Night had always cloaked the city in a kind of uneasy stillness, but tonight it felt different. The fog was thick, the lamps dim, and the air thick with unrest. Kael wandered beneath the flickering lights, his hands buried in the pockets of a secondhand coat, his eyes glowing a brilliant, unnatural red that cut through the haze.
His steps were slow, almost aimless, yet every movement was strained, as if he were holding something back. People on the street saw him and moved aside, whispering to each other. There were too many stories floating around these days about vampires infiltrating cities, about disappearances and about the ongoing war with them.
Some glanced at him and turned away, trying to forget what they saw. Others stared too long before quickly reassuring themselves that there was no way a vampire would just be walking around this slum-ridden district in broad view. He must be some poor lunatic. A junkie. A sick boy with strange eyes. Anything but what he might really be. Denial was easier than panic. They ignored the stiffness in his limbs, the way he clenched his fists like he was in pain, or the fact that his pupils were slitted like a predator's.
Kael felt nothing for their caution. He was desensitized to their presence. If anything, their scent was driving him mad. The warmth of their blood, the thrum of their hearts so close by, the flicker of pulse on a young girl's neck, all of it clawed at his mind. The thirst was unbearable. It was gnawing at his soul, scraping against whatever shred of restraint he still held. His lips trembled. Saliva gathered at the corners of his mouth. He gritted his teeth and ran.
He ducked into an alley, panting, pressing his back against the wall, hands trembling. He didn't want to hurt anyone. He wasn't like that. He could control it. Just until he found that man, Hatim.
Five men stumbling through the alley, laughing, cursing, the scent of alcohol thick on their breath. One of them wore a golden coat, the kind only nobles and fattened officials flaunted. Kael tensed. He tried to back away, to disappear into the dark. But it was too late.
"Well, look at this. We found ourselves a little stray."
One of them called out, voice slurred.
The others chuckled, following. Kael didn't answer. He turned to leave but they were already moving in. Their footsteps echoed against the alley walls like warning drums. He sprinted, weaving through crates and broken glass, but the alley was a labyrinth and his body was already weakened from hunger. A dead end greeted him like an executioner.
The five men surrounded him, their shadows stretching long under the moonlight.
"Nowhere to run, bitch."
Growled the man in the golden coat. He was bigger up close, muscles bloated with drink and arrogance.
"Been a long night. My hands are itching for some real fun. It's a same it turned out to be a guy though."
"Please let me-"
Before he could finish, Kael's legs gave out just as the first punch landed. Then another. And another. They didn't stop. His ribs cracked, blood filled his mouth. He hit the ground and they kept hitting. Ten minutes of endless blows. Laughter echoed through the alley. He was their plaything, nothing more.
The golden coat man grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, sneering.
"You fucking trash. You people are just animals. We own this city. Even if I kill you right now, no one will care. Nobody will even remember you existed."
Kael's head tilted up slowly, his face battered and bloodied. But his eyes were hollow, expression blank. A spark glowed beneath the silence.
'Indeed, We are useless pieces of trash to bigshots like them. Born without a name, I was used my entire life for someone else's gain. He speaks the truth. Even if he kills me, he walks away free. The world is cruel.'
The men holding him screamed. Their hands were gone.
"But I won't let that happen again."
Blood sprayed across the walls like rain. They staggered back in shock, watching in horror as Kael slowly stood, the wounds on his body beginning to mend. His eyes gleamed. A grin spread across his lips.
"Using this power... I will rule over all of you. No one will hurt me again."
The alley turned into a massacre. One of the men barely had time to react before Kael lunged, tearing open his throat with his fangs. Blood gushed like a fountain. Another tried to flee but Kael was faster. His claws sliced through his stomach, ripping out intestines. Screams followed him like a funeral march.
The golden coat man stumbled, shoving his last companion toward Kael as a sacrifice. The man begged for help, but the noble didn't look back. Cowardice dressed in gold. Kael ripped the last man in half, flesh tearing like paper.
The noble almost made it to the street. Almost.
His legs were severed in one clean sweep. He screamed, clawing at the pavement, leaving a trail of blood behind him. He raised a trembling hand, muttering an incantation. A flicker of fire burst from his palm, but it was a spark compared to Kael's fury.
Kael stepped closer, boots soaked in red.
"My father... he's a Duke. He'll kill you. Just let me go."
Kael knelt, eyes burning.
"I don't give a fuck about your father. This world is already mine."
With a hiss, he sank his fangs into the man's throat. The taste was divine. Warm, rich, thick with privilege and power. It was the best thing he had ever tasted. He drank deeply, savagely, until the body stopped twitching.
He rose slowly, chest heaving, blood dripping from his chin. The hunger had dulled but not vanished. Something had awakened in him and it was never going back to sleep.
Kael looked up at the sky, dark and vast.
In the alley full of corpses and silence, the half-vampire walked away.