Elias burst out of the emptiness, slamming hard against the rough stone of a mountain peak, like a rock hurled across a stormy sea. For a human, it would've been the end—bones shattered, life gone in an instant. But Elias wasn't human anymore. As a newborn vampire straight from Victoria's chaotic army, the impact was nothing more than a jolt. No pain, no damage. His skin, unbreakable as diamond and pale as moonlight, didn't even scratch. He rose quickly, shaking off the haze in his mind, his crimson eyes narrowing through the whipping wind and relentless rain. A flash of lightning split the sky, casting the world in harsh shadows for a heartbeat—jagged cliffs dropping away, mists twisting like living things below.
Where was he? The memory hit him sharp: back in Seattle's hidden corners, Riley shouting orders, the other newborns snarling and clashing, all fueled by Victoria's fiery vows of revenge on the Cullens—those perfect, glittering vampires who thought they were better than everyone. Elias had been turned only recently, his old human life a foggy blur of faces he couldn't quite recall and regrets that faded like dreams. Now, that world had vanished. Just like that. In its place was this chaotic storm, this unknown land. The air hummed with something strange, like the charge before thunder, but it sank deeper, prickling his enhanced senses and setting him on edge. He could almost hear it—a low vibration in the gusts, the downpour, even the earth beneath his feet. It wove through everything, invisible strands of power that teased him but stayed just out of reach.
Then the thirst crashed over him, a searing burn in his throat. Newborns were always ravenous, always on the verge of fury, but this felt sharper, more demanding. He needed blood—now. His fangs lengthened slightly as he scanned the horizon. No distant city lights, no hint of human scent on the wind. Just the raw aroma of wet earth, rain, and something primal, alive in a way he'd never encountered. Elias leaped down the slope, his powerful legs carrying him in massive bounds, covering ground like it was nothing. The wind tore at his tattered clothes—the same jeans and shirt from his army days—but the cold meant nothing to him. Vampires were the cold.
As he descended, the stark rocks gave way to a thick forest, trees rising like ancient giants with trunks broader than any he'd seen. Their leaves shimmered faintly, threaded with pulsing blue veins that made them seem almost breathing. This wasn't his world—not by a long shot. The ground softened underfoot, mossy and yielding, but his steps left no trace; he moved with the silent grace of a predator. A deep roar echoed from the depths of the woods, rumbling through the branches. Elias froze, his senses flaring. Heartbeats—strong, rhythmic, not human but animal. Prey.
In a blur of motion too fast for ordinary eyes, he surged forward. Ahead lay a clearing, soaked in rain, where a herd of strange creatures grazed. They resembled deer, but larger, their silver coats taut over rippling muscles, antlers crackling with blue sparks. One raised its head, nostrils flaring—sensing him too late. Elias erupted into their midst, zeroing in on a doe straggling at the rear. His hands clamped down on her neck like iron, twisting with a sharp crack. She went limp, and he sank his fangs into the warmth without a second thought.
The blood rushed in, hot and metallic. It wasn't human—bitter, with an odd tang that buzzed on his tongue—but it doused the fire in his throat, easing the wild newborn rage enough for clarity. He drained her completely, her body withering in his grip. He dropped the carcass, wiping his mouth, his eyes dimming from their fierce red. But the herd didn't scatter. The massive stag, its antlers like charged rods, bellowed and charged, shaking the very leaves.
Elias sidestepped effortlessly, but the tips grazed his arm, unleashing a bolt that scorched his sleeve and sent a real jolt of pain through him—brief, but startling. Smoke rose from his skin, yet the wound sealed shut in moments, his regeneration as reliable as ever. "What the hell?" he muttered, more shocked than injured. These beasts hit hard, cloaked in that humming energy like some kind of barrier or strike. He felt it graze his senses, vibrant and potent, but it eluded him when he tried to pinpoint it, slipping away like mist.
The stag wheeled back, and Elias seized an antler, yanking with all his strength. The creature flipped, crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact. He pounced, fangs ready, but the others surged in, their antlers firing bolts like a barrage of arrows. He dodged and wove, the newborn fury rising hot inside him—the untamed madness that made his kind lethal in those early months. He struck out, his fist smashing into one's side, ribs crunching beneath the blow. A bolt struck his chest, staggering him, but he laughed—a low, savage sound. "Is that all?" He vaulted onto a buck's back, fangs piercing as it bucked wildly, the blood igniting his frenzy. Bodies accumulated: shattered antlers, singed fur, the earth churned to mud. The last one bolted, but he pursued in a flash, tackling it down and ending the fight. Silence returned, punctuated only by the steady rain.
