A/N: AS PROMISED, CHAPTER THREE! SO THIS CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS THE BACKGROUND OF THE HUNTERS AND THE PRESSURES DAMON FEELS DUE TO HIS STATUS. AND LET'S JUST SAY, THINGS HEAT UP WITH DAMON AND A MYSTERY WITCH IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.

Present day

"But from the ashes of old humanity, new humanity shall arise like the phoenix."

Damon

THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I HATED.

Romantic Comedies, the TV show Friends, cats, people who chew with their mouths open, people who wasted my time, and rain.

God how I hated rain.

It was wet, soaked through clothes, took forever to dry up, and it was downright depressing and Mystic Falls was everything that I hated and that was partially why I left this town in the first place. It was a town that looked like the backdrop of a romantic comedy with its perfectly quaint little buildings that reeked of historical significance; cutesy little restaurants lined with fairy lights and ivy that adorned the buildings. If that wasn't nauseating enough, there were couples feeding each other food. Feeding each other. And now it was raining and it hadn't stopped raining since I set foot in this godforsaken town. I was sure I had gotten a glimpse at what Hell looks like when I died, and compared to this, Hell seemed like a vacation destination. Despite Mystic Falls's appearances, there was evil running through its pipes and I think that's what I hated most about this place.

Appearances were deceiving. I was a straight shooter. What you see is what you get when it comes to me. I hate surprises and I hate fake personas. Hell, I even go back and forth with this 'secret identity' thing that I have going for me. Though I understood why we concealed our true identities from humans, I wish they were made more aware of their surroundings. Instead they choose to be so wilfully ignorant that they're willing to market these legends in blockbuster films and books about the supernatural for a pretty penny. They have no inclination what true evil looks like.

In reality, there are no sparkling vampires that fall in love with their own 'personal brand of heroin.' Real vampires rely on their carnal urges, their age and their cunning to abuse and control their surroundings, including the people within them. I almost felt sorry for vamps. Once infected by the bite, they become shells of themselves. The personality of the host body remains– as do the memories– but the souls end up venturing into limbo, unable to move on until that vampire is staked.

They were like leeches sucking the blood from its host and discarding them like yesterday's trash once they were through. There was no love lost between hunters and vampires. Vampires were demons that inhabited the human body. The incision that was made on the victim's neck that would act as an entry point so that the demon from Hell would be able to take over the body and force the soul out. Sure the human meat puppet had the same memories and mannerisms, but make no mistake, they were all demon. Once a demon or vampire were killed, their essence would simply return back to hell and wait in line for their turn to come back to the mortal plane; or if they were lucky, to be summoned by some unsuspecting individual.

Demons, on the other hand, are the manifestation of evil that lived to cause destruction and chaos. They have no souls and will rip any living thing apart when given the chance. Once killed the demon's essence returns back to hell where it was forged, lying in wait in order to come through the veil in order to create carnage on earth.

Vampires and demons were basically one in the same. Both had an aversion to the sacred and possessed supernatural strength. The term demon, I suppose, could be an umbrella term for them both. A demon, in general, is a preternatural angelic creature that rebelled against The Hallows. Their life form has been dying since their rebellion. They are attracted to humans because they are parasitic and feed off of our life force and their ultimate goal is to take as many of us to hell with them as possible

Witches were my least favorite to deal with– really anything that dealt with magic, I vehemently disliked… They masked themselves as humans, though their origin was that of the Mother of Magic and Demons– Rhiannon. Her spawn, though mortal in appearance, were anything but. They tricked passers and bred with them for eons and their true nature has remained dormant. Witches are the descendants that have chosen to hone their magic and nurture their skillset. Others have succumbed to their demonic nature.

Manipulation was their bread and butter. All these tactics to make those around them believe what they wanted you to believe. They played mind games and altered reality in order to bend you to their will. It makes me sick just thinking about it. I may be biased, having been on the receiving end of a witch's ire more than my fair share, but the darkness that flows through them is suffocating. I should know since I had an intimate knowledge of witches.

And then there was us. The hunters. We're the ones that stood in the middle, keeping creatures from the Netherworld from completely decimating the world we know. That was the vow I took as soon as I turned eighteen. This was my life until my last dying breath.

If only I could stay dead.

