Vampires at the Castle Gates

5,000 years ago, the Demon Lord and his five generals unleashed a torrent of demonic power upon the world. The very fabric of reality seemed to warp and tear under their influence. Mountains crumbled, oceans boiled, and the sky itself wept tears of fire. The Demon Lord, a being of unimaginable power, commanded legions of monstrous creatures, each eager to carry out his destructive will. Humanity, along with the other four races—Elf, Beast Human, and Dwarf—faced such overwhelming force and were helpless against the tide of darkness. They banded together in a desperate alliance. From this alliance arose five heroes: Arthur, a human hero blessed by the goddess Elizabeth; Alex, a human holy maiden; Karen, a dwarven warrior; Henry, a beast human mage; and Ellen, a dark elf assassin.

They were known as the Five Heroes. They embarked on a perilous quest to defeat the Demon Lord and restore peace to the world. Arthur ultimately struck the final blow, vanquishing the Demon Lord, and the demon race signed a peace treaty. In the aftermath, Arthur and the holy maiden, Alex, founded the Holy Empire.

Draven closed the book. Do gods really exist? he wondered. He stood up and quickly left the library. Fast forward to the day before his fifteenth birthday. Draven walked through the castle, thinking, It's just a birthday party. I don't know why Mom is going all out. He reached the castle grounds and entered the forest. He heard voices. He leaped into the trees, moving silently from branch to branch until he spotted three men dressed in black. He jumped down, landing silently beside them. "What are you guys talking about?" he asked.

The men jumped back in shock. "We didn't even notice him!" one exclaimed.

"It's just a kid," another said dismissively.

"What's a kid doing in a forest alone?" the last one, perhaps their leader, muttered. "I don't care if it's a kid or not. Since we're exposed, he has to die."

What the f** are they talking about?* Draven thought. I just asked a question. The three men attacked. Draven dodged, leaping into a nearby tree. "You're trying to kill me for just asking a question?" he asked from his perch.

The leader thought, He dodged that so easily…

"Blame your bad luck, kid," one of the men snarled.

"Since you're trying to kill me, it's only fair for me to do the same," Draven said. He moved from the tree with incredible speed, disappearing from their sight. The men looked around frantically, trying to locate him. He reappeared behind their leader, piercing through him with his hand. He withdrew his blood-covered hand, his red eyes cold. "One down," he stated.

The remaining two men were terrified. They both attacked, but Draven moved behind them, swiftly decapitating them with a swing of his hand. "They were so weak," he muttered.

The leader, however, jumped to his feet, and attacked Draven. Draven turned his head, his red eyes fixed on the leader. "You think I don't know you're a vampire?" he said and punched the leader in the face. The force of the punch sent the vampire flying backward, smashing into a tree, which cracked and fell.

Draven walked towards the fallen vampire. "Low-rank vampires lurking around my castle… what the hell are you looking for?" he asked.

The leader gasped, "What kind of kid are you?"

Standing over the leader, Draven said, "You still don't know who I am, do you? No use for a dead man to know." He punched the vampire's head, turning it into a bloody mess. He casually flicked the blood off his hand. Maybe I should have asked them what they were looking for, he thought.