Background Report

Rec. 887AB6SI-007
File Date: ██/██/██

Living was said to be pleasant, growing had its ups and downs, being loved was wonderful... But being born had been more than just painful. It had been betraying, it had been traumatic, it had been slow.
~
The day a baby is born is supposed to be a day of celebration. The world for the lucky family stops and everything is supposed to fall into place, like a piece to a puzzle that had remained unsolved. But the world Athanasius was born into was one without the joys of life, but instead the celebration of death.
The puzzle in which the boy's piece was placed didn't fit its edges, forced to mold to its placement, mangled and torn until it placed perfectly. Properly.
~
The year was unknown, long ago, a time almost lost to the world known now. The location was long swallowed by the forest and foliage that used to stand kept around it. There the memories of Athan's creation throbbed painfully through every crumbled brick that had witnessed it. Back then the brick made up a mansion that sat glowing in its prime filled with parties, dancing, joyful celebration that kept it alive. Happiness in every room. Except on this night. This night that was imprinted with agony, the sounds that echoed the halls were that instead of a woman's horrid screams as her innocence was taken by force.
For marriage it was her wish to keep her flower untouched. Engaged to the man of her dreams never anticipating a demon crawling through the cracks of her window like ink and seeping into her once white sheets.She remembers it clearly, a creature tall as a tree with eyes red as blood, teeth made of daggers cut at her throat as the demon, the vampire violated her most precious flesh; impregnating her with a monster that grew at a rate that almost killed her. It sucked the beauty from her body, practically drained the life from her very insides, eating away at her very existence until the day it crawled from her womb pretending it was human. Athan was born hated, and unwanted first by his mother, so much so he was left unnamed. Seen as only a pawn in the came of eternal power by the greedy creature that was his father, who was still unknown. There was not a single ounce of care or love for the child born of a monstrous vampire in this world.

All his mother did was weep, torn from her happy perfect life, shunned by her Christian family for her adultery and unfaithfulness. Instead of feeling sorrow that their daughter was violated by what they could only understand was a demon she was marked a whore, a sinful wench lustful in the eyes of their god and punished for her wicked thoughts outside of wedlock. They banished her, banished the child she had carried.Athan didn't understand. He was still so young his human emotions were still so fresh all he saw was his mother in pain. The child didn’t wish for her to cry, he only wished to make her happy so he made her little things, doing what he could to help, which she only ignored. One after the other little paper cranes lined the table, then butterflies, crudely made but filled with a love he didn’t even understand himself; but it felt right. Athan tried his best to make her smile but all she did was cry, cry and curse his father slowly spiraling into madness the more she did."I'll sing to you so you can feel better." The tune was simple, one he made up just for her but as soon as he started to sing his mother would scream at him to shut up..She screamed that he was horrible, that he should have never been born. What had he done wrong? Did he pick the wrong song? Athan didn't understand.
Over time the woman only grew more spiteful towards the creature that had taken from her, crazed by the raven that whispered at her door swearing it as that monster having come for her. The insanity, the hate. planting like an evil seed sinking its thorns into every portion of her tiny ruined frame until they burst through the skin.
Everything he had made was ripped to shreds. His hair pulled, his mother screaming how much she hated seeing Athan’s face because it looked so much like his.Over and over she beat Athan, over and over she reminded the poor child just how much he wasn’t wanted, the "monster" that was forced inside her. When he cried for her, told her he loved her, she locked him away. The closet that had at first been the boy’s sorry excuse for a room had now become his cage. For hours Athan would cry, begging to be let out until his voice no longer worked and the bruises on his hands were too deep to keep banging at the door. It was too dark, it looked endless like everything in the world was looking back at him and he was scared, but no one was there to save him. No one."I'm sorry. I'll be good, I promise. Momma, I'll be good.. it's too dark.. Please, I won't sing anymore. I promise." The cycle continued, every day, every night, until he grew too strong.. until his mind snapped and she became his first meal.

Blood coated the walls where pink flowers once decorated them, the boy standing in the middle of the room staring blankly at what he had done because it just hadn't set in. There was just no way the mangled body in front of him used to be his mother. His knees were shaking almost too much to walk but Athan’s somehow managed to move closer, knees hitting the wooden floor with a sound that was far away. Little hands stained in red trembled reaching for the stiffened frame the sickening sounds wet as it sloshed in the blood pooled around it."Momma? You can get up now..I'll be good..so get up please. I'll be good.. I'll go back to the closet.. I promise. Momma?" No sound. No movement.She was dead and it was all his fault. It didn’t matter how she had treated him, she had been anything but a mother, but Athan still wept for what he had done to hurt her. She was all he had, all they had was each other who would take in something like him? It was his fault. The pain she had given him had been outweighed by the pain of his hunger revealing that he was in fact a monster, reflecting on how much his presence had hurt her. The reality of it all was far too much for someone so young even if he was a creature that didn’t stay young for long, it still left the boy traumatized. Confused. Self loathing. His mind was so deep in the truth of what he had just done no attention was given to the new presence that had suddenly entered the room until it moved.Dark, elegant, just like the flow of fresh ink the figure slipped into the light from the corner where they had been quietly observing the situation, a smile pressed into their flawless face stretching from ear to ear. He smelled of death and vanilla, soul and ash, the scent burning Athan's nose pulling the poor boy's watering eyes from the corpse in front of him. Anyone would be scared of such a sight but what would be worse to a boy who has just slaughtered his parent? Not even a demon, the raven haired demon his mother had muttered about for the years they had lived together. The creature she claimed was a raven made of ink, his skin white as ivory, hair long flowing like a black river standing 10 ft tall, evil and otherworldly. His father.
~

