BXBX NOVEL Chapter 260 : What Would You Do?
Yuri strolled closer to him, meeting his gaze confidently as his head snapped up to her. She\'d been able to enter the library without him noticing. He\'d chosen this spot because he\'d be able to hear anyone heading to the teleportation room but this was something else.
He\'d sometimes wondered who\'d win in a fight between them and he still wasn\'t ever closer to an answer. He didn\'t know what her abilities were and she was one of the oldest vampires in the city.
Not to mention that she\'d also been a fifth ring vampire for a long time. It is said that the fifth ring was the start of a vampire\'s journey to divinity. There is even a noticeable gulf between a new fifth ring vampire and a fifth ring vampire who had been on that ring for decades.
Olivia would probably be able to fight on even grounds but that\'s only because of the unique nature of their soul bond and the gifts it gave them.
"Ezra Matten." Yuri said as she walked closer.
Ezra stood, bowing slightly at her presence. "My lady." He greeted her.
"I would say, I never expected your presence."
Another way of asking what the hell Ezra was doing in her home. Ezra\'s lips twitched with a faint smile. "I\'m here to wait for Gen. She has a mission with the Odinson coven."
"I see." Yuri nodded, taking a seat in the chair beside him. "How… romantic." She smiled slightly at the notion, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"Is that something… rare?" He asked, taking his seat.
"Not exactly but it isn\'t as common as you\'d think." Yuri said. "Newly turned vampires still retain their human emotions but as time goes on, the fact that we\'re undead begins to show."
"We\'re unnatural creatures who steal the fuel we need to stay alive. The human part of us begins to die the longer we stay alive. Our love, our hopes, our dreams, everything, until only a facsimile remains. A carefully constructed facade made of the embers of the once roaring fire of our emotions."
"But we\'re also alive in a way. That means our emotions can be brought back to a roaring fire in an instant." She snapped a finger. "Unfortunately, it\'s easier to do this with negative or… dangerous emotions. Greed, rage, lust."
Ezra nodded in understanding. "I see." He remembered the only Eternal he knew. Adam. He\'d mentioned that Ezra was an Eternal like him and still possessed his humanity. Which meant that vampires eventually lost their humanity.
"Don\'t mind me." Yuri chuckled at his thoughtful expression. She flipped open a book Ezra hadn\'t noticed before. "I\'ll get my reading in while I\'m here."
He nodded absentmindedly. It all made sense. The reason most vampires were greedy, scheming, ambitious people. The dangerous emotions indeed.
His mind went to Ivo and Armand. They could so easily turn against a person they\'d spent a long time with. He glanced at Yuri. He knew the woman was probably not so innocent but that didn\'t mean she deserved to be stabbed in the back.
It was none of his business though. Whatever happened, he was staying out of it.
It was a bit uncomfortable to relax and enjoy his reading in the presence of what was technically his boss but he managed it.
Thirty minutes later, Yuri closed her book, the hardcover closing with a soft thud.
Ezra raised a brow.
"I was just skimming." She grinned. "My favorite author, Chakralord, will be releasing a new book very soon. I\'m just catching up on his old works."
"The same guy that wanted a castle?" Ezra raised a second brow.
"Yeah." Yuri chuckled.
"Good luck." Ezra nodded.
Yuri stood, turned to leave and paused. She turned and sat back down. Ezra closed his book, turning his attention to her.
"What would you do," she met his eyes as she asked, "if someone offered you a deal to sacrifice the life of one of the vampires under you to put an end to the war?"
Her tome held only curiosity, as if she was seeking his genuine response.
He frowned. Was this an actual deal someone had offered her? And who was the vampire whose life would be taken? Him? He doubted the offer was actually true. She had to be asking hypotheticals because he didn\'t believe Solomon would stand down just for the life of one person and if Solomon didn\'t back down, the war was bound to happen.
He turned his attention to the question, mulling over it. His first instinct was to weigh the possible strategic advantage of agreeing to the deal.
It was better to sacrifice a single life in order to end a war before it begins than to spend countless lives to win it. With more people alive, they could grow stronger and protect what they had.
Yuri watched him silently, patiently waiting for his answer.
"In theory, sacrificing one life for the greater good could end the war and bloodshed." He mused aloud. "But that\'s not the problem."
"How so?" Yuri asked.
"I believe that the consequences for that simple action would be more damaging than the war would ever be. With the war, I\'ll fight alongside my people, increasing our bond and their loyalty to me. Yes, we\'ll lose a lot of lives but we\'ll be stronger for it."
"But if a trusted or loyal vampire is sacrificed, it will definitely weaken the loyalty among the other vampires. It will lead to distrust and resentment. Before long, you\'ll have no one willing to serve under you."
"So, no." He met Yuri\'s gaze confidently. "I wouldn\'t do it. Using a single life as a pawn of peace now will only create deeper cracks in the future. Everyone will remember my decision and it\'ll probably never fade away."
Yuri nodded, a large smile on her face. "Well, I can relax knowing I made the best possible decision."
"My lady?" Ezra asked in confusion.
"You\'ve done a good job holding Southside for me, Ezra." She nodded. "Which is why I had mixed feelings when Solomon offered to stop the war if I hand you over to him."