Chapter 1

Ryan's POV

Some people can be so annoying at times.

Heavy breathing sounds through the room. And the strange part: it's not even mine.

"Push harder!" I say in my commanding tone, which does little to nothing.

"Come on. Give me 5 more!" All I get is a loud gasp.

"I.... ca.. can't..."

"WHAT? I didn't quite catch that," Cupping my hands over my left ear, I bend a little.

"You don't want to finish doing your crunches. Is that what you're trying to imply?" I continue to hear heavy breathing. Few seconds tick by, when I hear a breathy voice.

"I don.... I don't need... to... work.... out.... I.... I can-"

"Defend myself?" I finish for him. All I'm greeted with is silence. And I return the favour with a glare, which translates to I-don't-give-a-damn-give-me-5-anyway. And he did. After 5 painfully long minutes, he completes his crunches. I heave a relieved sigh.

Today's session has come to an end. Finally.

I throw a bottle of water in his direction, which catches him completely off guard. Ignoring his mutterings filled with profanities for me, I watch him gulp swigs of water.

"How?" He looks at me with confused eyes.

"How what?"

"How," I start walking towards the door, "do you plan on 'defending yourself'?"

I wait by the door for him to catch up with me. When he does, I start walking down the hallway.

"I," He wears a firm expression and pushes his imaginary sleeves to his elbows, "have magic up my sleeves." Oh.

"So?" I rub my jaw, trying not to snap at him.

"How will this 'magic' up your sleeve help you?" I ask this annoying excuse of a wizard.

"I will use defense spells." He says in a 'duh' tone. I raise my right eyebrow, my unasked question clearly visible on my face. He gulps.

"I'm still learning defense spells." One glance at my face is enough for him to continue and defend himself.

"And I.... Will. Master. Them. Yeah, I'll master them. Soon."

A ghost of a smile plays on my lips, as we stop walking and I look him square in the eye.

"Define soon." I cross my arms over my chest, keeping my head high in victory. His mouth opens and closes like a fish, but no word comes out of it. He's fighting a lost battle, and he knows it.

"Tristan LaGray," I start, "For your not-so-kindest information, we start 'High School' tomorrow. And, you are not even ready to defend yourself yet."

He nods his head absent-mindedly. But when my words register, his head whips in my direction.

"It will be Tomorrow? We start TOMORROW?!?!?" The smirk etched on my face seems a good enough answer to him.

"But-" But before he could continue, a familiar sensation of my mind clearing off fills my mind. The next second dad's voice occupies my mind.

'Meet me in my study. Now.'

• •• • •• •

"Father," I greet him as I step inside his study, with Tristan trailing behind.

"Uncle Seb, Aunt Cora," I bow in respect to our King and Queen. They nod their head in acknowledgment. My eyes scan the room and immediately fall on the two people I was looking for. Walking up to my best friend, I give Meredith a side hug, followed by a scowl sent in my brother's way. Bennett just sends an amused smile my way, making me deepen my scowl. Our staredown is put to a halt by Uncle Seb clearing his throat. Immediately everyone in the room bow their heads in respect to our King.

"I'm sure everyone present here is aware of the reason behind calling this urgent meeting."

"But for those who don't," His eyes rest on a confused looking Tristan while saying so,

"This meeting is a reminder to the 8 groups present here who will be starting High School or College tomorrow."

"We have tried all the ways possible but to no avail. Even wizards couldn't succeed using the tracking spell." Our Queen says.

"So remember," she takes a momentary pause, "this is our only best bet. Find them."

The whole room falls silent. It is known to every supernatural being that the first part of the foreboding done centuries ago has come true.

"You are all on a mission." Dad says, "As I mentioned, this is our only chance to find the missing people, to find about the ones who are dead."

"Earlier we had to pay a visit to the Éminences Grises. One of them had envisioned one of the chosen ones. Well, the chosen one being brutally murdered to be precise. The Éminence Grise couldn't see the face of the person properly, but strongly felt their presence here, in the States."

Okay. This is news.

I look at the ground, thinking hard.

Something happened. Years ago. And  unfortunately, that left us with only the first half of the Foreboding done about a 1000 years ago.

The chosen ones are our only scope for finding out about the deaths and disappearances, and to figuring out the complete truth behind the foreboding before it's too late.

"Ryan Winslow," my head snaps up to our King, "our nephew as well as the future heir to the throne of vampires, will lead this mission. And Bennett Winslow will lead alongside him."

I mentally groan. Just the thought of working with my brother drives me crazy. Looking his way, I find him wearing his signature smirk.

How I wish to wipe that smirk off his face!

Ignoring him, I look back at Uncle Seb to find his calculating gaze roam the entire room. A small smile graces his features, a look of satisfaction crosses his face.

"Wish you all the best." Aunt Cora says.

"The meeting is dismissed." Everyone files out of the study. I take my own time though, as many thoughts cross my mind.

As vampires, the human years pass painstakingly slow for us. It feels too long. Yet, I have a feeling that this year is going to be a long one. Really, really long.