Aidan

When Aidan woke up, his house's door was slightly open. He thought nothing of it. It was probably his mistake, or the wind. He didn't feel any presence in the house. But when he returned to his bedroom upstairs to grab a book and looked briefly outside, his gaze stuck on a shape in front of the house.

A man leaned against the wall, looking at him. He felt he had seen him before, in the city's streets. He was not a vampire, but this man knew who Aidan was. Before he could move, the man turned his heels and disappeared into the alley.

Aidan paced the room, debating if it was safe to go out. He felt he had to tell Enos what had happened. The rumors he had warned them about: it could not be a coincidence.

Then he heard his front door opening, and he froze until he recognized James' presence.

"Aidan?" He said.

"Up here," Aidan replied.

James entered the room like a hurricane but he slowed down the moment he crossed Aidan's eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"There was someone watching me from the street. Not a vampire."

James clenched his jaw. "Dark hair? With a touch of red? A bit pale?"

"Yes." Aidan narrowed his eyes. "Do you know him?"

James sighed. "I came to talk to you about him. Damn it. What is he on to?"

James let himself fall on an armchair and wiped his face with his hand. Aidan sat quietly on the bed in front of him.

"His name is Christopher," James said. "He's an immortal. I knew him when he was human. We hunted vampires together." Aidan nodded. "You know some of it but I never told you the details."

James took a deep breath and continued. "One day I came home and I found the bodies of my parents and my sisters. After that, I pledged to find the vampire who had done that and I went into a rampage. That's when I met Christopher. He was as hurt as I was, as hateful. Then I became a vampire and when I met him again, I became his prey. He's the one responsible for Isabella's death."

Aidan leaned over and took James' hand. "I'm sorry for your family," he said.

"Yeah. I didn't talk about what happened to them because it's hard for me. Even now. This image has never stopped haunting me. My parents in one room and my two sisters in the other." James winced. "The bastard had left their bodies like a pile of discarded things, except for my younger sister who had been placed carefully with her hands crossed over her chest." James shook his head. "I'll never forget. But who am I now to call this guy a bastard? I..." He looked away.

Listening to James' words, Aidan's heart sank. It could not be. This image had been haunting him too. Please, no. Anything but that.

"It was a long time ago," James said, forcing a smile.

He thought Aidan was upset by his sadness. But Aidan's mind had filled with horror, as the images from his past resurfaced. No, it was not true. It could not be. It was too unbearable to entertain the idea. So he locked it away, deep inside, and focused on James' hand, so warm in his own.