He awoke in a damp cardboard box, his eyes heavy and his body cold. This was the place he had always called home, nestled between the dark, cold alleyways of Lumoria Avenue, which were covered in rainwater and morning dew.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6S5tTYqyXy
He stood up and rubbed his arms, trying to chase away the goosebumps. He was used to it—the cold of the morning, the craggy, uncomfortable touch of the rough ground, and the unwelcoming stares of those who crossed his path.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8f8mrv5u1U
This was the only life he knew, the only life that made sense to someone who grew up without a home.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6Yk3PyX8x
Since the beginning of his time on the street, Kaden Hamilton had always wondered what it would be like to have a home—a place to rest, to feel safe, to not always be hungry and thirsty. It was a nice thought, but one he tried not to dwell on.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡez8kayGF54
Kaden stood up and yawned. He patted down his dirty black jacket and wiped the dirt from his ripped pants. With a tired expression, he began to walk down the sidewalk, his hands in his pockets.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwMD7sHhF3
He had a destination in mind, one that took him through block after block. After almost a mile of walking, he stood before the place he wanted to see: an old bookstore on the corner of Clement Street.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLyKzJjw5A
"Finally here," Kaden said, brushing off the sweat from his forehead as he looked up at the sign that read "Backward History."
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1KA8DIrk4
Kaden opened the door, hearing the loud creaks from the old hinges. "This place has seen better days," he said as he walked into the small store.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsVU7NSIdL
"Nonsense... this place has character and is more valuable than gold itself."
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5lJvQ3PP6
Kaden turned and saw her behind the front desk beside the door. She was the only person he trusted, the only woman who seemed to see him as a person at all.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeH9w94qIb
Her name was Jeena Hendrickson, a woman with long blonde hair that always rested in a ponytail, wearing a white button-down shirt, black leather pants, and black boots. Glasses rested on her face as she held a small, brown-covered book in her hands.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2D1vywMXKR
"Another story, huh?" Kaden asked as he walked toward Jeena with a smile.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4aImBOUzV
Jeena chuckled to herself, her eyes still focused on the book. "What can I say? I have nothing but love for a good story."
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcKQwGN33V
Kaden chuckled to himself. "Speaking of stories, what small tale are you going to tell me today?" he asked as he walked behind the desk and sat down on a small stool next to Jeena's chair. "I hope it's a little more unique than the last one."
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLWIThsnFc
"What? I thought you liked the last one I told you," Jeena said, taking off her glasses.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsaiUsYZit
"Hey, it wasn't bad, but I think you can do better," Kaden said, crossing his arms.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPJB4hRvfI
Jeena smiled as she looked down at the book on the desk. "You always had an adventurous spirit," she said. "Ever since the moment I met you."
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuS3lQdkgB
Kaden's cheeks began to turn a barely visible red as he thought about the past. He remembered the death-bringing chill that sought only to weaken his body, his growling stomach that called out for food and nourishment, and most importantly, he remembered Jeena standing over him wearing her long brown coat. He remembered her eyes filled with concern and worry. It was a look he had never forgotten.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUuovLlyGd
"I'm afraid I've already told you all the stories I know," Jeena said, breaking Kaden's memory of the past.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanvMnjs3fE
"That's too bad," Kaden said, his voice low. "Your stories were always the highlight of my day."336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWhMHeWTIr
Jeena looked at Kaden and saw the sad look in his eyes. It was a look he always tried to hide from her, but never succeeded.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnQTLHG5HX
"I might have one more story to tell you," she said as she leaned back in her chair, gripping something that rested around her neck.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93xLzsDlXB
"Oh yeah? About what?" Kaden asked.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZHLohFKiX
"This," Jeena said, revealing a small crimson red stone tied to a golden chain that wrapped around her neck.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wOowljpDR
Kaden's eyes widened. "What is that?"
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bfxHRXydG
Jeena smiled as she looked down at the crimson stone in her hands.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUH2gmwcbFM
"It is an old relic that has belonged to my family for a long time," Jeena said, her eyes never leaving the stone.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4Z4IsUs5z
"You see, there is a legend in my family," she began, stopping short of her sentence. "A legend that talks about great warriors who could break rocks with their bare hands, warriors wielding weapons of pure black steel—weapons that flowed like shadows."
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QP5UrPaIQ
Kaden said nothing as he continued to listen to Jeena's story.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZV5oUc7HS6
"These mighty warriors honed their skills, becoming absolute beasts in combat, all just to fight their true enemy," Jeena said, letting go of the crimson stone and allowing it to fall and rest on her neck.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Ta34qBaLf
Kaden raised a single eyebrow. "Their true enemy?"
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15ao36vOqd
"Vampires," Jeena said with a smirk. "My family's enemy is vampires."
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHr52AuQZtl
Kaden looked into Jeena's eyes, which seemed to shine with a light he had never seen before. She was more serious than she had ever been when she told a story. She spoke as if all of this was real.
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnK3XCJnlR
"A thousand years ago, a great war raged between humans and vampires," Jeena continued. "Countless lives were lost on both sides. Entire villages were decimated, and the land was soaked in blood. In the midst of this chaos, my ancestors fought valiantly. They discovered a way to turn the tide of battle by capturing and sealing a powerful vampire artifact—the crimson stone."
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQ505BIhxz
Kaden leaned forward, enthralled. "So that stone is a vampire relic?"
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgd6r3IoSSB
Jeena nodded. "Yes, it is. It's said to hold the power to destroy the world itself."
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWomiWx6ky
Kaden leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head as he began to laugh. "That's some story," he said with a smirk "What kind of power does that little stone have that it could destroy the world?"
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHIHCtTcgv
Jeena looked at Kaden, her smile gone. "The kind of power that doesn't belong in human hands."
***
336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB8eQOciE0
Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse
ns216.73.216.13da2
and then Add to home screen.