The leather under pale little legs crackled with every anxious movement Athan made. He sat covered in the blood of his mother; his mind was blank as a sheet of freshly opened paper, not a single stain on its slate. What was going on? Where were they going? Only moments ago he was grieving through the trauma of his actions and now here the boy was in a car far too large. He had fought the man, even cut his cheek, scratched at his pretty arms but it was all effort wasted. Every wound he inflicted closed right before Athan's eyes healed just like his own cuts would..Again the sound of leather creaked under the little frame overpowered by a growl rising from the man's chest. The hand that moved as quick as a bullet was beautiful, lacking in flaws, decorated in pretty rings with nails like talons slammed down against Athan’s thin trembling thighs squeezing until it hurt. Harder and harder the man squeezed until a crack was heard. Athan couldn't help the yelp he made, unable to hold back the tears from the pain he felt even if it only lasted for a small while. Yes he healed but pain was still pain and did it hurt. The crying didn’t last, quickly silenced with a harsh slap across a pale cheek, the sound resonating through the car like thunder through a storm. This was his life, his repeated reality he should always expect.The car ride was left in silence, violet eyes trained on the scenery as it shifted by, the flesh of his cheek throbbing with every beat of his quiet heart reminding the boy of the consequences for unnecessary noise. It didn’t take long for the scene outside to suddenly change. The tree’s were soon replaced with high walls made of black stone coated with rows of shimmering whips of razor wire that lined the very top of their ledges. It looked like a prison, no one in, no one out and nowhere to run. A gate decorated with that of a raven opened upon their approach, the car driving past the large secluding walls. The grounds were covered in men adorned with black suits, a few others fighting in the distance, everything about this place screamed dangerous and Athan didn’t like it.The car made it up the long driveway where a mansion, close to that of a castle, stood intimidating at the top of its curve looming over everything around it. This place smelled of death. Athan was sure the sun never peaked through the thick clouds in fear of what it would reveal or the secrets that would come to light. Something was wrong with this place that is for sure, something felt off, like the moment you walk in you will never walk out. It wasn’t hard to determine he wanted no part of whatever this place was wishing for this visit to be over quickly, it he had the choice he would rather stay in the car but did he really have one? No. Athan couldn't disobey, couldn’t run.. the man had made that very obvious in his own sick way, letting the boy feel as if he got away, letting hope fill his body only to appear right before him to see all that hope leave his face.

Athan’s feet hit the pavement making a soft crunching sound as rocks ground into its surface under his weight, the boy was left frozen, the atmosphere thicker than tar pushing him to stay away. The man wasn’t patient with the poor boy, a harsh hand deceiving in its beauty curled firm around his little arm pulling to the stairs. Every step they took Athan wanted to run, every hair on his body standing at attention ready to trigger his fight or flight if needed. The doors stood tall, dark, covered in an expensive copper trimming. Again the raven that had decorated the front gate sat carved in great detail in the wood, but even in their luxury the doors radiated an uninviting aura. The smell of death was so much stronger here, permeated like a thick smog from its cracks leaking out like a toxin ready to claim its next victim. Athan felt sick instantly, having to swallow the searing bile creeping up his throat, burning its walls fighting its urge to crawl back up.Inside everything was masked in black marble, accents of copper and gold, extravagant in appearance; but the smell. It was so strong Athan could barely brother, how could anyone else stand such a stench? Somehow the deeper they went the worse it became, the sweet scent of cigar smoke and strange chemicals suddenly started to mix in. Athan didn't want to be here. Wherever here was.More corridors, more doors, deeper and deeper Athan was pulled this place seeming to have no end to its walls. The smell of death slowly started to fade, replaced now with the scent of firewood and expensive cologne. For some reason it was worse than the smell of death and chemicals had been, more unsettling, it sank into Athan's spine pushing every hair back up on his body in a warning to run. Run and never look back, before it was too late. But he couldn't, he was frozen in place. The doors that stood in front of them now were darker than night, almost like a void, so dark that if you tried to lean against it you would fall into another world. The raven he had seen over and over was again carved into the wood, large, split down the middle by the crack in the door. It was more than obvious only death himself could possibly be on the other side of doors such as these.The doors growled as they opened like a hungry beast, mouth wide, teeth bared ready to devour anyone who dared enter. Athan couldn’t move his feet, but he didn’t have to. Shoved inside stained shoes squeaked loudly against the polished floor schooling around the room in resistance, wanting to be anywhere but here. Even if it meant back in that blood covered room… anywhere was better than here.
The room was covered in dark shades of red, draperies hanging from vaulted ceilings that didn’t seem to have an end. Black adorned the room in various accents and decor illuminated by dark candles flickering warm light over every surface.. There was nothing bright or happy about this place.Against the furthest wall just before a wall of books varying in subject and language stood a desk made of a dark wood shimmering with an expensive lacquer. The chair beyond it was more like a throne made of blood red velvet matching the rest of the aesthetic in the room. Athan watched as it turned slowly revealing a man that radiated danger, a plume of cigar smoke slithering over the man's features with the movement exaggerating the menacing smile on his face. Two men suddenly appeared at his side sporting the same dark suits as those outside watching them like vultures to a dead body. For protection? This man didn’t need it.

The doors behind them opened suddenly causing the boy to jump out of instinct. The hand that sat clamped tightly onto his shoulder squeezed harshly to keep him in line, as if to tell Athan if he did anything to embarrass him there would be severe consequences. A woman dressed in the same expensive velvet as the chair walked passed them, her hair long and dark, curls bouncy with the seductive way she moved towards the man in the chair papers in hand placed in his. She looked beautiful, almost like an angel but the glint in her eyes was wrong, warped and twisted up inside making her feel almost as dangerous as the man beside her."Thank you Ambrosia my love.. Mammon, welcome my old friend. It's always a pleasure when you visit.” The voice that came from him was like a snake ready to feast, every syllable wrapping tightly around you squeezing every inch of air from your lungs.Nothing he said sounded true yet everything sounded like a promise.
“I see you really have something special to present to me. Bring him closer.” The man’s eyes met his own and Athan couldn't move.
His gaze went right into you, violating, menacing, the furthest from human he had ever seen. It felt like his soul was being eaten right in front of him, he wanted to beg not to be brought closer but what would that do? Nothing.Little feet again gave some resistance when pushed to move closer, the desk just inches from his body now. “Ambrogio, my old flame. You look well. This is in fact the special gift I promised you, he has no name, his mother mutilated by his own hands, it was a glorious spectacle. So young too, I didn’t expect it so soon but that only adds to his value don’t you think?”The laugh rumbled from Ambrigio’s chest, vibrating through the room; Athan swore he felt it crawl up his spine and into his ears. “No name? Perfect.”Suddenly a hand was wrapped around Athan’s chin, yanking it up towards the man’s face with force Athan’s violet eyes widening, staring into the void that was the man’s own. His hands were cold to the touch, far larger than the one sitting firm against his slim shoulder, Athan felt like a mouse stuck in a den of lions.“What a pretty face.. from his mother no doubt.. And his eyes, what a unique color. To be honest this is a surprise, I wasn’t expecting him so soon but as you said one with such a raging thirst so young is such a treat. So, for you my dear friend, I shall double your shipment..."The words exchanged didn't reach his ears, lost, eyes caught in the gaze of a deadly predator that dared him to react, to show fear to run, reflecting if he did he was sure to be eaten alive. Like it was"Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Then I will leave the little fawn in your most gracious hands. Arrivederci my friend."Arrivederci, that was Italian for goodbye, were they finally leaving?Athan was ready, he wanted nothing more than to tear his eyes from that hungry gaze; but he was not pulled away. The sound of light steps echoed away from them further and further away without him the door behind him opening, the sound of their hinges closing only seconds before ringing Athan’s bells of reality. It finally sunk in what had happened, the things that had been discussed while Athan was stuck in a trance between life and death. He had been sold, given away to these monstrous people like a material object with his value unknown to him..The smile on Ambrogio’s face widened, taking delight in the realization finally registering in Athan’s gaze. “Yes little star you are now mine. Do not fear me. I am your sanctuary, your mentor, your father, your master, your angel of death and mercy. I will take good care of you as long as you obey. Don’t try to run because I will find you, I have sources beyond your comprehension. Understood pretty thing? Welcome to the Corvino mafia, and to the Reinhardt family. Just remember one thing, I am your god, Athanasius.” Like that he was a slave to the mafia, given a name that had a meaning of death.

