Amais looked ahead, into the whiteness of the ceiling.
What am I scared of? A question he frequented a lot but had no real answer to, making him feel pathetic; after all, there really was nothing in his life to be afraid of. It was just… Bland. Maybe that's what I'm afraid of then.
He didn't know but he was scared of so much and everything. all of it confused him; he was scared for no reason, at least right now he was. The more he thought, the less he wanted to. He couldn't understand this reverberation, which continued as a constant ache that refused to leave, which made his chest burn with a dread, not a pain but something uncomfortable and something he couldn't alleviate. Stress piled on him from all corners, and he wasn't even sure what it was from.
Growing up...
Studies...
Loneliness…
He looked at the same blank ceiling in this same blank room he always slept in and was bored and isolated. It might as well have been hell, especially with how cramped everything was; it felt like if he stood up on his pinky toes, his head would touch the ceiling and the worst part is he was on the top bunk of the bed. You would really expect that to be great until you realize every time you wake up and want to stretch, you go face-first into the ceiling and the only way to get out of this shitty thing is by wiggling to the side because you can't even crawl; my nose is maybe two inches from the ceiling when I sleep. It's not fair.
He just stared up at the ceiling in front of him, stuck in thought, doing nothing but that. What purpose? What a life. There was no point to any of it. He would be better of dead yet he was too useless to even do that.
…
"I need to go out," he thought aloud and wiggled out, looking in a mirror. he wasn't that bad, not as exaggerated as he made himself out to be just a moment ago; anyway, in fact, he had a decent build.
Damn internal monologue, he thought as he began his evening with eating breakfast, which consisted of milk and cereal and only then going to brush his teeth.
His foster family was nice, and at least he had somewhere to sleep and he had a job; he would attend a college on a scholarship; at least that's what he hoped. Who the hell knows at this point?
"Oh whatever, I'm going to walk out, get in my car and just not think about it and just go… somewhere. have a nice day and enjoy that. I am almost done with high school," he said happily as he got in his car and put it in reverse. Reverse. As it went, he slammed on the brakes. Bad start to the evening but nothing was damaged so he put it in drive and vwoom.
Amais looked down the road; it was a casual drive just to relax and just have some peace. It was a time no one was out and nothing could bother him. The funny thing is the only thing bothering me in this moment is myself.
"God damn it," he muttered, annoyed at the fact he was in such a bad mood and didn't even know why. After all, he had been in a great mood just this morning but now it's night and he's doing terribly, and there's a monster in front of him. He slammed on the brakes just short as he could only stare at the six-legged creature above him barely illuminated by the headlights. Each leg was big and furry with brown spiky hair, each piercing like a needle and its orange eyes glowed and were looking straight at him with its body shaped like a furry sphere. Does that even make sense? He closed his eyes. My whole conversation this morning—you must've heard me, huh? Well, dear God, I take it back. I'm sorry, please save me… He waited a moment. No answer then.
Amais put the car in reverse and hit the accelerator, hoping he was faster than this furball, who curled up in a ball and hurled itself towards him as he screamed and unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out. He then watched as his car went away with the monster and stood in shock and denial, having lost his car, which he hadn't even paid off yet and was so... Oh, run, you dumbass.
Amais ran, his breath ragged, with sweat beading on his tanned skin as his tattered clothes barely clung to him. The monsters were closing in and he didn't even know what the hell they were, except they were faster than him. He thought there was just one until he ran under a second one, which he thought was a try but luckily for him, it didn't notice until after.
Now he ran. He ran quicker than his legs could carry him. Panic surged in his chest, but there was nowhere to go. The forest stretched endlessly in every direction. He stumbled, his foot caught on a root, and he fell face-first into the dirt.
Welp, I'm dead.
He closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable. One... two... three... Amais counted the seconds as his heart thudded in his chest, ready to open his eyes and see only light. By the time he hit a hundred, he hadn't felt the sharp fangs sink into his skin or the claws tear through his flesh and opened his eyes, curiously blinking a few times, wondering where they had gone.
The monsters, whatever they had been, were now gone.
In their place stood a woman. She radiated an otherworldly beauty; her white hair had glowed like moonlight. Her figure was like something out of a dream; wearing a black robe, she kind of looked like an assassin or maybe a witch. She was lithe, ethereal, transcendent. It made Amais's mouth go dry. Her scarlet eyes met his, and his heart skipped a beat.
What is this?
"Uhm, uh, am I dead... I'm not sure what exactly is happening right now,"
Amais said honestly, trying to compose himself as she took a step closer. His pulse quickened, and an unfamiliar warmth flooded his face.
