Tristan is a character that I created in my previous story 'The Progeny'. I liked the character so much that I wrote a spin-off story on him. If you have read my other stories, this one is much darker. Love to get your review!
Chapter 1 AwakeningThere was sunlight coming through the small barred window in the cold stone cellar. I couldn't remember how long I have been locked up here. All I could think of was my constantly dry and aching throat. There were footsteps coming down the stone staircase and the intoxicating scent made me agitated. My father had explained this to me. He had turned me into what he was. A vampire. Like him, I would forever thirst for human blood.
My father had disappeared more than ten years ago. We all thought he was killed while he was out hunting one day. His body was never recovered. Then one night, he appeared in our home looking pale as a ghost. My mother and I were both frightened by his scarlet red eyes. He told us that he had become an immortal and he wanted us to join him. My mother agreed right away but I was uncertain. It didn't matter what I thought because he was determined to convert us both. Before I knew what was happening, he bit me…
The metal door opened with a loud creaking sound and I was awoken from my daydream. Two petite vampires pushed a young girl into the cellar. I recognized the vampires. They were Jane and Alec. My father kept them as his personal guards.
"Enjoy." Jane said with an angelic smile on her face.
My muscles tensed up in anticipation for pain. Surprisingly, I felt nothing. I could never tell if Jane was going to use her power to induce pain or if she was just smiling. My reaction put a smirk on her face. Alec looked bored. He tugged on Jane's hand to leave. Jane was still smiling when they turned around and left the cellar.
The metal door slammed shut behind them. The human girl screamed as she banged on the door frantically. I turned my face away from her and tried not to breathe. I didn't want to kill another human. It was the same every time. I felt disgusted at myself when their lifeless body drooped over my stone cold arms. I couldn't bring myself to look at their blood-drained faces for fear that I might recognize who they were. Day after day I would try to stop but the urge was just too strong.
Her presence now made my hands balled up into fists. I couldn't stop my body from shaking. Venom filled my mouth and my restrain was beginning to falter. I moved with difficulty to the farthest corner away from the human. It seemed to help when I wasn't looking at her so I kept my face to the wall.
"Be quiet!" I yelled out in frustration.
The breath of air I took to speak was burning through me like I had swallowed acid. The girl had no idea that her screaming was actually drawing me to her. She stopped screaming eventually and started whimpering quietly against the metal door. I tried to focus my mind on the pattern of the stone wall. To further distract myself, I began scratching a mark on the wall as each second went by.
When one side of the wall was completely covered with scratch marks, the metal door creaked open and Jane walked in alone. She looked surprised that the human was still alive.
"Impressive. Aro will be delighted that you are ready so soon." Jane commented in her childlike voice.
The human girl was sitting against the wall with her arms wrapped around her knees. She shuddered as Jane spoke. Jane looked at me and smiled.
"Come with me." She ordered me as she turned to exit the cellar.
I looked at the short distance between the human girl and the exit. It was going to be a challenge for me to walk out that door without succumbing to my urge to kill her. I slowly and carefully glanced towards her. Her long curly blonde hair fanned out over her shoulders. She couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen years old. For a brief second, my eyes met her eyes. The fear and the horror I saw in those eyes made me tightened up my jaw. I held my breath and ran out the exit. As I ran out, two male vampires walked into the cellar. I heard the girl scream as the metal door slammed shut behind me. I closed my eyes as the image of the girl flooded my mind. It was stupid for me to think that she was going to live just because I didn't kill her. I let out the breath I held.
Jane led me up a few sets of staircases until we reached a short tunnel-like hallway. There was a thick wooden door at the end of it and the door was ajar. I could sense at least five or six vampires inside.
Jane knocked once and pushed the door open. The room was crowded with antique furniture and ornate vases that my father loved to collect. I had no doubt that this was my father's private chamber. He sat in a throne-like chair in the middle of the room with four scantily dressed females surrounding him. My nostrils flared. I was appalled by his lack of respect for my mother.
Jane cleared her throat as a signal for the females to leave the room. My father waved his hand casually and the females drifted out the door. They all stared at me curiously as they drifted past me.
"Master, Tristan is ready to join us." Jane announced in her high pitch voice.
"That is wonderful news!" Aro exclaimed. "How do you feel, Tristan?" He asked excitedly.
"Where is mother?" I asked, ignoring his trivial question.
I wondered if he was keeping her in the dungeon like he did with me. I bet he didn't want her to interfere with his affairs. I tightened my jaw.
"Tristan, your mother didn't survive." He paused briefly and then continued. "I didn't tell you until now because you seemed so overwhelmed by your conversion."
His words stunned me and I was speechless. The image of my mother gently smiling filled my mind. As I registered what he said, anger came over me like a raging storm. My body was shaking and I could hardly form the words that I wanted to say.
"You killed her!" I said through my teeth. "You selfish monster..." I said spitefully as I ran towards him.
I couldn't reach him. Pain shot through my body suddenly and I fell onto the floor.
"Jane, that's enough." Aro ordered.
"Yes, Master." Jane replied.
The pain withdrew instantly but my body was still in shock from the sudden assault. I slowly got back up to my feet. There was no way I could attack him. There was no way I could escape.
"What do you want from me?" I asked.
Aro looked surprised by my question. He hesitated before answering.
"Tristan, you are my only son. Everything I own is also yours." He slowly turned around to caress an antique vase.
"The Volturi protects our kind from being exposed to the human world. We make it possible for all of us to survive. This is not an easy task." He turned back around to face me.
"I need your help." He asked in a soft voice.
"No." I said simply.
I would never help him, not after what he had done to my mother. All I wanted to do now was to get away from here. I didn't care about the Volturi and the survival of our kind. I never wanted to become like him. He had turned me into a monster.
I turned around to leave the chamber but I paused in front of Jane when she began to speak.
"Even if you manage to crawl out of here, Tristan, Demetri will just track you down and drag you back." Jane said as-a-matter-of-factly.
I continued walking. Jane was right. I would be a fool to think that I could leave that easily. I was stuck here, whether I like it or not.