Mark Addams was still young when he realized that if the world was going to change, it would never happen in the spotlight. It had to be done from the shadows. Humanity needed to be strengthened, and he believed invention was the only way to do it.
At twenty five, he succeeded in reducing the destructive effects of implanted cores inside vampire hunters.
By thirty, he managed to embed modified cores into firearms, allowing hunters to wield power without direct implantation. It was considered revolutionary.
And yet, it was never enough.
One by one, his friends fell. Their bodies failed first, unable to withstand the strain.
Then their minds followed. Personalities warped, blood depletion accelerated. Some became violent while others became hollow. Mark watched them deteriorate, powerless to stop it.
His invention was nothing more than a delayed bomb. He knew it. And knowing it destroyed him.
Depression swallowed him whole.
