Author's Note: Remember when I said I was going to update this after my trip to Italy? That it was gonna be updated in August? Lol me either. Anyway! Here's the new update, it's probably confusing and shitty as usual, but it's here. I haven't given up on this fic yet, because I promised myself that I was going to complete a fic to the end. And we're getting closer! Don't worry! I hope you enjoy the chapter! Reviews and critiques are welcomed and very much appreciated!

-Katelyn

Years passed since my mother's murder, and my life was completely controlled by Jacques. I was to study English when I was told, I was to eat real human food for practicing my disguise among humans, I was to eat real food only when Jacques wasn't greedy and shared his kill with me. I was to rest when I was told. I never left the mansion, for I would only terrorize the villagers if I got a whiff of human scent. I was miserable, I hated my life; I truly believed that I would be better off if I was dead.

"Francis!" Jacques hollered from the other room. I shuffled out from the library and stood in the corridor leading to the front door. "I have some business to attend to in the village. I need you to lock yourself in your room so you don't do anything stupid."

"What stupid things do you think I would do?" I asked.

"Don't get smart with me; do as you're told." He hissed. He shrugged his coat on as he watched me make my way up the staircase. As soon as I reached the top, I heard the front door slam shut. I froze in my footsteps, peering around the corner.

For once in my life, I had the house to myself.

I immediately ran back down the steps and to the basement where my father stored his bottles upon bottles of blood. My meals had been meniscal in servings and I was practically on the verge of starving to death on a daily basis. However, with my father gone, I could indulge myself a little more.

Rounding the corner from the staircase, I gazed at the rows of shelves as far as I could see in a dark and damp room. I plucked a bottle off of the shelf closest to the stairway, ripped the cork off and swallowed its contents nearly in one gulp. I never cared much for the taste of stored and aged blood, but vampires had to adapt in order to thrive. According to the stories my father told me, vampires were allowed to roam around were allowed to act like savages when humans lived in caves. But as humans became more civilized, so did the vampires. Humans grew clever and began hunting vampires in order to save themselves; in order to live on, vampires had to blend in and be more calculating. So, thus, vampires began saving theirs victim's blood for later.

I opened another a few other bottles and quickly it down. I discreetly hid the empty bottles with the others and rearranged the filled bottles so it would look like I had never disobeyed my father. As I walked back up the basement steps, I patted my stomach, feeling content. As soon as I closed my door behind me, there was a knock at the front door. My legs became stiff as I realized that I could be caught red handed for not obeying my father. Though, I hadn't been in the basement for long and my father couldn't have walked from the mansion to the village and back in that short amount of time.

I gulped as I approached the door and opened it slightly, peeking through the crack to see who it was.

"Ah, bonjour, you're Jacques' son, yes?" It was the mailman who delivered Maman's letter all those years ago. He hadn't made his rounds since.

"Yes, I am," I answered. "And you're Pierre, right?" The man nodded. "Why are you here?"

"I know he dislikes this, but your father has received some letters of importance. Since he is in charge of the village, I thought he might like to see them." Pierre explained. "Is Jacques home?"

"You've missed him," I replied. "He just left for the village."

Pierre sighed. "I see," he mumbled. "May I come in, then?" I stared at him, contemplating my consequences for letting a guest inside, and stepped aside to open the door further Pierre could step in. Once Pierre was inside, I gently shut the door and carefully looked over my shoulder. What business could he possibly want? "I don't think I've ever stepped inside this mansion; you and your father are truly blessed with such wealth." Pierre stated in awe as he gazed around. "Tell me, do you get to do fancy things like travel and see operas?"

"I'm not to leave the house," I answered. "What do you want?" Pierre stared at me, blinking quickly at the harshness in my tone.

"I will just set these letters here, is that alright?" he asked.

"I just asked what you wanted," I added. "I'm not Jacques, so please, don't be afraid of me." Pierre nodded as he took the letters out from his satchel and placed them on the small table next to the stair railing.

"He keeps you locked up here, doesn't he?" he asked further. "That's unfortunate, because though we are terrified of him, the village is quite beautiful." I pressed my lips together, thinking. "It's not fair for a young man such as yourself to be locked up inside."

