Prologue
The dense forest surrounding the shortcut seemed to swallow the last remnants of sunlight, plunging the group of teenagers into an eerie darkness.
Their car, a sleek Toyota Fortuner that had once symbolized freedom, now stood as a helpless monument to their poor judgment, abandoned on the desolate road.
The group of seven friends stood around it, their frustration and worry palpable.
Kai and Tay scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of passing vehicles, but the road stretched out before them like a barren canvas.
"Whose idea was it to take the shortcut?" Kai's voice was laced with annoyance, and all eyes turned to Sun.
"Why are you all blaming me?" Sun defended, his voice rising. "You all agreed to take this route. And I didn't know the car would run out of fuel in the middle of nowhere."
"You should've checked the fuel before we left, Sun. This is all because of your carelessness." Ava shot back, her eyes flashing with irritation.
"Stop fighting, guys. We need to focus on getting out of here. We've been waiting for hours, and I'm not getting any signal. We either wait till morning or walk 10 kilometers to reach the highway." Mhok, who had been checking his phone for a signal, intervened.
The group grumbled, the prospect of walking 10 kilometers in the dark forest unappealing.
Fah spoke up, her voice laced with concern. "I think we should walk. It's not safe to spend the night here. This place is giving me the creeps."
"Walking 10 kilometers in the dark? Are you crazy? What if wild animals attack us? We can't even see beyond our phone's flashlight." Ava countered, her voice dripping with skepticism.
"We can be attacked here too, Ava. Animals don't care about timing or lighting. If they want to attack, they'll do it regardless. We should walk." But Kai defended Fah's suggestion.
The group fell silent, weighing their options. After a moment, Ava huffed and went to retrieve her backpack, followed by the others.
As they prepared to leave, Mhok issued instructions. "Alright, Kai and I will walk ahead. Tay, you'll bring up the rear. Girls, stay in the middle. Keep your phones off to conserve battery; we'll use them only if necessary."
The group set off, their footsteps echoing through the forest. The darkness seemed to press in around them, making them huddle closer together. The only sound was the rustling of leaves and the distant hooting of owls.
As they walked, the silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the occasional snapping of twigs. Lamai whispered to Mia, her voice barely audible, "It was a bad idea."
Mia nodded in agreement, her eyes darting nervously around the darkness. The group continued on, their hearts racing with every snap of a twig, their senses on high alert.
Suddenly, after walking for 2 kilometres, the group already huffing and mumbling in annoyance and tiredness was stopped midway when Fah halted, her body tense.
The girls behind her bumped into her, complaining softly. "What's wrong?" Ava whispered, her voice laced with concern.
Fah didn't respond, her eyes fixed on something ahead. The group fell silent, their hearts pounding in unison. What was wrong?
The group's flashlights cast eerie shadows on the trees as Fah's grip on Ava's and Kai's hands tightened. "Fah, be careful," Mia whispered, her voice trembling.
Fah's eyes scanned the surroundings, her face illuminated by the faint light of the phones.
"Guys, listen carefully. Don't say a single word from here on. And turn your phones down," she instructed, her voice low and urgent.
The group exchanged fearful glances, their hearts racing. "Is something wrong?" Kai asked, his tone barely above a whisper.
Fah's eyes locked onto something in the distance. "I feel like something's off. We need to be careful." She pulled out a silver dagger from her backpack, surprising her friends.
"Were you carrying a dagger with you the whole time?" Ava asked, her voice laced with surprise and panic.
Fah's face was set in determination. "I don't have time to explain. Let's just get out of here."
The group nodded, their faces pale. They quickened their pace, the only sounds being their rapid footsteps and heavy breathing.
Suddenly, they halted, their ears perked up. A faint shuffle echoed through the forest, sending chills down their spines. Fah's grip on the dagger tightened, her eyes wide with fear.
"What was that?" Mia whispered, her voice trembling.
Fah's voice was barely audible. "We're being followed."
The group's fear turned to terror. "Followed by what?" Ava asked, her voice breaking.
Before Fah could respond, a shadow burst through the trees, its movement swift and silent. Standing Right behind Ava, his hand on her waist and lips close to her ear lobe.
"By a vampire," the figure whispered, its breath cold against Ava's ear.
The eerie silence of the forest shattered with the cacophony of human panic. Breathless voices shouted in confusion and fear. Who was this figure, cloaked in black, his face hidden beneath a coax covering?
And what the hell was a vampire?!
Fah's hand trembled, her silver dagger slipping from her grasp as his voice echoed coldly through the trees.
Without wasting a second, the vampire lunged.
His mouth crushed harshly onto Ava's neck, fangs sinking deep as he drew blood with brutal efficiency.
Ava's scream pierced the air, sharp and desperate as her neck slick with crimson that dripped down like liquid fire.
Her friends stood frozen, rooted in terror. None dared move, unable to tear their eyes from the horrifying scene unraveling before them.
"Fah, do something!" Mia yelled, shaking Fah from her stunned trance. "What is this? Who is a vampire?!" Panic clouded her voice.
Still dazed, Fah's gaze darted to the silver dagger lying on the mossy ground. She reached for it, but before she could grasp the hilt, the vampire turned towards her leaving Ava's unconscious body to drop on the ground with a loud thud.
His iron grip seized her wrists, holding her back with harsh strength.
"Not this soon, sweetheart," he taunted, a cruel smile curling on his lips. Fah struggled furiously, her sacred Pheromones releasing into the air, invisible to all but him. The vampire chuckled darkly.
"A pure-blooded Omega," he whispered, eyes glinting with twisted reverence. "You're our tool to breed children. Don't hurt yourself. Let us honor that."
He moved to bite her neck next but before his fangs could pierce her skin, Tay burst forward, with the silver dagger, plunging deep into the vampire's back.
The vampire shrieked, fangs bared in pain and rage, then whipped around with astonishing speed to clamp his jaws on Tay's neck.
A guttural snap echoed. Tay crumpled to the earth, lifeless.
The screams of the remaining humans tore through the night.
With threatening swiftness, the vampire turned to the remaining four humans. He didn't kill them, didn't sink his fangs into their necks.
Instead, he struck the backs of their heads with bare hands, each blow was like a ghostly slap that robbed them of consciousness instantly.
Finally, his eyes locked on Fah, who held a tiny glass vial pressed to her lips. Inside swirled pure liquid silver mixed with deadly human poison.
Realizing her intent, the vampire lunged to snatch it away, but Fah drank before he could.
She let the bottle slip from her fingers, and as she staggered back coughing blood, the vampire caught her by the waist.
Not from mercy, but because he had dashed toward her at such blinding speed that he needed to steady himself and her to avoid a harsh stumble over the silver dagger on the ground.
They slid to a stop, the darkness swallowing them. Fah choked violently, blood spilling down her throat.
Only her eyes shone dimly amidst the gloom.
"I... am... n-not... going to be your kind's sex slave," she gasped, coughing one final violent spurt of blood onto his black chest and then she was gone.
The vampire's laugh was bitter, disdain dripping from the words. "Bloody Omega."
He released her lifeless body without a shred of mercy, letting it hit the earth with a heavy, unforgiving thud.
Turning his back to the fallen, he strode purposefully towards the unconscious humans, leaving Fah's cold body behind in the shadows.
LET THE DARKNESS BEGIN.....
