Descend!

The command thundered through my mind, stopping me dead in my tracks. I stood frozen, just like the grimy streets, my heart pounding. It wasn’t just a voice. It was its voice… Myoordrakien, the Primeval. The embodiment of destruction. My bones rattled with the force of it, a pressure so immense it felt like my skull would split. His command burned into my thoughts, relentless, inescapable.

Kill!

I jerked forward, my feet moving before my mind could catch up. A frantic pulse surged through me, driving me faster, pulling me deeper into the city's underbelly. Every shadowed alley, every darkened corner seemed to lean toward me, like they knew where I was supposed to go. Down.

My legs picked up speed, my body trembling with the urgency. There was no escaping it; this overwhelming force pulled me toward the pits beneath the city, to the depths where my next task waited. My vision blurred, and the roar of Myoordrakien’s voice echoed again, louder, dragging me forward with a purpose not my own.

Subconsciously, I think the Primeval was guiding me somewhere, with an idea of its own. It was in the periphery of my mind, and I was soon able to understand what it was thinking. It was time to ramp things up. If revealing the supernatural world was what it would take to summon things from the pits. It was time to go full-on monster movie… and terrorize this town.

The days blurred together in a haze of blood and violence. I became a predator, stalking, with the pulse guiding me through the city streets. Every heartbeat of the city sent vibrations into my core, allowing me to sense those who were marked for death… both human and monster alike. There was no need for names, no faces in my mind. Just the pulse, sharp and unrelenting. The Primeval inside me knew which ones deserved to die, and I trusted it. With the reverence it showed to people like Carter, Autumn, and even Patrick… I didn’t doubt its urges as we hunted. Myoordrakien’s hunger for death matched mine.

The first target was a woman, mid-thirties, her life force blackened and twisted by something unnatural. There was no hesitation. I didn’t need her story. The pulse was enough. Myoordrakien had judged her guilty. I waited, crouched in the shadows, until she was alone, and then I descended. I didn’t hide when I took her. I wanted to be seen. Her scream tore through the night, sharp and sudden, as I pounced on her, bone talons sinking into her flesh like knives through wet paper. The sound of bones snapping under my grip was almost deafening. I shredded her body, tearing her apart like an animal in a frenzy. Her limbs were torn free, flesh peeled back, and blood splattered in wide arcs across the pavement. When the good Samaritans came, they didn’t find a victim. They found a massacre. Pieces of her lay scattered like discarded meat. Her torso was a grotesque, crumpled shell of what she once was. And the streets ran slick with her blood.

The next was a man. I felt the pulse throbbing from a skyscraper in the heart of St. Louis. His corruption was thicker, fouler, and reeking of malice. Myoordrakien's fury surged in me, pulling me toward him. I leaped from one building across the street, crashing through a window on the sixth floor like a missile. Glass rained down in a glittering storm, and I didn’t stop. I clawed my way up the stairwell, the concrete and steel bending beneath my monstrous strength. My claws tore into handrails, and the steps crumbled under the force of my ascent. I let the monster loose, fully transformed now.

By the time I reached the top, I was a beast, surging with raw power. The door to his floor was obliterated, blown off its hinges, and I moved through like a hurricane, my pulse guiding me. The man had already started running, the terror in his chest a beacon for me to follow. His fear was intoxicating. The heat of his corrupted soul blazed in the dark, and I could almost taste his death. His screams echoed through the empty halls as I toyed with him, letting him stumble and claw his way toward a non-existent escape. He was drawing attention, and I wanted the chaos. I wanted others to hear his desperation.

I let him think he had a chance… until I didn’t.

With one vicious swipe, my claws sliced through him, bisecting him just above the waist. His body didn’t even have time to register the pain before his torso flew across the room, crashing into a conference table, blood streaking in thick ropes across the polished surface. His lower half crumpled where I stood, twitching, useless. It was a grotesque display, left to rot for someone to find in the cold, corporate morning light. If no one noticed before the workday, I was certain it’d make for an unforgettable meeting.