"It's for my own good," I grumbled. "Or so he says." Pierre frowned.

"Remind me of your name again?"

"Francis."

"Francis, that's right. We haven't received a letter from the address I gave you when we first met." I stared at him wide eyed. "Did something happen"

"My Maman…she died." I clarified. "

"By Jacques' doing?"

I hesitated. "Sort of; he made me kill her. He said drinking my mother's blood would make me stronger." Pierre draped his cover for his satchel back over and took a deep breath.

"You look very unhealthy, even for a vampire. So, your father abuses you, yes?" he asked.

"He knows what's best for me." I replied, shrugging.

"Do you know he abuses the villagers too?" Pierre continued. "He doesn't allow us to trade with other villages and cities. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Our food only comes from our farms, which is fine, but our crops are becoming scarce. Buildings are falling apart. All of the money we raise for the town, he keeps for himself. We no longer exist on a map, and I am sure all of France has forgotten about us."

"Why are you telling me this?" I began.

"We need help, Francis, and you're the only one who can face him."

I stared at him; did he really have letters for my father or had he been waiting to talk to me for a long time? "I prefer to stay out of a coffin, thank you." I muttered.

"We can help you help us, but we need to come to an agreement." I hesitated, looking down at my feet. "Would you like to know what the agreement would be?" I glanced up and gave a slight nod. "There are men lined up to be a sacrifice, as in, willing to let you feed or turn them if it helps you get your strength back."

"No!" I shouted, stepping back. "I'm not killing anyone!" Pierre's eyes widened as he shook his head in apology.

"Sorry, sorry! But, Francis, you can't deny your true nature. You're a vampire; you are to kill for food and turn others you decide to spare." Pierre said. "And if people offer themselves for a feed, what's so wrong about it?"

"They don't deserve to die!" I cried. "People shouldn't die so I can satisfy my hunger."

"You must be starving," Pierre sighed. "Y-you're not thinking straight. Look, what kind of vampire would decline a free, effortless feed?"

"One who's half human." I hissed, bearing my fangs. "I think you should leave, Pierre." Pierre sighed once more, shaking his head. "If you don't leave in the next minute…"

"Your father has never told you who I am, has he?" Pierre interrupted. "Before your father became the way he is today, he was a good friend of mine. We grew up together, in a different village of course. He then fell in love with this strange woman who had just moved into the village. She, as you probably already suspect, was the one who turned him. He was like you once, he refused to admit and embrace his new self. Soon, he grew so hungry that he could no longer control himself…so he feasted upon the entire village, since a famished vampire is a savage vampire," I glared at him as he spoke, certain that he was lying through his teeth.

"I was the one to witness it, and survive; he stopped as soon as I walked in on him sucking the life out of my sister. He stopped because I was his friend, and he began sobbing for what he had done to my family," Pierre paused as he pulled down his shirt collar, revealing a small, subtle bite scar. I was shocked and in disbelief; how could I not have sensed he was a vampire?

"How old are you both?" I blurted. Pierre smiled sadly.

"Too old, I'm afraid." He answered, chuckling. "Listen, I've seen your father constantly deny his nature over the course of his life. If he had accepted it sooner, I believe he wouldn't be the venomous villain he is today."

"So wait, you knew my mother?" I asked.

"I knew of her; Jacques often travelled without me. He went from village to village; I'm assuming your mother wasn't the first human he slept with and impregnated either." Pierre rolled his eyes. "Jacques has always had some sort of charm with women; they just flock to him."

"Let me guess, you embraced your true nature and turned out okay." I mumbled.

"Something like that; decided to feed off animals instead of humans. Perhaps there's less evil in animal blood, but I think it has something to do with it." Pierre replied. "I'm not sure if vampires are meant to be understood, but I know that not all of us vicious. Only those who do not embrace themselves become violent."

"You think I'll turn into my father." I said, murmuring.

"If you're not careful, for one, but also if your father is deliberately abusing you and not feeding you…" His voice trailed off. "You don't have long." We stood in silence, staring at each other as the birds sang outside. He then flashed me a grin.

"So, about that agreement?"

