The Dark Destiny

Chapter 1

I sprinted through the dark, dense forest with a steady pace, determined not to lose track of the vampire I had been tracking for so long. Thanks to the rituals and potions of the hunter clan, all my reflexes and senses were heightened, allowing me to smell the vampire's scent and hear his light footsteps.

Julian Costa killed one of the hunters from my clan for his own amusement. For such an act, we had the right to carry out our own justice and take his life, which I was entrusted to do tonight. Alternatively, I could bring him to the clan to be handed over to the Keepers, representatives of the five races: hunters, werewolves, vampires, elves, and witches. They all uphold the common laws of the supernatural world and maintain the balance between our races on Earth.

I belong to the hunter race and soon I will become a Keeper myself. My family resides in South Dakota, where the headquarters of the entire American hunter clan is located. We are responsible for hunting down vampires, werewolves, elves, and witches who break the laws. Such creatures need to be eradicated or apprehended and brought to trial before the Keepers.

Right from the beginning of the chase, Costa toyed with me, weaving between trees and refusing to engage, even though he knew perfectly well that I was pursuing him.

"I'm starting to run out of breath," I muttered to myself, frustrated by the time I had wasted on the pursuit. I never expected the vampire to be this fast, to the point where even the effects of the potions couldn't aid me in the chase. I could only hope that sooner or later he would grow tired of running from me and would want to know what I wanted from him.

The vampire abruptly turned north toward the cemetery, and I followed suit, picking up my pace.

"I should have taken more potions," I pondered, trying not to stumble over branches and bushes that I leaped over, hoping to carve a path for myself.

As I stepped onto the cemetery grounds, I took in a deep breath and listened carefully. Based on my senses, the vampire was to the northwest, near the church. That's where I darted, trying to reach him faster.

Julian was no longer running from me. Instead, he stood in one place with his arms crossed over his chest, as if awaiting a conversation. I grinned triumphantly and rushed toward him to conclude the hunt I had initiated.

Suddenly, a force pulled me and began dragging me towards the church. I growled and attempted to break free, but the more I resisted, the stronger the pull became, until I surrendered.

I was pinned against the wall so forcefully that I hit it with my face and broke my nose. However, there was no pain yet; the painkiller I had taken prior to the hunt was still in effect. Angered, I tried to partially turn over, but it was as if something invisible held me firmly. Could there be a nearby witch responsible for this?

Suddenly, I was forcefully rotated 180 degrees and found myself pressed against the wall of the church, unable to move and feeling no ground beneath my feet, which momentarily panicked me. Standing close by was a dark silhouette: so close that I could vividly see the vampire's face, not just in a photograph.

Julian was also staring at me, his gaze stern and rather predatory. He was young and incredibly handsome: a perfectly straight nose, long eyelashes, short dark hair, and tanned skin... He looked so much like an ordinary human, except for the fact that he was 265 years old.

My heart raced as our gazes met, and I quickly averted my eyes, inadvertently landing on his beautifully thin lips. Heat spread across my face, but blushing was not a skill I possessed, so Julian shouldn't have realized that his enchanting appearance had distracted me. Finally, I took a deep breath and looked into the vampire's eyes once again.