After the interaction Athan was foolish enough to lash out, to try and get away, going as far as to cut Ambrigio’s face as he did his fathers own. He expected punishment but the man only smiled, commenting how fun he will be to break when the time came. The statement lingered with Athan making his skin crawl. He needed to escape this place but it was like a maze, guards at every turn of a complicated corner. It was a compound, a place with too many locks and keys. No matter how Athan put it there was no way to get past it all, even the room he was in locked from the outside. The room was made of dark bricks, the floor a dark rotten wood aged from the years it had been walked on. There were no windows, two doors; one leading out and the other to a bathroom where a shower stood to the right in the corner. It was bigger than the closet his mother kept him in and it was obvious the room would be shared. The bunk bed he sat curled up on was covered in different colored blankets on the top bunk, thrown on haphazard in a crude attempt at making it. Clothes were thrown into a pile by a perfectly good basket in the corner, only a few had actually made it in.. he wondered what kind of person this was to be so messy yet smell so nice. It wasn’t intentional but the room smelled of blueberries and caramel, as if his new roommate bathed in it.Athan had dozed off the emotions of the night before and the day was too much for his little body to really handle. It was the subtle feeling of being shaken that ultimately woke Athan up, that and the gentle voice that came with it. Long lashes fluttered, a little groan sounding in confusion to why he was being woken up rubbing the sleep from his eyes to clear his vision. Sat on the edge of his bottom bunk was a boy with the prettiest eyes. He was tall, Athan could tell, maybe a couple years more developed than himself. His hair was dark and a little curly, his skin tanned not like a dhampir should be, but it was his smile that really stood out. The curves of his cheeks dimpled in, the shape complimenting the way the boy’s eye crinkled at the edges, it was a smile that could calm even the most frustrated of people with one look.. No one looked more kind, not a single person so far in Athan’s life looked at him the way this boy did.“Hey, you okay? You were crying in your sleep so I wanted to wake you up so you weren’t stuck in your sadness. I am Alastair, I didn’t know I was getting a roommate today. It's an exciting surprise.” Even his voice sounded sweet, soft and gentle but strong.Athan at first didn’t know what to say but Alastair only laughed, running fingers through his head soothing the poor anxious boy’ reassuring him it was okay.
“Athanasius..” Barely a whisper was Athan’s voice, concerned when Alastair scrunched his nose wondering if he was disturbed by the meaning of such a name. That wasn’t the case. Alastair again laughed talking about how weirdly long the name he was given was, it made Athan laugh a little too. In that moment he was given the nickname Athan, Alastair explaining that it meant eternal life and how pretty it was. How much it suited him.They were close almost instantly. The first couple nights were rough for poor Athan, he knew nothing of what he was, of the mafia or how this place operated, of his thirst or how to survive. There were other kids there, different creatures of different kinds but mainly dhampir like Alastair and himself. They made no time in placing a target on Athan, the new meat in the group saying things about him he really believed. It only made being here so much worse but Alastair would always show up to tell them off. He held Athan every night, he cried for a home he never really had, brushed his hair from his face, reassured him nothing the others said mattered and sang to him. Alastair sang.. this is what he wished his mother had felt when he had tried to comfort her the same way, maybe he really had done it wrong.. If only she had been able to feel how warm and soothing it was to just close your eyes and listen to such pleasant tunes. It became routine, every night even if Athan didn’t cry Alastair would play with his hair curling it around his slim fingers, singing him to sleep as they lay curled up to one another. Soon Alastair no longer even climbed into the top bunk anymore, the blankets thrown in it now a part of the bottom bunk they shared. It was the only way Athan could sleep.Alastair embraced Athan without hesitation showing him the ropes and rules of the compound, helping him understand what they were with every other explanation being they were not monsters.. that blood wasn't his enemy they were just like everyone with hunger pains. Hangry, was the term Alastair often liked to use and it always made Athan snort, it was such a silly word but it helped. When Athan didn’t have the courage to go out at times Alastair always made sure to sneak him extra blood packets, showing them how they worked and cleaning him up when Athan threw up the first time. The blood in the packets tasted cold which Athan complained about after apologizing but Alastair again just laughed, reassuring him that it happened to everyone. He really was an angel.. Athan’s true guardian angel.

