《Nightwalkers》


 Chapter1-Reborn

    1980 - St Mars Bay - City of ArchNorth


    In one of the old apartments on the outskirts of the cold town of ArchNorth, a thin, short-haired man sat in front of a desk full of various papers.


    The typewriter - Royal Fleetwood - in front of him no longer bore the sparkle of a new one, and accused clear signals of continuous use of many years.However, Jared Faram was paralyzed by a blank paper positioned in the center of the device. In the last eight years that he''s been writing, he never had such a hard time to produce anything, he did not know where to start, but he understood exactly where this letter was going to end, he was determined.


    The setting sun shone through the single window on the wall of his apartment, illuminating the small room that contained all that was left to him.In spite of the clear signs of the time that marked the paint of the wall and the wooden floor of the room, the place looked perfectly organized.Jared was concerned that, despite the decay of his life, at least the exterior would be flawless for the photo of the newspaper that would expose his body.


    Yes, Jared had finally decided to end his own life, immortalizing his career that was at its peak, keeping intact the one thing that still made him proud.He had fulfilled his dreams, became one of the most renowned novelists in the country, how everything went wrong so fast?


    The year before, he lived in a beautiful house, his book stamped all the local and neighboring bookstores, and his pseudonym, J.Fleetwood, was one of the subjects most commented on in the cultural channels and meetings of the high society.Never really thought he would get rich, just wanted to pursue his passion, writing.


    But full of money and without really knowing where to spend it, it attracted the worst kind of people.False smiles and evil intentions surrounded his life, and before he could realize the trap, had found he had lost everything in an investment in a ghost bill.Worse than that, he had taken on debts with loan sharks, people who represented the most rotten of society.


    He tried to squeeze himself into the small, comfy chair he had used for so long to weave his dreams, his body aching from the last beating he had suffered at the hands of Mr.Gaston henchman.Some of his precious fingers, who hit the keys of his beloved machine, were swollen and a little crooked.


    The only person he still trusted was a fan, with whom he communicated through letters that grew increasingly scarce until one day she made a decision.


    Setto take his own life, a rope already tied in the wooden beam that connected one wall to another, and all he needed to do was to write his suicide note, climb one last time on his beloved padded chair, and ...


    He decided to take another sip of cheap whiskey, and then began to write.Two hours passed and he finally finished his last work.The chill of the night and the maritime wind of the harbor passed through his half-open window, causing a sounding reaction that seemed more like an endless howl.He moved to the front of the window with the intention of closing it and end that cry when ...


    "So you really ..." He heard a female voice from the back of his room.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Frightened, he quickly turned toward the desk, and there was a person.A woman who appeared to be no more than 25 years old was staring at him with black, dark eyes that did not appear to have life, it would be light to say that she was pale, could see the light blue contours of her veins beneath her skin, she had dark hair, full and curly.He saw that she wore a coat over a dark dress that surely cost more than all that remained of his things.


    "Who are you?The ... What do you want with me? "Jared Faram could not imagine this woman having any connection with Mr. Gaston, but he felt, deep down in his soul, that even 10 Gastons were no more dangerous than she.


    "My name is Emily Orsh, we communicated by letters, Mr. J. Fleetwood," she said with a small bow as she introduced herself.


    So he could finally find the last and only friend he had left.He felt his body relax and then sat on his bed, causing a small creak that stretched across the floor of the apartment.She approached him slowly, and then sat down beside him, but without causing any creaking.Emily''s pale hand overlapped his bruised hand, it was cold, but her touch warmed the bottom of his lost, lonely heart.


    "Mr. J, what happened to you?Why are you so hurt?You did not answer me anymore..."


    Emily turned and looked at the rope hanging from the ceiling, and then looked at Jared again.For some reason he felt compelled to speak, and then began to tell her his story, wept and entrusted to her his feelings, his fan, Emily, his last friend.


    After two hours of talking, while she listened carefully to everything he said, she asked him.


    "What can I do to help?Mr J ... no, Jared.I cannot let you die like that! "She held his hand tightly, which caused him more pain, Emily let go of Jared and apologized.


    "I already gave up, Emily.I''m sorry I cannot continue to write the romance you love so much.I''d rather die now than become a slave to Gaston "Jared said with determination in his eyes.


    Then Emily made a decision. "Jared, look at me ..." she said.


    Jared looked into her deep black eyes and felt himself drunk, in love, as if she had the secret, the cure for all his ills.They then kissed.He could not remember how long he saw the whole scene as if he were outside his own body, Emily''s cold lips came down his neck, light hands of both of them removed the clothes while each piece of clothing removed from her revealed a soft and Icypallor, while Jared felt her tongue wander around his naked body, placating the pains of his wounds, as if she were removing them.


    She then mounted him on top, pulled his hair and kissed his mouth, and after some time Jared could no longer count, felt a kiss on his neck, and then, pain.The pain of knifes piercing his skin, pain and pleasure mingled with a euphoria of howls and groans, and then, nothing.


