The flames flickered before Nikolas Knight's amber eyes, his sharp jaws highlighted by the shadows formed by the little hut he was in. Across the flames was an old woman sitting on a cut log of wood. Her frail hands held on tightly to a wooden cane.

"Have a seat," the woman said, her crooked yellow teeth showing.

Nikolas sat on the bare floor, settling his sword next to him. The cool of the floor ran up his spine, stiffening it.

"Wise one, I take it that you know why I'm here," he said.

"Indeed." The woman grinned. "I know everything."

"I have spent two hundred years on this sickening world and I am yet to find a cure for the curse." He was once a Knight Templar, one of the most celebrated Knights in the world. And now, he had stooped to the level of being a blood-sucking monster. Despite his letdown, he was now more powerful than anyone in this world. He was still younger-looking and hadn't aged a day. That was something humans could die for.

"Your arrogance has been the reason you're yet to find a cure." She stomped the butt of her cane to the floor.

"Arrogance is being mistaken for true superiority."

She woman smiled. "That is what I'm talking about."

"Well, I can't keep my family in this condition for this long. I've tried everything but nothing has worked."

"You won't have to."

The old woman packed a handful of sand and poured it into the flames. The tendrils went insane, fire sparks flying into the air. Deep in the flames, the Holy Grail appeared. It was the cup Jesus Christ had drank from during the last supper with his disciples.

"What do you see?" The woman asked.

"The Holy Grail."

"The day before you were meant to be burnt, can you remember what happened?"

"Of course." Nikolas narrowed his eyes. "The Knights had found the cup at temple mount and we decided to give it to a family to protect it. We knew the church was coming for us."

"That family no longer has it."

"What?" Nikolas asked, his eyes widening. "That's impossible."

She picked up sand and poured it into the flames again. The image of the Holy Grail morphed into a room filled with many ancient religious relics.

"The church managed to find it and waged a war against the family who later became a royal family. But as we all know them, the Merovingian dynasty."

That wasn't possible. If that was true, it meant the Knights had failed. Their true purpose didn't exist again.

"I understand this situation is dire, but what does that have to do with my curse?"

"It has everything to do with your curse." The woman cleared her throat. "I spoke with the ghost of the dead priest that cursed you."

Nikolas' lips parted with surprise. "You did?"

"Aye." She settled her cane on her lap. "He realises he was wrong all along and would give you a chance to break your curse."

"And what Is it going to be, witch?"

"In the year 1920, darkness would strike London. The last bloodline of the Merovingian dynasty would need your help to find the Holy Grail which would be stolen from the church. You must make sure they find the Grail and stop the creator of the darkness. Only then shall your curse be lifted." She clicked her tongue. "And remember, the last bloodline should not die during that period or your chance would be gone. And you would have to wait centuries for another chance like this again."

That was centuries ago and Nikolas was still waiting for the day he'll meet the last child of the Merovingian dynasty. Dressed in an all-black suit, he snapped out of his daydream, his hand stirring the amber-coloured wine in his glass cup. His amber eyes flashed with curiosity as he looked around him.

Men and women in fine suits and gowns had conversations with each other, glasses of wine in their hands. The chandelier above spilt warm golden light throughout the room, the golden tiles glistening with opulence.

Tonight was one of the many dinner parties Nikolas' father, Mr Knight, hosted in the Knight Mansion-located in Abbey Wood, London-for his business partners. Over the centuries, Mr Knight had used the time and experience they were blessed with to build a business empire. And now, their major business sector was automobiles. Knight motors was taking over the automobile business and it was only a matter of time before Ford and Rolls-Royce would be put out of business.

Above the large room was a balcony where Mr Knight was surrounded by a phalanx of business clients. He smiled broadly, his dark skin full of life, the corner of his dark eyes crinkling. Next to him was his wife, Mrs Knight. Pale-skinned and blessed with beautiful long hair, she was magnificent and her green eyes always sparkled with optimism.

It was a pity the curse affected her speech. Whenever she spoke, her mouth hurt badly. So all she did was stay quiet while Mr Knight did all of the talking to his clients on the balcony. Whenever someone asked her a question, all she did was nod or shake her head. Everyone called her the beautiful dumb wife.

Nikolas saw the way her eyes watered whenever she heard someone say that. It was all his fault that his family had to pass through this. If he could bear the curse for them all, he would do it in a heartbeat.

He glanced around, searching for his brother. He wasn't in the vicinity. Their father had asked him to make sure Benjamin stayed put. His brother didn't like being in crowded areas and their father knew something like this would happen.

Luckily, Nikolas knew his brother's favourite spot. After he had managed to sneak past the tight crowd, he entered a brown walled corridor. Servants holding trays containing drinks moved past him and he quickened his pace.

He arrived at a large double door with giant knockers. Moving them open, he was introduced to a balcony that overlooked a dense forest. Hanging above was the silver moon, silhouettes of birds peppering its surface.

"I knew I would find you here," Nikolas said, running his hands through his dark hair.

"You know me too well brother," Benjamin, his younger brother said, his dark eyes flitting through the pages of the book he was reading. He was outfitted in a white shirt and brown vest. His brother took the features of their father but had a lighter skin tone compared to their father's darker skin.