As they grew Alastair never stopped being there when Athan needed him, never once complaining or getting frustrated with him. Alastair was so patient, always making sure to laugh it over when Athan made a mistake or did something out of the norm giving Athan comfort in the situation even if just a little. They were teen’s now, at least in dhampir age. Athan had noticed himself becoming more and more fond of Alastair’s smile, that glorious laugh that always broke apart his nerves. It never occurred to him until now the more he looked the more he noticed they were always directed only at him. It ran through Athan’s mind so much how he could make a friend like Alastair let alone become so close with someone, especially anyone here. Didn't think he was someone meant to be cared for. But Alastair always proved him wrong, tearing down anything negative he would think. It was almost scary how accustomed Alastair became to reading his facial queues, always popping in with words he needed to hear at the right times. It was a year later that Athan had found himself feeling more than just friends for Alastair.. The older they grew the more Athan caught himself staring longer noticing things he really hadn’t before, or maybe he had. Like the way Alastair's dark hair curled gently under his cute ears, how his olive skin had a golden shimmered when the light hit it just right and his green eyes; every emerald in the world no matter its value could never compare to them. Athan couldn’t admit it out loud, but he was falling in love.Because Athan has become so observant it wasn’t hard to notice the one time he came back late from lunch something was wrong, Alastair was older than him and once you reach of age your schedule changes. No longer were you kept in the safer classes or training, you were transferred to more mature responsibilities. The door opened and Athan jumped, eyes cast to his best friend, worry laced in his expression. The smile Keelin always wore so proud was no longer as bright, the laugh filled with life more dull and the tired, weak look in his eyes was enough to make Athan jump from their bed; this time Athan became the one to take care of Alastair for once. Holding his best friend against his chest he asked what happened feeling how reluctant Alastair was to tell him, eventually he showed Athan pulling up his sleeve. He explained they stuck needles in his arms, larger than he had ever seen, taking blood from him in amounts that seemed almost deadly. They drained as much as they could and only stopped when he was on the verge of passing out. Athan felt anger bubbling in his chest, eyes met with large round scars, puffy and silver, decorating the curve on the inner most part of his elbow. Athan reached out brushing his fingers with the utmost care over the markings, for some reason they didn't heal like the wounds they usually got did. They stayed raised and proud as if to tell you that the true reason you exist there was to become like cattle.Alastair was stuck in bed for a whole day and Athan had no problem taking care of him the same way he had been when they were younger, bringing him blood packets and sneaking extra. Singing. Eventually Athan felt he could do more, needed to, but what else could he do? The idea to start making him the same origami figures he had for his mother to make him feel even a little better started as an experiment, butterflies, cranes, foxes. A collection slowly started to form, Athan hadn’t expected them to be embraced so wholeheartedly becoming flustered when Alastair began expecting his weekly gifts when he came back, a smile as wide as he could with eagerness in wonder of what he would get next.For a couple more years Athan was used to the same routine, get up, get dressed, have breakfast, go to combat training, learn the rules of the mafia, lunch, make origami for Alastair on Tuesdays, more classes not suitable for children, dinner, then bed. But today it changed. On his way back from lunch on Saturday one of the guards stopped him, a nervous expression on Athan’s face for obvious reasons. Was he in trouble? It was then that Athan was informed he was old enough for the more intense demands required of him. He was told to go to his room and wait to be called for, wash up, it was there he told Alastair of what was happening to him very soon. The look in those green eyes reflected nothing but worry and concern but the smile he gave was so soothing it almost made Athan disregard that gaze. It was no secret Athan was scared and Alastair could see it, his hands raising to place on his cheeks, it was a gesture he hadn’t felt yet. It made all the anxiety in his body practically melt but it was the kiss on his forehead that both shocked and comforted him."I'll be here when you get back. I'll kiss them better, every single scar.. Just promise me, don't scream, don't cry and if you feel like you will just think of me. Think of holding my hand."Athan wanted to question the kiss, question everything that Alastair said because the way it came out was so strange.. But it was time. Guards opened the door after they had parted, pulling Athan from the room and down a million and one different corridors before descending a flight of long narrow stairs. The chemical smell from the first time he had arrived grew stronger and stronger the deeper they went into the depths of the mansion. It stung his nose, it had been so long since it had done so having grown used to the various smells of this place over time but this was aggressive. Finally at the bottom Athan took in his surroundings, his eyes having adjusted as soon as the darkness of the stairs no longer had light to illuminate them. The hallway they walked down was old and the smell of water and mildew mixed with the chemical burning at the back of his throat. It was obvious this was part of the older structure this place was built on before it was renovated into the dark luxurious mansion that it was today. The passed 3 iron doors before coming to the end where one last iron door sat against the back end of the wall creaking deafeningly loud as it was opened, heavy and rusted from the years of use.

The room he was pulled into was not what he expected, white and clean, almost to clean, a single chair in the middle with straps, a tray and that woman he had seen the first time he had arrived. She didn’t change one bit, her eyes mimicking her smile still just as twisted and dangerous as Athan remembered them being. Quickly he was hoisted into the chair, straps cranked down over his right wrist and bicep exposing the innermost skin of his arm with no room to move or twist. The rest of his limbs were strapped down the chair pushed back so he was stuck in a partially reclined position, the more that happened the more he wanted to try and get away; but he remembered what Alastair had said.Athan took a deep breath and closed his eyes but not before catching a glimpse of the needles about to go in his arm. They were huge, unrealistically huge and hollow. Athan already knew it was going to hurt and braced, but no amount of bracing could have helped him with this. The initial insertion of the needles hurt but didn’t last, it was the pain that came during the process that had his body surged into a panic. His ability to heal was suddenly put into action in response to his flight instinct, over and over his skin throbbed in an attempt to heal around needles prodding into his skin. It was like nothing he could describe because there was nothing he had felt or witnessed to compare it to. The scream that bubbled in his throat was dangerously close to exploding past his lips causing himself to bite down against it, pulling the flesh of his lower lip past his teeth until it bled. The session was long, he felt every draw of blood the strange machine pulled from his veins and it was true they really didn’t stop until you were on the verge of collapse. It was the closest to death Athan has ever felt, his body tired like he had all the energy sucked out of him.Athan wasn’t even sure how he ended up back at their room, the guards opening the door pushing him in, he was sure he would fall hard to the floor. But of course Alastair was right there ready to catch his tired body, already whispering sweet reassurances in his ear. Like he had promised, Alastair took care of Athan. He sang to him little songs, fed him the blood he needed until he grew strong enough and held him through the night like he always did. Athan couldn’t help it, his heart grew more and more fond, making the feelings he already had so much stronger.It was his biggest secret now, the way he felt about his best friend because he just couldn’t tell him. How would he ever start? What if confessing risked the only friend he had ever been able to make and again he was hated and alone? That risk was far too great. But Athan should have known better than to think he could keep things like secrets in a place that taught to see everything.. he walls had ears, in reality the other recruits just had eyes. It was nothing new how close the two were, how Athan followed Alastair around like a lost puppy, at least in the eyes of others. Suddenly during dinner everyone began teasing Athan claiming he was gay for Alastair, pulling at his ears, calling him names, laughing about him being a homo. It was childish and Athan shouldn't have let it get to him, but it did because it was true, it was all true. He loved Alastair, he wouldn’t lie to himself about that. Athan was red in the face, lips parted but nothing came out ready to just ignore them and leave but the last thing he expected was hearing that laugh he loved so much chime in.