    How much time has passed?How many days?


    He could feel a familiar pain, yes, the pain of birth.But not from the feeling that comes from life that produces life, but from death.


    "I ... I''m thirsty ..." Haunted and naked, Jared tried to get up from a huge bed, rich and with wood details, certainly he was not in his small apartment, more than that, he had no idea how much Time had passed.He felt his body asleep, but at the same time as if his senses were extremely sharp.


    In front of his bed, sitting in a single chair, was Emily, who was looking at him a little apprehensively.She then stood up and brought him a glass of something that reminded him of wine, but certainly with a familiar slimy texture.As if he could trust Emily with his life, Jared drank from the cup without hesitation, he could feel an inexplicable bond for her, as if he loved her.


    Emily broke the silence.


    "Jared, I did something horrible to you, I''m sorry ..." her calm, cold voice carried a bit of feeling in her words.


    "What did you do to me?"


    "I cursed you, you are now a nightwalker, just like me."

 Chapter2-Unconditional fan

    The 1980s, a decade of violence and impunity, the world of immortals also reflected in the world of mortals. The peace treaty of the three clans that divided the country, ''Noctua,'' Tigris'' and ''Ardea'', was to be broken, and the spirits were agitated.Anonymous attacks on territories and buildings belonging to the clans became recurrent, many of the members already believed that the war had begun.


    And it is in the midst of this situation that Emily Orsh, first in the line of succession of the Ardea clan, disembarks at Archnorth airport, in the region dominated by the Noctua clan.The clock at the top of one of the arches on the roof indicated that it was not long until sunrise, Emily then traced a hurried path to the car that she had rented in advance.A completely black-painted Pontiac Firebird stood out in the middle of the runway that gave access to the airport landing, the filters installed in that car were special, and would not allow the sun''s rays to burn her skin ... and bones.


    She drove the car towards the hotel located in the most expensive part of the city, Emily had already booked a ''special'' room, prepared for her short stay.Many immortals, ''vampires'', become bland when they reach ''non-life'', they lose the pleasure of life, art, music, and all the beauty that should be the primary focus of eternal, non-tedious life.Emily was in love, a love she had never felt before reading J.Fleetwood''s work, the pseudonym of her favorite author. She could see hidden in his words, that he understood as well as she what death was, and how was like to have to live forever.


    After gathering all her courage, she sent a letter in which she revealed her feelings for the novel written by Mr. J, but she clearly did not believe she would receive an answer, Mr. J was an extremely popular mortal in his community, and she did not Believed he would take time off to talk to a stranger.


    It was really surprising, when a letter of reply was delivered to her.Not just one, but all the letters she sent to him always returned a written response, it was only a matter of time before they became close friends.Bound by the same thing that robbed her cold heart, the words, and every written and unwritten phrase, she felt the fear that they would stop coming.


    And that was what happened, little by little, the correspondences from Mr. ''J'' were ceasing to arrive, until one day she received a last letter of farewell.


    Without understanding what she had done wrong, Emily could not stand inert, deep down, she knew that, as the successor of the Ardea clan, she should allow herself to be forgotten by that mortal, to follow her destiny and strengthen the clan, which depended so much on her.


    But she refused to accept that fate, and then hastily planned her quick escape into the dangerous territory of the Noctua clan, where Emily would visit that address listed in the letter, and declare her love.


    After entering the Green Oak Hotel, the best hotel in the city, she went to sleep in her special room, with armored windows and security enhanced, hoping to find her favorite author.She was afraid, afraid he would reject her for the monster she was and feel the disgust of her cold skin.


    The next night she went out for her hunting, the blood of the mortals no longer pleased her, but it was necessary, all Emily Orsh wanted now was to feed herself on art, on the writing of those novels that touched her soul.She then set off for Mr. J''s apartment, waited outside for a few minutes, looking up from the street, and then decided to enter through the window that was open at that moment.


    As she entered through the second-story window, the mere sight of the object of her admiration writing gloomily on his typewriter almost made her heart beat again.Emily spent a few moments admiring him when she saw him.On the beam of the ceiling was a rope tied, and then, it all made sense.She never felt such sadness as on that day, not because his love planned to take his own life, death was part of her routine;She felt sad, for they were more alike than she imagined.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    A cold breeze blew past the window, and then she moved through the shadows to the door of his room, seconds after that he got up and went to the window.


    She decided that he would forever be her, forever her writer, and she, his unconditional fan.


    It took some time for Emily to dare to explain to Jared, what was the curse she had inflicted on him, despite the bonds between master and child, she was determined not to use her powers to influence his opinions anymore.


    Vampires were already part of the national folklore and, although extremely exaggerated, ''monsters'' were Hollywood movie fever.Explaining his condition was not difficult, Jared listened quietly, seemingly startled about the possibilities that implied his curse.


