history? Could it be that she wasn't lying after all? The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, leaving him reeling with a mixture of awe and dread.
Elena's legs trembled beneath her as she sank back to her knees, her head bowed in reverence before Duncan Salvador. "My lord," she murmured, her voice filled with adulation, "please bless us with your wisdom and strenght,."