I stepped out of my car, the cool night air brushing against my face. The city lights surrounded me as I stood in a parking lot. I glanced at the rusty sign of the motel that was Shadowpaw's residence. "Crimson Haven," a name that contradicted the reality of the place. A tiny smirk played on my lips; the irony wasn't lost on me. Yet, my inner amusement was quickly diminished by a jolt of agony in my core. My vision faded into a sea of red for a few seconds, and my heart beat seemed to echo throughout my entire being. It was the Curse. I gritted my teeth and kept moving, and my vision slowly cleared, yet the pain lingered.. My heavy breaths came out like chilling steam through the metallic mask that had infused itself with my jaws. It'd been like this for 500 years, and it was a constant struggle... there was never a moment I wasn't in pain.
Ascending the stairs to Room 109, my eyes swept the surroundings. A pair of Elephas smoked casually by a sleek vehicle designed for them. A Dark Elf, dressed provocatively, strolled arm-in-arm with a handsome Noble Vampire—a renowned rockstar, and Lucius's older brother, a celebrity known as Luxe Vein. I absorbed the scene in silence, taking a mental picture.
Further along, a gang of cyber-enhanced Ascended Vampires stood amidst their vehicles, their glowing Blood Tech modifications accentuating their formidable presence. Locked in an unspoken confrontation, some wielded firearms, while others bore weapons seamlessly integrated into their enhanced forms, all eyes fixed on me.
Common Vampires, once considered nuisances, got a makeover courtesy of Blood Tech. They're now the Ascended Vampires, upgraded to fulfill Queen Hundred's plan of making the Vampires a mightier force. Yet, they'd never reach Noble status, condemned to a lowly existence akin to the struggles of every other citizen in New Sanguine City.
I shifted my gaze forward, making sure my hood concealed my face.
I approached Room 109 and rapped my knuckles on the door. A moment later, it swung open, revealing the hooded Shadowpaw, standing with his furry arm held outward as if to say "Come on in." His eyes, a vibrant shade of yellow that glowed from the shadow of his hood, met mine. His lips curled into a grin, his sharp fangs gleaming within the forest of his long-haired snout. "Took you long enough," he drawled, his voice as smooth as silk.
I arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I have better things to do than wait around for you."
He chuckled, an unnerving sound. "Come in, Darcia. We've got business to discuss."
I stepped into the dimly lit motel room, the faint hum of Blood Tech gadgets filling the air. Shadowpaw closed the door behind me.
I strolled through the room. Shadowpaw couldn't see the faint grin playing on my lips. "I'm surprised you're still alive after all these years, you old dog. The device is finished?"
He chuckled, a low growl resonating through his canine throat. "Survival is my middle name, Darcia. And yes, the Chrono-Disruptor is ready for action. Been working on it for months, tweaking it here and there."
Raising an eyebrow, my interest piqued, I added, "Months, huh? It better be worth the trouble."
Shadowpaw's yellow eyes gleamed with a mischievous spark. "You'll thank me once you see what this little gadget can do. It's— how do I put it— a game-changer. Only took 500 years total to perfect. No big deal, right?"
Shadowpaw opened a locked cabinet, revealing the Chrono-Disruptor. It was a sleek, metallic device with a faint, pulsating red glow, shaped like an elongated hourglass.
I eyed it skeptically. "That's the Chrono-Disruptor?"
He smirked, relishing my uncertainty. "The key to piercing The Barrier. With this, you can traverse the Realms as you please."
Reaching out, I touched the cool metal. "What's the catch, Shadowpaw?"
His eyes glowed with anticipation. "Your memories. All of them."
I scoffed, running my fingers along the smooth surface of the device. "I know that. Lucius told me that much already. I mean, what am I gonna have to do to give them to you? What is this really going to cost me?"
Shadowpaw's smile widened, his eyes narrowing. "Ah, Darcia, always getting to the heart of the matter. The transfer requires a unique ritual, and you have to do it willingly. A psychic link, you might say."
I took a step back, a weird feeling stirring in my gut. "Psychic link? What does that entail?"
He circled me, his movements graceful. "Oh, nothing too dramatic. Just a little exchange of essence. Memories for freedom."
I recoiled, offended by the notion that Shadowpaw would suggest such a thing. "A Blood Bond? You must be out of your mind if you think I'd willingly forge such a connection with you."
He chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. "Feisty as always, Darcia. But you misunderstand. It's not a Blood Bond; it's a process where you connect to a machine I've built, and it will create a digital copy of your memories."
"It's not a psychic link, per say," Shadowpaw clarified as he revealed the machine—a metallic device with an interface that resembled something out of a sci-fi movie. "Think of it like connecting two computers temporarily. We'll both plug into the machine for a few minutes. It scans your memories and creates a digital file, which we'll save on this data chip."
The machine sat on a sleek table, its metallic frame gleaming under the dim light of Shadowpaw's motel room. It was surprisingly compact. The surface had a smooth texture, cool to the touch as my fingers traced its contours.
A series of panels were on the front, displaying a minimalist interface. Wires, neatly bundled, snaked from the device like arteries connecting to various ports. It was a blend of advanced engineering and simplicity, the kind of tech that hinted at both power and precision.
My gaze lingered on the small screen embedded in the center. It flickered to life, revealing lines of code and digital symbols dancing across its surface. This wasn't a contraption built for aesthetics; it was a tool, a bridge between the tangible and the digital realms.
Shadowpaw must have noticed my scrutiny. "Impressive, huh? State-of-the-art tech. But don't worry, it won't hurt. It's designed to be as unobtrusive as possible." He motioned toward two comfortable-looking chairs nearby, each equipped with a main port that snaked from the machine.
I eyed the device skeptically. "And how do I know this won't mess with my head or, worse, fall into the wrong hands?"
His smile faded, an unsettling glint in his eyes. "Trust me, Darcia, I'm not in the business of ruining minds... anymore. As for the chip, it'll be in your possession. You decide who gets to see what's in it."
I nodded, still wary but seeing a glimpse of practicality in his explanation. "Let's get this over with."
As I took a seat, the subtle hum of the machine filled the room.
Shadowpaw strolled towards me, his paw holding the cord. He plugged it into the port behind my hand—a cybernetic mod designed for digital downloads into the psyche or connecting to specific devices. The cool metal met my skin, and I felt a subtle, almost electric tingle as the connection established.
"Are you ready for this, Darcia?" Shadowpaw's voice resonated, laced with an odd mix of curiosity and professionalism.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, my gaze fixed on the intricate patterns of the machine before me.
Shadowpaw took his own seat, plugging himself into the machine with a practiced ease. Leaning over, Shadowpaw initiated the machine with a swift tap on its touch-sensitive interface, causing its intricate circuits to hum with life. I watched him settle back down into the chair comfortably.
Shadowpaw chuckled, his laughter blending with the ambient hum of the machine. "Get ready for a trip down memory lane, Darcia."
As the machine whirred to life, I felt a brief surge of disorientation before the world around me blurred into darkness. The familiar surroundings of Shadowpaw's room dissolved into an abyss, and I succumbed to the pull of unconsciousness.