In the evening, I got ready, anticipating the arrival of the individual sent by the Union of Races. My thoughts were racing—who would it be, and why had they chosen me? Before I could dwell too much on it, I heard a knock on the door.
I walked over and opened it. What greeted me was a tall man with a thick beard, dressed in a sturdy black jacket. He was so tall that he had to duck slightly to enter my house. His imposing presence filled the space.
The man extended his hand and introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Mark. Mark Wolf."
I shook his hand and asked curiously, "Are you… a werewolf?"
A glint of amusement flickered in his eyes as he replied, "Yes, I am. Is there an issue?"
I hesitated before answering. "No, not really. It's just that… a vampire sending a werewolf seems a bit unusual to me."
Mark chuckled, a deep sound that resonated in his chest. "Hmm, nice query. First, let me explain something to you, Mr. Adam. In the Union of Races, there is no discrimination between different species. The Union's main purpose is to ensure that no race faces extinction and to promote balance and peace."
That explanation left me pondering for a moment. So, a vampire sending a werewolf wasn't strange in this world, after all.
Mark glanced at his watch and said, "Let's not waste time. We've got a long journey ahead."
I grabbed a bag I had packed earlier. Mark noticed but didn't ask any questions. We stepped outside and started walking. I was still confused about what kind of transportation we were going to take, but I kept my questions to myself.
As we walked, we approached the woods near my village. That's when I saw it.
A ship.
It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Bigger than a pickup truck, sleek, and emanating an otherworldly aura, it looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. My mouth fell open in awe.
Mark stood beside me, smugly watching my reaction.
"This may not be the latest model," he said with a grin, "but it's still pretty expensive."
"Expensive?" I managed to say, still captivated by the sight.
"Yeah. Now let's not waste time. Get on."
Mark jumped onto the ship, and I followed. Inside, he walked over to the control bay. I couldn't help but marvel at the futuristic dashboard, with glowing buttons and levers. Mark pressed a button and spoke aloud.
"Autodrive activated. Invisible protective layer active. Destination: Base."
With a hum, the ship's engine roared to life. It rose from the ground horizontally and then, with a sudden burst of speed, it took off into the sky. I gripped my seat, stunned. This thing was faster than any Formula One car, train, or airplane I had ever seen.
After a while, Mark invited me to step outside with him for a drink. I hesitated but didn't want to look like a coward, so I followed him. We sat in reclining chairs, and Mark poured me a drink.
"You probably have some questions, Mr. Adam," he said, leaning back casually. "Go ahead and ask."
I nodded. "Where exactly are we going? I've never heard of a place called Vampire City."
Mark took a sip of his drink and smiled. "Hmm, okay. Let me introduce you to the real supernatural world and the unions."
He leaned forward, his expression serious. "The world you know? It's just a small part of the real world. The actual world is ten times larger than what you think it is."
"What?!" I nearly dropped my glass.
"Yes. The rest of the world is occupied by different species and magical beasts."
"Magical beasts?" I asked, still trying to process everything.
"Yes. They were the first living beings in this world, long before humans or any other species. After millions of years of evolution, we supernatural came to exist, and humans were the last evolutionary stage."
"What makes magical beasts so special?" I asked, intrigued.
Mark's face darkened. "Magical beasts are strong, wild, great in number and territorial. They believe that we—humans, vampires and werewolves—are occupying their lands. Because of this, they are the enemies of most races in the world."
He continued, vampires, wolves, and humans.
I sighed. "Let me guess—humans are at the bottom of the food chain?"
Mark chuckled. "Yes, but don't underestimate them. Humans might start off weak, but after they reach higher levels of power, they become some of the toughest beings to fight."
He leaned back again and said, "There are different types of unions in this world. Every species has its own union, which primarily focuses on the welfare of that particular species. Then there are specialized unions, like the Mage Union and the Witches Union."
"Mages and witches?" I asked, surprised. "Are they separate species?"
"No," Mark explained. "They're humans who have learned to harness different power sources. Mages control the world's elements—fire, water, air, earth—and their attacks are devastating. Their union focuses on increasing their influence and power. Witches are more focused on creation. This ship, for example, was created by them, along with many other magical items."
I nodded, trying to absorb all this new information.
"The Union of Races," Mark continued, "is different. It represents all species and exists to maintain balance. We operate under strict contracts and cannot act in a way that's biased toward any one species. Our job is to do what's best for the world as a whole."
I sat back, stunned by everything I had just learned. The world was far bigger—and far more dangerous—than I had ever imagined. And somehow, I had been thrown right into the middle of it.
As we flew through the sky, I couldn't help but wonder—what awaited me at the base?