"How the fuck did you get here?" Arthur asked as Francis broke the chains. "There's no way Lukas—"

"We don't have much time, Arthur," Francis quickly spat. "Lukas won't be unconscious for long."

"Wait, what? He's unconscious" Arthur questioned. "What the hell happened?"

"He's not Lukas anymore, he's something else." Francis clarified. The last shackle broke with ease and Francis pulled Arthur up. "He's possessed…he's some demon or ghoul or—"

"The Void." Arthur mumbled. "The Void is using him as a vessel to…to destroy the world or whatever it is it wants to do. It's been feeding off of him for years. I think the Void was after me, but I wear a pendant…Lukas refused to."

"Well, we can't take a trip down memory lane, we've got to move!" Francis scolded, carrying Arthur out of the cellar. "Can you walk?" he asked, setting Arthur down to his feet.

"We'll find out, won't we?" Arthur replied, stretching. Francis took Arthur's hand and began dragging him along as he ran east. Normally, Francis would be concerned of the safety of the citizens in the village, but he feared for his and Arthur's lives more. He knew that Lukas wouldn't attack any of the villagers (unless someone deliberately got in his way), and that he was some sort of demon chasing them, hungry for flesh or blood. The only option for he and Arthur both was to run and seek a new, temporary shelter.

Soon, they left the forests reach and came upon a small farm. "What the hell are we doing, Francis?" Arthur hissed, limping along. "This is a death trap."

"Or we are hiding in plain sight," Francis replied, pulling Arthur's hand. "Come on; a friend of mine lives here. He'll help you recover from your starvation." They hurried down to the farm and Francis pounded on the front door. The man who lived there opened the door immediately and stared at the two of them, confused. His eyes glanced over Arthur, who was absolutely filthy, and stepped aside.

"Come, come." he said, waving the two inside. Francis pushed Arthur inside and the man slammed the door shut. The room inside was set up like a butcher shop, and the man rushed behind the meat counter, lifting up two rather large bags filled with blood. "Sit, sit!" the man said, pointing to the waiting area in the corner.

Arthur followed his instructions, giving Francis a confused glare. "Are we going to bother with introductions?" Arthur asked.

"No," the man answered quickly. He ripped open the first bag with his teeth and handed it to Arthur. "Drink." Normally, Arthur would protest but he had been depleted of his own blood and he was famished; Arthur snatched the bag and began gulping as much as he could. Once the bag was sucked dry, Arthur dropped it on the floor, exchanging glances between Francis and his mysterious friend.

"So, this is the butcher you told me about?" Arthur questioned, not bothering to wipe the excess blood that was dripping from his mouth.

"Arthur, this is Pierre, an old friend of mine," Francis explained. "His English is extremely limited, so please be patient with him."

"I have no problem with anyone who hands me free food." Arthur muttered. Pierre grinned and nodded.

"You must drink some more," Pierre offered, opening the other bag. "Or you will lose your head." Arthur eagerly took the bag from him and began drinking. Pierre turned to Francis and switched to speaking French. "Mind telling me what the fuck is going on?" he asked, his voice sounding stern.

"A wizard happened." Francis answered. "Or something of the sorts. He has magic, hunts vampires and tried to 'cure' Arthur but slicing his writs open." Pierre raised an eyebrow. "Look, we're being chased by some demon; the man…is possessed."

"When did you start believing in angels and demons?" Pierre asked, laughing.

"I don't," Francis snapped. "However, I do believe I have to believe in something considering I witnessed my first victim standing before me in tears because she craved human flesh like me." Pierre's smile vanished as he crossed his arms, waiting for further explanation. "Look, Arthur has magic, so once he's recovered, he can…"

"He needs to bather first," Pierre sighed. "Before you two go anywhere, he needs a bath. I have never smelled someone reek as much as he does. And if you're being chased, he's leading it straight to us. He'll need an herbal bath. Two, preferably." Pierre paused, crinkling his nose. "You'll need one too; his scent is all over you. I have clean clothes upstairs as well you two can borrow."

"We've got no time, Pierre. This man is coming here as we speak and—" Francis began.