    She spent some time to explain that vampires did not fear garlic or crossroads, but that the Sun light was indeed lethal, and that the fire burned harder on their skin, and their head might rather be a weak spot, with enough damage.Jared listened for a long time to the explanations given by Emily, understood that his non-life would now be different, that he would have to make excuses to maintain appearances in the mortal world.


    For a while, Jared followed Emily''s instructions without squirming any reaction, she led him to the street in front of the hotel, dressed in a dark suit, bought by she while he slept.As she explained about the special characteristics inherited by her vampire family, he wandered through his memories.All he could remember now was Mr.Gaston, the filthy moneylender who planned his fall.


    "Yes, how could I forget?" Thought Jared, remembering his ex-wife, whom he had been married for a single day, just so she would abandon him and take away much of his fortune from an unscrupulous contract.Before, he wanted to forget everything that had happened to him, but now all he could think about was the people who betrayed him.Why?


    "Jared, my darling," Emily said shyly, inwardly fearing an adverse reaction from him, she braced herself for various situations that might occur, waited for him to shout, for him to hate her, but did not expect this.A silence that seemed contagious, she had recognized that very well, as a predator as she was.It was the silence that preceded the hunt.


    "Jared, I know it''s a lot at once, but you need to be feed."


    The street they passed was quiet and partly dark, the track was clearly damp, certainly rained a few minutes ago.Cars passed occasionally, causing little sneezes of water, and the old poles surrounding the hotel illuminated only a few sections of the sidewalk.It was when a woman appeared around the corner, carrying an umbrella and walking hastily along the sidewalk.


    She did not appear to be over 40, her blond hair, clearly painted, already showed the originally dark color in its roots, sunburned skin was covered in a uniform that appeared to be from a nearby diner, which Jared knew well.


    Emily then, to demonstrate to Jared how to use his gifts, stepped forward to intercept the woman, but was stopped by his cold hand.


    "No," said Jared.


    Emily turned to him and said, "You need to learn, leave me ..."


    He ignored her and headed toward the blonde woman, remembering Emily''s explanations, and then tried to activate his gift.He felt his blood warm, a slight tingling in his skin, he could feel the power running through his dead veins.The woman looked at him, seemingly intoxicated by his exhaled power.


    "Come with me." And the woman followed him as if they were old acquaintances.


    Smiling, she closed her eyes, as if expecting a sweet kiss.But all she could feel was a pain in her neck.It was an exciting pain, much more delightful than any sexual experience she had in her life, and then, darkness.Before he could extract too much, Jared stopped sucking.


    Trying to hide her jealousy, Emily asked frightened:


    "Jared, you ???"


    Jared then lifted his head, blood staining his chin and neck, red fillets jutted from the corner of his eyes, as if he were crying.


    "Thank you, Emily."

 Chapter3-Dear Elizabeth

    Jared had abandoned his hopes before, he felt weak and lost, however,


    everything seemed to improve when that correspondence arrived, the first letter Emily had written to him.He fell in love with those sweet, innocent words of someone who understood exactly his feelings, expressed subtly in the works written during his life as a writer.The fiery passion that carried her words, the residual perfume on the yellow paper and the beautiful calligraphy, gave him a reason to smile.


    But he had decided to abandon his life, was afraid of loving again, and in time, ended his relationship with the stranger with whom he exchanged letters.But here she was again, not only had this woman not abandoned him, but offered him a new opportunity to fulfill his own desires.


    Yes, Jared still wished for art, music, and words, but much more than that, he felt now a burning pain within himself hatred hotter than the embers that mr.Gaston had used to torture him.He would take revenge on them all, from Sophia, his ex-wife, from Gaston, or anyone who had humiliated him.


    Jared and Emily returned to the bedroom, she was confused by what was happening to him, and what he really thought of her.With her back to Jared, Emily removed the fur coat that covered her dark dress and sighed.


    "Jared, no matter what happened to you, now I''m here.Even if you hate me, I''m going to support you ... What? "


    Emily was frightened when she felt the two arms of his beloved hugging her from behind, felt his desire, and instinctively returned.The two of them hugged each other again, and kissed.


    Unlike the first time, they loved each other like wild beasts, their clothes were torn off, Jared could feel Emily''s nails digging into his back, the taste of blood in his mouth, and the sharp marks of bites exchanged.


    Hours had passed before they both collapsed, the two of them finally slept, were tired, stained with blood and sweat, eventually dirtying the white sheet of the luxurious bed in Emily''s room.


    -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------


    The Archnorth Library, the city''s best-known patrimony, contains the most secretive accounts of the earliest expeditionaries, guarded immortal secrets unknown even to the White House.This place was also one of the homes of the high summit of the Noctua clan, composed of the most diverse types of intellectuals and experts in various areas.


    This was a special evening, Elizabeth Copenhagen, she thought, the immortal from the Noctua house was climbing the white marble stairs of the great library, her short heeled shoe matching the black women''s suit, her smooth light brown hair tied in a braid and arranged in a coke, on the back of his head.The newest house minister was moving systematically, the narrow, white-framed glasses on the bridge of her thin nose emphasizing the authoritarian air she had purposely decided to pass.