As a hunter, my goal was to preserve humanity by any means necessary. We were derived from the Fallen Angels of the Kingdom of Avalon AKA the heavens. Though we had one world, it was broken into five:

The Kingdom of Avalon – Heaven, the Land of Milk and Honey, Elysium, whatever you want to call it. If you're a good person, you go to Heaven and have everlasting peace. If you were some kind of servant to the people on Earth, you would have the option to become a Divine Protector. Sort of like a Guardian Angel. They go to Earth to lead mortals—what we call 'passers'— on the right path and help them prepare for the afterlife. Passers was a phrase for mortals that essentially pass through life. They were… impermanent. Short lifespans. Really living in the blink of an eye. If you were a warrior like a soldier on Earth, you have the option to become a Watchman. A Watchman protects the gates to our Kingdom. Even in the afterlife, evil still wanted to take over. Though evil cannot walk through the gates of the Kingdom, doesn't mean that they haven't tried. Seraphim couldn't die per se, however, they can be removed from all planes of existence and cease to exist. And the only way to eliminate a seraphim is to stab them in the heart with a Hellfire blade. It was just how it sounds, a blade forged in the pits of the Underworld. Sometimes the Divine Protectors on Earth meet the unfortunate fate of coming across a Malguard– basically the counterparts to the Protectors. They whisper in the ear of passers and lead them down the wrong path. Think of it as passers who become murderers or rapists. That is the doing of a Bringer. Protectors are peaceful by nature, and more often than not, do not survive an encounter with a Malguard. But like Protectors, Malguards can be killed by a blessed saber that was created in the Kingdom. It is made of consecrated benitoite from Earth, blood of the demon mother, Rhiannon.

The Mortal Realm– The plane of existence for all of life. There was nothing particularly unique about Earth, but in the grand scheme of things, they were unaware that they were the battleground between good and evil, the one area in this dimension that was neutral ground.

The Netherworld– This was a pocket dimension that was separated by The Veil. These planes were separated by the Veil which was like a subtle partition between the tangible and the intangible, where the known and unknown meet. Our worlds paralleled, they coexisted, but never intertwined, unless there was a deliberate attempt to reach through the Veil to interact with the mortal realm. This is where the forsaken thrived. The forsaken were supernatural beings like hunters, vampires, witches, werewolves, etc… resided, and that's how myths began. That's also how animal attacks or "freak accidents" became so prevalent and passers were none the wiser. It's also how books were sold and how directors made their money. Our reality was just a means of profit.

Purgatory– To put it plainly, Purgatory was the stasis between the heavens and hell. Typically those stuck in purgatory are those who are anchored by their regrets and cannot move on. Those who are neither good nor bad and have yet to come to terms where they fit in within the world. And lastly, those who haven't lived long enough to have made an impact on the world, like stillborn children. However, being in the state of Purgatory isn't a forever situation. Purgatory is populated by beings called 'Wraiths' which are soul consumers. Souls who meet this unfortunate end, cannot be saved.

Acheron– The realm of the Damned. Some call it Hell, Hades, or even Damnation. I call it the source of all evil. Acheron is where the sinners on Earth go to face their fate for the evils that they committed. Souls experience their own personal hells, their own tortures, their ultimate demise. This is where demons are bred. This is also the domain that passers fear the most. And lastly, this is the realm that the King of the Afterlife presides over.

The King of the Afterlife goes by many names, Hades, Satan, Lucifer, being amongst the most common. Rumor has it, he sometimes ventures to the mortal world to determine if humanity is worth saving. It's interesting to think of walking past the Lord of Hell and he's deliberately judging your soul. Or maybe that was morbid of me to think about. Though Hades presided over Acheron, that didn't really mean much in all honesty. He was a gatekeeper of demons, a judge of souls, and was a key figure in balancing the life cycle. I respected him, but I didn't know why he spared me a chance at peace.

Maybe I'll ask him one day.

Now, how do hunters fit into this, you may ask? As I said earlier, we are the descendants of Fallen Angels. Make no mistake, we are nothing like Lucifer from Christianity. We— rather— they were cast out.

For centuries, the hunters have stood as guardians of the balance between the mortal world and the supernatural realm, their duty clear and their purpose unwavering. They have sworn to protect humanity from the shadows that lurk in the darkness, to ensure that passers can live their lives free from the influence of malevolent forces.

There were seven commandments known as the Sacred Tenets that they were to abide by while enjoying the afterlife in the Kingdom of Avalon:

Thou shalt protect the balance

Thou shalt hunt with honor

Thou shalt not succumb to temptation

Thou shalt not interfere in the affairs of mortals

Thou shalt not forsake thy brethren

Thou shalt seek redemption

Thou shalt honor the memory of the fallen

But as the centuries passed, the angels began to question the boundaries of their mandate. They saw the suffering and injustice that plagued the mortal realm, the wars and conflicts that tear families apart and shatter communities. And they wondered if there was more they could do to make a difference in the lives of those they have sworn to protect.

Led by a group of idealistic hunters who believe in the power of intervention, they began to stray from the path laid out before them. They saw themselves not just as protectors, but as saviors, intervening in mortal affairs to right wrongs and bring justice to those who had been wronged. It was quite admirable, really.

At first, their actions were small and seemingly insignificant—a word whispered in the ear of a desperate king, a warning delivered to a righteous warrior. But as their confidence grew, so did the scope of their interventions. The Originals began to meddle in the affairs of nations, manipulating the course of history to suit their own ends. All for the safety of mankind.

