Immortal sons and daughters were we all, regal creatures of strength and magnificence united under the allegiance of our lord and father Kain. There was little we feared in the damned hell of Nosgoth, and thus there was much that feared us. Determinant in the cycle of death, we held the lives of every mortal creature within our hands, and all who dared to prove otherwise have perished asunder to damnations lower than Nosgoth. There was no fairness, no mercy for the weaker blood; only the iron hand of tyranny and justice. What was left for mankind to hope for in such dark ages?

The infernal human seemed eager to answer my unvoiced question. Hooded in a thin and tattered robe, he stood indifferently as if without fear or hatred for our noble race, even as his kin scurried to the confines of their rickety homes. I inquired with an arch of a brow, "Do you so look forward to death?"

The man averted his gaze towards the floor, his courageous façade dissipating beneath the shadow of his hood.

I clutched the throat of his robe and pulled him closer, brandishing my inhuman fangs for the exultance of soft, mortal flesh. His hood fell away from the force of my clutch to reveal his porcelain countenance, its edges outlined by the tepid glow of moonlight. The vibrant red of the veins his blood ran deep within his flushed cheeks, a slight contrast against the backdrop of the starry night. A youth at the prime of his manhood, he was gifted with winsomely boyish features which would have seduced any vampire to indulge in his darkest desires. Endowed with such rich qualities, it was obvious he was not so plebeian as he poorly disguised himself to be.

I realized, in my stupefied trance, that it was strangely difficult to tear my gaze from his fearless stare. They were shards of emerald, a fine compliment to the curls of his chestnut hair; his lips as well were inviting but cruelly tantalizing, full and deeply saturated unlike the walking corpses of his neighbors. They moved slowly, as if to say something, but my claw about his throat obstructed any speech.

Caught in the web of his beauty, I realized that for the first time in nearly a millennia of unlife, I felt hesitation to mar a single human's flesh with my claws. I could hardly explain nor fathom this sorcery that had overtaken my thoughts let alone understand it. He was not the first rare creature I captured, but I had never hesitated to penetrate beauty before. The young man did not resist my power whatsoever, having embraced the chill of near-death instead. Townsfolk began to peer through the cracks of their windows, and my senses were inundated with the buzzing of their rumors and gossip. However, the sudden and distant clashes of thunder looming dauntingly above us petrified them into the darkness of their holes. I cast the sky an oblique glance, vexed to witness storm clouds rolling in our direction. The young man began to struggle within my grasp as the drizzle pattered lightly against the town roads, pleading, strangely, for me to take cover from the rain.

Forced and frustrated by circumstance to make a final decision, I gathered his form in a crumpled heap and lunged towards the Sanctuary of the Clans.

רזיאל

I trudged towards the apex of my complex, dripping wet, to place his unconscious form upon the altar that I often used for more favorable victims. The searing of my flesh was barely enough to keep my mind from wondering what immaterial thing shackled me from doing him harm. Sheer luck of rain and quake transpiring then and there could not have been more coincidence, either, though Nosgoth was known for its turmoil. Had I left him behind alive, however, my reputation amongst the humans and eventually the clans would have surely tarnished…

I looked to my victim laying peacefully upon the throne. His chest steadily rose and fell as he remained sound asleep, unfazed and wholly alive. I pondered the direness of my predicament and situated myself next to him, struggling to remain steady as my strength continued to wane. I thought to try feeding again, but upon removing his sodden rag, I was taken aback by the staid artifact wound lovingly about his neck-a silver uroboros adorned with a sapphire for an eye. This strange artifact, coated by an austere guise, seemed to beckon me forth…

I had not realized he had awakened when I recovered from the uroboros's intoxicating trance. An inner sense of tranquility had filled every crevice of my being, and as much as I was tempted to cry out in agitation from falling victim to his infernal magic, I could not. My hand crept to it, and he stared curiously through hawk-like eyes. I muttered as threateningly as I could in my all too serene state, "You are only alive because of this."

