Alexander steadily opened his eyes. He couldn't see. There was only darkness. Nothing more.

'What the hell is this?'

Confused, he sat up. And there he sat, surrounded by silence and darkness.

Storm clouds began to rhythmically crackle overhead, lightning shooting in between the clouds. It was then that a momentary, yet immense pressure enveloped Alexander.

Was this... fear?

Crimson light began to pierce the thick storm clouds, exposing the mountains before him. Silent streams of the same crimson light descended from the skies, intersecting onto him. There was no pain, no feeling, no sensation at all.

It was then when he realized where he was sitting. A puddle of water.

No, not water. It was too thick to be water. Its stench is too strong. The smell of rotten fish and rusted iron. The sight, the smell, everything about it was so maddeningly nauseating.

This was blood.

His heart began beating faster, thumping in his chest, as he swallowed his saliva. "This is just a dream, right?" he muttered to himself. "Yeah. Yeah, this is just... Just some weird nightmare."

Alexander stood up, his feet pushing down against the bloody mud. He turned around, staring at the flat, barren land, beginning to grit his teeth in fear and anticipation.

'Something's happening.'

A low-pitched rumbling reverberated through the ground, trembling the earth. He turned his head, searching. Nothing.

The rumbling grew stronger, louder before the ground slowly began to crack. It burst apart, shattering as a gargantuan serpent blasted from the ground.

'Run. Run!' he urged himself. But... He found himself unable to move.

An idyllic light burst from the skies, striking the serpent down, followed by the sound of roaring thunder.

He managed to press his hands against his ears as the strident sound sent dull vibrations throughout his body.

As the thunder dissipated, Alexander spat out an exasperated sigh, before falling to the ground. 'I need to get out of here.'

He stared at the crimson mountain and the steaming serpent carcass right next to it.

"Wake up," he commanded himself. That didn't work.

Alexander took in a deep breath, before slamming his fist into his chest. That didn't work, either.

Another large flash of light descended from the skies. But this wasn't lightning; this light came and remained.

It illuminated the area, granting him a clear view of everything. From here, he saw the shadowy figure on the mountaintop. He could just barely make out what it was.

It was... A person?

The shadowy silhouette appeared to be a man, sitting upon a horse. As the light got brighter, he could see it clearly. A man on horseback. The light grew brighter, illuminating the mountaintop.

The "person" sat upon a red horse, with a sword in his hand.

The sound of thunder resonated once more as the man raised his sword to the skies, pointing at the light. With it, came a descending burning bloodlust.

As the light grew dim, the man on the horse began to fade.

Soon, all that remained was the crimson light slowly growing brighter. The same light that had been here since he woke up.

From here, he could see everything. He stood before a field of blades.

Steel, dug into the ground, rusted with blood.

The swords stood in the ground like trees in a forest. Not just a few. Not just a dozen. Not a hundred. They seemed infinite; Impossible for them to be counted.

It was like a graveyard. No. It was a graveyard.

A battlefield. One with no victory. One with only loss.

Alexander's throat tightened; he could barely breathe. He quickly fell to his knees, gasping for air.

His hands touched the coarse ground, just as the sky began to pour. Just breathing in made him sick to his stomach.

Pushing himself upward, he told himself once more, "I have to get out of this place."

Slowly beginning to walk, his heartbeat rapidly increased. With each step he took, each breath, each heartbeat, he felt unspeakable pain, as if a thousand cold blades had pierced his body.

'But I have to go faster. I have to get out of here.' The strong gusts of wind pressed against him as he began to run. The ground became slippery.

Whatever's keeping him here... doesn't want him to leave. That's what Alexander thought, at least.

As he broke out running, the air chilled, growing colder with each of his breaths, his lungs burning in the freezing cold.

His vision went blurry, his breaths shaking. But he kept on running.

As he ran with all he had, a shadow spread around him. And soon, Alexander was enveloped by that darkness and shadow. There was no more light, no more land, even. Nothing but... emptiness. Just the feeling of endless falling, as everything he had felt began to slip away.

"Alexander. Alexander. Alexander Lane."

Startled, Alexander jostled upright and quickly raised his head. He sighed as his eyes met Emilia's.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Why are you passed out in the middle of the cafeteria?"

Alexander looked around. He sat at an empty table.

