BRIGHTON LIFETIME's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Brighton stepped through the tall grass, his dark robes trailing like smoke. Two years of arguing with the council had left him sharp and tired. He wanted one thing: to keep one mortal alive forever. Today, he just wanted to walk and think. A flash of blue fur darted past his boot. Brighton froze. A small canine appeared and vanished, then popped up again a few feet away. Bright yellow eyes blinked at him. The creature tilted its head, unafraid of the reaper standing over it. Brighton crouched. The little dog trotted close and sniffed his cold fingers. It did not flinch. Most living things ran from him. This one wagged its tail. "You blink in and out like a heartbeat," Brighton said softly. "I'll call you Rune." He pulled a spiked black choker from his cloak, marked with a sharp spade, and fastened it around the dog's neck. From his pocket he drew a purple gemstone amulet shaped like a spade and tied it beside the collar. "Now everyone knows you're mine." He spread a red checkered blanket under a low tree and patted the cloth. Rune flickered, vanished, and reappeared curled in the center. Brighton almost smiled. For the first time in two long years, something had said yes to him without a fight. Then the wind shifted. A cold shadow stretched across the blanket. Brighton looked up. Another hooded reaper hovered at the tree line, watching the dog with hollow interest. Brighton stood slowly, placing himself between them. He had claimed something again. The council would hear of it before nightfall.