The fan rotates slowly above my head. I can’t help but get the feeling it could fall off its perch at any moment.
“What do you want?” I ask my visitor, not moving at all. Even the slightest stirring causes discomfort with the amount of tubes stuck inside my body. I have no idea what’s going on, but I know that this is more than an ordinary hospital ward.
The people who share the room with me are all scarred – not physically, but mentally. It’s only been half a day since I’ve been here, but I’m already sick of it.
A man’s face pops into the edge of my vision – a stern-faced man with greying hair and a square jaw, dressed in a meticulous grey suit. However, the features that catch the bulk of my attention are his cool grey eyes, eyes that seem to peer into my very soul. I’ve seen those eyes before.
He was there last night. He knows what I did, he saw what I saw.
“Bran Lietmann,” the man says. “You’re been through a lot, haven’t you? At such a young age, too.”
“Who are you?” I ask.
The man takes a seat beside me. The other people in the ward look away as he pulls the curtains across, obscuring us from view.
“Phillip Dumonet, a thirty-seven year old truck driver was found dead on Ashbrook Bridge last night. No visible wounds were discovered on his body, and his cause of death is believed to be internal. Doctors are still looking into the case.”
I remain silent.
“He was reported to suffer from depression, schizophrenia and hallucinations. Just a few weeks prior to his death, he was arrested on charges of drink-driving and manslaughter of Mr. David Lietmann. He continued to insist that this was caused by his hallucinations, that they had deliberately misled him and tormented him for a long time leading up to this moment.”
The man looks up from the file he was reading from and stares intently into my eyes. I can feel his all-seeing gaze scrutinizing my every movement. I want to turn away, but it feels like I’ve lost all control of my body.
“Forty-five soul eaters were found dead at the scene. You killed them, didn’t you?”
“Is that what they’re called?”
“Yes. Demon spirits who feed on souls, especially potent ones. They are known to plague individuals and lead them down a path of misery, only to devour them when their depression reaches a certain level.”
“Who are you?” I ask again.
This time, the man answers. “Hector. James Hector. I’m the director of ANGEL – an underground government organization that protects unknowing civilians from demon threats.”
Naturally, being only ten years of age half of that comes out as incomprehensible jargon to my ears. Hector knows this and rephrases it in layman’s terms.
“Bran, we want you to help us kill demons.”
“Kill… demons?”
He has my attention now.
“Yes. Of course, we only kill demons that are a direct threat to society. Naturally gifted demon hunters are scarce, and no matter how you did it, the fact is that you single handedly dispatched forty-five E ranked demons. You definitely have potential.”
“If I join you… I can kill them?”
Hector nods. “You’ll even be paid for it. You can avenge your father’s death by making sure things like this never happen again. Think of all the lives you can save-“
I don’t need to hear any more.
“I want to kill them. Kill them all.”
Hector’s eyes narrow as I say this, but his surprise only lasts for a second before he recovers. “You’ve made the right decision, Bran. After you get cleared from the hospital, I’ll take you down to our head office and take care of the specifics.”
“Where do I find them? When do I get to start killing them?”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll take care of the intel – all you need to do is just follow our orders.”
***
Hector knew from the moment he met me. I had already changed back then, the seed for my hatred of demons planted on that day. Most of those demons I’d killed could have been left alive, but I showed no mercy. I didn’t think twice about eliminating them, not until I myself became one.
Mercy and compassion is what sets humans apart from animals… and demons. If I possess none of those, I’m no better than they are.
I burst out of the back door to the mall, just barely catching the back end of two small trucks as they speed off into the distance. There’s no doubt that Alice is on one of them – but she won’t be alone.
I quickly scan the carpark for my options – I could steal a car, but I wouldn’t be able to drive without a key. I could run, but I wouldn’t be able to keep up for more than few minutes – not to mention ANGEL would be on my trail faster than I could blink.
My eye lands on a bicycle chained up to a street pole. I guess this is my only option.
Running over, I crush the lock effortlessly in my hand and mount it. It’s been a while since I’ve ridden a bike, but it’s one of those skills that once you learn you can never forget.
“Let’s see how fast we can go,” I mutter, cranking all the gears to the highest possible speed.
