Chapter 1: Ghoul [1]

Chapter 1: Ghoul [1]

At the peak of the night, a grand manor perched atop a hill, illuminating the surrounding dark, empty land beyond the estate.

The air buzzed with soft music and the lively chatter of countless individuals dressed in exquisite suits, expensive dresses, and shimmering jewellery.

A man with slick black hair, sharp blue eyes, and striking features stepped out of an expensive red car, drawing the attention of the paparazzi.

Cameras flashed relentlessly as the crowd of photographers jostled and fought for a glimpse of the man of the night.

"Mr. Silver, may I have a minute of your time?" a female reporter called out, catching his attention as he handed his keys to one of the valets.

"The infamous Ms. Stone. I'm not sure whether I should be honoured or frightened to be interviewed by you," Mr. Silver replied, strolling towards her and planting a kiss on the back of her hand.

Although slightly flustered, the reporter maintained her professionalism.

"No need for such formalities, Mr. Silver. Please tell me how you plan to address the rumours that your company's work is causing widespread illnesses, including cancer and even death in the local area..." As the reporter continued her questioning, the valet who had been observing the scene noticed her face had yet to return to normal, still blushing.

"Pardon me, what do you think you're doing?" a large man wearing the same red cardigan as the observing valet snorted. However, his cardigan struggled to contain his pot belly.

"Apologies, sir. I didn't mean to stare. I'll get back to work," the valet replied, bowing deeply, his grin wide and innocent.

"Who are you? You look too young to be one of my men. I believe I would remember someone I deemed unfit at first sight. Show me your ID," the large man commanded, his tone authoritative.

The valet maintained his grin as if his facial muscles were frozen.

"Forgive me, sir. I'm new here. Jeremy was supposed to inform you that I start today," the valet explained, handing over his identification, which displayed his name as 'Derek Summers' and his birth year, indicating he was of age.

The accompanying photo showcased his overly enthusiastic grin.

The large man scrutinized the ID card before returning it.

"The code?" the large man inquired, without further explanation. After a brief pause, the valet responded.

"Pegasus."

The large man stared at him for a moment before turning away.

"Get back to work. And stop with that grin. It's creepy," he ordered, walking away and escorting Mr. Silver into the manor.

The valet's grin faded, revealing a young boy with bright amber eyes and dishevelled black hair that partially covered his forehead.

Derek, or rather, Isaac, as he was truly named, opened the door to Mr. Silver's expensive vehicle, settled into the driver's seat, and started the engine.

He joined the procession of valets driving down the hill, following the other cars ahead. An intersection loomed ahead, offering two choices: a left turn leading to the small parking lot for the vehicles or a right turn toward the city.

The two valets preceding Mr. Silver's car veered left, as they were supposed to. However, Isaac's car lingered for a moment before making a decision.

And when the street cleared, the car accelerated, hurtling down the road at breakneck speed towards the city.

As the car entered the bustling city, Isaac's excitement grew, and a wide smile spread across his face.

Before isaac could complete his thoughts, the man, who Isaac recognised as Derek Silver, continued speaking.

"Where have I seen you before? Ah, right. The valet. I must say, for someone so young, you have quite the head on your shoulders. Stealing from a man as great as myself is no easy task."

As he spoke, Silver proceeded to walk toward Isaac.

Meanwhile, Isaac had countless thoughts running through his head.

How did he find him? Why was he acting so casually, as if visiting a friend? However, Isaac put the meaningless thoughts aside and prioritised.

'If he drops his guard enough, I should be able to land a clean blow and escape.'

In normal circumstances, Isaac would abandon his loot and escape. However, the thought of all this work being for nought irritated Isaac to no end.

He refused to give up.

As Silver approached, he prepared to lunge.

"You see, if it were any other day of the week, I'd have let you escape with the car. It's meaningless to me."

Silver stood a few feet away from Isaac, his hand on the trunk of his car as Isaac prepared his attack.

However, just before he could move, he became frozen in place as his heart skipped a beat.

"But I couldn't let such delicate prey go to waste, now could I?" Silver's tone rose a few pitches as he opened the trunk of his car, revealing a male in a purple suit with a clean goatee.

However, this wasn't what Isaac noticed at first glance.

No. Instead, it was blood pouring down the man's face, or maybe the blood was coming from another wound.

Isaac couldn't tell.

But what was most prominent were the man's black eyes with red pupils.

'What is that thing!?'

Isaac yelled inwardly.

His heartbeat quickened as he unknowingly took a few steps back.

"It's not every day I come across a ghoul."

Looking back to Silver, Isaac's heart sank.

Silver grinned widely, drooling as he exuded a suffocating aura of pure killing intent.

Additionally, staring into Silver's eyes, Isaac could only stare as he watched the white in the man's eyes disappear, turning pitch black as his pupils became dyed in a blood red colour.