That evening, there was nothing to do in the office except to stare at the window, maybe sinking into his thoughts and re-imagining how things could have been different. It was an exercise he indulged in often, replaying past events in order to find the best outcome possible.
His memories were still fresh, bringing into light how he was proud of his name and trying his best to become a great magician. But things took a wrong turn after the big disaster.
It wasn't easy to survive but as a hero, he emerged.
After staring outside the window for an hour, Louis got up from his seat and found it important to study humans more, especially the one that made him recall past feelings. He could still taste the emotions in his heart, even if it wasn't working properly anymore.
That human was peculiar in his eyes. He had his fair share of meeting humans during his life but that one, there was something wrong about her. When he looked into her eyes, he sensed a deep hole, like an abyss threatening to swallow anything around her.
There was a reason why she had an effect on him. Some kind of ability or some kind of curse… The way she behaved was also different. Ten years ago, he established his shadow organization in the heart of human city. He researched all houses and got to learn about the history he missed.
Aurora Leah Atkinson was known for being one of the offerings to keep the peace. All offerings weren't lied to, they were told the truth coated in honey and dreams. Certainly not what she told him.
He chuckled thinking about how she would be reacting to how she couldn't remember much of him.
He reached a hand into his wall fridge and pulled an ice tea. After freshening himself up, he set on his path to walk amongst humans. He wore his usual outfit, putting a hat over his head to hide his face.
In the middle of the New Arcadia existed the Aegis Spire. It was a tall tower that sheltered the city and protected it from the monsters outside. The spire was connected to rings that divided the city into areas, following several rules. Towering above the skyline, the barrier pulsed with a faint, otherworldly glow.
Louis stood in the middle of walking humans, still wondering how such a barrier could exist without the use of magic. He was curious about the process and how humans relied on their technology more than magic. He could understand that magic could be seen as a foreign substance, since humans didn't grow into it. But what he couldn't understand was why they shunned it.
Louis leaped to a ring that divided the Elysium Tier and Solaris Ring and stood there. His curiosity led him to research what humans did to make such a city. A lot of his free time was spent discovering gadgets humans use in their daily basis, which was why he acquired a residence in Solaris Ring. Not too close to the rick, not too poor.
His crimson eyes scanned the bustling cityscape, a glimmer of respect in their depths. Despite building this city on blood, it was admirable how humans had come this far. Vampires, on the other hand, moved at a glacial pace, still trapped in their slow minds and how they viewed their long lives.
Maybe what will kill the vampires is speed, he chuckled, thinking how ironic it was.
As he fixed his gaze on humans scurrying like ants, two figures approached. Louis didn't sense them at all at first. The only thing that gave them away was the sound of their boots thrumming around him.
His eyes narrowed when he smelled a flowery aroma of a woman's perfume. He tilted his head, his senses sharpening.
The first figure was a petite woman with a commanding presence. She stepped forward, her blue eyes blazing with confidence. Her white uniform was pristine, marked with blue accents and a gleaming insignia.
Their eyes locked into a silent battle.
Beside her, a tall man loomed, twice her size. Louis was considered taller than the average humans, even the vampires in nowadays but this man was still taller, as if his stature was an ability he was born with. His bald head attracted Louis' sharp gaze, reflecting the faint glow of the ring. He was also wearing a white uniform that couldn't contain his sheer bulk. However, unlike the woman, the man seemed to wear an additional armor on top of his uniform, which helped him extenuate his aura of menace.
With hands behind her back, she checked where Louis was staring. The woman couldn't fathom why a vampire like him was going to such great lengths to linger between humans.
"Impressive," he started. "I don't recall inviting company to give me misery."
"You've been difficult to track," the woman said, her voice firm and even. "Though you're hardly what I expected."
Louis turned his entire body to face her, his lips curling into a faint smile. "How intriguing!"
He never met them before but knew of them.
"What are CODEX dogs doing here?"
The man grimaced. He didn't like Louis addressed him.
"Don't you like dogs, tall man?"
Louis reached into the pocket of his leather jacket, fingers brushing against a pack before the hand emerged with a single cigarette. With practiced ease, he tapped it twice against the back of his hand before bringing it to his lips. While his other hand looked for a lighter in his inside pocket, the man answered.
"I don't recommend insulting us, vermin. You vampires think you own the world. Humans are far too intelligent to believe your bullshit."
Louis cupped his hands around the lighter, his eyes heavy with something unspoken. He took his first drag and a plume of smoke curled into the air. He exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction before he brought his attention back to the two sentinels.
"You misunderstand me. I called you dogs because it's a compliment. I admire your tenacity in following orders to the letter. If you took offense over that, then you should rework the definition of the word in your head."
Louis took a slow drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke with measured breath. His gaze never wavered. It was more like he enjoyed the situation.
"I don't own the world," he said simply. "And I don't fear it either. But… I do like to give compliments to people who deserve it. After all, you found me after working hard. Not anyone can simply get wind of me."
The man scoffed. The woman didn't like how the conversation was straying from the object at hand. Wasting time in inappropriate conversations wasn't part of the mission. She mirrored Louis' fake smile.
