After uncovering a series of grisly murders, the Holy Church sends Seren to investigate one of their prime suspects; a mysterious dhampir named Lore Seymour. Although a seemingly kind man and wonderful father, Lore's life is a riddle overcome by tragedy that may or may not have come by his own hands. His actions are an enigma, often pushing Seren away while also dragging him closer. Through time spent together, Seren begins to see Lore, and his wacky family, in a different light. Could it be that the church sent Seren there to set Lore up? All that he has been taught by the church, who saved him from a gruesome fate, starts to sound like a lie, but the life of a paladin is all Seren has ever known. As suspicion fades and love blossoms, Seren's forced to test not only his faith, but also his entire purpose in life. Can he truly set aside his grievances against vampires to love that which he has been trained to kill? Warning: This story will dive into some troubling topics such as child abuse, spousal abuse, sexual assault, suicide, murder, drug use, manipulation, brain washing, and just over all bad. However, I keep the tone as light-hearted as I can and there will not be detailed scenes. I'll also leave warnings on chapters that contain triggers. *THIS IS NOT A PAID STORY! There is behind the scenes content that is purchasable, but not necessary to read. That's why there are some locked chapters, but the story itself is FREE ^_^ Artwork by mailanoooo on instagram

[AMBYS WINNER 2024] Mutilated, dejected and stained by the blood of his loved ones, Lucius Cromwell, a precocious and naïve child of high society, strikes a deal with an unhallowed Scourge of 'The Waste' in order to get his life back, blissfully ignorant that he'll consequently find his humanity on the line. *** A disturbing voice has been tormenting Lucius' mind for the longest time. Disregarding its sinister way of suggesting revenge on people who hurt him as mere thoughts he goes about his day, doing his best to live up to his superficial parents' standards and following the ideals of his Archon of worship. Life is lacklustre, but hardly worth causing a scene over. When a life altering event renders Lucius struggling not to die on the streets however things turn grim very fast, and in an act of desperation Lucius casts his beliefs aside, promising his soul to be devoured by The Waste at the time of his death with the promise of power in return. It doesn't take long for Lucius to realize that even the smallest of favors promised to him come with a catch, and being forced to do the Scourge of The Waste's wicked bidding while watching loved one after loved one disappear from his life Lucius has to wonder if a lifetime of power was really worth an eternity of suffering. This is the first installment of the "The Meaning Of Eternity" series. [Word count: 108 000]