"I'm going to fill the tub up for Arthur; you'll refill the tub for yourself once he's finished." Pierre said, turning away. "Tell Arthur that he should come upstairs once he's finished eating."

That night, my father decided to take rest once he was finished with whatever duties he had in the village. I had enough courage to sneak out of the mansion to meet with Pierre; I did the best I could to be quiet so I wouldn't wake my father (he claimed that he heard everything no matter how small).

Pierre stood in an alleyway in the heart of the village, peering around the corner of the town hall. He grabbed my arm as I walked closer and pulled me into the shadows. "Did he notice?" he asked, whispering.

"No." I answered, looking over my shoulder. "Do you think I'd be here if he had?"

"Good, you need to meet the others." he added.

"The others?" I questioned.

"Yes, the ones who are willing to sacrifice themselves to fight against Jacques." he answered. "You can either feast or turn them into vampires, forming an army. It's up to you."

"I can't kill anyone who's innocent." I hissed, following Pierre through several hidden streets and turns. Pierre chuckled.

"Then forming an army it is." he muttered to himself.

"Wait a minute," I said, pulling my arm away from Pierre. "If you're a vampire, a strong and healthy at that, why haven't you formed an angry mob to fight against Jacques?" We stopped at a small house, hidden behind two tall buildings. Pierre sighed as he turned and put his hands in his pockets.

"Jacques claimed me as his own when he spared me; instead of setting me free, he bounded me to my witness, to never tell a soul. For if I were to do so, I'd be committing an act of treason, which according to him, is punishable by death by his hand," Pierre explained. "Your father feared that if he hadn't made this pact, I would've gone and told the whole world of what he had become."

"And so you're too scared to betray him?" I asked.

"Your father is a brutal man; if I betrayed him directly, he would be sure I endured a sufferable and torturous death. I don't know about you, but I would prefer to die in a nicer manner."

The door to the house swung open and a rather small, slender woman stood before us. She looked to Pierre and briefly glanced at me before stepping aside. She closed the door immediately after we had entered. "Is he the half breed?" she asked, cautiously look over her should as she locked the door. She held a candle in her other hand, which made her pale appearance even more ghostly.

"Yes," Pierre simply answered. "Where're the others?"

"Downstairs; go down the hallway and turn to your right, there will be a staircase leading down to the cellar." she replied. She glanced at me and nodded. "Pierre will show you the way, I won't be too far behind you."

Pierre tugged on my arm once again, leading me to the staircase the woman spoke of. We quickly rushed down the steps and rounded the corner to see a group of men crowded around a table. They all looked up and stared at me in fear, wide eyed and frozen in shock. Pierre stepped in front of me, clapping his hands together.

"Everyone, I want you to meet Francis, Jacques' son." Pierre introduced.

"The hybrid?" a red-haired man asked.

"If you wish to call him that, sure." Pierre clarified. The three men nodded to each other and stood up, adjusting their jackets. "Francis, I'd like you to meet the gang. This is Louis," He nodded to the red-haired man. "And Theo," A brown-haired, plump fellow. "And Camille." A tall, awkwardly lanky man with a receding hairline.

"Don't forget Vivienne." Louis said, quietly.

"Vivienne a young girl, I don't want anything happening to her." Pierre sighed. There were small footsteps behind me and I felt a hand touch my shoulder lightly.

"I'm not a young girl," Vivienne snapped. "I'm nearly twenty, I'm old enough to own this damn house. I'm an adult."

"I'm not turning her," I muttered. Everyone in the room glared at me, making the room turn from the cozy welcoming feel to an icy glacier. "I've already killed two women in my life, so I'm not putting another one at risk." I turned to face Vivienne. "I hardly know you, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Vivienne."

Vivienne rolled her eyes and pushed me aside. "Your father killed my entire family; my father apparently wasn't doing what he was told, so he decapitated him in front of my brother and sister. He then raped my mother, bit her neck so hard that she bled to death in seconds," she said, standing in front of me. "He drank her blood, moving on to my sister and finally my brother. Before he could kill me, Pierre stopped him, saving my life." A small grin grew over her lips. "I owe Pierre my life, and I'm avenging my family's death. You will turn me."

