Chapter Text
Act 1: “Digging my own grave”
From the moment Owen and Pyro closed in on Avid, he knew something was amidst. The air felt suffocating and the hole the three of them dug was much too dark. He knew Owen never really liked him, he also knew it was mostly his fault Owen didn’t like him. Avid had been too careless with pointing out who he believed was a Vampire back in Oakhurst. Even now, as Owen and Pyro eyed him like a foul smelling rodent he continued to dig down. He had noticed the two of them blocking off his exit. He found it cruel how he found himself digging deeper and deeper as a way to try to escape this twisted reality. He was literally digging his own grave. Avid zoned out for a moment, staring at Owen as he continued on with the speech that pierced at his now cold blooded heart. “Deep down, I don’t think you have what it takes,” Owen said as he dug off the final piece of cobblestone.
Avid’s heart dropped. Not literally of course, but Avid felt as if static flooded his head. The ringing in his ears got louder and louder. His eyes shifting rapidly between the two hostile vampires. Avid slowly backed away from the pair, though there was a limited amount of space. He quickly felt his back hit against the cold, hard, stone walls of his now grave. “You.. tried to slay me” Pyro spoke in his deep and frankly terrifying voice.
At that moment, Avid knew it was over. And although he wasn't ready to die, some quiet part of him chanted he deserved it. For what happened back home, for the blood that he had caused to bleed, and for the harm he caused both Vampires and villagers. Avid heart rate spiked, It wasn't like he’d be able to defend himself. Prior to this interaction he had died and gotten sent back to level one. He was utterly defenseless against the two vampires.
“You guys-” Avid spoke, trying to convince the vampires not to do anything irreversible, but his desperation fell on deaf ears. This was it. This was how Avid was meant to go. “You tried to cut me up on that tree.” Pyro reminded Avid, “You guys-!” Avid desperately tried once more, His nerves worsening more and more. His clutch on his torch and pickaxe tightening. He watched the two vampires, hoping this was some cruel joke. “You wouldn’t..” He said Scott had told the Vampires to stick together. He had even gotten Pyro and Owens confirmation that they wouldn't kill him! Pyro turned to Owen, like a mutt waiting for his master's cue to attack. Owen maintained eye contact with Avid. His cruel crimson eyes staring back into Avid’s panic filled Magenta ones. Avid’s life flashed before his eyes, but one person stuck out amongst all those memories.
Scott. Scott and Avid had bloomed a bond unlike any other, the dashing vampire’s smile replaying in his head right before Pyro’s claws struck his pale chest. “WAIT!” Owen spoke quickly, throwing a closed fist in the air. Pyro’s claws stopping mid air at the command. “Do you hear that?” Owen asked Pyro. Avid just stood there, trying to calm himself down as his chest stuttered. He couldn't breathe, nor did he understand what Owen was talking about. Though he did notice the dust and dirt falling from the stone placed above his head. He wasn't sure if it was his quacking legs, barely holding him up or if the ground really was shaking. “What is that noise..” Pyro spoke up, his stature tensing up as a low rumble entered Avid’s ears. Avid was still in a daze, the static slowly fading but still hazing his head as Pyro and Owen started to dig up the cobblestone. “What- what’s going on” Avid timidly spoke. Owen and Pyro turned to him, annoyance and hate clear in their faces. “We don’t know. But we should get out and check.” Owen spoke, as if he didn't just try to kill Avid. “Don’t think you're safe,” Pyro snarked. “And don’t even think of going to Scott about this, wouldn’t want any other vampires to earn a target on their back.” Owen threatened.
Avid just nodded, his hands shaking so badly he dropped his pickaxe. “Oh- sorry!” He panickedly said before crouching to pick up his pickaxe. Owen just rolled his eyes and muttered some insults Avid’s ears blocked out. The rumbling from above slowly got louder and louder as Pyro and Owen cleared the remaining cobblestone they had planted. Avid’s heart rate steadied at the sight of an exit. He quickly switched his item hand and took out a stack of cobblestone to build upwards. Not caring to fill in the hole where he would have been resting if not for the, what he assumes, earthquake. “Let's go check in with the others, just to make sure nothing serious is going on.” Owen said to Pyro who just nodded, clearly pissed he wasn’t able to slay Avid.
