Chapter 3

His story wasn't really anything special. At least that was what he had thought all his life. He had never shared it with anyone nor the people he had met throughout the years were curious enough to ask. Or maybe they were but never found the courage to approach him. Kai always stood out, even in a crowd his beauty and movement was different from everyone else's. Many people had tried to get close to him over the years, enchanted by this uniquess of his but he never let anyone get too close. His last name was another thing he never shared with anyone. He hadn't said it out loud in so long. Two hundred years, he thought as he kept cleaning his desk, even though it was perfect by now.

«Avger» he mumbled, the name foreign as it escaped his full lips. That was his last name. «Kai Avger» he repeated and a sudden sadness seemed to conquer him.

Even if he did tell his story he would simply sound crazy. Who would believe that he was a vampire, raised in a realm different from the human one. It was called Bloodbound and almost all of the vampires lived there. The ones in the human world were few and usually looked down on. Thousands of years ago his species decided to leave the human world in fear of hunters. They worked with a clan of very powerful witches to create a small rift in the reality of this world. Bloodbound was their little sanctuary, existing but hidden from the human eye. He was the youngest prince of the Vampiric monarchy. He had an older brother and an older sister and his life could be described as perfect until…

«Boss!» John shouted from downstairs, thankfully stopping his travel back in time. He was so close into remembering things he shouldn't, so close to reminding himself of the monster he trully was. He had hidden himself well, two hundred years alone, two hundred years away from the place he called home. There was no reason for him to think or reminisce anything.

«What is it?» he asked the young boy from the top of the stairs.

«You have a customer.» John announced. Kai hadn't noticed how fast time had passed. When he was lost deep in his thoughts sometimes he lost track of everything around him. Shaken up slightly by the realization he walked downstairs where he was greeted by the smile of a young girl. Barely in her early twenties. «She wants to get tattooed by you.» John said and Kai nodded.

«Hello» the girl greeted him excited. Kai shook his head while wearing a faint smile on his face. Her eyes were stuck on his face, following his every move and when John asked her something she almost didn't answer him back because she had forgotten he was there. The younger man scoffed, disatisfied by the effect Kai had on others and hid on the back room.

«So what do you want to do?» he asked her and she showed him a picture of a tiger that she had on her phone.

«My friend recommended me this place. She said you were really good so I wanted to come here.» she told him.

«Thank you. I appreciate it.» Kai told her as he inspected the image.

«She also said that you were really handsome. I didn't believe her at first but well I guess she was true.» she said giggling cutely. Kai hadn't spared her one glance from the moment he had seen the picture. He was examining the lines and imagining the design on his mind. «You don't have any tattoos though, that's surpsiring.» she commented and Kai finally looked at her. His piercing gaze made her blush.

«My skin can't handle them.» he simply told her and the girl nodded. «I think this would be better to happen in two sessions. Where do you want it?» he asked her and the girl blushed again

«U-underneath my chest.» she said, looking away shyly.

«Okay then. When do you want to get an appointment?» he asked her, not showing any sign of interest in her.

«I was wondering» she said. «Are you single, would you like…»

«I am flattered.» Kai told her, cutting her off politely. «But I don't like women» he said and the girl's eyes widened. She slowly turned red, embarrassed by her own words.

«Oh, I am so sorry I didn't…»

«It's alright.» he said with a smile, making the girls heart beat faster. «Do you still want the tattoo?» he asked her and she nodded eagerly. They talked the details of their next sessions for a while, this and that while the girl was looking at the wall filled with art.

«Can I ask you something?» she said and Kai looked at her. She didn't wait for his answer. «Which one do you think is your most beautiful tattoo?» she said. Kai was surprised by her question but still he gave it some thought. A face came to his mind, a tall neck, tanned skin and he shivered.

«I…I don't think I have a most beautiful tattoo» he said, pushing the thought away.

«Then which one are you the most proud of?» the girl said changing her question a bit.

«I don't know but what I am most proud of is that once I got to tattoo the most beautiful man on this earth.» he told her, his eyes lost as images flashed through his eyes

Years ago, moments that are almost faded on his mind, in a small room while the sun hit his face, he touched delicately his skin and left his mark on him. Yes, back then he had managed to tattoo the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.