Their eyes met in an instance, Athan was sure Alastair saw the hurt bubbling under their surface because his laughing stopped almost instantly. His heart broke at that moment because the last thing he thought would ever happen was someone he thought cared for him laughing like that at something so degrading.. For a long few seconds they just stared at one another, the others making derogatory sounds still loudly laughing and teasing Athan, but he ignored it.“So what if I do..so what if I like you.”The words he spoke were barely under his breath, the only thing he said before standing abruptly his seat shoved back with a loud screech of wood against wood. It was against the rules to leave a meal halfway through but the dhampir didn’t care telling a guard he felt ill.. He just couldn't go back, not when something like that had happened.. The secret was out and there was nothing Athan could do now. Was it really so wrong for him to feel the way he was for his best friend? So many thoughts came rushing like a tidal wave through his head telling the poor boy he had ruined everything between himself and Alastair, he had been too obvious, too clingy, and relied on him too much. Laying on their bed Athan cried, it hadn’t cried since he was young but right now it felt right, he needed it with his thoughts where they were right now. Alastair’s laugh playing over and over in his head slowly became less of a comfort. Athan’s head drew him so deep into thought he hadn’t even noticed Alastair came into their room, didn’t notice the way the bed dipped when he laid beside him. It wasn’t until the warmth of Alastair’s arm as it slipped around Athan's small waist that he realized he was no longer alone, parting his lips in preparation of telling him off. The world and his words stopped when lips pressed to the small of his neck. Athan turned abruptly, shock written all over his face staring at the man he was supposed to be severely mad at in utter confusion.Their eyes met, the gaze he was given was different than before saying so much without the use of any words because right now words weren’t needed. Athan wasn’t expecting Alastair's eyes to ever look at him in such a way making Athan feel flustered, stirring up the butterflies in his stomach and the anxieties in his chest. Those beautiful eyes saw him completely only breaking eye contact for a second, flickering to his lips over and over as if to ask for permission through eagerness. Like a dance of uncertainty they bounced between looking at Athan’s violet orbs to the plush pink couplets that sat just a little lower until eventually the gap was just filled and their lips finally touched for only a moment they touched but it felt like so much happened in that little press. Alastair pulled back for a second, their breaths already heavy with feeling. "I like you too." Then their lips crashed together once again.Who knew such a little moment could hold so much intensity, the kiss inexperienced, unexpected, but oh so warm. Athan was lost in the way Alastair’s lips felt against his own moaning quietly the more the kiss grew, tongue pushed gently between until the kiss itself was as intense as the moment before it. Athan couldn’t help but think back to everything they had been through, every one of his firsts had been with Alastair. His first hug, his first smile, his first song, his first friend and now this. First kiss, first touch, first experience with love. Though they didn't know much of what to do they felt each other, hands exploring the parts of each other they never had before; the excitement expressed in the way their fingertips trembled against one another's skin. It was the first experience with sex for the both of them, it was messy, sloppy, Alastair breaking through his embarrassment with a laugh here and there and though Athan felt pain for some reason it barely even registered. This moment was nothing to compare to anything because again he didn’t have anything to compare it to, nothing this amazing, nothing had made Athan feel as happy as this before. Alastair was with him, they were one for the night feeling things for the first time they couldn’t even imagine before this and Athan will never forget. His first time tasting blueberries and caramel.After everything was said and done the two lay in a sweaty heap in each other's arms, hearts racing, breath heavy, bodies tired and satisfied feeling tingly all over; at least Athan did. He couldn't believe it.. What they had done, that Alastair had returned his love or that he was worthy of love itself. Like a dream so many things had come true and Athan couldn’t help but wonder where the bad news was, where this was going to end up falling apart. Like always Alastair saw the expression on Athan’s face knowing very well what was going through his head. Hands gentle and still shaking from the intensity of their moment pulled Athan’s chin up so their eyes could meet, his lips pressing to the end of his nose making Athan fall in love all over again, The negativity swarming his mind disappeared and all there that remained was Alastair and this moment. It was perfect, Athan would keep saying that. This was perfect, Alastair was perfect.

In the months following becoming more than just friends officially and upgrading the title to lover nothing exciting happened outside the usual blood harvest and combat training, how to shoot a gun, how to use a knife, all the normal stuff. Their meals were shared and whispers made their way through the mess hall but not a single person said anything to them about anything, the two left alone to their own devices. To bask in what they felt for each other which only seemed to grow where you think it couldn’t grow any further. Their nights became more intimate, their days a game of playful meet ups in secret trying to find the best places to just be with each other even for a moment. Another routine had formatted itself into their lives and for a long while longer they were able to keep it up, even while they were being trained to hunt and kill, to maim and murder they; never lost the pureness they had for each other.Alastair was first to be taken for a field assignment. It wasn’t like their classes, it was real life with real chances of getting hurt, real chances of being kidnapped, tortured, killed. Athan couldn’t sleep the two day’s Alastair had been gone, overthinking every scenario that could go wrong until he was crying, sobbing on their bed curled against the sheets that still smelled of blueberries and caramel. All that worrying wouldn’t go away. Even when Alastair came home the relief washed it all away but like a storm the worry flooded back as soon as he had to leave again. Alastair came home every time with a smile on their face, the nights they shared in between filled with unfiltered love, embracing as if it was their last; it only made things feel so much deeper than before.Again they made a routine and again it was changed, a couple years passed before Athan too was assigned to his first mission. It wasn’t the same as Alastair, his boyfriend’s expertise was in the distribution and trade of weapons between trusted mafia lords. Athan instead was thrust into the world of drug trade and debt collection. It made sense why Athan had been placed here knowing all the basics of how to handle situations like being cheated of money or what to do if someone tried to get away without paying. Being one of the highest performers in his classes; marksmanship, negotiation, negotiation with a weapon, marketing and stealth Athan was prepared.Like all the other recruits Athan stood ready to head out the front doors for the first time in years promising Alastair he would be safe just as Alastair did with him. The little thought of the kiss they shared before leaving pressed a soft smile to flushing cheeks settling nerves bubbling at his chest.. The guard came forward, Athan adjusting to step out when he was stopped and told to come a different way, leaving the dhampir completely confused. Athan turned to look between the direction the guard was going and the door, feet slowly carrying him away, being led to the side of the compound no one in recruitment was allowed to go without special clearance. So many bad things started up in his mind, was he about to disappear like the others who had been vanishing over recent years?It had been a wide-band rumor that if there was no progress of cooperation then the mafia had easy means of making you disappear. At first it was thought to be used as a scare tactic to keep everyone in check until seats started being left more and more empty during meals. As more people disappeared the rumors running around became more and more dramatic. It was always the higher ranks making things up, one being those that didn't make the cut were taken to the woods cut open and told to run with the hopes of surviving long enough to make it to a nearby town. Another rumor, more dramatic and ridiculous, was being taken away and drained of all their blood, extracted by the blood harvest machine until they were a dry husk of shriveled flesh. They always made it more believable, blaming the smell of death that lingered thick in the halls where the bodies on the other side of the compound left to decompose on the other side of the black wall. Athan always thought every rumor made up to explain the disappearances were ridiculous, the world they live in never guaranteed anyone's life, they could have easily been killed out in the field; but that didn’t mean Athan wasn’t paranoid about it now. The further they went the thicker the smell of death grew and the rumors didn’t seem all that truthless, their steps bringing them to a red door where they stopped. The guard places his hand on the hand, the whites of his knuckles visible under the sleeve of his black suit, his face serious, locking eyes with Athan.“You are going to see things, hear things, smell things and know things you will not understand nor will you be able to tell anyone. As part of the drug department you are going to be responsible for distributing one of our group's most profitable product. Do you swear, here and now, that you will not tell a soul of what you witness here, lest you befall the consequences if you are to do so? Failure to accept will lead to your immediate termination.”There wasn’t much room for debate with a threat like that, Athan’s face frozen in uncertainty for a short period before agreeing; it wasn’t like the options were at all that beneficial to the reservation of life. The door opened with an eerie creak echoing loudly in the long empty hall. The walls were white, the floors checkered with black and gray marble, doors lined both walls, thick, made of blemished iron with the only exposure to the outside being a small rectangular cut out at eye level. Death was thick here, almost gag worthy in how putride the air tasted on Athan’s tongue. At the end of the hall sat another door, this one white riddled with the feeling of unease, a passcode required for its entry obscured by the guards' back. The sound that leaked from its hinges was almost mechanical like a hiss of steam on the verge of screaming just before the kettle was ready. Beyond its borders no one could have known what horror’s lie waiting inside. Never in a million years would Athan have been able to guess what was inside that room.

