The house was heavy with silence after Callum's parents left. The smell of scorched flesh and silver dust still lingered in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of bread cooling on the counter.
Étienne sat slumped against the sofa, his face blistered from the UV torch. Lukas lay on the floor, his arm bandaged, his skin raw from the silver knife and dust. Adrian remained unconscious, his face half‑burned from the hot pan, his breath shallow but steady. Callum knelt among them, his hands trembling as he tried to help.
Treating the Wounds
Étienne: Lukas fetched a damp cloth, pressing it gently against the vampire's scorched skin. Étienne winced but managed a faint smile. "It is not the first time I have burned," he whispered. "And it will not be the last." Already, the blisters began to fade, his supernatural healing knitting the skin back together.
Lukas: Callum cleaned the silver dust from Lukas's wounds, wiping carefully as the werewolf sobbed from the sting. "It burns like fire," Lukas muttered, his voice breaking. But within minutes, the redness began to ease, the cuts closing faster than any human's would.
Adrian: Étienne and Callum carried Adrian to the sofa, laying him gently down. His face was scorched, half of it blistered from the hot pan. Callum dabbed the wound with cool water, whispering, "You'll be alright." Adrian did not wake, but his breathing steadied, and the healing began beneath the surface.
The Conversation
As they treated each other, the sobbing returned. Lukas cried openly, his voice raw. "Why do they hate us so much? Why do we always have to prove we're not monsters?"
Étienne's voice was softer, tinged with guilt. "Because we are different. And difference frightens people. I have lived centuries, and still they torch me."
Callum clenched his fists, his own tears falling. "They're my parents. They thought they were protecting me. But they don't understand. You've never attacked me. You've never harmed me. You've only fought to survive."
Lukas wiped his eyes, his voice trembling. "We suffer, but we endure. That is all we can do."
Étienne nodded faintly. "And we endure together."
Recovery
Hours passed. The wounds closed, the burns faded, the sobbing quieted. Lukas's arm healed, the silver scars disappearing. Étienne's face regained its elegance, the scorch marks vanishing. Adrian remained unconscious, but his breathing grew stronger, his body slowly repairing itself.
By evening, the house was calmer. Callum sat beside Adrian, watching over him. Lukas brewed tea, his hands steady again. Étienne hummed softly, his voice carrying a note of resilience.
They had been broken, burned, stabbed, and knocked down. But they were supernatural creatures, and recovery came quickly.
The house in the fields had survived another storm.