Leander

The night has never been as foreboding and evil as it was on that dreadful day, when the all-pervasive darkness consumed everything in its path and caused the ancient stars to appear to vanish from the sky, leaving the illuminating moon as the sole source of light. 

The moon appeared to be almost condemningly glancing at the youngster, who didn't seem to be older than 15, and sharing in the punishment that this boy had already experienced throughout his entire being. For the first time in his life, boy's heart has been opened to the inevitable wave of sadness and regret.

Paralyzed in his melancholy, unable to move an inch, the teen looked at his hand. Covered in red color, the crimson blood has been splattered all over his body not excluding his at first glance innocent face. Boy's glance fell on two lifeless bodies of a mother and a child whose faces were covered by shadows. 

The boy wanted to come closer and inspect, however the moment he tried to take a step forward he was stopped by chains piercing his whole body, chains that were reminding him of what he really was. 

The teenager looked at his other hand, which he had for some reason chosen to overlook, and, at first astonished, rapidly adopted a serious and understanding frame of mind. He was clutching a bloody sword, one that he decided to set aside out of guilt. 

'Oh yeah, how could I forget?'

As the vengeful spirits of all of his victims have wrapped around his body...

'After all, it was me who killed them.' 

He finally woke up.

Drenched in the cold sweat Leander woke up from his slumber, visibly shaken and panicked. The strands of his pitch black hair covering his eyes as he was breathing uncontrollably. 

Leo got up from his improvised bed that he had been using for the previous year while he resided in the outskirts, after taking a few minutes to partially calm himself. The child could see himself in the soiled mirror in front of him, but he lacked the motivation to take a look. 

A boy significantly taller than typical and dressed all black was reflected in the glass, his respectable athleticism showing through the attire. Teen, however, lacked any form of liveliness to him, in contrast to how he appeared. Even though he had just woken up from a lengthy nap, the man's ghostly pale skin and drowsy body language would lead anyone to believe that he hasn't slept in a while. 

"It just gets worse every day."

Leander spoke audibly, not giving a damn about anyone hearing him because he had made sure to drive everyone out of the area around his remote sanctuary. Living alone is preferable to worrying about the possibility of an attack in case someone has the guts to do so. 

He didn't bother changing into other clothing before heading to what might be the final place he will ever see in his life; instead, he was headed to the closest police station with sunken, vacant eyes. 

Leo stopped moving after remembering something crucial. He pulled out a few coins from his well concealed wallet and started walking. Instead of going to the police station, he went to his second favorite place on earth - little corner market of the street he was living on. 

As he approached the market he was greeted by a familiar smell of cheapness, which has already became comforting for Leander

"Good afternoon, Miss Willock." Leo greeted a sweet lady running the shop, who was also one of the only people he ever spoke to ever since coming to this place. 

The market was in severe shape, with obvious traces of aging and carelessness everywhere. It was as tiny as one might anticipate a corner store in this area of the city to be, but Leo and everyone else who lived here didn't seem to care as long as it ran.

Leo showed the old lady couple of coins in his hand as he got close

"Good afternoon to you too, Leo. The usual, right?" 

The young man sincerely smiled 

"Ah, you know me so well, Miss."

For him, Willock placed a lighter and two cigarettes on the table. She observed how drained and pale Leo appeared as he took the items he had paid for. She made the decision to ignore the situation rather than checking on him or alerting him to potential danger. Nobody around here has the luxury of caring for others, therefore nobody even wants to try. 

Rare genuine smile was plastered on Leander's face. He took the old rusty bus to the central park of the town to not miss out on any of enjoyment he could feel in probably his last minutes as either a living, or an ordinary human.

He finally found his favorite park bench, sat down, and for the first time in a long, he felt at ease. He lighted a cigarette, placed it in his mouth, and began to fully enjoy it while gazing at the nighttime sky as it was mirrored in the lake of the park. 

'It wouldn't have been right if I didn't do this before my life changed -or ended-, would it?'

After finishing the last puff on his second cigarette, Leo went to his initial destination. He walked across the street and went inside the police department. He was nearly blinded by the dazzling white lights inside, where armor plates and other weaponry were scattered across the building. A cop who was posing as a receptionist examined him and spoke with his drained voice. 

"How can I help you?"

Finally, Leander turned to look at him, or to be more precise, stared down. The youngster nearly towered over the older man. Leo responded after giving it some thought. 

"Um, I'm here to surrender. Surrender as a carrier of the Nightmare Spell."