I didn’t need to stay and watch. I’d made sure my message was loud, gory, and unmistakable; that something was out there, hunting, making waves. The elders would feel my presence soon enough.

I was a shadow in the heart of St. Louis, a specter of violence that haunted the streets. My presence was whispered about, and feared, but never fully understood. The city trembled beneath my feet as I crept closer to the edge, flirting with the line between ghost and monster. Every night, I left a trail of destruction, each location marked by chaos so profound it gripped the city’s underbelly in terror. The news reports came swiftly, plastered with images of carnage too brutal to process. They called it possible gang violence. A new wave of criminal activity and behavior that could put a name on what was happening. The city's attempt to rationalize the bloodshed was almost laughable, a desperate attempt to explain the horror that had no face, no reason.

But I knew better.

I could feel the darkness below stirring, Myoordrakien's influence spreading. The more they tried to piece together the mystery of my attacks, the more attention they drew from the abyss. They were watching now, waiting, as I tore through their city. The pulse inside me… the Primeval, was leading me, shaping my path. This was no accident.

I hadn’t always been like this. I wouldn’t have allowed myself to be so openly present, so brazen with my kills. But the longer Myoordrakien lingered in my mind, the more I surrendered. His voice was a constant drumbeat, a guttural whisper that clawed for my attention. No conversations, no explanations… just commands; short, brutal, and final. Kill. Descend. Hunt. Move.

The Primeval’s senses flooded through me in waves, like a sonar pulsing outward, vibrating through the city. It wasn’t me anymore… it was us. My monstrous instincts, once muted, now blared like a siren. I could feel every tremor in the streets, sense the lifeblood of the city pumping through its veins, corrupted, tainted. We stopped being idle, and we became a weapon, driven by our shared will. His commands weren’t spoken in language… they were raw, primal impulses coursing through my mind and flesh like venom. I welcomed it.

I moved with purpose. Every vibration in the air, every pulse of wrath in my mind told me where to go, who to hunt. The pulse guided me, a relentless force feeding me sensory overload, choking me with the raw magnitude of it all. I was overwhelmed, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. I had to make them see me. They would see the risk I was bringing against the supernatural world.

The past few days had been nothing short of a blood-soaked nightmare for the city; slaughter, carnage, and, most crucially, dread. It wasn’t just about the bodies I left behind, ripped apart like meat, but the terror I etched into the hearts of those who stumbled upon my handiwork. The ones who found the mangled remains, who caught fleeting glimpses of my hulking, twisted form shifting through the shadows. They didn’t see me, not fully, but they saw enough to know something monstrous was lurking. It was in the moments where my warped, ragged breaths echoed down the alleyways, my distorted silhouette flickering like a nightmare just out of reach. That was the key… the fear. The terror that spread like wildfire was my ticket down below, to draw the attention of the elders.

I could feel it… With each kill, with each moment of horror I unleashed, I was bringing them closer. The blood-soaked descent wasn’t just about violence. It was a ritual, a performance, and every scream was a signal sent to the pits below. Alex was right… I was a monster… and I was finally acting like one to get what I wanted.

But in the rare moments when the bloodlust faded, doubt gnawed at me. What would all of this do to the people I cared about? The Chasses, my friends… they wouldn’t understand. Especially not now, with everything they were dealing with about Autumn and Patrick. I didn’t know if the threat of the secret hairbrush was real, or if it was just a desperate explanation for why she had abandoned me. Whether the pull of darkness was genuine or a twisted fantasy, it didn’t matter. Either way, they’d be too preoccupied to realize what I was doing in the city’s shadows, tearing through lives in ways they would never condone.

Without proof, without them feeling what I felt through the Primeval’s senses, they couldn’t understand. The way Myoordrakien guided me with that pulse, with that primal, inhuman certainty… they’d never agree to it. Not unless they, too, were consumed by the raw, pulsing knowledge of what lay beneath the surface, just waiting to be unleashed. But they never could… that was my burden to bear.

But I was already too deep. My monstrous path was set, and I would drag them into this darkness only if I had to.

