Prometheus' Orb (Legends of the Dark Creatures Book 1)

Chapter Seventeen: A Promise Is Broken

Sebastian couldn't take it anymore. For over two weeks he had had to bear Jacob's little trip down the stages of grief. That encounter with Richard had awakened something in Jacob... maybe triggered a certain part of him that he had buried; his humanity. Sebastian watched as Jacob kept tossing and catching a dagger; a dagger that had found its way through his neck when he tried confronting Richard.

Two weeks and Jacob hadn't uttered a single word. The two of them had taken refuge in some caves underneath the city of Salem. Both of them didn't need light since they could see in the dark but Sebastian had gotten hold of an electric lamp as a courtesy for his vampire comrade. But Jacob, on the other hand, seemed to prefer the shadows because he was sitting away from the warm green light that emanated from the lamp.

It was too quiet even for Sebastian. He was not much of a talker himself and had spent the past nine centuries on his own, well, except those five years he once spent with Lord Ethan but still... Even when he was alone, Sebastian always took pleasure in either talking to himself or an imaginary version of his master. But even he couldn't do that in front of the young vampire. Embarrassing as it sounded in his head, Sebastian didn't want to look like a total nutcase in front of Jacob.

Jacob finally stood up. He rubbed off some dust that clung to his fine black jeans and shirt. His face was downcast... like a man about to attend the funeral of a beloved and his clothes certainly did paint that picture. He was probably going out to feed... to feed on humans. However, Jacob hadn't killed any humans recently and this was his norm; he would go out to feed, return, sleep for a few hours, brood in some dark corner of the cave, head out again and so on.

One thing that bothered Sebastian the most was Jacob despairing aura. The lad wasn't even trying to hide it. Sebastian had already lowered his senses to a point where he couldn't even detect any living critter near him but still this aura...

"Alright, I have had enough!" Sebastian bust out.

Jacob simply looked at him and continued walking.

Sebastian wasn't going to be ignored like this. He dashed to Jacob, grabbed him by the neck and said, "Look here you little rascal, I don't really care about how or why you found yourself in such depressing predicament but in the name of Poseidon would you at least dial down that infuriating aura of yours."

There was a change in neither Jacob's aura nor his sunken features. He didn't even try to defend himself or struggle when Sebastian grabbed him.

Sebastian saw Jacob's hands gently hold his and the boy slowly pulled Sebastian's hands away from his neck. That's when Sebastian saw it. It was staring at himself... his old self nine hundred years ago. In Jacob's deep blue eyes, Sebastian saw an abyss... like the great dark trenches of the ocean where no merfolk dare wondered. These were the eyes of someone who had lost hope. In all honesty, both of them had done unredeemable things but still to lose all hope, purpose...

"Oftentimes I find that it's ourselves who destroy our own hopes and purpose. We are immortal, yes, but if we have no purpose then there would be no reason for our existence..."

Lord Ethan's words rung through Sebastian's mind.

"Jacob... what is your purpose? Why do you think you are still here?"

Jacob looked intensely at Sebastian and said, "I thought I knew... I thought that if I had my revenge against the town then..."

"Vengeance huh," Sebastian uttered in a more lively voice than usual. "I think I understand... I don't know your story but obviously, you thought that by causing pain, by seeing the people you loathe in pain... you thought that it would take away yours."