"Vampires... a new species... was I living under a rock or something?" Jayson ran his hand through his hair, the gesture reflecting his growing frustration. Yesterday had felt like an eternity—so many events, so many revelations, one after the other.
Losing 500 million in a horse race, finding a potential way to recover his losses, his father discovering the missing money and arriving home at the worst possible time, heading to Burn-Down Town, and collapsing from the overwhelming pain—only to be saved by Chloe. And now... he was about to learn the true nature of the world itself.
So much had happened in such a short time that it felt almost surreal.
Chloe, sensing his sudden calm, leaned back and casually crossed one leg over the other.
"How about a proposition?"
Jayson raised an eyebrow. "What kind of proposition?"
"You want the truth about this world, and I want to learn more about you," Chloe said nonchalantly, her tone suggesting that this was just another casual conversation. "Think about it: you gain on both fronts, while I gain on just one."
Her words held weight. Jayson stood to benefit immensely. By learning the hidden truths about the world, he would understand the ins and outs of this strange new reality: what to do, what not to do, who to trust, and—perhaps most importantly—the origins of werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural species.
And then there was the personal side of it. The other benefit. What, or rather who, was he? Vampire? Werewolf? Or something entirely different? He had no idea. For all he knew, he could be a bird or even a cat. The thought unsettled him, but part of him was intrigued. Being a bird, for instance, didn't sound so bad—after all, who didn't dream of soaring through the skies? But that was beside the point. The point was, he needed to know what he truly was, and the woman in front of him was the key.
"So," Chloe asked, her tone turning serious, "which one is it? The truth or the answer about what you are?"
Jayson took a deep breath. "I think the truth would be better for now," he said, his voice calm but determined. He could always figure out what he was later. Patience was necessary. He had to accept that the reality of the world had been hidden from humanity for far too long.
Chloe nodded in agreement and began.
"At the dawn of time, there were three major races that roamed the earth: the Great Wolves, the Vampires, and Humans. These three were known as the Progenitors. They possessed such immense power that they were on the brink of destroying their own world." She paused for a moment, allowing the weight of her words to settle.
"The race that stood at the pinnacle of power during the Progenitor era..." Chloe continued, her voice heavy with significance, "...was Humanity. The Humans recognized the destructive potential of their world and took it upon themselves to correct the imbalance."
"The first Human—the first Progenitor, the strongest of all—volunteered to sacrifice his immortality in order to separate the powers of the other races. This act gave birth to lesser beings like werewolves—a hybrid of Humans and Great Wolves, vampires, Great Eagles, Lava Mongers, and many others." She paused, letting Jayson absorb the magnitude of the information.
"Th… this is a lot to take in," Jayson muttered, rubbing his temples. He felt as if he'd just stepped into a fantasy world. Progenitors, Great Wolves, Vampires... and Humans at the top? His mind struggled to grasp it. If he hadn't been bitten by a werewolf, he might've dismissed all of this as pure fantasy. But what happened in Burn-Down Town was still vivid in his mind, and his transformed body was the stark reminder that everything Chloe said was real.
"So, what made Humans so powerful?" he asked, still trying to understand.
Chloe leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming with knowledge. "Humans are the perfect vessels for power. Think of them as a blank canvas—one that can absorb and wield any power without being destroyed by it."
Jayson nodded slowly, intrigued. "So, like elements?"
"Exactly. But it's more than just elements. Some humans are born with unique abilities—things like telekinesis or even flight."
Jayson leaned in, signaling for her to continue, but before she could, he paused.
"How powerful was the Human Progenitor?"
"Let me finish," Chloe replied with a sigh, rolling her eyes slightly before continuing.
"After the powers of the three races were separated, the Human Progenitor realized he had made a grave mistake. The goal had been to save the Earth, but instead, they had created a new problem. They had divided the powers, yes, but the outcome was not what they had expected. The Earth began to deteriorate at an accelerated pace."
Jayson frowned as she spoke.
"The population of the world surged to unsustainable levels, causing nature to spiral out of control. Energy and resources were rapidly depleting. Within a few years, the Earth would be reduced to nothing but a husk."
"How did they try to fix it?" Jayson asked, the sense of foreboding growing.
"The Human Progenitor, desperate to prevent total destruction, sacrificed the ten leaders of the newly created powerful races to create the Thesseratts—artifacts designed to seal the Progenitors and other powerful beings."
Jayson's eyes widened. "Why did they use lesser races to create the Thesseratts?"
Chloe took a sip from her mug, her eyes narrowing slightly. "The lesser races contained wisps of Progenitor genes. It was through these genes that they were able to craft a containment mechanism capable of sealing the more powerful beings."
Jayson's mind was racing. "So, are the other races still here? The ones who weren't sealed?"
Chloe leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable. "The Earth is far larger than you think. Imagine it... twenty times bigger than what you know."
Jayson blinked, trying to process this new revelation. "Wait, are you telling me that everything I learned in school is wrong? That all of our history has been... flipped upside down?"
Chloe nodded. "The Earth has been divided into eleven expanses. Ten of them are controlled by the Ten main races, each overseeing one expanse. The eleventh expanse... well, it's controlled by beings we still don't fully understand—powerful beings, at that."
Jayson frowned. "Don't you think some of the Progenitors might have escaped the seals?"
Chloe hesitated. "It's a possibility, but it's highly unlikely."
"Why?"
"I can't tell you."
Jayson's curiosity grew as Chloe's expression shifted slightly.
"A pact was made centuries ago to prevent races from invading each other's territories. But over time, that pact began to break down, and the cause of it all? The Thesseratts."
His ears perked up at the mention of the Thesseratts. "So, people are still fighting for them?"
"Yes. The Thesseratts contain unimaginable power, and it's said they can grant the abilities of the Progenitors themselves. Wars have been fought, and even now, battles rage underground for control of the Thesseratts. They will stop at nothing to possess them."
Jayson's eyes narrowed. "Is that why you're here... in Human territory?"
Chloe shrugged indifferently. "That's not your concern."
"Fair enough," Jayson muttered, the gravity of her words weighing on him.