Alex wandered out of the factory, attracted by the forbidden experience of walking in daylight. I followed her at a distance, not wanting to intrude. I could tell this moment was heavy for her. She never thought she’d see daylight again without risking her life. But now… here she was, walking freely. Something about the sunlight must have stirred old memories… I could see it in her face. Her starry eyes gazed around like a child.
I kept close. Whatever was changing inside her was intertwined with my task to destroy the next Primeval. Her power would make her a target if the elders dared leave the sanctuary of the Primeval’s corpse beneath the city. She needed protection. I followed her deep into the city.
Alex drifted into a cafe and took a seat by the window. It looked familiar to her like she’d been there before. Maybe sneaking in after dark when she wasn't with Martin. It could have held some memory from her human life. She hadn’t acknowledged me as I followed, so I waited a few minutes before entering, noticing the stares her tattered clothes drew from the other patrons. Her shoes were gone, lost in the elder’s attack, and her shredded clothes left her vulnerable to prying eyes and disapproving glances.
I approached her booth, pulled off my jacket, and left it on the seat beside her without a word. She soon noticed, glanced at herself, and draped it over her shoulders. Then, I sat down across from her, mirroring her posture, leaning forward with my elbows on the table. Bloody Hunger and Absolute Annihilation sitting together in a relaxed and quiet diner… and some old man wrinkling the sports section of his newspaper. It was almost comical how unaware the elderly gentleman was at that moment. The sheer magnitude of the threats looming around him as he took hard drags off his cigarette, breathing smoke out into the air while he angrily scoffed at the results printed before him.
I glanced down at the red-hued brand on my hand, the mark that granted me access to the pits. Its weight was a constant reminder of the task ahead… the horrors waiting in the depths, and the other heirs of the Primeval I would have to face.
Alex and I sat across from each other in a booth near the window, letting the afternoon sun spill over us. She was mostly silent, basking in the sunlight as if it were something entirely new. We hadn’t come into the city for any reason beyond this… the simple act of sitting in daylight was enough for her.
A nervous waitress approached, clearly sensing something unusual about us but determined to do her job. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, likely hoping we’d say no so she could hide under a rock somewhere.
I glanced at Alex, still lost in her own world, and turned back to the waitress. "Just some coffee," I said.
"How would you like it?" she asked, her pencil trembling.
"Loaded with sugar," I replied, knowing Alex’s taste matched mine for the extremes.
She quickly jotted down the order and left. Alex, wrapped in my old, worn coat, rested her face against the glass, eyes closed and breathing steadily. She looked utterly at peace, and I didn’t want to interrupt it. This was something I couldn’t give her… only these rare circumstances could. I didn’t know how long it would last, so I didn’t push her yet.
The waitress returned with our coffees, setting them down quietly. I took a sip; it was surprisingly good; sweet with a hint of vanilla and burning hot.
I mirrored Alex’s gaze out the window, drinking my coffee in silence. We didn’t speak or disrupt the moment. We just sat there, like two ordinary people sharing an ordinary day. And it felt perfect.
After a while, I glanced over to find Alex had drifted off, her face relaxed as she slept in the golden sunlight that burned through the wintry haze. She’d barely touched the coffee I’d ordered, only a few sips, and then fell asleep, completely unburdened. She looked peaceful in a way that almost made me feel restless… unable to match the tranquility inside her.
The waitress returned, and for a moment, I thought she might tell us sleeping wasn’t allowed. But as she got closer, she hesitated, just asking if we wanted refills. Maybe the closer she got, the more she sensed something, or maybe she just saw we weren’t causing trouble… just two worn-out people looking rougher than the average customer. She probably figured we weren’t homeless “exactly”, but with our dusty, tattered clothes, it was easy to assume.
I caught a few patrons giving Alex curious glances. Even though we were ragged, she was hard to miss. A sleeping beauty, her chest rising and falling softly, completely unaware of the attention. I tried not to look at her like that. But my mind betrayed me, dragging me down paths I hadn’t fully acknowledged. I stared at the table, trying to will the thoughts away, but it was useless.
There was no denying my attraction to her. Lust? Affection? Whatever it was, I felt it like a slow, insistent pull. Maybe it was just her nature, who she was in this second life. Im sure part of it was how alone I had been as a whole these last two years as well… but it was there, undeniable, just like the memories of someone else… Autumn.
