Grace Schattenjäger

Ah, it's raining hard today.
It's always somewhat smells funny on rainy day, I wonder why.
And my head hurts a bit more when it's rainy... now where's my cigarette, I wonder...

Come to think of it... that... also happened on a day like this, huh.

Our little group, if you can even call us like that, just arrived at America. We left our home, everything, behind at Germany. It was a long story of why, and even I didn't fully understand it. All I know, someone did something terrible back then, and for that we had to leave. As you can expect, this place is something new for us. I don't think any of us have been before. However, we know there's one thing that this place have in common with Germany. Those otherworldly creatures, the ones that we call "Them". And as we took our time to settle in this land, we also noticed something new. Different kind of "Them" that have the potential to disrupt or even destroy this world. Those marks on their body, The "Sign", is one of the main difference between the regular "Them" and this special kind. We knew when we first saw them, that it was our duty to confront and defeat them. Just like we used to do back home. Just like back home.

When we settled at this place, we decided that we need some kind of cover. We were outsiders here, so it wasn't like we could just announce to everyone that we were "Them" Hunters. After some deliberation, we decided to open a bakery. Jaeger Bakery. It's enough for now to keep ourselves in low profile. I hope it'll be enough always.

And now you might wonder who am I. Well, to put it simply, my name is Grace Schattenjager and I'm a member of The Schatten - our small group. I was essentially born into this group, since my parents were part of it as well. According to my parents and the others in the group, I was born with a sorcerer blood in my body. Oh, a sorcerer is what we call ourselves - as the one who deal with "Them". Since I was very young, I was trained by my parents to use my sense, the one that I inherited from my blood, to detect "Them". Not only that, I was also trained to control the flow of my blood, in order to potentially save my life. You see, this job is not exactly the safest job in the world. With what we're dealing with, we risk our lives every time we confront them. I know that too well... since...

... well, my parents died because of "Them". It happened on a rainy day like this, not long before we arrived at this land. They were killed in front of my eyes. And I guess back then, I should have died too. But I didn't. For some reason, as I slowly drifted away to my death, a voice called out to me in my head - asking if I want to live or not.

"You really don't want to die, young child?"
"Y-Yes... I don't want to die..."
"Hmm, interesting. What can you offer my, I wonder, young child?"
"A-Anything! A-Anything you want! I... I... don't want to die..."
"I see. Then your soul would suffice. You'll live, young child."
"R-Really...?"
"You'll see for yourself soon, young child."
"U-Uh...?"
"Well, well, look at your eyes, young child. Interesting. Well, why not? Let's do it, while we're at it."
"W-What do you mean?"
"Again, you'll see for yourself soon, young child. I shall be looking forward for this."
"W-Wait... w-who are you?"

I didn't get my answer because then I returned from the darkness. The wound that was supposed to kill me stopped bleeding, leaving only a scar on my back. I didn't notice it right away, but that wasn't the only thing that's different with me. I discovered that I had some kind of power within me. It is different from the power that I have from my training and from my bloodline. It is... something dark, and even more sinister. And it could help me to fight "Them". Perhaps also those of them with the "Sign".

However...

It was also since then, that I began to hear voices in my head and something that felt like ripping my head from inside. I felt like dying several times, but it didn't happen. I didn't know what to do. I didn't ask anyone in the beginning. After some time, I began to learn how to block those voices, if only for temporary. It was during this time that I started to get myself into this thing that they called as cigarette. To my surprise, it also helped me a lot to block the voices and lessen the recurring pain in my head.

It got worse though.

One day, I felt something at my stomach, and to my horror I just knew it. It was the "Sign". Etched on my body. I knew at that time, I couldn't handle this alone. So I talked to the other members of The Schatten. It was to be expected that they would be surprised and scared at first. But then they were concerned about me, and while they couldn't do anything yet, they promised they would find a way out or at the very least discover more things about my 'power' and the "Sign".

To be honest, I'm still at lost in what to do. But there's nothing I can do, except to keep fighting. For my parents, for the others, for our group. For everyone that had died for our cause.

"--- Grace!"
Hearing my name being called, brings me back to the present.
"Coming!" I light up my cigarette and promptly stand up from my seat.
Back to baking, I guess. And then, to "Them". Just like any other day.