Five days. In just five days, thirteen bodies lay scattered across St. Louis, countless vampires had been turned to dust by the morning sun, and countless others were left terrified; innocent bystanders who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In a single business week, I had turned the city into a living nightmare, transforming it into one of the most dangerous places on Earth, at least in the eyes of law-abiding citizens. The news buzzed with panic, but I didn’t stop. I kept moving, relentless, always on the hunt for the next target.

But then, something shifted. The Primeval's mindset changed, and I felt it… an unspoken certainty. We had done enough. The carnage, the terror, the chaos, it was enough to draw the attention we needed. Now, we could slow down. Sometimes it felt like Myoordrakien knew things I didn’t, as if it had access to some deeper knowledge I wasn’t privy to. Like I was a mere child, a burden it had to guide, dragging me along while it performed Death’s bidding. A thought crept into my mind… once a host like John or I grew strong enough, why did we ever have to give it up? Sure, the burden was immense, but wouldn’t a permanent hand of death in the physical world be far more efficient than resetting every few generations? When this was over, I’d have to ask that question.

I walked slowly through the night, just at the edge of the Mississippi River. My muscles were tense, mind sharpened after days of unrelenting slaughter. It was a good thing I never got tired; otherwise, I’d have collapsed into a coma until next month. A part of me almost felt bad for the innocent people I’d scared to death; the ones who didn’t deserve any of this. But the people I killed? They deserved it. I could sense it, the festering darkness within their souls, the twisted infection that marked them as targets… and I was the executioner.

But those bystanders… they would carry that fear with them for the rest of their lives, haunted by glimpses of the thing in the shadows. They’d turn me into a myth, a legend passed down to their families and grandchildren. They’d tell stories about the monster they saw… how it moved, how it sounded. But no matter how grand their tales grew, no matter how far the exaggerations went, they would never come close to the truth of what I had become. How monstrous I truly was.

A random thought popped into my head, and I started chuckling like an idiot. I knew I shouldn’t. Really, I did. But, I was already neck-deep in chaos… what was one more little scare? I’d already turned half the city into a nightmare. Might as well enjoy the ride, right?

Now, I don’t usually think of myself as a petty person, but this whole dark, cursed life I’m living is pretty damn bleak. I have to find some kind of joy in life… right? At least that’s how I justified it to myself. You’ve got to find the little things that brighten up your day… like candy. I love candy; really sweet or sour. I like a good joke as well, and I knew one I could enjoy in the middle of all this madness. It’s the little things that keep you going when you’re a monster in this dark world.

After talking with Carter, Eleanor, Frank, and Jane, I felt a strange relief. They agreed… something was definitely wrong with Autumn. She wasn’t just keeping secrets or pushing me away; something unnatural had gotten to her, and now her entire focus was on Patrick. Patrick, Patrick, Patrick... If he wanted attention, I’d make sure he got it.

I didn’t know where they were… at the Chasse’s house, her dorm, or wherever Patrick was living, but I’d find him. I wasn’t planning on hurting him or confronting him directly, just scaring the hell out of him. With everyone backing me up and confirming something was off, I felt justified in having a little fun. Peter Grimwood was the real enemy, and whatever he’d given Patrick had clearly affected Autumn. Patrick could be a victim too. So I wouldn’t do anything irreversible... just enough to freak him out.

I focused, pushing through the unmarked woods, the snow crunching beneath my boots. My mind locked in on Patrick. I let the pulse build inside me, expanding outward, like a living thing wrapping itself around the city. Every detail I knew about him sharpened the focus. His voice, his walk, the way he tied his ponytail. I pulsed again, and again, until a stabbing pain shot through my mind. Found him.

I tore through the city, moving like a shadow; darting through alleyways, slipping into sewers, weaving through tunnels beneath the streets. Each pulse sent new feedback, forcing quick shifts in direction as the hum in my mind grew louder, a map forming in my brain. I pictured the asshole standing there, his presence undeniable, his breath echoing in my head. The image sharpened. Of course. Autumn’s dorm room. Big fucking surprise. I could sense him through the walls… breathing, eating, unaware. Alone.