My legs strain for a bit, but once I start moving forward the speed begins to rack up. I quickly zip around the bend, keeping the two trucks in view.
Due to emergency services blocking up routes, the roads here are busier than usual. I can see the hefty vehicles struggling to manoeuvre amongst the traffic, making risky shortcuts and crossing red lights in order to make their getaway. Cars honk and drivers swear as I follow them, making equally reckless moves along the footpath. I'm panting and drenched with sweat, but it feels like my body has a mind of its own as I continue the pursuit.
Dracula’s men finally notice me. I see a few heads pop out from one of the trucks, speaking to each other across the roar of the traffic. They dismiss me before apparently receiving orders from the driver - that’s when they pull out the long black guns and take aim.
Oh god…
The flash of a muzzle with little resultant sound tells me they're using silenced arms. They're already causing enough of a clamour as it is; it's just as well that they don't draw even more attention to themselves. I'm just about to give up all hope when I realize something’s wrong.
The bullets are moving slower than usual. No, it's not that - I'm perceiving them more quickly than I should be able to. I can see the small rounds in midair as they travel towards me, predict their paths of motion, even judge their times of arrival.
Of course… this must be what it means to be a demon.
Three of them are on the wrong course so I ignore them completely. The fourth one looks to be on a collision course with my head so I lurch to the side. The fifth one is heading towards the frame of my bike, so I swerve left sharply to avoid it.
But the sixth one… there’s no way I'll be able to dodge this, or one of the others will hit me. What do I do…?
Thud.
My left forearm flies off the handlebars from the recoil. A sharp, red-hot pain bites into my arm - but quickly fades to a dull throbbing. Taking my eyes off the road for a fraction of a second I see the wound already knitting itself back together, still smoking from the impact of the bullet.
Vampires are truly formidable beings.
There’re a few shouts of triumph and another spray of bullets. This time, both of Ian’s - no, Dracula’s men fired. There’s a much wider cone of bullets, and the way they’ve been aimed means I won't be able to avoid all of them.
Damn it!
I'm already thinking of which parts of my body to sacrifice in order to protect the bicycle, but suddenly I get a flash of inspiration. Will it work? Am I capable of this?
No time to think. Just do it.
Whipping my right arm around the handlebars, Nightfall appears in my hand as if he knows what I’m thinking. I watch the bullets closely and allow instinct to guide my hands.
Clang! Clang!
The bullets ricochet off to the side, bouncing cleanly off Nightfall’s blade. It was no harder than hitting a fast baseball pitch, but with a sword instead of a baseball bat - and a ball several times smaller; nothing vampiric reflexes can't handle.
I can’t help but feel exhilarated at having pulled off such a feat. This is truly the stuff of legends - it may be a trick of the light, but I swear even my attackers couldn’t help but look relieved. Maybe they’re still resisting Dracula, even now.
We speed across another red light. A sign up ahead tells me that we’ll be reaching the highway soon - if that happens, Alice is as good as gone.
I have to save her, no matter what. No one deserves a fate like this. Dracula doesn't even care about her welfare - all he wants is her blood, and her genes. I still can’t believe he’d simply manoeuvre all those feral vampires like chess pieces, only to discard them for his purposes.
The trucks swerve sharply around the bend, tyres screeching along the bitumen. As I follow them I realize that there's someone leaning out of the driver’s window, a massive bow rippling with spiritual energy in his hands. As soon as I see it, I know it’s a Divine Edge.
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Crap. Well, it makes sense - after all, it is the logical step to take if human weapons don't work.
As soon as the bolt appears in the bow, I know I won't be able to shrug this off. The vampire takes aim, looking down an imaginary scope at me. Are they really going to do this? Firing off something like that would be akin to setting off a small bomb – in broad daylight, and on a busy road too.
Another incoherent order is barked, and the vampire releases the bowstring of light. There’s a crackle in the air as the bolt goes flying towards me. In that instant I make up my mind, and leap as far as I can from the bicycle.
I feel the heat and intensity of the projectile as it sails past me and strikes the small vehicle with a deafening boom. The world pitches around me as I tumble to the ground, catching a glimpse of the hellfire behind me. A section of the road has been blown apart, charred black by the destructive power of the arrow.
