Trigger Warnings: Strong Violence and Language

Chapter 1: The Insects Beneath My Feet

The clouds gathered together, holding the night sky as their prisoner, smothering the carnival grounds in the corrupt city of Rossen in a cloak of darkness.

A predator that fed on the blood coursing through the veins of humans crouched down, lying in wait, on top of a flickering neon entrance sign that spelled out carnival.

Screeek, Screeek, Screeek.

Razor-sharp long nails impatiently scraped along the metal again and again on repeat.

A smirk enough to make a person's hair stand on end found its way to his lips as soon as he heard the clock strike midnight, signaling the closing of the attraction.

The crimson red of his eyes shimmered, reflecting the light of the sign that had grown dim.

He whistled playfully into the night air. "Well, would you look at that, closing time, sheesh, about fuckin time! I thought the damn place would never close," he scoffed.

Everyone around the city knew damn well how dangerous this cold-blooded killer truly was who went by the name Dmitri.

He was none other than the right-hand man and little brother to the big boss of the infamous vampire gang known as the Midnight Reapers.

No one dared mess with him unless they had a death wish since he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty if it came down to it.

He was the type who didn't just get mad. He settled the score and was willing to resort to any means necessary to do it.

Wherever he went, a scarlet trail seemed to stain the floor beneath his feet.

Dmitri took in a deep inhale, savoring the sweet scent in the air. Ah, I can already taste it now. Look at all the blood bags, scurrying around like the fuckin insects that they are beneath my feet.

Dmitri licked his fangs at the thought, already imagining what the blood of his victims would taste like.

But his mood changed in a split second when he mentally reminded himself of the real reason why he was there.

Damned Order of the Cross. You don't know who the hell you're fuckin around with, but you will, he resentfully thought.

Snap!

In a fit of rage over just the thought of the enemies he despised more than anything, Dmitri deliberately inflicted pain on himself.

Dmitri cracked the middle finger of his left hand in the opposite direction while flipping them off in his mind, causing it to break instantly.

Who the hell do they think they are anyway? Thinking they can do whatever the fuck they want and get away with it. No one who makes a fool outta me and lives to tell about it, he confidently swore in his mind.

He desperately wished it wasn't his own finger but one of the bodies of the organization's members, known as priests, he was breaking instead.

Before long, the sharp pain subsided, and the bones in his finger cracked back into place as if it had never broken to begin with.

You constantly keep taking from me, so now I'm going to fuckin do the same thing to you. Payback's a bitch isn't it, Dmitri angrily thought while shaking his fist.

Carnival-goers started making their way to the exit, blissfully unaware of the threat lurking not far from them overhead.

Each one was marked with their impending doom.

What they didn't realize was that no exit existed for them.

Humans are such naive and weak creatures. They're way too easy to break if you play with them too roughly, he thought while looking down at them, tightening his grip on the sign.

This time, it was personal.

He wasn't just hungry for blood.

No.

He planned to send a message and make it one bloody theatrical performance to summon a priest from the organization he dreaded most.

The main target he had his eyes set on was the one who went by Lucian.

This particular priest was of high rank and known for disrupting numerous vampire gangs. Something Lucian seemed to take pleasure in.

"I wonder how much chaos it'll take to stir up their holy feathers? Something tells me it won't be much," Dmitri chuckled sinisterly.

Dmitri cracked his knuckles and flexed his fingers. Now? Who's going to be my first victim? he wondered in deep thought as he gazed at all the carnival goers.

"Eeny meeny miny moe," Dmitri said with a grin.

He locked his eyes on his soon-to-be prey and leaped from the tall entrance gate, landing carefully on his feet. His black boots scraped against the ground.

A man turned around, fear welling up in his eyes as he watched Dmitri rush at him with his raised claws.

He swiftly let his nails glide across the man's throat, severing it in half, causing blood to splurt out onto the ground and stain his hands crimson red.

The screams of terror that followed suit were like music to his ears.

He brought his hand up to his mouth to lick the blood off his fingertips. "I wonder if the rest of you will taste just as sweet," Dmitri said darkly.

He glanced up when he noticed his prey had run further away from him.

"Now, where do you think you're going? You can't leave yet; the fun has only just gotten started," he said.

He rushed forward and gripped a man's arm harshly to stop him in his tracks.

Dimitri twisted the man's arm back without a care in the world while the man screamed in pain. He jerked him backward before sinking his fangs into the man's neck.

Blood spilled out from the man's skin, staining Dmitri's lips and the floor red.

"This much isn't even remotely enough," he said, shoving the man's drained, lifeless body to the ground.

"Hmm," Dmitri said, looking rather disappointed.

"Still, no priest, huh? I guess they really don't give a shit about any of you," he mocked.

He ran his fingers through his gunmetal hair with electric blue highlights without giving a shit if any blood got in it.

Bang!

The sound of gunfire shattered the air, unleashing a silver bullet hurtling straight for Dmitri's head.

He swiftly jerked his head to the left in a split second as it whizzed past his right ear, leaving him unscathed.

Instead, it struck down a woman from behind him who was trying to get into her car to escape, causing her to crumple in a heap on the ground.

Beads of sweat trickled down the panicked armed security guard's forehead who fired the shot and, with trembling hands, still aimed his gun directly at Dmitri.

"Was that meant for me?" Dmitri asked the armed security guard with a sarcastic tone while pointing behind himself.

"Looks like ya missed your target, but not to worry; I won't be making the same mistake. Just hang tight right there for me. I'll be over there in no time," he sneered with a wild look in his eyes.

Aaaah!

The armed security guard cried out as he aimlessly fired several more shots, sending bullets flying everywhere at Dmitri, who was slowly approaching him.

Dmitri gracefully skirted around each of the bullets with ease, without a single one grazing his porcelain skin.

In the blink of an eye, Dmitri stood next to the armed security guard.

Without a moment's hesitation, he took hold of the guard's wrist in a death grip.

Crack!

Aaaaaaaaah!

The security guard screamed in agonizing pain after Dmitri crushed his hand, shattering his bones as if it were nothing more than a mere twig, causing the gun to clatter onto the ground.

"Maaan, you're such a lousy shot; You're not very good at this, are you?" Dmitri mocked.

"You're such a dumbass. Everyone knows you shouldn't play with things you can't handle," Dmitri snickered.

"I think it's 'bout time you took a permanent nap, whaddya say? Nighty, night," Dmitri proposed as he lifted the security guard off the ground by the neck as if he were weightless.

Gak.

The man choked out with his eyes widening in horror while kicking his legs in a desperate attempt to break free.

A young boy stood there, frozen, as if in a trance, watching the horror unfold.

Seeing Dmitri currently occupied, a woman with strawberry blonde hair from a distance took the opportunity to make a break for it.

"Hurry, we don't have much time! We need to go NOW!" the young boy's mother urged as she firmly grasped his left wrist and hurriedly pulled him along with her.

Run!

"Right now, I need you to run as fast as you can," the young boy's mother insisted. "No matter what happens, whatever you do, don't stop until I tell you to."

The next thing they knew, they were sprinting like crazy toward the carnival's entrance.

Others caught on and began following their lead.

Desperate to escape the danger that loomed behind them.

Shoes pounded against the ground, and distant screams and panicked shouts echoed in the air.

They all wanted more than anything to live to see tomorrow.