"I'm Captain Serena Vale," she intoned. "This is Lieutenant Garren Kross and as you declared, we're with CODEX."
Louis nodded.
"Good! You're CODEX dogs. CODEX… Humanity's attempt at order amidst the chaos. I doubt you're here to chat. What do you want from me?"
Serena's gaze shifted from Louis to the city, back to Louis again. She wanted to know where Louis came from. They searched for him for weeks and it was only now that he emerged, as if he never existed, even the cyborgs couldn't catch his frequency.
"CODEX wants you to join its ranks. Please follow me so that you seal the contract."
Louis was amused. He wondered how his feelings would be if that human touched him. He did a mental note to check it in the next few days.
"You see, dogs are remarkable creature," he replied, earning confusion from the female agent. "Loyal, brave and fiercely protective of those they care about. They don't betray. They don't deceive either."
"We are not interested in dogs, mister Louis. We ask you to follow us without conflict. You're not supposed to be here and we're willing to overlook that. CODEX can even give you free movement within the city instead of hiding as you always did. Our commanders believe you belong to CODEX because of your peculiarity and you shouldn't be left out for long."
CODEX was an organization that only collected people who weren't normal. He wondered if CODEX learnt of the human, would they add her to their ranks? She could be one of their pawns.
He didn't like the idea.
"How flattering! But CODEX has failed to take one thing into consideration, I'm not a dog."
Garren's anger flared. Watching the vampire look down upon them didn't sit right with him.
"You're just spinning words, vampire," he raged. "I don't see why CODEX wants a pest like you. Follow us or we will drag you by force."
Garren clenched his fists, showing intent to finish this mission fast. Serena glared at him but it wasn't enough to stop his anger. The man only took a step back.
"We're offering you a golden opportunity, mister Louis," Serena tried again. "Whatever peculiarity you have, CODEX will give you the power to use it without consequences. Do you think your vampire brethren will accept what you're doing? There's a clear treaty between both species and no one's meant to invade the other's land."
"I'm afraid CODEX means little to me. You could only find me because I allowed you to, not the other way around and you know that. I suggest that you leave and I'll forget that CODEX has disrespected me."
Serena and Garren exchanged a few looks before the man lunged forward without warning. His massive frame closed the distance in an instead, his fist swinging at Louis' face. But his attack didn't connect. It passed through a wisp of shadow. Louis appeared a few paces away, his posture relaxed, his hand cupped around his lighter to light a new cigarette.
"Predictable," he said softly. "Humans are always so eager to use brute force to get what they want."
Serena was surprised for a few seconds. No one told them what the individual they were tasked to bring back could do. They were only told that he was peculiar enough to get a high rank within the organization.
Serena was honestly shocked to hear that the individual was a vampire. But considering her blind loyalty, she would never question any of her orders.
The woman acted as quick as Garren's attack didn't land. She drew a sleek weapon from her belt and fired a precise burst of energy. It was meant to stun the vampire but Louis was gone for a moment, dissolving into the shadows before reappearing behind her.
"Your reaction is quicker than I expected," he murmured, a hand placing over her head. "But not quick enough."
She fired her gun but he was gone again, appearing behind Garren, with a hand on his bald head. Garren was ready to punch but the shadows thickened, drowning them both in darkness. Her eyes couldn't follow his movements anymore. The system was useless now.
"If you're so confident, stop running!" Garren yelled.
Louis appeared right outside the miasma of shadows, standing upside down on the underside of the ring's upper strut, smokes following a long trail.
"I'm not wasting my energy in a doomed battle. You can't even touch me. Moreover, you won't remember much after I leave."
The cloud of shadows slowly dispersed, leaving behind two confused people. Serena looked around, a headache pulsing briefly. She was certain there was someone but her memories betrayed her.
"What just happened?"
Garren's confusion disappeared as quick as it settled. He couldn't understand what they were doing on the ring. Apparently, his gauntlets were also activated but he couldn't get why.
Serena checked the system through her watch. Her eyes were equipped with lenses that could predict the next movements of an opponent in three seconds. However, it wasn't a perfect technology.
The watch projected a hologram that replayed a recording of the battle, exposing a silhouette shrouded in shadows. The face wasn't clear but there was someone.
"It seems we found our target but he slipped out of our hands. Let's bring back what we collected so far. It's not wise to engage in combat without knowing more about our recruit."
Garren grunted. Despite the system recording the battle, the silhouette's face didn't appear at all. The person was positioned in ways that stopped Serena's gaze from meeting his face.
The recording started with them getting close to a man with a hat that protected his face from being divulged. Then the battle started after a few exchanged words. Every time the man emerged, Serena's gaze was looking elsewhere, as if the vampire knew of their technology.
"What does CODEX see in a vampire like him?"
Serena glared at him. "We don't question orders… Furthermore, if he could hide himself this well, his ability should be premium. As long as it serves CODEX goal, whatever species he is from, we won't care."
As for Louis, he dissolved into the shadows and appeared amongst humans. He chose the most crowded place where he could mingle.
The Bus Terminal was the closest one.