Darien cursed as he rose from the hard, cement concrete of the Dungeon, roars of techno music still exploding from the notorious club.
"Sorry", hissed a maniacal follower, smirking cruelly down at him. "No losers allowed".
Darien scowled and lunged at the boy once more, only to be knocked across the concrete with a blow of the mind.
"What's the matter, Tymmie?" he asked, the whispers seeping from his lips like venom. "Too afraid to fight me like a man?" He grinned as the cruel smile faded into a loathing glare. It was a known fact that despite a follower's mental power, many of them were physically weak. With a few exceptions. His grave expression returned, recollecting who he had come there looking for.
"I've come to see Stanton"
A high- pitched cackle arose from the back of the now on-looking crowd and a teenage blonde in a silky, red dress stepped forward to greet him. "What makes you think that the Prince of Night would want to see you?"
"I have a proposition for him", Darien responded, wiping a few specks of red from his lips with the back of his hand. He was sure that his eyes were glowing with some sort of fiery malice, but he could care less. For this was the moment that he had waited for all of his life, and he would not let them deprive him of it. He smiled, knowingly into every conniving face of the Atrox, and he could tell that they were secretly frightened by him. Was it possible that they could sense the age and knowledge in his eyes? His attention was averted by a lone, blank expression in the crowd. A young girl stared out at him, locks of dark red hair, flowing down her back. Her eyes were completely set in concentration and he felt almost as if she could see into his soul.
"Who are you, boy and what business do you have with Stanton?" Yvonne asked, her tone thick with hatred.
"My name is Darien and my business with Stanton is none of your concern"
"Stanton doesn't-"
"Can't the Dark Prince speak for himself?"
He tensed as a crimson fire lit in her eyes. She apparently did not take defiance well. He nodded and began to gather his own energy in preparation for her attack. When it came, it immediately bounced from his force field and sent her staggering back. She rocked from side to side for a moment before regaining her usual grounded state. She then looked up at him, bewilderment crossing her features. He caught the redhead in the crowd gaping at him in amusement. But she didn't seem as angry or confused as the others. If anything, she expressed some sort of joy or respect for him. He shrugged and gave her a half smile, before turning back to his enemies. The music had stopped and the humans had fled, sensing the evil in their midst. The large digital clock above them, struck twelve, midnight and he could feel the imminent crackle of the Atrox's energy building throughout the atmosphere. He tensed as Yvonne stepped towards him followed by Tymmie and a number of other followers.
"Traitor", she accused her voice one of a snake. "Have you committed treason against the Atrox?"
He stared downward, struggling to hold back his laughter. When? He thought. Pick a time period. Pick a place. His entire life was an infinite rebellion against the Atrox. It was the main focus in his every dream and waking hour. It was his sole purpose and motivation.
"Answer me", she spat.
"I will answer only to your prince"
"Have it your way", she grinned and with that, they all exploded into an unknown chant and began to close in around him like a mass of vultures. His eyes grew wide as he realized that he was falling under their spell. He grasped for the last grains of reality before plunging into the lonely depths of darkness that existed only in their eyes, for the virtues of faith and hope had been long abandoned there. An explosion roared from somewhere within the dark void and sure that he had failed, he let himself float in the black abyss and waited for death. Had centuries of planning and searching amounted to nothing? Was he doomed to such a fate as this? After a matter of seconds, he felt himself slipping back. Back to familiar sounds and the glare of fluorescent lights. Back to reality. He squinted up at the ceiling and realized that he was sprawled across the ground. The swarm of followers had disappeared and he was able to make out a mass of flames engulfing the club. Panicking, he jumped up and quickly melted into a shadowy state before gliding out of a high, club window. Once in the night sky, he settled down upon the soft grass and took his true form once more. His eyes scanned the building. Smoke was now pouring from the windows and troops of police cars were pulling up. He heard the alarm of fire trucks and ambulances ringing through the sky. Pulling his jacket from his waist, he wrapped it over his shoulders, shivering from the cool, night air. He looked up to see a picture perfect crescent moon and stars glistening clearly in the sky.
"What happened?" He turned to see an attractive blonde whispering to her friends.
"What doesn't happen when the Atrox is involved?" A shorter brunette piped up, a belly ring glowing from above her waist. Darien, intrigued now, tilted his head to eavesdrop of their conversation.
"You don't think that Stanton was in there, do you?" A redhead asked, her eyes full of concern.
"No, and even if he was, he would have escap-"
"Did you mention Stanton?" Darien intervened, before realizing that the crazy look had returned to his eyes. He tried to look casual.
"Why?" The redhead asked him suspiciously.
His eyebrows furrowed as he searched for a valid explanation. Then, before he could respond, a hand took him by the shoulder and pulled him around to the back of the building.
"What the hell?" He spun around to get a glimpse of his captor. Finally he looked down to see the girl that had been eying him at the club, a bomb grenade clutched tightly in her hand.
"You started that fire? But-"
She smiled and put a finger to his lips. Then, brushing a few strands of maroon hair from her eyes, she began to speak. "Darien, is it?" She took his hand in hers, and he trembled from the cold in her touch. "I'm Cassandra, and I think that I can help you find what you're looking for".