I couldn’t pretend I didn’t still feel something for Autumn. We’d shared moments, close, raw, and honest… maybe too honest. The intimacy we’d shared that one night... and every other time we’d drawn close, even if it hadn’t been as physical. Autumn had been different, something real, something I’d wanted to protect. Now that seemed so far away. She cast me out without word or warning… and I had closed that part of my mind off. Even though I didn’t know the results of what Carter would find out about Patrick… I was blocking those thoughts on the rare chance… that she just didn’t feel that way about me. Once she knew the truth… maybe she stopped messing around. It was finally too much.
I couldn’t let it hurt me. I had too much to do. I could open those wounds later… a long time later. I just had to keep moving… keep killing… as much as it took until these threats were dealt with. But… no matter how hard I tried to forget Autumn as she had forgotten me… I couldn’t truly deny what I felt. It lingered on me like a shadow in the corner of my eye, knowing it was there, but never looking at it.
Old guilt started resurfacing, a familiar ache I couldn’t seem to shake. All the faces I’d turned away from, the family I’d left behind, the life I’d discarded back in Dallas. And here I was, tangled up in feelings for people I barely had the right to claim. I tried to shut it out, but the shame clung to me, unyielding, forcing me to confront everything I hadn’t wanted to admit. Everything I tried not to acknowledge.
I’d left them all behind, vanishing as though I’d never existed. In the beginning, it hadn’t even been my choice; I’d been yanked out of that life. But then, when I clawed my way back, I convinced myself they were better off without me, that staying away would somehow keep them safe. And maybe it was true… then. But I had no excuse for what came after. The way I’d let myself drift, sinking deep into the second life I was now wrapped up in.
I’d gotten close, too close, with Autumn and her family, pulling myself into their world despite the warnings in my own mind. And now, here was Alex, sitting across from me. Technically, we were friends… but friends don’t harass each other the way she did with me. She’d poke and prod, testing my reactions to her revealing body and sexual nature like it was her way of figuring out the puzzle of whatever lay between us.
It reminded me of what Autumn once told me about her cousin Kayla’s long-held feelings for Patrick; the way she kept them buried, simmering beneath the surface, never daring to bring them into the light. I knew the feeling all too well. Alex never said it, but there was something there, an unspoken understanding between us. She’d called me a monster, but in the same breath, she’d say we were alike, bound by the same kind of curse.
We were two monsters, killers of killers, both hiding from the lives we once knew. She’d told me she’d never tried to love anyone outside of her curse, because how could she bring someone into this nightmare? I couldn’t deny the severity of what was between us… a connection as undeniable as it was dangerous… and inhuman. And… if I was honest, the allure of her was inescapable. I was just another moth drawn to the flame, trying to keep my desires and the monster inside me from taking hold. But it was getting harder. Part of me… the dark part… didn’t want to resist her… I wanted to just say fuck it and go off the deep end. But I couldn’t… too many memories popped up.
I’d tried to stay away, to keep those I loved safe. Vicky, Seth, my parents, my sisters. My daughter Caydee. She’d never even known my face. And here I was, hiding behind the excuse that abandoning them was the only way to protect them. Alex had agreed it was safer this way, but even she’d said I shouldn’t just walk away. I should have kept watch, guarded them from the darkness I knew was out there. But I’d left them to fend for themselves in a world that had already reached out and tried to take them; when Peter Grimwood grasped for them… lied to them.
As I sat in the booth, listening to Alex’s steady breathing, a dark, aching emptiness crept over me. It was like drowning slowly, every breath turning heavier. I had excuse after excuse lined up in my head, each one weaker than the last, each one another desperate attempt to justify walking away. I thought of Vicky, our life together, the memories of us I kept locked away. I wanted her back. God, I wanted that life back more than anything. If I could hit a button, rewind it all to the night I was taken, I’d stay in that bed beside her, safe in the warmth of my home. I would’ve never gone out and looked for the noise she heard. I’d have seen my daughter’s first breath, held her tiny hand, and raised her the way I’d always dreamed. But no such button existed.
That was a dream… a fantasy… something I couldn’t have, nor was I worthy of anymore. There was no way back, only forward, through the ruins I’d made of everything. Through the blood… the death… the darkness of this world.
I heard a soft hitch in Alex’s breath, a slight shift in the rhythm that broke through my thoughts. I looked up, meeting her green eyes as they fixed on mine. There was something steady yet haunted in her gaze; an intensity that barely masked the quiet fear beneath it.
“How is this even possible?” she asked, her voice steady but low, afraid if she spoke the words it would all disappear.
