Golden Eyed Man
Back to Current Day
They were all set to get the party started and all Syrus needed to do was get Jaden and bring him in for the surprise. He made his way up to Jaden's door and knocked. "Hey Jay, are you in there? We all really want to show you something important if you would please come on out!"
There was no reply. He was starting to think that maybe Jaden had gone to bed early. But then he heard a loud thud like someone had fallen hard. "Jaden! What's going on in there?! Are you okay?!" Syrus attempted to open the door, realizing that it wasn't even locked.
What he saw inside was a sight of utter shock. The room looked ransacked, with furniture flipped over and opened bags of food were left barely touched, like someone was trying desperately to eat them but couldn't bring themselves to do it. He entered the room, carefully looking around until he saw the bathroom door slightly ajar.
He opened the door and saw Jaden on the ground, shaking and sweating. His skin was pale, and he was shivering like he was freezing. "What happened in here?! Come on buddy, speak to me!" He pulled Jaden's head into his lap and placed a hand on his forehead. He was ice cold!
Jaden opened his eyes, but all he could see was the red fog that covered his vision. He didn't feel right and couldn't even think straight. Just like his dream, his mind felt like it was lost at sea. All his senses were heightened and the ravenous hunger in his stomach beckoned him to feed.
A voice echoed within the deepest part of his mind and a black misty figure that only he could see, started to form into a black silhouette of his body. "Eat him." Commanded the powerful voice. "You're starving, aren't you?"
He sat up, with his bangs covering his eyes. Syrus scooted back slightly to give his friend some space, relieved a little by the fact that he was at least awake. "Maybe we should take you back to the nurse, Jay. You might be sick-" Jaden then grabbed Syrus by his wrist, painfully squeezing it.
Syrus felt fear start to clench at his heart, and when he looked up to see his friends face, he let out a scream. The warmth that he normally saw in his best friend's eyes were replaced with a red luster. The eyes of a monster! A monster that looked at him very hungrily.
Syrus had no time to react when Jaden pinned him to the ground, clutching at his shoulders and keeping him from being able to run away. All Jaden could see in front of him was a hot bodied meal and he couldn't recognize his best friend anymore. His common sense had now completely left him.
All he could hear was the loud heartbeat in his friend's chest and the rushing blood flowing through his veins. While watching the glowing red eyes staring back into his, Syrus was frozen. He didn't know what Jaden was planning to do with him, but what did know was that he was in for a lot of trouble if he couldn't figure a way out of this mess!
Jaden let out a snake like hiss, opening his mouth and revealing two long sharp fangs that were protruding from his upper lip. Slowly, he inched closer and closer, his face almost nuzzled into the crook of Syrus's neck. He had to do something before it was too late!
"Jaden, STOP!" Shouted the tiny boy. With both his arms pinned down and the weight of Jaden's body firmly pressing him against the floor, he could only think of one thing to do. With all the strength he could gather, he tilted his head back and slammed his forehead as hard as he could against the other Slifer's.
"OW!" Jaden yelled out in pain as he fell backwards, holding his forehead in his hands. He was finally back to his senses and looked around bewildered by what had just happened. Merely moments ago, it felt like it was all an illusion and he didn't know what was real and what was only a figure of his imagination. He looked down and saw the terrified boy trembling beneath him.
He stood up quickly, backing away from his friend to give them as much distance between each other as possible. Just what did he try to do? What on earth was he thinking? He had no control and was only following the instincts that were screaming inside of him. There was no way he was actually thinking about drinking his friend's blood! Was he?
"Syrus! Please, just let me explain!" He extended an arm towards his best friend, but Syrus flinched away. Jaden frowned, seeing that Syrus only saw him as a monster now. "I'm sorry! Please! I didn't mean to scare you!" Jaden tried to get closer but Syrus stood up and bolted out the door, his adrenaline controlling his judgement.
Syrus couldn't believe what he just saw! He could have sworn that Jaden's eyes were glowing red, and not to mention the long canines. He didn't want to admit it, but from the way things looked, Jaden was a vampire! Just like Camula, one of the seven Shadow Riders they had defeated last year. How was it possible that Jaden was a vampire too?! There was no way he could believe that!
