Some years back.
Kaiden and his cohort had just returned to Moonstone Meadow. A tranquil, dreamlike meadow filled with moon-petaled flowers and glittering crystals with bioluminescence that dance to the light of the moon.
He and his cohort had slain a loathsome beast. He rode into the palace with the head of the beast on a long spear to warn other monsters of humanity's might. Everyone was shouting their praise. The heroes had returned.
"You completed an impossible mission and showed bravery beyond anyone I've ever seen. For your exceptional skill, I'll grant you the title of superhunter, and tonight, we feast." The king declared while handing out the cohort their rewards.
"Thank you, my Lord. I've sworn to vanquish these vile creatures back to the abyss; I'm doing only my duties." Kaiden said, bowing his head as low as possible to the king.
"How admirable. It's a good thing to have an icon such as yourself under me. The youth could learn a thing or two from you." He commended him while laughing.
The king, once known as the president, now ruled over cities. With the earth now a dystopian world, most of the surviving humans came together to establish a system of living and governance different from that which was known.
The moment Kaiden and his cohort stepped out of the palace, a woman rushed to hug Kaide, Kaiden's twin brother. They share a passionate hug; they were about to kiss when Kaiden's voice interrupted their heartfelt reunion.
""It's nice to see you again, Kayla."
"Nice to see you too. It would seem you took good care of my kaide as usual," she said with a warm smile.
"Well, it was without much trouble if you know what I mean," Kaiden said, and she chuckled.
"I'm standing right here, you know," Kiade said, walking away.
"I better catch up to Mr. Grumpy. It was nice seeing you again; we'll meet at the honorary celebration later." She said and waved to Kaiden.
Kaiden, Kai, his best friend, and Camila, who were both the other remaining members of his cohort, went to where the ceremony would take place. After a few drinks and a hearty discussion, the ceremony then commenced. The king took a spoon and hit it against his glass; there was total silence.
"Today we celebrate the rise of the 43rd superhunter and the youngest in recorded history. A man of might and wonders. We are happy to have you here with us. Cheers!!"
"Cheers!" The crowd responded, and soon, everyone was digging their faces into their meals.
Some women were serving, and Kaiden noticed that one of them was exceptionally beautiful. So, he decided to do whatever a man would do. Talk to her, even though Camila was against the idea.
"Hey. Haven't seen you around these parts. What's your name?"
"Astrid Valois. I was raised northern walls" she replied.
The two of them went on to talk for a while. Kaiden wouldn't place it but something different about her, something... special.
Astrid's eyes, initially filled with warmth and curiosity, turned predatory, a flicker of crimson dancing in their depths. "I've never been to these celebrations," she said, a hint of a whisper in her voice. "They seem… lively."
Her words, laced with an underlying tension, sent a shiver down Kaiden's spine, but he chalked it up to the potent wine she had been indulging him in. He offered her a hearty laugh.
"Lively is one way to put it. Let's get you a drink. You'll be glad you came." He insisted.
The night wore on, a whirlwind of boisterous cheers, clinking glasses, and shared stories. Kaiden, fueled by the potent brew and Astrid's captivating presence, found himself swept away. He drank deeply, his inhibitions waning with each passing moment. He barely noticed as Astrid led him away from the throng, down a secluded path, the moon's silver light casting long, eerie shadows.
The air grew cold, a stark contrast to the warmth of the celebration. As they reached a clearing, bathed in the ethereal glow of bioluminescent crystals, Astrid turned, her smile now a chillingly sharp curve. The scent of lilies, previously pleasant, now carried an almost metallic tang.
"You are… quite delicious," she purred, her voice a seductive rasp.
Kaiden, disoriented and drunk, didn't register the danger until he felt a sharp sting on his neck. Pain, hot and searing, erupted through him. He lurched back, his eyes widening in horror as he saw Astrid, her face now illuminated by a strange inner glow, her fangs bared.
" Come on. Don't be so surprised" she said.
How had a vampire breach the palace without being caught?? Had their enchanted wall failed??
He was being drained, his blood being sucked away. It felt like fire coursing through his veins, a primal scream trapped in his throat. He thrashed, his strength fueled by a primal terror that defied the alcohol's numbing effects.
Astrid, caught off guard by his resistance, stumbled. In the struggle, their bodies collided, and she screamed in surprise as a sudden jolt of searing pain shot through her. It was then he tasted it, a metallic tang, the blood of a vampire.
The taste, intoxicating, primal, drove him into a frenzy. He lunged at Astrid, tearing at her throat, his own fangs erupting from his gums in a horrifying transformation. He tasted her blood, the bitter, metallic nectar of a creature of the night, and it fueled the rage that burned within him.
He tore free from her grasp, his movements erratic, fueled by a terrifying mix of rage and the alien power surging through his veins. The scene that followed was a movements of destruction, a nightmare born in the moonlight. He smashed through the celebration, a dark shadow of his former self, his mind a storm of primal urges.
He saw Kayla, her face contorted in terror as she saw the monster he had become. The pain of his own transformation, the loss of control, the memory of Astrid's blood in his mouth, all coalesced into a blinding fury. He ripped into her, his fangs bared, his eyes glowing with a crimson light.
The screams, the pleas, the chaos of the celebration, all blurred together into a blurr of horror. Kaiden, the hero, the superhunter, was gone. In his place stood a creature of the night, driven by a thirst for blood and the maddening pain of his own transformation.
He felt a sharp, agonizing pain in his own chest, a wound ripped into his flesh. Someone had stabbed him, a desperate attempt to stop him. He saw their faces, filled with fear and hatred, and in that moment, a flicker of his former self, a shred of humanity, forced him to retreat. He stumbled away, his body wracked with pain, his mind on the verge of shattering, leaving behind the carnage he had wrought.
He stumbled through the dark, leaving behind the celebration, the meadow, the life he once knew. He was a monster, a creature of the night, forever changed by the blood of a vampire. His journey, his purpose, everything was lost, replaced by the burning thirst for blood that now consumed him. The echo of the king's celebratory toast rang in his ears, a mocking reminder of the hero he had been, the monster he had become.
Regaining little of his senses, he sworn never to kill again. He curves a coffin for himself, entered it and rolled from the edge of a cliff trying to kill himself.