Chapter 1: C.1 : Crossing

The cold air gently caressing Carter's skin pulled him from the land of dreams and back to the waking world. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but something cold and hard enclosed his wrists and ankles, limiting his range of movement drastically.

"Did Jack or Ben pull a prank on me? Why tie me up though?" Carter groggily opened his eyes while muttering, about to call out to his roommates to get them to release him when he realized the ceiling which should have been familiar to him wasn't.

Having lived in the same place for over a year, Carter was certain he would know if the ceiling had changed, and it had, seemingly overnight. The usual marred wood was gone, replaced by unpainted concrete, visible through the metal bars above him.

Before he could panic, memories of two lives intertwined, and memories that weren't his own moments before now filled his mind, telling him that despite his disbelief and reluctance to accept it, he was now in a different world.

A world where he was no better than livestock waiting for death. Here, in this world unlike his own existed beings that didn't grow older, that drank human blood to sate their thirst, that ruled the world while humans, those who managed to remain free, cowered in the shadows, fearing for their lives.

"This world sucks... I wouldn't even mind believing in God to go to heaven at this point." Carter murmured softly, knowing that even though humans were being oppressed and enslaved, the worst enemies to humans funnily enough weren't the vampires, but their fellow humans.

In this world, his former self had been captured by human slavers and sold to the vampires. Luckily enough, he managed to survive until now, which gave Carter some doubts.

"The previous me in this world didn't die, so was I simply unable to remember my past memories until today? But I didn't die on Earth, so how did I arrive here?"

He decided to stop that train of thought because he could potentially drive himself mad and be no closer to the truth than before he started. He lay on a thin mat, placed not to provide comfort but to keep him and other slaves like him from freezing to death in the metal cages.

"I'm not going to lie, this f*cking sucks." Carter looked through the bars at the other cages like his, designed to allow the prospective buyers to view their 'wares'.

Fortunately enough, he wore a thin shirt and pants to provide him some small amount of resistance to the cold chilly air that blew in through the bars.

Goosebumps speckled his skin, but aside from huddling up to conserve warmth, there was nothing he could do. Despite it being night, something he guessed from the brightly lit room, he knew that the outside world was now more awake than ever.

To cater to their best paying customers, the slavers and sellers of slaves often operated at night since the vampires couldn't withstand the sun during the day.

If he was honest, he was a bit excited at this new world he hadn't explored, but he doubted he'd be able to at this rate. Even before his time as a slave, he hadn't been able to travel to explore much, mostly moving from place to place to avoid being captured, not that it worked in the end.

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Carter turned his gaze to the door that had opened, and a chubby middle aged man walked inside with a obsequious smile, followed by a well dressed young man in a black suit.

"This is the only merchandise I have on hand for the moment. If you'd want to place an order, you can also do so as well." Several slaves looked at the arrivals with mixed expressions, some showing hope and others fear and hatred.

None of the slaves spoke, as despite seemingly being able to, they'd be punished severely if they did so without permission. Beatings and starving was a few methods used to ensure obedience. 

"It isn't a problem. I'm not here for a specific reason." The young man was handsome with messy black hair and pale skin. Unlike humans, vampires were all beautiful or handsome, a trait used to lower the guard of their prey, humans.

"Okay, I'll start with this one here. She is in good condition and quite healthy. She doesn't exhibit any troublesome behaviors and follows instructions well." The middle aged man led the young man to a cage holding a woman with blond hair.

"She has very nice eyes." The man noticed the flames of rebellion flickering within them and didn't doubt that given the opportunity, she'd have no hesitation in escaping, something that amused him.

"Do you want to run little one?" He leaned towards the cage, not minding the bars and looked at the woman who's eyes practically spat fire. His lips curled into a smile as he continued softly, his voice soft and rich to the ears.

"I'll buy you, and if you can escape from me, I'll return to you your freedom. How about it?" His voice was calm, but the flickering emotions in the woman's eyes didn't escape his notice.

Seeing the woman remain silent, the middle aged man wanted to kick the cage and demand her to speak, but the young man simply looked at him in displeasure and that stopped the man before he could speak.

"You don't seem to believe me? How about this, I can write a contract and if you succeed, I will do as I say. You have no reason not to right?" The man's calm smile turned slightly predatory when he saw the woman nod her head faintly.

"Good. It's been a while since I've had a good hunt." The man smiled again, this time with his larger than normal fangs visible, glinting in the light with extreme sharpness and elegance.

Carter watched the show silently, wondering if the woman would survive. He had rekindled the flame of hope within the woman that had originally been snuffed out, only to take it back when he undoubtedly caught her. How cruel.

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