"Syrus, hold on!" Yelled Jaden as he took a step forward about to run after him, when he heard that echoing laugh again. His reflection in the mirror starting to talk to him, its golden eyes piercing through him. "Give in to me Jaden. It is your destiny!" Jaden walked over to the mirror, his eyes glowing red with anger and he clenched his fist tightly. "I will never let you take control! Now leave me alone!" And then he punched the mirror, shattering it and his reflection to pieces.
Off the shore of the island was a fancy yacht, wading in the calm waters. It was there where Sartorius stationed his base of operation and sat with all three of the Storm siblings and Aster around him. Maynard sensed the dark presence and looked up at the full moon through the sky light. "I think it's time Master Sartorius. Would you like us to go and exterminate him?"
Sartorius waited for a moment before he answered. He too could sense the aura of a new evil power, but there was still something that he needed to be sure of before he gave the order to go and eliminate Jaden Yuki. He needed to test him still.
"I give you permission to confront him, but do not kill him. I want to see if he really is the duelist of destiny that I've long been waiting for." Maynard bowed to him in respect and with his siblings, all vanished in a blink of an eye.
Aster crossed his arms and let out an aggravated sigh, "I guess you won't be needing me. So, I think I'll be taking my leave now." "No Aster." Sartorius stated abruptly. "I need you to follow them. If it becomes too much for them to handle then I need you to help pick up the pieces. Understood? Never forget that you are my champion." Aster smirked. "I won't fail you." And he left without saying another word.
Syrus continued running with no aim in sight. By now he was deep inside the forest, a mistake he knew that would come to bite him later, but he didn't care. He didn't want to be afraid of his friend but the image of Jaden with those piercing glowing red eyes motivated him to keep running. He didn't want to be caught by that monster.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw Mya, the new student, appear in his path. What was she doing here? She then gestured with her hand to follow and held a finger to her lips telling him to keep quiet. "Do you want me to follow you?" The girl nodded and turned her back to him, walking away into the shadows. "Hey wait! Don't leave me yet!" Syrus said desperately as he followed after her.
The two of them made their way towards a clearing in the middle of the forest. "Why did you bring me here?" And not even a second later, Maynard appeared behind him and restrained his arms behind his back.
"Good job Mya." Said Malin who patted his younger sister on the head who nuzzled into his hand happily. Maynard proceeded to tie Syrus against a tree and drew a knife from the waist band of his pants. "Pathetic fool. You fell right into our trap. You're exactly what we needed to draw that vermin out here."
Syrus struggled against the binding that tide him down but to no avail, he was powerless. "What do you plan on doing to me?!" whimpered the tiny Slifer boy. Maynard approached him and grabbed his arm, using his knife to swiftly cut him across the wrist with blood flowing steadily from his wound. "You're going to be our bait."
Jaden felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He smelt a sweet delicate aroma waft in the air, alluring all his senses. It made his mouth water but he grabbed his head in his hands trying to combat the fog in his mind. No. He needed to stop thinking these things. Craving blood was wrong! He was human damnit!
But as the scent continued to assault his nose, he recognized the smell. It was Syrus's blood that was fuming in the air. "Oh no! Syrus buddy I'm coming to save you!" And he took off towards the smell, in search of his friend.
Thirty minutes later, Jaden found his way to the clearing where the Storm siblings were waiting for him with Syrus as their hostage. "So, you finally show yourself, vampire." Proclaimed Maynard who walked closer to Jaden who was now standing in a defensive stance. Maynard then took off rushing Jaden head on as he withdrew his knife and proceeded to slash at him. Jaden was able to deflect it last minute but he still got sliced on the back of his arm.
Jaden stumbled back and clenched his teeth in pain, gripping at his wound. "I'm not a vampire! I'm a human damnit! You hear me?!" Maynard smirked and laid a hand on his hip. "Oh yeah? Then why do your eyes look like a hungry vampires?" It was true, Jaden's eyes were glowing yet again and his fangs were visible in his agape mouth. Not to mention the cut on his arm had already started to slowly heal.
"Maybe you were once human, but you're not anymore. I pity you, vampire. A terrible fate has befallen you but don't worry. I will cleanse you from that black heart of yours!" The moon was by now, high in the sky, and Maynard started to transform.
