Undying Melody

Chapter 3

A shiver ran down Felix's spine as his eyes landed on a looming obsidian coffin at the end of the chamber. It was then that a figure emerged from the shadows, its pale skin and crimson eyes unmistakable. The vampire offered a smile that didn't quite reach its eyes.
"Welcome, Felix," it purred, its voice smooth as velvet. "You've made a wise decision."
Felix forced his voice into a semblance of calmness. "Where are my friends?" he demanded, ignoring the vampire's attempt at a welcome.
The vampire swept its arm towards a side chamber, leading Felix through a heavy oak door. Inside, an opulent room unfolded before him, furnished with plush beds draped in crimson velvet. A wave of relief washed over Felix, but it was short-lived.
His friends lay sprawled on the beds, their faces peaceful, but unnervingly pale. A prickle of dread snaked down Felix's spine as he reached out and gently shook Hyunjin's arm.
"Hey, Hyunjin, wake up," he pleaded, his voice trembling. But Hyunjin remained motionless, lost in an unnaturally deep slumber. Panic clawed at Felix's throat. He rushed to the other beds, desperately trying to rouse his brothers, but they were all ensnared in the same chilling sleep. A horrible realization dawned on him - they were under a vampire's sleep spell, a prelude to a fate far worse than death.
Despair gnawed at Felix. He whirled on the vampire, his voice laced with raw desperation. "Is there anything I can do? Anything to break the spell, to save them?"
The vampire's lips curved into a predatory smile, the offer hanging heavy in the air. "There is a way," it said, its voice silken and seductive. "Join me. Become one of us, and they will awaken as your first creations."
Distrust coiled in Felix's gut. The vampire's words were honeyed promises, but the sincerity behind them was as thin as moonlight. Yet, with each passing second, the silence of his friends pressed down on him, a suffocating weight threatening to steal his resolve.
The vampire sensed his hesitation, its voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Think of the power you'll wield, Felix. The strength to protect them all. Together, we'll create a new world, a world where they'll never be hurt again."
Felix loathed the idea of surrendering to the darkness, but the thought of his friends trapped in an eternal slumber was unbearable. With a heavy heart, he closed his eyes and spoke, his voice hoarse. "Alright. I accept."
A triumphant glint flickered in the vampire's crimson eyes. It extended a cold hand, its touch like a serpent slithering across Felix's skin. "Excellent choice," it purred. "Welcome to eternity, Felix." As their hands met, a jolt of energy surged through Felix, a dark promise whispered on the wind.
Agony ripped through Felix as the vampire's fangs pierced his neck. Razor-sharp pain lanced through him, a cold fire spreading from the bite. Instinctively, he bucked and writhed, desperate to break free. But the vampire, its grip like iron, held him fast, a low growl rumbling in its throat.
The world dissolved into a maelstrom of pain and darkness. Felix fought through the haze, a primal scream clawing its way up his throat that never came out. Then, mercifully, oblivion swallowed him whole.
When Felix awoke, a suffocating darkness pressed down on him. Disoriented, he blinked, struggling to see. The air was thick with the scent of dust and decay, a familiar chill settling over him. He sat up, heart hammering against his ribs. He was in a vast, dimly lit chamber, furnished with a single, king-sized bed draped in opulent red velvet. Moonlight streamed through a high window, casting long, skeletal shadows across the room.
A wave of nausea washed over him as he recalled the bite, the blood-curdling pain. A shaky hand reached up to his neck, his fingertips brushing against the now-healed wound. Had it all been a nightmare? A horrifying hallucination? He was about to scramble off the bed when his reflection in a gilded mirror opposite him caught his eye. His pupils, once warm hazel, now gleamed an unnatural crimson. A cold terror gripped him. He wasn't human anymore. He was one of them,  a creature of the night, forever bound to the world of shadows.
A cold dread seeped into Felix's bones. The reflection in the mirror wasn't a dream. The monster's touch lingered on his neck, a chilling reminder of his new reality. Before the vampire could welcome him to his new life, Felix lunged for the chamber door, his newfound vampire strength propelling him forward. He burst through the heavy oak doors, ignoring the startled cry of the vampire behind him.
He fled blindly down dark corridors, his inhuman senses overwhelmed by the cacophony of sounds – his own pounding heart, the distant drip of water, the rasp of his pursuer's footsteps on stone. He emerged into a storm-wracked forest, the wind whipping the rain into his face. Soaked and shivering, he stumbled deeper into the woods, the vampire's chilling laughter echoing in his ears. Fear was a primal instinct now, a raw terror that propelled him forward without a plan, only the desperate need to escape.
Felix pushed himself through the undergrowth, the forest a maze of gnarled branches and dripping leaves. Every rustle of wind, every snap of a twig sent a fresh jolt of fear through him. He had no idea where he was going, only that he had to put as much distance between himself and the vampire as possible. His human endurance, however, was quickly failing him. His once-familiar strength waned, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Exhaustion gnawed at him, a relentless tide threatening to pull him under.
Finally, his legs gave way. He crumpled down onto a bed of damp leaves at the foot of a moss-covered oak, his vision blurring at the edges. Through the haze of his fatigue, he saw a dark figure emerge from the trees. The vampire. A whimper escaped his lips, despair a bitter pill on his tongue. As the vampire drew closer, its face a terrifying mask in the moonlight, Felix succumbed to the darkness, the forest floor his unwelcome bed.