I’m flying through the air of the city on large, black, leathery wings. My white hair flowing in the breeze and red eyes glowing as bright as the street lights down below. Demons are rampaging in the streets as people are fleeing in panic. I swoop down to make an attack. But it’s not demons that I'm attacking, but rather humans. I swing my swords, cutting down humans and spilling gallons upon gallons of their blood. 

I land on the street and continue my rampage. Feasting on this much blood has never satisfied me in all of my life. My ravenous appetite just can’t be satiated. 

My meal is suddenly stopped by four women. They all look familiar, but their faces are so blurry, that I can’t recognize them. Who are they, and why are they interfering with my meal? My head starts to pound with pain, and I drop to my knees. 

I’m jolted awake to find myself in a hospital bed. A dream? And where the hell am I? I shake the cobwebs from my head and try to get my bearings. 

I look around my room to see where I’m at. But this no ordinary hospital room. There are no windows for me to look outside. Its sterile white walls have no pictures, either. All I hear is the soft beeping of a heart monitor and the soft prick of something in my arm. 

I look down at my arm to see a needle in it. I see a tube with blood flowing through it. I trace the tube back to a blood bag hanging up on an I.V. line next to my bed. Wait, a heart monitor? I’m alive? 

I look down at my chest to see where the hole should be. I clearly remember pulling my heart out to save the girls from death. But the hole was gone, and my heart was back inside of me, beating as if nothing happened. There isn’t even a scar where the hole used to be. Even my ribs feel as if they were never broken. 

I crash to the floor as I try to get out of bed. I use the bed to pull myself up and stabilize myself. Once I’m sure-footed, I slowly make my way over to the mirror above the restroom sink. 

To my surprise, I’m greeted with a ghastly sight. My once shoulder-length brown hair has now grown down to the middle of my back and ghostly white. My hazel eyes are now a deep shade of crimson. 

I look over at a shelf and see one of my favorite rock band’s T-shirts, a pair of black jeans, a pair of boxers, socks, and shoes ready for me to put on. I walk over and strip off my hospital gown and get dressed. 

As I’m getting dressed, I feel the ground shudder. The lights in my room flicker for a few seconds, then go back to normal. I finish getting dressed. 

I look around the room once again and see a door. I walk over to it and turn the handle. It turns quite easily, since it was never locked in the first place. I guess I was never here as a prisoner. I let out a sigh of relief. 

I open the door, but my senses tell me that it’s not safe. I summon my armor and cloak. I pull the hood up to cover my face and wrap the cape around me. 

I make my way down the long, dark passageway. But my vampiric ability to see in the dark makes it so easy that to me, it’s as if I’m walking in daylight. 

At the end of the passageway is a stairwell that leads upward. Guess I’m underground. So, I start climbing the stairs. 

At the top of the stairs is a heavy vault-like door. I open it and look awkwardly at my unfamiliar surroundings. This can’t be Portland. 

The city is nothing but rubble. Demons are flying and trampling all over the city. Their roars can be heard echoing throughout the streets. 

“Hit the deck!” I hear a woman call out. 

I drop to my stomach as I see long, purple-haired woman leap over me. She is wielding a claymore with such expertise that my heart nearly leaps of my chest. She swings the hefty sword over her head and cleaves a demon in half. The demon’s blood splatters everywhere as the woman sheaths her sword. 

The woman reaches out her hand to help me stand up. I reach back and she pulls me to my feet. Her grip is very strong for a girl, and she’s very pretty. Her long purple hair is tied back in a ponytail. Her pink eyes are shining like quartz. Her C-cupped breasts heaved with every breath she takes. That slender waist and those full hips drive me mad with excitement. 

I’m suddenly snapped back into reality. “What the hell are doing just standing around on a battlefield?” she asks me. 

“S-sorry, I just woke up.” I manage to stammer in a gravelly voice. 

“Just woke up?! Who the hell sleeps in the middle of a war with demons? Where did you come from?” 

I point to the vault door. “There.” 

Just off in the distance, I see a demon come flying towards us. I grab the woman andswing her around to face my back to the demon. I then turn around and drop into a ready stance. 

“Shed blood for my pain; Gemini’s Lament!” 

My sword appears on my right hip. I draw it from the scabbard and leap into the air just in time to slice the wings off of the demon. Blood sprays from her wounds as she crashes to the ground. I land right next to her and start swinging at her. 

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The demon swipes her claws at me, but my armor is barely scratched. I feel my katana rip through her flesh with every slash that I make. 

“Pierce the sun with everlasting twilight; Shadow Fang!” 

Shadow Fang appears in my other hand and I begin to alternate sword strikes between the two katanas. 

I increase the speed of my slashes. “Vorpal typhoon!” 

The demon lay on the ground in piles of shredded flesh. I sheath my swords and turn to face the woman. Her jaw drops in utter shock. 

“Who, or rather, what are you? I’ve never seen anyone as fast as you. There are tales of a vampire that defeated demon general four years ago...” 