Chair’s similar to the one he had been taken to in the basement before lined its circular walls, red drapes hung from the ceiling attaching to beams lining the upper most part of the room cascading down to the floor in extravagant elegance. Machine’s exactly like the one he had been subjected to sat looming above every chair, thick tubs attached in various locations rising up and disappearing into the red fabric above. Athan didn’t notice right away, too distracted but the tubes that got lost in the ceiling he almost didn’t realize were the ones that slipped down from the machines ended. Bodies, they were stuck inside bodies. Dhampirs sat strapped to the chairs almost unnoticeable in the way their white gowns blended into the white of everything in the room. Black bags covered over every face, red tubes lined perfectly in place stuck neatly into various parts of their body. In a sick way the display made them almost look like angels.Athan couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t do much of anything as he processed trying to understand what his eyes were seeing. There wasn’t much time to process it being instructed to keep moving past the curtain of red through a similar mechanical door. More white walls, more contrasting red tubes of what was now registered as blood ending over buckets attached the valves. People in masks walked back and forth between a large table in the room where strange presses sat on its lit up surface. The valves were opened filling a bucket with thick puddles of red, taken to the table and poured into the opening at the top. Grinding sounds, wet sloshes that would make weak stomachs turn and bubbling made it seem as if the machine would explode; out the bottom came a red powder falling into little baggies. The bags of powder were passed down a line of people, some keeping it in its purest form, others pressing it into little pills, some being cut with something else, it was literally being made into a drug right before his eyes. Athan realized the second rumor really was true. The people in those chairs were most likely those that had gone missing, their blood being harvested and made into drugs for profit because some asshole thought it was their only value..“It’s called Red-X.” Athan felt his body jump when a masked dhampir suddenly spoke standing right behind him, a mask in hand held out to be taken. “It’s a highly addictive drug that gives people the rush of feeling like a dhampir for a short period of time. It leaves the users wanting more and more until they are willing to sell their soul for it. If we have it, it will trigger bloodlust so.. I would wear that if I were you.” No hesitation the mask was pulled over his face, fixed snug over Athan’s nose still shocked about what he was being shown. For the remainder of the day Athan was shown the ropes of his new role in this place, filling the bucket, filling the machine, crank the bar, and hand down the bag. Athan finally found dislike in routine.Days passed leaving heavy emotions weighing down on thin shoulders. After making the drugs ran them, stacking more stress onto the poor boy’s shoulders knowing the thing they were distributing was the blood of people he knew. It was true not everyone here got along and Athan didn’t really know them personally, but the ones that seemed the kindest were the ones that were always the first to go missing. Just the thought of having the knowledge their peers were being milked like literal cows made Athan was beyond stressed, beyond wanting a break, wanting Alastair more than ever. It had been a couple weeks since they last saw each other. Their schedules always conflicted, working long nights and one always gone when the other returned. Only by chance through a simple passing had the two been able to glance in the other’s direction; it wasn't nearly enough. Worry, stress, deprived of the one thing that calms the nerves of negativity, Athan was about to crack under the pressure of these secrets forced to be kept. Another day passed without Alastair. It was starting to feel as if they would never really see each other again.The pain of that thought dawned down on Athan’s mind, curling around the insecurities that had been festering without the laugh that would always shove that negativity away. The longer he was left alone to sit in his sorrows the stronger they became. The claws of doubt almost pierced their way through when arms, firm and gentle, found their way around Athan’s slim waist. It took the dhampir by surprise, ready to fight with anyone that dared touch him. Blueberries and caramel found their way into a pale nose, Athan’s body practically melted in realization and relief, Alastair. Finally, it was Alastair. Turning around Athan didn’t hesitate to press their lips together, arms wrapping up and around a slim neck feeling relief when the embrace was returned.

For a long while the two stood there in the shadows tasting and feeling every part they missed until nothing was left on their bodies. It was intense, more intense than any time before feeling as if they had come back from war with the news they survived.“I missed you.” Athan mumbled the words into their kiss. A large hand pushed the hair from where it had fallen over tired eyes, Athan leaning into the touch with greed.“Why do you look so tired and drained, my love?” It wasn’t Saturday and if Alastair remembered correctly Athan had already given blood for that month knowing the extraction team had since reduced their visits. Athan thought if there really was a way to tell the man he loved the truth of what plagued him. Could Athan really confide in Alastair the absolute horrors this place hid within its walls? Violet eyes closed in frustration, brow creased in thought battling with what should be done until pain started to crawl like little bugs up his spine. Alastair reassured there was nothing in the world that Athan couldn’t tell him, there was nothing that could be said to stir the way he felt. Nothing ever left this room and nothing ever would. It was true, they always told each other everything. It was the threats that kept ringing loud in the dhampir’s ears but this was their safe space where the outside world couldn’t reach them. Athan finally reached a decision and told Alastair everything, about the blood harvesting, the missing dhampirs and what happens to them, the drugs.. But the real concern was having no idea exactly how the harvesters choose who they take. At first it had seemed obvious it was due to poor performance thinking they had no value anywhere else, but recently the people he had seen in the chairs were high ranking in most if not all of their classes. Visibly distressed, Alastair's hold tightened, lip pressed kisses of reassurance where they could reach, giving every comfort within his power.“We need to run, we have to get away. What if I see you in there suddenly in the days to come? Or myself?” Athan was hushed, reassurances pouring out to calm the anxieties stirring around the room being confident it would never happen, ever. But the information was still concerning, if what was said was true they were no longer safe. But Alastair made it a point to explain that right now they were safe, right now they finally had each other again and any type of planning could wait for the morning. That was enough to soothe Athan’s boggling mind knowing the things that were said were believed and they really would get away, one way or another they would.Waking up in the morning Athan was met with an empty bed, a note sat neatly on the pillow explaining there was an emergency during a run with the promise to return before lunch. It was disappointing waking up alone especially on their time off but Alastair never broke a promise. They were going to get away, that's all that went through Athan’s head.Two days had passed since the letter had been left on the pillow and worry was an understatement for what was felt. Alastair had promised to come back and every time Athan asked about any information it was brushed off, the subject changed or straight out ignored. It was against the rules to ask about those on assignment, the avoidance of answers wasn’t suspicious but Athan couldn't help but think maybe.. Someone knew they had talked. Laying in their bed thinking of so many different things that could have happened just like the first time Alastair had been taken away Athan felt he was going crazy. Lunch was soon, the bell ringing to start line up, Athan didn’t want to go wishing that skipping out was an option but again it was against the rules. Fingers curled around cool iron giving it the same yank it always needed to open, but nothing happened. Again the hand clasped to the handle pulled, and then again, but the door did not open.

