The Juvenile Pack: The Dark Hour

Chapter 4: Steampunk Princess and Shadow Monsters

Karmen: This chapter will feature PillarManKars OC: Jasmine Romario, who will be an occurring character in the book, as well as the franchise! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Damn it, Jasmine, where are you?!" The girl in steampunk clothing growled frustratedly to herself.

As she went down the elevator, she pulled out her phone and started dialing a number, calling it before placing the device against her ear. Her call answered.

"What's up, Kathryn?" Asked a high-pitched, teenage girl's voice.

"I saw a shadow spawn, Phoebe. Just outside my hotel room down the alley of Cornwall avenue," the steampunk girl, now known as 'Kathryn,' answered to the girl on the phone. "I think Jasmine might be involved with it."

Kathryn heard a shocked gasp from Phoebe, the elevator doors open as she walked out into the lobby.

"You sure it was Jasmine?" She asked, freaked out. "What if it's Black Jack?!"

"How can it be Black Jack? He's in prison!"

"Wait..." Phoebe stopped herself before speaking again. "You don't know?"

"Don't know what?! Stop leaving me in suspense, dammit!"

"He broke out of prison a few days ago, like, the twenty-eighth of December!"

Kathryn ran out of the hotel and stopped when she heard what Phoebe said. She couldn't believe it—the leader of the Black Hand cult she took down back in the summer of 2016 escaped. She clenched her fist and ran towards the alley she saw the shadow spawn walked into.

"I'll talk to you later!" Kathryn shouted into her phone. Before Phoebe could say anything, she hung up on her, running towards the alley.

She looked down the alley and saw the shadow-like figure exit through a black portal. Kathryn's eyes squinted into a glare as she ran for the portal, going through just before it closed.

After going through the portal, Kathryn found herself in a forest. The trees in the woods were old and antiquated; the grass below her feet felt thick and soggy. She looked up and saw most leaves covering the sky, only letting small spotlights of light shine through the cracks of the green leaves and mossy branches, reminding Kathryn of her homeworld when she used to leave the castle and explore with her commoner friend, Thomas. She looked around for the shadow figure she saw earlier, but it seems she has lost it.

"Great, just great," Kathryn sighed and started to walk. "Why a forest?"

"Because you don't expect many people to be around to hear us." Said a girl's emotionless and disembodied voice.

Kathryn felt a chill down her spine, feeling someone behind her. She turned around to see a seventeen-year-old girl (same age as Kathryn) with curly raven black hair with soft-smoky silver highlights and has beautifully vibrant tan skin and ruby red eyes. She was wearing a black lace short gothic dress under the black cloak she wore.

Kathryn glares at the gothic girl before her. "Hello, Jasmine Romario, nice outfit—the emo aesthetic suits you," she deadpanned, crossing her arms at her.

"It's good to see you too," Jasmine replies sarcastically as she narrowed her eyes at the steampunk girl. "Maybe you should take a look at yourself for once, princess."

Kathryn's eye twitched at the gothic-wearing teen. Jasmine was the first person she met when she first came to this Earth. She remembers her being so antisocial and timid; she started gaining some confidence after she met Jasmine; she became a bit more open to talking to people... that's how she met him.

"Why did you bring me here?" asked Kathryn. "I bet that shadow lurker purposefully brought me here... so, what do you want?"

"I want to make that offer again," Jasmine answered, smiling at her former friend with what looks like a gentle smile—but Kathryn can only see mischief behind it.

"If you're gonna ask me to join that bastard's cult, I refuse."

Jasmine's smile fades away as she stared at Kathryn with disappointing eyes, pouting at the steampunk princess.

"Your hair... it doesn't look like you dyed it," said Kathryn as she looks at the smoky silver highlights in Jasmine's hair.

Jasmine giggles and twirls the silver highlights in her fingers, shaking her head towards Kathryn.

"No, it started to change color after Black Jack's arrest," the gothic teenager answered. "But I heard he broke out~, that's good because I felt lonely without him~."

"Jas, please listen to me!" Kathryn shouted, her tone sounding desperate. "He's using you! You're just another piece to his puzzle that will reach his goal!"

"Shut up, Kathryn!" Jasmine yelled angrily, her eyes piercing into her former friend with irritation. "He was there for me when I needed him!"

"He made you kill your foster parents!"

"THEY ABUSED ME AND TREATED ME LIKE SHIT!" Jasmine screamed in pure rage before quickly calming down slightly. "No one else but him came to save me... not you, not Bang De Leon, only him."

Kathryn was shocked at Jasmine's outburst, and she couldn't say anything after hearing that. She then saw tears stream from her old friend's eyes, making the steampunk princess look away out of pity.

"Jasmine, I—"

"It's too late for apologies now," Jasmine interrupted, sniffling and wiping her tears off her tan cheeks. "It's already been done, and I'm forever in his debt. I will do anything to help him accomplish his objective."

Kathryn sighs and looks back at Jasmine. She reached her hand onto a holster on her hip and pulled out a sci-fi-looking flintlock pistol with a tube that was glowing yellow. She points the gun towards her.

Jasmine saw the pistol in surprise, but only chuckled to herself. "So, now you're gonna kill me?"

"No, it's been set to stun," Kathryn said with a severe tone. "I'm sorry, Jasmine, but I can't allow you to assist Black Jack anymore."

Jasmine smirks and licks her lips, snapping her fingers as multiple growls, and low moans can be heard approaching the two girls.

Kathryn looked around and saw multiple horrific shadow creatures, all of them looking at her as they went to Jasmine's side.

"I think you'd want to change your settings on that gun, Kathy~," Jasmine giggles with a sinister smirk. "Ok, my pets~, kill her."