    The summit of the Noctua clan was composed of seven ministers, and she had become the youngest immortal to occupy a chair among the elders, with only 154 years of immortality, Eliza, as it is now called by the younger ones, had great plans of power, and an ambition that had carried as thefocusof his immortality.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Yes, the focus, this is what makes immortals different from each other, the strong desire she carried in her transformation, that which made she seek immortality.Well, just to conquer transformation was always an arduous task, only those who showed extreme prodigy in relation to the determined area of interest, and who really wanted to live, received the gift of a kiss.The kiss is like the walkers of darkness called the act of creating another, it is the act of giving up part of their soul, of the sin they carry.


    Eliza reached the top of the stairs, did not gasp, she did not need to breathe.She briefly admired the construction of the library, certainly inspired by Roman architecture, and entered through the double front door of the building.The ceiling and walls exposed ironically Catholic paintings of angels and humans coexisting peacefully, and at the center of all this, a replica of the "Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo Buoranotti.


    She was led by hooded servants to an underground hall, through tunnels and more staircases.At the center of the hall was a stone table, large and rectangular, seven chairs, two of which are unoccupied.When the servants presented it, all the other members stood up to greet the new colleague.


    "Oh, Minister Elizabeth.We have gone through all the ceremonies of your possession, have not we?We can drop the formalities between us.Please settle down, let''s start the meeting. "A seemingly elderly man, with no hair or beard, but exposing thick white eyebrows, greeted the new minister cordially.


    "Minister Fach, it is an honor to be once again in the presence of each one of you, but I would like to ask, are we not going to wait for Minister Ceasar''s arrival?" Eliza asked politely.


    On hearing the minister''s name, Fach made a strange expression, and then said."Minister Ceasar, unfortunately, is busy today." The response caused murmurs among other members.WhateverCeasar is doing, the other elders certainly were as puzzled by this situation.


    Eliza smiled inwardly, her action heightened the elders distrust of him, and Fach, who surely hid more than he said.


    "And what would be the subject today?For what reason did I have to take an urgent flight to this city? "In making the inquiry, some of the other elders also exposed a little of her indignation.


    Fachin replied, in an expression that she does not know if it was a smile or a face:


    "Emily Orsh, future leader of the Ardea clan, has secretively arrived at our town."


    -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------


    Emily and Jared spent another long time talking, he was eager to learn everything he could in the hours they spent together.It was said that a new blood as he does not demonstrate all its early gifts from one day to the other, the power he had used that day was calledpassio,and it was the innate ability to influence the feelings of others with your vampire charisma, each skill had six known stages, and every immortal began in the first stage of the inherited gifts of their respective vampiric family.


    He was explained the vampire relations of his country, which clan he belonged to, and relations with other societies.Jared felt the gravity of the situation where Emily was, and a little regret at the problems she would face when she returned home.He knew he could not stay in Archnorth anymore, he should leave with her, his revenge could wait a little.


    "Jared, yourfocusis an enigma.I never knew of an immortal who wanted his own death before the kiss. "Emily looked dismayed.


    Jared does not get to understand exactly what was different with him, what was his focus, his ambition of non-life.A few minutes passed before an envelope passed under the door, Jared stood for a while staring at the envelope beside Emily, until she made a decision and opened the seemingly anonymous mail.


    The letter said:


    Emilia Orshanova., Baroness of the Ardea family.


    It is with great pleasure that we invite your highness to tea tomorrow, held in the Feast Hall of Noctua mansion.


    We look forward to your presence, since it is the law that every immortal should present himself to the regional regent council.


    Sign: .Minister Elizabeth Copenhagen

 Chapter4-What is Fear?

    It was 7 in the evening, Jared Faram was hurrying toward his small apartment.Along the way, he looked out through the taxi window and thought of the whirlwind of things that had happened to him in the last two days.


    Emily had advised Jared to get what he had left before they left for the city of Ahanne, home of the Ardea family.According to her, the Noctua clan sent an invitation letter only to her, and if they had the knowledge that she was accompanied by a new offspring, the invitation should have been sent to him as well.


    Jared was worried about Emily, but he was persuaded not to go with her, he was now her greatest weakness, and it was better that his existence be kept confidential for the time being.


    Of course, he had a bad taste in his mouth at the thought of this, but he trusted Emily, and he did not want to be a burden on his last mate.


    After 15 minutes, he was standing in front of some buildings, the gray structures showing clear signs of decay caused by the weather and the constant humidity from the port.St Mars Bay certainly was not one of the sights of the city, but it was the place where those who could not live in a better region were evicted.


    He paid for the cabbie''s run, passed through the rusty little iron door of his building, and, one last time, made his way up the concrete stairs that led to his home.