“Hellooo? My door is stuck, hello?” What was this? The tugging moved to banging hoping the sounds attracted the attention of someone outside but nothing happened. No one came to open the door or even came to inspect the sounds that had to be echoing loudly down the halls. Usually Athan wasn't one to start panicking but the room suddenly started to feel so small, memories of the closet he had been locked in surfacing that it was hard to keep calm. One hand pounded against the door before it moved to two, words carrying loudly as they were shouted until the grit of a dry throat started to burn. They had locked Athan inside the room and it was starting to feel on purpose the longer it went on. The room shared with safety and loved suddenly became a prison
The body gave out a long time ago having slid down the steel door settling in a heap on the floor against it. The count of how many days went by was lost by now shrouded by the growing pain creeping thick like tar into the stomach burning up into the throat.The only way to describe such a pain was being tortured with fire and knives from the inside out, stabbing in every direction starting deep in the gut making its way to the very base of the neck. Flashbacks took over giving life to the feeling, remembrance that this hunger was something that hadn’t been felt before. Athan was suddenly taken over by a rush of pain more severe than before, crying out, moving to bang on the door with what strength there was left in his limbs. Athan knew no one was coming. Left to starve to death until the madness consumed every inch of the dhampir's mind. There wasn't much to be done except think of comfort to distract from the inevitable fate he was subjected. Letting his mind wander to the one person Athan wished was there right now.. Alastair. Hope that he is safe.They say your life flashed before your eyes right before you eyes, that it's the brain's way of trying to go through every moment it has ever been in danger and try to figure out how to stop it. Athan waited for that moment to come wishing to see the little moments of happiness shared with the person that he loved. But it never happened like the movies said. Instead there was just pain. Over every limb a burning ache like individual nerves was being extracted with a hot needle one by one. It cascaded like a tide in a typhoon coating the dhampir's very existence. It was obvious now that Athan was not dead but a crumbled lump of writhing appendages trying to run from the excruciating hunger threatening to burst from his chest and devour. In the split moments of sanity that broke through the feral hunger Athan noticed this room was one he had never been in before.The entirety of it was white unable to tell where the walls began and the floor ended. Not a single shadow cast in the cylindrical space lights burning overhead and the only break in the walls was a strange mirror stretching a few feet across it. But it was hard to concentrate on anything with a mind twisting in the claws of a beast that dwelled deep inside every one of his kind. Bloodlust was not a secret but it wasn’t exactly the most talked about topic among the recruits. Classes went over the importance of feeding and the dangers of letting oneself fall into the temptation of insanity for blood. Most laughed about the history of the dhampir and the reign of bloodlust that caused chaos for decades resulting in the massacre of their own. In these fits of mindless rage and hunger dhampir have no sense of who they were, no memory of those they cared for and will even attack them without a second thought. That was what Athan was falling into, an insatiable need for blood with no end to the hunger that came with it just like that night long ago.A door opened in the distance, the familiar mechanical hiss echoing through the room but Athan’s mind was too far gone to even register anything. Blood, blood, blood. The word throbbed through every pumping throb of veins the rush leaving Athan seeing red.A muffled sound of a voice carried through the air falling upon deaf ears, a sweet thick scent slowly filling the room alongside it. Inhaling deeply, nostrils flaring taking in a lung full of that mouth water scent, the sound that came from Athan inhuman; a mix of a feral snarl and a wild growl filling the room in a warning. There was no thought of what the source of this smell might be nor was there any care, it smelled like relief and that was enough to drive the dhampir crazy with need. Athan rolled to his stomach lifting into a crouch that only made him seem more like a wild beast.The same muffled words spun around the room louder than before but still they were met with no reaction. Athan’s eyes were no longer violet but a deep shimmering shade of red, vision blurred with the color of blood focused and a black blob of a figure off in the near distance, the mouth watering scent was lifting from the figure like a fog. Hungry eyes followed its delicate tempting swirls, fangs bared, no longer was Athan of sound mind but a lion with a mouse in its sights.Suddenly lurching forward in a speed invisible to the naked eye, fangs sank deep into the very spot that delicious smell was the strongest, nails digging into skin through fabrics of clothes as their bodies fell back against the ground. Mindlessly Athan fed taking mouthfuls of sweet relief past dry lips without mercy feeling the thing underneath him struggle, push, muffle out sounds Athan’s mind had no care to decipher. It was delicious the taste of warm blood pumping fresh and alive from the vein, an experience that was so addicting the thoughts that did make it in were the want for more. Gulp after gulp was pulled in without restraint with no signs of stopping until there was nothing left to take.

