The Immortal | Prequel Story |

Chapter 42 ~ The Ileín

Mallen and Iérti were led to a modern futuristic-looking gold and white building with water fountains outside. As they went in what looked like a grand hall, they saw a humanoid figure standing with his back facing them.

He was glowing yellow, literally shining like the sun in humanoid form, seemingly lit up with luminescent sunbeams from within his body. When he turned around to face them, his face wasn't visible. He looked he was entirely comprised of energy, vibrant and alive.

The vampire leaders stood watching in amazement as the golden yellow energy seemed to fold in itself, turning into the form of a man. The yellow seeped inside him, his face becoming visible as he allowed himself to be seen in man-like form. He was a handsome man with blond hair, Caucasian skin, and a cream-orange outfit. His eyes were brown with golden specks in them, as if illuminating who he truly was.

He looked at Mallen and as though he already knew them. "Greetings, vampires," said the Ileín. "An honor to meet you, Iérti Keresi, kindest man in the land, and Mallen Zaliċ, most powerful vampire in the land. I am Conrad Mieaghdouw, the Ileín. I expected your presence and therefore welcome you to my planet. Please, sit down." He gestured towards the gold chairs with plush royal blue seats.

Iérti went to cautiously sit down, but Mallen remained standing, suspicious. "How did you know we're vampires?" he asked the . "Are you some sort of seer?"

The Ileín sat across from them, not at all slighted. His manner was calm and courteous, not boastful or conceited. It was easy to have a conversation with him. "In a way," the Ileín said in response. "I'll start from the beginning, since neither of you know anything of this planet nor of its people.

"We came from planet Kasoka. All was good until humans became greedy and lustful for power. They discovered a way to live forever inside the body of a machine. That technology enabled humans to turn into machines. They willfully traded humanity for the immortality achieved upon becoming machines.

"Machines are much more advanced than cyborgs. They were created with the idea of perfection. Though at first it seemed like a good idea to gain enhanced beauty, perfect vision, immunity from disease, and the total elimination of human weaknesses and deficiencies, machines became corrupt. They looked down on humans and deprived them of a good life. Any stray human was rounded up and turned into a machine against their will. After they became machines, they were forced into eternal slavery.

"There were five corporations on planet Kasoka. Those five corporations controlled the entire planet and its people. Humans were forced to live in hiding. Machines hunted humans to add to their workforce. Humans were just doing what they could to survive.

"I was one of those who sought to find a way to defeat the machines. When a public job offer appeared out of nowhere, I volunteered to find out what it was and soon discovered it was a trap to enslave humans to an eternal workforce. I was turned into a machine against my will and was forced to work for Andel Corporation.

"I watched my friends die. I saw the bodies of suicide victims. I saw that and much worse. Any machine that tried to rebel was programmed into a mindless machine. I forced myself to keep my thoughts and emotions hidden, to never let them know what I truly felt.

"I rose to high rank and waited for an opportune time to see my wife again. I fell into despair because the machines had taken everything from me. They even took away my sense of touch; I was unable to cry physical tears nor feel any physical touch.

"I knew I could not live like this forever, so I decided to kill myself. I went to a restricted area where an alien yellow dust was located. The yellow dust is lethal to humans and machines. I jumped into the yellow dust expecting to die, but instead I became the yellow dust.