"You're mad," I growled. "I don't care if you did help me. I won't work with you or do what you want. I'm not going to link myself to your warped cause. I doubt that Steve would have either, if he'd won."

"Oh, but you will work for me. You were destined to the night you became a vampire. I sought to weed out the weaker cur out of the both of you, and so you proved to be the one to lead the world into ruin." Mr. Tiny smiled with disturbing glee. "You - Darren Shan - will become the most twisted, unyielding tyrant the world has ever seen. Your valiant fight now poises you so." He grinned at Steve and Me.

"And what about.. Steve?" I manged to say with all my residual energy, hand at my injured torso.

"You must kill him of course." He said murkily. "He's the loser now. Heed him no mercy."

I looked down at Steve. He had his lost humanity in his eyes in his final moments. He was angry yet sad that he lost. I wish things weren't this way, but they are.

I then looked to Evanna and she nodded at me woefully. She was always neutral, but she accepted that this would be the start of a nightmarish future. In that cold brisk air by the river, I resigned myself to my destiny, stood on one knee and then removed my knife from Steve's chest and took one final glance at my old, ever-betraying friend.

"Even in death, may you be triumphant." I whispered exhaustingly as I then proceeded to mutilate his body savagely, grunting hatefully as torrents of blood simmered on my own.

Mr. Tiny only laughed with content and applauded while Evanna continued with her bemused albeit disappointed look.

20 minutes later...

I returned to the stadium to find the fight was still going on about 20 minutes later, bringing Vancha with me and the dismembered, bloody head of the now deceased Steve Leonard.. the dead Vampeneze ruler.

Although we had the advantage, I roared at the whole stadium with robust. Many of the Vampeneze, Vampets, Vampirites, Friends and Cirque troupe looked my way to see Vancha beside me, Evanna and Mr. Tiny on my other side and me, who held Steve's head like a proud champion showing their trophy.

The Vampeneze knew the end for them was nigh. They simply surrended themselves honorably while the Vampets simply dismissed defeat and continued anyway - they weren't like their superiors, be it in blood and principle - to fight the others. The Cirque was vastly taking them down and mopping them up with triumph. We simply gazed the aftermath as they were eventually outnumbered and defeated.

Some time later...

The event eventually died down. Of course, it would be all the rave now for years to come. The Cirque was now in shambles. Hard times were coming for all of us. Although I was victorious in my fight and was to become Lord of the Shadows, I had to at least try to put that off for however long was possible. I had to. It didnt work when I wanted my humanity 18 years ago, when I first got blooded. Maybe I can win myself over this time.

I looked at my friends from the Cirque. I hated to abandon them and I wish I could have helped, but I had the sense that at least if the danger was subsided, they could handle the rest. Sighfully, I obtained a hoodie from my tent with stealth and slipped away with Debbie, Alice, Harkat, and Vancha. I gave one au revoir look at my friends and turned to walk back to the hideout house with some shame, preparing myself for the worse to come in the near future as the sun began to rise.