A/N: This is both the end of the previous arc and the beggining of a new one.
I would like to immensely thank all who have read my story and have been following Darian's journey. I appreciate it, I really do.
It's also interesting that I should mention that this arc won't have any fighting. This one will mostly be about character development and the boost Darian will get.
As for the boost... I will admit I had no such intentions for it when I started this book, but after repeated complaints about 'nerfing' Darian, I decided to give him an upgrade. I must say I am satisfied with the end result, and it also ended up tying nicely with what I have planned for the future of the story.
The character that will be introduced to accomplish this boost is something between a mix of my own personal spin, as well as one that sort of exists in one of the universes I introduced to you guys. I enjoyed writing about the character, especially since I had this idea of my own version of the mythos cooking up inside my head, long before I started writing this book. I hope you enjoy what I planned.
Lastly, this all kind of sets a bad precedence, as I sort of caved in due to 'hater' (not really hater but y'know...) pressure, I shall not do it again under any circumstance.
If you have something in mind that you that you think would improve the story, do not hesitate to speak it up, it would be very interesting to implement some of your ideas alongside my own (as long as it fits the story that is). And if you wish to do so, I will only ask you to not be a c*nt about it, as we all are civilized people. Right?
As a very refined gentleman once said: "Manners maketh the man."
(Also if you're trully enjoying the story, maybe consider supporting me on P@treon? It would immensely help me. Link in author's thoughts.)
Peace!
And good reading.
[Blood Diary Entry]
"W-What just happened?" I heard Rebekah's voice, her tone a mix of unsettled and alert.
I didn't have it in me to answer, for I also didn't quite know what happened.
My head was in a state of deep turmoil, my thoughts were muted, the memories I inherited were silent and felt like an echo in the distance.
For the first time since I awakened as a Higher Vampire, I'm truly feeling like myself, like the Darian Isolde raised with such care.
Rebekah was still looking at me, hoping I would perhaps alleviate what was going on inside her own head.
"I don't know," I sighed, "let's just get away from here. I've had enough of this town, for a lifetime—maybe several."
She nodded, and we got out of the house.
The fight still echoed inside my head. It was brief, humorously so. The thrilling confrontation one might have expected lasted only a couple of blows. Though that in itself speaks louder of how well we were prepared than of the specter's underwhelming might.
When we neared the car, I retracted my claws back to their normal state. They dragged against the cold silver, but eventually, underneath the metal coating, my nails were back to normal.
I then grabbed all of the silver claws and yanked them out, ripping a bit of skin with them as well. But barely a second later, the small wounds were already healed.
Rebekah opened the trunk, and I tossed them inside.
The ride back to the hotel room was a silent one; neither I nor Rebekah spoke a single word.
Opening the door to the room, we were welcomed by my relieved mother. Who instantly smiled brightly and rushed towards us.
She gave Rebekah a brief but firm hug. Then she picked me up and almost squeezed the life out of me.
She kissed the top of my head and ran her fingers through my hair.
A calming gesture that made my eyelids droop, disarming the weariness I felt but a moment earlier.
Thus, I drifted into peaceful sleep.
The next day, I woke up to the cacophony of two women packing their bags. They shouted at one another, reassuring each other that they weren't forgetting a single thing.
I sighed.
"Do you guys need any help?" I asked.
"No, I've already packed your bag, just wait while Rebekah and I finish up." Mother answered.
I nodded. "Any breakfast?"
"On the table over there," she pointed without turning to me.
I hummed in acknowledgement.
The 'breakfast' was a mix of freshly baked bread and a couple of donuts. So much for keeping me away from sugar, huh?
An hour and a half later, we were down in the lobby, delivering the keys to the room back to the receptionist. 'Course, no payment was done, because Rebekah just compelled her way into our stay in the room.
I feel like a bum… if not like a straight-up thief.
Since we were no longer clients, his smile went from professional to flirty—or at least I think he believes it to be flirty—in a split second.
He extended his hand forward to Rebekah and winked playfully.
My eyes narrowed.
Rebekah giggled and smiled, grabbing his hand.
In the next second, I heard popping and cracking sounds that brought a smile to my face.
The man's face turned agonized, but no scream came out, surprisingly so.
As I saw the veins wriggling underneath Rebekah's eyes, I understood how that came to be.
I laughed inwardly and turned to leave.
We all loaded up the car with our stuff, though Mother paused, eyeing the silver claws with an unfriendly look, before she shot me a glare. She stayed like that for a couple of seconds before huffing and going back to her task.
We got into the car and finally left this godforsaken town.
The next few days blurred together.
We spent hours on end on the road, occasionally spending the night in luxurious hotels.
Once or twice, we encountered a few 'unsavory' fellow supernatural beings. Mostly, cannibals attracted to my mother's and my own scent.
Rather interestingly, I didn't get to lift a single finger, as Rebekah took them all by herself. Leaving in her wake mutilated corpses of various different creatures.
I hadn't a single doubt that had I not burnt those corpses with my handy sign, it wouldn't take long for the whole country to learn of a horribly cruel serial killer.
The strangest thing, though, is that I haven't seen Rebekah feed a single time ever since we met.
Granted, she doesn't need to feed that often, but it must feel at least a bit uncomfortable. I wonder why that is…
She will do what she must when the time comes, I guess.
If not, I'll talk to her.
Time continued to pass by, and soon enough, I saw our first major stop.
A sea of night lights. The unrelenting noise of a big city. A nightmarish orchestra of energy running through endless power cables, hundreds of thousands of cars honking at the same time, and the beats of distant nightclubs.
Sometimes, having an acute sense of hearing and smell can be your biggest curse, I tell you.
Chicago.
The Windy City, in all its gruesome glory.
Once we arrived, we hurriedly found ourselves a luxurious room to stay, all on credit of Rebekah's compelling—truly a handy ability to have, makes me kind of jealous really.
We slept through most of the day.
By now, all of us were either creatures of the night or just more accustomed to a late-hour routine.
As we left the hotel, Rebekah turned to me and my mother.
"I have some business to do here; do you guys want to keep me company?" She asked, tilting her head rather cutely.
Mother nodded, not really having much else to do.
I, in turn, shook my head, surprising the two.
"I want to be alone for a bit…" I said.
Rebekah blinked, just once, as if surprised I'd refuse her.
"Then I'll go with you," Mom interjected.
"Mom… I said alone."
"You're a child, Darian; I won't leave you alone." She said stubbornly.
I sighed, and my eyes glowed bright red. "If you're forgetting something here, I am quite capable of handling myself, Mom. If anything, it's you I am worried about."
She gritted her teeth and looked away.
I turned to Rebekah, her smile faded for a heartbeat before she nodded meaningfully.
After that, the three of us went our separate ways.