He stood there, breathing heavily—not from exhaustion, since vampires never tired—but from the adrenaline surging through him. Elias eyed the slaughter. The animal blood had quenched his thirst, but that power they'd unleashed... he could still sense it lingering in the air, in the fallen forms, a faint vibration his keen hearing caught like a distant pulse. Frustrating—it was right there, yet utterly beyond his control. He sank onto a toppled log, letting the rain rinse away the gore. For the first time since arriving, he focused inward on that pervasive hum. It saturated everything: the trees, the soil, the mist itself. He heard its whisper, felt its prickle on his skin, but any mental reach for it failed—it dodged like an unfamiliar tongue.
The storm began to fade as he pressed on, the forest growing denser. Vines draped like heavy curtains, some recoiling as he neared, as though they detected his strangeness. Flowers unfurled in the dim light, their petals revealing rhythmic inner glows. He plucked one, crushing it— the juice shimmered faintly, tasteless but leaving a tingle on his tongue. Curiosity pulled him forward; instinct kept him vigilant. A slithering hiss drew his gaze up. From the canopy, serpents plummeted, their scales camouflaged against the bark, eyes glowing green. Sleek and deadly, they coiled with that same electric hum he could sense but not claim.
The first lashed out like a whip, aiming for his throat. Elias snatched it mid-strike, crushing until it burst. Venom dripped, hissing on his hand but doing no harm. More descended, a twisting ambush from every angle. One looped around his leg, squeezing with crushing force. He felt the strain, but his body held firm. He pried it free and retaliated, fangs sinking into scales. The blood was acrid and venomous, but his system purged it, the flavor echoing that elusive buzz.
The clash grew frenzied: strikes whipping, him evading and striking back. A tail slashed his face, drawing a fleeting line of blood that vanished almost instantly. He seized two, slamming them together, then flung another into a trunk. The largest—the queen—dived from above, fangs embedding in his shoulder. Agony flared as venom surged in, but his regeneration expelled it, the wound knitting shut. With a growl, he tore her loose and smashed her skull. The survivors fled or fell, leaving him amid a tangle of lifeless coils.
He shook off the encounter and ventured deeper. The forest unveiled more wonders: a stream aglow with fish whose scales twinkled like submerged stars. He observed them briefly, captivated, then scooped one up. It thrashed, but he drained it—the blood thin yet sufficient, though the energy remained a taunting whisper, a scent carried away on the breeze. Ruins emerged next—ancient stones overgrown with vines, pillars etched with faded carvings of robed figures locked in combat with bizarre creatures, towering edifices in the background. His fingers traced the grooves, the hum intensifying like remnants of long-lost power. It sparked curiosity and caution in him, offering no revelations, only the weight of buried secrets. This world felt timeless, steeped in untold histories, and he was merely an outsider stumbling through.
Night fell completely, twin moons bathing the landscape in ethereal silver through cloud breaks. Elias scaled a massive tree, its limbs like broad pathways, and perched high to take stock. The forest extended without end, yet it thinned toward open plains ahead. Distant glimmers—perhaps fires—hinted at life. Faint human scents drifted on the wind, rekindling his thirst. He suppressed it; charging in blindly could be fatal if the inhabitants wielded that same power as the beasts. Instead, he attuned to the hum, probing it with his senses alone. It was like overhearing dialogue in a foreign language—fascinating, yet meaningless for now.
Dawn arrived with a deafening roar that rattled the tree. Below, a colossal form barreled through the brush—a boar clad in gleaming armor, its tusks arcing with lightning. It detected him and rammed the trunk, the collision sending bark flying, though the tree endured. Elias leaped down lightly. The beast snorted, energy crackling around it like a brewing tempest, a shrill whine in his ears. It lunged; he evaded, his fist connecting with its side. The armor dented, but it pivoted, a tusk grazing his thigh—fabric ripped, skin intact. Bolts erupted from the tusks, one striking his arm and numbing it momentarily before sensation returned.
The battle stretched on, the boar's stamina rivaling his velocity. He weaved through blasts that charred nearby trees, retaliating with blows that fractured its plating. At last, he mounted its back, fangs delving into the neck. Blood flowed thick and tumultuous, slaking his thirst without granting access to the power. The boar thrashed, then collapsed. Elias drank fully, the thrill stemming solely from the victory.
Satisfied and watchful, he advanced to the forest's fringe. Expansive plains unfolded, a river meandering with an inner luminescence. In the distance, forms evoked buildings—signs of civilization. Yet he lingered in the shadows, observing. Patience was essential in this unfamiliar realm. The Azure Mist Domain sprawled before him, immense and enigmatic, brimming with potential—if he could one day seize that elusive energy.