The Ultimate Hunter: The First Nexarri

The Massacre

The light had begun to fade by the time Kelvin made his way back through the village.

The air felt cooler now, the warmth of the day slowly giving way to evening. A few villagers were still outside, finishing their work or gathering what they needed before night settled in.

Kelvin walked at an easy pace, his thoughts still lingering on the conversation at the square.

Tomorrow.

The word stayed with him.

When he reached home, the door was already open. He stepped inside.

Sagax was seated, his posture straight, while Nyx stood nearby, setting a few things aside.

Both of them looked up as Kelvin entered.

“You’re back,” Nyx said.

Kelvin nodded. “Yeah.”

Sagax studied him for a moment. “Sit.”

Kelvin did as he was told, taking a seat across from him.

There was a brief silence before Kelvin spoke.

“I’m leaving.”

Nyx’s hands paused slightly. Sagax remained still.

Kelvin continued. “Not today. Tomorrow. I’m going to the capital.”

Now Sagax’s eyes settled fully on him.

“To join the army,” Kelvin added. “I know I can’t become a knight. Not like this. Not without a name that matters.”

He held his father’s gaze.

“But I can still rise through the ranks. I can still earn it.”

The room fell quiet.

Nyx looked at him, her expression soft, something deeper behind it.

Sagax leaned back slightly.

“And you’ve thought this through?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“With the others?”

Kelvin nodded. “We’re going together.”

Another pause.

Then Sagax gave a small nod.

“If that’s your decision, then you’ll see it through.”

Kelvin let out a breath he had not realized he was holding.

Nyx smiled faintly. “You’ve grown.”

Kelvin returned the smile.

Sagax stood.

“Then you’ll need this.”

Kelvin frowned slightly as his father moved to the side of the room and picked up something wrapped in cloth.

He brought it back and set it in front of Kelvin.

“Open it.”

Kelvin unwrapped it slowly.

Inside was a sword.

It was simple but well crafted. The blade was straight and clean, its surface smooth with a faint polished shine. The edge was sharp, clearly maintained with care.

The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, firm and comfortable to grip, with a modest crossguard and a solid pommel that gave it good balance.

It was not decorative.

It was made to be used.

Kelvin lifted it slightly, testing the weight.

It felt right.

He looked up. “This is for me?”

Sagax nodded. “You’ll need more than a dagger where you’re going.”

Kelvin let out a quiet laugh, still holding the sword. “You could have told me earlier.”

Nyx shook her head lightly, smiling.

“It would not have been a surprise then,” she said.

For a moment, the room felt warm again.

Normal.

Then a scream cut through the air.

Kelvin froze.

Another followed. Then more.

Sagax was already on his feet.

“What was that?” Kelvin asked, though he knew something was wrong.

“Stay close,” Sagax said.

They moved quickly and stepped outside.

The village was no longer calm.

In the distance, flames had begun to rise, lighting the darkening sky with an unnatural glow. Smoke curled upward, thick and spreading.

People were running. Shouting.

Panic filled the air. Kelvin looked up.

The moon hung above them.

Red.

It burned in the sky like blood.

For a moment, everything felt wrong.

Then something moved in the distance.

Fast. Too fast.

Sagax’s expression changed.

“Inside,” he said sharply.

Sagax did not wait.

“Inside,” he repeated, sharper this time.

Kelvin moved immediately, following both his parents back into the house. The door shut behind them, the noise from outside muffled but not gone.

The screams still carried through, distant but growing.

Kelvin’s grip tightened around the sword.

Something felt wrong.

Then a sudden rush of air swept through the room.

Cold.

Fast.

Kelvin turned instinctively.

The window.

For a split second, nothing was there.

Then it stood just beyond the glass.

A figure.

Tall. Still. Watching.

It looked human at first glance. Too perfect, almost. Pale skin without flaw, sharp features that would have been called beautiful under any other circumstance.

But its eyes glowed red.

And when it smiled, fangs revealed themselves.

Kelvin froze.

Sagax did not.

His body tensed, his gaze hardening in a way Kelvin had never seen before.

“A vampire,” he said, low.

The word felt unreal.

Kelvin’s heart began to pound.

The figure outside did not move. It simply watched, as if waiting.

Sagax stepped back slightly. “Move out. Now.”

Kelvin nodded quickly.

They turned toward the door.

Sagax pushed it open and stepped out first.

Kelvin followed.

Then he stopped.

Something stood ahead of them.

Huge.

It blocked part of the path, its shape unnatural, wrong.

A wolf.

But not like any wolf Kelvin had ever seen.

It stood on two legs.

Its body was massive, muscles stretched beneath dark fur, its form towering over them.

Its claws dug into the ground, long and curved, while its eyes burned with a savage, animal hunger.

A werewolf.

Kelvin’s breath caught in his throat.

It was something out of stories. Something used to frighten children into staying inside at night.

But this was no story.

It was real.

And it was right in front of him.

Kelvin’s grip on the sword tightened, his hands trembling slightly.

For a moment, he could not move.

Then he glanced at his mother.

Nyx stood still.

Calm.

Too calm.

There was no shock on her face. No fear. No disbelief.

Only focus.

As if she had seen this before.

As if she already knew.

Kelvin felt something shift inside him.

This was not just an attack.

This was something far worse.

Sagax moved first. There was no hesitation.

He stepped forward and drew his sword in one clean motion, placing himself between Kelvin and the creature.

“Stay back,” he said.

The werewolf did not wait.

It lunged.

Sagax met it head-on, his blade cutting forward with speed and precision. The strike was strong, aimed to kill.

The creature raised one arm.

Claws met steel.

The impact rang out sharply.

Sagax’s eyes narrowed. For a brief moment, they were locked in place, strength against strength.

Then the werewolf moved.

Faster than it should have.

Its other arm swung.

Kelvin barely saw it.

A flash of motion. A tearing sound.

Sagax’s body jerked.

The sword slipped from his hand.

For a second, he remained standing.

Then the wound showed.

A deep slash across his chest.

Too clean. Too fast.

Sagax staggered.

Kelvin’s breath caught. “Dad…”

Sagax turned his head slightly, his eyes finding Kelvin.

There was no anger there.

No fear. Only something quiet.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Then he fell.

The sound of his body hitting the ground felt louder than everything else.

Kelvin couldn’t move. His vision blurred.

“Dad…” The word broke as it left him.

Tears filled his eyes before he even realized it.

His grip on the sword weakened.

The world felt distant. Wrong.

Then something shifted behind him.

Kelvin turned. He did not see it happen.

Only the result. His mother stood there for a fraction of a second.

Then her body twisted unnaturally.

Her neck bent at an angle that should not exist. Her eyes lost focus. And she fell.

Kelvin’s mind went blank.

No scream came out. No sound at all.

Just silence.

The vampire stood behind where she had been. Still. Unmoving.

Its red eyes settled on Kelvin.

It began to walk toward him.

Slow. Calm. Certain.

Kelvin’s body refused to respond.

His legs would not move.

His hands would not lift the sword.

All he could see was its face. That face.

Perfect. Unnatural. Smiling faintly.

It stopped in front of him.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then it raised its hand.

Kelvin felt it before he understood it.

A sharp pressure. Cold. His chest.

He looked down.

The vampire’s hand was through him.

Straight through.Kelvin’s breath failed.

The sword slipped from his hand.

The world tilted.

The last thing he saw was that face.

Burned into his mind. Something he would never forget. Then everything went dark.