But where was she? I shifted targets, sending out another reverberating pulse, picturing Autumn in my mind. Distant vibrations hit back, a painful echo. She was far away, maybe her parents’ house, judging by the direction. I wasn’t entirely sure, but she wasn’t here.

Patrick was, though. Alone. Ripe for the picking.

I crouched down, scooping up a small piece of gravel, rolling it between my fingers, letting the possibilities swirl in my head. I walked slowly, circling the side of the building until I reached the shadowy corner near Autumn’s window. The night was closing in, perfect cover for what I had in mind. Another pulse confirmed Patrick’s exact location. There he was, sitting at a desk, eating what looked like ramen noodles.

I smirked. This was going to be fun.

I flicked the pebble with just the right force, enough to make a sharp tink against the window, but not enough to shatter the glass. The sound echoed through the quiet room, a perfect intrusion. I felt the disturbance ripple through the pulse in my mind, tracking Patrick’s reaction. His head snapped toward the noise. I melted deeper into the shadow, my grin spreading wider as I watched.

The curtains twitched, parting just enough for his face to peer out, scanning the area. His expression was calm, almost indifferent, like someone searching for an explanation but not expecting one. His heartbeat didn’t change… still steady, still rhythmic, like he didn’t have a care in the world… not yet. He just noticed something, nothing crazy, nothing to note. No spike in fear, no tension in his chest. But that was fine. The night was young, and patience was part of the game.

I stayed perfectly still, my breath shallow, watching as Patrick's eyes lingered on the darkness outside the window. He couldn't see me… not yet. He looked for the source of the sound, curiosity flickering in his gaze, but there was no fear. He turned away after a few moments, closing the curtains just as slowly as he had opened them.

Good. This was going to be a slow burn, little by little until that calm confidence drained away. I had all night, and I was going to make sure Patrick felt every second of it. I had to build his fear from the ground up.

I waited patiently for about another fifteen minutes, my eyes locked on Patrick as he sat at Autumn’s desk. He was oblivious to my presence outside. He was finishing off a bowl of ramen getting ready to clean up. This time, I picked up a slightly larger rock, its weight feeling satisfying in my palm. Perfect for throwing. I wasn’t aiming for the window this time. Instead, I focused on the side wall of the bedroom, knowing the impact would create a more substantial sound. With a flick of my wrist, I hurled the rock with more force than before. The thud echoed through the room, a resounding impact shook the stillness of the room.

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This time, I felt it; the pulse of his heartbeat quickened, the panic igniting like a flame. He jumped up from the desk, his face paling as he rushed to the window. I saw his stupid ponytail swinging shortly at the back of his head as he glanced around frantically. I couldn’t help but smirk at the sight, the panicked energy of someone home alone and scared of the noise outside. His mind was probably racing. Crafting scary stories and worst-case scenarios.

His eyes darted around, searching the darkened corners of the building's exterior. All he saw was the trees casting elongated shadows in the wintry night. I could see the gears turning in his mind; he was starting to connect the dots. He was no longer dismissing the noise as just the creaking of an old building. No, this time he understood… something was wrong. The realization began to seep into his bones.

I remained hidden, savoring the moment, waiting for him to slip further into unease. I hoped he wouldn’t simply brush it off… too scared to acknowledge it, hiding in ignorance. A part of me wanted him to do just that, to fuel my amusement throughout a slower build-up. But as I watched him fumble with the curtains, it was clear he could feel it now. Something dark might be lurking just beyond his line of sight, and that realization was the first step toward true fear.

I maneuvered around the building, the shadows of the winter night dancing in the glow of the snow’s illumination. The sparse darkness near the building made it tricky for me, so I had to tread carefully. Most of the lights on the front of the apartment, including the section where Autumn’s unit was located, were out. Only one bulbed flickered dimly near the stairs leading up to her second-floor apartment. I couldn’t let a single light ruin my fun, so I picked up another rock and hurled it at the fixture, shattering the fixture and plunging the area into darkness.

