Mystic Falls, Virginia.
A young man with deep black hair and equally dark eyes stopped in front of an old house.
His features were striking, almost unnaturally handsome, but the way he dressed ruined any chance of him looking approachable. Heavy boots. Dark jacket. Practical clothes. The kind of outfit that looked more suitable for a hunt than a quiet suburban neighborhood.
He glanced down at his phone.
The address matched.
"Yeah..." he muttered. "This should be the place."
He walked up the front steps and reached for the doorknob.
Locked.
Aiken frowned.
"Right."
He searched his pockets.
Nothing.
His pants.
Nothing.
His backpack.
Still nothing.
"Where did I put it...?"
For a moment, he stood completely still, mentally retracing his actions.
Then he opened his jacket and reached into an inner pocket.
His fingers touched metal.
"There you are."
He pulled out a key.
Aiken stared at them.
"...Why did I put the house key together with the wood bullets magazines?"
He unlocked the door and stepped inside.
Immediately, a foul smell assaulted his nose.
Aiken's expression didn't change.
The interior was a disaster. Clothes were scattered everywhere. Empty boxes occupied half the living room. Tools littered every available surface. The kitchen somehow looked worse.
Aiken slowly looked around.
Then he sighed.
"Yeah."
He shut the door behind him.
"Alan was definitely here."
Alan Hill.
Hunter.
Professional nuisance.
The man who had raised him.
Aiken flicked on the lights.
The house became even more horrifying.
"...Impressive."
He wasn't sure whether to be disgusted or impressed that one man could create such chaos.
For the next few hours, he searched every room.
Drawers.
Cabinets.
The basement.
The garage.
Anything that could contain clues.
Yet he found almost nothing.
Eventually, he sat down at the kitchen table.
A notebook lay open before him.
He tapped the page with a pen.
"The dust on the bookshelf was undisturbed."
"The milk had expired twenty-nine days ago."
"The sink still contained water stains that hadn't fully calcified."
One month.
"...I'd estimate this place was last occupied around a month ago."
No destination.
No explanation.
No goodbye.
Aiken leaned back in his chair.
"Where the hell did you run off to?"
His eyes drifted toward an old photograph sitting on a shelf.
Alan stood in the center, smiling, while a younger Aiken stood beside him with a frown on his face.
Aiken smiled faintly.
"Did you..."
He paused.
"...die?"
...
The next morning.
The house was unrecognizable.
Everything was organized and clean.
Aiken lay on the floor, doing one-armed push-ups.
One hundred and seventeen.
One hundred and eighteen.
One hundred and nineteen.
His breathing remained perfectly steady.
One hundred and twenty.
He pushed himself up one final time before standing.
Morning training complete.
His gaze drifted toward the clock.
School started soon.
The realization still felt absurd.
Yesterday, after arriving in Mystic Falls, he had remembered something important.
School was starting.
Originally, he had planned to return to Chicago immediately after checking the house.
But an idea had occurred to him.
Why not stay?
He needed to investigate Alan's disappearance.
Mystic Falls was currently his only lead.
At the same time, abandoning an entire school year would be incredibly inconvenient.
Aiken grabbed a towel.
School wasn't his priority.
Finding Alan was.
But there was something else.
A dream.
A future.
Ever since he was a child, science had fascinated him.
Chemistry.
Physics.
Engineering.
Every discovery felt like uncovering another law governing reality itself.
He wanted to become a scientist.
Not a hunter.
Certainly not whatever life Alan had lived.
Alan knew that.
In fact, Alan had spent years making sure Aiken would have opportunities beyond the strange life they'd shared.
Aiken wasn't about to throw that away.
So staying in Mystic Falls solved two problems at once.
He could investigate.
And he could continue studying.
...
Mystic Falls High School.
Aiken stepped through the front entrance, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets.
Students moved through the hallways in groups, laughing, chatting, worrying about tests and relationships.
Aiken ignored all of them.
His destination was the principal's office.
After arriving in Mystic Falls yesterday, he had contacted the school administration. The principal had practically jumped at the opportunity to enroll him.
After all, who would turn down the reigning USA Math Champion?
As he walked through the crowded hallway, his eyes casually wandered around.
Then—
Thud.
Someone collided with him.
Aiken didn't move an inch.
The other person stumbled backward.
He looked down.
A girl about his age stood before him. Dark curls framed her face, and her olive green eyes widened in surprise. There was something kind about her appearance, something approachable.
Aiken opened his mouth.
He had every intention of apologizing.
Then he felt it.
A strange sensation.
Brief.
Subtle.
Yet unmistakable.
His expression immediately cooled.
The warmth vanished from his eyes.
"Watch where you're going."
Without another word, he stepped around her and continued walking.
The girl stood frozen.
"What?"
Before she could react further, the blonde standing beside her immediately sprang into action.
She grabbed Aiken's shoulder and spun him around.
"Hey! Who do you think you are?!"
The blonde girl was beautiful in the effortless way only confident people could be. Golden hair fell over her shoulders, and her blue eyes flashed with indignation.
Aiken looked at her.
Expressionless.
Then he turned and continued walking.
Again.
"You—"
She was already moving to stop him when her friend caught her arm.
"Caroline, it doesn't matter."
Caroline looked outraged.
"He was a jerk!"
The brunette shook her head.
"Forget him."
She glanced at Aiken's retreating figure.
"People like him aren't worth our time."
Aiken heard every word.
He kept walking.
His face remained calm.
Only his clenched fist betrayed him.
He tightened his jaw and continued toward the principal's office.
A few seconds later, he knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
Aiken entered.
The principal immediately stood.
His face lit up.
"Mr. Hill. It's good to finally meet you."
The older man hurried around his desk and shook his hand enthusiastically.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Aiken politely returned the handshake.
"Likewise."
"Please, sit down."
Aiken glanced at the clock.
"Thank you, Principal, but classes are about to start."
The principal laughed.
"Ah, don't worry about that."
He sat back down.
"I just wanted to personally welcome you to Mystic Falls High."
Aiken remained standing.
The principal continued smiling.
"I hope you'll enjoy your time here and make plenty of friends."
"Get along with everyone."
Aiken nodded once.
"I'll do my best."
It was a lie.
The principal seemed satisfied anyway.
"Wonderful. Your first class is History."
Aiken accepted the schedule and headed for the door.
"Good luck, son."
"Thank you."
He stepped back into the hallway.
The smile he'd maintained immediately disappeared.
His hand tightened around the papers.
Get along with everyone, huh?
The image of the brunette flashed through his mind.
The sensation he'd felt.
Magic.
A witch.
His fist clenched harder.
I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.
To be continued...
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How was this first chapter? Better or worse than the old one?