Hope

Phase II: Light, However Brief.

Chapter Nine

The hot sun began to beat down on Jacob's bare back. His weak arms worked hard as he threw his force into a lever, linked to a large mechanism. He and the other boys would do so, and the girls would do the easier work. Sweat would run down the children's backs, with some of them, their hot tears blended into the beads of perspiration on their cheeks. They would work for hours on end, their skin burning. Jacob's skin would immediately tan, though, which would be embedded into his former pale skin like a tattoo. His deep black hair would lighten too, but his eyes, his eyes would darken.
As the day dragged on, Jacob would turn to a friend of his - later known as his cousin - and say, "I will get us out of here, chap. Just keep working for now." The other boy would nod, and turn to his younger sister. She was a very brave girl, who at one point during the day, rushed to a supervisor and screamed at him. Before she was to be punished, young Jacob kicked him in the leg. He told the man to leave the girl alone, and so the man did. Instead Jacob took the punishment for the both of them. In a mix of sweat and blood, Jacob lay crying as he was tied to a lamp post, and beaten mercilessly. Everyday it seemed like the pattern would repeat, and everyday he would tell his cousins that they would be free, and everyday he would get beaten and burned. It would happen all too often, until a woman who appeared an angel at the time, came to save all three of them. She ran with them through the woods, rain pouring as they dodged attacks and viscous dogs. When they finally reached her carriage, the woman, with greying, pitch black hair, and soft green eyes said, "you're safe with me now."
As they traveled on the road, their carriage was struck off a hill, causing great catastrophe. Jacob was told to run by the woman, and to leave the carriage behind. As he ran, with his burnt cheeks getting hit by rain water, a voice gently hummed in his mind.
"I am sorry, Jacob..."
He ran for so long his feet began to ache, until he could no longer carry his weight, and he fell to the grass, sobbing. Immense pain grew in his body, from his jaws to his muscles. His eyes began to sting, and the wounds on his back, that tried so desperately to heal, remained open. He cried for so long, until what seemed to be the sun began to rise, and he was his grown self. He forced himself to look up, his body bled, out his nose, mouth, ears. Out of his sides, chest and legs. He flinched at the pure white light, which within it, held a feint outline of a woman. She drifted toward him, to the point where he could make out her ghostly features. A motherly look was what she possessed, and when she knelt down to cup his cheek, it felt warm and soothing. The pain in his body, for as long as she touched him, was numbed.
"You are safe with me now," she would say.   

'When a vampire is born, it is given something more, or in other views, less than life. The newborn is given a purpose when it is born, a blessing given from Nyx, and the other dark gods. It is a title, and serves as the guideline to which the newborn follows. It is ultimately given to help the goals and desires the dark gods have. Sometimes the vampire is given the power to restore, and will be used under the name of Nyx, and the other gods. Other times it is to cause death and destruction, overall culling the unnecessary. The newborn will also be granted a creature that would be its guide throughout life. It is expected that the creature will die when their title, and purpose, has been fulfilled. The creature comes in the form of a shadow, and takes solid shape when the youth graces its hand onto it. Fangs and other vampiric features would grow overtime. Skills would be taught, and would grow with practice. This would apply to lessons on life and death as well. Infamously, vampires are known for their need of blood. As a child, the vampire is taught when to, and when to not, take a life. Out of that, they are also taught when to turn humans into their own. The common message would be to create more vampires to expand the clans, and to further Nyx's plan to make the race grow. Royal families, however, were taught a different lesson. They demanded that clans remained pure of blood, and would only use the turned as mere servants, if no humans were available. Turned humans followed a similar fate to that of a newborn vampire, though the process is quickened, and of course, more agonizing. The quick growth in the senses, the mind, and the body, is often traumatizing for the turned. Often, the body goes into a shocked state, and refuses to wake. The sudden change would kill many. Yet if they survived, they would be welcomed by Nyx, and would be given a title and guide. It is expected for a master to kill the turned's guide, though, leaving it completely lost in their new, dark world. It is more than likely, sadly, that the turned would succumb to death, as it felt like an escape from the pain they would endure.'

Jane read through the books in Dirk's library, tears clouding her eyes as she searched for answers. The passage she had laid her eyes upon had broken her heart even more, and she clenched the book to her chest as she sobbed. She wailed, her cries echoing through the manor. Roxy cried with her, cuddled up on Dirk's high chair with a cloth held to her face. Dave and Rose simply sat together, looking into the fire that burned in the fireplace. The heavy feeling of morose made everyone's heart ache. They ached for the loss of a good friend, but more so for the prince who was now a ghost, emitting his defeated aura.
The sun slowly began to light up the manor, which prompted Equius to hurry, closing all the curtains. He halted as he looked out to the shrine, hoping the sun would not burn his foolish master. He watched as the sun slowly leaked into the holy building, and he watched Nyx's statue. He hoped she would bring healing to his master, as everyone else did, but he knew his stubbornness would shoo away all their prayers.