I remember that 10th birthday. My undead rebirth. I vividly remember the stench of Thomas Davis’s blood. The foul odor of the older kid who tormented me overwhelms my senses. His limp body slumps over, unable to react as I devour his red fluids. What is there for me to say about his past sins? I’m no longer tied to the human world. I have no right to feel wronged by his discrimination when I have this monstrous power over him. 

My ‘siblings’ chant my new name, “Star.” My fellow vampires surround me in this ceremony, proud of the great sin I’ve committed in front of their demonic evils. My mentor, Hart, soullessly claps in this hollowed-out cathedral. The blood, the sin, and the audience overwhelm my young, undead brain. I never dined on another human’s blood since Thomas Davis. 

Currently, the Neverland boys chant the title of “Blood God”. I shift uncomfortably. I hate needless worship. The wide eyes of the naive little sheep follow me. They either fear me or only care because of my disturbingly overwhelming strength. I never asked to be a weapon.

While this happens, the kids offer us plenty of food to dine on. I, of course, avoid any of their garlic-touched Italian pies. I can’t exactly die from garlic, but I can get really sick. My stitched ‘guide’ stuffs herself on the food. After our lunch or dinner, we head off.

We arrive at the station where those “Loss Boys”, or whatever they call those kids, reside. I notice lots of wooden furniture and wool inside what looks like the remains of a giant ship. Unclear about this ship’s origin, however, I do know we’re on land. I don’t bother asking them about anything here.

Our walk comes to a stop. A boy, significantly older than the others that I’ve seen, levitates toward us. Gold sparkles surround his body, being guided by the very fairy we were talking to earlier. His body is young; however, he carries a sleepless, aged set of eyes, with an overly extended frown. His attire is a cross between what a child believes is cool for an older teenager and what a middle-aged man thinks is hip with kids. His scaly, leathery wear contrasts with the glittering of the fairy next to him.

“Tink, what the hell is this?” the strange, tweenish-looking boy questions. I hear the jinglings from the tiny woman, catching only a few words. “Oh? Is that so? Well, we don’t normally have adults roam around here,” the leather jacket boy continues. The bell ringing resumes with a few more words thrown in the mix.

They’re debating about keeping us around. Well, I believe just me. I don’t see my guide around anymore. I catch glimpses of the levitating boy looking back with a slight alarm. I don’t blame him. They talk about me as if I’m not around. I think I heard something about the boy “increasing his dosage”.

The sparkly boy approaches me with a greeting, “The name’s Pete, head of this whole show. Welcome to the Neverborn, Blood God.” “My name’s Star,” I greet back. “So we heard you’re here for a reason. Might I offer you a half dozen of the Seniors?” the weird leader suggests. “I’m full.” “Oh, I don’t care how you use them. I’m just giving them out for free,” the underdeveloped creep jokes? 

He catches my slightly disappointed look. The fairy flies off, perhaps embarrassed by the exchange. “Well, what do you want, Star? Erm, look- I need-” “Where’s that old captainly-hatted man?” I ask, interrupting the tween. “Ahem, he’s our prisoner, so if you want him well… You’re gonna have to do us a little favor. You see, we’re under constant attack by.” “No thanks,” I reject. 

“Excuse me?” The leather jacket boy asks, dumbfounded by my refusal. He continues, “You think you can just take my prisoner without a little exchange?” I nod immediately. “Y-You! You won’t see that old man if you keep acting like that, mister! I’m not some pushover,” the boy tries to assert himself. I walk past him as he instinctively moves out of the way. 

I need to find that prison. I stroll through the hallways, ignoring every child who chants the title “Blood God” or those who look at me funny. I ask around; however, those who answered weren’t even sure where the prisoners are located. 

I cross paths with my ‘guide’, who is now accompanied by a stitched-up dog with a metallic collar. “Oh, hey, tall lady. Who’s your friend?” I ask her. “I have a name, you know. It’s Sable,” the frizzy-haired woman responds. “My wame Cola,” The dog follows. “Quiet, you,” my ‘guide’ attempts to shut up the poor thing. “I did ask its name, though,” I mumble, half assing the canine’s defense. 

“I fucking hate this place,” the tall woman comments. “It’s an absolute dump. Did you find L’Arc yet?” She continues. “No, I was-” “Then get to it!” she urges me. “Don’t you want to head in-” “Not yet, I’ve got other shit to handle,” she answers. “Alright, I’ll keep looking,” I say before we both depart. 

We haven’t talked much since I killed those gators. I couldn’t get much of a read on her. I guess I scared her or something. I tend to do that with people.

I eventually stumble across the entrance of the prison, confronted by what I assume to be the ‘guard’. Just some little kid in a fox suit carrying the worst makeshift spear I've ever seen. He looks up to ask with his quivering lips, “Sir, do you have permission to be here?” “No.” His hand shakes as he raises his weapon at me, but I walk past him as I did with the leader. “I’m sorry,” I say under my breath. 