A neighbor popped their head out of the entryway, curiosity piqued by the noise. After a brief look around, they ducked back inside and closed the door with a soft click. Patrick, already on high alert, mirrored their actions, peeking out cautiously. His brow furrowed, and I could see the suspicion etched on his face. The strange sounds he kept hearing were fueling his paranoia, each noise feeding into his growing anxiety.

I heard him shuffle around as he went back inside, closing the door behind him. I could hear the tones of every number he pushed on his cell phone, calling Autumn. They spoke briefly, but I tuned my ears in to hear him and her voice through the speaker.

“Hey, when are you going to be back?” Patrick asked, his voice edged with a frantic urgency.

“I’m still at Mom and Dad’s, just grabbing some clothes. I’ll be back in about 10 to 15 minutes. Why, what’s wrong?” Autumn’s tone sent a chill through me, making my teeth clench. She sounded just as smitten with him as ever, radiating the same blissful energy I sensed from her when Carter told me that night. It made my stomach turn. The moment I found out she had gotten back with him, it sickened me.

“Well…” Patrick hesitated, unwilling to admit how much of a bitch he was. “I just… miss you, is all.”

What a fucking loser! I cringed and shook my head. He didn’t mention the noises he had heard at first; it was as if he was trying to play it cool. But eventually, he bled it into the conversation, veiling his panic beneath a thin layer of nonchalance.

“You usually have neighbors doing things this late? I feel like I can hear someone out there bumping into stuff, or opening and closing doors,” he said, his mind racing in the solitude of the house.

“Yeah, there are people who live all around, so whatever it is, it’s probably just my neighbors,” Autumn explained, sounding completely unfazed.

“Yeah, probably. Well… get back soon,” Patrick replied, trying to suppress his fears.

“I will. Just hang out… watch TV or something. I’m about to leave,” Autumn suggested.

“Yeah,” Patrick agreed, though his tone was still shaky. “All right, I’ll see you in a minute. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Autumn said, the words flowing easily from her lips.

What the hell? Did I really just hear that? There’s no way! How could Autumn feel that way about him? Everything she’d ever said about this jerk echoed in my mind. They were supposed to be like oil on water, never mixing. I remembered seeing her frustration spilling out with how he couldn’t let go and leave her alone. How she just didn’t see him that way anymore. He never took the hint. And yet here she was, saying “love you” like it was as natural as breathing. It sounded so… weird. Not forced, but almost like it came from a feeling I couldn’t grasp, twisting my insides into knots of confusion and anger.

I gritted my teeth, shaking my head as if I could physically dislodge the chaotic thoughts swirling in my mind. I was desperate to push the unease away, reminding myself that with Frank and Carter on board and everyone else getting more involved. I knew Patrick had done something to Autumn… whether he fully understood the consequences or not, I couldn’t say. Was he a victim of Peter’s manipulations, too? The uncertainty gnawed at me. Was any of this even real, or was I the one losing my grip on reality?

The emotional turmoil was overwhelming, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on it. I forced myself to shove those thoughts aside, focusing on embracing my role as the monster lurking in the shadows. If I let my mind wander too long, not only would it ruin my night, but it would linger long after. In any case, I was about to have my fun anyway.

I had about half an hour before Autumn returned, so it was time to ramp things up. I approached the front door of her apartment, just a thin wall separating me from Patrick. When I sent out my pulse, I could sense him sitting on the couch, barely ten feet away as he waited nervously for Autumn. I beat hard on the door four times.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

Then slipped into the shadows across the street, positioning myself perfectly to watch him open the door.

Patrick flung the door open, panic radiating from him. His heart raced like he’d just sprinted a marathon, and his breath hitched, betraying his fear. He stood there, wide-eyed, knowing something was off. He knew this wasn’t a playful prank; it felt more like a predator was lurking, waiting to strike.

As I watched, I decided to experiment with something I had never tried before. I had always exuded this dark aura of doom in my monstrous form, an almost tangible essence that wrapped around me like a sinister fog, instilling fear in anyone nearby. Even in human form, I could let it seep out, but this time, I wanted to focus it solely on him, honing it in on Autumn's apartment. I didn’t want to alarm anyone else; just Patrick.

