CLASH of REALMS

TWO

“Well, hello there, handsome? I’ve had my eye on you since you walked in.”

“You don’t say,” Tyler retorted.

She walked around him, scraping a long red nail down his chest. Blonde, red lips, red nails, red shoes. He was surprised she hadn’t worn a red dress. It seemed to be her favorite color. Then again, how could it not? She bathed in red “Oh yes. If you do well I’ll consider keeping you.”

“I don’t like the idea of being a kept man”

“You can have anything you want. If you’re mine, then you won’t ever have to worry about anything”, she sniffed him. “Your scent is intoxicating. Are you sure you’re human?”

“What else could I be?”

“You’re right. If you were something else, I’d know” She came back to stand in front of him then slowly bent forward, her red lips inching towards his neck. “Stand still. Just a taste. I want to taste you” and if she loved the way he tasted, she could lose control which would lead to his death.

Tyler let her get incredibly close. Until he could feel her teeth- no. Fangs. When the sharp edges made contact with his skin, he slid the sharp, wooden stick down his arm and thrust it straight into her heart. She gasped and there was a moment of surprise in her eyes before her body turned to ash. He had to take a step back so his suit wouldn’t be dirtied. Filthy creatures.

“Damn. That was harsh”

“Get the cleaning crew in here,” he said taking off the earpiece. Aside from being useless, Alistair was also a talking machine. He could go on and on without stopping. Tyler wouldn’t mind if he was talking about business or ways to stop the vampires that had invaded the city. But all the imbecile did was ask stupid questions. Sometimes he wondered if they were actually related. Then again they were distant cousins so maybe the good genes couldn’t spread that far.

“What is wrong with being a kept man? It would mean not having to worry about anything. That’s the kind of deal I’d take without batting an eyelash” Alistair said rushing into the room. Four guys were behind him and they immediately got down to work. Cleaning the remains of the dead vampire. By the time they were done, not even their scents would be left in the room. The thing with vampires was that they didn’t completely die. They could even rise from their ashes. A drop of blood was all it would take for them to regenerate. Hence the reason they needed a professional cleaning crew. The guys would know how to dispose of the ashes. Make sure the dead vampires remained dead.

“Have you thought about the consequences? What do you have to give in exchange for such a life?”

“My blood. I have plenty of that”

“Only you would be so stupid” Aside from blood, he would also be a puppet. Vampires could control minds. The thought of being under someone else’s control sickened him. He was... He was... Who was he again? Tyler Anderson. 38. The only other Anderson alive. He and Alistair came from a long line of hunters who hunted supernatural beings and kept humans safe. A few months ago, he’d been in an accident that had left him in a coma for a few weeks. When he woke up, he couldn’t remember anything. Alistair had told him everything and at first, he’d thought the kid was crazy. Hunters?

But then he’d come across a vampire snooping around in the hospital and he’d killed him. The ease with which he’d done that convinced him that he was indeed a hunter. Otherwise, how could he have known to go for the heart? Or to use a wooden stake? Since then he’d gone around ridding the world of such creatures. Humans would be surprised to know the kind of monsters that lived among them. Finding out his identity hadn’t been the problem. He could accept that he was Tyler Anderson.

What he found strange was the way he thought. He referred to others as humans as if he himself wasn’t one. Even though he’d never told anyone, he felt that they were beneath him. Not because he was arrogant or narcissistic but it was just how he felt. There were also the nightmares that plagued him. He would dream of being surrounded by flames that didn’t burn. The ground and trees around him burnt to ashes but he remained untouched despite being in the middle of it. He’d tried asking Alistair about it and all the i***t had said was that he should visit a fortune teller.

“After such a tiring night, I deserve a drink”

“What exactly did you do?”

“I was there for you. Killing is not easy so I’m here for emotional support. How are you feeling? Dizzy? Nauseous? Thirsty?”

He looked down at the piece of wood in his hand “I feel like sticking this in your heart”

“Dude, killing supernatural beings is okay. Killing another human is murder”

Killing supernatural beings. For some reason, that didn’t sit well with him. Not all supernatural beings were bad. Not all of them wanted to harm humans. As someone who grew up hunting them, why did he feel that way? Some things just didn’t make sense. There were times he felt as if his reality was a fabricated lie meant to keep him away from something important. Or was it someone?

“There you go again ignoring me”

“I’m going home”

“Party pooper. Would you like me to send you a few girls?”

“I will end you”

“Yes sir”

Shaking his head, he left. Alistair wasn’t completely useless. He had a way of finding out what was going on and who their next targets were. Thanks to their business, he had money to spend. Humans tended to gravitate towards anyone willing to spend. A few drinks and they would tell him everything he needed to know. The party was still underway so he left through the back door to avoid bumping into anyone. Aside from monsters, what he hated most was socializing. Pretending to be friendly to people he didn’t care about was beyond his abilities. Instead, he preferred working. For the hunting business to run smoothly, he needed to ensure they had money. Which was where their day job came in.

