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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt27DD10k1v
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnL6TsH7a9
This was the only life he knew, the only life that made sense to someone who grew up without a home.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjPFfultQD
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDT3Shr9OOy
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVR08kjGpq
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNt2Dx8ma3F
"Finally here," Kaden said, brushing off the sweat from his forehead as he looked up at the sign that read "Backward History."
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjIhdunqYp
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwx0puw5Wg
"Nonsense... this place has character and is more valuable than gold itself."
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubhxB8i2Fu
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaonDt9ucK
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qmsT0uMu4
"Another story, huh?" Kaden asked as he walked toward Jeena with a smile.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozx0JYFVCZ
Jeena chuckled to herself, her eyes still focused on the book. "What can I say? I have nothing but love for a good story."
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFWdqFf1DW
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."
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4M6Qb41KY
"What? I thought you liked the last one I told you," Jeena said, taking off her glasses.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgc1d4WN2t
"Hey, it wasn't bad, but I think you can do better," Kaden said, crossing his arms.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgB77QSqigQ
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."
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQlVBBsCeP
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3STK8LSEmC
"I'm afraid I've already told you all the stories I know," Jeena said, breaking Kaden's memory of the past.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13sSm38wHR
"That's too bad," Kaden said, his voice low. "Your stories were always the highlight of my day."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmLq2NdlSk
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiGisJJTMh
"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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDhlpBKoxF
"Oh yeah? About what?" Kaden asked.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5c1GLMGnnM
"This," Jeena said, revealing a small crimson red stone tied to a golden chain that wrapped around her neck.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNSDJwpOgL
Kaden's eyes widened. "What is that?"
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrid8zg3K7
Jeena smiled as she looked down at the crimson stone in her hands.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6GkiRrkCk
"It is an old relic that has belonged to my family for a long time," Jeena said, her eyes never leaving the stone.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVe4xsIFqQI
"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."
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvSi1ZJyRm
Kaden said nothing as he continued to listen to Jeena's story.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aQuk3wDXZ
"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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWx5YOAdg4Z
Kaden raised a single eyebrow. "Their true enemy?"
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIixl4M1WL3
"Vampires," Jeena said with a smirk. "My family's enemy is vampires."
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CqIUdVulN
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.
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5J3Fyftih0
"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."
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMYyvvyn5t
Kaden leaned forward, enthralled. "So that stone is a vampire relic?"
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumWI4LezUb
Jeena nodded. "Yes, it is. It's said to hold the power to destroy the world itself."
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgFLFFLIUD
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?"
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTT84JBlXJr
Jeena looked at Kaden, her smile gone. "The kind of power that doesn't belong in human hands."
***
96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAopl7Azmt
Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse
ns216.73.216.82da2
然後按「加至主畫面」