chapter three

Chord Gavenston owned a small studio apartment in Melville Street, one of the busiest streets in Columbus. By now the city was already clocking in at night time and the moon didn't waste any time to irradiate its crescent glow. People scurried like ants along the road as they entered in and out of the towering glass buildings. Most of them hefted headlong attitudes, not seeming to notice what happened around them as long they got to their destination.

Skyscrapers, restaurants, and street lights popped around like polka dots; accompanied by the traffic which continued to zigzag its way in and out like an endless puzzle. The city was unreadable yet there was a smell about it that invited the stimulation of danger, and the element of escape.

Chord and Castor had driven a bus to Columbus, which had arrived at the apartment complex in about half an hour. Castor had to withstand the constant rumblings that came from the rickety wheels and the smell of cottage cheese before they arrived at the city. As soon as they arrived, they washed away an hour as they grabbed a bite to eat at a nearby burger restaurant and then returned to the apartment. The building was tall and sturdy, showcasing solid window frames with an elegant door design and a stylized sign that read "Windsor Heights.

They entered a blank hallway (narrow enough to squeeze a worm out of its cacoon) full of mailboxes and then hopped on into a sleek elevator. The elevator hauled them up to a dimly lit floor until they arrived at room 34.

Castor was surprised at how pristine the room looked. The apartment harbored an agreeable porch view, two lofty white couches, a small tv, and a pleasurable marble counter which introduced the kitchen. There were several portraits that hung on the wall and Castor got the hint that they were recently bought.

"Welcome to my humble abode. You don't mind if I smoke, do you?"

"I still don't know your name," said Castor, as if that was the best thing he could cough up.

"Just call me Chord. Everyone does," said Chord idly as he fished his pockets for some cigarettes.

"I don't want to be here," Castor admitted. "I just want my mom back."

"I'm sorry kid but she's dead and there's nothing I can do about it," said Chord. Then he took a satisfying sigh and sat down on the couch. Chord's eyebrows furrowed, and he rubbed his hands together. There was a faint but noticeable pain in his gaze as he faced the porch.

"I knew your mother. We were really good friends back in school, but she was four years older than me and things between us sorta just faded away ya know? I still loved her but she had a thing for your father and we just didn't keep in touch that much."

There was a momentary pause that earned a fidget as the cars below roared along the road and shouts of agitated pedestrians echoed through the walls. Castor wasn't sure what to say, although questions were beginning to creep up inside his head.

"What I'm trying to get to is that several years after all that happened, your mom came to me one day and made me vow to look after you. I loved her so much that I sort of just went with it. So here I am."

"Do you know where my father is?" Castor asked with bated breath.

"No, she actually came to me as soon as he left."

"Did you ever like-talk to him?"

"I had my questions. Look, there was something else your mother wanted me to tell you. I didn't think it would be this soon but it seemed she knew since she came to me when it did."

"What?"

"You're set to go to a school called Aurelius Academy. Most kids that go there have powers and they use those powers to hunt monsters. The school will train you on how to hunt monsters with your powers along with some weapons that they assign to you. I didn't think you'd get yours this fast. Most kids blossom with theirs a few weeks after their tenth birthday. But you were remarkably fast, seeing as your birthday is tomorrow."

"How did you-"

"Again, your mother told me everything."

Chord handed him a letter. It was a bit crumpled but it was still legible.

Dear Castor Williams,

We are pleased to inform you that you show remarkable abilities as a monster hunter and we wish to invite you to Aurelius Academy. Our school is renowned for training the best monster hunters of our kind and training the most gifted and potential students out there. If you wish to accept this invite, just simply return this letter back to us with a signature.

If you choose to embark on this opportunity, there is a list of school items enclosed to you below that you need to bring by June 7th, which is the start of the summer term.

One sweater vest

One black blazer, black pants

One red and black striped tie

One white dress shirt

One a sword and one gun

Thank you, and I hope to be seeing you on June 7th!

Best wishes,

Headmistress Rain

Castor handed the letter back to Chord with trembling fingers and a rather dry mouth.

"R-remarkable abilities?" Castor questioningly chirped. "What abilities? I can barely make it through math class. I don't think I'm a monster hunter Chord."

Chord's cigarette perked upwards and his lips curled as he leaned his head forward. "You sure about that? Cuz I don't remember seeing that at the bleachers."

Castor was thrown back to the fire incident that occurred at the school bleachers. How unexpected and weird it had been. "I couldn't have caused that. It was just an accident."

But even as Castor said it, there was no denying the wooden chip that got stuck in his throat when he said it.

"And has there ever been a time when people mysteriously died around you?"

Castor was flung back to the memory of the three girls that died in his neighborhood.

"They were killed by monsters," Castor whispered to himself.

"You're a monster hunter Castor. Perfectly born and destined to be one, there's no denying it. You have the remarkable power to control fire Castor, and you need to be trained on how to use it, and how to hunt monsters. Face it, you're special. It's nothing to be ashamed about," said Chord proudly.

