Thinking of his sore joints and the banging headache, Felix needn't be told to know that it wasn't a dream. Could I be dead? His head hurting intensified, like it was answering his questions. Was I rescued, the other shadow I saw before passing out? A vampire wouldn't stop attacking because a human said so—that was also a vampire—but why would they keep me alive?
Remembering back when he was still in training, he recollected his teacher saying that some vampires have the habit of turning victims into blood vessels; they drain your blood little by little, giving you a slow and painful death as they relish in your suffering. Felix shuddered at the possibility of him becoming a blood vessel. "I'll rather die than be food supply to any of those vile creatures," Felix said in his thoughts.
The door of the room opened, and Felix's heart raced, banging on his ribcage like it wanted to be let out. Felix got ready to protect himself from whatever came in through the door. A middle-aged woman walked in with a tray in her hand. "Good morning, young master. I hope you had a good night," she said with a smile on her face. "I brought you some porridge; it would help regain your strength."
She dropped the tray and turned to leave the room with a smile still on her face, pretending like she didn't see Felix holding a pillow in a defensive way or his alert and horrified expression.
"Hello... ma'am," Felix found his voice and called back the lady. Felix didn't feel the same aura of the vampires on her, which means she could only be human.
She stopped and faced Felix. "Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked.
"Where am I? What is this place? Am I still in Shadow Heights?" Felix asked her without pause.
Seconds passed, and she still hadn't answered him, which got Felix thinking that she didn't hear him. He repeated the question again, a little louder, "Where is this place? Am I still in Shadow Heights Kingdom?"
Heidi was in contemplation on whether she should tell him or not; she was only ordered to make sure the young man was comfortable. "This is the house of Count Amdis of Sullivan," she told Felix, since he was going to know later anyway.
"Sullivan?!" Felix exclaimed. "Isn't that four kingdoms away from Shadow Heights?"
"We are still in Shadow Heights," Heidi continued, and Felix breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest to calm his speeding heartbeat.
"May I ask how I got here?" Felix wasn't expecting her to know or to even answer him if she knew, but he asked anyway.
Heidi didn't answer him as he expected; instead, she requested to take her leave.
The door was closed again, and Felix was once again left alone in the big and dull-looking room.
"Count Amdis," Felix said the name again and again. He hadn't heard this name before; he couldn't have heard the name anyway, since he's never gone out of the Kingdom of Shadow Heights.
Then the one who brought him here should be this Count Amdis or someone related to the count. After speculating, Felix suspected that this Count was a vampire, as it was not uncommon for vampires to integrate with humans and even become important figures in society.
He grabbed the spoon on the tray—it is not silver, but it is better than nothing—he walked to the door. He slowly opened the door and tried not to make any sounds as he came out. The hallway was empty; there was no sign of a living thing, not even a fly in sight.
He went down the staircase, entered the living room, and out of the main door. Felix didn't see anyone passing, not even the lady from before. The house was deserted; Felix was confused. He expected there to be a few guards or maids on the way out, being that the owner's identity is that of a Count.
Felix was out the gates, yet no one stopped him. This is too easy; did they think I won't run away? Felix walked away from the premises of Count Amdis' house and into the busy streets.
Felix had no idea where he was heading, but he kept moving forward.
...
"Arthur! Arthur!!" a little girl vigorously shook a young man who was deeply asleep.
Arthur winced in pain, waking up to his sister's not-so-gentle handling. He ached from head to toe; he felt like he was run over and over by a carriage.
His mom entered and pulled his sister away from him. "Don't you see that he is badly injured?" she scolded, flinching his sister's forehead.
His sister pouted, feeling wronged, and walked out of the room.
Arthur groaned in pain, grabbing his mother's attention. "Sweetie, are you alright?" she moved to his side. "Does it hurt? Should I call the doctor?" she asked in a worried tone.
Arthur tried telling her that he was fine, so she would stop worrying, but his body betrayed him and he coughed up blood instead.
A couple of minutes later, his mother came running in with the doctor. The doctor examined him and told him to rest for a few months, as he had internal injuries.
Arthur stared blankly at the ceiling, the pictures of hunters falling to the ground, their blood dyeing the soil, flashed in his eyes, and the sound of battle filled his ears. His fist clenched, killing intent filled the air. "Those damn demons need to be erased from the face of the Earth, and I will ensure that they meet their Waterloo."
...
Felix walked aimlessly for a while, hoping to see any familiar roads he could take back home. Turns out he was in the West District; no wonder he couldn't recognize any of the streets. A trainee like him, who almost got killed in his first battle, wouldn't know anywhere in the West District.
The West District is a main base for vampires, and the humans here follow the vampires blindly. The West District is a red zone for lone hunters. Felix was like a sheep in the midst of wolves.
Hours passed, and he couldn't find a way out of the West District; the sun would soon set. It would not be smart to sleep outside, but he had no money on him. His stomach rumbled in reminder; he was also hungry, having not eaten anything for the whole day.
"What do I do now?" Felix thought.
Felix suddenly felt a cold air coming from behind him. "Are you lost?" he heard a voice say from behind him.
Felix's hand reached for the spoon in his pocket; he gripped it tightly.
"Are you lost?" the voice repeated.
Felix turned around, trying to see the face of the person speaking to him. The setting sun cast long shadows, making it difficult to discern features.
"Who are you?" Felix asked, his grip on the spoon remaining firm.
The stranger stepped forward, revealing a tall, lean figure with piercing eyes. "I could ask you the same thing," he said, his voice low and smooth. "You seem out of place here."
Felix's instincts screamed warning, but he tried to appear nonchalant. "Just lost my way," he said, shrugging.
The stranger's gaze lingered on Felix, as if searching for something. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Felix hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "No," he admitted.
The stranger nodded. "Come with me. I'll help you find your way."
Felix's grip on the spoon remained firm, unsure if he should trust this stranger. But with the sun setting and no other options, he reluctantly followed.