In the city of New York, USA, there lived a family called the Hunters.
Their father, WILL HUNTER, a drunkard, kicked them out of the house when they were still young. Their mother's name was DEBRE HUNTER. Will would often come home and beat her and do all sorts of horrible things. They had six children—four girls and two boys: HAYLEY HUNTER, VENNESSA HUNTER, ISABELLA HUNTER, ANNIE HUNTER, ALEXANDER HUNTER, and JASON HUNTER.
When Alexander was 12 and Jason was 9, their father threw them and their sisters, along with their mom, out of the house. They went to stay with their mom's sister for a while until they found a place of their own.
Alexander, the second to the last born, was a boy who would do anything for his family—even lay down his life. But most of his sisters didn't understand him, except for Venessa, who always tried. His younger brother Jason was his shield, always standing with him, no matter what.
Craving freedom and purpose, Alexander began working hard for himself and his little brother so they could build a better life.
Eight years later...
Alexander is 20 years old. Jason is 17. Three of their sisters—Hayley, Venessa, and Isabelle—have already moved out. Only Annie remains, now 23. Their sisters want the boys to get serious: go to school, get a job, maybe date. But the brothers want something more.
They crave meaning.
They crave adventure.
Alexander has finished high school; Jason's got one year left. Over the past eight years, Alexander has done a lot for the family. But he's also been in trouble—done things that haunt him even now. Love? Never lucky. He's still in love with his junior high best friend, Lydia, after nine long years. He's tried other girls, but no one replaces her. Her memory still wakes him in the night.
Still… he searches. For purpose. For meaning.
Jason? Jason shut his heart the moment their dad kicked them out. Cold. Focused. Unshaken. He only cares about Alexander. And like his brother, he's searching too—for something more than just survival.
They don't know it yet…
But the world is about to change.
End of Chapter One.
🔥 Next Chapter: "whispers in the smoke" — where death whispers in New York, and the truth about demons begins to surface...