Chapter Text
Darren is approached by a tall man, towering over him from several feet above. He knows that a reasonable man would flee, but something about this man feels nostalgic, and keeps his feet grounded. The man smiles at him and gives him a bow before he speaks. “Master Shan, forgive me if I startled you, but I am here to carry out my promise to an old friend. Please accept these. It was his hope that you would carry forth this knowledge. All the best, Master Shan.”
Darren stares at the stack of journals in the man’s hands cautiously, but after a moment, he takes them into his own. They seem old and are slightly tattered, but upon opening one, he confirms that the ink is still clear inside and appears as a fancier script than he’s used to. There are twelve journals in total, and each seems to chronicle a new event as they cover nearly ten years of content. It presents as quite the saga. “What are these Sir? Who is it that sent them?” Darren returns his gaze back to the man but is surprised to find he has disappeared. He looks around, certain he’d be able to catch sight of where he’d gone, but the streets are empty.
“How odd.” Darren finds the man’s behavior rather strange but shrugs it off. He’d only come out to buy milk at his mother’s request, and if he wants to live another day, he knows he’d best get on with it. He has half a mind to toss the journals that mean nothing to him, but something in the back of his mind tells him he’d regret it and that they may prove useful later.
Later that night Darren sits in his room and decides to inspect the journals more closely. The title reads: The Saga of Darren Shan. It talks of vampires, freaks, and mischievous deities. It all seems rather childish at first, but as Darren reads, he feels a sense of nostalgia and can’t deny that many names are familiar to him, namely Annie. However, one name stands out above the rest and makes his heart flutter. “Debbie….” With just an utter of her name, a new saga begins.