The night was cold, but the wind did nothing to numb the ache in my chest. Hours had gone by since I last saw my mother, and the grief still clawed at me, sinking its talons deeper into my heart with every passing hour. I wandered aimlessly through the empty streets that should have felt familiar, but now felt foreign, as if nothing was mine anymore. Without her, I didn't even know who I was.
Mother.
The word used to mean everything to me. It had been an anchor that kept me steady, the compass that guided me through every storm. Now, it was just a hollow echo, ringing in my mind until it broke into a thousand pieces. I still wore her amulet, though. I'd never taken it off since the moment she pressed it into my hands, weak and trembling as she told me never to remove it. I had been too focused on her face, her pale, sunken cheeks, the way her eyes fluttered as though the weight of the world was too much to bear anymore, to care about its burden.
I clutched the amulet now, fingers tight around the smooth metal, letting its weight ground me as I walked down the deserted street. The moon was high, but its light did nothing to chase away the shadows creeping at the edges of my vision. Everything was dark, cold, and so quiet. Too quiet.
That's when I felt it.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose first, a prickling awareness that something wasn't right. My footsteps faltered, and I froze mid-stride, listening. It was subtle, the faintest shift in the air behind me. I turned, scanning the street, but saw nothing. Empty. My pulse quickened, the thudding in my ears drowning out the eerie silence.
I walked faster, the grip on the amulet tightening until the edges bit into my palm. My heart pounded harder, and no matter how much I tried to tell myself it was all in my head, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was following me.
I rounded a corner, moving swiftly now, my breath coming in shallow bursts. Every shadow seemed to stretch toward me, and the air grew thick, oppressive, pressing in on me from all sides. Phoenix's words about the amulet fluttered in the back of my mind, but I shoved them away. It wasn't magic. Magic wasn't real.
I glanced behind me again, this time catching the faintest glimpse of something moving-too fast, too fluid. My blood ran cold. I broke into a run, my boots pounding against the cracked pavement, echoing in the stillness of the night. But no matter how fast I went, the presence behind me stayed close, closer than it should have been.
It wasn't human. I didn't need to see it to know that.
I veered into a narrow alley, my chest burning, lungs on fire, but I couldn't stop. Not now. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it wanted me. I could feel its hunger, a dark, primal need that sent a shiver down my spine.
I ran until the alley came to a dead end. My hands pressed against the cold, wet bricks, panic rising as I spun around. The figure stepped into view, cloaked in shadow, moving with an unnatural grace that made my stomach twist. Tall, pale, its eyes gleaming red like embers in the dark.
A vampire.
My mind screamed for me to move, but my body refused to obey. He didn't look like a monster-none of them ever did at first-but I could feel it, the predatory aura rolling off him in waves. They always had a scent, like something dead pretending to be alive.
The vampire smirked, revealing fangs that glistened under the moonlight. "You've been running, little one." It purred, its voice like silk, smooth and deadly. "But there's nowhere left to go."
My jaw clenched, fury surging through me. He had no idea who he was dealing with. I wasn't scared. I wasn't prey. Not anymore. Instead, I lifted the amulet, letting the silver catch the faint light from the streetlamp. His eyes flicked to it, and I saw the moment he realised this wasn't going to be easy. The smirk faltered, and his expression turned sharp, cautious.
"No, I have you exactly where I want you." I said softly, the weight of the amulet growing heavier in my hand. It was like the power inside it was feeding off my anger, building, waiting for me to unleash it.
The vampire hissed, his body tensing, ready to pounce. He was fast, faster than I could have imagined, but this time, I was ready. My hand shot up, and the amulet blazed to life, a brilliant white light bursting forth, flooding the narrow street with a blinding glow.
He screamed as the light hit him, his skin sizzling and burning under its intensity. He staggered back, clutching his face as smoke curled from his body. But I wasn't done. I stepped forward, driven by pure, unrelenting vengeance.
"My name is Jane." I said, my voice hard as steel. "I'm not here to run. I'm here to kill you."
The power surged again, stronger this time, and the light from the amulet pulsed in sync with the rage roaring inside me. I could feel it- raw, burning energy flowing through my veins, and I didn't try to stop it. I focused it, directing it at him, and watched as his body convulsed under the force. He tried to fight back, but it was no use. The amulet was too strong, and so was my hate.
He collapsed to his knees, still screaming, his hands reaching out as if to beg for mercy. I didn't give him any. He didn't deserve it. None of them did.
With one final push, I let the light consume him, the amulet blazing so hot that the very air around us seemed to shimmer. His body began to disintegrate, the flesh melting away, leaving nothing but ash that scattered into the wind.
And then, just like that, he was gone.
The street fell silent, the light from the amulet fading until it was nothing but a dull glow against my chest. I stood there, breathing hard, my heart still pounding as the adrenaline slowly ebbed.
I didn't feel the relief I thought I would. There was no satisfaction in it, no peace. Just a hollow emptiness where my heart used to be. Killing him hadn't brought my mother back. It hadn't healed the wound left inside of me, the one that bled grief and anger every time I thought of her.
But it was a start.
I looked down at the amulet, my father's legacy, and felt the weight of the mission ahead of me. He was just the first. There would be others-many others. And I would hunt them all. Every vampire who walked this earth would pay for what they had done.
One by one, I would destroy them. And I would make sure they all knew the name of the woman who brought them to their knees.