Avid watched as the two turned to bats and flew away. Leaving him in the dark, cold, terrifying hole. He stood there numbly on his pillar of cobblestone. Avid mindlessly pillared up the hole until he reached the staircase. It was until Avid was out of that cave that his legs collapsed from under him. His weight is too heavy for his shaken form to hold. Avid looked down at his hands as pain registered in. They were bloody, the hand that held the torch was now bleeding and splinter filled while the one with the pickaxe was bruised. He didn’t realize that his hold on the items was hurting him earlier. Avid simply raised himself up from the ground and began his march towards the castle. Hoping for some quiet, bandages, or food.
…
It had taken Avid around 30 minutes to get to the castle. Thankfully no one was home, not even Scott. He wasn't sure if it was due to the earthquake from earlier or if the villagers had started another fight. Avid simply navigated himself towards the chests and began his search for bandaids. On his way to the castle he had dug out the splinters with his sharp nails. They acted as tweezers, It didn’t hurt too badly. Avid was still in a state of shock to care. As he dug around the chests he found some bandaids and a bottle of blood. He quickly downed the blood, feeling as his healing properties sped up before bandaging his hand up. The blood was still apparent due to his level 1 status.
“Avid! Avid!” He heard a panicked voice from behind him speak, it was Shelby! “Oh! Shelby! Whats wrong?” Avid asked as he subtly hid his bandaged hand behind his back. “Im so glad you're here! I was looking everywhere! Hurry, we must get to the town square!” Shelby rapidly spoke before tugging Avid along with her to the castle gates. “Wait- Town square? For what?? Did the villagers start up another fight!?” Avid asked, “No, no no! Some weird thing opened up! Everyone’s in a temporary truce while we figure it out. Scott and the others are waiting! Let's go!” Shelby spoke before shifting into a crouching position to boost herself up into the air, “Wait, but I can't fly- remember?” Avid remind her. “Oh yeah! Here-”
Shelby handed him 10 bottles of blood, enough to get him half way through level 2. Avid happily took the bottles and chugged. “Wait- where did you get so many bottles-?” Avid asked. Shelby simply smiled and adjusted her red crown with one hand. “The villagers offered us some blood to try and coax us into investigating, we took the blood but are a bit iffy on whether we should go down into the opening in the ground.” Shelby responded before jumping up into a bat. “Wait- opening?” Avid muttered, confused. He quickly downed the last bottle and felt as energy coarse through his veins. A calming euphoria flooded his body before he too turned into a bat. Shelby quickly led the way, Avid in pursuit. The two of them were flying side by side as Avid noticed the Oakhurst town getting closer and closer, though what caught his eye was the strange opening in the middle of the town. It looked like an empty abyss, and had cracks spreading out around the ground. He could see everyone gathering near the opening. Owen and Pyro stuck out like a sore thumb to Avid. Chills ran up his spine before landing with Shelby. “You okay, Avid?” Scott spoke up, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Avid blushed slightly before sheepishly nodding his head. “Of course I am! Why? Are you worried for lil’old me?” Avid asked with a tease in his voice, batting his eyes at the taller vampire. Scott simply chuckled at the fledgling's response.
“I propose at least one vampire go explore the Pit, it could be a way out of Oakhurst!” Martyn called out from beside Ren. “There is NO way any of us are going down a mysterious, pitch black, creepy old hole in the ground. We don't even know where it came from!” Avid countered. “Well, how about this? So that we know no one is playing any funny tricks, One Human and one Vampire go down together.” Scott proposes. Avid watches as the humans think it through, all turning towards each other forming some circle. Mutterings and conversation could be heard but not clearly enough to tell what they were saying. Soon they all finish up their talk and turn back towards the Vampires. “Fine, you’ve got a deal” Apo speakers up. Scott smirks, “Then who are we sending down?” He asks. Avid turns to the ominous pit, gulping at the sight as sweat runs down the side of his neck at the thought of jumping down there.