"Pierre, what's the plan?" I asked, ignoring Vivienne. Pierre sighed and remained silent, knowing that Vivienne was livid.

"Look, half breed, this is my plan. I've been telling Pierre here for years on end that I wanted a way to kill Jacques for what he did. The man is a savage, and he needs to pay! So, if you want to talk to me about the plan, you have to talk to me." Vivienne clarified, sassily. She turned away to stand with the three men. "You either turn me or you remain a sad, broken half breed who's abused by his Papa."

"Stop calling me a half breed!" I shouted. "You're not fit to fight against my father. You're blinded by revenge, and you'll take the wrong moment to kill him and get yourself murdered. You're just like me, a pitiful young adult, and Jacques will rip you limb from limb, sucking your bones dry. Believe me and let me spare you." Vivienne glared at me as if she was killing me in her own imagination. "If you want to be a vampire so bad, ask Pierre to turn you!"

"Jacques will know that I've turned someone just so that they will kill him." Pierre reiterated.

"So it's okay that I turn someone to kill him?!" I yelled.

"Yes, actually, because you don't hold a pact with your father. It's been proven since he hasn't come for you yet." Pierre replied. "Pacts are a tricky thing to understand…"

"Fine," I grumbled. I ran my hands through my oily hair and groaned. "I can't do this; it's too dangerous for everyone in the village. You don't know how powerful Jacques is." The three men sighed loudly as Vivienne grabbed my shirt collar and pulled me close to her.

"Do you really want to live your live as the cowardly little vampire? Is that what you want, Francis?" she hissed. Her eyes were a bright blue, the shade that reminded me of a clear sky, her skin was smooth and clear except for the stray freckle that was beside her lips, and her breath smelled of milk; she was a beautiful woman, and a strong one at that. "Answer me, hybrid."

"I'm not a coward." I said through gritted teeth.

"Then fight." Vivienne said, pushing me forcefully. "Fight alongside your brethren. You're a victim like us, so follow through and fight against Jacques." She turned to the others and nodded. "We give you the choice to either feed or turn us into your own; if you feed, promise that you will stop Jacques with your own hands."

"Or die trying." Theo chimed in. Vivienne laughed.

"That's right, or die trying." she repeated, mockingly. I stared at the five of them, pressing my lips together; being in a roomful of four humans with an empty stomach was beginning to overwhelm me. My mouth began to water at the thought of tasting fresh blood in what felt like eternity. Pierre stepped between me and the group, gently placing his hands on my shoulders and smiled.

"Whatever you decide, it must be done quickly; I can sense that you are hungry. Don't give into your monstrous side, Francis; be better than your father." he said softly. I slowly nodded, eying Vivienne. She stared back, smirking smugly. I leaned closer to Pierre so that my words would only reach him.

"If it seems that I am going to suck them dry," I whispered. "Stop me."

"I promise." Pierre agreed, stepping aside. I glared at Vivienne as I approached her, an evil grin twitching at the corner of my lips.

"I hope you can deal with pain," I muttered, pulling down the collar of her dress. "Because this going to hurt."

"I'm not a child, Francis; I can bathe myself!" Arthur groaned, trying to snatch the wash cloth away. Francis pulled back and sighed; the pride of a man was often too stubborn to break just for a moment.

"You're still exhausted and wounded, Arthur. You need to rest and recover." Francis replied. "Try to relax and enjoy the bath."

"This is bloody embarrassing! I'm a grown man! Let me take care of myself!" Arthur snapped.

"You've just been tortured! Look, your arms are sliced open!" Francis snapped back. "You may be a grown man, but you are in no means in good shape to bathe yourself!"

"Shh!" Pierre hissed, peering around the door. "If you're being chased, then you must be quiet!" he added, in French.

"Oui," Francis grumbled. "Sorry."

"What did he say?" Arthur demanded.

"Be quiet," Francis whispered. "Or you'll lead Lukas here." Arthur frowned and sunk further into the bathtub, letting the bathwater cover his mouth. "You're still upset, aren't you?"

"Or course I am!" Arthur said, blowing a few bubbles in the water as he spoke. "My cousin is possessed by a powerful entity! An entity that was supposed to come for me instead!"

