Chasing Reality

Prologue:

   "Today isn't the day Juno." I sat in the ballroom of my best friends, Kai, estate. Who just so happens to be giving me a lecture. "It's your own birthday and you've already caused trouble."

    "Come on Kai, is this really necessary? I didn't start anything yet-"

    "Yet, exactly." I sigh sparing him a glance. "My parents are having this gathering for your sake and you wanna ditch?"

    "Precisely." Kai glares at me in annoyance. "You in?" I hold my fist out for a fist bump and Kai sighs looking around giving me one back.

    "Let's go." The two of us run side by side out of the ballroom, shoving our way past several guests and also running past several of Kai's guards. We make it outside in the rain and run far into town square only stopping when we realize we are in the clear. "Damn it Juno, we're out now what?" I laugh at how out of breath he is and stand up ontop of a bench looking around us. We're both soaked from head to toe but I smile staring up at the sky as lighting shoots down in the distance.

    "Kai have you ever wondered whether this is reality?" Kai raises an eyebrow, shaking his head.

    "What kind of question is that?" I glance at him. "Are you high or something?"

    "Maybe." We both laugh and I look up at the sky again as they roar, shaking the ground beneath us. "Seriously though, there has to be more." Kai stands up on the bench beside me. "There's no way that this is all there is to life."

    "Yeah, you're definitely stoned huh." I remain silent looking toward the clock tower. "We'll never know.. Not until we die." He pauses as I take that in. "We should head back. My parents are probably going crazy right now." My eyes remain drawn to the clock tower as the handle strikes midnight and a bell goes off around the city. "Juno?"

    "Yeah I heard you." I reply as he jumps off and begins walking back toward the way we came. I sigh as another wave of thunder makes it's presence known. I jump off and begin following Kai from a distance but freeze as lightning strikes once more. I can't move or speak, it feels as though I'm trapped within a spiders web.

    "You're the puzzle piece I've been looking for." I watch as Kai moves farther and farther away as I feel someone behind me. They grab me, covering my mouth to prevent me from screaming out as I feel a sharp pain on my neck. That pain, being the monsters fangs getting deeper into my skin. The thunder grows louder as Kai moves farther away and the wind begins to pick back up again as I reach my hand out toward Kai's direction. My vision becoming blurred as the monster behind me begins to speak again. "See you soon, Juno."

    The presence behind me fades as the icy winds slash at my face and the rain dances above my head as I attempt to take a few steps toward Kai's direction. I place a hand on my neck as my wound pulsates in pain. I remove my hand and look at it noticing blood trailing off of it and onto the ground. I smile looking up at the sky and it's murderous clouds, finding the strength to speak.

    "So this is what he meant.."  I whisper as my legs give up on me and I collapse into the arms of the rains darkness as it devours me whole. "This.. is death."

Kai:
    I begin walking toward the estate but stop as I get a feeling that Juno isn't following me. I turn around with a sigh as the rain thickens.

    "Juno what are you-" I freeze as I see Juno collapse in the distance. "JUNO!" I run toward him without a second to waste in fear of what just happened. "JUNO!?" I pull him into my arms as I see blood on his hands. "No.. No Juno! Juno wake up!" I notice deep puncture wounds on his neck and I shake my head in disbelief. "I don't understand.." I feel tears form within my eyes and I listen for a heartbeat. "JUNO WAKE UP! JUNO!"

    "He's gone.." I freeze looking up to see a guy our age towering over us. "And you'll join him." His eyes flicker in incredible speed from a purple to a murderous red as I cling onto Junos lifeless body.

    "WHAT DID YOU DO TO-" I freeze as he disappears and I'm grabbed from behind with my mouth covered. I try to pull away from this force but I can't move.

    "You'll both be perfect assets." The fangs of the monster forcefully pierce my neck and I tremble as I feel my life force being drained from me in the matter of a split second. "Say farewell, Kai."

•••
    "NO!! LET ME GO!!"
Who is that?.. "STOP IT!" That voice.. It sounds so familiar. "LET ME GO!!!"

Juno!

I open my eyes slowly allowing them to adjust to my surroundings as I hear Juno continue to cry out. I feel my head pound repetitively as I look away from the bright light above me and turn toward Junos direction. There are three men in all black trying to hold him down but he's fighting back.

"Damn brat hold still!" One of them grabs Juno by his neck and I can see Junos eye color is no longer their brown, they're red. Juno continues trying to push them off him as he gasps for air and I get up immediately slamming myself onto two of the guards forcing them off him.

"The other ones up too! Grab him!"

"LET HIM GO!" I yell grabbing the back of the man whose choking him. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!" I push him off as im grabbed by the other two guards and Juno breaks free but is immediately grabbed by two more as they enter the room we're in.

"ENOUGH!" The guards hold us both still but we still try to move as we see the guy from the square enter the room. His hair is all black and his eyes are a light shade of purple. "I'm glad to see you've both awoken." I glance at Juno who trembles as he continues to try to break free. "You're both very lively if you ask me." The guy grins and looks at me. "You're Kai. Correct?" I remain silent.

"What do you want with us?" I ask as the guards tighten their grip. The guy walks over to me standing infront of me with a straight face. "Just let us-" His eyes turn to red as he slams his hand into my chest leaving me frozen as I hear Juno scream. I look down realizing that he's reached and grabbed my heart. His hand holds it as it slowly pulsates. "No.." I whisper trying to hang onto whatever I have left.

"I realize I don't need you. So I'm letting you go." He drops my heart onto the ground as my vision and hearing slowly fade. He places his hand on my cheek as I meet his eyes. "Your blood was truly satisfying. Farewell Kai."

"KAI! KAI NO!"

Juno:
"KAI!!" I begin to breathe heavily as the guards drop him onto the ground without a care. I shake uncontrollably as I cry out but the guards only tighten their grip on my arms as the guy approaches me next.

"There there Juno." He places his hands on my cheeks making me look into his eyes. "It's alright. You don't have the same fate." He wipes a tear from my cheek with a small smile.

"Kai.." I whisper not able to say anything else. "K-Kai.."

"Akito." Someone else enters the room but my head drops down weakly as I shut my eyes trying to process everything that's happened. "It seems he's arrived."

"I'll be right there." I open my eyes slowly still filled with tears as I feel him move his face toward my left ear. "I have so much in store for you Juno." I freeze as he moves away and smiles psychotically. "Have him ready for when I come back." He stops at the door and glances back toward Kai's direction. "And clean up that mess."

"Yes sir." The door shuts as the guards handcuff me to the corner of the room forcefully. "Now, do as Akito said, clean up that mess." One of them says to the other. I look at Kai once more but cough out at the smell of all his blood in the room. I can't help but blame myself.. If we had stayed at the party.. He'd still be alive.
I shut my eyes grabbing my hair with my hands tightly.

"We'll never know. Not until we die."

This can't be happening.. Kai.. I'm so sorry.