A man stepped onto the scene with a measured, confident stride. His long imperial blue coat, tailored to perfection, swept the floor with each step. The coat's deep hue contrasted with his dark brown cargo pants, which, despite their casual nature, somehow added to his air of authority. On his left wrist, an expensive silver watch caught the faint hallway light, hinting at his status without flaunting it. But it was the badge pinned to the right side of his belt that truly commanded attention, gleaming as a symbol of his role in this grim tableau.
He surveyed the scene with a calm, analytical gaze before settling his eyes on Arlo, who stood frozen, his mind a whirlwind of terror and confusion. "Are you OK?" the man asked, his voice a perfect blend of calm reassurance and unyielding authority. It was the kind of voice that could both soothe and command, a voice that expected and usually received immediate answers.
But Arlo could only stare blankly, his thoughts too chaotic to form words. The images of the previous night—the blood, the horror—played in a relentless loop in his mind. The detective, observing Arlo's state of shock, recognized the need for care. He nodded slightly, signaling to the nearby officers. he ordered, his tone brooking no delay.
One of the officers moved swiftly, gently guiding Arlo away from the scene. Arlo's steps were faltering, his body moving as if on autopilot, his mind numb to the world around him. The officer led him towards the waiting ambulance, where he would be checked for shock, his physical presence the only evidence of the nightmare he had barely survived.
As Arlo was escorted away, a young woman approached the detective with a brisk efficiency. She was in her early twenties, her appearance immaculate. A crisp white shirt tucked into a mid-length skirt emphasized her professionalism, while her short hair, neatly combed to one side, added a touch of youthful energy. In her hands, she held a tablet and pen, ready to document every detail with the precision of a seasoned secretary.
"No evidence confirms a struggle by the victim," she reported, her voice steady and factual. "It's as if whatever killed them did it in a snap—"
"Snap," the detective echoed, snapping his fingers sharply, the sound resonating in the otherwise quiet hallway. He glanced at Miss Lopéz, his eyes narrowing as thoughts began to align in his mind. "I think we have more than enough clues," he said, his tone thoughtful yet determined.
He fell silent, lost in contemplation. "These demons were silent for many centuries," he mused, the weight of history pressing on his shoulders. "And now they've finally decided to make a move again."
Without another word, the detective turned and left the crime scene. His mind was a storm of thoughts, each one more troubling than the last. The past, with all its dark secrets and ancient threats, seemed to be clawing its way back into the present. There was no time to waste—he needed to delve deeper into the investigation, to uncover the truth before more lives were lost.
Flashback: The War in Shadows
In the distant past, long before the comforts of modern civilization, the world was a darker place. Demons, malevolent creatures born of darkness and malice, roamed freely across the lands. They were predators of the highest order, feeding on humans with an insatiable hunger. But it was not just flesh they craved—it was the despair, the fear, the very essence of their victims that sustained them.
These demons possessed abilities beyond human comprehension. They could manipulate human behavior with a mere thought, twisting the minds of their prey until they were nothing more than puppets. They could change their appearances at will, blending seamlessly into human society, hiding in plain sight. To the humans of that time, they were an unstoppable force, a terror that stalked them in the night. Their simple weapons—swords, spears, shields—were useless against such an enemy.
But in their arrogance, the demons overlooked a crucial fact: they were not the only beings of power in the world. Vampires, ancient and powerful, lived alongside humans, though they remained hidden from the world. Unlike the demons, vampires held a certain disdain for their vile counterparts. They were natural enemies, two sides of a dark coin, each despising the other.
The human king, facing the annihilation of his people, sought out the Vampire Kings. In his desperation, he offered them a secret passed down through generations—Conjurare, an ancient magic incantation. This spell, it was said, could summon forces beyond the understanding of any living being. It was a power too great for humans, who had long since lost the ability to wield magic because of the low Ourja handling capacity within their body.
The king knew the value of what he offered. Conjurare was a last resort, a weapon of unimaginable power. But faced with extinction, he had no choice. In exchange for their protection, the king offered the vampires this priceless knowledge.
The Vampire Kings, recognizing the severity of the threat posed by the demons, agreed to the bargain. An alliance was formed, uniting humans and vampires against a common enemy. The war that followed was brutal, a clash of darkness and desperation. The vampires, with their strength and immortality, led the charge, while the humans fought alongside them, driven by the will to survive.
In the end, the alliance prevailed. The demons were nearly wiped out, their numbers reduced to a few scattered survivors who fled into hiding. The world believed the threat had been eliminated, that the demons would never dare to rise again. Humanity rebuilt, moving forward into a new era of peace, while the vampires returned to their hidden realms, watching from the shadows.
Return to the Present
The detective blinked, the dim light of his office bringing him back from the depths of his thoughts. He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling as if the answers to his questions were written there. The echoes of the ancient conflict still rang in his ears, a reminder that the past was never truly gone.
"Why now?" he muttered to himself, the question lingering in the air. "Why suddenly after all these years?"
The ticking of the clock on his desk was the only sound in the room, a reminder that time was moving forward, even as the shadows of the past threatened to reclaim their place in the world.
Chapter3-Ends