"You were asleep for like 10 whole minutes. Mumbling to yourself the whole time, too. You okay?"

"I... I don't know. I probably have a migraine or something," he muttered, rubbing his hands against his face. He let out a sigh. "Why are you even here?"

"You're asleep in the middle of the cafeteria. I just wanted to know you weren't dead," she said.

Alexander sighed. "Wait," he muttered, raising his head to her. "Is it... Is it weird now that I'm a Demon-Born?"

"You say 'now' like if you became a Demon-Born overnight. Why the hell would it be weird? So what if you're partially a different species or whatever? I don't care. You're still my brother. You're still annoying. It doesn't change anything."

A lump formed in Alexander's throat. "That's... That's profound."

"If you start crying, I swear I'll hit you."

"There it is. The real Emilia," he said as he chuckled.

Emilia sighed. "You're also an idiot, you know that? No offense, but still."

"Yep."

"Dude, Charles Archibald showed up and offered you a chance to become some kind of demon-killing superhero, and you say "I'll think about it"?! You've made a lot of dumb decisions in your life, but that was probably the dumbest."

"Yeah, true," he mumbled, dropping his head onto the table.

"Wait, you actually agree?"

"I guess," he mumbled. "I need to think about it, I guess. Just go- Go talk to your friends or whatever."

She sighed. "Don't fall asleep again," she told him, walking away.

As much as he wanted to actually make a decision, Alexander couldn't focus on anything. The only thing in his head was that dream. Or rather, that nightmare.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The monstrous serpent exploding from the ground. Lightning ripping through the air, bringing it down. The man and his crimson horse standing on the mountaintop. And the field of swords. The battlefield. Graveyard. The emotions of fear. The feelings of pain. It all remained within him like a sharp, cold knife piercing his heart.

- - - - -

A woman stared at her computer screen. She was one of those that monitored Gateways. She was one of those that managed and discovered them to prevent outbreaks and unnecessary damages.

Sure, her job was exceedingly boring, but she could indirectly help humanity. The pay wasn't bad, either.

But it was then when her screen lit up.

"Sir?" she asked, swiveling in her chair around.

A man behind her sighed. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm detecting a demonic presence. Southern Florida, America Province," the woman said, pointing at her computer screen.

"Wasn't there a Gateway there just yesterday?"

She nodded. "It was handled, but... There's something there."

"Goddammit," the man muttered. The officer began to walk away, his hands fidgeting. He picked up the phone at his desk, dialing a number, waiting, as the phone rang.

The one on the other side of the phone call was none other than Charles Archibald.

"A demon? Just out in the open?" Archibald asked.

"Yes, sir. It's likely from the Gateway that opened yesterday in the same area. It's in your jurisdiction, and technically, this would be registered as an emergency. So I'm requesting permission to send someone."

"No, that's unnecessary," Archibald said. "I'll go myself. Thank you." He hung up the phone. Archibald let out an exasperated sigh as he burrowed his head into his hands.

"Alright," he muttered to himself, standing up. "Let's get going."

At the same time, Alexander walked home with Emilia.

He was lost in his thoughts. Well, he had been for the whole day. And what's more, his pounding headache showed no sign of ceasing.

Alexander sighed, thinking, 'Did I even make the right choice? Well, what did they even expect me to do? It's not like they actually thought I would join some kind of anti-demon magical group thing. Right?'

'Even if I do accept it now, I doubt Archibald would still want me there. He probably has a whole list of people to join him.'

He sighed as he ruffled his black hair.

It was then when things got weird.

His eyes widened as he froze in his tracks before grabbing Emilia by her arm. "Are you okay?" she asked, turning to him in confusion.

Sweat began to drip down Alexander's forehead. A musky feeling he couldn't shake had begun to settle in the pits of his stomach. The feeling of death.

"Do you hear that?" he said, looking around.

"Hear what?" she said, loosening his grip on her arm.

"The Gateway from yesterday. What happened to it?"

"I... I don't know. Just let go of me."

The trees to the side began trembling.

And from the corner of his eyes, he saw that they were being approached by an old man in a white uniform. That was Charles Archibald, wasn't it?

Things got weirder.

Something burst from the trees. It had the figure of a human, but thinner, longer. It had eyes of gleaming coals and talons on its lanky hands. Its skin was leathery, almost wrinkled, with a set of thin wings protruding from its back.