I leaned forward, choosing my words carefully. “Hunger’s stone,” I said. “It’s in you now, giving you more power… changing you somehow. I can’t say how, exactly, but… that’s the only explanation I’ve got.”
Alex looked down, her fingers tracing an idle pattern across the table. “I know it won’t last forever,” she murmured, almost to herself. Then her gaze lifted back to me, sharper now. “But what do you think happens when we kill the others? When the power goes back to Hunger… and you kill her?”
The question suspended between us, heavy and unsettling. I shook my head slowly. “I honestly don’t know. Maybe nothing changes. Or… maybe everything does. But whatever happens, we’ll find out together.” I tried to offer some reassurance, some sense of solidarity she could hold onto.
A small, sincere smile crept onto her face, free of her usual smirking jabs and sarcastic quips. “Thanks, Sam,” she said quietly, her gratitude raw, like she was accepting a truth she’d fought for too long.
After a few beats of silence, I cleared my throat. “Let’s head over to Abel’s. I want to see what he has to say about all this. He might know more than we do.”
Alex’s head dipped in a slow nod, but she didn’t stand up right away. Instead, she took a long sip of her now-cold coffee, savoring it like it was the first drink she’d ever tasted. “Okay,” she agreed, her voice soft but firm. “But let’s not rush. I want to enjoy this… just for a while.”
Her gaze drifted toward the window, where the wintry city bustled with life outside. She watched people rushing past, bundled up against the chill, oblivious to the monsters among them. I watched her as she watched them, and for a moment, she looked almost… free.
Once she finished her drink, slowly setting the cup down as if to draw out every last moment of normalcy, we stood and slipped into the cold, gray afternoon.
It benefited us that not many people lingered on the streets that afternoon; otherwise, someone might’ve noticed Alex, wandering barefoot through the thick frost, her bare feet sinking into patches of frozen mud on the pavement. Winter bit harshly, a deep chill that clung to the world, but Alex walked on, seemingly untouched by the cold. Her nature allowed her to ignore what would send others indoors, but the real challenge was moving unnoticed, blending into a world where she didn’t quite belong. We walked without hurry, our steps falling slowly as Alex led us on a winding, scenic route across the river. She wasn’t in a rush to reach Abel’s crooked, creaking little house. She wanted to savor every moment of daylight, reluctant to lose herself to the confines of his dim, cluttered rooms too soon.
For most of the journey, we walked in silence. I kept close, listening to the steady rhythm of her breath, sensing the pulse of energy within her. It wasn’t the quiet that unnerved me; it was the potential chaos lurking beneath. I couldn’t help but monitor her, half expecting some sudden shift, waiting for that moment when her peace might shatter. There was a new power inside her, one I barely understood. Part of me feared it would take her over, make her into something twisted, a monstrous form sprouting pincers and new limbs, a horrific echo of that spider-like bastard we’d fought in the depths below.
The image flashed in my mind: Alex, the red-haired bartender, with six arms cradling an impossible number of glasses behind the bar. Her productivity at Martin’s place would skyrocket, no doubt. Though it might attract an unsavory crowd of admirers, humans and creatures alike, each with stranger tastes and fetishes than the last. I pushed the thought aside, calming myself, trying to find a moment of quiet within.
As we finally made our way to Abel’s house, the sun hovered on the edge of the trees, casting a dying light across the city. The shadows stretched, creeping like ink as night began to claim the sky. We reached his front porch but didn’t knock. I could see it in Alex’s eyes… the sadness, the longing. She didn’t want the day to end. She wanted to linger in the sunlight, to wrap herself in the warmth of a world she was only beginning to taste again. We leaned together on the old, weather-beaten porch rail, watching the last rays slip away, and I knew Abel was likely watching us through the curtains, waiting. But he didn’t interrupt. He knew, maybe better than anyone, what this moment meant to her.
The sun dipped below the horizon, shadows swallowing the light until only a faint amber glow remained, casting the world in shades of dusk. Just as darkness closed in, I felt Alex’s hand rest gently on my arm. She slid closer, leaning her head against my shoulder, her breath slowing in a soft, unguarded sigh.
"Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely louder than the wind. "For this day. This is... something I never thought I’d have. Never."
I didn’t reply. I didn’t need to. I could feel the weight of what she was sharing, the raw honesty and gratitude in her words. I thought of her life before this, the violence and isolation, the brutality that had led to her death and transformation. A life of endless hunting and solitude in a world that only wanted to use her. To have something like this, a day without shadows had to mean more than words could capture.