"I'm not ashamed ok? Just weirded out. Besides, I'm broke, and where would we even find these school items?"

To Castor's jolted aggrievance, Chord laughed.

"Don't worry, I'll pay for it. Most of the time you guys will be using school money anyway so you don't need to get in a panic. The items we'll be buying tomorrow is located at Monster's Emporium. It's challenging for folks here to find it because they don't see shit and simply because they're not monster hunters. We'll breeze by like it didn't even happen."

"Monster hunters use US dollars right?" Castor asked.

"Actually we use slugs. It's similar to a US dollar but it has more eyes on it and it constantly changes color. At Aurelius, you guys will be using Aurelius slugs. Same thing but it's translated into school currency."

"How will I be-"

"Trust me kid, you'll know. And speaking of broke, it looks like the time is as well. We should probably be kicking it, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and we only have two days until your term starts. Sleep tight Castor."

Castor, not really feeling up to it to find a bed, slumped on a nearby couch as Chord went to close the lights. Then Chord went out to the porch to resume his smoking. It was unclear to Castor what Chord was thinking about and when he had started to drift off into his slumber, but Castor was gradually feeling somewhat unsure that things would be much better than the events that occurred today. Uninvited questions were still floating around Castor's head. If he was a monster hunter, why hadn't his mother told him? Why hadn't he seen monsters in his entire life? Regardless of whether or not he was a monster hunter, why hadn't the monster that killed his mother swapped her for Zade?

As soon as one o'clock swerved around the corner, Castor revived himself from his sleep, and pranced to the elevator. He was going home. His mother would still be there somehow. Even if she was dead, at least her body will be there to remind Castor that he wasn't alone. That his life wasn't some type of joke; some type of lie. Castor had already made up his mind as soon as he slipped past that door.

When he reached the first floor, Castor waited for a bus at a nearby bus stop near the apartment complex. As the minutes dozed by, the frenzied streets began to loosen. Castor began to twiddle around the thought that perhaps he had rushed things a bit. Then he heard a dissatisfying noise scratch the air as it pounced all the way from an alleyway. The alleyway was located a leg buckling eye view away from Castor's left periphery and it made his stomach lurch. Someone was yelping out for help yet fear was strangling Castor to the bench.

Suddenly it came again. This time Castor got up and slowly limped toward the alleyway. His legs were wobbling like noodles and his fingers were fiddling uncontrollably. Then as soon as he turned into the looming entrance, he saw it. Standing no more than six feet away from him was an enlarged, meaty size of a creature with hair as frizzy as a winter's coat, teeth as jagged as a claw machine, and eyes as red and minacious as the eyes that dwell in your closet.

The creature gobbled up the limbs that it was savoring from its last victim, slurping every single one up as if it was its last meal. The body that laid flat, and limp underneath the shadows the monster was barely even considered a body anymore as the only parts that remained were the chest and head.

Suddenly the furry animal scented an observer, an enemy that only heightened its hunger, and automatically swerved toward Castor with heated steps. Castor, hypnotized to the spot could only attempt a fall as a stationary form of movement. Suddenly a man in a black cloak swept in front of Castor like a hawk and held out his hands. Instantly, a loud gust of wind began to reverberate from the man's palms and the monster was thrown into the air, clanging dreadfully near a trash can. The monster crawled out and bawled ravenously.

"Don't waste my time Chord, give me the kid." the monster snarled. For a second, Castor thought he heard enjoyment gutter out of the creature's voice. As if this confrontation was a thrill. As if it had done this for years.

"How about you scurry off and I'll let you off on a headstart before my MHA buddies come around," said Chord.

The frizzly monster's face twisted in fury but then it scampered away.

Chord turned to Castor, eyes flared and fists clenched.

"You completely disobeyed me! Why'd you leave?"

"Look, I don't need you to keep trying to save me. So just leave me alone ok? I just want to go home." Castor shouted as he wistfully swerved away.

"You think you'll be safe out there? Do you think the mirage of your mother is going to help you? Well, I can tell you that your head is still in the clouds. That Nightwalker was ready to claw your organs out and chew through your bones like gummy worms. You're not trained to fight them and going out there alone is suicide. And let me tell you, loneliness is the hardest thing you can ever fight. Worse than any Nightwalker you'll ever tussle with." Chord spat back.

There was something in the way Chord said Nightwalker that made Castor's heart throb.

"Nightwalker?"

"Yup. Nasty bloodthirsty creatures that dream nothing but to eat you, and they're a dime a dozen out there looking for kids just like you," said Chord.

There was a pause of silence. The worst pause of silence Castor had ever encountered. This time he had nowhere else to run. This time he was at an ultimatum.

"So go ahead, and run away. But remember this, you've made a choice and you can't take it back. You'll regret it one day, or maybe not."

Castor faced the circulating street, bracing the noise and city lights that attacked his body. Then he traipsed to the sturdy doors of the apartment.