Aera-Kerr: Dusk of Desolation (Act 1 - free sample)

Chapter 2: Daemon Hunter?

The following morning, Tyrell awoke to aching, dull pain cascading through his being. He did, however, feel more mentally rejuvenated than he had been for the past three months, or even during school. Come to think of it, he would have started his Senior year in high school a few weeks ago, had the Second Calamity not occurred.

Tyrell lost many nights of sleep due to the thought of what happened to his love interest, Kira Birkin, during the initial Daemon attack in Belmont. He could only imagine the fate that has befallen her. The thing that made him fear the worst was finding her crystal-spear he created for her, abandoned and bloodstained. He was unsure if it was her blood or another's, but she was nowhere to be found. To this day, without the faintest sign of her, he clung desperately to the hope she survived, yet it was bitterly tinged with the thought of her demise. This constant internal battle of hope and fear always left him with a pounding headache and a sinking heart.

In any case, Tyrell slowly stood, his sore muscles weighing him down. Peering into the master bedroom, he saw that his mother and father left before he woke up. Claire was gone from her bed as well. Tyrell assumed she was taken to the hospital to have her pneumonia treated. For the past few days, she was in bad shape; she was pale, spoke hoarsely, and was too weak to assist the convoy. Despite her insistence to provide support, everyone practically forced her to remain laying down.

Tyrell went straight to the washroom where he could finally take the long, hot shower he looked forward to. He remained under the warm, sprinkling jets for no less than half an hour, cleaning every last area of skin and hair on his head, diminishing half the soap bar in the process. His cuts and scabs stung as he cleaned them, but he managed to bear the pain to ensure they would not be infected. He also shaved off the minute hairs growing on his face and chin that he was never able to properly get rid of for months. Brushing his teeth was also a must, as they were a sickening hue of yellow by now. It took three brushing sessions to get them looking normal again.

After drying and putting a clean set of clothes on, Tyrell combed his hair . . . which led to something catching his eye. He pried apart two areas of hair to see that it was darkening to a burgundy color at the roots, which gradually and smoothly lightened to the natural, bright crimson color. His hair was not cut for several months, so it became somewhat shaggy but still held its original shade of red on the ends. The darker color might have been caused by a Mana effect, but still it puzzled him. Benign as it was, he set aside this issue, as it did not bother him much.

There was a small envelope on the kitchen counter with a small note next to it that Tyrell saw upon preparing to leave the suite. He walked over and picked up the note to read it:

Tyrell,

We took Claire over to the hospital to see if they can help her get better. Your father and I are out right now, but Klaus dropped off some prepaid cards in this envelope before we woke up. You can take the debit card inside and go out if you want. Just come back before 9 this evening. Love you.

-Mom.

Tyrell set down the note and took the card out of the envelope. He figured he could probably do some shopping, since many of his clothes were getting worn out. Perhaps he could get information from people around the city about what they know about the Daemons. Or . . . perhaps he should stop worrying so much and just take a break. He thought about some things he could do, like go to a coffee shop, get a book from the bookstore, take some of his friends to see a movie, maybe to a buffet restaurant, or an arcade, take a walk through a park . . . well, anything to help him feel more at ease. But, being precautious, he tucked a dagger from his bag into his boot before leaving.

As Tyrell took an elevator to the ground-level, a girl with long, straight hair, a color somewhere between blonde and brunette, entered as well. For the brief descent, he noticed her constantly eyeing him, her mouth flat and thin. He could not tell if it was supposed to be a smile.