Chapter 14: The Road of Shadows
The cold night wrapped around Aarav like a second skin as he followed Veyron through the dense forest. The world outside the mansion felt different—sharper, more alive. His senses pulsed with energy, his ears picking up the distant rustling of animals, the quiet hum of the wind against the trees.
Veyron moved effortlessly, his long cloak barely making a sound. Aarav, despite his newfound abilities, felt clumsy in comparison.
"Where are we going?" Aarav finally asked, breaking the silence.
Veyron didn't turn. "To where it all began."
Aarav frowned. "That's not an answer."
Veyron chuckled. "Patience, Kairos. Some truths must be seen, not spoken."
Aarav gritted his teeth. He still wasn't used to that name, yet every time Veyron said it, something stirred inside him. A ghost of a memory.
They walked in silence for what felt like hours. The night stretched endlessly, time becoming meaningless under the moon's glow. Just as Aarav was about to press for more answers, they reached a clearing.
A massive stone structure loomed before them—ancient, overgrown with vines, yet pulsing with something alive. The sight of it sent a shiver through Aarav's core.
He knew this place.
He didn't know how, but he did.
"What is this?" he whispered.
Veyron stepped forward, his ember-like eyes gleaming. "Your past, Kairos. The ruins of your old kingdom."
Aarav's breath caught. "My… what?"
Veyron gestured around them. "Once, long ago, before the world forgot, this was your domain. You ruled from here. Feared. Worshipped. Until it was all taken from you."
Aarav's head spun. "No. That's impossible. I've only been a vampire for a few days."
Veyron's smirk was knowing. "You think this is your first life?"
Aarav staggered back, his mind reeling. "That… that doesn't make sense."
Veyron stepped closer, his voice softer now. "You were reborn, Kairos. Stripped of your memories. Cast into the world with no knowledge of what you once were." He gestured to the ruins. "But this place remembers you. And soon, so will you."
Aarav's fingers trembled as he touched the cold stone. A sharp shock ran through him—images flashing through his mind.
A throne of black marble. A city bathed in moonlight.
A betrayal. A war. A fall.
Aarav gasped, stumbling back. His vision cleared, his breathing ragged.
Veyron watched him carefully. "The memories will return, piece by piece. But you must be willing to embrace them."
Aarav clenched his fists. His heart—or whatever had replaced it—pounded with confusion, fear… and something else.
Something dangerous.
A hunger for the truth.
He met Veyron's gaze. "Tell me everything."
Veyron smiled. "Then let us begin."
To be continued…