3 Daybreak

Welcome to the city of Invicta. The history is this town is very sketchy, to say the least, but that doesn't matter now.

This town is a society where, at the very heart of everything, money and power reign supreme. Then again, where is that not the case?

As the years go by, humans evolve and soon, they were much smarter and more brilliant as compared to the humans of a hundred years ago.

The best example would be that the average IQ of a human is now 250, which would be considered quite high in other years but that is still average.

Not only that, as their IQ increases their EQ decreases making for some very, very awful decisions made in the past years.

Now, the concept of vampires, werewolves, mermaids, all those nonsense has existed for years and years already. It is nothing new.

What the humans did not realise is that you can create them if you alter their DNA enough. But, as they are created from a mixture of humans and other … sketchy things, it was still enough to be looked down on by most of the public.

Not that that has ever stopped anyone before. Humans have always desired power and they have always desired to be the stronger ones. It is just frightening how far they are willing to go just to make sure they stay in power.

Experiments were carried out on people, willing volunteers and people with no identity, thus with no choice, were experimented on.

Because of this came the birth of a new breed of vampires, shapeshifters, people with animalistic abilities and many more. Most are a mix of a few, like a hybrid vampire child with the ability to shapeshift into an animal.

But more years passed and those genes were mixed more and more with human DNA because the humans are still the most in population.

This made only the strongest DNA remain. So people become what you call as 'purebloods', those that are vampires were only vampires, people that feed on blood and have enhanced strength, smell and sight. This is the same for all the others.

Unlike the myths, they are not indestructible, they are not allergic to garlic or the sun nor do they have the ability to live forever. They live longer than normal humans, yes, but they grow old and … well, staying old for fifty more years is just a curse at that point.

A divide is created among the people, those with extra abilities were shunned by the normal people as being 'freaks' and not of nature.

So, some hide what they are and live the rest of their lives trying to be 'normal'. While many of them leave to create a place for themselves.

That is usually done in hiding because the government and the people in power will take any chance they get to needlessly slaughter them, especially if a number of them are gathered in a place.

They do that to keep them in their place and also to prevent them from trying to increase in number. The Halflings are a lot more powerful after all because they have several different abilities all in their bodies.

But that does not mean they do not know how beneficial those people are. Those with excellent abilities, outstanding abilities, they take them in.

Yes, they bring them up like normal humans, giving them love, education, and everything one would give a child. But that was just their method of conditioning.

That way, they do not feel so bad when they are to take down the people that are just like them.

Monsters are them, monsters should be taken out otherwise they will do something bad. But it is not their fault. They can only be bad, it's in their nature.

Well, that was a good sixty-four years ago.

____________________

"-el. Jel!"

"H-huh?" The man snapped out of his thoughts, looking around himself in a bit of a panic until he saw the woman beside him. "Oh, Lumi. What's wrong?"

They were both on his simple bed laying in the middle of a large room, a window at the head of the bed. There was nothing else in the room except the bed and a table at the side of the room.

"You fell asleep." She said, wisps of her red hair falling over her face. "Are you ok? You don't usually fall asleep. You must be so tired."

"Not really," Jel said, looking at his hands, confused. When did I even fall asleep? No, why did I fall asleep? "When was the last time I slept, Lumi?"

"I think a good hundred and thirty-three years ago." She said, thinking. "But I can't remember properly. Are you ok, Jel? The injury on your lip is still there."

"Don't worry about me, Lumi." He said forcing a smile on his face as he got to his feet and stretched. "Should I prepare breakfast for you?"

Before she could reply a fluttering came at the window, instantly putting the two in alert mode.

"Lumi."

She nodded, landing on the floor gently as she stood at the door, hand on the handle just in case.

Jel walked to the window and pushed it open as a paper flew into the room, straight to his hands the two relaxing immediately.

"What is that?" The woman asked, jumping on the bed again, wearing nothing but an oversized shirt that looked more like a dress on her.

"I have to read it first to find out," Jel said, staring out as the sun slowly started to come over the horizon. "This will have to wait a while. Lumi, the sun is coming up."

The woman gasped, jumping out of the bed, "I will be right back!"

She ran out of the room and closed the door behind her as the sun's rays broke into the room, slowly, as though they were teasing Jel.

Yes, vampires are not allergic to the sun but … it still affects them. Just like the werewolves grow stronger the fuller the moon is, the sun is as effective at making them feel more lethargic.

As for Jel, the moment the sun's rays touched him, the colour of his skin turned from caramel to a pale, almost paper-like skin. All the colour from his hair and eyes disappear as well.

At night, when the sun has gone down, he thrives. The moment it comes to the sky, his body becomes frail and kind of sickly. With the sun, all the light from his life is sucked out and he is thrown into darkness for the next thirteen hours.

Jel likes to call that the thirteen hours of death before he comes back to life with the moonlight.

But this was also why he didn't mind hiding his face when he would go out at night to feast. No one would recognize him, the change is too drastic.

"Are you done, Jel?" The woman asked as he opened the door, stepping out. She stood ten inches shorter than she was before, the baggy clothes not even fitting her anymore.

"Of course." He said, trying to pinpoint the woman in the darkness with just her voice.

"Oh, Jel." The woman sobbed, guiding his hand to her face. "I wish you didn't have to go through this every day. If I could take half of your suffering-"

"Don't worry about me, Lumi. I am used to it." The man lied. "In fact, I worry if it doesn't happen because I am so used to it."

"You say that all the time but I don't believe you." The woman said, looking up at him.

"Don't talk like that," Jel said, picking her up in his arms. "You know, I prefer you like this? I always wanted a child of my own but I was never able to have one."

"Well, for the next thirteen hours, I am your daughter," Lumi said, getting down from his arms and pulled him to the room. "Should I help you get ready, dad?"

A soft smile came on the man as his tone of voice also changed, "Sure. What are my plans today?"

"Well, you have some commissions from the same people." The little girl said, looking through Jel's closet. "Oh, I think you have some new orders too."

"Really?" The man asked as she pulled out a clipboard of paper. "I have them written here all in braille. You still remember how to read it right?"

"I do." Jel chuckled, feeling along the little bumps on the paper. "Hmmm. Interesting."

"What is-"

"Hello!" They heard a call from the front as a younger woman walked into the room. "Oh, Rosy, sweetie. Are you helping your father get ready?"

"I am," Lumi said brightly. "What do you think?"

"Give me a minute-" She said putting down the bags of grocery items she carried on her.

"Do you need help, Skye?" Jel asked, about to go to her but she held quickly told him no.

"I am perfectly capable." She said, standing up straight as her curly chocolate brown hair flew everywhere. "Now, let me see you, Mr. Sage."

The woman did a once over of Jel, a smile coming on her face. "You did an excellent job, Rosy. Now, why don't we get you ready for the day too?"

"Sure!" The little girl said happily, running out of the room with the woman, leaving Jel to look over the papers again, a sly smile coming on his face.