I placed my hand over hers, giving it a gentle, wordless squeeze. I knew myself well enough to stay silent. One wrong word, one stupid misstep, and I might ruin the peace she’d found here. So I kept my silence, holding onto this quiet moment, hoping it would be enough to let her know she wasn’t alone in the darkness. I was here too.
As the last light disappeared, shadows crept in like a heavy curtain, swallowing us up on the porch. I finally turned and knocked on Abel's front door. Three solid knocks, each one echoing in the thick silence. Before my hand had even fully withdrawn from the last knock, the door swung open. Abel, small and wiry with a face creased like old leather, stood framed in the doorway. His eyes, sharp and discerning behind thick glasses, fixed on us with a warm familiarity.
"Sam, Alex... good to see you both," he greeted, his voice low and worn, but steady, with a kind of subtle authority. He waved us in with a quick, welcoming gesture, ushering us inside. "Come on now, no time to waste," he added, already turning toward the dim kitchen.
We settled around the kitchen table, its wood scratched and faded from years of use. Abel sat across from us, a plain glass of water in front of him, though he didn’t offer anything to us. Not that we needed it, but the thought passed that it would’ve been nice, a small gesture of shared custom. But Abel knew what we were… knew that water and comfort meant little to us now.
Alex, however, sat distant, her gaze drifting far from the room. She had that look again, caught in her own mind, struggling to make sense of the turmoil within. Her face would twitch with brief flashes of confusion, her thoughts churning through new sensations she barely understood. It was written all over her: the uncertainty, the disorientation, the weight of something unrecognizable changing her from the inside.
I broke the silence, cutting straight to the point. "We went down there. We killed one." My words were blunt, matter-of-fact.
Abel nodded slowly, absorbing the news with a serious expression. "I felt it when it happened. Things are shifting down there." He glanced at Alex, whose eyes remained fixed on the floor, lost in some inner struggle. "But it seems like things are shifting right here too," he continued, leaning forward, his gaze narrowing as he studied her closely, as though seeing something we couldn’t. His eyes traced her features, lingering, intense, like he was peering straight into her soul.
I took a breath, steadying myself as I continued. "When I killed it, there was... something left inside it. A stone, almost like a shard of power, a piece of the Primeval’s energy… something those Elders stole ages ago." I glanced at Alex. "She got hurt bad… I wasn’t sure she’d make it. But I left her hidden with that rock, killed everything else coming at us, and when I came back… she was fine. The rock was gone. Disappeared.” I met Alex’s gaze, and there was something there, something dawning in her eyes, a glimmer of understanding, though she looked hesitant, like she didn’t want to voice it here, in front of Abel. I gave her a small nod and continued. "That piece of power… it’s inside her now. A shard from the Primeval of Hunger.”
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Abel’s brows knit together as he absorbed this, studying Alex even more intently as though piecing together a puzzle. “Oh, I can sense it,” he murmured, nodding thoughtfully. "It’s like you dragged a fragment of the pits up to walk around in broad daylight. Others are going to sense it too. They won’t understand exactly what it is, but they’ll feel it… something familiar to that place down below. Something dangerous… not meant for the topside.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of it all pressing down. "What does it mean for her?" I asked, trying to keep the tremor from my voice. "What happens when we finish the job? When all that power finds its way back to Hunger? She’s already changing, healing from fatal wounds… even for her… walking in daylight… none of this should even be possible." My voice dropped, heavy with unspoken fear, the guilt of dragging her into this hell of mine weighing like a stone in my gut.
Just as Abel was about to answer, a faint murmur drifted across the table. I turned to see Alex, eyes distant, lips moving in a quiet whisper to some unseen figure or memory. It was like she was having a private conversation with someone I couldn’t perceive, her gaze haunted and far away. I forced myself not to react too much, uncertain what Abel could pick up on, but he’d noticed, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
Abel took a measured breath. “If she’s got a piece of that power, and it’s letting her walk under the sun… Sam, I don’t know what any of this means. She’s tapping into a force unlike anything she’s felt. What you think should and should not be possible is irrelevant. Just look at you!” Abel suggested. “How many things, that you’ve killed, probably thought the same thing when you ran them down. Impossible…” he breathed.
It was true, and it made sense. If she had Primeval power inside her, she’d be closer to what I was than any other kind of creature that roamed the earth. I too could heal from death… I disobeyed the intrinsic laws of other creatures. It made me feel… closer to her now.
“And if you’re going after the rest of those Elders… and you kill more…that power won’t just disappear.” Abel’s eyes met mine, unblinking. “Some of it will find its way into her, whether she wants it or not. She’ll gain even more of it.”
