Michael

"Wade... Safechuck... you bastards..." I send my fist into a wall in a deserted alley, as I head for their homes. I hope they haven't moved.

Keeping a low profile, although I was still in ghoul form, humans were... everywhere.

I needed one, to cure me of the hunger.

Why am I like this? Why can't I enjoy the benefits of humanity anymore? Is this what all Fallen feel?

Must we live like this? I was in extreme denial, I held my hand to stop myself from reaching out to a certain human, hiding in the shadows of the alley exit into the main street.

I watch the people walk past, some happy, some emotionless, some sad. I take notice of a couple in the opposite pavement across the road, turning into the alley near them. The boy, however, seemed to make a sudden action, cornering the girl.

"Foolish girl." I hear the boy say, as he reached his hand down towards the girl's chest.

"You... what are you doing!? Help! " The girl cries out in protest and tries to resist but is overwhelmed. No one heard her cry for help in that one sentence.

"Fuck you, you dumbass." I leapt from my side of the road to his side, taking out my mask to conceal my identity.

"She's my girl now, weakling." I hold him in the air, tentacle gagging him as I gouge out his heart. My principles had gone numb as I see him as the bad person he is, and I willingly throw his exposed heart into my mouth.

I feel the girl about to run away. She cannot tell anyone of this. Another tentacle holds her back, covering her mouth as well as I feed on parts of that imbecile's flesh.

"You shouldn't be afraid of me. Why are you running from me, when I saved you?" I hold the two bodies in the air as I run away to a more deserted place, back to the clearing.

"Ah....ahhhh! Put me down, let me go!" She struggles for life, but a human can never beat the supernatural. However, I felt for her. For this boy, who I was feeding on, had his memories shown to me in a short and quick vision.

"I am not a monster! I'm just trying to help!" I protest as I continue to see this boy's memory play in my mind.

One thought of him near his death, before I saw them in the alley, really caught me off guard - She will willingly accept anyway. I'll just take her first time and ruin her life after.

"You... you just killed him! I needed him!" She argues back, with such faith in her supposed boyfriend who seemed to be just one of those that just plays around with love, after the boy's memory finished in my head. I need to tell her what was really going on...

"...I stopped him from raping you!" I find the courage to say this to a girl who believed very innocently in her boyfriend who never really loved her.

"I... I..." She scrambles for words, but I was relishing in the taste of this particular sinner. Apparently, human sinners seem very delicious.

I throw the sinner's body in a corner as I finish the last of him, and the corpse crumbles to ash on the green grass.

"He... Liam... he's gone..." she holds back tears, and I was confused.

"He definitely didn't seem to be really in love with you."

"G...get away from me..."

"Why should I? I can make you stay with me forever since you were never supposed to know of my existence."

"I... want my life back! This never happened at all, this is all a dream... later, Liam will reappear-" the girl is obviously in her own fantasy world.

"Your lover Liam is dead, girl. I killed him and ended his pathetic life of causing suffering to others!" I am sick of her, very sick of her belief in this sinner. I ready my jaw to bite her, turn her or eat her whole. But as I brought her body to mine in one swift move, my jaw refused to make contact with her flesh...

"...No. Not you. You will live." I move away from her, put her down, collecting the ash as my tentacle holds her in place. Her face was still in that state of shock, and extreme fear.

The boy's ash in my hand, I hold it to her and show her, "I will tell you right now. Liam... never cared for you. Perhaps its destiny I appeared for you..."

"...I am Destiny. Destiny Grace." The girl replies. This time, I looked up to her, pausing to take in what I had just heard. I had heard her name.

"You are not scared of me?" I ask again, my gaze burning into her soul.

"...I do, but I can't when you're my saviour."

"Sigh... you are one of the rare ones." I dig a small hole in the soil, pouring the ashes of Liam's once-body into it, before nicely covering it back. I turn around to see Destiny's head avoiding any possible eye contact with me as my senses regress from overdrive to human.

I look at her closely, she's too naïve to be hanging out with people like Liam. Is this the state of the world now? Is that why the Fallen exist? Have the Protectors left out some people they should have protected? Or was it because of the corrupted minds of the Protectors, which I used to be a part of?

"You can look at me now. I'm not a monster." I say, hoping it would reassure her.

"Will I... still see that monstrosity?"

"No, trust me. You won't." I answer confidently, as she turns her head towards me. Her face was relaxed for a second, before turning into yet another face of pure shock.

"Blood... your face..." She points a shaky finger, and I realised. My mask.

"I apologise. Perhaps we should find a better place to talk? This is an abandoned place, but I don't think it's... that safe. Or would you prefer talking here?" I take off my mask and hold it in the palm of my hand.

"I... it's fine. I am the one judging you - I'm sorry. However, I can't bring myself to believe who you are..." Destiny brings her palm to my face and hesitates before wiping a drop of blood off my cheek.

"You are better off not knowing the origins of it. Let this be something only you and I know about." I hold her hand, a hint of irritation showing on my face, although unwanted. I know it's the Fallen influence, irreversible and like an incurable disease.

"...I should go." Destiny turns around to leave, and time stopped again.

"Perhaps, mark her. You will at least know where she is, and what she thinks of. It's the same effect as another soul in your mind, but I believe you already know the answer." She whispers in my ear, which felt so strange, that it sent shivers down my spine. It wasn't her, so it felt very unnatural.

"Mark her?" I whisper back. It's an entirely new term.

