The next morning, I woke up with a dull ache in my head, as if someone had been banging on my skull with a sledgehammer. My dreams had been plagued with cryptic symbols and blurry figures—faces I didn't recognize, yet felt like I should. I groaned, rolling out of bed.
"Great," I muttered, rubbing my temples. "As if fighting vampires wasn't enough, now I've got dream demons, too."
Sebastian had been eerily quiet since the night before. He sat across from me at the small kitchen table, sipping his coffee, eyes scanning over an ancient-looking parchment like he wasn't living in the 21st century. The silence was starting to get awkward. Like, seriously awkward.
"So, are we just gonna pretend like none of that happened last night?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.
Sebastian glanced up, his expression as unreadable as ever. "What do you mean?"
I gave him an incredulous look. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the part where I practically did a magic trick and threw a vampire across the alley? Or that ritual thing where I felt like I was channeling some kind of ancient power? Ringing any bells?"
He took another sip of his coffee. "That was just the beginning."
I blinked. "*Just* the beginning? Dude, that was the most action-packed night of my life. What's next? Am I supposed to summon a dragon or something?"
He didn't even crack a smile. "There's much more to your power than you realize, Eli. The ritual we performed last night was a mere fragment of what's to come. The Codex will guide you through the rest."
I sighed, running a hand through my messy hair. "You keep saying that like it's supposed to comfort me. But all I'm hearing is 'Congratulations, you've unlocked level one of a nightmare.'"
Sebastian stood up, walking over to the dusty bookshelf that lined the far wall. He pulled out a worn, leather-bound book—different from the Codex—and tossed it onto the table. "This might help explain things more clearly."
I looked at the book suspiciously. "What is it? Another family heirloom with cryptic messages?"
"It's a journal," he said, his tone flat. "Written by one of your ancestors who had abilities similar to yours. She documented everything about her awakening."
I raised an eyebrow. "So, this is supposed to be like a cheat sheet for my inevitable doom?"
Sebastian ignored my sarcasm, sitting back down. "Read it. It might answer some of the questions you've been avoiding."
I hesitated, staring at the journal. It looked old—really old. The leather cover was cracked, and the pages were yellowed with age. Part of me didn't want to open it. Like, if I didn't, maybe I could pretend that none of this was real. But deep down, I knew I couldn't avoid it forever.
With a sigh, I flipped the journal open, skimming the first few entries. The handwriting was neat but old-fashioned, and the language had this weird, formal tone to it, like someone writing a letter from the 1800s.
*"The Awakening begins with a whisper, a soft murmur in the blood, calling forth the power within. It starts small, almost imperceptible, but soon it grows, consuming every fiber of one's being until it is impossible to ignore."*
Well, that sounded comforting. I rolled my eyes, continuing to read.
*"There are those who will come for the power—the shadows that lurk in the corners of the world, waiting for the right moment to strike. They know what we are, and they fear us. But they also crave what we possess. The bloodline carries more than just power—it carries the weight of ancient secrets, secrets that could unravel everything."*
I stopped reading, a chill running down my spine. "Sebastian," I said slowly, looking up at him. "What exactly are these 'ancient secrets' the journal's talking about?"
He leaned forward, his gaze intense. "Your bloodline is connected to something far older than vampires, Eli. There are forces at work here—forces that have been waiting in the shadows for centuries, watching and waiting for the Cain bloodline to reawaken."
"Fantastic," I muttered. "So now it's not just vampires and demons. It's shadowy forces too. What's next, evil wizards?"
Sebastian didn't answer. Instead, he stood and walked over to the window, peering out as if he was expecting something. His silence was unsettling.
"Okay, seriously, what aren't you telling me?" I demanded, closing the journal. "You keep dropping all these hints about the 'bloodline' and 'forces at work,' but you're not giving me the full picture. What's really going on here?"
He was quiet for a moment, then finally turned to face me. "There are things even I don't fully understand, Eli. The Cain lineage is more than just a bloodline of vampire hunters. It's tied to something deeper—something that predates vampires themselves."
I frowned. "Predates vampires? What could possibly be older than that?"
Sebastian's eyes darkened. "The First Ones."
I stared at him, trying to process what he was saying. "The… First Ones? What are they, some kind of ancient vampire cult?"
"Not quite," he said, his voice low. "The First Ones are beings of unimaginable power. They've been watching humanity since the beginning, manipulating events from the shadows. They're older than vampires, older than any creature that walks the earth. And they're interested in you."
I felt a knot form in my stomach. "Why me?"
"Because your bloodline is tied to them," he said, walking back to the table. "The Cain family has always had a unique connection to the First Ones, but that connection has been dormant for centuries. Until now."
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of his words. "So, let me get this straight. Not only do I have to deal with vampires and demons, but now there are ancient, godlike beings who've been watching my family for centuries? And they're interested in me? This just keeps getting better."
Sebastian didn't smile. "It's more complicated than that. The First Ones are not to be taken lightly. They're dangerous, Eli. And if they believe you're a threat—or an asset—they'll stop at nothing to claim you."
I swallowed hard, the reality of the situation sinking in. "So what do we do?"
Sebastian was about to answer when the windows suddenly rattled, a cold gust of wind sweeping through the room. The lights flickered, casting strange shadows on the walls. I felt a sharp pain in my chest, the same feeling I'd had during the ritual.
Sebastian's eyes widened, his hand moving to the hilt of his blade. "They're here."
Before I could react, the door flew open with a deafening crash. A figure stood in the doorway, cloaked in darkness, their eyes glowing a faint, eerie red.
And then, just like that, the room plunged into darkness.