In my mind, I apologize to the owner of the bike for destroying it, before quickly pulling myself to my feet.
The truck is still moving, but it’s slowed down after briefly shuddering due to the recoil of the attack. I feel a giant wave of heat push into me from behind, giving me a gentle push forward. If I’m going to do anything… it has to be now.
Alice. I have to save her.
Allowing the thermal to propel me, I launch myself off the ground into a sprint. Each footstep makes contact with the road for no more than a millisecond as I almost fly forwards, pumping my arms and legs as fast as I can. The distance between me and the truck is rapidly closing – the conditions are just right for me to be able to overtake it.
I can already feel my body beginning to reach its limit – I’ve just about held my top speed for as long as I can and my form is slipping. Just a few metres more…
The truck in front of me swerves to avoid another car, and in that moment it decelerates.
This is my chance. The path couldn’t have been clearer before my eyes.
Channeling all my energy into my legs, I leap forward and slam into the back of the trailer. My hands slide along the surface until they sink into some handholds, and I stay in that position for a few moments trying to catch my breath.
A few frantic voices from inside tell me that I’ve been discovered… shortly before the doors go flying open. I almost lose my balance, one hand slipping from its position on the door. My feet fall dangerously close to the ground.
The truck speeds through the city towards its outskirts, swerving left and right in an attempt to shake me off. I hang on for dear life, struggling to maintain a solid grip as the surrounding urban landscape gives way to a tall cliff face.
We’ve reached the highway.
The open doors slam against the rock and I go flying back towards the centre, taking this opportunity to grab on to the truck with both hands again. Nothing separates me from the broad Ashbrook River on my left except for a low metal barrier.
“-cut the damn doors!”
“Send him off the edge-“
They may appear to be doing this because they have no choice, but they’re definitely not holding back. The steel in front of me suddenly screeches as a rusty blade tears through it like paper. I manoeuvre myself to the side as the Divine Edge cuts down, making a sawing motion along the edge of the door. I quickly realize that the piece of metal I’m hanging onto is about to become detached from the rest of the truck.
Before I can reconsider my options a spray of bullets fly through the door, riddling it with holes like a slice of Swiss cheese. A few pellets cut through my chest, but thankfully miss my vitals. Cringing from the pain, I can only hang on tight as the door finally breaks away from the truck with a snap and hits the ground in a flurry of sparks.
I somehow manage to maintain my balance on the severed plate of metal, riding it as if it were a skateboard, but it’s rapidly slowing down. Gathering my resolve, I force my legs to move once again as I leap onto the metal barrier along the edge of the road, breaking into a sprint.
Balancing on this thin strip of metal is nothing compared to the pains of ice skating. I dig deep and accelerate, once again closing in on the door-less truck. I can see three of Dracula’s men watching me with grudging admiration – and no one else.
Alice must be on the first truck.
At the thought of her in the new Blood Lord’s hands, I somehow gain a second wind. The blood in my veins surge in fury, thumping in my ears as my legs propel my body along the metal barrier.
I’m close enough now.
I leap forward, drawing Nightfall and rocketing past a spray of bullets. My right foot hits the interior of the truck, and I follow up on it by cleaving one of the vampire’s bodies in half. The second one barely has time to cry out as I twist around and decapitate it, before ramming the third one off the truck and onto the road. He tumbles for a while before disappearing from sight.
Panting, I clutch at my wounds in an attempt to catch my breath… but those inside the truck itself are refusing to allow me to recover. The storage unit I’m in trembles before shuddering violently – and as I fall to my knees, I realize that I’m losing speed.
Springing to my feet, I cut a hole through the end of the container – only to find myself face to face with the back of the truck, moving further and further away from me. A vampire stands with his back facing the driver’s compartment, a short-sword in his hands. He must have undone the clasp connecting the actual truck to the storage container behind it.
This time, I don’t even need to think. I spring forward, cutting the underling in two before he can react and then swing around the side of the truck towards the front doors. My hands grasp onto the rear view mirror as I firmly hold myself in place, hanging precariously close to the long drop on the left. Three looks of surprise turn to face me, right before I thrust Nightfall through the frail glass window and all three of their skulls at once. Glass goes flying onto the ground like a fine crystal rain.