Her smile was knowing and teasing, and she closed the distance between them, standing way too close for comfort. Amais flushed red, his nerves betraying him as he stared at her.
"I-I won't say no, b-but... don't be playing some trick on me now."
His voice wavered as he tried to make sense of this surreal moment. Was this some cruel illusion? He sure as hell hoped not. Or maybe he was really standing in front of the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen? She was his age too. Everything was fuzzy and magical at this moment, which made when he stepped away all the more confusing; he wasn't too sure why and regretted it soon after. Luckily for him, she didn't mind.
She laughed, a soft sound that made his chest tighten. He didn't even know why, but the sound felt... perfect. He couldn't tear his eyes away, but he eventually did once it felt creepy.
"You're an interesting guy," she said, her voice like silk, as she casually perched on a tree stump she'd created with a single flick of her sword.
Amais couldn't stop staring at her, his thoughts a tangled mess. The sword she wielded gleamed with an ethereal glow, divine and powerful, almost as stunning as she was.
"What's your name?" she asked, her gaze piercing him like she was reading his very soul.
"Amais Walker," he replied, still a little breathless. He didn't know if it was from running or something else entirely; either way, right now it didn't really matter.
Her smile softened, and she swung her sword effortlessly once more, cutting down another tree with a single slash. The wood fell to the ground, but she wasn't finished. Amais had to force his feet to move when she gestured to the newly cut tree for him to sit on.
"Well, Amais Walker, my name is Elentera Lockeheart." Her words flowed like honey, her scarlet eyes glinting as she met his gaze again.
This is no fair.
He thought as his mind reeled. He sat down, unsure of how to act, his thoughts still lost in the glow of her presence.
"Well... hi, Elentera Lockeheart," he stammered, nervous as hell. "Th-thank you, like, a lot for saving me and all."
She threw her hair back with a casual flick before her eyes flickered open again.
"No problem," she said lightly, as though saving his life was the easiest thing in the world. "You're the first human I've met while hunting."
Amais blinked, his confusion obvious. "Hunting? Human?"
She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, as if he should've known the answer already. "Yeah. I'm a vampire; did you not know?"
H-Huh
he thought and a chill ran down Amais's spine, but his gaze didn't waver. Instead, he found himself more intrigued than scared.
She chuckled softly and flashed him a grin, her white teeth sharp and gleaming, but rather than terror, Amais felt something else: curiosity. Amais, seeing this as his one opportunity, decided to take a chance.
"Well," he said, as casually as he could. "Have you ever thought about going on a date?"
Elentera paused, then let out a soft laugh. She stood and walked over to him, sitting so close that he could feel the warmth of her presence.
This is really, really unfair.
He thought, trying his best not to do anything stupid, as she sat next to him.
"A date, really, huh?" she mused, leaning into him as if she hadn't a care in the world. Have mercy on my soul. Amais though as she spoke again "Entail me, Amais. What kind of date are we talking about?"
Amais swallowed hard; his mind was currently a storm of emotions. Was she playing with him? Was this real? His heart raced and he couldn't pull away; he's already gotten this far. He wasn't going to lose this chance.
"I-I'll change," he murmured, nervously but determined. He wasn't the strongest or the fittest, but he was a man. He wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
Elentera studied him carefully before nodding, her gaze softening as she giggled. "Ok, alright then. but Just so you know..." She stood, her eyes fixed on him. "Those nightmares are everywhere on Earth right now. And the gods, they really hate humanity. But I believe in you, Amais so don't die. And when we meet again, we'll have that date."
And before he could say anything else, she was gone.
Amais stood frozen; his heart pounded in his chest. He didn't even care about the nightmare creature thingies anymore. He was on a high he'd never experienced, but then, just as quickly, doubt crept in.
Huh so what did she mean by the gods hating humanity?
Before he could dwell on it, the ground shook beneath him, and a bright, blinding light appeared before him. He blinked, squinting; the figure standing before him felt like divinity.
Oh, t-that, huh?
He thought and laughed inwardly and nervously as he stared.
A being of pure light, or was it flame? Either way, it towered above him, radiating an unnatural heat. Amais barely had time to react before it kneed him square in the gut, sending him flying backward and knocking the wind out of him. He gasped in pain, clutching his stomach.
But this wasn't Amais's end, at least not yet.
But the being had come to him and grabbed him, holding him in its fiery embrace. His clothes smouldered, and his skin felt like it was on fire and would probably finish him off after, but then something unexpected happened: a rock flew from somewhere, smashing into the figure, though the god had simply waved it off, though now the god was annoyed.
He wasn't alone now, as someone else had come.