Their intentions may have been noble, but their actions have consequences. The balance they swore to protect began to falter, as passers were seemingly robbed of their free will and destiny was twisted to fit the means of the angels. Innocent lives were lost, civilizations rose and fell at the whim of unseen hands, and the fabric of reality itself began to fray.

As chaos spreads across the mortal realm, the hunters of the past were forced to confront the consequences of their actions and realize that their plight didn't go as planned. They were no better than the demon filth that plagued the earth . They saw the suffering they had caused, the lives they had ruined in their misguided quest for righteousness. And they realized, too late, that their interference had only brought more harm than good.

In the end, they were cast out from their celestial realm, their fall from grace a stark reminder of the dangers of hubris and arrogance. And as they wandered within the mortal world, forever marked by their sins, they vow to atone for their transgressions and sought redemption for the lives they destroyed and be welcomed back into Avalon.

Though their cause was noble, their descendants were left to reap what they sowed. Our mission in life was to undo what was done and spend our waking days protecting those that were almost destroyed. Their wings were removed and their grace ripped from their souls. While our purpose was to protect humanity, our additional purpose was to obtain the essence of a mystical conduit known as Resurgence Stone that would allow us to take our rightful place in the heavens. Our souls would be saved and our life beyond that of the mortal world would be solidified within eternal peace.

My guild's insistence upon finding the stone has become one borderlining obsession. Redemption seemed to be slipping between our fingers and the thought of regaining our grace was seemingly out of reach. Dying without its restoration was a fate worse than death. When we die without our grace, it can go one of two ways: if you die without hope, grace, and a will to live beyond the scope of a self-serving nature, a hunter falling without redemption could result in their souls being eternally damned, unable to find peace or move on to a higher plane of existence. Upon death, their essence or spirit transforms into a lesser, perhaps even demonic, form, reflecting their failure to achieve redemption.

On the other hand, if a hunter is killed in the line of duty, they may find themselves in a state of limbo or purgatory, where they are neither fully damned nor saved. Neither option was particularly good and evading wraiths for the rest of eternity was the stuff of nightmares. Some demons were former hunters. Our ancestors saw the numbers of the guardian angels getting mercilessly slaughtered and decided to do something about it and made it our life's mission to search for the Resurrection Stone. Fear was both a motivating force, as well as a cautionary tale.

And I, of course, was a direct descendant of one of the a puresanguis—pure blood– angels. A hunter with a direct bloodline to the Fallen who have seen beyond this plane of existence. A descendant of those who had experienced Avalon and had not lost their way while on earth. Of which, we were marked with the Mark of the Angel on a part of our body. I particularly have mine on my inner forearm.

Though this sounded remarkable, like all good things, it came to an end. Given their celestial powers, the Fallen had extended lives, sometimes living upwards to 200 years, so I was only a few generations removed but that wasn't a viable solution. When their wings were stripped, they reverted back to nearly mortal form. They were blessed by the nourishment of Avalon, and even that essence could not be completely eradicated. They were now of two worlds and part of their worlds was now human with human tendencies.

In order to ensure that there were still some on the mortal plane to fight the good fight, they made the decision to procreate with passers to create their lineage. The blood of the Fallen was so potent that any product of that union would practically become full angels, but we could not reduce ourselves to breeding with those who had the blood of Rhiannon. Sometimes in the rarest of circumstances, passers— typically those who had a traumatic experience with the forsaken— would join the ranks and train alongside us. But there are limitations.

As I said, angel blood is potent, and sometimes when passers are brought into the fold, it doesn't quite… work out. Sometimes they descend into madness and suicide is inevitable. Other times their descent into madness manifests into fanaticism. Being a demi-angel, if we allow our blood to consume us, we become… almost demonic. We become ravenous. Our senses go haywire and we'll seek and destroy any forsaken in our paths, and that includes the innocent ones. That was a downside to our being. In order to ensure that this didn't happen, our ancestors requested the help of an alchemist and developed a Seraphic Bindrune made from Black Tourmaline that was issued to us once we completed our training and formally bound ourselves to our duty.

Our ancestors gave up a piece of themselves in order to ensure the human race continued without falling prey to the likes of demons and vampires and the other dangerous beings, and to secure our spots in the afterworld should they meet the fate of a Hellfire blade.

Hunters are the only force standing between good and evil. Granted, not all hunters are the same, some are what you would call fanatics and they would go a little too far when it came to our mission but let's face it, we were fundamentally human, and humans had flaws. We're liable to succumb to our base desires just like anyone else. That's life, but we are not corrupt. We offer protection to those who deserve it.