Two wolf ears appeared on the top of his head and his eyes became more canine looking, along with his teeth becoming sharper. His fingers grew longer and his muscles strengthened. His fingernails also became claws. A wolf tail now poked out from the back of his school blazer. Maynard was a werewolf!
"We were born to be enemies! Now, fight me!" He lunged forward at Jaden, even faster than before and delivered a blow to Jaden's side, sending him flying off his feet and crashing onto the floor. Jaden had little time to recover and barely dodged it as Maynard came descending upon him, crashing into the ground where Jaden once laid, cracking the solid floor. He was really trying to kill him!
"God you're so unbelievably weak! I mean come on put up more of a fight, this is starting to look pathetic." He roundhouse kicked Jaden who again blocked it with his arms, but the blow was so hard it blew Jaden back making him crash into a tree and breaking his arm in the process. Jaden screamed out in pain.
"Like this you're not even worth killing. Perhaps I need to give you a little motivation." He looked back at his siblings who stood close to Syrus. Malins hand also transformed into a werewolf's claw and placed a finger to Syrus's neck, slightly drawing blood. "If you don't start fighting back, then we'll kill your friend here."
Syrus started to cry. "Jaden, help me!" Malin slowly started dragging his finger across Syrus's neck, taunting Jaden who stared wide eyed, anger rising inside of him. A Black wind started swirling around Jaden's feet like a hurricane, and soon the leaves in the trees were all shaking. The shadowy figure appeared in front of Jaden yet again, offering out a helping hand. "Accept me, and I will give you the power to defeat them. You just need to let me in."
Jaden's bangs covered his eyes as he stared at the ground. He didn't want too but what other choice did he have? Syrus was going to be killed at this rate! "Fine. You win. No more running." A wicked grin spread across the figures face and then grabbed Jaden by the hand, transferring all of his energy into him.
Jaden stood up from his hunched position, and the energy swirling around him only grew stronger. Maynard blocked his face as the pressure intensified and he felt like he was about to be swept off his feet just by the aura the younger vampire was giving off. "That's more like it, vampire! Give me everything you got!"
Jaden looked up and his eyes were now glowing a piercing gold and his face was very serious. He started walking forward with no defenses up towards Maynard who unblocked his face to stare Jaden down. "Come at me." Jaden commanded with a killer look in his eyes.
"Your eyes! That is proof that you are worthy to be my opponent! You're the one we've been waiting for!" Maynard happily rushed him, delivering blow after blow in breakneck speed but Jaden easily dodged them all, almost like he was waltzing through the punches. Jaden pulled his broken arm back, the bones instantly fusing back together, and sent a devastating punch in to Maynard's stomach that sent him flying into a rocky cliff face, making him cough up blood and immediately rendering him unconscious.
"Oh no, brother! You will pay for that vermin!" The other two siblings also finished their transformations and ran straight at Jaden, both teaming up against him. But even though it was two on one, Jaden was no match for them. Malin tried to distract him by attacking him from the front while Mya went to attack him from behind trying to pinch him in. But Jaden jumped into the air and delivered a spinning kick, knocking both siblings off their feet.
He walked up to the little girl who laid on the ground barely able to move and then grabbed her by the collar, pointing his fingers in the shape of a dagger, ready to tear through her heart and finish her off. "Okay, that's about enough of that." Aster leapt from the shadows, having been watching the entire fight from a distance by his master's orders. He appeared next to Jaden and grabbed his arm before he plunged it in to her chest.
"Were you taught to not hit girls growing up, or have you gone completely savage?" Aster jumped away, dodging a sneaky jab and landing gracefully away from him. Jaden turned to face him and smirked. "They tried to kill me first. I thought I would go and return the favor. You're no ordinary human it seems. Not many can keep up with my speed. Perhaps you and I are kindred spirits. I can sense the darkness in you." Jaden stated mockingly.
Aster glared at him hard. "I am nothing like you, you damn leach!" Aster placed a hand over his heart, which erupted in a bright light and he pulled out a sword from his body that was shining like an angel's halo. The sword looked like a saber, with glowing hot blue steel for the blade and had an ivory handle with a white snake pommel that had sapphires for eyes.