He ignores me as I enter, pretending to be on guard as usual. I walk through the cells, glancing over the many prisoners held here. A variety of adults and teenagers are here. All look like they’ve seen better days. Some clamor for me, reaching their arms for me. Some plead for me to tear the ship apart, others want to be freed, and there are the rare few who want to be converted by me. None of them interest me.

A man grabs my arm, “It’s me! Hook.” I don’t turn around, but I respond, “Please let me go.” “I have to warn you, at least! There are shadowy monsters in these parts, and they feast on those who dwell-.” “No, thanks,” I push past the strange man as he lets go of me.

I walk through the corridors and find my target, the silver-haired captain. His teeth desperately cling to that cigar with a horrendous wound in his shoulder. He’s missing his iconic captain’s hat. Sad. His clothing looks to be shredded from some kind of attack. 

He sits down on a muddy floor, glaring up at me. “Heh, so that vampire’s here to save me. I see that corpse is gone. Did you do yourself a favor and remove her from the equation?” the now-hatless captain speaks. “No, the tall lady is doing something else,” I answer. “I see… I’m sure you’re curious as to how I got myself into this mess,” the captainly man tries to pique my curiosity. “Not really,” I respond immediately. “Ah, don’t need the details, eh? Fine, but I do wanna know your story, vampire.”

“I killed some animals. The kids worship me. Now, I’m here,” I say concisely. “To the point, huh?” “Tell me where Dr. West is located.” “Fine, then, young man. I’ll tell you the truth,” the old man admits. “The doctor used to be in our crew. Our greatest medic, yet. However, he did have some flaws.” 

“Keep it short,” I say, rushing the silver-haired man. “The point is, Dr. West left not too long ago. The last we saw of him was Blackwater. Now get me out of here,” the cigar-mouthed man continues. I finally have a lead. My hands land on the metal bar, ready to yank it. But something stops me. “I’ve had it with this damning place. I'd much rather be a vampiric thrall than be imprisoned by those boys- Why, what’s the big deal?” The captainly man blurts out in confusion as I’m stopped. 

The world around me blackens. It’s almost pitch black, save for the grey veins. My head throbs lightly as I navigate through the thin webbing. Many small hands hold out for me, just like the prisoners from before, but they scratch and scrape at any surface they can find. 

The hands bleed pure white under their fingernails. Many smaller figures crawl for me. I step back. My pace matches their slow movement. Groanings echo the black world. I feel something snags lightly at the back of my feet. 

Looking down, I see it. Him. A face of something that was once human. A young human. It lacks defined features that would make you think it has skin, but it has the basic components of an expression. An expression of dread that turns to hope. 

It speaks to me. A single word. Kill. Why? Does it want me? Does it want me dead? Does it want me to kill someone? Something? I'll never know what it wanted.

A flash of light hits me. I shield my eyes. I’m used to defending my sensitive sight from the sun. But is this the sunlight? What is this? 

I catch glimpses of memories. Not my own, I don’t think. I see the web of images. Most of them display that leather jacket boy and that fairy. Some scenes go black while others turn red. 

I feel my head throbbing once more. This time, the images turn into my memories. Memories that I don’t want to recount. Most of them come from when I was under Hart’s watch. I need this to stop. I puncture a big enough opening in the grey veins with my fingernails. A big enough opening for what comes next.

I rip the webbing apart, spilling white onto my arm. I dig deeper as the screaming erupts from the other side. I continue tearing each film apart, looking for my escape. The crying continues before something important snaps in this void. 

I find myself back in reality, surrounded by puddles of black and white splotches. A horde of dark figures watches me. Their bodies stack with each other as if melded together. I see a couple of stains, then bodies of dark figures lying around. I presumably killed some of these already. 

My body must’ve reacted while I was escaping that whole thing. I don’t like what that says about my violent instincts. Either way, I’m unsure what exactly happened. I’m not sure if that was all a mental thing or if I was actually sent somewhere else.

I check my arm, dripping with what I assume to be their blood, which is a ghostly white. Like before. I notice a lack of that captain guy. “Where did you go, old timer?” I say out loud. I get no answer. 

I extend my hand to snatch a shadowy head. “Bring him back,” I assert, piercing my hand through that head. The horde of bodies peels out, leaving behind whoever or whatever was in the horde. The darkened figures vanish. It’s nothing but a mess in this prison.

I still don’t see the old man. I’m stained black and white. I scan the hall. A lack of warm bodies now that those things are gone. Several open doors. Nothing.

I stand there, unsure what to do now. That captain’s gone now. A shame he had to go. I, however, know a lead to Dr. West. I’m one step closer to finding Maya. I shake off the splotches from my body. I don’t need that sharpie-like musk on me. 

I walk past the cells. I stop as I hear some steps. That tall lady from before. She looks me up and down to ask, observing the cells and hall around me as well. She then asks the question, “So… What the fuck happened here?”

It won’t take much to get her up to speed. However, I’m unsure how to explain what happened to me with those shadowy things. Whatever it was. Not my business. And it probably wouldn’t be my guide’s business either. I just need to know how we’re getting out of here.