I cut her off. “Did you say four years ago?” 

She smiles. “That’s right. Four years ago, a vampire defeated a demon general at the battle of PSU.” 

I look at her quizzically. “But, aren’t we in Portland?” 

The girl laughs, “Oh no, we’re not, this is Seattle. But we don’t have much more time for chit-chat. We need to get back to base ASAP. I’ll give you more info on the way. 

The girl leads me back to her humvee. “Hop in, stranger.” 

All I can muster is “M’kay.” 

As we’re driving back to her base, she introduces herself. “I’m Christy, who are you?” 

“C.J.” I mumble. 

She senses the timidness in my voice and changes the subject. “So, you want to hear what happened four years ago, right?” 

I nod. 

“Well,” Christy starts, “A few months after the vampire defeats the demon general, I think his name was... Hezukael. Yes, that’s what it was. Portals opened up all over the planet. Demons began invading everywhere. Buildings were demolished, and all of the world’s governments were toppled. Within a year, two-thirds of humanity were wiped out. The remaining half were taken into slavery. We’ve been fighting for survival ever since.” 

I just shake my head. “Fucking hell, this world has really gone to shit. Christy, how did you hear about this vampire and where is he now? Why isn’t he help to fight?” 

Christy sighs. “Well, I heard it from my big brother Adam. He was on the team with the vampire at the battle of PSU. As for where the vampire is now, I don’t know. Maybe he’s out there somewhere fighting. I’d honestly like to think so.” 

Well, that certainly confirms it. I at least know that Adam is alive. I wonder about Sofie and the others. 

“How is your brother doing?” I ask. 

“Other than losing one of his arms in the battle, physically, he’s fine. Emotionally, well, that’s something else. His squad leader survived, but the rest of the team... did not.” 

I shake my head again. “It’s a shame. Sorry to hear that.” 

We reach the gates of the base The guard halts our vehicle. He checks Christy’s ID and okays her. He then walks around to my side. 

“Pull down your hood and show me your ID.” 

I look up at him and in a soft voice say, “You don’t need my ID.” 

The guard repeats back, “I don’t need your ID.” 

“I’m free to go.” 

“You’re free to go.” 

The guard lets us pass and we drive through. As we pass, Christy starts to giggle. 

“What are you, a fucking Jedi?” 

I smile under my hood. “Something like that.” 

Christy parks the humvee next to a large tent. “Here we are.” 

“Where is this?” I ask. 

“The General’s tent.” Christy replies. “I have to make my evening report and introduce you to her.” 

“Sounds good.” 

Christy announces herself at the entrance of the tent. 

“Enter,” a familiar voice bellows. 

We enter the together side-by-side. I instantly recognize the general’s face. 

“Reporting on today’s patrol, Ma’am.  I was able to slay twelve demons with no civilian casualties. I also rescued this civilian. Well, he also rescued me. His name is...” 

The general cuts Christy off. “I know exactly who this is. Hello, Mister Johns, it’s good to see you back on your feet and in fighting shape.” 

I pull my hood down to Christy’s shocked gaze. “Hello, Dean Thompson, or rather, General Thompson. It’s good to see you, too.” 

General Thompson smiles and offers me her hand. “It’s been far too long. How are you holding up?” 

I reach out my hand to shake hers. “Yes, it has. I’m ready to get back to my team and raise some hell.” 

General Thompson looks at me gloomily. “I’m glad to hear that you’re ready to get back into the action. But I’m afraid your team is... a little incomplete.” 

I look at her with some confusion. “incomplete, how? Is someone permanently incapacitated?” 

General Thompson explains. “Something like that. I can’t give the details, but after your defeat of Hezukael, two of your teammates died. We tried everything we could, but we got them to the hospital too late. They were dead on arrival. Not even your blood could save them. I’m terribly sorry.” 

Sadness and anger begin to well up in me. “Who?” was all I could ask. 

“I’m sorry, but it’s best for me not to say. You should hear it from your own family. I can get you a flight to Portland in a couple of hours, but we won’t be able to land. You’ll have to make a drop from one of our ospreys.” 

I clench my fists. “Fine. When can I expect replacements from one of the schools?” 

General Thompson shakes her head. “There are no more schools. The demons saw to that. After the battle of PSU, all of the slayer schools were destroyed. We don’t even have cell network for long-range communication. All we have is email and point-to-point short-range communication. No landlines, either.” 

“Short-range is only good for about half a mile, right?” I ask. 

“You got it.” she confirms. 

In all of the confusion, Christy raises her hand. 

“Yes, what is it?” General Thompson asks. 

“You actually know this guy? He’s the vampire that defeated Hezukael?” 

I flash a smile at Christy, my fangs glowing in the candlelight. “Yes, the very same.” 

Christy drops to the floor in a dizzying faint. I catch her just before her head hits the floor and sit her on a chair. 

General Thompson gently smiles. “I think she just had her first celebrity crush. Anyway, I’ll call to have that osprey prepped for you. Takeoff will be in two hours.”