Jaden's lips curled into a slight smile as he saw the stunning display. "So, you're a champion chosen by the Light of Destruction." Aster then pointed his sword towards Jaden ready to strike him down if he tried anything. "Yes I am! And it is my duty to defeat you, the incarnate of darkness, the Supreme King!"
Jaden broke out into a full grin and tilted his head back to boast out a laugh. "I haven't heard that name in a long time. But then again, I've been asleep for so long. About 500 years to be exact." Jaden winced and clutched his head that was throbbing in pain. "Damnit, it seems like I'm out of time. 5 minutes seems the longest I can hold myself together in this state. We'll have to play together another time, Champion."
Jaden's eyes slowly started to fade back to their original brown color as he collapsed on the floor. Aster sighed and sheathed his weapon back inside of himself. Now would be the perfect opportunity to finish him off, but Master Sartorius ordered to keep him alive.
Syrus was still tide to the tree and Aster walked over with a knife in hand. Syrus flinched thinking it was about to be all over for him, but Aster then cut the ropes binding him and set him free. "I'm sorry you got involved in all this. And don't worry, I don't hurt humans. That is something I will never do." Aster said as he started to walk away. "Keep an eye on your friend. He's dangerous, but it looks like you bring the good out of him. Maybe he can still be saved." And then Aster vanished without a trace.
Syrus ran over to his friend who was still unconscious and gently tried shaking him awake. 'Jaden, hey Jaden. Are you okay?" Jaden's eyes started to flutter open and he looked around groggily. What just happened he asked himself. But then bits of his memory started to come back to him when he lost control and he started to cry. He really wasn't human anymore; he was a vampire just like they claimed he was. A blood thirsty, powerful demon.
"Syrus, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to attack you earlier. I was just so hungry. I'm scared too, you know. I didn't want any of this to happen. Please, don't hate me." Syrus frowned, disappointed in himself. How could he have left Jaden like that? Yeah he was scared, but he wasn't thinking about Jaden's feelings at all. Jaden is probably more scared than anyone after all he'd been through.
He pulled the newborn vampire into a tight embrace. "No! I'm the one who should be sorry! I shouldn't have run off on you like that! I trust you, you came and saved me! I know you would never hurt me on purpose!" Jaden didn't hug him back, scared that he might hurt the fragile boy, but buried his face into his best friend's chest where he continued to cry, letting everything out that he was holding in for so long.
Their friends were all still at the Slifer Red Dorm waiting for the last two hours for Syrus to bring Jaden, but he never did. "What gives man! I knew this was a waste of time, the Slifer Slacker isn't even here!" Chazz stated very annoyed. "Syrus and Jaden should have been here ages ago. I wonder if everything is okay." Stated bastion worriedly.
Alexis peaked out the door and saw Jaden and Syrus walking back towards them and she gestured for everyone to get in their places. "Shh guys! They're coming now so everyone be ready!" She turned off the lights and everyone went to their respectful hiding places.
Syrus reached for the door, pulling it open and then there was a shot of confetti in the air. "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADEN!" Jaden was shocked and let out a sheepish laugh. With everything that had been happening, he forgot that today was his birthday. "Wow! Thanks guys! That's sweet of you to do all this for me!"
The celebration abruptly went silent though when they saw he was wearing tattered and bloodied clothes. "Oh my god! Are you okay?! What happened to you guys?!"Asked Alexis who rushed over to him, checking him out trying to find where he was hurt, but couldn't spot any injuries.
Jaden looked at Syrus who nodded at him with reassurance. "It's okay Jaden, tell them. We all believe in you no matter what." Jaden took a deep breath to help him relax. "There's a lot I need to tell you guys. So let me start from the top." And then they all sat down at the table, listening intently to what Jaden told them.
Jaden revealed to them about the struggles he'd been facing lately. He explained how he had been changing in mysterious ways that he didn't understand and that's why he was distancing himself. He even told them about the fight that just happened between him and the Storm siblings but he left out the part where he lost control and his body was taken over by his other half. He didn't completely understand that part himself so he didn't bother trying to explain it.