A demon. A beast with wings and claws and mouth filled with fangs.

Alexander's eyes widened as he pushed Emilia to the side. For a second, it seemed as if time slowed down. He began to understand everything around him.

This monster or beast or whatever was about ten meters ahead of him, Charles Archibald ten meters past that, and Emilia on the ground right behind him.

With its hands outreached and its jaws wide open, Alexander found himself unable to move any further. A familiar feeling had already enveloped him.

This was the feeling of death. Death only he could understand.

'I'm afraid of death. How have I not realized this before?' he thought as he stood motionless. Even now, he was lost in his thoughts. 'If I were to die right now... Would that be... a "proper death"?' he asked himself.

"Lane!" Archibald shouted. A silver blade shot out of his hands. Alexander thrust his hand out, wrapping his fingers around the smooth leather hilt.

He grit his teeth, facing the monster head-on. Alexander's eyes trembled with fear as he gripped the sword with both hands. He locked eyes with the wide, chill-inducing maw of the beast. Absolute terror ran through his body. Alexander did the only thing he could: He instinctively swung the sword. He summoned every ounce of strength in his body, cleaving the sword downward.

The steel blade cut through its shoulder, passing through its body as if it were made of water.

Like sand in the wind, the demon shifted, turning into ash and dust, glowing with faint scarlet light. It was vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing more than a pungent smell and an evil chill in the air.

Emilia gasped in shock, standing back up. "What the hell was that?!" she screamed.

"I- I don't know!" Alexander yelled, his eyes widened. His hands were shaking so much, the sword slipped from his fingers, as his gelatinous knees dropped to the ground.

Alexander stared at the man standing dozens of feet in front of him. The man that had tossed him the steel blade.

"Archibald?! What the hell was that?!"

Archibald came rushing over. He crouched near the kneeling Alexander and his cousin.

"That was magnificent! You killed a demon with a single move! I mean, you're a Demon-Born and all but still! That was beautiful. I knew you had it in you!" he said, with a wide grin.

"Sorry you had to experience that," he said to the terrified Emilia. "In time, all will be explained. "But it feels like I'm forgetting something," he mumbled, scratching his chin.

"The Blind!" he shouted, as his eyes widened. He spun his head around, looking to see if there were any bystanders or onlookers.

He spat out a sigh of relief, muttering, "Thank God there's no one here."

"Archibald!" Alexander repeated, raising his voice. "What the hell was that?"

He sighed. "That was a demon. Vampire-class, at that. The way you handled that was impressive. You were fighting solely on instincts, right? That kind of skill level is astounding!"

"No. What. Was. That?"

"You see... You're a Demon-Born. Demons attract other demons. The same goes for Demon-Borns. So monsters would be naturally attracted you."

"I... I see." Alexander pushed himself back up. "Come on, Emilia," he said, sighing.

"So, uh, have you made a choice yet?" Archibald asked.

Alexander looked up, as he dusted himself off. "I, uh... I'm not sure. I mean, if I'll be dealing with stuff like that, then..."

Archibald shook his head. "You weren't afraid of the demon. I know that much. That fear you felt... It was fear of death. Look. At least, carry this sword with you everywhere you go. Just in case. It's lightweight and made of celestial steel, so it'll work on all kinds of beings."

"W-Wh-What? No. Look, I can't just carry a whole sword with me all the time! I have school! I have... friends," he said. That was a lie.

"It's just basic protection. I mean, if you learn magic with us, you won't need a sword to protect yourself and the ones you care about," he said with a smile. "You can-"

Alexander swiftly swiped the sword from Archibald's hands. He let out an exasperated sigh. "I still haven't determined what I want to do with that situation," he thought, turning away.

As they began to walk away, Archibald cleared his throat. "You had a dream, didn't you? With a crimson horseman?"

Alexander froze in his tracks. "Look. I've tried to be polite, but you're starting to get on my nerves. You should just leave me alone." He turned, walking away.

Archibald sighed. 'So I guess that means "no", huh?' he thought.

The conversation that ensued once they got home was just fuel to the fire that was Alexander's headache. Having to explain a demon attack and a second time meeting Charles Archibald took longer than expected.

Carmen spat out a heavy sigh as she finally sat down on the sofa. "You sure you're okay?"