    "What is it?" Clearly someone had broken into his apartment; the old wooden door now flashed a hole with the thickness of a pole where the doorknob was located, bits of wood and small barbs spreading along the corridor that gave access to the apartments of his building.No wonder there was any commotion on the part of the neighbors, it was times of violence, and people simply pretended nothing was happening, afraid to get involved in the problems of others.


    He pushed the broken door slowly and peered into the interior of his room.


    Everything was in more complete order, its shelves, its desk, its bed.Almost nothing had changed beyond the scattered pieces of wood.Only her comfortable padded chair was now placed in the center of her living room, and seated in it was a black man in dark trousers attached to classic and refined suspenders that came up to his shoulders.The white shirt with clean long sleeves, and the shiny black shoes gave the air of "businessman".


    "Certainly intriguing."


    Cross-legged, reading one of the manuscripts written by Jared, the man calmly got up and positioned the bound book on the top of the chair.He carefully removed a white letter with a silver owl from his shirt pocket, and then told the writer.


    Mr.Faram.I come here just to deliver your invitation to the Noctua tea, feel honored. "The man said, with a smile that was not really a smile.


    -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------


    Five decades have passed since John Brooke was serving the Noctua house, he performed all the dirty work that his master, Elizabeth Copenhagen, passed on to him.Brooke knew he was the most trusted man among those who served his maker, and who knew secrets which would destroy the newest minister.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Of course, this was just another work done for Miss Copenhagen, he understood perfectly why and how it should be done, but Brooke was never a man of subterfuge, his gifts were always more physical.As he reached quietly in the doorway of his target, he could see a slender man, probably some mortal, looking frightened at him from a neighboring room, and then locking the door slightly.


    His job was simple, catch the writer, and take him hostage, to use as a bargain with Emily Orsh.Yes, the door was locked, but with a single punch, splinters flew in all directions, and Brooke walked quietly through the front entrance.


    He sat in the padded chair that stood out in the living room, the only place seemingly appropriate for someone important as he to sit down, and began to read one of the manuscripts left on the table.


    "Good, very good ..." Brooke murmured, particularly interested in the story.


    It was not more than 30 minutes before Jared Faram came through the door.One more easy job, Elizabeth never misses.


    -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------


    Jared Faram started to leave immediately the room once he saw the man, but Brooke activated his vampiric giftRegnare.The writer felt dizzy, he knew that Brooke had activated some hidden ability for him, unknown.


    "Come to me!" Brooke said reinforcing his command.Jared quickly understood a crucial difference between hisPassio and the unknown skill used by the man.WhilePassiocould influence the feelings of the people around him, he felt the ruthless skill of his opponent attacked him directly influencing their fear of death, breaking his free will.


    He felt his legs walk alone toward his future captor, he could see the scrutiny in his smile, with open arms, and then he remembered Emily.


    The only person left, who believed him.He knew exactly why being taken would be used against her like a weapon.Because he was weak, he felt foolish for thinking that he could live beside her without becoming a burden.


    Now he was facing another enemy, certainly much older, much more powerful than he.Not only did Jared manifest only one of his gifts, but he did not know what his focus was, the point of strength from which he would take away his immortal will to continue living.


    -No!I will not accept this fate! "He thought, trying to get rid of the hidden chains that held his will.With each step that led towards the man in front of him, with his grin and open arms, Jared felt more hatred.


    "No ... dread?" A voice heard.


    "No ... no fear ...?" The voice, which seemed to be in his head, became clearer and louder, and then ...


    "Are not you afraid of death?" The voice asked.


    It was different, not as if Jared still wanted death as before, it was as if he did not care anymore, all he had left was will, the pure will to carry on, to have his revenge, to reach Emily.


    "NO !!!" Jared shouted with all his might, breaking Brooke''s spell with the purest will, defying the fear of death, as if he were no longer afraid.


    Brooke was slightly frightened that Jared had broken his spell so easily, not that it was impossible, but that would require much of the will coming from his focus, something that would not be an easy task even for an elder vampire.Not wanting to get his hands dirty, Brooke pulled out his Beretta and shot the writer twice.


    "Baam Baam" And with that, Jared was forced to kneel on the floor because of the pain he felt, even though he was a vampire, that did not mean he could not get hurt anymore.Blood ran down his shirt, and his left arm.


    "You understand, new blood, give up and come with me, are you not afraid of death?" Brooke told him, looking down at him.


    "Fear?" Jared asked, "No, no, no, NO, NO !!, I''ll show you what is FEAR!" Ignoring the pain, gathering all his hatred and his will, he unconsciously activated his abilityPassio.But he did not want to captivate his enemy, no, he wanted to cause pain, he wanted him to feel fear, the fear he felt for all this time.


    And then,Passiowas activated in stage 2.


    Fear, Brooke had grown up in the outskirts, through violence, survived by fear and lived as a cause of it; he did not believe anyone knew fear as he did. Not until that day.