"So, what you're saying is, you're a vampire now and the reason Maynard attacked you was because he is a werewolf that was out to kill you? I'm sorry Jaden but I find that hard to believe. I'm a man of science." Proclaimed Bastion who still had his doubts. Syrus stood up to defend his best friend. "He's not lying! I saw the entire thing! Jaden protected me and I owe him my life! And we've met a vampire before, remember? Camula from the Shadow Riders said she was a vampire too!"
"Yes but she could have just been calling herself one. Shadow games and duel spirits I believe. But actual monsters? I'd need to see some proof of that." Jaden sighed and focused his gaze on his friends and concentrated on his hunger, causing his eyes to glow that eerie blood shade of red. Everyone looked at him completely stunned.
Alexis scooted closer to Jaden and pulled his upper lip up with her thumbs, cradling his face in her palms and showing his fangs to everyone. This caused Jaden to blush profusely, especially when she traced her finger along his extended canine. "No way, they're actually real. This is unbelievable!"
Jaden pulled back and started breathing a little rapidly. He was still hungry but had gotten a little bit better at ignoring his blood lust. "Be careful! I don't know what I'll do if you come too close to me… Your smell is driving me crazy, Alexis."
Alexis sat back in her seat blushing just as much as he was, their faces as red as tomatoes. Did he really just say that she smelled good? Hearing him talk about her like that made her feel like she had butterflies in her stomach.
Chazz gritted his teeth. There was no way Jaden had the nerve to flirt with his darling Alexis in front of him! "Watch yourself, slacker! Alexis is MY woman and don't you ever forget it! Just cause you're a vampire now doesn't mean you can steal her!" Alexis's brows furrowed with anger and she bonked him on the head, making Chazz roll around on the floor in agony. "Just for your information, I don't belong to anyone so no one is stealing anybody."
Jaden cleared his throat and scratched his cheek. "I didn't mean it like that Chazz. I'm just a little worse for ware right now. I haven't eaten anything in a week and it's starting to drive me crazy." This caused his friends to all take a step back. "Well, you're not biting my neck, slacker! That's reserved for Alexis when she decides to get freaky with me- OW!" Alexis hit him on the head yet again. "Like I would ever do that, pervert!" Said Alexis as she crossed her arms.
"But how is this possible? You were originally a human. This is a field that none of us are familiar with so it leaves many questions to be asked. Were you attacked by a vampire?" Asked Bastion. Jaden shook his head. "Maybe I was always supposed to be like this. It just so happened that today is my birthday, and these powers fully awakened inside of me. "
His eyes started tearing up again. "I know that things are going to be different between all of us now. I just want you guys to know that I'm still me. And I would never hurt any of you, ever! I will protect you and that's a promise!"
Alexis pulled him in a hug, making Jaden freeze. "Oh Jaden, we could never be scared of you. You've fought for us so many times. Thank you for opening up to us about this, I know it wasn't easy. But now that we know, we can start helping you just like you've always helped us when we needed you."
Jaden reluctantly wrapped his arms around her and reciprocated the hug. It was honestly such a relief that they understood his predicament and accepted him with open arms. If he had just come forward sooner, a lot of the pain he endured could have been avoided. How could he have doubted his friends? He was scared they wouldn't trust him not realizing it was also him who didn't trust them.
"Thank you guys for standing beside me, you are the best friends a guy could ever ask for. Now enough about vampires and werewolves! Let's not let the birthday festivities go to waste! It's time to celebrate!" Jaden happily declared. That familiar warm smile everyone missed was now spread wide across his face, in addition to his brand-new shiny fangs. And with that, they all cheered and continued on with their party late into the night.
An evac helicopter landed in the clearing where Jaden and Maynard had their brawl. When it landed, people dressed in white came out with medical supplies in hand attending to the wounded, getting them ready to place them in the helicopter and take them back to base where they could be treated.
Maynard had finally regained consciousness, but a few of his ribs were definitely broken and he probably had a deflated lung. He had killed many vampires in his sixteen years of life. But he had never met a vampire so ferocious as the one he had just faced. Jaden put all the others to shame, and it only made him more pissed off that scum like him made a fool out of him. He was just toying with him at first, but next time he wasn't going to hold back. It was now life or death and Jaden needed to be taken down.
