CHAPTER TWO

In the shadows, I followed Dimitri and the suit, my steps quickening as they disappeared through a door. The room was filled with curious onlookers, but I pushed past them, my eyes locked on my target.

The air was thick with the smell of stale beer and something metallic. The suit's voice, laced with anger, echoed from below. Dimitri's responses were calm, but I knew better. I reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped into the Black Velvet Room, our Playroom.

Dimitri and the suit were standing near the drain, the suit's face red with anger. Dimitri's expression was one of innocent confusion. I took a step forward, my eyes meeting the suit's. His anger was replaced by fear as I stepped closer.

"Dimitri," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "He smells foul. Like a graveyard that hasn't seen the sun in a century."

Dimitri's eyes flickered to mine, a hint of understanding in them. "You don't know the half of it, Kaelen. I can practically taste the taint on his soul. It's...remarkable how much rot can fester in one being."

The suit stood frozen, his mouth agape. His fear was palpable as he watched us, trying to comprehend what was happening.

"But," I continued, my voice soft and deadly. "The sweeter the poison, the sweeter the antidote, wouldn't you say, Dimitri? I imagine his blood...it will be exquisite. A cleansing rain after a long drought."

Dimitri grinned, his teeth sharp in the dim light. "Indeed, Kaelen. A vintage year. I can already feel the energy... the release..."

I raised a hand, silencing him. My eyes remained locked on the suit's. "You see, we're not like you. We don't take. We recycle. And you, my friend, are overflowing with waste. Ready for a cleanse?"

The suit stumbled back, his face a mask of terror. "You...you don't understand. I'm a powerful man! I have money...connections! You can't do this!"

I almost laughed. "Rich? My dear man, we have access to power you can't even dream of buying."

Before I could blink, Dimitri was behind the suit, cutting off his escape route. The man yelped, spinning around to face Dimitri, his eyes wide with animal fear.

I smiled, my teeth sharp and deadly. The suit's eyes widened further as he saw my elongated canines.

Dimitri inhaled deeply, his eyes closed. "Oh, Kaelen, he's right. He's powerful. Or, perhaps, was powerful. The echoes of it still cling to him, like a stubborn shroud. Even the rot has a certain... piquancy. It's almost intoxicating."

"Indeed," I agreed, stepping closer to the man. My voice was soft, almost hypnotic. "Think of it as a necessary purification. A little spring cleaning for the soul. And your contribution will be invaluable. You'll be helping us... revitalize our own reserves."

The man in the suit pleaded desperately, "Please... I have a family! My wife... my children..."

I cocked my head, feigning sympathy. "A pity, truly. But consider this: perhaps your... influence... was poisoning them. Perhaps they'll be better off without the taint you carry. A fresh start, you might say."

Dimitri chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that resonated through the room. "He lacks vision, Kaelen. He can only think in terms of mortal concerns. He doesn't comprehend the grand design, the balance we uphold." He circled the suited man, sizing him up like a predator. "He's lived a life drenched in corruption, feeding off the misery of others. And now? Now he will nourish us."

I moved to stand beside Dimitri, mirroring his predatory stance. "So, tell me," I purred, leaning in so close I could feel the heat radiating off his fear. "What will it be? A swift release, or a slow savoring of every last drop of that enticing rot?"

The suit trembled, his eyes wide with terror, reflecting the solitary, flickering bulb above. He tried to retreat, but the wall stopped him.

Before he could utter another word, before he could even comprehend what was happening, Dimitri moved. It was a whirlwind of motion, a flash of predatory hunger. He lunged, and then the playroom was filled with a bloodcurdling scream. Dimitri's fangs, impossibly long and sharp, had sunk into the man's shoulder, the expensive fabric of the suit tearing like tissue paper.

The scream escalated, raw and panicked. And that's when the transformation came over me. The dim light of the room seemed to dim further, the edges of my vision blurring. Then, nothing but black. A consuming, all-encompassing void. A primal urge took over by the scent of fear and the taste of impending death.

I moved, almost without conscious thought. My teeth elongated, sharpened into points. I lunged at the suit's neck, finding purchase on the other side of Dimitri's feeding frenzy. I bit down hard, deeper than bone, and the suit's screams turned into gurgling sobs.

The blood was... exquisite. A rush of power surged through me, a tidal wave of ancient energy washing away the weariness that had clung to me for so long. It was raw, potent, a dark elixir that cleansed and revitalized. I drank deeply, savoring the life draining from the suit, feeling his essence becoming a part of me.

And then, it was over. The suit was limp, a hollow shell. Only instinct remained. I ripped, tore, the fragile bones of his throat snapping under the force of my teeth. I spat the mangled flesh onto the concrete floor, the sound echoing in the suddenly silent room.

Dimitri pulled back, his lips stained crimson. He licked them slowly, a look of satisfaction on his face. "A... robust vintage, Kaelen. Thank you."

I didn't respond, my focus already shifting. The blackness was receding, and my thoughts were returning, sharper now, clearer. Dimitri, ever the practical one, he walked over to a section of the wall I barely noticed, a seamless panel that blended perfectly with the black wall. He pressed a hidden button, and the panel slid open, revealing a dark chute. Without a word, he tossed the body in, and it disappeared with a muffled thud, presumably destined for the city's underbelly, lost forever.

I turned away, the taste of death still on my tongue. Enough for one night. The rush was already fading, the primal urge subsiding. I needed... something else.

I started towards the staircase, the image of her face burning in my mind. That angelic woman. The memory of her scent, clean and bright, a stark contrast to the rot I had just consumed, filled my senses. Pure, untainted.

Her scent. It haunted me. A whisper of lilies and sunshine, something... divine. The purity of it, the brightness—it was a beacon in the endless darkness that had become my existence.

I hurried up the steps, picturing her face, her eyes. The soft curve of her lips. The memory of her presence. It was intoxicating, a craving stronger than anything I'd felt in centuries. I had to find her. I needed to find her.

Back in the main room, the music still pulsed, the crowd still swayed, oblivious to the darkness that lurked beneath their feet. But she was gone. The space where she had stood was empty, yet her scent still lingered, a faint, ethereal trace.

My senses sharpened. I scanned the room, filtering out the noise, the smells, focusing only on her essence. It was faint, almost imperceptible, leading towards...the exit.

She was gone. But not lost. Not yet. I would find her. I had to. She was more than just a passing fascination. She was a promise of something...more. Something brighter.

She would be mine.