 Chapter5-Dance with fire

    Passio was one of the vampiric gifts inherited by Ardea family.Its uses were mysterious, since its power depended not only on the strength of the user''s blood, but also on the strong will it carried.Each of the vampiric gifts comes in six stages, and each stage reveals a different facet of that power.In the first stage,Passiohas the power to attract other beings, create a passion, influence the feelings of desire.Already in the second stage, the effect is opposite.


    The immortal that usesPassiosecond stage can attract the most horrendous feelings of the target and can pass out a common mortal only with his will.Jared did not know, but his unusual characteristic was not to be afraid of death, but for having already accepted her.It gave him the willpower that no other immortal possessed, for he was capable of facing deadly challenges that would make other vampires run for their non-lives.


    His unusual will then leveraged the use of his powers, making the second stagePassiomuch more dangerous.Brooke, who was already familiar with dealing with this power, when used by other vampires, could not predict what would happen to him at that moment.As he raised his gun to shoot Jared once more, his knees hit the floor.He could see his deepest fears coming true and tearing his own soul. He saw Elizabeth, his teacher, abandoning him and felt again the mortality that had beset him, the years he had suffered through racial persecution, discrimination arising from his human days, the death of his wife and son hanged for a crime he committed.


    He dropped the pistol on the floor stammering and crying, trying to get into why he had to suffer it again, a few seconds later, he regained consciousness, and was looking at a wounded Jared, pointing his own pistol to his head.Brooke then gathered all his strength and swung a punch, as powerful as his second gift,Valentia,could expand.


    Valentia,a very simple gift but extremely dangerous, can multiply the already powerful natural strength of a vampire to extremes, depending on the stage reached by the user, Brooke was already an accomplished practitioner of the art, managing to reach the third level of power, being able to turn a small vehicle with a single punch.


    He could not throw a punch with complete precision, for he was in a strange position, but that was enough.The blow hit the side of Jared''s abdomen, causing an impressive effect.Fresh blood and entrails spread like an explosion across the wall and floor, coming from a horrendous jet from where his old dysfunctional kidney probably stayed.


    Jared started his way toward the ground and Brooke was breathing deeply.He was relieved because he knew that he would not last another wave of thePassiowriter''s coming, that''s when something completely unexpected happened.


    "Toooh." With a heavy step forward with his right leg, Jared stood up, using his supernatural desire to move on, and then vomited a lot of blood on the floor.Brooke looked completely terrified at him, and stepped into position to strike a new punch.


    "BAM" Brooke lost half of his vision just before he hit the punch, not quite understanding what had happened to him, he was staring at the ceiling as he knelt on the floor, his arm stupidly stretched up.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Brooke had been shot in his right eye, and his punch clearly missed the mark when his head was thrown back, when he tried to resume his posture, received another shot.


    And another shot, and another, until Beretta''s comb in Jared''s hand was emptied.Brooke was completely disfigured by the shots, his body arched from shore to the floor and slowly regenerating, his only functional eye staring at Jared, he saw his fangs entering his flesh, sucking his being, and all he could think before his final death was ...


    "Monster"


    It was already 3 in the morning when Jared woke up, he was thrown into an unoccupied lot, now used to dump garbage from neighboring houses.There he could see a trail of blood where he would probably have crept up there.Jared could have died if the sun had been rise, but it would seem that not everything would be so simple for him.


    Vague memories passed through his head about what he had done, he remembered firing on that man, and then losing consciousness.The huge tear in his shirt revealed where the hole had been opened by that punch that looked like a bomb, and now, was complete regenerated.


    He ran to the bus stop and took the path toward the city center.He wanted to talk with Emily about what had happened, how they should leave everything behind and leave town.


    A short time passed until he noticed the bus taking a different route.He got out of the vehicle at the first stop, not sure himself if he had taken the wrong bus.


    It was with little time of observation that he saw that strangely, all the vehicles and pedestrians were avoiding the way in that direction.Having a bad feeling, Jared started to run to the hotel, as he was getting closer, he had a frightening sight.Part of the building was on fire, there were bodies of men dressed in special police clothes scattered along the runway, and some crumpled in vehicle roofs as if they had fallen from a high altitude.In the sky without stars was purple symbol, the eye of Horus.


    He hurried down the main corridor, each step wet with unknown blood intensifying the anguish within him.Nothing else reminded him of the hotel''s former luxury corridor, everything seemed destroyed.Jared felt the heat and smoke intensify, the smell of death everywhere.


    Finally he felt fear, not the feeling itself, but the aversion to an inevitable destiny.The door to that room was in front of him, he could see his hand slowly turning the hot golden knob, burning his flesh.But he felt no pain, just walked in.


    A few minutes passed as he processed that vision, bodies burned and charred all around him, sights of a violent battle on every side, an extensive mark of blood that painted the ceiling to the wall, as if a body had been dragged in a bizarre way, and at the end of the mark, nailed to the wall with a black marble stake across her chest, was she.


    Emily had her clothes torn, her voluminous black hair disheveled, and the eyes that once had such dark black were blurred.