"Why are you asking me? Emilia's-"

"I already spoke to her. And she didn't get beat up yesterday, she wasn't asked to risk her life by a Paladin, she didn't kill a demon with her bare hands, and she doesn't have a migraine. At least I hope not."

"Yeah, but-"

"Emilia told me she's fine. I believe her. And, usually, I believe you, but I know you're not fine."

Alexander swallowed his dry saliva. "Mom..."

"You don't have to call me that if you don't want to. Especially with all that happened yesterday. I... I'm sorry."

"Yeah..." he muttered. "I don't know why you're apologizing, though. But... You're my mom. That's just how it is. So what if my mother died all that time ago? You're here and that's what matters, right?"

"You know... You look a lot like her. Your mother, I mean. Other than your hair and eyes, which you definitely got from your father, you're almost a spitting image of her."

A thin smile floated onto Alexander's lips.

"I... I think you should do it."

The smile immediately faded. "Why, though? It's-"

"Just listen. Would you really be alright with not doing it?"

She stood up and sighed. "You've thought about it a lot. I know you have. But you have to be more honest with yourself."

"I emailed you something. Watch it on your time," she said, as she kissed the back of his head and walked away.

"Why do you keep emailing me stuff? You have a phone, y'know."

Alexander let out a sigh.

"Day 2 of life being a goddamn nightmare," he mumbled to himself. He stood up, taking in a sharp breath, and walked off to his room.

He turned on his laptop and opened his email.

Alexander opened the file, his finger hovering over his keyboard to click play. He was hesitant to watch it. Alexander couldn't shake the feeling of some kind of shame or regret.

"I need to stop being like this."

He tiredly rubbed his hands against his face and clicked 'Play'.

The screen lit up, showing a beautiful woman with brown skin and brown hair. Her eyes were dark, almost black, just like Alexander's.

He instinctively understood who this was. This woman... was his mother. Maria Cortés. Maria Lane. She was wearing a dark blue hospital gown and sat upright in a bed.

"Okay. Is this recording?" she asked, her hand tapping at the side of the camera. "The light's blinking. What does that mean? Oh, it is recording," she muttered, chuckling.

"If, um... If you're watching this, it means I'm dead. ...Well, damn, that was a gloomy way to start. Should I start over? Or- Y'know what, I'll just continue. I have some words for you, Alexander. I don't know when you're watching this, but I guess this should be something you have to hear."

"First off... I'm sorry!" She smiled.

A lump formed in Alexander's throat.

"Sorry for dying on you. But, hey, everyone dies eventually. Might as well hurry it up, right?" She paused into silence and cursed under her breath. "Well, that was a weird thing to say. But whatever!" she continued.

"So, uh, If you're anything like your father, or me... Well, actually... I already know it. You're a strong kid, Alexander. I know that much. So... Help people."

She smiled, staring directly at the camera as she continued, "It doesn't have to be all the time. Just whenever you can. You may feel lost. You might not get gratitude. Just help people, 'kay? Have fun in life, too. Don't be so serious. Your father's too serious and basically has no friends. He's weird."

"Basically, what I'm trying to say is... As for whatever you want to do with your life... Do it with everything you've got. Live a good life, Alexander. I love you, son. That's all. So... how do I turn this off?"

"What are you doing?" a voice asked.

"Just making a video to our son. Y'know, words of wisdom, insults about you, those kinds of things. Telling him how you have no friends."

The voice chuckled. "I don't need friends, I have you."

Maria paused in silence, just as she began to smile. "You're an idiot, you know?" she laughed. "Just help me turn this off."

"It's the red button on the left."

"Oh." She let out another chuckle before the screen went black.

Alexander clenched his jaw and took in a deep breath.

"Help people."

Those words echoed in his skull. Alexander shut the laptop, letting out an exasperated sigh. He let out a pained grumble and clenched his heart. "Why do I feel horrible inside? What even is this feeling?"

His head dropped to the table. Tears welled up in his eyes as he muttered, "That was so cliché."

"Why? Why am I like this?" he complained. Alexander groaned as he raised his head, only to drop his head onto the desk, sighing once again.

"I hate this feeling. I don't even know what it is."

He took out his phone, staring at the contact listed, "Charles Archibald". Again, he sighed, shutting off the phone.

"Why. Am. I. Like this?!" he spat out. Alexander clicked onto the "call" icon as he swallowed his saliva.

The phone began to ring.