“How do you mean?” I leaned forward, hanging on his words, trying to grasp any clarity.
Abel scratched his chin, lost in thought. “I know a bit of the history,” he murmured. "The elders… the weakest of them are on the edges, like a shield, while the strongest, the one at the core, draws all others to it. We say that the core elder… is a true spawn of the Primeval itself.”
I narrowed my eyes. “We?” I asked, hoping for a glimpse into his own mysteries, the web of connections that linked him to this ancient knowledge.
For the first time, Abel’s face shifted, the faintest flicker of something guarded crossing his gaze, but he didn’t answer directly. Instead, his eyes drifted back to Alex, whose silent whispers had ceased, her lips pressing into a tight line as though struggling to hold back a torrent of new truths, of secrets too heavy to voice.
We were left in that charged silence, each of us feeling the pull of forces we couldn’t yet see but knew were closing in, relentless and inevitable. And as the room fell still, the weight of what lay ahead sank into each of us, settling like a cold shadow that wouldn’t lift, no matter how brightly the sun might rise.
He shook his head sharply, halting the flow of questions before they could spiral out of control. "Another time, perhaps," he said, his tone layered with assurance, a promise that he wasn't entirely closed off to further discussion. "I've heard stories of packs of creatures ganging up to take down a lesser Elder for their power," Abel continued, leaning forward, intensity shining in his eyes. "It takes a lot to bring one down, as you well know, but it can be done. Power and authority in the pits have shifted hands many times. It's just the lesser Elders, but when one group gets bold enough, strong enough, they make their move. And when they do, they become a direct replacement for the Elder they took down, but they remain trapped in the pits." He glanced at Alex and me, his gaze piercing. "You two have fled the pits with that power. You walked right in and took it. This is the first time I know of there not being nine elders in the pits at any one time. If another falls to your hands, I suspect the power will dissipate among the remaining elders. Without someone new to absorb it entirely… someone who doesn’t already harbor a piece of the Primeval within them. You all will grow in power." He spoke to Alex in the last bit.
"So what you're saying," I said, a knot tightening in my stomach, "is that the more of them we kill, the more Alex will change? The more it will affect her?"
Abel nodded gravely. "I believe so. She’s on equal footing with the lesser Elders now. But each time one falls, their power will be divided among the rest. As the count decreases, the remaining Elders grow stronger. Eventually, you'll be left with only one… the elder of the central core, wielding all the stolen power of the Primeval of Hunger. The Elder at the core is the strongest of them all, but if you take out the lesser ones first, it might just be enough for someone to ascend high enough to challenge the last of them."
"But what about when we have to confront Hunger?" I pressed, anxiety creeping into my voice. "When Alex has to release that power… can she even do that? What will happen to her?"
Abel’s expression turned somber, the weight of uncertainty settling in. He shook his head. "I do not know."
“Will she return to what she was?” I asked.
Abel just shook his head in admittance. He didn’t know and he wouldn’t speculate.
I took a long moment to contemplate, my gaze locked on Abel. Annoyance simmered beneath my skin as I studied the old man. His crooked frame and wise, aged eyes conveyed an air of superiority that felt patronizing. He looked at me like I was a child trying to grasp a profound truth, and my anger flared. In that moment, I felt Myoordrakien’s rage echo my own—a primal urge to uncover this man's secrets, to wrest power from his grasp.
I pushed a sliver of my intent toward him, letting dread seep from my eyes, a dark tide washing over the room. I sensed his resolve wavering, just for a heartbeat. Behind my gaze lurked a titan of destruction, and even Abel, with all his wisdom, couldn't deny the weight of Annihilation that loomed in the air.
Abel quivered in his seat, the slightest tremor, before I eased back, just enough to let him know I wasn’t a mere nuisance he could dismiss. If I was here, then Myoordrakien was too, along with the specter of Death itself. How much he understood of that, I couldn't tell.
“Why did you tell me all that time ago to go down to the pits and burn it all to the ground?” I asked, my voice steady, but the intensity was unmistakable.
Alex shifted in her seat, surprise flickering in her eyes at my abrupt change in tone. I could feel her apprehension radiating from her, a silent warning that she didn’t agree with my aggression toward Abel. She was on edge, watching me carefully, gauging my next move.
“Because I knew you could,” Abel replied, gathering himself as he wiped the sweat forming on his forehead. There was no hesitation in his voice, but his eyes held a flicker of something deeper, a recognition of the chaos I was capable of unleashing.
