THE ANGEL (KLAUS FANFIC)

PROLOGUE

In the Book of Revelation, it is written: "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, to slay the third part of men." On that fated day, the avenging angels shall rise from the River Euphrates, purging the world of its sins. But prophecies—especially those written by men—are rarely as they seem.

Just as Eve once defied God, unleashing chaos, a desperate woman has now freed something that should have remained locked away.

The sound of rattling chains echoed through the darkened room as the woman stepped back, her heart hammering in her chest. The wolf inside the cage thrashed violently, its teeth gnashing against the metal bars. Each snap of bone was louder than the last, each crack a sickening reminder of what she had done. The creature's body twisted grotesquely, its snout shrinking, limbs contorting in unnatural angles, until finally, where the beast had been, a small, unconscious girl now lay, tangled in chains.

The woman's breath caught in her throat, her trembling fingers fumbling for the keys to the shackles. As she worked to free the girl, her hands slick with sweat, a sudden jolt of cold shot up her arm. A small, pale hand had gripped her wrist—tight, unnaturally strong. She gasped as crimson energy began to glow from the girl's fingertips, siphoning her life force. The pain was excruciating, but she bit down on her lip, stifling her scream. She had expected this. She had to endure it.

The wolf girl's eyes snapped open—sharp, calculating, and far too aware for someone so young. The woman stilled, fear creeping through her veins, but she forced herself to move. She dressed the girl in a hospital gown, her hands trembling, and hauled her to her feet.

Alarms suddenly blared, the piercing wail reverberating off the sterile white walls of the facility. The woman's pulse quickened as she pulled the child down the corridor, past the endless rows of locked doors and experimental cells. Her mind raced. They didn't have much time.

The girl, who had been eerily quiet, finally spoke, her voice cold and detached. "Where are we going?"

The woman paused, locking eyes with the child. Hollow, sunken eyes stared back at her, devoid of emotion. How could such a frail-looking girl possess the power to wipe out entire supernatural species?

"I'm getting you out of here," the woman whispered, her voice strained, thick with the weight of her decision.

The girl tilted her head, studying the woman. She recognized her face—one of the doctors who had experimented on her, who had looked at her with disgust. And yet, the girl knew something else: this woman was a vampire. Her entire being had been conditioned to despise such creatures.

"Why?" the girl asked, her voice chillingly flat.

The woman didn't answer. She couldn't. Instead, she turned her focus to the gate just ahead—their way out.

...

The hours passed in a blur. The woman had been driving for what felt like an eternity, her grip white-knuckled on the steering wheel. The child sat in the passenger seat, silent, her gaze fixed on the passing landscape. Neither had spoken for miles.

A road sign caught the child's eye. She couldn't read the letters, but the shapes were familiar, burned into her memory from long ago: NEW ORLEANS.

The scent in the air stirred something within her. It was faint but unmistakable. The feeling of home. She stared out the window as they drove deeper into the woods. Dark, twisted trees loomed over them, casting long shadows that slithered across the road like specters. Her senses heightened. She could smell them—others like her. Hidden in the trees. Watching.

Suddenly, a low, menacing growl rumbled from the forest line, sending a shiver down her spine. A massive grey wolf emerged from the shadows, its golden eyes fixed on them. The air between them thickened with tension.