Back on Sartorius's ship, Aster was kneeled in front of him reporting back from his mission. "It's him master. Jaden is without a doubt the reincarnation of the Supreme King." Stated Aster. Sartorius picked up the Devil card from his telling of Jaden's future. It was clear now that the Devil represented the destructive power of the Supreme King, a true demon amongst demons. His ultimate enemy in achieving his goal of bathing the world in his glorious light was now on the playing field. How very exciting.
"Thank you, Aster. I trust that you will deal with him when the time is right. But for now, I need to start planning my strategy and the Supreme King will unknowingly be a pawn in my ultimate game. I still need his powers if we are to proceed with our plans." Aster bowed his head to show respect. "I am here for your beckoning, Master. I am the sword that will slice a path to our victory!" Aster proudly proclaimed. He was ready to exact his revenge. His hate for vampires was strong, and now was his chance to defeat the father of them all.
It was late in the night and Bastion; Chazz and Syrus were all past out drunk from playing party games. Jaden and Alexis both had refused to drink the entire time. One, because Alexis was responsible and Jaden knew that he wouldn't be able to metabolize the alcohol anyways because of his extreme healing factor.
"Well, I think it's a good idea if we turn in for the night too. School starts for you guys again in the morning and I wouldn't want you to be tired." He gave her a sad smile and told her good night before her turned away to make his way back to his room. He might have opened up to them about his new condition, but he was living in a different world apart from them now. How could he show his face back at school after everything that's happened?
"Jaden, hold on just a minute!" Alexis grabbed his wrist, with a blush spread across her cheeks. She then began to drag him away from their friends and into a nearby supply closet. Being in such close proximity with her made Jaden's face light up like it was on fire. He had always admired her, but with his enhanced senses, being around her drove him more insane than usual.
She stood in front of him, and slowly unbuttoned the first couple buttons of her blazer and revealed her neck. This made Jaden's eyes glow with hunger, the crook of her neck looking extremely inviting. "Alexis? What are you doing?" He said as he took a precautionary step back. He could devour her at any moment.
The blush on her face deepened in color as she grabbed his hand. "This is what you've been needing for so long, right? It'll make you feel better. We miss you in class Jaden. Being here at the academy just isn't the same without you. So let this be my birthday present to you. Let me help you."
Without hesitation, Jaden wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his face into her shoulder, not being able to fight the urge to give into his hunger anymore. He slowly licked at her neck, causing a tiny moan to escape her lips. "Alexis, are you sure this is what you want? I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself. If I do this, then I will have no right to call myself human anymore." He said within shallow breaths.
Alexis wrapped her arms around him and reassuringly rubbed his back. "I trust you Jaden. Now please, accept this part of me." Jaden faltered for a moment but cradled her even closer and gently bit down into her shoulder letting her life essence flow into his mouth.
It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted; it was downright heavenly in fact. It filled his body with an absolute ecstasy that made his body feel like he was walking on clouds. As the blood spread across his tongue and down his throat, he felt an extreme sense of euphoria that he had never felt before. Is this what it felt like to truly drink someone's blood?
Alexis's knees began to shake and then gave out underneath her weight. The feeling of Jaden's fangs piercing her sent her into a wave of pleasure. She was beginning to lose herself in the sensation. Jaden caught her before she fell to the ground, both of them now kneeling on the ground with him still gently sucking at her neck.
When he had his fill, he released her with blood still dripping down his chin. Both of them were lost for words and still extremely flustered from the situation they found themselves in. Jaden looked into her eye's and then his gaze fell onto her lips. "Alexis?" She sat there in front of him, vulnerable like a baby lamb. "Yes, Jaden?" She said with belated breath.
The two were being attracted to each other like magnets, their hormones set on high. Their lips only centimeters from each other. "I've always wanted to tell you that I..I…" Before the two could join in a kiss, the closet door swung open to reveal an obviously very intoxicated Chazz.
"Jaden! How dare you drink my darling Alexis's blood! Now you must pay!" He said as he pulled a string of garlic out from behind his back. Jaden pinched his nose and his eyes started watering, the smell of the garlic affecting him like mustard gas. "Are you crazy?! Put that stuff away!"