I picked up another small pebble, rolling it between my fingers, then waited for him to finish checking outside, desperately trying to convince himself it was just some prankster messing with him. As soon as his hand slipped off the doorknob, I hurled the rock at the front door, the sound echoing sharply in the still night air.

Patrick flung the door open and stepped out onto the front landing, his breaths coming in quick, panicked huffs. I could see the fear fully overtaking him as he shouted, “Who’s fucking with me?”

I had to give it to him. That did take some bravery.

He began pacing near the stairs, his movements frantic, as if he were trying to outrun his own anxiety. I couldn't help but grin from my hidden spot in the shadows, feeling a thrill as I concentrated my presence directly at him. It was a strange sensation, like trying to mold fog with my hands… except I didn’t have any hands. I was relying solely on my mind, imagining that I could manipulate this intangible essence.

Figuring out how to do this was tough. The Primeval's powers came without any sort of rulebook or owner's manual; I was just winging it, feeling my way through the darkness. I wasn’t sure if I managed to direct my aura precisely at him, but I could see the shift in his demeanor. His expression morphed from a general sense of unease into something far more visceral; a sheer, bone-deep fear that screamed, I’m about to die.

For some unfathomable reason, Patrick's next move was downright stupid, but it played right into my hands. He took off running, sprinting down the stairs and straight into the dimly lit parking lot. His frantic footsteps echoed against the stillness of the night. I watched him from across the street as I stayed hidden in the shadows of a tree, feeling like a predator stalking its prey.

As he bolted, I pushed my aura out toward him, a wave of dread swirling through the air. I couldn’t pinpoint which car belonged to him, but he headed straight for a little gray sedan, yanking the keys from his pocket. In his panic, he dropped them, the keys falling into the dirty slush of melted snow mixed with the salt that had been thrown out. He fumbled on the ground, scrambling to pick them up as if they were red hot, his movements desperate and clumsy.

Seizing the moment, I tossed another rock, aiming for a car parked beside his. The impact sent a loud thunk reverberating through the air, and I could almost feel the shock ripple through him. He stumbled backward, eyes wide with fear as he whipped his head toward the sound. I could see his mind racing, caught in a whirlwind of terror, and he dropped his keys again in his scramble to escape. It was clear he was trying to make a beeline back to Autumn's apartment, driven by a primal instinct to flee from whatever shadow haunted him in the night.

I had already sent out a mental pulse, carefully checking to see if the coast was clear. If someone caught a glimpse of me, that was fine, just more fuel to the fire; but there was a lot of open area here, and I didn’t want to be seen in full view… even in my human form. I cast a wide scan in my head, assessing whether anyone was close enough to notice the commotion on this quiet night. When I was about ninety percent sure I was in the clear, I made my move. Gathering every ounce of strength I had in my human form, I stomped the ground as I ran, deliberately making sure the sound of my footsteps echoed in the air, hoping to alarm Patrick as he dashed toward Autumn's place.

I bounded across the street, positioning myself about fifty feet behind him, my footsteps heavy and purposeful. As he fled toward the door, I could sense the rising tension in the air, a primal instinct igniting within him. He must have felt it too… something sinister was on his tail.

Suddenly, fear bubbled up, coaxing a yelp from his lips. “Oh fuck!”

Patrick was mere feet from the stairs leading back up to Autumn's apartment when disaster struck. He slipped on the slick pavement and fell hard, scraping his palms against the rough concrete of the sidewalk and the jagged ice that lingered everywhere. I let out a monstrous snarl behind him as he lay prone, mixing with the pounding of my approaching footsteps. Then, while he was down, I seized the opportunity, leaping high into the air and landing on the rooftop. I was concealed from his view as he struggled to regain his footing. I watched him glance back, a mixture of terror and resignation on his face as if he were preparing to confront his doom.

But killing him was never my intention; I just wanted to rattle him a bit. And honestly, it was all too easy. When he turned around, he saw nothing, no monstrous figure lurking in the shadows; only the eerie silence broken by the faint sounds of the city grumbling in the distance. The absence of movement only heightened his dread.