“What’s in it for you?” I pressed, my tone sharp as a knife.
“For me… nothing. For the one I serve… a plague on the world eradicated.” His heart was steady, his words ringing with conviction. I could feel the weight of his statement, the truth behind it settling in the pit of my stomach. “But first… you must return… both of you. Go back down there… and take the next one!”
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We left Abel’s, the weight of disappointment hanging heavy in the air like an unwelcome fog. A complete waste of fucking time. The old man had barely answered anything, and I could feel frustration simmering just beneath the surface. My mind churned with unanswered questions and a sense of urgency that only grew with each step. All he left us with was a message to return. Always other peoples bullshit… never what I needed. I needed answers, not more fucking requests.
As I glanced over at Alex, I noticed a different kind of emotional atmosphere swirling in her eyes… something deeper, more profound. Her thoughts were lost in a wonder I couldn’t quite understand, and it worried me. She seemed like she was lost in something… deep in her mind.
We crossed a frozen bridge, the Mississippi roiling beneath us, its icy surface sending shards of ice bobbing downstream like discarded memories. The cold seeped into my bones, but the chill was nothing compared to the icy grip of confusion and irritation I felt toward Abel. As we walked, I watched Alex edge closer to the railing, peering into the dark, swirling depths below.
“What’s that?” she said, a smile blooming across her face, radiating warmth despite the frigid air. She pointed with fierce excitement, as if she had just discovered something magical down there.
I blinked, momentarily taken aback. Why was she smiling? The expression on her face was unsettling, almost serene, as she stared into the abyss. In that moment, she seemed utterly unbothered by the unanswered questions and the crushing weight of uncertainty that pressed down on me. How could she find joy here, in the middle of her turmoil? I had expected her to be more upset about the fruitless meeting with Abel, more concerned that he hadn’t given us the answers we desperately needed to her new condition.
Driven by a mix of curiosity and worry, I moved beside her, placing my hands on the cold concrete barrier, mirroring her position. I leaned over, trying to see what captivated her gaze, but all I found was the endless, dark water churning below. A void that reflected nothing but the chaos of my thoughts.
Just as I opened my mouth to ask what had her so entranced, I felt a sudden shift. Her arms swept around my legs with a deftness that left me momentarily bewildered. Before I could react, I was tipped over the edge, weight shifting too far into the open air. The world flipped upside down, and I plunged into the icy grip of the river.
The impact was like being hit with a thousand needles, shock radiating through my body as I broke the surface with a splutter. “What the fuck?” escaped my lips beneath the water… gurgled and furious. The cold water biting at my skin, I immediately surfaced. I gasped for air, heart racing, my mind struggling to catch up with the sudden turn of events.
As I surfaced, I could hear her laughter ringing out above me, bright and musical, a stark contrast to the freezing chaos around me. I twisted to look up at the bridge, bewildered as I saw her sprinting away, her silhouette framed against the steel and sky.
I yelled at her, “Hey! What the fuck was that?” I demanded, but she just kept running and laughing.
I floated in the frigid water, every inch of me protesting the cold as I fought to keep my head above the churning surface. Tugboats and barges cut through the water nearby, their hulking forms looming like giants in my peripheral vision. I paddled frantically, limbs heavy and burning by the icy embrace of the river. What the fuck was she doing? Did she really just push me into the water?
The adrenaline coursed through me as I swam toward the frozen riverbank, thoughts racing alongside my movements. All I could think about was how I had expected the day to unfold, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on me like the frigid water, and how everything had turned upside down in a matter of seconds. Alex’s laughter echoed in my ears, mingling with the sound of the rushing river. A haunting reminder that I had no idea what she was truly capable of now.
I watched as Alex dashed down the bridge, her movements fluid and carefree, almost like a breath of fresh air cutting through the cold night. Her hair, a vivid streak of red, whipped behind her like a flag of rebellion in the wind. She moved with an energy that felt almost otherworldly, leaping across gaps with a grace that defied logic, as if she were a cat playing in a sun-drenched living room, oblivious to the constraints of the new reality around us.
With each bound, she navigated the urban landscape, her laughter ringing out like a melody against the backdrop of the night. She leaped from one concrete structure to another, her feet barely grazing the surfaces as she hopped from railing to ledge with the ease of someone who belonged to this world of Primeval’s and monsters. It was as if the city itself was her playground, and she was simply a child, playing hide-and-seek with the shadows.