    "Emily!" Jared pulled her from the wall, hugging her.He cried like the first time he cried when he gave up his life.She then, with her last strength, sighed his name.She could no longer see and her body was beyond cure.Emily could barely reach out and touch his face.


    She was happy, centuries of loneliness, and finally there was her soul mate, escaping through her fingers.How many times had she not dreamed of this moment? She wanted to touch him with her still warm hands as if she was still mortal.Many things had gone wrong, many lives she had stolen, but finally, could rest in the arms of the one who saved her life without knowing.


    They kissed one last time, she offered her soul to him, and he offered his soul to her.As they embraced, the flames closed the curtain of their story together.

 Chapter6-Words can be Swords

    The war finally exploded between two of the country''s three main vampire homes, no one predicted the disaster caused by those forces, which were entrenched in the most powerful domes of national power.Emily Orsh''s death ignited hatred and retaliation hidden in the hearts of the immortals.


    Daily reports showed violent crime, increasing police negligence, and gang formations vying for control of each city.The thin membrane of peace, made and maintained for decades among the elders of each family, was now broken with no chance of repair, and neither side apparently gained anything by it.


    The fire in the hotel had been controlled and strangely reported as "Gang War results¡±, only the burnt concrete and the smell of dried blood in the sun remained in the room.The place had been completely isolated by police tracks and experts and guards were hovering around the hotel cautiously, fearing an accidental collapse, or some secondary explosion from the gas pipelines.


    Two days after that, Jared was trying to rise from a small mountain of wreckage that had collapsed in the city''s sewer.A small trickle of sunlight passed dangerously close to him, through the vast open hole above.After he had freed himself from a rock holding his leg, he took a few reeling steps toward the deeper part of the tunnel.


    He was completely dirty with ashes and dried blood.His body exhibited some wounds not yet regenerated by Emily''s blood, she had saved his life with the rest of her life and soul.Jared was confused because Emily Orsh had not allowed him to go with her, even if he was determined to accompany her to hell and leave his revenge behind.


    He felt empty.His hands slid down the corridor as he dragged one of his feet, not sure where to go.


    He walked through several fetid galleries, some narrower than others, he felt the blood of Emily burning in his veins, beside the powerful command she had invoked on him, the last before her death.


    Could no longer hear the footsteps of mortals, he just walked ahead, the sound of running water, the complete darkness.


    Jared would occasionally turn his head when he heard the screams of the rats that were there, felt as if they were watching him, from time to time, more rodents joined the first, following his trail through the dark galleries of the sewer.


    It was when a being appeared, as if it had surged within the wall, he was not sure whether it was really a man, or how he had come here, but the hunchbacked figure with long fingers certainly did not seem friendly.


    "Hihihihihi ..." The creature''s laughter made him feel a bit disgusted, like a screeching rat.


    "What do we have here?What do we have here?"


    Dressed in dirty rags, which looked like a bald beggar, he raised his yellow eyes to Jared.His skin was gray, with a deformed face and bizarre proportions.


    His eyes deep behind his long, oily nose looked frantically at Jared as if searching for something of value.


    "I smell it, that horrible stench of cheap perfume coming from you, from your rotten Ardea blood ... Hiiiiiiii !!!" As he said those words, the creature shrieked at the aura of fear coming from Jared.


    "Do not hurt poor Rat ... Rat does no harm to anyone!" Said the man who called himself ''Rat'' as he shrank on the corner of the wall displaying his crooked tusks.


    "Do not speak ill of her blood ..." Ignoring the slim, ragged man, Jared resumed his walk.


    Recovering his senses, ''Rat'' followed Jared by saying:


    "Wait, wait!Please forgive Rat, Rat is only here at the master''s request! "Said the creature, nodding and following Jared hastily.


    Understanding briefly the monster''s feelings, Jared took a deep breath and thought about what he would do from there, was lost and would not hurt to hear the horrible beast.


    He turned to Rat and asked.


    "What do you want with me, monster?"


    "Yeah, I know, everyone says that.Rat is ugly, Rat deserves to die ... But Rat has a good heart! " Said the hunchback, displaying a yellow smile.


    "At least, Master says Rat is handsome," he told him, confident in the opinion of someone of dubious tastes that Jared did not know.


    "Master is a very wise Hermit, he had Rat fetch the descendant of Emily, yes, Rat seeks descendant."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Your powerful and wise master ... lives in the sewer?" Jared feared that Rat''s master would be some sort of mutant rat.


    "Don¡¯t be silly!Rat Master is here just waiting for you!Come on, Rat shows the way. "The man then followed one of the corridors which gave access to a part apparently attached to the tunnels.


    Feeling a little guilty, or at least not wanting to lengthen such an odd conversation, Jared followed the crooked man.His body slowly regenerating his wounds with each step, until they finally left those galleries.


    -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------


    The tempers were rattling in the hall of the Noctua council, the library of the city of Archnorth has been closed some time ago, due to the events of the previous days.The murder of Emily Orsh fell like a bomb in the clan, moreover, no one knew who was the author of such audacious act.