Opening the door, I throw the first vampire onto the road as he tries to recover from my attack. Now fully inside the truck, I haul the second one out too before kicking the driver’s head through the opposite window. The truck accelerates as his foot instinctively presses downward, and I’m forced to grab the steering wheel with one hand to keep it on course.
The driver slowly tries to pull his head back in but I yank on the steering wheel sharply, bringing the truck skidding into the cliff-face – and pulverizing the driver’s head along with it. Finally allowed a breather, I focus on steering the vehicle. The truck continues to accelerate, the dead vampire’s foot jammed firmly in place. We’re probably going at double the speed limit at the moment.
I can see the second truck up ahead – but it’s already a good four or five hundred metres in front. They’ve noticed the carnage in this one and have increased their speed to match.
Alice is on that truck… along with Dracula and more men, probably.
There’s a sharp bend in the road up ahead. I have to slow down if I’m going to make it – it curves around in the shape of a question mark. I can see the second truck as it disappears around the bend before reappearing, travelling perpendicular to the direction in which I’m going.
I should slow down... but I can’t. I can’t slow down, or I’ll lose her forever.
Taking my hands off the wheel, I smash the windscreen and step onto the dashboard. The wind almost sends me back into the driver’s compartment, but I manage to keep my balance.
The barrier up ahead is approaching at a blindingly fast speed. Preparing myself, I mentally count down to the moment of impact.
Three…
Two…
One…
The entire truck quakes as it breaks cleanly through the metal strip, entering freefall. A long drop lies below me, right into the river. However, my eyes are solely focused on the truck right in front of me, on the opposite side of the bend.
Now!
At the peak of the truck’s flight, I dive off and hurtle towards the other truck at full speed. A few moments later, I hear a loud splash behind me as the truck plummets into the river.
Getting closer… closer… just about there…
Thwack!
I land on the top of the truck’s trailer, almost flying cleanly off from the momentum. I dig my nails into the top, carving my way to a halt along the steel.
I did it.
Taking a breath to steady myself, I bring out Nightfall and stab straight down into the roof. Light floods the dark interior, briefly stunning the three vampires within. They open fire recklessly, aiming at the roof – but some bullets go astray and pierce through the floor instead. I hear the phwoosh of tyres losing air, followed by the truck beginning to lose control.
Taking advantage of this, I leap down through the hole I created and sever two of them in one stroke. The third one finally recovers and points his gun at me, but I charge him and wrestle for control of it. Pointing it at approximately where I think the fuel tank is, I fire repeatedly until I’m only met with blank clicks. There’s a shudder and the smell of burning petrol, and I know that I’ve hit my mark.
The surprised vampire throws me off his body and materializes a halberd, but it’s too late. With the last remains of my adrenaline I haul Nightfall through the air and towards its neck, cleanly splitting the vampire’s head from its spine. The sword disappears and the head goes rolling to the ground.
The light of day above us flickers as we pass beneath a canopy of trees. Lying on the far end of the container, bound with incredibly thick steel wire is Alice.
She looks at me with weary, pained eyes. Her broken arm is still twisted behind her at an odd angle – probably deliberately held in place to prevent her natural regeneration. The wounds she suffered from the incident at the mall are healing incredibly slowly, most likely due to her current condition. Her white skin is streaked with blood, dirt and dark bruises.
“Bran… is that you?” she asks, squinting past the light.
As I approach her, she realizes and makes a face as if she’s about to cry.
“Have you come for me?”
She asked me this once before, what seems like a lifetime ago. However, this time I am able to answer her.
“Yes.”
With that, I quickly kneel down and scoop her up in my arms. I hear the sound of flames ahead – we’re running out of time.
The truck’s about to go up in flames, and so are we – unless I act now.
With my last vestiges of strength I tackle the back doors and force them open, tumbling onto the hard asphalt with Alice cradled in my arms. No sooner do I hit the ground, my body shuddering from the impact, does the entire truck fly off the edge of the precipice and explode in fireworks of rubber and steel.