Damon...
People say nightmares fade with time.
They're all liars.
The years don't erase them. Worse, they sharpen them.
Every scream.
Every shadow.
Every promise.
I relive it every night.
"Mum!"
My voice cracks as I force my legs to move, but as usual, they refuse. I should be able to predict every move, every scene, but as always... I can't.
She's right there.
Close enough to touch.
Far enough to lose.
The darkness coils tighter around her neck, swallowing every desperate breath she tries to take.
"Damon..."
Her voice is barely audible.
"Go."
I shake my head violently.
The shadows pulse , my heartbeat follows.
She reaches for me, the pain evident in her eyes.
I turn toward Dante , then her body falls to the floor.
The scream that tears through the room isn't hers or my brother's.
It's mine.
And as always, all that's left in my head is a reminder of how I broke my promise.
---
Bang.
"Damon."
Another knock.
Bang.
"Damon, get up."
My eyes fly open.
For a moment, I can't breathe.
The room spins. Sweat clings to my skin as my lungs struggle to remember the difference between nightmares and reality.
Another knock.
"We leave in twenty minutes."
A sigh escapes my lips.
Father.
"I'm awake."
Silence answers me before his footsteps disappear down the hallway.
I sit there, motionless, my pulse refuses to settle.
Same nightmare, same ending.
Every.
Single.
Time.
Yet it always feels different , same fear.
Same horror. Different feeling.
I drag both hands down my face before forcing myself out of bed.
The mirror greets me with bloodshot eyes and another sleepless night.
Wonderful.
After pulling on a black shirt and fastening the leather straps around my wrists, I head downstairs.
Father is already waiting.
A mug of untouched coffee sits beside him.
"You slept?"
"I closed my eyes."
"That's not what I asked."
I don't answer, and he doesn't ask again.
Instead, he picks up the keys.
"We're late."
Good.
We've never had the communicative type of bond.
---
The drive is painfully quiet.
Rain taps against the windshield.
Father keeps both hands on the steering wheel, eyes fixed ahead. He drives like an old man.
He kinda is, if you think about it.
"Remember why we're here."
"I know."
How could I forget?
"No."
His voice hardens.
"You think you know." I glance out the window.
"We're trusting a demon."
"We're using one."
"There is a difference?"
"There has to be."
A gamble on nothing but our lives , neither of us speaks after that.
The city slowly disappears behind us. Concrete gives way to old roads, old roads give way to trees.
Until finally...The car stops.
The estate before us looks abandoned , stone walls, iron gates.
Windows too dark to see through.
"You picked a cheerful place."
Father ignores the comment.
"He chose it."
Of course he did.
The iron gates creak open on their own , no guards , No servants , on the outside at least .
Nothing , Only silence.
As if this whole damn place wasn't creepy enough already.
We step inside , the air is cold.
Not winter cold
Dead cold.
Father gestures toward the sitting room.
"We wait."
"For how long?"
"As long as he wants."
How convenient.
"Are they always this dramatic?" I mutter.
Minutes pass.
Five , turns to ten
Maybe fifteen.
Nothing.
Then...
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Each one echoes through the corridor like the owner has never rushed a day in his life.
Why would he? He holds the power.
His arrogance can be perceived from a mile away.
The footsteps stop outside the door.
The handle turns.
Nothing.
The door remains half open.
Silence.
Then...
A gloved hand rests against the wood.
The door opens wider.
A man steps inside , white coat , white gloves.
If I wasn't shocked before, I most definitely am now.
First in my bloodline...Second, if you count Father...
To see a demon dressed in white.
That had to be a slap in the face to angels.
Silver rings glint beneath the candlelight.
His smile arrives before his words do.
Small.
Knowing.
Dangerous.
Arrogant
His eyes sweep lazily across the room until they settle on me.
My stomach twists ,not fear but recognition.
The kind that lingers at the edge of a forgotten dream.
We've never met.
Have we?
I would know.
"So..."
His voice is smooth.
Amused , i could've sworn I'd heard that voice before.
Impossible.
He inclines his head ever so slightly.
"My apologies. Though I must admit..."
His gaze lingers on me a second longer.
"I expected something more."
The smile widens.
"I'm Vaerith."