This is our story.
This is our demise.
During the evolution of the human species, there were a number of evolution divergents. Be they the various evolutions of homosapiens, to the monkey staying on the train of the monkey, to different species that have long since been forgotten – evolution thrived. When humankind began to take their first steps, a separate branch diverged entirely. Whether due to the natural radiation of the Earth, something in the water, or a miracle of genetics, the first Immortals were born.
We were far different from our mortal brothers; our minds were fully open, being able to use 100% of the human brain. We were in tune with each other, our environment, the creatures that inhabited the world, and also in the spirit realm. Humans stayed away from us, as we were different, and we stayed away from the humans for they were inferior.
Travelling far, we set up our own sanctuaries, areas where we could focus, explore and harness our abilities. This is where the first of the mind talents were identified, telepathy, followed by “dream walking” and “future sight”, and a myriad of other talents developed. The first body talents, healing, and shape shifting also sprung into existence. And so thrived the Immortals and our emerging society.
As man began developing the culture of farming, we had already mastered it and were into the constructing of language and written histories. We were a largely peaceful group who valued knowledge and insight over power. We documented our evolution, the list of our abilities and potentials. We also documented from afar the evolution of our distant human cousins, and we recorded our futures as seen through the eyes of the Seers.
Like any great society, they rise and they fall. As we rose, we began to be known as the “Source”, and later as “Genesis” beings by our de-evolved cousins. In the same breath, different evolutions within our society became pronounced. Two such evolutions began to override the others, and this was the beginning of our demise, though we knew it not at the time.
While always in touch with our bestial natures, some chose to embrace it. Shapeshifters, who had previously had the talent to shift into all animal forms, began to shift into individual animals. They chose specific creatures exclusively: the canines, the felines, and other creatures. This faction embraced the environment and nature, taking on the characteristics of their host animals in themselves and living with their dual nature. These beings stayed close to their brethren though and were respected in kind.
The second faction began to embrace the full side of their beast, surviving off the essence of the living, relishing in the blood of humanity. They became more feral, sacrificing their basic humanity. They became creatures of the dark, and dwelled on the fringes of our society, slowly distancing themselves from their brethren.
The Seers finally foresaw the collapse of the Genesis Society and prepared as such. As our numbers began to be eclipsed, our power, and influence began to diminish. The “Life drinkers” began to resent the Genesis beings, and slowly encroached onto our territories. The “Walkers” kept the others at bay as best they could, determined to protect their brethren.
The collapse was coming from within our ranks, and the Seers attempted to get ahead of it. Seeing that the “life drinkers” would likely seize control, they created a system that would protect our heritage and legacy. At the time, certain members of the soon to be lifeless class could still give birth, and were seen as the leaders of the society. These individuals were still sympathetic to the Genesis beings, so they allowed for a rite to be performed on their offspring.
With the birth of the first female offspring of each century they imprinted a key. They would have the ability to walk in both worlds, both walker and life drinker. They would possess the powers of their ancestors and be able to carry the gene until a union of the two species would come and our resurgence would arrive. They called these children the Vârcolac.
When the time came for our betrayal, at the hands of an overzealous being who desired power and control, our legacy was safe. He poisoned the ranks until all but a few Genesis beings remained, who survived by hiding within the ranks of the children civilizations. The histories were largely destroyed, all but a few which were stored with the Leader of the life drinkers civilization. A traitor then used his influence to have the life drinkers build over the site of the once great civilization, razing the world of any signs of its existence, and enslaving the remaining walkers as heretics to do their bidding.
On the blood of the old, would grow the new. With the fall of the Genesis Society rose the kingdom of the Vampires, under the rule of the Vampire Queen and the puppet strings of a traitor. The Seers had done as they had set out to, in the hopes that one day we would thrive once more. Our demise may have been only a question of time, but our legacy, our hidden Vârcolac secret, was saved.
~~~~~
“Wait… is this book actually saying that Vampires and Weres were once the same race?” Caleb ground out, shock lacing every word. His arms had tightened around Rhianna as she’d translated the section of the book. “This hidden history is really saying that we were all part of some super race called the Genesis Society but we evolved in different directions?”
It did sound unbelievable when put into plain English but his summation of the text was correct. “I know it’s astounding but that’s exactly what our ancestors have passed down to the Vampire royalty over the millennia. We are all descendants of this Genesis Society, Caleb.”
Rhianna sat up and turned around so she was facing him, the tome forgotten on the bed beside them for the moment. “Think about it, Caleb. This enmity between vampires and Weres appears to have been carefully succoured over many thousands of years to keep us divided so that we might never learn this knowledge. The assassination of the royal household was probably the last direct act against us by our unknown enemy to try to bury all knowledge of our past. If Ana hadn’t sent Gard away with Rayne, if she hadn’t carefully selected the histories for him to keep safe over the last three thousand years, whoever did this could very well have succeeded in their task.”
His expression was pensive as their eyes met, and she could literally see his thoughts roiling in all directions. “That may be true, Annie, and it’s certainly something we need to consider and work out what it means for us but I have other questions too. Like, why the hell didn’t Anakatrine and Callain tell us this three decades ago? Why are we only discovering this now? You do realise how the Council are going to react to this news? The entire vampire nation is going to be in an uproar, not to mention the Weres though they will likely be less volatile over this knowledge as they’re fully invested with the Vârcolac. ”
Rhianna felt a subtle nudge at her subconscious mind, and she didn’t fight the Vampire Queen as she rose to dominance. “Do not allow anger to cloud your judgement, Caleb,” Anakatrine said, her tone soft but commanding, knowing that this proud vampire would always be wary of her presence within his mate. “Callain was pretty much kept in the dark for the most part too. It had to be that way to prevent our enemy from discovering just how powerful a Seer I was.”