I marveled at her carefree attitude in the night, watching her flit around the small buildings by the river, her spirit illuminating the drabness of the city with a vivid flair. She zigzagged her way toward the riverbank, her movements becoming more animated, more vibrant with each step. The distance between us closed slowly, but to me, it felt like an eternity as I struggled to paddle through the freezing water, fighting against the icy grasp of the Mississippi… but mostly my flooded boots. They were holding a lot of water and it was pissing me off how much more difficult it was to swim. I had a thought to just sink to the bottom and walk on the riverbed until I made it there; like I was fucking Swamp Thing or something.
Even from a distance, I could see how Alex paused intermittently to glance back at me, her smile wide and inviting, brimming with mischief and excitement. Each time she turned, it felt like she was teasing me, challenging me to react, to step out of my comfort zone. It jabbed at something deep within me, igniting a mix of admiration and exasperation as she pranced down toward the riverbank. Her playful spirit shone brightly against the darkness of the night, a stark contrast to the heavy weight that clung to my chest.
At that moment, she seemed untouchable, proud of what she’d done… besting the monster, the embodiment of destruction itself. She had tossed me into the water like it was nothing more than a game, a simple jest between friends at a fourth-grade pool party.
Standing at the riverbank’s edge, she looked out at me as I swam, a vision of carefree defiance. The way she held her body was inviting… almost sensual in a manner that felt uniquely tailored for me. It was as if she were casting a spell with her gaze, beckoning me to join her in whatever whimsical world she had created. I found myself slowing in the water, mesmerized by her presence, unable to look away like I was caught in a trance.
There was something electric in the air, something different about her, a side of Alex that felt so far removed from the woman I knew; the one burdened by the weight of cursed power and internal threats. This was a woman unrestrained, wild and intoxicating, and it intrigued me more than I cared to admit. I swam closer to the bank, drawn in by her aura, each stroke a testament to my desire to understand this new version of her, even as the icy waters clung to my skin. I wanted to dive deeper into whatever was happening between us, to unravel the mystery of her ongoing transformation, and what it might mean for us both.
"What are you staring at, Sam?" Alex asked, her voice low and smooth as she slid my jacket off her shoulders. It fell away slowly, revealing more of her. Her shirt, ripped and barely holding together, clung to her skin but left little to the imagination. She tilted her head, her eyes locked onto my obsidian voids, daring me. "Why don’t we drop the act? We both know what we want, and it’s not something we can have with anyone else. But with each other…" Her brow arched, her meaning clear.
Her voice softened, yet every word carried weight. "No fear, no holding back. You don’t have to treat me like something fragile." She stepped closer, her body moving with a fluid grace, each motion deliberate. "So stop being coy. Show me what you’ve got." Her words dripped with confidence, each syllable curling off her tongue like silk.
Something was different about her. She was just… more. It had to be the stone… Hunger’s relic. It had to be… or was this just me? Weak and failing to resist her seduction.
I was neck-deep in the freezing river, watching her every move. She knew the moment my resolve snapped, saw it in my eyes. Slowly, I pushed forward, wading through the icy water. Inch by inch, I rose, my form emerging until I stood waist-deep. I stopped just short of the frozen riverbank, where ice clung stubbornly to the mud like jagged teeth.
Before I could take another step, she smirked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You’ll have to catch me first!" she teased, her voice playful yet challenging. Without another word, she turned and bolted, her figure disappearing into the city. She moved like a fleeting shadow.
My black eyes followed her every move. Inside me, the monster stirred, sending out a pulse that resonated deep in my mind. All I had to do was think of her, and the pulse would lead me straight to her. Slowly, I climbed onto the bank, the ice crunching beneath my feet. There was no rush.
My mind worked methodically, cycling through every reason to stop, every anchor to the person I used to be… Autumn’s, my regrets about Vicky, even the faint hope that some semblance of my old life could be salvaged. But none of it held. In that moment, I wanted this more than anything else. It was selfish, sure, but I didn’t care anymore. I wanted to do something for myself… something I wanted to do. I was tired of feeling bad about everything. I just wanted to find something in this second life that didn’t feel like a curse… or a mistake… and grab it!
The pulse hummed in my head, guiding me. I set off, sprinting across the frozen streets, the city blurring around me. Her scent lingered in the cold air like a ghostly trail leading me onward. The pulse sharpened it, turning it into a beacon that tugged at my senses.
I barely noticed where I was until it hit me… she was no longer outside. She’d led me to her apartment. She must’ve jumped from another building onto her balcony, slipping inside. The pulse confirmed it, guiding me to her exact location.