"You are not the first," he replied. The brevity of his words raised some alarm within me, and with sheer force of will I was able to tear the blasted artifact from his neck and cast it across the room. "Are you so threatened by it?"

I hissed, clutching him with renewed fervor, "You would bend my mind with it."

"Believe what you will," he uttered, "But know that I am not your enemy. Not to you or any other vampire."

I arched a brow, skeptical. "Enemy and prey are one and the same."

"Yet you forestall my death. Please, the necklace is not a thing of malice. Especially not for vampires. It is more…"

"A drug," I cynically chimed in for him.

"If the term pleases you, then fine." I growled impatiently, the young man pursing his lips as he scrutinized me carefully. Before my weary mind could react, he raised his hand to caress the edges of my lips, perhaps at realizing my wavering strength. The heat of his form embraced my cold vessel, and I could feel his heartbeat racing beneath me as I welcomed and held him in return. All qualms were so easily and eagerly forgotten, cast aside for this single, fleeting moment. I knew I was captivated by his beauty first and foremost, and now I eagerly acknowledged the allure of his life force. My lips found his naked shoulder as his hand discovered a place among the crook of my neck to hold, and soon I was revitalized with his pure, untainted blood.

"Milord."

We were both startled to see Avner, my own first-born son, standing at the mouth of the entrance. We hastily pulled away from each other as if caught committing some obscene act, stealing glances when we realized that perhaps we were very close to indeed. Apprehending his intrusion, Avner bowed low, his crimson epaulet brushing against the floor. "My sincerest apologies."

I sighed, rubbing my temple with the knuckle of a finger. "Yes, Avner?"

"The rain. I wanted only to see...Nilec?"

"Nilec?" I repeated in astonishment, "Nilec! You know him, Avner?"

"You are not the first," the young man beside me whispered so as not to offend. He shrugged his shoulders as Avner executed another bow.

"Forgive me, sire, Nilec and I…He…" His humiliation could not have been made more obvious. He delivered another bow.

"I understand well enough," I reassured him awkwardly, rising from my seat beside the man named Nilec. I did not want to prompt Avner further for fear he would shame himself unintentionally, though his constant glances at the young man was confession enough. My own son, fallen to infatuation with a mortal, the very thing we were sworn to purge! Yet as I glanced once more to this Nilec, I could not help but notice for a second time the lasciviousness of his nature and how I myself had fallen prey to his allure just now. A devilish smirk played on his lips as he caught my own stolen glances. I sneered in return, "You are a wicked little thing, aren't you?"

"A harmless one," he casually replied, tearing a strip of cloth from his pant leg to dress the perforation on his shoulder.

Indeed, he seemed used to this.

רזיאל

Outside, the downpour continued its relentless drumming against the ornate glass windows. Avner stood beside Nilec like a sentinel, delivering unbidden glances to the mortal whose listless eyes rested upon the stone tiles. I stood alone in contemplation, shuffling the artifact within my hand and relishing the same calming sensations as before. Although it seemed Avner's feelings for Nilec himself were unerring, even if he were unaware of the ancient trinket's prowess.

I sighed heavily to myself when I realized only one viable option would present itself to me. There were secrets to him, I felt, that I should discover, and I simply could not let him pass as any other one of my victims. After all, such beauty could not be wasted.

Avner came to stand beside me when Nilec's breathing had slowed to a sleeper's pace again, no doubt weak from satiating my blood thirst earlier. Keeping my eyes on Nilec, I quietly confessed to Avner my impairing intentions. "No one shall know of Nilec, and no one shall find him."

"Of course, Milord."

"Especially not Kain."

Without a second's hesitation, Avner agreed upon the eternal silence of Nilec's existence.

A/N: Thanks for reading!

In case some of you were lost, this was a flashback. Sort of. Better put, a single story told through two separate timelines. Lol, nvm, ignore me :r

Avner & Nilec are OCs

Raziel & Kain (c) Eidos and Crystal Dynamics