Hellspawn

Where was this place?

Jasper couldn’t see a thing—just complete darkness.

The night before, the succubun had decided to buy dinner for once.  He usually preferred home-cooked meals, but the day had been exhausting, and sometimes everyone deserved a little break.

The convenience store had seemed like the obvious choice—it was close to the apartment he was currently house-sitting, and he could grab a cup of ramen noodles and head back. He didn’t want to be gone too long; the imps he was looking after would probably miss him, even though he had just fed them their dinner.

It was funny, really, how the imps had eaten before he had.

Life had a way of working out like that, Jasper thought. Still, he only planned to grab a quick snack.

That was when he saw a sudden movement—and the next thing he knew was… darkness.

Jasper woke with a start, he tried to move, but his body just felt so heavy, drained almost. He blinked, trying to adjust to the dimness of the room, but his eyes wouldn’t cooperate. All he could see was a blurry mass of shadows.

His neck throbbed, and a sharp pain pulsed through his head.

And he was so—so incredibly thirsty.

He closed his eyes once again. He couldn’t see yet, but he could still hear and feel around him. The cold, gritty stone floor pressed against him. He could hear faint movements around him—perhaps he wasn’t alone.

For a moment, he thought about calling for help, but his voice wouldn’t come.

What was happening? Why couldn’t he remember anything clearly?

Jasper shifted again, bumping into something—or was it someone? The motion startled the other succubun nearby, and they gasped in unison, breaking the eerie silence.

At least he wasn’t alone. That was a relief. But the tone of the other bun’s gasp made Jasper realize that they were in the same predicament. What was going on?

Suddenly, the noise ceased. The air around him grew thick with silence, and in his mind, one thought echoed clearly.

Come to me.

Without warning, Jasper and the others around him rose to their hooves in perfect unison. Their movements were sluggish and slow, as if compelled by an invisible force, dragging them toward the same point.

His eyes still couldn’t focus, but he knew he was being called. He had a duty to perform.

The slow, synchronized steps of the vampire spawnlings echoed through the air.

Lord Lagosi had done well—he had ensured a sizable number of spawnlings were ready to follow his command. A growing herd of turned succubuns shuffled forward, all drawn to the same objective: to stop the intruders.

Silver and Timothy had just been separated from Dove, the cherubun's scream still fresh in their minds.

Jasper made his way toward them, his steps slow and sluggish, though his mind was consumed by nothing but one purpose—stopping the duo.

He had seen how Silver had struck down another spawnling just ahead of him, driving a wooden stake deep into their chest.

Maybe he should have felt fear, at the possibility of… death, perhaps? But his mind was empty. All he could do was move forward.

Silver continued attacking spawnlings left and right, trying desperately to fend off as many of the swarm as possible.

Now, it was Jasper’s turn to strike.

Jasper’s legs moved on their own—slow, stiff, but steady, carrying him toward Silver. There was no hesitation. Just an overwhelming drive to complete the task set before him.

With a sudden sharp movement, Jasper lunged toward Silver. The other succubun barely had time to react, raising his stake in defense, preparing to fight off yet another spawnling.

Jasper’s hooves scraped against the mansion’s old floor, his attack halted by Silver’s quick reflexes. Silver pushed the turned succubun off him, kicking Jasper in the gut. His body crashed to the ground with a painful thud.

Before he could recover, Silver was already engaged with another spawnling. The piercing sound of his wooden stake piercing flesh rang through the room.

Without much hesitation, Jasper rose once again from the floor, ready for his next attack.

Silver, though skilled, was beginning to slow down. The toll of defending himself and Timothy against the growing swarm was catching up to him. His movements were more sluggish, his attacks less precise.

Jasper saw his opportunity. He pounced again, his fangs getting closer to his objective.

But even then, Silver was faster. In one swift motion, he pulled another stake and swung it toward Jasper’s chest.

The stake drove deep into Jasper’s heart. Like the other defeated spawnlings, he had been defeated. His heart stopped, and so did his life. Even if just for a moment.

Silver stood over the fallen succubun, breathing heavily. It seemed like the last of them were down. For now, at least. He was sure Lord Lagosi had kidnapped even more succubuns, considering the number he had seen trapped the previous night.

Just as he was about to relax, he felt someone push toward him. Timothy, who had been helping them out, was suddenly pulled back under Lagosi’s command.

Silver tried to shake Timothy out of it, but his own exhaustion made him sluggish.

Timothy pushed him away, knocking Silver off balance. The next thing Silver knew, Timothy was closing in, his fangs bared.

And then—silence.

Jasper woke again.

His entire body ached, as though he had been run over by someone. His head throbbed, and he was still so thirsty.

This time, however, the thirst felt different. He could feel it was for water. When was the last time he had a sip of water?

This was the second time he had woken up with no memory of what had happened.

He looked around, his eyes straining against the light, and saw that he wasn’t the only one confused and worse for wear. Other succubuns were scattered around him, just as disoriented and lost.

That made him relieved.

Still… just what had happened?