Desmond sat at the kitchen table, the faint light of morning filtering through the blinds. The smell of eggs and toast filled the air, but his appetite was nowhere to be found. He stared into his coffee, swirling it absently. The events of the night before played over and over in his mind, especially the words that haunted him:
"He's awake now."
The phrase echoed in his head. Who was "he"? And why did it feel like it held more weight than just some random statement?
Elias walked in, his movements calm and deliberate. He grabbed a blood bag from the fridge and began sipping it nonchalantly. "You look like someone who's seen a ghost."
Desmond didn't respond at first, just letting the question hang in the air. After a long moment, he finally said, "More like someone who's realized he might be in over his head."
Elias raised an eyebrow as he set the empty bag aside. "Took you long enough."
Desmond rolled his eyes but couldn't deny the truth in Elias's words. Everything he thought he knew was wrong, and he was being pulled deeper into a world he barely understood. A world that was bigger—and more dangerous—than anything he'd ever imagined.
The afternoon sun was high when the training began. The air was warm and dry, and the space around them was eerily silent, except for the sound of Desmond's labored breath as he attempted to land a punch on Elias. Elias, always a step ahead, easily dodged the strike and countered with a swift motion that sent Desmond stumbling back.
"You're improving," Elias said, his tone neutral. "But you're still holding back."
Desmond grunted, wiping sweat from his brow. "I don't know how much more I can push myself."
"You're stronger than you think. And you're changing faster than you realize." Elias's words hung in the air, making Desmond pause.
He didn't like the sound of that.
The truth was, Desmond could feel it too. Something inside him had shifted since the first day he'd started training. His reflexes were sharper, his endurance greater. His body was adjusting to the supernatural changes faster than any human should. And it scared him.
As the day turned to evening, Desmond found himself in bed, his body exhausted but his mind racing. The moment he closed his eyes, sleep came crashing down on him, and the darkness took over.
This time, there was no peaceful rest.
He was back in the void.
The swirling abyss of chaotic energy that had once consumed him. Desmond had thought he'd left it behind, but it was there, waiting for him. The air crackled with tension, as if the very fabric of reality itself was about to snap.
He wasn't alone.
A voice, low and chilling, broke through the silence.
"You weren't supposed to leave."
Desmond's heart raced. He could feel the presence of something ancient, something powerful, just beyond his reach.
"What do you want?" he demanded. His voice echoed through the dark, but there was no answer. Only the laughter.
It wasn't human.
"Now that you're here... we'll be watching."
The voice grew fainter, but the ominous feeling remained. Desmond didn't know who—or what—he was dealing with, but he knew that he wasn't the only one who had been trapped in that void.
And whoever—whatever—had been waiting for him would not let him forget it.
Desmond jerked awake with a gasp, his body covered in cold sweat. His room was dark, save for the pale light of the moon casting long shadows across the floor. He sat up quickly, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
His pulse was racing, and his mind was swirling with fragments of the dream—or vision, or whatever it had been.
Across the room, Elias sat in a chair, sharpening one of his knives. The sound of the blade scraping against the stone floor was the only noise in the room. He didn't look up as Desmond stirred.
"Bad dream?" Elias asked without missing a beat.
Desmond didn't answer immediately. He stood up, walking to the window, his eyes scanning the quiet night. "Something's out there, Elias. And it's not going to just sit back and watch."
Elias finally met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "We'll deal with it when the time comes."
Desmond wasn't so sure. There was something darker than they had anticipated, and it was only a matter of time before it found its way to them.
And when it did, Desmond had a feeling he wouldn't be ready.