I followed her trail, leaping from a nearby rooftop and landing silently on her balcony. The glass door slid open easily, revealing her darkened apartment. Heavy blackout curtains lined every foil-covered window, shutting out even the faintest trace of exterior light. Not that it mattered anymore. The sun wasn’t a threat to her now, just like it wasn’t to me.
I stepped inside, sliding the door shut behind me. The room was pitch black, but my eyes saw clearly. The shadows welcomed me as I moved deeper into the apartment, my footsteps silent. My black eyes never shifted back to human anymore; they stayed fixed in their monstrous state, along with my pointed fangs on both my upper and lower jaws; a constant reminder of what I’d become.
I let the pulse fade. I lowered my senses. I didn’t want them. That would’ve been too easy. No, this was better. I wanted the hunt, the surprise, the thrill of finding her without shortcuts. The silence was thick, broken only by the faint hum of her heartbeat somewhere in the apartment. She was watching me, waiting.
A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. For the first time in a while… I had no fears, no worries, no regrets. I was living in the moment, and I wanted it to last as long as it could.
I smelled her, her silent movement in the shadows of her place casting trails of her aroma in range of my dulled senses. IT was getting closer, engulfing me like a shroud of enticement. I felt my heart beating faster, more powerful as the anticipation grew.
Then, a blur of movement… the air itself seemed to shudder as Alex launched herself at me, hitting with a force that nearly knocked my feet out from under me. She was far stronger than before. This wasn’t the Alex who’d tackled me in the alley all those nights ago. No, this was someone entirely transformed, power coursing through her veins. Our bodies collided like a storm, her clawed hands gripping my arms with a strength that sent a pulse of sharp pain shooting through me. It was intense… but I welcomed it.
We slammed into the wall, the force reverberating through the apartment. But somehow, Alex controlled the momentum, her body twisting just enough to prevent us from crashing straight through into her neighbor’s unit. Her grip tightened, nails biting into my skin, but it wasn’t just pain… it was electric. A raw, magnetic pull crackled between us, her energy vibrating against mine.
Her crimson eyes burned brighter than I’d ever seen, an actual glow casting an eerie light in the dim apartment. They pulsed with intensity. The sheer power in her gaze more overwhelming than any other vampire I’d ever met. Even the apartment seemed to quake in her presence. The thud of our impact must’ve woken her neighbor, because seconds later, a muffled shout came from above.
“Quiet down, Alex!” an old, cranky voice yelled.
Alex didn’t even flinch. “Fuck off, Karen!” she snapped, her voice dripping with annoyance as she yelled through the walls.
Before I could laugh, her lips crashed into mine, and everything else faded away. She kissed me with an intensity that left no room for doubt… she was in control at the moment, and she wanted me to know it. Her hands roamed, rough and possessive, yet there was a strange tenderness in her forcefulness, as though she wanted me to feel her new strength but didn’t want to hurt me. Even though we both knew that wasn’t really a concern. Yet… I could tell that somewhere in her mind… it was a concern for her. It… was unexpected.
The bond between us roared to life, humming like a current that only we could feel. Every fiber of my being attuned itself to her… her scent, a mix of cold air and something darker, headier, that stirred my instincts. The most potent of blood concentrations, fueled by the many vampires she had drained and killed as her prey; but there was something else in there now… something older. Then there was the way her body felt pressed against mine, solid as a rock… yet impossibly smooth, her strength and softness perfectly balanced. Even her heartbeat, though faster and weaker than mine, seemed to sync with the pulse inside my mind, tethering us in a rhythm that was uniquely ours. It was the Primeval essence… the power that thrummed in our beings.
We moved through the apartment like a whirlwind, knocking over furniture and sending objects clattering to the floor. Neither of us cared. Every time she pinned me, every time our bodies clashed, it only made the connection stronger, the pull more irresistible. Her claws dragged down my skin, leaving trails of fire that stung and thrilled in equal measure. My flesh healed almost as soon as her nails sliced through, creating a mirage of injury.
By the time we reached her bedroom, we were both breathing heavily, though not from exhaustion… but anticipation of what we were heading towards. It was chaos, wild and frantic, but there was something deeply intimate in the way we tangled together, each move driven by an unspoken understanding. I could feel her through the bond, her desires, her hunger, the raw need for what she hadn’t allowed herself in this second life… it mirrored my own. She was a storm of primal hunger, and I was caught in her eye, willingly swept away by her appetite.