"Yes. You won't turn her, but a little bite will suffice. Her neck." Her voice was confident, unfazed.

"How does this make me any different from a vampire?" No reply.

"This is not a question I can answer. It's a moral decision - only you can decide." And time runs again, Destiny starting to walk away.

Perhaps I should do this quietly. I sneak up behind her and aim my jaw for her neck, wearing my mask once again...

"...Destiny, we've never met long, but I must do this. It's for your safety." I hold onto her, stopping her from moving.

"What are you doing? Let go!" I made sure her neck was left bare as I bite her, not tearing off the flesh, just doing what Elise said.

Marking her. Perhaps it's a good thing, perhaps it's not, but I'll know what it really is, soon.

"Michael... that's your name." Destiny says as I retreat from her, and I stood in shock.

"You... is that the aftereffects of me marking you?" I stepped back further, making the distance between us.

"You marked me, and I then knew about you..." She paused.

"What?"

"Everything... but in fact... I want you to make me like you." What have I done?

What have I done?!

I'm unworthy of anything. I didn't even want to make her in any way related to the ghouls. All I wanted was to just differentiate her in just a way that would just let me know whether she is safe.

And I've... let her into a world full of darkness. Beginning with my name.

"Turn me. Please." Her hand touches mine, and I am suddenly let into her memories. Happiness and pain alike follow her case a very unique one and so different from the normal human life I knew. An orphan.

I understand why Elise told me to mark her now. She was unique... Not in a way to ask me to turn her, but to let me understand... others. Their pain, misery.

Whether to change them, that is my own decision.

"I will not... but you will follow me. You've been alone, just searching for someone to love you, perhaps just as a child, and maybe more."

"...Really? Really, Michael?" She holds on tighter to my hands now, as I am filled with a feeling I have no longer felt in a long time.

Happiness. 

The feeling of being happy that I made someone happy as well.

That didn't make sense, but it just did.

"Time to return, Royal Guard." Xandor, Elise, they're here... and they continue, "Ah, Destiny Grace. Welcome to the family, although not officially." They even know that Destiny is on the way to becoming like me!

"I know you two from his memories. Lord Xandor, Queen Ophelia," Destiny gracefully bows in respect.

"Destiny... what a symbolic name. I have a feeling, you may be a prospective Fallen in the future. I am not forcing you to become Fallen just yet, but if you do... you will be a great contribution." Elise tells Destiny in the most gentle voice possible. It sounds like a talk between girls.

"Ophelia... wise words indeed." Xandor closes up to Elise and gives her a little kiss as Elise does nothing.

I cannot deny, that Xandor's actions are... trying to invoke envy, jealousy and hate.

Turn her, Michael. It's my special order to you as your sworn brother.

Xandor, you're not Xavier. I will not follow this order.

Perhaps, I shall then. By making you do it willingly.

Xandor's words instigate my other to awaken, forcefully taking over my mind and body. I see myself confidently heading towards Destiny as her face turns into one of fear.

"Michael..." she holds her breath as I was about to turn her...

"Stop, Xandor. They only knew each other, for less than an hour. Give her time to understand us."

"She will understand us once she becomes a Fallen herself. The ghouls are a prospective race. She will flourish as one of them." Xandor argues back.

"Xandor! Give her a choice!" It was Elise's turn to plead for Destiny's freedom of choice.

"It was never me to decide. It was a rendition of you in Michael's mind that told him to mark her, bringing her into this world. Isn't that right, Jackson?" He snaps, but his confident expression, condescending even though covered by a mask, intimidates me into submission.

"...Yes. It wasn't Lord Xandor. It was... someone, that took the form of you in half-breed form, Queen Ophelia." Elise couldn't believe it. She had never really tried to enter my mind.

"Is it possible... the key to regaining who I really am is you?" Elise holds my hands once more.

"I am unworthy. Please do not say this... you're a Fallen queen now, regaining your halfbreed self will not do you good. I have disrespected you, Queen Ophelia. Please do not request such a thing from me."

"Ophelia. Return to me," Xandor hints, and Elise moves back to his side, "Enough of this. We shall return to Esmonia. You will turn Destiny, Jackson. It's just a matter of time. I see you enjoyed your first human. Congratulations." He opened the portal for us to enter, and I glance at Destiny, still hopeful I turn her soon.

"Destiny..." I mutter to myself as I enter the portal after Xandor, Elise and Destiny have passed through. I step foot into the familiar grounds of the dark land, only a moon to guide our way.

"Perhaps you are unworthy of being called Fallen until you prove to me you have the ability to turn people without remorse or regret. Turn Destiny, and I will acknowledge you." Xandor threatens me, thinking that I am still controlled by my Protector values. He is wrong. So wrong. He should know my current state. I will tell him.

"Dark Lord, I was once a Protector. The Fallen influence will eventually corrupt me. It's just a matter of time... before I will become a loyal soldier of darkness. I'll see whether you'll still call me... Unworthy." As Elise and Destiny head on towards the palace, I willingly turned into a ghoul, the tentacles ready to strike. Xandor let out a smile in reply.

A smile of triumph.

Author's Note

Hello! I hope I wasn't too late or early with this chapter. I kind of wanted to update Street Racer but I'm already halfway through this chapter! I really just want to do things one-by-one and not leave them half done. Don't worry, I'll write the chapter for Street Racer. It's just a matter... of time. :)