I crouched silently on the roof, leaning over the edge to catch the show. Patrick’s eyes darted around, wide and frantic, searching for the unseen threat. He stood up quickly, hesitating for a moment before marching up a few steps, glancing back nervously as if expecting something to lunge at him from the darkness. Reaching Autumn's door, he grasped the handle, only to find it firmly locked from the inside. I could hear him mumble to himself, his voice barely above a whisper, laced with a mix of frustration and fear.

“Shit,” he hissed, the word barely escaping his lips. “Fuck, dude,” he added, his voice trembling as panic surged through him. His heart raced, thudding loudly in his chest as he turned his head. His eyes landed on his car parked nearby, the keys lying innocently beside the front tire, taunting him.

For a moment, he stood frozen, a statue of terror. Three agonizing minutes passed as he breathed heavily, struggling to muster the courage to move. Each breath felt like it weighed a ton, each heartbeat a reminder of his fear. The distance between him and his car seemed insurmountable, a chasm filled with shadows that whispered doubts into his mind.

Finally, panic overcame hesitation. He bolted forward in a frantic sprint, the urgency of his terror propelling him. He looked ridiculous—arms flailing like a child, his breathing ragged and loud as if he were running a marathon. He skidded to a stop, the icy ground beneath him betraying his frantic pace as he lunged for his keys, but the slick surface sent him nearly tumbling again. He barely caught himself, scraping the skin off his right elbow as he regained his balance, adrenaline surging through him, dulling the pain.

But there was no time to linger on the sting; he sprang back up, driven by sheer instinct, and darted toward the front door. Each step felt like a race against something invisible, an unseen predator that fueled his flight, urging him to escape before whatever shadow haunted him could catch up.

I felt like I might have another scare in me, but I knew Autumn would be here soon. I didn't want to be around when she showed up. None of this was meant for her, Just Patrick. So I let him go inside. And I let him nurse his wounds. The door slammed closed behind him, and I heard the deadbolt slap closed, followed by the lock on the doorknob. He was safe.

I couldn’t help it… I started laughing my ass off on the roof. Nestled in the cold padding of snow, I reveled in the sheer absurdity of the situation. It felt so good, like a guilty pleasure I couldn’t resist. I laid back, sinking into the soft white blanket beneath me, my eyes drifting up to the night sky. The stars twinkled above, a stark contrast to the chaos I’d just created below. I breathed in the crisp, frosty air, savoring the rush of satisfaction mixed with the comedy of my antics.

As I lay there, it struck me that I’d been grinning the whole time, utterly absorbed in my little game of terror. I was having way too much fun tormenting this poor bastard. It was a twisted sort of joy, but it was mine. I let the moment linger until I could sense that Patrick was safely inside, his racing heart beginning to slow as he calmed down from the imaginary horrors I had conjured outside.

Once I felt certain he wasn’t going to die of a heart attack, I pushed myself up from the roof. I turned and jumped off, letting gravity guide me as I landed softly amidst some nearby trees. The night wrapped around me like a cloak as I took off running, leaving the exhilaration of my little escapade behind.

Part of me wished I could be a fly on the wall when Patrick recounted his ordeal to Autumn. I could only imagine how his version of events would unfold; how much worse it must have seemed to him. I chuckled to myself at the thought, imagining his frantic retelling of the night.

I hadn’t even made it a mile away from Autumn’s apartment when I felt it; a presence creeping up on me through the night. At first, it was just footsteps, a soft crunch against the frostbitten ground, accompanied by a light grunt that sent an unexpected chill down my spine. I could feel the air shifting, a disturbance that made my instincts flare with a warning. Then, a figure launched itself through the air, heading straight for me.

I didn’t need to look closely; I recognized that scent before she even touched me. It was Alex.

Her vibrant red hair stood out against the white backdrop of the frozen city, a wild banner of color as she careened toward me, a mere ten feet away. I instinctively turned to face her, arms bracing for impact, but I miscalculated. Maybe I underestimated her strength, or I was still reeling from the adrenaline of my earlier mischief. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. When we collided, her force knocked me off balance, sending us tumbling through a snowbank like a chaotic ball of limbs.