    The plan drafted by the organization''s leaders did not anticipate the assassination of the future master Ardea, but only blackmail and use it for their benefit.Minister Elizabeth had taken responsibility for finding out why Emily was in town, but not only had she failed, but the negotiations had gone wrong completely.Emily Orsh walked in and out of the meeting at the Noctua Mansion without worries, for the elders had nothing to use against her.


    The halls of the library were filled with influential immortals of the Noctua family, all worried about the foggy future that awaited them, not only that, it had not taken a day for the Ardea family to retaliate.


    At the summit of Noctua house meetings, five of the seven ministers were arguing with heated voices, one of them, Minister Caesar, was out again, the other minister ...


    Michael Skandorr has been occupying the leader''s chair for nearly a century and was brutally beaten the day before, dragged out of his house and impaled in the yard.He died burnt by sunrise, with no chance of resistance.


    The mood shaken, the loss of a Minister was a heavy blow to the family, and everyone was asking the same question.Who murdered Emily Orsh?


    Emily was killed in Noctua territory, shortly after the meeting publicly orchestrated by the council members. Anyone not alive with the least intelligence would know that this was an action made by one of them to provoke the war, but who?The big problem was not that the conflict was now openly happening, but rather that everyone believed that it was they who started it.A high-ranking immortal as Emily was murdered shortly after introducing herself to the council, as the custom dictates, it was the rule that the Noctua family did not seek her for her life while on their territory, and they broke their own law.


    Now, in addition to provoking the hatred of the Ardea house, the Tigris clan had also harnessed to attack the Noctua behind territories, with the excuse of retaliation for breaking an old law.


    Of course, many of the Tigris family members were valiant, and the reasons for their entry into the war and the nonverbal alliance with the Ardea varied.


    The council''s eyes fell on Elizabeth. Being a rookie minister, she was clearly the most suspicious of the remaining five, since not only had she failed in her mission, but one of her most trusted subordinates had mysteriously disappeared.


    Under the eyes of the others, the seemingly unshaven Elizabeth was filled with hatred.


    Where was Brooke at that hour?She had to send someone to clean up a mess made in the small apartment of Emily''s descendant, a task not too difficult, since all the mortal eyes were on the incident at the Hotel.The absurd amount of blood that littered the room and the empty pistol on the floor indicated that his servant did something unnecessary, but after years of coexistence she did not believe he had escaped.


    "Forgive me, Minister Elizabeth Copenhagen, but we need to talk about your mistake," said Fach Cornelius, drawing the eyes of the other ministers.


    "Yes, my servant unfortunately seems to have failed in the mission I gave him, if that is what you meant." Said Eliza.


    "No, not that, Minister.We''re talking about the murder of Emily Orsh. "Fachin accused Eliza.


    "This is a very serious accusation, Fach," said one of the ministers, an immortal who seemed to be a 16-year-old girl, her natural reddish hair scattered in bulky bunches hiding the true age of Joahna D. Many speculated about her royal lineage, anyway, everyone knew that she was the second oldest member of the council.


    "I have to agree with Master Marcus Fach," said the second minister, Gustan Madera, a vampire with well-trimmed gray hair.Gustan was a direct man, spent much of his non-life doing the most difficult and dangerous jobs for his clan, won his position with strength and was respected by almost everyone present.


    Orpheus Distrort, the last of them, was a man of secrets, a former chief investigator of the family.He remained silent, watching the discussion.


    "Besides failing in his mission, where is John Brooke now?" Gustan asked. "Of course this is the most intriguing fact right now.Emily Orsh was murdered, and Elizabeth man ran away! "


    Fach looked indecisively at Eliza, knew she was unreliable from the start, this viper had raised through the rankings differently from the others.All right, the vampire world was not a proper place, but Elizabeth went beyond the boundary of the wrong and dishonorable.


    Elizabeth was lost, she did not know where to hold.Her clan now sought a guilty, someone to take on all the mistakes.She felt the rope around her neck tightening. "Damn!Where are you now, Brooke?No immortal can disappear so easily.


    That''s when a light went through her head.


    "And where is Aur¨¦lius Caesar now?" She asked, glancing desperately at the other elders."If a vampire disappears is strange, what a Council master disappearing will be?" Eliza said, opening one arm as if to demonstrate the ''truth''.


    Upon hearing this, everyone began to argue with one another, with the exception of Fach.


    "Do not you dare accuse the minister!"Said Fach." He is now doing a very important job for our house!¡±


    Eliza smiled slightly, it was the breach she expected.


    "What kind of work is this that the members of the master council themselves cannot know what it is?I say now, the most suspicious of all is Caesar.Not just him, but Minister Fach, who''s keeping secrets from this table! "Eliza said, slapping one hand on the board that symbolized the Noctua council.


    Fach then seemed to choke on his own words, while the other ministers nodded affirmatively with Elizabeth''s statement.