Endless Twilight

Black on black, the clouds roiled above, upon the endless night sky of Nocteria. The occasional burst of light and crash of thunder was the only thing that broke the monotony that was the drumbeat of rain. The rain fell like the tears of angels, weeping for this Godless planet, this world ruled and consumed by darkness.

I am one of its creatures. A vampire, a creature who feeds from the substance of others so he can continue living his pitiful existance. It is my curse, and I bear this endless torment in silence.

It was not always like this...I am not one of the old ones, human and demon hybrids that are both ancient and powerful. No, I was once a human. My name was Ren Davidson.

In life, I was a musician. I had a band that started to reach the top of the charts before I was turned. My life was snuffed out like a candle, and I was never able to see, nor contact, any of my friends or family again. My life was over, and I was a shadow.

Not that I blame my sire, far from it. He saved me, as I lie dying in an alley, knifed by a mugger who took my wallet. I can still remember his gentle arms around me, cradling me as he fed me his own blood.

***

I opened by eyes blearily, wondering where I was. The last thing I remembered was a greasy face grinning at me as the knife slipped into my flesh, then the face of a stranger, his Asian face inscrutable as he looked me over.

I sat up, looking around. I was in a hotel room, wearing a clean white shirt, but nothing else. The sheets were pulled up around me. I could hear the sounds of running water. My old clothes caught my eyes. They were soiled and bloodstained, kicked uncerimoniously to the side. So it wasn't a dream.

"Where am I?" I voiced aloud.

"A hotel, what does it look like?" a man's voice replied. I turned to see the Japanese man toweling his long hair dry. The only article of clothing he had on were a pair of black leather pants.

He noticed my look. "You have my shirt," he pointed out, his lips twisting into a slight grin.

"Oh," I stated, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks. I then noticed that I felt cold. Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself.

He looked at me silently, his face expressionless. Bending down, he took something out of a bag and tossed it to me. I blinked at the object, a metal thermos.

"Drink," he said. "It'll warm you up." He plopped down in a chair and lit a cigarette, ignoring the No Smoking sign with it's blatant red letters.

I took a sip from the thermos, then nearly spit it out. "What is this?" I demanded.

He stared at me again, pausing before he answered my question. "Blood," he replied, looking away so he couldn't see my horrified expression.

"Why would you give me such a thing!?" I asked, my voice wavering.

"Look in the mirror."

I got up unsteadily and made my way to the mirror by the bathroom. I stared at it for a long time. I was pale, my blue eyes shining with a brilliance in comparison. My fine features, topped with my mop of messy brown hair, gave me a rakish appearance. What did he want me to see? I wondered. I was pale, but surely the circumstances would make anyone look sickly.

"We're not like they say we are," he said, appearing behind me.

"What?" I asked.

"Like the legends."

"What legends?" I asked, not understanding.

He smiled at me sadly. "We can see our reflection. Garlic doesn't hurt us, nor does holy water or crosses. Only silver and sunlight."

I took a step back. "You're crazy," I said shakily, the images of the transition came back to me. I could feel it in me, a strength beyond human.

"No," he said, taking a step toward me as I backed away. "I am a vampire. As are you, now."

I knew he spoke the truth. I could feel it as clearly as I felt the fangs pricking my lower lip. "Why?" I whispered.

He smiled at me, his aged green eyes looking out from an ageless face. "Because it was the only way to save you. I'm sorry."

I looked down. "I need to go back."

"Where? You have nowhere to go. Ren Davidson is dead now."

I felt tears sting my eyelids. I couldn't go back.

"I'm sorry." There was such profound sorrow in his words that I could not bring myself to hate hum for taking away the life I had known. But, if he hadn't...I would have no life to speak of.

"I know," I said, my shoulders straightening. I looked up at him. "You know my name?"

"We are linked now. I can know some of your thoughts, and you might be able to know some of mine."

"What's your name?"

"Tadashi Shirou."