Again the mechanical hiss of the door broke through the snarls in the room Athan growling defensively muffled against the throat of his prey, warning whoever approached that this was claimed.“My sweet lovely star, beautiful you are like this, so pretty covered in red.” Ambroigio’s voice was very distinct, reaching through the racks to what little sanity Athan had left but it wasn’t enough to get the dhampir to let go. Fangs buried deeper into the throat of his victim, feeling a hand reach up tangling through sweat coated strands causing another growl to rip through the room.“Shhh, my precious boy. I wouldn’t dream of taking him away from you again. Young love is so precious, I could never be as cruel as to keep you apart.” Daywalkers had this ability to ease dhampir that had fallen into bloodlust back into a state of sanity, it was slow taking its time but it was a fact. Ambrogio smiled watching Athan slowly start to regain himself the look that was about to present itself a treat in the evil man's eyes. This was all done this way it had been on purpose to implant the most trauma one possibly could. Athan was thrust back into sanity so quickly his stomach lurched, the gasp pulling the fangs that had been buried deep in a throat removed with the sudden jerk. Nothing was making sense, panic was rising the more unaware of where this was or what was happening sunk in.The tremble of his body was almost violent, unable to handle just how abrupt the transition was from bloodlust to clarity. Blood pooled from the wound right before violet eyes, a scream bubbling in the base of his throat croaking out less of a sound. There was a body and Athan was on top of it pinning it to the ground, has this wound been caused by him? The hand that slipped through damp locks wasn’t like the one from before, the one was comforting in the gentle way fingers curled weakly around random strands. It was familiar the way those fingers moved. Athan froze when his hearing was no longer focused on the sound of blood throbbing through veins it honed in on the tune known well being hummed weak and garbled right beside his ear. It couldn’t be what was thought, Athan begged, prayed, sobbed that it was anyone but the one his thoughts went to. But the gods haven't been kind in the boy’s life so far. Why would they start now?Violet eyes caught those beautiful emeralds they hadn’t wanted to see peering back, for once those eyes were heartbreaking to look into. Athan had gotten lost in those gems so many times before being the focal point of every good memory that had ever existed for the dhampir. Alastair lay there, eyes dull and lidded barely showing a hint of the light they used to, olive skin now deathly pale, strong arms now weak, face splattered with blood and that silly gorgeous dimple adorned smile still spread across it. It was unfair, the way Alastair starred like Athan had done no wrong, wasn’t capable of doing anything to stop the love they had.Like he hadn’t almost ripped his throat out and drained the life from his body without resistance or thought. Athan was still in denial of who he was looking down at the actual horrors of what had been done not yet fully registered but the tears in those violet eyes welled up and spilled over. It was a scary dream, Athan was still on the floor of their room panicking about the door being broken and this was just a bad thought about what could have happened to Alastair. It wasn’t real. Athan was ripped from those thoughts feeling the brush of a thumb gently moved to wipe away the tears that hasn’t even been noticed.“It’s.. okay. Don’t cry, don’t cry my love. Don’t cry.”The world around them came crashing like an avalanche off a steep cliff. "No.. no no no no no..” It took so long for Athan to completely register this was really, really happening. Alastair really was here, they both were, it wasn’t some sick dream and the one that had hurt the man he loved was himself.Alastair’s neck was still seeping blood, hands shaking as they frantically tried to figure out what to do or where to go. All the classes of in field medical training went right out the window. “No…No. Al? Alastair! No it isn’t real.. This isn't real., it isn’t real you’ll be fine. You'll heal.. Y-You'll heal, so it's okay. W-We can heal.." But he wasn't, those confused hands pressing firmly against the wound feeling wrong and undeserving to touch when it was his doing. “You’ll.. You’ll be fine.” Why wasn't the wound closing? Why wasn't the healing starting? “I’m sorry.. I am so sorry. I am so sorry, I love you. I would never hurt you, I would never.. You will be okay. We.. We will get out of here and get married. With the s-stupid flowers at the silly vineyard in Italy. And, and we will buy that little stupid house on that stupid little hill and get that stupid yellow dog you really want just heal, please! Heal! …heal please. I love you.”Athan sobbed, begging whoever the hell was listening to help them, willing to do anything. Alastair reached up with the other hand grabbing hold of the other cheek pulling Athan’s face closer until their lips met. The kiss was so small and gentle, tasting of blueberries and caramel so soft it felt like their first. It calmed the anxiety riddling Athan’s body bringing down the distress but the shaking wouldn't stop, the sob left in his throat escaping with a loud cry of sorrow as soon as they parted, pressing their foreheads together."I love you.."The sobs came out harder, those words once a comfort in themselves felt like a goodbye that Athan didn’t want to accept. Shaking his head Athan whispered that it wasn’t the end, this would not end like this. Trembling hands pressed harder on the wound to try and stop the bleeding, protesting everything Keelin said about letting it go.“No.. you are fine.. You will be okay so don’t say it like that.. Don’t say it like it's the last time. Don’t ask me to stop because I won’t! You’re my other half.. I love you. Alastair?” The hands pressed to Athan’s face slipped away, the urgency to catch them pressing them back against his cheek. Those beautiful eyes were no longer open, lips no longer whispering reassurances or sweet nothings in his ear, Alastair was still.. Silent. Gone.“Oh my, it seems he has died. The poor thing, you two were so cute, the love I witnessed so pure, like watching a perfectly written play.” Athan had forgotten anyone else had been in the room, Ambrogio's voice doing little to gain a reaction. Empty, unfocused eyes stared down at the man at the body of the man he loved just like the day he stared down at his mothers.

“Please.. Please wake up. Smile, and laugh, tell me it was a joke to make me feel better. Anything.. Do anything.” Alastair didn’t move. Ambrogio lifted an arm, fingers flickering in some indication for others to come inside the place suddenly filled with several guards. Hands wrapped around Athan’s arms grabbing pulling him away from Alastair his still far too shattered to even comprehend fully that they were taking him away. “No.. no he, he’s okay. He’ll heal. He..” He was dead. Athan screamed suddenly the sound piercing in a room such as finding no end to the sheer terror of what had just happened right before his eyes. Athan was slipping again, the mind going blank wanting to reach that special place where nothing hurt and nothing mattered. A hand harshly pulled Athan’s face snapping the dhampir back into his mind, the smile on that man's face was the same one as the day they met, Ambrogio’s eyes still promised to eat you alive. "Shhh, now-now we can’t have you fading away like that. I would miss you too much. My dear star, don't be sad. You did so well you did exactly what you were meant to. You should be so proud of yourself. Just like I am. You come in and out of bloodlust so easily it's exciting.. We are going to have so much fun breaking you in."“Fuck you…” A hit landed at the base of Athan’s neck right between the blades the impact enough to knock him out, Ambrogio smiling still at the blood covered monster brewing to be created.
~It’s been years since then, decades. Athan had woken up in a different room, who knows how long after what they had made him do. A metal collar decorating the base of his throat and of course the panic set in. It didn’t take long to understand what it did or what it was for. Any sound he made a shock surged through his body sending him straight to the floor in a pit of agony.Torture followed, deprived of blood until it hurt only given the minimum of what was needed, cursed by that damn witch Ambrosia with a spell that made him obey. Kept him from feeding unless given permission, made it easier to keep Athan between sanity and bloodlust like a dog.Eventually Athan learned not to speak or make any sound for that matter, not feed when he wasn't given the okay to or the collar went off. He learned his position as the mafia's most deadly and feared attack dog who belonged to the most powerful mafia lord. Athan belonged to Ambrogio; whenever he wanted someone killed, do runs that required extra attention or wanted to be entertained.Athan was a slave to the Mafia.. it was his reality. His life. His existence.

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