From an early age, darkness was something that Aulus understood. He might've been a toddler during those times, but his mind was something far beyond.
Everywhere he looked, it was like a shroud was meant to ruin his day. Be it a specter, or a literal spiritual being that possessed those near him, it was like the only thing that one could think upon seeing him was--
Harm. Abuse. Confusion… Like he was some anomaly.
Through the rough lashing from his superpowered parents and the verbal disgraces they would shout his way, Aulus de Aratus grew numb to it all, so numb that all he found himself finding comfort in was the thrill of silence.
Those thoughts are nothing but a memory now, as he sits, rotting in his newfound modern-day prison. Though in his eyes, it's nothing but a cheap imitation of whatever Nordic dungeon one could find by looking up historical passages on Google.
"Augh..." He groaned, shifting his weight from his right hip to his left. He shivered, his frail physique withering away in whatever cursed make-shift hell his traders had sentenced him to die in.
God, please... Anyone... His mental plea fell on deaf ears... Seemingly.
His lips quivered as he tucked his knees closer to his chest. His own body was failing to provide the heat he was so desperately seeking. If he had to guess, it was probably the peak winter season right now.
The very thought only caused his heart to ache. His mind formed images of early times with his mother. Fields of the glistening, pristine white snow that fell by the heaps. "Heh..." He chuckled, or attempted to. All that left his lips was an incoherent puff of wasted oxygen.
Metal screeching against rough concrete broke the oddly serene silence that occupied the atmosphere–However fearful and hateful it is.
Two pairs of steps broke out into a bastardly rhythm, one erratically fast, unpredictable to the point they were already approaching Aulus before the other set of feet had the chance to comfortably make it down the stone steps of the basement.
Aulus, in all of his scrawny glory, glared hatefully at his captor. Piercing, pale blue eyes that contrasted his honey bronze skin, that glimmered under the sporadic flickering of the only fluorescent bulbed light source in the room.
The man who operated the underground human trafficking ring within Shibuya, Japan, went by the name Q. Short for Quilt–A name gifted to him by his leaders of this dirty game he profits off of.
He stalked up to Aulus and delivered a swift kick through the broken man's frail defense, impacting him right in the nose, drawing blood as easy as ripping paper. "Heh." The man smirked, his ever-so ordinary deep brown eyes condescendingly judging the victim before him.
Aulus did little to fight back as the man dragged him by his arm to what had been decided as his destiny. His inevitable role of being someone's doll.
With a quirk like regeneration which activated sub-consciously, he was a prize to be bought and shared. He had spent every waking day since he was 6 being sold like a trophy just for the blood that runs in his veins.
Regenerative properties capable of transferring to others who digested it.
"Look! Just as I had told you. Resilient and fucking lively as hell! Haha!" He broke out into crazed laughter, clearly under the influence. He sniffled and wiped his nose, glancing from a man clad in black, his entire being shrouded by the shadows as if he were wearing them like a crown.
The only thing apparent to make out his presence other than his imposing outline. Were his blood red orbital eyes that pierced through any and everything. "...You may leave." The voice rumbled the entire room, Aulus froze from his place on the floor. His long, matted and disgustingly mismanaged curls that sat atop his head and fell limply in his face, did little to hide the fear that riddled his pale blue eyes.
The man, startled, scoffed. His gaze shifted from the man to the living shadow. "Uh, what? You may leave?! Nah, not without–" His words were caught in his throat. Aulus blinked, and the shadow was upon his captor like a snake striking its prey.
Hand through his chest as iron rich blood poured to the floor in a gruesome display of strength and ferocity. "Gurg!!" Q gagged on his own blood, his eyes wide and bloodshot as he stared at the being before him,
"W-W-What are y-you doing!?" He gritted his teeth, fury and courage rising up with whatever strength he had left in his body. The entity snarled, flashing a peerless row of teeth adorned with two, two inch long canines edged with the sharpest points Aulus had ever seen.
He shivered.
"Mortals and your entitlements." The entity spat, his tightening around Q's heart. The man twitched, his voice going dry as pain wracked his every nerve. He couldn't piece together a thought even if he tried. And with a cruel and mouth watering squelch, Q's heart had been crushed.
The man's eyes rolled to the back of his head, his body instantly darkening from the stagnant blood that now drained from his chest.
THUD!
"In all my years, I've come across a couple humans like you–Especially in a world where the supernatural are very much natural." The creature's voice rumbled like thunder, deep and authoritative. Aulus quivered, feeling like he was in the presence of an evil god.
A-Ah… T-This is my chance–My savior! The fear remained but something else triumphed over his little broken heart. Hope. He scrambled, ever so slowly towards the being who had so ruthlessly crushed the heart of his captor.
The body laid to the side of them both, hollow chest, open, haunted eyes… Aulus felt the image burn itself into his mind, but he didn't care. He reached the feet of the being that intruded upon his abode.
"H-Help me… P-Please…" Aulus muttered, his voice was barely a whisper but the creature clad in darkness heard it all too easily. The being scoffed, humming as it stared at Aulus, snarling and revealing its fangs.
"I've met plenty who've sought me a hero, a being of retribution, but I am no such thing." The entity crouched, lowering its face to match Aulus' distraught bowing posture. Weak hands gripped its ankles, and it did nothing but watch with immovable eyes.
"...Yet you are the first I've seen, to see me and see hope." The being chuckled, the shadows vibrating with its rumbling tone. Yet, lying beneath that ancient voice, was a hint of intrigue. Aulus hick upped, his jaw clenching listening to the man speak.