It turned out that they owned an investment company that helped other companies in mergers, acquisitions, and sales. Rather than hunt vampires, he preferred going over the reports. New clients always meant more money which in turn paid for Alistair’s frivolous lifestyle. However, being rich came in handy too. They could get to any party, especially the invites only. It turned out that supernatural creatures loved such parties. Like the one he just left. It was being held in a five-star hotel. How Alistair had managed to get the invites baffled him but he’d never ask. Tyler’s guess was that he’d seduced someone or extorted them.

Getting in his car, he went back home. Ready to call it a night. Unlike humans -there was that word again- he wasn’t keen on taking a shower or eating. The only food he enjoyed was meat and wine. Changing into a pair of pajamas, he got in bed and was out in seconds. Wrong move. He shouldn’t have been in a hurry to sleep. It was a dream. He knew he was dreaming but the pain felt so real. He could have sworn his back was on fire.

Darkness. There was nothing but darkness. Anyone else would be scared but to him it was natural. All his life he’d lived in the dark so he wasn’t afraid. Something else he’d gotten used to? The pain. It didn’t bother him the way it used to when he first got there. Lying on the floor, he wondered if he would ever see the sun again. Just one last time before he went to be with his mother. How he missed her. Her smell, laugh, voice. The way she used to sing to him before he went to sleep. The way she made sure he ate and laughed and knew that he was loved. How long until he joined her? It could be days. It could be weeks. He couldn’t tell. But it was the only thing that gave him comfort. The fact that one day he would get to see her.

“Hello? Anyone there?” A small voice whispered “Where are you? Don’t hide. I’m not here to hurt you”

As if he cared. They could do whatever they wanted. He’d long stopped fighting or begging. At first, he’d thought they would make him their slave the way they did others. He even had a plan. He’d wait until he got older then escape to a place where no one knew him. His mother had told him to leave. She’d spent her last moments asking him to promise that he’d leave that wretched place and never go back. But it was as if they knew that and had locked him in the deepest, darkest dungeon where he would never see the light of day again.

As if that wasn’t enough, they’d send other kids his age over. Thrice he’d made the mistake of befriending them and thrice he’d paid the price. No more. Whoever it was this time, he wasn’t going to talk to them. Never again.

That was easier said than done especially when that little brat was so persistent. She kept coming back and bringing him all sorts of things. Food, toys, clothes, medicine. He didn’t speak to her for an entire year but not once did she give up. Every time she came back, she’d introduce herself. Pretending that they were meeting for the first time. Finally, he gave in and asked her what she wanted. Her response had been simple. To help him. He hadn’t asked for her help but she would still give it.

His mistake had been to accept it. He should have hardened his heart and sent her away. Maybe that could have saved her. Or maybe the ending would still have been the same. Crossing paths with him would eventually lead to her death. That was her fate. Tyler stood on the side, knowing that he couldn’t change it. The outcome would still be the same. Those monsters would come for the boy and they would kill her to teach him a lesson. He watched as they got closer, fell in love, and eventually escaped. They found a small house in the middle of nowhere and started their lives. Everything was okay until it wasn’t. One day the boy, now a young man was happy to find out she was pregnant and the next, he was begging those men to spare her life. He would do anything they wanted. He would go back to that dungeon and never dream of leaving again. Anything, anything to keep her safe.

Tyler sympathized with him. Because he knew they weren’t going to listen to him. They’d lie, give him a sliver of hope then snatch it in the cruelest way. They didn’t care. He didn’t care. All they wanted was to break him so he would never rise against them. One of the men slapped him, his claws scraping on his cheeks. Tyler flinched, feeling as if he was the one that was attacked. Strange. Wasn’t he just a spectator? Another slap had him looking up. How had he ended up in the young man’s place? This was a dream. He was only watching the events unfold. Wasn’t he? When the nails dug on his back, he hissed in pain but didn’t dare complain. Anything to keep her safe. He would gladly let them torture him if it meant she and their baby would be alright.

But they weren’t. Deep down he knew how all this was going to end. They would beat him to a pulp and then make him watch how they killed her. She wouldn’t fight back. She could do it but she wouldn’t. Because they promised to not kill him. She would die so he could live. Tyler went to scream at her but the scene changed. Something was tapping his nose, interrupting his sleep. He grabbed it, ready to toss it aside only to find out it was a tiny hand.

“Hi. I’m...”

He didn’t get what she said because he was busy staring into her eyes. Eyes so blue he thought he could stare at them forever.

“... with my parents. They said I could walk around but if I got lost, I would have to find my way back home. I think I got lost. Can you help me?” She asked grinning up at him. For the first time in centuries, he felt his mouth lift in a smile. She was... She was...

Going to be his doom...

Tyler snapped his eyes open, his breathing erratic. That was new. He always dreamed about the young couple but never the girl. Where had she come from? Who was she? Those eyes...

He blinked and the memory was gone. Running a hand through his hair, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Already going over his schedule for the day.

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