We rolled into a dark alleyway between two random buildings, the world spinning momentarily. When we finally came to a halt, I found myself pinned against a cold brick wall. I didn’t fight her. I was curious what she wanted, so I played along. Alex was on top of me, her hand wrapped tightly around my throat, a playful grin dancing across her face. But beneath that grin, I saw something else… an edge of mischief mixed with a more sinister glimmer in her eyes. It sent a jolt of surprise through me. This wasn’t just a playful encounter; there was a deeper current of danger swirling beneath the surface.

“Having fun? You like terrorizing little boys?” Alex asked as she sat on top of me.

Her red hair flowed straight down her back, looking like a veil of blood hanging in the moonlight. She was wearing more modest clothes, skinny jeans, and tennis shoes, but the shirt she wore still showed off most of her cleavage, a red shirt that hugged her large breasts firmly.

“Yeah actually,” I said. “It was pretty fun.” I looked at her for a minute, watching her gaze linger on me. Her grin slowly disappeared, and she got serious. “What are you doing? Why are you killing people across the city?”

She knew it was me. It didn't take much for someone like her to figure it out, she knew what to look for. She knew the types of things different monsters were capable of. That amount of carnage and bloodshed throughout the last five days could have only come from one person. Me.

“You know what I'm doing. I'm trying to lure out the elders, Charles, or whoever they'll send.” I told her plainly.

“Were those people innocent?” was all she asked. I knew why she asked it. If the answer was yes, and they were innocent... This would be the end for me. At least, in her eyes, that's what was going to happen. But luckily for her, we didn't have to go down that path and find out.

“No.” That's all I was going to give her. Not that I didn't want to tell her more, but this wasn't about being friends. This was about two monsters… two killers of killers that needed to respect each other's ways.

She raised an eyebrow, analyzing me curiously. Her eyes surged with layers of blood, and I could even see a wave of blood being forced through the veins in her face. She was using more of her power, observing me, analyzing me with her own version of vampiric senses. It was interesting actually. I had never seen any other vampire do what she just did, not exactly. The way the blood flowed through her veins and surged to a localized area. Though I guess she wasn't any normal vampire. She was an anthropophagus.

We sat there for a moment as she stared at me, not saying anything else.

“You going to get off me. Or is there something else?” I asked, keeping my words simple.

Alex's eyes calmed, the blood leaving her face back into her core. Her playful grin returned, and she said, “What... you don't like this?” She slid her hands up my chest, lowering herself down to press her body into mine, giving me a full view down her shirt.

I looked… but caught myself after a moment, looking back into her amused stare.

Then she pushed off me hard, impacting me deeper into the snow. She sailed backward into the air to stand on her feet by a dumpster. I slowly got up, dusted myself off, and walked over to stand in front of her.

“Were you watching me? How long were you there?” I asked her.

“Long enough to see how much you enjoyed that. What was that about? Trying to rile up the competition? I thought I told you, we're monsters... we don't belong with humans... not like that.” Alex’s grin left again as she spoke seriously.

I sighed, trying to ignore what she said. “How'd you find me?”

“I have my own ways. The less you know the better. But let's just say you're going to be thanking me here in a few minutes,” she said.

“Oh really… now why would I do that?” I challenged.

She looked down at the end of the alley, and two people were standing there. One looked like a 20-something-year-old black man with long thick dreadlocks that hung to the middle of his back. He had on simple, plain clothes that would make him blend into any crowd, although his physical appearance stood out. Large muscles outlined his form setting him apart from the average man. He was definitely more toned and defined, whereas I was just solid as a rock. His body looked like it was in peak physical condition. Not an ounce of fat in sight.

Then the other man was a familiar face... Charles. The silver-haired vampire could pass as a common businessman in the attire he was wearing. He stood looking at me with a calm demeanor. I gritted my teeth and took a sharp breath. Finally, it was time.

Alex walked in front of me towards them, placing her hand on my chest as she passed, “Like I said... you can thank me later.”