Moments later, class began.
“Good morning, everyone! Let me introduce our not-so-new students who will soon join our class,” announced Mr. Garett, their advisor, clearing his throat. Alastair’s eyes widened as he saw Anthony and Aliyah walk into the classroom. “Please introduce yourselves; the stage is yours!” Mr. Garett gestured for them to step forward.
“I’m Anthony Brooke, but you can call me Tony. I’m 14 years old and I live near Mount Lagartha. I believe in loving a chubby guy like me, you not only get a boyfriend but a pillow too!” he declared, and the class erupted in laughter.
“Thank you for that very cheesy introduction, Mr. Brooke! Don’t do that again….Please take the vacant seat next to that 15-year-old fully grown man,” Mr. Garett pointed at Alastair. At this moment, no one dared to laugh. With a grin, Anthony sat down beside Alastair.
“We’re classmates!” he whispered, excitement bubbling in his voice.
“I’m so happy about it,” Alastair replied, a smug smile spreading across his face.
“Good morning, I’m Aliyah Bennett, and I live nearby in Lunarville town,” she introduced herself softly, lowering her gaze modestly.
“Go ahead and sit next to that guy,” Mr. Garett indicated the empty seat beside Anthony. Aliyah quickly complied, offering Alastair a friendly smile before settling in. Anthony adjusted himself in his seat, and Alastair was about to say something to Aliyah. If only he could communicate with them solely through his thoughts.
Closing his eyes, Alastair tuned in to the echoes of voices surrounding him.
“I wish it were lunchtime already,” he heard Anthony’s loud voice, and a sudden pain shot through his head. He looked around, startled. He didn’t see them talking, but he could hear their voices, causing his eyes to widen in disbelief. Alastair glanced at Aliyah, who raised an eyebrow, staring at him intently.
“Can you hear me?” he thought, directing his mind to her. To his surprise, Aliyah didn’t seem shocked; she simply nodded.
“Did I accidentally discover this power? Or is it just my intuition?” Alastair questioned, curious about the sudden connection.
“I don’t know, maybe it’s both. Just stop bothering me,” Aliyah replied in his mind, cutting off their mental link, which connected him to everyone in the classroom, including Professor Garett.
“Wait, did I just hear voices in my head?” Garett wondered silently.
“Maybe I’m just imagining things,” another classmate murmured, sounding uncertain. Aliyah shot Alastair a glare, and finally, the connection between them faded away. Alastair looked at his vampire classmates, who shot him hostile glares, a wave of unease washing over him.
—-
After class, Alastair didn’t hesitate, he immediately followed the vampires to their Coven.
The group was startled when he trailed them all the way to their home. As he approached, a handsome man with a full beard appeared in front of the house to greet the children. The man glanced at Alastair from a distance, then walked toward him until they met halfway.
“Who are you?” the man asked, scrutinizing Alastair and eyeing the ring on his middle finger suspiciously.
“I am Alastair Williams. Nice to meet you,” Alastair replied, extending his hand. The man accepted the handshake, though the grip was firm.
“I see… I’m Eddie. Nice to meet you too. You must be one of my kids’ classmates,” Eddie said, his tone softening.
“Kids? How old are they?” Alastair scoffed, trying to gauge the situation.
Eddie’s pupils shifted to a deep red, and his fangs elongated from his gums. “What do you want? ” he asked in a cold, deep voice, but Alastair didn’t flinch.
Alastair removed his ring, catching Eddie off guard. The man stepped back, taken aback by Alastair’s intimidating presence.
“I didn’t come here to fight, on the contrary, I’m here to form an alliance,” Alastair stated firmly, causing Eddie’s expression to return to normal.
“And what could that possibly entail?” Eddie asked, intrigued.
“To fight Gelle,” Alastair answered quickly.
Eddie smiled, sensing the sincerity in Alastair’s words. “Let’s talk somewhere else. Follow me.” With that, Eddie vanished from sight, and Alastair followed his trail into the woods. They sat facing each other at the base of a massive tree.
“My entire family died, and I’m the only survivor,” Eddie began, his tone solemn.
“Did Gelle kill them?” Alastair inquired.
Eddie shook his head. “No. It was the vampire hunters. There are only a few of them left out there,” he replied, tossing a stone into the distance.
“Vampire hunters?” Alastair’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“During the ancient times, we were hunted by vampire hunters created by ancient witches in Egypt. They were enhanced by magic and immune to any psychic powers,” Eddie explained.
“And then what happened?” Alastair asked, genuinely interested.
“I ran away move to places, and stumbled upon this place,” Eddie said with a faint smile.
“How old are you?” Alastair pressed, and Eddie let out a laugh.
“I don’t know. I’m too lazy to count the stars in the sky. I’m just one of the first group of vampires who roamed the Earth,” Eddie responded, his tone light-hearted. Alastair’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You must be really old!” Alastair exclaimed, his face scrunching up in disbelief.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Eddie chuckled, joining in on the laughter.
“How did vampires, werewolves, and all these mythical creatures come to exist, especially when some have become extinct?” Alastair asked, his curiosity piqued.
“It’s because of witches,” Eddie answered.
“And who created the witches?” Alastair pressed again. Eddie paused, seemingly pondering the question.
“The first witch was named Lilith, the first wife of Adam-a celestial woman consumed by pride, greed, and power,” Eddie explained, tossing another stone aimlessly.
“Who created Lilith?” Alastair continued, eager for more knowledge.
“Of course, it was God,” Eddie replied.
“Who created God?”
“The first God was forged from all the energies of the very cosmos. Then he created the whole universe, celestial beings called angels to help him, and eventually, he created a habitable planet called Gaia or Earth. He created plants and animals, and when he found it boring, he created humans to govern the Earth and worship him. But he got bored again, so he gave Lucifer, one of his angels, the judgment to discern right from wrong. He let Lucifer betray him, casting him and other angels down to Earth. Then he created Eve from Adam’s rib. Once again bored, he allowed Lucifer to deceive Adam and Eve to test their loyalty. Using compulsion, Lucifer made Eve eat the forbidden fruit, making her believe the snake seduced her into doing it. Ultimately, God blamed Adam and Eve while allowing Lucifer to escape accountability and blamed the poor serpent just trying to find food on that tree,” Eddie recounted, the tale woven into his words.
“Wow,” was all Alastair could manage, absorbing the gravity of Eddie’s narrative. Eddie stood up and sighed.
“I can entrust my kids to you because I know you can protect them, but only if they decide to join your pack,” Eddie offered, looking at Alastair earnestly.
“You can count on me,” Alastair assured him as they walked back to Eddie’s house.
Among Eddie’s foster siblings, Kai, seems the youngest, was the only one who decided to join Alastair’s pack. The others assured him they would help if he ever needed it.
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