"Plague pillars aren't a pleasant sight, people who have killed a vampire. Their bodies turn into a misty shell, and their personality disappears forever. They become mindless vegetables that gather in herds in fields or deserted areas and simply stand there, staring at the sky, waiting for their fate."
Old rock band posters hung on the walls, and in the corner stood a worn-out couch and several metal crates.
Gideon carefully lowered Bruno onto the couch. He let out a dull groan as his back touched the old upholstery.
"Ugh!"
Bruno's face looked gray, his lips dry and cracked.
"Don't turn on the main light it'll be too bright," Flash warned as he locked the door with every bolt.
"And close the curtains."
Ethan placed the black stake in the far corner of the room, as far away from himself as possible. The wood gave a quiet thud against the wall. He immediately felt a slight stab in his chest but forced himself to step away.
Flash was already rummaging through the cabinet under the sink. He pulled out a large military first-aid kit, a bottle of whiskey, and a pack of disposable syringes.
"Gideon, hold him. Ethan, get water and clean towels. Let's work."
They worked in silence and perfect coordination. Gideon cut away Bruno's blood-soaked shirt with a knife. The wound on his side was deep, with jagged edges. The blood had already started to clot, but the slightest movement made it seep again.
Flash poured whiskey generously over the wound. Bruno jerked and swore through gritted teeth.
"Easy, easy…" Gideon muttered, pressing him down against the couch.
"Breathe through it, brother."
Ethan brought a bowl of warm water and clean rags. While Flash cleaned the wound, Ethan helped Gideon bandage his own injuries, a deep cut on his thigh and a bad bruise on his shoulder.
When it was time for painkillers, Flash took two ampoules of morphine from the kit.
"This is the last I've got," he said quietly.
"Hold on, Bruno."
He injected it into Bruno's shoulder. A few seconds later, Bruno relaxed. His breathing evened out and his eyes glazed over slightly.
"Already… better…" he whispered almost inaudibly.
"Thank you…"
Flash wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and sat down on a chair beside the couch. His own hand was shaking as he tried to bandage his forearm.
Ethan silently helped him tighten the knot.
"How are you?" Flash asked, looking at the black lines that were now clearly visible on Ethan's wrist even in the dim light.
Ethan looked away.
"It burns a little. And… sometimes… never mind. It just hurts."
Ethan didn't want to mention that he was hearing voices.
Flash nodded and didn't press the issue. Not yet.
Gideon lowered himself heavily onto the floor beside the couch, leaning his back against the wall. He closed his eyes and exhaled:
"We're alive… Holy shit, we actually survived that mess."
Bruno smiled weakly without opening his eyes.
"For now… we're alive."
A heavy silence settled over the room. The only sounds were the dripping faucet in the kitchen and Bullet's quiet whimpering as she curled up on Flash's lap.
Ethan stood by the window, peering through a gap in the curtains at the dark street. The black stake in the corner of the room felt wrong. He could almost sense it growling in a wild, dog-like tone.
Flash stood up, walked closer, and said quietly:
"Rest for two hours. Then we'll figure out what to do next."
"For now… just rest."
He turned off the overhead light, leaving only a small desk lamp in the corner. The room sank into semi-darkness.
Ethan slowly lowered himself onto an old chair, never letting the stake out of his sight. The black lines on his arm pulsed in time with his heartbeat.
The burning was getting stronger.
An hour passed.
The faucet continued to drip in the kitchen. Bruno snored softly on the couch, the morphine had finally done its job. Gideon sat on the floor, back against the wall, staring at a single spot on the worn carpet.
Flash sat on an old chair with his bandaged arm resting on his knees. Bullet was curled up on his shoulders; even she didn't dare make a sound.
Ethan stood by the window, holding the edge of the curtain slightly open. He had placed the stake beside him, leaning it against the radiator.
The lines on his left arm had already crept noticeably higher than his wrist and continued to spread quietly across his body.
Gideon was the first to speak. His voice was hoarse, as if he had been silent for a long time.
"We actually did it…" he said slowly.
"Both of them, Roy and Morwen. For real."
"Yeah, I remember the first time I met Roy at 'Sweet Bunny'," Ethan replied. "I never thought I'd be able to get rid of him…"
No one answered right away.
Flash ran his palm over his face, smearing dirt and dried blood.
"I never thought I'd see Roy leave his shell," he said quietly.
"That bastard was older than this whole city. And we… we finished him with a goddamn chair leg…"
He gave a bitter smirk that quickly faded.
Ethan turned away from the window. His eyes gleamed in the half-light.
"So what now?" he asked.
"Anna already knows, I'm sure of it."
"And Michael… their whole anonymous businessmen club. Two ancient vampires burned in one night."
Gideon nodded without lifting his head.
"They'll come, and they won't play nice anymore. This will be a real hunt."
"On all of us," Flash added. He reached for a cigarette, but after glancing at his trembling hand, changed his mind.
"Especially on you, Ethan. You've got… that now." He nodded at the stake.
"A prison with hundreds of souls. To them, it's like a nuclear bomb in the hands of a child. I'm not even sure how it works, it's not every day you see enchanted objects…"