Currently, our clan was in possession of ancient archives whose languages grew older and more dead with every text. It's gotten to the point where we don't even know what language we are attempting to research. The stone was real, and we were lucky that it was seen as simple folklore to the forsaken. There were an alarming amount of texts that had definitive proof of its existence. If we believed gods to be real, and are descendents of angels… why wouldn't this be?

"In era crepusculi, quanda tenebris velar celus, Et luna guardi perdit in profundum oblivionis, Sibilatus in umbra, disruptio inter notus et ignotus. In fragili vas humanitatis, Lacet dormans scintilla divini energiae, Reservus potentiae expectans exsuscitari, Ex profundis ignotis, anima emergit, Ligatus mortalitate, sed tactus divino, Convergentia mundorum, delicatum aequilibrium, Sed audi hoc monitus, quia cum magna potentia venit magna periculum, Et consequentiae de perturbatione textus existentiae, Sunt tam vastae et incomprehensibiles quam cosmos ipse."

We had no idea what the language was, but like most prophecies, they were bound to be wrought with riddles.

At first we thought it to be Latin as the structure seemed to fit it and we were able to find some common words such as: divini meaning divine, and mortalitas meaning mortal. I fucking hated riddles. Even our language experts have been raking themselves across the coals trying to find answers. After centuries we came to several conclusions:

This language was old and dead– quite like my patience– and even the most ancient of souls were unable to translate it.

It was a culmination of multiple languages while under the guise of Latin.

Even our underworld connections were unable to make sense of it.

At first we thought it to be Latin as the structure seemed to fit it and we were able to find some common words such as:

Divini: divine

Mortalitas: mortal

Humanitas: humanity

Divini energia: divine energy

I fucking hated prophecies. Please tell me how humanity equates to: divine mortal energy? It doesn't make any sense. It was Latin for dyslexics. Even our language experts have been raking themselves across the coals trying to find answers.

We've exacerbated our resources and our connections, which included getting information out of supernatural creatures that were gifted with seeing the future. The only clues that we had was that it existed in Mystic Falls and that there were protective wards guarding it. Our most recent prophecy was brought to a seer, who could not 'see' what the words on the yellowed pages meant. The language was unlike anything else that was seen, and that could only mean that we were getting closer to our prize. Seers were the only beings on the planet who had connections to beings known as The Hallows.

The Hallows were a divine element that blessed or cursed those with the ability of divination. These celestial entities were a force of good that guided those into their destiny; but you know how the saying goes: 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.' Fate has multiple paths, but ultimately one ending, and though The Hallows acted as a guide, how these individuals chose to use their gifts was completely up to them. Unfortunately, some of these decisions left up to the devices of the 'blessed' fell to the wayside and they adopted the traits of evil, and chose to work with The Damned.

The Damned, unlike the Hallows, were a source of pure celestial evil that wished to corrupt the innocent and destroy those who did not convert. Being a part of The Damned was to ensure pure chaos reigned. The Damned corrupted the visions of any vessel that teetered to the side of darkness by hijacking their visions and turning them against the side of good and altered their destiny.

Seers came in all forms, though the gift was most prominent within witches. My guess is that the Hallows didn't get the memo that witches were evil, but that's just my opinion. On the rarest of circumstances, vampires and demons received them but they are manifested differently. Given the centuries of bad blood between our worlds, we became the pariah of the netherworld and it was becoming increasingly harder to seek out those willing to help.

Hunters and the forsaken were not fans of one another. They wanted us dead, we wanted them gone. The very few individuals that we got to help cost us a pretty penny. Initially, those we recruited were arrogant with their powers and flaunted their connection to them and profited off of it. The Hallows, though they were known to keep the balance and focused on good prevailing, they were not forgiving and doled out punishments where they saw fit. Those that were able to help us over the years, tapping into the power of premonition forcing the visions to come in order to seek any indication of the stone's location, The Hallows retaliated by burning the eyes out of each of those we employed, thus becoming cautionary tales for those we sought help from.

Minor setback.

The numbers of seers were dwindling. So much so that they were being hunted by other creatures and were now classified as endangered beings. That put a halt on our perusal of the stone, but even we knew that there were limits of how far we were willing to go. We were the good guys for a reason… Even though we were seen as evil amongst these creatures, we weren't. Our intention was to never put those in harm's way. Even though we have backed off from utilizing seers, others haven't.

Just like in the mortal world where black markets existed, the netherworld had its own. Given the fact that seers were endangered made demons, vampires and others want to hold dominion of their fortune telling abilities. Some seers were more than willing to act as on-call employees– having done so ourselves, others took more convincing. Once word got 'round of their abilities they sold for a pretty penny on the black market. In some instances, some were enslaved, others… weren't as lucky. Let's just say that you didn't necessarily need the seer alive for their eyes to work. It was the equivalent of cutting off Medusa's head and still being able to turn people to stone.

You get the drift.