You fucking bastard… Just came to spill his life story to me?! I don't need that shit!! His rage boiled over his fear and feelings of hope. Within his mind and heart now lies an angry child full of a thousand different emotions and psychological outbursts that fueled it.
He grabbed the nearest thing he could find, an ankle. "Y-You c-cruel–" He didn't even get to finish, a powerful backhand sent him and his teeth flying towards the other side of the room–Skidding along its cold and harsh concrete floors before bouncing off a stone wall.
CRACK!
A nasty crunch resounded through the basement, a sign of Aulus' ribs breaking under the abuse. Aulus laid unmoving, breathing shallow and damn near none existent. From his position he could see the shadow man stand up.
I-I'll k-kill you! Aulus breathed. His ever so prized regeneration kicked in, mending his shattered ribs, broken jaw and missing teeth–Slowly, but surely. He blinked, and his assailant was upon him once again in an instant.
Hand wrapped around his throat, piercing red eyes digging into his very soul. A mocking look in his eye while a nasty snarl that shone with amusement flared an emphasis on the two blade-like fangs that protruded.
The shadow creature hissed. "Apologies, but your incessant and unfair accusations are unwelcome here." The entity began. Its grip tightening seeing the recovery rate Aulus possessed.
"And with an ability like yours… It's no wonder this world devoured you whole." It smirked, "A bug has no right to wield immortality–Even if it is nothing but a fraction of its potential." Aulus clawed at the beings forearm yet his nails slipped off its skin like it was coated in oil.
Aulus gritted his teeth, welling up the blood and spit that flooded his mouth. Hucking it at his offender, the young mans eyes hardened, "Fuck you. What do you get out of playing around with me? Huh? Does this make you feel powerful? Just like all those other shitty little mortals–GAK!" His words were caught in his throat, the fingers around his throat constricting like a viper.
"You wish for death not knowing what it is you truly seek!" The monster shouted, "You've lived but a speck of what could be! And yet you throw in the towel?!" Aulus gritted his teeth listening to the words leave the shadows lips.
"Heh, what do I expect from a brat who's been lockedup and hauled around like someone's treasure… Hah~" The being took a breath. His grip on Aulus' throat softened to the point the man could breathe normally.
"Look boy, I understand your pain–I wish for death. Believe me. Yet there's a life out there you have yet to live, and one you won't get to live even if I do save you from this place." The being smiled pathetically.
"You're destined to be a loser regardless, my dear, Aulus de Aratus." The boy's eyes flickered, no one had spoken his true name since his childhood–He was simply a number here–A statistic under the grand scheme of things.
The living shadow brought Aulus closer to his face, an eerie grin on its face as it took in the crumbling reality check that the boy fretted. It licked his face, lapping up a stream of blood that had been left on his face after the recovery by his quirk.
"But I'll humor you," The monster's grin widened impossibly wide. Aulus didn't have it in him to care about anything, it was like he was drowning in so much he didn't know which to process first.
And what happened next coasted along the lines of a fever dream for Aulus. At one point, he was sure he had died.
The monster dug its fangs into his neck, plunging deep into the carotid artery. The monster gulped greedily, Aulus twitched with every notion, his head flung back in a form of ecstasy. Moments passed, but to those involved it felt like a second.
THUD
The dark skinned prisoner fell to the floor, breathing so shallow he could've been mistaken as dead–His pulse waned too, his features were greyed out, his body showing the signs of lacking the vital fluid that runs through them all.
Blood.
"Haaah! Such an excellent taste! I almost feel stupid for offering you this dark gift." The ancient vampire's eyes gleamed hysterically, but his self control reigned supreme and nothing befell the dying Aulus.
Tilting his head, the Vampire hummed. "It seems your supernatural gift doesn't recover blood loss. Well, that's perfect." He grinned, sliding a hand along his head and removing the cloak that hid his appearance from the world.
Throwing creeping eyes, Aulus barely managed to catch a glimpse and even that was nothing but a blur. "Remember this, and remember it well, Aulus de Aratus." The vampire took a fang to his wrist, tearing it open and halting his recovery as his blood poured all over the face and lips of Aulus.
"The one whose blood you devour, is of the most ancient," He crouched, bringing his wrist closer to the boy's mouth. Once the blood comfortably settled, a loud gulp resounded and Aulus shot up, his lips glued to the wrist and spewed what tasted like liquid gold.
Aulus' eyes were closed, his thoughts were one dimensional and his hunger seemed infinite. Yet, the vampire only grinned, feeling his own blood drain from his system. "And the most powerful. I am Kaltroth de Von Lukria. The Vampire Lor– Now it was his turn for his words to falter in his throat.
He attempted to pull his arm away from Aulus' mouth, yet he found himself unable to do so, his strength rapidly depleting with every passing second–His power and strength flowing from him to his fledgling.
He growled, his free hand slamming against the thieving new-fledged vampire. Aulus didn't budge, his breathing intensified and so did the rate at which he devoured the blood before him. Kaltroth gasped, his face turning paler by the moment.
W-what is this ludicrous situation!? T-This cannot be happening!! Never in his thousand years of life had he expected to fall in a situation like this. He glared begrudgingly at his biggest mistake and the universe's biggest joke, feeling the last of his strength leave his body the same moment Aulus released his hold and flung his head back.
Deep breaths full of euphoria drowning his every sense kept him from realizing that Kaltroth, an ancient vampire, now lies desiccated at his feet–However, that wasn't the only thing the young boy had yet to notice.
His once frail frame had filled out noticeably, creating quite the striking contrast to his earlier form. He gasped for air as if he had been without it for years. His eyes shot open, revealing vertical slitted pupils sitting atop blood-red irises, glistening with unending power.
"W-What the hell happened to me!?"