I woke up, conscious of eyes staring down at me. It was Adam and Katya, looking at me simply with worry.
"Are you alright?" Adam asked.
"Uff... what happened?"
"What do you remember?" Katya asked.
"Being knocked unconscious after seeing my own parents' death and killers, one who said she was a prophetess," I said, "Ridiculous, right?" I asked. Of course, I remembered everything. I just prefer to act clueless, it benefits me.
Adam and Katya simply looked at each other. My girlish humor was snuffed out.
"That actually happen?" I asked. No easy way out, they simply nodded.
"Can I... at least bury them? I know the perfect place and final rites. Please help me..." I said.
"But shouldn't they at least be buried at a public grave? For other people to mourn for them?" Katya seemed uneasy.
I shook my head, "My parents were loners when they had me. They only had me, and I only had them," I said sadly. Krista, ever since she was born, was pretty much doted on her parents and didn't even go to school, more like home schooled. They were all they had of each other, and the Krista in me is now buried in grief. So, at least, send them proper rites.
Adam and Katya looked at each other, then nodded at me. "Alright, where?"
We lived in a rural town, not a lot of people living in small cottages, the rest was land. There was a field that when in younger years of Krista's life, they three spent oodles of time together. In the memories of Krista, overlooking the horizon, "It's a nice place, extremely peaceful and calm, a place where it would be nice as a final resting place," Dad said.
Now, overlooking the small town, I was the only one left of the three to overlook the horizon, With my memories of Krista, I couldn't help but grief them as if they were my own parents, wait, they are.
It was a simple burial, where I buried the two bodies and laid flowers beneath them. I sprinkled some holy water on their graves. A small altar was placed for both of them, just incense and candles.
I read a prayer the First Panikhida, and wish them simply for better lives in their next one. Hopefully, not as dour as mine.
Once I'm done, I looked at Adam and Katya, who were silent during the whole thing. "Now what do I do?" As far as I know, I was an orphan.
"Stay with us," they said unanimously.
"What? You sure?" I asked.
They both nodded.
"Beats being in an orphanage," Katya encouraged.
After that, I said, "Alright, but you better watch out for some of my weird habits." Then, they laughed.
I was looking at my parents' graves now. The prologue of the story was going somewhat smoothly now. At that point, I might as well be at the fourth chapter and meeting the next capture target/rival. What the freak should I do?
Then, the thought came pretty despondently, 'Who knows?'
***
It was a week and one mover's truck and a few hundred miles that I reached from my small rural town to a metropolis city called Tengoku City. Adam and Katya were living together in a cozy house at a small town in the bustling city called Kami Town.
It was the school holidays so Adam and Katya were free enough to help me move in. Once done, she had decided to take to exploring the town.
It was any sort of quaint town to expect in the metropolis city. But in any exploration, the first place I felt like going was the library. Where else? In my previous world, book were my absolute salvation. Here was absolutely no different.
The library here was a beautiful thing, just like any library and filled with plenty books three storeys high gave me a sense of calm nothing ever could give.
Once finding a section I liked, a certain book caught my eye and I read the words up like a lifeline.
"'Cross Fire' by James Patterson, hmm... you don't strike me the type," A voice came out of nowhere, and I saw a diminutive bespectacled purple wispy haired youth my age.
"What do I strike you as?" I asked mockingly.
"Fantasy and romance," I blanched at the last word, but he didn't seem to pick up on it and continued. "Then again, everyone's different to the last and appearance doesn't say all," the boy amended.
"How insightful," I snarked. "Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"
"You can drop the sarcasm. Name's Kyle Quirk."
My lips twitched. The fourth capture target. The biggest definition of a bookworm and wise in every way for he's from the fourth faction, Whiz. So, that means...
I look around but saw no one... and he was looking at me expectantly. So, I was like, "What?"
"When a person gives a name, they are supposed to get one back," Kyle quipped.
My lips tugged to a small smile, albeit reluctantly. "Krista Loverin."
Kyle, for a moment, had a shadow under his face but it was back to normal. "So, what brings you here?"
"Nothing beats the peace of the library, which I'm not having right now," I said.
"Oh, sorry, but you new here? It's a small town... so..."
"I'm staying with Adam and Katya, after umm... certain circumstances."
"Adam and Katya?" Kyle seemed to put a thoughtful look.
"What? You know them? Small worlds," I said.
"Nothing like that. Their names are just familiar."
"Oh..." Truthfully, I don't believe that for one second. Anyway, what am I doing holding conversation letting the prologue move on? Am I baka? Should I just walk away now, before something stupid happens?
"Hey, Kyle..." A girl, also bespectacled but with coarse sky blue hair unlike my silky sea blue hair calls out. She was as pale as a ghost with sleepy seaweed green orbs, but that would fool how attentive she actually is. She was looking at me with a certain explanation.
"This is Krista Loverin," The girl's features seem to darken after hearing my name but seem to lighten up soon enough. "That's Eri Prewett." Kyle told me.
Eri Prewett, rival, total geek, in anything game and otaku style and do I blame her? Unfortunately, she's also a bit narrow minded but at the very least timid.
"Kyle, we have a problem," Eri said to him bluntly.
"Got it," Kyle said, "Oh, word of advice to you: Be careful with everyone, especially those closest to you," Then he left without another word.
I looked at the space where he was supposed to be, and couldn't help but think, 'What's that supposed to mean?'
Then, the game took hold and I realised his intended meaning: Angel's business. Something to do with me. Something special... but unfortunately, I forgotten, damn it.
Does this mean that the fourth chapter already ends? As I continued reading a fave thriller, my subconscious went 'No, no, because...' That damn thought didn't even finish when I saw a figure of nightmares.
Paler than even Eri with fangs worthy of a snake and they were dripping of... blood? He was sniffing at me with obvious delight and I didn't put any thought as I pulled out my cross necklace and waved it around. It only laughed.
Vampires... afraid of the cross... my foot.
For sure, this was a vampire and I have no weapons except...
Pshhtt....
"Ahhh..." The vampire screeched as I pepper sprayed it's eyes.
It was official. Pepper spray is truly a life saver.
Now, I ran like hell, but that... creature was plenty faster. It cornered me and I thought... The End.
Then I thought, 'Eternal slumber, Finally.'
Yeah, right.
A cross, a bigger steel cross stabbed at the monster even before its fangs struck out to my neck.
There, I saw my savior in all his glory.
"K... Kyle?" I asked slightly shaky. A brush with death does that to everyone.
"Those leeches... I swear..." Kyle said. "Are you alright?"
"Good enough," I said softly, but I recovered my initial shock.
"Vampires, can you imagine?" Kyle asked, as he looked at its darkening corpse. "At least, I read up on how to get rid of those things."
"Yeah, can you imagine?" I chuckled, "You would have thought that they only appeared in fiction."
"You would be surprise... Sometimes fiction is reality."
I rose my eyebrows at such an insight. Kyle just laughed at my scruntinity.
"Reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy gold etc.- Bill Cipher. And you know what, he was right. Keep an open mind. I feel like we will be seeing each other soon."
And he left without another word.
Pretty crazy stupid for my meet with the fourth character but by now... I have got to think how? How do I avoid them? The madness to come...
I only have four chapters to go before I meet all of them, and one final to choose. Thus ended the prologue, but not yet... not yet...
For now, thus spoke my first day of move out. Be careful with everyone, vampires...
Things are going to go down, and soon... Sigh... At least, I got some info and fun.