Benjamin was reclined on an armchair, his legs crossed over the other. "Come back to the party, Benjamin."

"You know how much I hate tight spaces and crowds." He shuddered. "And let's not forget how talking to people could be tiring."

Nikolas rested his hands on the golden railing of the balcony. "You don't have to talk to anyone."

"Looking at people drains my social battery. And I can only have enough for my family." Benjamin became distant from humans the moment he became a vampire. He was always judged for what he was and it seemed that after a time, he just locked himself up and focused his energy on only himself.

Nikolas wasn't happy about it because this was still his fault. He was the reason his family was cursed in the first place. If only he didn't kill that priest, none of this would be happening.

"You don't have to worry yourself. None of those humans out there are even smart enough to comprehend a thing any of us says."

"Are you being arrogant because it's your way of trying to make yourself feel better because of the guilt the curse makes you carry?" Benjamin asked, looking up from the book he was reading.

Nikolas bit his lower lip. Benjamin was always good at psychology. But the problem he had was that he never filtered his suspicions. He would let you know.

"At times I feel like strangling you," Nikolas said.

"Awwn, I love you too brother." Benjamin blew Nikolas an air kiss and smiled. "Just so you know, I don't blame you for anything. You need to stop seeing yourself as a monster and forgive yourself. Besides, this is the year you get the chance to break the curse. So don't beat yourself up."

Forgive himself? There was no way Nikolas could do that until he redeemed himself by breaking the curse. Until then, he would always remain the monster that ruined the life of his family.

A sharp scream tore through the silence of the night. Nikolas knew that voice too well. He locked eyes with his brother and they both dashed out of the balcony. Speeding down the corridor, they made a sharp turn into the ballroom.

Nikolas scouted the area and spotted a throng of people gathered at a corner and murmuring between themselves. Please don't be Sarai, Nikolas thought, moving the people aside. His breath hitched when he saw his blonde younger sister in a black dress fuming over a frightened steward who was spooning himself at a corner.

"I-I didn't do anything t-to her," The man broke out, tears rolling down his cheeks. "She just came for me."

Nikolas could spot the tendrils of rage emanating from his sister's body. Her fangs were slowly coming out and the braces she wore to keep her from biting someone wasn't looking too helpful at the moment. This was his sister's burden of the curse-uncontrollable anger.

Before she could do anything stupid, he walked over to her and dragged her by the wrist. Her eyes glowed bright red and he covered them with his large veined hands as he led her through the curious crowd.

"Nothing to see here!" Benjamin yelled. "Get back to your bloody partying!"

The curious eyes turned away but the stubborn ones still kept looking. This was one of the reasons why Nikolas saw humans as unbearable and stupid. They were giving a bloody instruction but found it hard to follow it.

"Let me go!" Sarai shouted, banging Nikolas' hard abdominal muscles repeatedly.

"Shh, hide your fangs you bloody child," Nikolas said entering the brown-walled lobby with her and his brother.

"I'm not a child, I'm over six hundred years old."

"You were sixteen before you were turned," Benjamin reminded. "So you'll still be our baby sister."

"Says the nineteen-year-old adult," Sarai bit back, her fangs in full view now.

Benjamin raised his brow. "Why does that sound sarcastic, Nik?"

"Because it is," Nikolas said and entered the lobby they once came from. He took away his hand from Sarai's eyes and locked the door. "Sarai, what were you doing? You could've exposed us."

She snarled and bared her fangs. "Don't your dare blame me for anything! You are the reason we're all in this mess." She ran to Nikolas and shoved him to the wall. He landed on it with a thud, the wall cracking. "Mother can't speak because of you! Father can't sleep at night because of his stomach ache." She pointed at Benjamin. "Benjamin always has nightmares and I can't stay a day without raging like a wild animal!"

Nikolas' amber eyes melted with tears. "Sarai, I-"

"You're the reason why we are all in pain and yet, you bleed less," Sarai said, her red eyes turning blue and her fangs retreating. She slid to the floor, her back on the golden railing. In seconds, she began sobbing, her head buried in her hands. "I'm sorry Nik. Whenever I get angry I-I..."

Nikolas was the only one in the family who didn't have any physical consequence from the curse. But of everyone in the family, it was his heart that bled the most. He was the one who had to watch them all suffer while he was unable to do anything. He had tried for centuries to rid them of the curse and nothing had worked. That was until he met the old woman.

This was the year that would decide his family's fate again. And his fear of failure was already kicking in.

"Nik, I'm sorry," Sarai said, looking up at her brother with teary sea blue eyes. Seeing his sister that way broke Nikolas' heart. This wasn't the happy Sarai he knew centuries ago. He had ruined her life.

Sighing, he walked over and sat next to her, engulfing her in a tight hug. Benjamin joined too and soon they had their sister wrapped in their brotherly arms.

"I'm sorry too, Sarai," Nikolas kissed her forehead. "I'll do everything I can to rid you all of this curse."

Even if it meant sacrificing his life.

****

Author's note:

Hello everyone. This time, I made sure I made a very flawed main character. I'm sure you can see how fucked up Nikolas' life is. What are your thoughts on him?

Yours truly,

Lord Victor Hastings.