In his youth, Jules de Rives lived in a castle with his mother and father on an island off the coast of Brittany, France. He grew up listening to their stories of knights, pirates, wizards, monsters, ghosts...and love. The stories were exciting but also terrifying.
When he was twelve years old, Jules discovered that there really existed creatures such as vampires and ghouls who fed upon blood and that some people could become one of these beings if they chose. Jules was horrified by this knowledge and vowed never to pay attention to these things again. As he got older, however, his fascination with those dark legends began to grow into something darker still: a passion for the unknown and what lay beyond the veil of life.
In college, he traveled Europe, learning about other cultures, new languages, different religions, and strange rituals. After graduating from law school, he worked as a lawyer in New York City. But even though he loved working with humans every day, he felt more alive when he explored worlds that didn't quite exist. So he quit his job and set out to see the world; all seven continents.
After traveling all over Asia and Europe, he decided to make South America his next stop. Many mysteries were waiting for him down here. It was time to begin exploring them!
Source
The first night after leaving Lima, Peru, at midnight he stopped at a truck stop along Route 30 just south of Trujillo. The place was called "Crazy Carl's." The sign above the building showed an overweight man dressed in rags with his face pressed against a window peering inside. He couldn't help wondering how long the name had been attached to this roadside restaurant, or why the proprietor wasn't concerned about his image, given the poor light conditions outside.
A single gas lamp illuminated the parking lot, casting a faint orange glow across the vehicles. Most looked to be trucks. One sported several stickers indicating it had once been owned by rock bands, another was adorned with a Confederate flag, while others displayed the names of various Latin American dictatorships like Generalissimo Marcos, President Gonzalo Onganía, and Emperor Manuel Belaunde.
Inside Crazy Carl's, Jules took a seat near the front door and ordered a beer from the waitress named Rosa (a young woman whose eyes darted around nervously whenever someone entered the room). She brought it quickly, her cheeks red from the cool air conditioning in the diner, then returned to take his order for a second beer and some food.
Jules waited until she left before turning back to the menu. As he read through the choices, he noticed a poster hanging on the wall behind the counter. He leaned forward to get a better look at it, noticing a large number painted on the paper beneath a drawing of a skull. This seemed familiar somehow, although he couldn't recall where he'd seen it before. Then he saw that each eye socket held a small candle burning steadily within. He sat upright and studied the text below the picture.
Suddenly, it dawn on me that he was looking at a pictorial representation of one of the dark magic he learned in the past.
"Rosa!" he said loudly. "What does 'Pacto de Sangre' mean?"
She turned away from taking orders and hurried toward him. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw his interest in the poster.
"That means Blood Pact," she replied, speaking English with a slight accent.
"Yes. What is it? And who put it up?"
"Oh no," she said. "I am not supposed to tell you that."
"Please, Rosa. I'm trying to learn more about the spiritual world, I have the vision to bring the two worlds together but there are so few books available in Spanish..."
Her expression changed. "You know about that, huh?"
He nodded.
Rosa stared into space for a moment.
"There are only three people who would know about this," she said. "They're sitting right in front of you. Let me go ask the others if they want anything."
"Thanks," he said.
When she disappeared into the kitchen area of the diner, Jules looked over to his left and saw three figures hunched around a table.
They appeared to be talking among themselves, occasionally glancing at him. Their expressions were difficult to discern under the shadows cast by their hats, hoods, scarves, or jackets, but they seemed nervous and uneasy. All wore similar clothing—black jeans, black boots, white shirts, and dark glasses.
Then Jules realized they weren't wearing any of these items at all because their faces were concealed. His stomach sank.
They were vampires! He glanced at Rosa, hoping she might come back and say something helpful, but she remained out of sight in the corner.
"Hello, boys," he finally managed to croak out. He tried his best to keep his voice calm and friendly, despite his fear. "I've never met any vampires here before. You mind if I sit with you?"
No answer came. Instead, one of the men reached into his pocket and withdrew a small silver flask, which he uncapped and offered to Jules. Jules accepted it, unscrewing the cap with shaky hands. After pouring a bit of clear liquid onto his tongue, he swallowed hard. Immediately, he felt a warm sensation spreading through his body, like an electric current flowing through his veins.
The man who'd offered the drink spoke again. "It's moonshine. Don't let Rosa hear you drinking that shit, okay?"
Jules didn't know what kind of response to give. On the one hand, he was desperate to learn about his fascinations, but on the other, he wasn't sure how far he could trust these strangers. Still, the effects of the moonshine had made him feel better already, so he gave them a tentative nod and sipped from the bottle.
When he handed it back, he noticed a little drop of blood seeping out of his lips and running down his chin. It had just been initiated and it was the only way he could communicate effectively with them.
A cold feeling ran through him as the realization hit home. He wiped the spot clean with his thumb, wincing at the pain.
As he finished wiping his mouth, the man in the middle gestured toward the chair opposite him. Jules took a seat. The stranger poured himself another shot and tossed it back, then slid the flask across the table. "My name is John," he said quietly.
"This guy next to me, we call him Pete. That's Bill over there, and he's known as Big Boy." Each vampire introduced himself with his first initial as if it would help establish a sense of authority.
Jules decided not to mention his own given name. "Okay," he began. "Why did you offer me moonshine?" John chuckled and raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "How do you think we found you?"
Jules shrugged, feigning indifference. "I can't imagine how. If you followed my movements, then you must have done some sort of divination spell, or maybe you tracked my scent somehow."
Big Boy shook his head, chuckling at Jules' naivete. "Not so easy, friend. This place is a ghost town. We don't leave footprints, we don't make a sound. But it has been prophesied that you hold the key to bringing our world together so we can no longer live in fear or hiding. So when you showed up, we knew you had to be looking for something important and we are here to help you."
"Prophecy?" Jules asked skeptically. "Who said that? A psychic? A witch?"
John rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"No. It comes from the Book of Revelation, written by Saint Jerome. Do you believe it exists? Is it real?"
"Of course," Jules replied confidently.
"Everyone knows it."
"So, where are the rest of your packs?"
Jules continued, clearly excited. "What happened to them? Did they die or disappear?"
John leaned forward. "We don't know exactly. They were supposed to meet us at a certain time and place, but we never heard from them. Maybe they're dead too."
"Or maybe they never got here," Pete added darkly.
Jules sat silently for a moment, mulling over the information he'd received. It seemed unlikely to him that the entire pack of vampires would come in search of him because of a mere prophecy. They needed his cooperation to accomplish their goal, whatever that might be. "So what do you want from me?" he finally asked.
"We will take y through our portal, you have three days to prove to us you can fulfill the prophecy," John explained. "If you fail, you may never be able to return to your world."
"And why would I agree to go along with this madness?" Jules countered.
"You needn't worry about that," Pete responded quickly. "We'll make sure you have all the resources you need. In fact, we're hoping you'll bring others back with you. Our numbers are dwindling and we could use reinforcements."
"Then what happens after I accomplish this?" Jules inquired.
"Afterwards," Big Boy answered. "You're free to do as you, please. No harm will come to you unless you cause trouble for yourself. You could decide to stay or go or move between the two worlds. This is your destiny"
Jules nodded thoughtfully, wondering what fate awaited him beyond this place. He'd always known the world was filled with monsters, vampires, and other beings. But it has never occurred to him he would turn into their leader. Now, he should not only join the two worlds together but realize his visions too and he was willing to give his best.