"What?" That one word clung adamantly to the strands of Ezeikel's heart. His eyes narrowed, lips curled in an agitated scowl as he glared daggers at his malnourished father. The air around them gained a heavier weight, the darkness shuffling slightly around Ezeikel as his body shook. The tears he struggled so fruitlessly to hold back cascaded down in large waves, washing away the few strands of patience that remained after all that had transpired.
His fingers curled into tight fists, and he raised them up in the air. Then, he struck the ground, one heavy, audible bang followed as both fists struck hard rock, the sound of bones cracking trailing right after.
"Son!" Kennedy shot to his feet and rushed to Ezeikel's side. His legs moved with speed his body shouldn't have been capable of producing. Even when they were being chased by Darion, his movements were never this instant.
Right after covering the distance, he knelt down, placing a careful hand on his son's back.
"Ezeikel, I'm sorry, but what you ask, I truly cannot tell you," he spoke in a worried tone, hoping his words would have some sort of positive effect. However, instead of answering his father, the young vampire grabbed his father's hand suddenly, and shoved it away.
Ezeikel gritted his teeth, forcing himself to gather his thoughts before speaking in a fierce tone:
"You fool, you say you can't tell me the truth now. Just look at yourself, look at us. Look at what your secrets have caused us! My mother is dead. My sister, whom I never even got to meet, is also dead! We're the only ones left! This accursed world doesn't care about us! It never did! All we had were ourselves, yet despite knowing about this power, you chose to hide it from me!
"It only activates when I'm close to death. I only know that because that damned voice told me. What? Do you think i'm scared of death? I ran through a damned warzone just to save you! I actually believed I died at that point, yet here I am! Look at me! I'm alive and breathing, am I not?!"
Ezeikel breathed out a heavy sigh, shaking his head roughly as the memories of the past assaulted his thoughts. Images of the past flashed before his eyes—the once beautiful times when they were all a happy family, living together and striving to survive under the harsh regime of the lightless kingdom.
***********
10 years earlier
A malevolent storm dawned upon the tenebrous kingdom of nightwalkers.
The emperor's passing was a monumental news that ignited fiery arguments all across Nefaria. While there were those who admired Lord Julius, other detested his negligence for the needs of the people, as they did those before him. Nevertheless, his death was merely the prelude of change, as the odious matches that followed sparked a series of sinister reactions that went down in the history of the kingdom.
Kael, last born son of Ryker Darkhaven, slaughtered five of his cousins in the quest for supremacy.
The news of his dominance and savagry flew across the empire like a ravenous plague. The citizens, both those who respected and detested royalty, could all agree on one thing—Kael Darkhaven… was truly the spawn of the Unholy One.
The Unholy One, just like the Supreme Sovereign, was a deity the nightwalkers believed in. Whether or not the folklores were truthful or merely fabricated, the fact remained that Lord Kael embodied the very essence of what it entailed to be malevolent.
As the news of his wretched triumphs swept across the lightless empire, another harrowing encounter was taking place on the streets of a decrepit town.
......…..
In a familiar carpentry shop, the workers were engrossed in their tasks. Cutting wooden planks, polishing them, and so much more. The air was filled with the essence of struggle and desparation as the locals worked tirelessly. This was their means of remaining alive under the tyrannical reign of the vampiric monarch and his associates.
They all had to work to satiate three major requirements—payment of taxes to the Abyssal Gang and the Emperor, as well as satisfying their own basic needs. It was safe to say that such a business venture produced scarce means of fully meeting all three of these baseline goals. As such, most ended up starving themselves in a bid to remain alive. The Abyssal Gang wasn't one to show mercy when taxes came short, and neither was his Majesty.
In the case of the Abyssal Gang, they would usually send one of the core members out on a monthly basis to collect the taxes from the townsfolk. Of course, whenever they encountered someone unable to pay in gold or silver, they ended up paying with their lives. The others couldn't do anything about it. They were weak, so all they could do was mind their own business.
Meanwhile, in the case of the Emperor, whenever someone failed to pay the royal tribute, he would send out his guards to locate the incompetent fool and cease his life expeditiously. No excuses, no extra time, just vile, uncaring bloodshed.
It wasn't often that the locals would fail to pay the royal tribute. Most feared the Emperor far more than they feared the local gangs terrorizing them. Unlike the reigning gangs, the Emperor existed at the top of the food chain. Every decree he passed on was irrefutable, even the local gangs have no choice but to bend to his whims.
It was one of such days when the King's men and the Abyssal Gang would arrive to collect taxes from the people. Although both events took place at the same day, the vampire soldiers always chose to ignore the activities of the Abyssal Gang. To them, the corrupt group was a necessary evil required to keep the grimy folks in check. At the end of the day, one would always expect to find a tyrant in the midst of desparate people.
It was also another day of strenuous labor for Kennedy and his wife, Sarah. Sarah was a middle-aged woman with long black hair and an alluring face. Despite the harshness of life, her appearance still managed to retain a somewhat youthful warmth and beauty. Her large pupils and soft smile were more than enough to melt the coldest of hearts, and her works were calm enough to end disputes in seconds.
Some would say she wasn't fit for the life she was living, but she didn't mind. To her, as long as she was with the man she desired, she was willing to go through whatever suffering she was bound to encounter living as a lowlife.
'How lucky am I to have a woman like her for a wife,' Kennedy often thought to himself. Since the time they met, till this very moment, he still couldn't quite believed that she was his. A lot of times, he felt insecure about their relationship, believing that she was merely toying with his emotions. How could someone as graceful and elegant as her truly call herself his wife? Starvation did very little to dull her charm. Not even the rags she wore managed to dampen her attractiveness.
Perhaps it was the love she had for her family that kept her looking so vibrant. Kennedy couldn't tell.
Leaving their son at home, they always went to work together. Not only did it allow them to make double the money that a single person would make, but it also allowed them to spend quality time together.
They had just finished another of work and were on their way back home. On their way, they chatted happily about their experience at work, about their personal feelings, and about how they would keep on working hard for the sake of their son.
However, it wasn't long till their conversation took a darker turn, Kennedy's voice filled with worry as he said:
"My love…" his voice dropped to a whisper, his tone filled with grim urgency. "It's time for the monthly tribute…. We don't… we still don't have enough money to pay The Abyssal Gang and the Emperor…"
This was his greatest fear. Despite the positivity that reigned between them, the grim reality of their situation still loomed above him like a bloodthirsty apparition. His body trembled as the penalty for disobeying orders were carried by the sharp descent of the rain. His crimson eyes stared back at Sarah, desparate for a solution, yet suffused with hopelessness.
Despite their efforts to make enough money, they were still unable to meet the stipulated amount. The tax collectors were gluttonous, unwilling to deflate the wicked prices they set for the people.
"It's my fault. If only I hadn't chosen to spoil that boy…" he felt the calm embrace of his wife on his shoulder, her lips curved into a reassuring smile.
"Don't blame yourself. You were simply trying to distract Ezeikel from the despair we adults are forced to bear. Sure, I told you that you should've been more frugal with the spending, you told me that everything will be fine. So, I believed you. But now, we don't have enough to pay both tyrants at once," she explained.
Kennedy clenched his teeth, tears falling from his eyes as they squinted shut.