"Don't blame yourself, Arthur," Francis said, carefully running his hands through Arthur's hair to get the soap in. Arthur closed his eyes in relaxation; he always relaxed whenever Francis ran his fingers through his hair. "None of this is your fault." Francis added as he slowly pushed Arthur down into the water so he could rinse his hair. He pulled him back up and Arthur coughed as he leaned back.

"I'm still starving," Arthur mumbled. "Why am I so hungry?"

"Pierre has an endless supply of animal blood in his cellar, I'm sure he'll give you some fill when this bath is finished." Francis replied, kissing Arthur's forehead. "Alright, stand up, amour; let's get you dry." Arthur slowly pushed himself up and climbed out of the tub. As he dried himself, Pierre rushed in, holding a candle and closed the door.

"Excuse me…!" Arthur protested.

"Shh!" Pierre hushed. He turned to Francis, panicked. "He is here!"

"Quoi?!" Francis gasped.

"He's here, the man who's chasing you. He stands off in the distance." Pierre clarified. "I know he has seen me, I know he knows you both are here, but he is patient. He hasn't moved a bit."

"What's going on?!" Arthur asked, loudly. Francis opened his mouth to explain but Pierre shook his head.

"No, don't tell him; he still hasn't recovered and will panic," Pierre said. "Look, I'm willing to be a decoy if you promise me you'll flee the country."

"I refuse to leave you behind, Pierre." Francis muttered.

"I will be fine; I've lived a long life and if I die, then I am okay." He sighed. "Promise."

"Does someone mind telling me what's going on?!" Arthur demanded.

"Shhh!" Both Francis and Pierre hushed. Arthur groaned and threw up his hands into the air.

"Francis, I'm afraid that this man, creature, demon is on our doorstep. He's breathing down our necks. You need to take a quick bath and take Arthur out of this country." Pierre continued.

"Where would we go?" Francis asked, narrowing his eyes. Pierre shrugged.

"France? You've been living here for how long now? Too long, I'll say." he said. "Go home, Francis; no one will know who you are or who your father was. Now, take your bath; I'll help Arthur get dressed and give him more blood so that he may survive the night without any violent cravings." Francis nodded as Pierre waved, telling Arthur to follow him.

"I can dress myself, thank you." Arthur muttered as Pierre held out clean trousers. Pierre chuckled when Arthur snatched the trousers away from him. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

"Demon is here." Pierre said, bluntly as his broken English could allow.

"Lukas? He's found us?!" Arthur said, quickly. "Where? Where is he? I have to help him!"

"Slow down." Pierre sighed, putting his hands on Arthur's shoulders. "First, you dress. Then, you eat. And then, you run."

"Do you really think he will wait that long? Do you even understand what's going on?!" Arthur spat. "Lukas, my cousin and an extraordinary sorcerer, is possessed by the Void."

"Void?" Pierre repeated, buttoning a shirt on Arthur.

"Yes, the Void. Maybe you're more familiar with the term Devil?"

"Mm-hm," Pierre sighed; he honestly couldn't care less. "I have lived for long, I do not believe in silly things."

"Well, you should!" Arthur shouted. "You should never question anything in this world; stories aren't repeated for nothing." Arthur stepped away from Pierre and headed for the door.

"You must eat, Monsieur." Pierre suggested, gently.

"Monsieur?!"

"Apologies, sir."

"Look, we don't have time to stay here. We've got to run…"

"And be killed. In here, we can plan." Pierre interrupted. "In here, we prepare. In here, we fight." Arthur shook his head.

"There's no fighting the Void; he only wants what he wants." he sighed.

"And that is?"

"My surrender." Arthur declared.

"I forbid it!" Francis shouted back, stepping into the room in only a towel. "If you surrender, I surrender as well."

"This is my fight," Arthur said. "And I'm not going to let you get involved in my battles. The Void is after me and if he wants me blood, then I'm ready to end this." Francis scowled.

