Arvid peeled their eyes open, though the dim candlelight was barely different from keeping their eyes closed. They could see a figure stalking along the edge of the firelight, nice shoes clopping against the stone floor. The sound pulled Arvid farther into consciousness. The side of their face felt hot and sticky, and a rhythmic pounding was picking up pace in their temple. They moaned, and the footsteps stopped. “Good, you’re awake.”
Arvid lifted their head, wincing as the movement triggered pain in new places. “I’m a bit surprised you let me wake up.”
The figure, half-cloaked in shadow, gave a dark grin, revealing long fangs. “I couldn’t let you die that easily. Not after all the trouble you went through to find me.”
“What can I say? You’re worth the effort.” Arvid smiled, tasted iron in their mouth. They spit on the floor between them and the man. “Need a snack?”
The vampire’s lip twitched, but he retained his composure. “I’m afraid I drank my fill earlier, though maybe I’ll drain some of your blood for later.”
“Oh lucky me.” Arvid’s eyes scanned the dark room, searching for details. “Is that why you waited? Needed to keep me fresh while you prepped your supplies?”
“Something like that.” The vampire moved back into the darkness for a moment. When he returned, a blade hung from his hand, its gray hue resembling rock more than metal. Arvid’s smile dropped. They knew that blade well.
“Glad to see you remember Tormentum.” The vampire lifted the blade, examining it. “A rather ugly blade, made for even uglier work. It’s always been more of a collector’s item for me. I never imagined I’d need to use it. But you—” the vampire pointed the blade at Arvid “—have vexed me to the point of madness. After Cinbrush, it’s clear I can’t keep letting you get in my way.”
“Letting me,” Arvid snarled. “So you’re saying you let me burn down your castle? Let me destroy your undead horde? How kind of you.”
The vampire strode forward, pressing the blade to Arvid’s chest. He slowly increased the pressure, letting the blade sink about an inch into the flesh before stopping. Arvid grit their teeth. The blade burned, but they would not cry out. They would not give this monster the satisfaction.
Regardless, the vampire appeared satisfied. He removed the blade, dark blood now decorating the tip. Arvid felt a warm stain begin to slide down his shirt. The vampire looked back to Arvid. “I’ve had enough talk. It’s time to end this.” He began to walk behind Arvid. That was when they realized all the candles were positioned in front of them, meaning their shadow must be stretching back.
Arvid swallowed back their growing panic. Their heart was beating in time to their throbbing head. Instinct made them look to the corners of the room for a weapon, while their arms tensed beneath their restraints, testing their strength. They knew this was it, had known it since conferring with the witch three towns back. Death’s bony fingers grazed the back of Arvid’s neck, but that didn’t stop part of them from wanting to live.
The monster had been standing behind them for an eternity. It was maddening how silent he could be. Arvid could almost forget he was there at all. Then the sound of metal scraping stone started. Arvid’s breath caught in their throat as the cursed blade drew across their shadow, cutting them down to the soul.
It didn’t take them long to start screaming.
The vampire didn’t save any of Arvid’s blood. He wanted the slayer obliterated entirely, and besides, blood taken from a body killed in such a way was sure to be tainted. Much better to leave it all behind, move on to the next chapter. He had never been particularly sentimental.
He cleaned the now blood-blackened sword, careful not to touch the blade directly. He looked back to the slayer, or what remained of them. It would be easy enough to burn. He’d planned this carefully, even making sure there was a stock of firewood outside the abandoned building for this final step. All he needed to do was lay it out and light it. As he stepped from the room, the remains of his adversary still dancing in his eyes, he didn’t notice the small crystal placed just outside the door. It crunched underfoot, and as the vampire lifted his shoe, a bright, white light burst forth.
The vampire screamed. He threw himself back, trying to escape into shadow, but the now-freed sunlight seemed to stick to his skin. It burned through his flesh as quickly as gunpowder. It covered his body, and he became a beacon lighting the once-dim room. It took less than a minute for Arvid’s final trap to burn through the vampire’s soulless form. In the end, all that was left was a pile of meat and a pile of ash.