Jaden tackled Chazz to the ground, wrestling him to get ahold of the garlic. During their scuffle, Chazz then again fell back asleep like the two weren't just fighting, making Alexis chuckle. She walked up to the two boys still tangled up on the floor and picked up the garlic, throwing it in the trash. "So, it's true that garlic is a weakness to vampires just like the legends say." Jaden still had his nose pinched.
"I wouldn't say weakness. My sense of smell is a lot better now so the garlic is just too pungent for me to handle." They both started laughing together and then started cleaning up the mess they had made, getting rid of all the evidence of their little underage drinking party.
After they finished cleaning up, Jaden carried his friends to his dorm room so they could sleep off the alcohol in a comfortable bed and wouldn't wake up on the cafeteria floor hungover in the morning. "Are you sure you don't want to spend the night here? Or need me to walk you back to your dorm at least? I don't know how safe it would be for you to go out by yourself." Jaden said with a soft voice, concerned for her safety.
Alexis shook her head. "Don't worry about me Jaden. If you really gave those thugs a beating like Syrus said you did, then I'll be fine. I'm sure they're not going to show their faces again tonight." She looked at Jaden, her eyes flickering back and forth as she was too shy to stare him in the eyes. "If you ever need to feed again, I'm willing to let you. Just tell me whenever, okay?" And then she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran off, waving at him as she got further away.
Jaden blushed again, touching the spot on his cheek where she kissed him. Did this mean she actually had feelings for him, or was this because of the effects of his bite? Regardless, he excitedly pumped his fist in the air and went back into his dorm, crawling into bed that he had to share with Syrus because Bastion and Chazz took up his. He closed his eyes, being at peace for the first time in a while and fell asleep.
That night, Jaden had another dream but it was different from the ones he had in the past. He was in what looked like to be a gothic style castle throne room with black marble flooring and tall extravagant walls. In the back of the room was a giant throne, where his other half was sitting on it, playfully smirking at him. "It's you. What do you want now?" Jaden snarled at him.
"There's no need to be hostile Jaden. I'm not going to torment you. But we do need to have a talk. I've been trying to talk to you for a long time, but you kept resisting me. Now that you've finally accepted me as a part of you though, well, that's why you're here now. This room is my safe place in your mind. It's where you tuck me away when you don't need me."
Jaden crossed his arms, still keeping his guard up against the evil version of himself. "What did you want to talk to me about?" The king looked at him, and leaned forward in his throne with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands tucked underneath his chin.
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me. But to start off, I am you and you are me. To be exact, we are two sides of the same coin. And we've existed coinciding with each other since the beginning of time. Being reborn every 500 years when we are needed." The king stood up and walked down the stairs, descending from his throne. Brown eyes meeting golden eyes.
"The Light of Destruction is here now Jaden. And it wants to see the world burn and it won't stop until it gets what it wants. It is our duty to stop it." Jaden was still confused by what his other half was saying. "The Light of Destruction? You need to elaborate here. And why is it our job to stop it?" The king continued to look at him, his piercing stare putting Jaden on edge. "Because we are the lights polar opposite. You don't think you've awakened as a vampire for no reason did you? That is the power of darkness finally awakening inside of you, and that's why I'm here. I am the power within you. However, it seems you can't manifest this power on your own. So, I want to make a deal with you." Jaden didn't like the sound of this one bit.
"My deal is this, I will help you in battles but you have to give me full control for that duration. It's only fair we share this body after all, it's just as much mine as it is yours." Jaden mulled it over. It's true that his other half helped him in the last fight. If it wasn't for him, Syrus would probably be dead right now. "Fine. I'll agree to that. But I have my own conditions. You can't just try to take control of my body whenever you want! You come out when I let you. And you can't lay your hands on my friends, got it!" Jaden said very passionately. He promised to protect them and he intended to keep that promise. He didn't want to be the force that was the danger to them.
The king gave a fake innocent smile. "I wouldn't have expected it any other way. But don't expect me to regard them as my equals. I am above them in every way. If it were up to me, I'd kill them of the own volition. But I can't do that anyways. You are the boss of this body, sadly. Now there is still one last thing I need to tell you before you wake up. If you want to summon me, you must only call out my real name and I will come." This presence actually had its own name?, Jaden asked himself. "You have a name? I've been wondering what to call you this whole time. What is it?" The kings face became stoic once again. "My name is Haou."