Lost Will of the Dead [Book One] (On Hold)

Prologue

Alarms blared all over the mansion for the past ten minutes.

Synchronized loud marching footsteps of the military echoed throughout the halls beyond.

Someone was screaming and barking orders to search and turn the place upside down if they had to.

It would only be a matter of time before they would find the young master of the mansion.

The young master coughed from the smoke of the fire seeping through his nose. It was spreading rapidly and there was no stopping it. He just needed to get out--and fast.

What could've started the fire?

"Come here..." a man called for him.

He knew who the man was, and he needed to get him out of here too.

Without a second thought, he dashed outside into the hallway as clouds of smoke slammed onto him face first. The young man held onto the doorknob and staggered to keep himself upright as the hallway blurred in and out of focus.

A blast of heat rippled from somewhere beside him. He went wide-eyed in horror as the fire loomed before him. He bolted towards the other end of the hallway zigzagging his path to avoid the barrage of flames.

"I'm coming! Wait for me!" The young man yelled.

He halted in front of the towering double set oak doors and burst in through the room--without sparing moments for doubts to blossom.

The young man could barely see through the dense smoke sizzling his eyes. "Where are you?! We need to get out of here fast!" He called out. His throat ached, begging for water he couldn't easily find.

"I'm in bed, I can't get up," Valentin said in a voice low and hoarse.

"I'm coming," The young master replied. He fumbled through the furniture to keep himself upright and navigate. He couldn't rely much on his vision anymore but more on the memory of the room he was in.

As he neared the bed, a coppery scent wafted up his nose. He knew that scent all too well.

"You're bleeding!" The young master seethed.

"I know... I won't live long... listen to me..." Valentin trailed off.

The young man went wide-eyed as he saw Valentin sprawled on the bed as if trying to get up but failed. Both his knees were severed from his body and left lying on the foot of the bed.

Deep crimson blood soaked the mattress, the sheets, the blanket, and the pillows. Splotches of blood were left on the nightstand. A pool of blood--almost dried up--surrounded the already severed leg. Bile began rising out the pit of the young master's stomach but he pushed it right back in.

"Wh-who did this??" The young man stuttered. He didn't try to hide the tears of sadness that rolled down his cheeks.

Valentin shook his head and spoke in a voice barely audible. "No time... Listen...You have to find it... no matter what... you have to..."

He had no idea what Valentin was talking about but he nodded his head nonetheless as if he knew.

"Promise me... you will... get to it first... before he does... " Valentin seethed taking long breaths in between sentences. He coughed out hoarsely as red blood spewed from inside.

The younger person in the room cringed at the sight and screwed his eyes shut for a moment trying to get rid of the image. Gently, he took the bloody hands of Valentin and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

The young master spoke in a voice equally as low as Valentin's, "I promise," He continued with a barely masked panic. "But I will not let you die. We have to--"