"If you surrender, do you think he'll stop at you?" he asked. "Or do you think he will continue to feed and feed and feed until there's nothing left on this earth?" Arthur crossed his arms, pressing his lips together in silent frustration. "Lukas tortured you, do you really think you can fight in this condition? Alone?" Arthur remained silent. "Pierre has offered to—"

"Shh!" Pierre hushed. "We should not repeat ourselves; he may be listening. We move fast and quietly." Francis and Arthur glanced at each other, nodding slowly in agreement. Their only option was to run like cowards.

Don't show fear, They cried. Or He will be sure you no longer exist in this world.

Lukas hadn't a clue where he was; he was surrounded by Spirits who pushed past him, giving him mournful glances. Yes, he was afraid, yes, he was most certainly afraid. Never in his life had he heard the Voices' cries and please. He had never been trapped in the Void before, he had never been possessed. Lukas felt as if he were frozen, for he could not move his legs.

Do not show fear, or He will consume you.

"Tell me," Lukas said, calmly. "Where am I?"

Where the Spirits roam. The Prison in which He traps us so He can take pleasure.

"Whom do you speak of?" Lukas interrogated.

The One you call the Void.

Before Lukas could reply, he felt a terrible presence lingering around him. "Oh Lukas, my child, why do you speak to Them? Those imbeciles?" Lukas glanced up to see the image of Morgane Kirkland standing before him.

Do not show fear.

"Where am I?" Lukas asked. Morgane smirked.

"Did I say you could speak?" she asked.

"When one asks a question, it is normal to—" Lukas began.

"Do you know the story of the first vampire's birth?" Morgane asked. She tilted her head to the side as if she were a curious bird staring at its prey. Lukas avoided eye contact, keeping silent. "Do you wish to hear?" She continued to tilt her head further, making it look as if her neck were to snap, and her eyes were wide with excitement. "The first vampire was like me; he was the guardian of the dead, he preyed on the Spirits and began to crave more. So he possessed an eligible body and was free to roam the earth."

"Is it true?" Lukas asked.

"You tell me." Morgane replied.

"There's a fib in every story." Morgane cackled as she leaned back on her heels before walking around Lukas. "Is it true, Morgane?"

"My name isn't Morgane; she was my first vessel, so I keep her image close to me," she continued. "Poor woman; she really was beautiful. Too bad she was a disaster waiting to happen anyway." She grinned. "I suppose I look a little dated, considering she's long gone from reality. Perhaps I should show you my new image." Lukas heard heavy footsteps walk around him and then stared face to face with his reflection. "Pretty neat, right? You're my new vessel!"

Don't show fear. He will consume you.

"What's this? Little Norwegian isn't impressed? That's strange, because I would think he'd want his body back." The Void mocked.

"Tell me more of your story, Void. You said there was one before you; what happened?" Lukas questioned. The Void chuckled.

"He died when the London clan captured and tortured him," he explained. "Funny how that works."

"But you…you've always been there. So…" Lukas began, trying to put the pieces together.

"When he left, I was born; there always must be a being in existence," the Void clarified. "I believe this is the life cycle of my kind. When I am free from this place, another will take my place. It's like a monarchy."

"It is nothing like a monarchy, it's more like incarnations." Lukas replied. "Why do you want to leave your job? It's what you were created for, after all."

"Think about it Lukas; I hear whines all day. Would you want to hear screaming and crying all the days of your life?" the Void asked. "That's why I chose you, because you don't hear them," He stepped closer so that he was millimeters away from Lukas. "I would've chosen Morgane's son but he wears a pendent, plus, he is weak."

"And he's already a vampire," Lukas chimed in. "I think that is a crucial pin point that destroyed your plan." The Void chuckled.

"I grow bored of this conversation," he muttered, grabbing Lukas by the shoulders and pressing his forehead against Lukas'. "Become with me, Lukas; together we can rule the world." Lukas stepped back, attempting to turn away, but the Void grabbed him and spun him around. "Did you think you can escape, Lukas? Oh my, silly little Norwegian!" Though Lukas did his best to avoid eye contact, the Void held onto his head and continued to press his forehead against him until Lukas looked. Lukas cringed, a piercing ringing buzzing in his head; he then let out a scream and fell on his knees.

"You are a part of me and I a part of you; we are one, Lukas," the Void chanted as Lukas collapsed.

"We are One."