Vampire Assassin: Love and Lies

Gabriel sat in the stands, eyes fixed on the fight below. The match was brutal, the two fighters circling each other like predators, each waiting for the other to make a mistake. Gabriel's gaze, however, was focused on a single figure: Damian Vesper. He had been sent here to confirm one thing—whether Damian was truly Caiden Ashwood.

Months ago, Gabriel had been given a mission by Mr. Maxwell to eliminate Caiden, a mission that had been executed flawlessly. Caiden Ashwood was dead. Gabriel had personally made sure of it. He had seen to it that Caiden would never rise again.

But now, watching Damian fight with an intensity and precision that seemed so familiar, Gabriel couldn't shake the growing unease. There was something about the way Damian moved, the sharpness in his strikes, that felt eerily like Caiden. His opponent fell to the ground with a crushing blow, and the crowd roared, but Gabriel's mind was elsewhere. He could feel the doubt creeping in.

Damian's movements weren't those of an average student. He wasn't just a fighter—he was a predator, much like Caiden had been. The way he flowed between strikes, his ability to read his opponent's moves—it was too familiar. The same fluid grace, the same cold precision. It was as though Gabriel were watching a ghost from the past.

But Gabriel knew the truth, didn't he? Caiden had died months ago. The scar—he remembered it so clearly, the one he'd inflicted himself. It had been the mark of his identity, the proof that Gabriel had finished what he started. The Caiden Ashwood who stood before him all those months ago, the one who had seemed so defiant, had been crushed under Gabriel's resolve. Caiden couldn't have survived.

And yet, here was Damian Vesper, looking too much like the boy Gabriel had killed. Gabriel frowned, his fingers drumming against the armrest of his seat. The question lingered, unwilling to leave him: Could this truly be Caiden? Was it possible? Or was he simply seeing shadows in the heat of the moment?

The fight ended in a decisive victory for Damian. He stood tall, wiping sweat from his brow, looking almost bored by the display. He had won, but there was something about his expression, something that suggested he was always in control, always aware of the game. Gabriel had seen that look before. It was unmistakable.

Damian's gaze shifted towards the stands, and for a moment, their eyes met. It was only a second, but it felt like an eternity. There was no recognition in Damian's eyes, nothing that suggested he knew who Gabriel was, but something in that brief exchange made Gabriel's stomach churn.

Damian didn't smile or sneer. He didn't acknowledge Gabriel in any way. But his eyes… they held something. A challenge, perhaps? A warning? Gabriel couldn't tell. But it wasn't the look of a stranger—it was the look of someone who had crossed paths with him before. Someone who had once been in a similar position, facing him with the same quiet defiance.

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the doubts mounting. Could he have made a mistake? Could this be the same person he had been sent to kill months ago, the person he had watched die? The scar was gone, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Could Caiden have somehow survived? Or was Damian just an uncanny resemblance?

It didn't make sense. Gabriel had made sure of it. He had seen the life leave Caiden's eyes. He had watched him take his last breath.

And yet, watching Damian now, those memories seemed to blur. The movements, the coldness of the fight—it all felt too familiar. Gabriel clenched his jaw, trying to push the thought away.

"No," he muttered under his breath, as though speaking the words could push the doubt from his mind. "It's not possible."

The crowd's applause faded into the background as Damian turned away from the arena, his expression unreadable. Gabriel's eyes followed him, still searching, still hoping for an answer that made sense. But nothing seemed to add up.

As Damian disappeared into the crowd, Gabriel sat back, his thoughts swirling. He couldn't deny what he had seen. Damian's abilities, his presence, his aura—it was too similar to Caiden's. But there were also differences. The scar was gone. And Damian had a different energy about him, a sense of maturity that Caiden hadn't quite possessed.

It didn't make sense. It shouldn't have made sense.

Gabriel's hands gripped the edge of his seat. He had been sent here by Mr. Maxwell to confirm whether Damian was Caiden Ashwood or not. But the more he watched, the more confused he became. This wasn't supposed to be so complicated. He had been tasked with eliminating Caiden. But now, watching Damian, Gabriel found himself doubting everything he had done. Had he been wrong? Had Caiden really survived? Or was this just another shadow from the past, making Gabriel second-guess his own actions?

He knew he needed answers. But for now, all he had was doubt.

Gabriel stood from his seat and moved toward the exit, his mind still racing. The crowd continued to cheer, unaware of the questions that plagued the assasin's mind. He needed time to think, time to process what he had seen. But deep down, Gabriel knew one thing: he couldn't just let this go. Not now.

🤗🤗🤗🤗.