The Hexling

Melinda's eyes remained fixed on the mysterious figure, her mind racing with possibilities.

Was that the Hexling??

Hexlings were mythical creatures who possessed the magic of a witch, but the only difference was their looks. Witches were beautiful creatures, while hexlings were the opposite.

The hexling stood at around 5'2" with a wiry, athletic build. Her skin was a dark, ashen gray, and her hair was a wild tangle of black locks with malevolent, glowing undertones. Her eyes burned with an inner fire, radiating an aura of malevolence. A twisted pattern of markings adorned her cheeks and forehead, pulsing with a sickly, greenish glow. She wore a tattered, black dress adorned with tiny bones and skulls and a twisted, thorny pendant that pulsed with a sickly, yellowish light. Her presence seemed to darken the air around her, casting a shadowy pallor over the surroundings. Her twisted, cruel smile promised unspeakable horrors, and Melinda felt a shiver run down her spine as the hexling's gaze locked onto hers.

"Last time I checked, this was a vampire's town. What are you doing here?" Melinda asked, making sure to say the 'you' in obvious distaste.

"Pray, let us overlook the fact that your words bore a certain... discourtesy, spoken as they were in my hearing." The hexling uttered, speaking in a manner that didn't exist in this century anymore.

"Bitch, let's not overlook anything. You're uglier than I've heard." Melinda retorted with a slight roll of her eyes.

Caroline, who was standing beside her, snorted, trying to hold her laughter. Melinda will never change.

"Indeed, Melinda, do you think your words can pierce my heart? I have endured a lifetime of scorn and ridicule. Your insult is hardly sufficient to ruffle my composure." The hexling smiled, revealing crooked, yellowing teeth.

"What happened to Middlesburg? Why is it empty?" Melinda demanded, her face becoming solemn. 

"Empty? Middlesburg is anything but empty, and even you know that. I'm sure you can feel vampires everywhere."

"But this place is literally abandoned." Caroline raised a brow at the hexling. "Unless..."

"It's being cloaked…" Melinda and Caroline stated at the same time.

"Why? Why are you cloaking this town, and what do I even have to do with it?" Melinda inquired.

"Oh, you have a significant connection to this matter. Are you familiar with the Mistwalkers? They are a coven of witches dedicated to eradicating vampires. They track and slay the undead worldwide. Although they were once thwarted when vampires took over Middlesburg, they have returned, more formidable than ever. It is only a matter of time before they come for you, which is why you have been led here and also the reason the vampires begged me to cloak this town for them."

"Are you the one who placed that ring on my fingers when I was first turned?" Melinda asked because she still didn't understand how the ring got to her fingers and then somehow disappeared. The ring was probably the work of the person who has turned her. But vampires didn't have the power to make a ring irremovable, so it definitely was the work of a witch or a hexling.

"I have no business with a ring or whatsoever but know someone who might." The hexling stated. "Once I uncloak this town and make it visible, you can go in and ask about it."

"So what you are saying is that you have no single idea about the ring?"

"Indeed, the ring's disappearance has nothing to do with me, but it is a sign to you, Melinda. ' Tis a call to return to your roots and uncover the secrets of your past. You must enter the town, speak with its people, and discover who holds the truth about the ring and your destiny."

"How exciting. My past is calling. Again. Time to go digging up old secrets, stirring up forgotten drama, and making new enemies, I suppose. Because, clearly, my life wasn't complicated enough already." Melinda rolled her eyes.

"I don't know you much, but trouble surrounds you like a shroud, a dark and foreboding presence. A great storm is brewing, and it would be wise to uncover its secrets before it's too late. Heed this warning, and perhaps you'll avoid the darkness that's coming."

Melinda's eyes narrowed, her mouth opening to retort, but Hexlin raised a hand, silencing her.

Without another word, Hexlin swept her arm across the town, as if drawing aside a curtain. The buildings, streets, and inhabitants seemed to shimmer, like the surface of a pond disturbed by a stone. The illusion of a quaint, peaceful town dissolved, revealing a darker, more sinister reality.

Melinda's eyes widened as she took in the unclothed town. Caroline, standing beside her, gasped in shock. The town's true nature was laid bare: crumbling buildings, twisted alleyways, and inhabitants with eyes that glowed like embers in the dark.

But as Melinda and Caroline gazed upon the town, Hexlin vanished from sight. She had been standing on the edge of the hidden town, and now she was gone, swallowed by the shadows.

The cloaked town pulsed with an electric energy, its streets teeming with vampires of all ages and styles. The air was alive with the hum of whispered secrets, the scent of blood and smoke hanging heavy over the crowded market stalls.

Exotic goods from all corners of the world were on display: rare, glowing spices; delicate, gemstone-encrusted fangs; and strange, pulsing artifacts that seemed to defy explanation. The sound of laughter, music, and haggling filled the air, creating a dizzying cacophony that was both mesmerizing and overwhelming. Despite being in the year 2020, the town had a distinctly medieval feel, with timber-framed buildings, cobblestone streets, and ornate, Gothic spires reaching towards the sky. Yet, amidst the ancient architecture, modern touches abounded: neon signs flickered above the market stalls, and the distant thrum of hovercars could be heard, a reminder that this was a town that existed in both the past and the present.

As Melinda and Caroline walked through the crowded streets, they moved with a confident air, their supernatural presence drawing nods of respect from the vampires they passed.

Caroline's witch senses tingled with the town's dark energy, while Melinda's vampire instincts hummed with the promise of power and intrigue.