Beep! Beep!
Beep! Beep!
Leo's eyelids flicked open, and he quickly sat up, his left hand tightly gripping a pocket knife hidden under his blanket. The attic window was above his bedside table, barred with 2 by 2 plank woods neatly nailed in rows.
Tiny rays of light trickled into the attic through the small gaps.
Today marked his fifteenth birthday, the 3rd death anniversary of his father --- Luthor Morningstar, and a year since his mother went missing.
At least, that was what the town folks said, but Leo knew the truth --- she abandoned him.
Leo lived in Hollow Night, a small town in Dallis, a state in the country of Averoth. The country was no more technologically advanced than early 20th-century Europe.
Five years ago, the world discovered irrefutable evidence of the existence of supernatural beings in the corpse of a werewolf.
This discovery changed and ruined everything.
Cold disappearance cases of teenagers from nightclubs, in short times, on hikes, and so many scenarios began reopening as the police reinvestigated with a more open-minded approach.
A month later, their investigations helped them uncover an underground human trafficking ring run by what was best described as vampires.
The discovery of vampires changed the game. It made the world aware of monsters masquerading as humans and living amongst them.
Humans reacted as expected; a state of emergency was declared, and the government unleashed the military on these beasts to combat these trafficking rings.
What many expected to be an easy task for the country's strong military turned into a one-sided slaughter. It didn't take long before they learned guns were ineffective against these monsters, and by the time they did, hundreds of soldiers were already dead.
All in one night.
What was that saying --- If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back.
These supernatural beings were once satisfied living in the darkness and preying on humans at night, but now humans knew they existed, they had no reason to hide.
Wolf packs sprang up around the country.
Cults of Yaka rivalled the number of parishes that could be found in towns and cities.
Ancient vampire families, supposedly deeply rooted in the country's economy, appeared.
Stories of popular politicians and high-ranking military officials being cursed to death frequented the front pages of news stations. Rumor has it that the eleventh sister's witch coven considered their fight against unique beings of nature a treasonable offense.
How did humans react? --- Greater force!
On May 10th, 1905, President Malcolm declared war on the supernatural world. Ten minutes later, he died by choking on his saliva.
They said a maid in the Yellow House was a part of the eleventh witch coven, and she acquired a piece of the president's hair while cleaning his room.
That was all they needed to end his life.
He was quickly replaced by Field Marshall Gate, general of the army and emergency Head of State.
Unfortunately, the military was useless, too; many high-ranking officials were either vampires or served powerful vampire families.
Others were loyal members of the Yaka cult, and some were members of several wolf packs.
The country had been tainted from within, so the war was bound to end in defeat. Regardless, the battle was fought, spearheaded by a few brave officers, including Colonel Morningstar, Leo's father.
On the 1st of September 1907, the world witnessed what they called the Black Assembly. Top military officials spearheaded the war against the supernatural beings gathered at the capital; Ashborough, where they were all slaughtered.
Their security team was compromised, and their location was revealed.
What happened from there was a blur. Families of top political and military officers were silently disposed of. The media painted the late field marshal and his officers as coup plotters.
The media preached unity, multiculturalism, and acceptance. Families of the deceased soldiers were placed on a lifetime death benefit.
Leo was 5'10" with messy shoulder-length amber hair that complimented his unique golden eyes. He was a fifteen-year-old with a muscular build.
His single bed was at the top left edge of the room, with a bedside table and an old but functional alarm clock. At the foot of the bed was a punching bag with red boxing gloves hanging on the wall.
On the right side were 5, 10, and 20 kg dumbbells. They were neatly arranged on the lower shelf of the wardrobe, which only had two boxes of clothes on the top shelf and his shoe collection in the middle.
Leo got out of bed and dropped to the ground. He completed 200 pushups in four sets of fifty with a 5-minute rest time interval.
After that, he did 100 sit-ups and 100 leg lifts. Three-minute plank with five minutes rest time in three sets and finally 200 squats with 20 kg dumbbells.
By the time Leo was done, it was 6:55 am. He went down the attic to the first-floor living room. To the left were three doors --- the study room and two bedrooms, while the bathroom was on the right side of the first floor.
Leo went straight downstairs, taking the first turn left into the kitchen. He walked past the rectangular counter at the center and straight to the refrigerator.
Glup-glup!
Chilled cow milk slurped down his throat as he chugged down half the contents of the 2-liter bottle in a go. This was one of the perks of living alone in one of the few duplexes in town.
Luthor Morningstar's military achievements are reflected in his wealth, which was willed to Leo. At 15, Leo was considered a minor, meaning he didn't have the legal right to manage or control his father's wealth and properties on his own.
His inheritance was currently managed by his mother, who he hadn't seen for a year. All he had was a debit card linked to a well-funded account, but he had never bothered to use it since he didn't need it because of the monthly π 4,000 (Thal) death benefit, which was directly sent to their mail in cash.
This was more than enough to cover the monthly expenses.
Leo was the orphan rich kid living in a safe big boy neighborhood in a small town. One could easily pass him off as the billionaire playboy of Hallow Night, except for the fact that Leo hated everyone.