Kaizer looked at me with teary, red eyes, his hand reaching out for my cheek. He caressed me softly, letting out a shaky breath.
"Darcia… you… what's going on? Where are we? How did I…"
"Shh, darling," I said, placing a finger on his lips. "It's okay. I'm here now. I'm taking you back to Sanguine, to see all our friends. We miss you."
"We?"
"Yes, me, Lucius, and Isyra. And some other friends. They're waiting for us to come back as we speak, and I'm scared that too much time is going to go by before I get back, so we need to leave quickly. Please, Kaizer, you have to trust me."
"No, no, I do, I do," Kaizer nodded, taking my hand in his. "I'm back now. I'm back."
He was taller than me now, so he bent down slightly to plant a kiss on my hand. I felt a warmth build in my gut.
Kira approached, getting in my face. "Wherever you're going, I'm coming with you. Kaizer is my best friend, regardless of whether he loves you or not. So either we all three go, or you go. Away."
"No, you can't come with me, Kira," Kaizer said. "It's not safe."
I felt a pang of hurt in hearing the care in Kaizer's tone.
"Since when have I ever been afraid of danger, Kai? I'm coming with, whether you like it or not." Kira said, patting Kaizer on the back. "And whether your weird, creepy girlfriend likes it or not."
I hate Human women, I thought.
The Chrono-Disruptor hummed softly as Kaizer, Kira, and I provided our blood samples. With a nod, we stepped through the rift and found ourselves back in the cathedral in Sanguine.
"Holy… woah…!" Kira gasped. "What the fuck?"
Thankfully, Iris was still there waiting.
"How long was that?" Darcia said as Iris sat up from one of the pews.
"Eh, maybe about 8 hours, give or take. I don't know. The good news is, you got him."
Iris materialized a blood spear in her hand and pointed it to Kaizer's chin. She smirked, her cherry eyes gleaming with playfulness. "Good to see you again, Gummy Bear."
Kaizer didn't seem too happy about being back. His eyes stared past just the tip of the blood spear. He didn't say anything at all, he just looked around at the cathedral walls with a blank stare.
"Where… is Lucius?"
Iris seemed taken aback at first, reeling in her spear. "Oh, well, you see," she smiled sheepishly. "He's taking care of something right now, but we're meeting up with him later."
The cathedral door loomed before Kaizer, and he ventured towards it, drawn by the lively sounds of the city beyond. We followed suit, stepping into the bustling atmosphere outside.
Kaizer inhaled deeply, absorbing the sights of skyscrapers, vibrant lights, and advanced technology. It surpassed anything he might have envisioned for Sanguine—something we all felt.
"The Queen," Kaizer's voice murmured in a low whisper. "She did all this."
"Yes," I responded, surveying the transformed cityscape. "Nothing in Sanguine is like it used to be. Even the Common Vampires aren't the same."
"What?" Kaizer expressed bewilderment. "Hm."
"It's strange being back," Kaizer flexed his hands, opening and closing them. "Even the air feels different, way different from the Upper World. I almost forgot how warm the stalactites were." He gazed dreamily at the ceiling of Sanguine, as if rediscovering a lost homeland.
"Yeah, you're back. I missed you so badly," I whispered, kissing his cheek. But his response was absent, his focus fixed on the stalactites above.
Observing him closely, I noticed distinct changes. His ears were more pointed, and when he smiled, tiny, sharp fangs emerged. His scent had transformed, emitting pheromones that hinted at perfect health and a surge of testosterone. My desire to bite him resurfaced, but I restrained myself, aware of Kira's watchful eyes.
"There's no way a Human could ever compete with a Vampire. Kaizer's mine, he's always been mine," I thought.
Kaizer stared at his hand, and a ball of flame surged upward. As everyone watched in awe, I examined Kaizer's reaction—stoic and unfazed.
"That's weird. It used to feel so strange. Now it feels natural, and I can use fire without the blood," Kaizer muttered, seemingly lost in thought. "I have more power now, perhaps? I wonder..."
Kaizer held out his hand, conjuring a blood dagger, which he set aflame with Bloodfire. The flames roared, forming a blazing beast. In the midst of this spectacle, shadowy tendrils emerged around Kaizer.
"These were the cards I was dealt, huh?" Kaizer muttered, his expression empty. "Barry... Rashon."
Perplexed, I wondered if he realized I could hear him. "Kaizer... What's wrong?"
Kaizer offered a small smile. "Nothing. Glad to be back, that's all."
Our phones dinged with a message from Lucius. The group chat buzzed with the rendezvous location: the Midnight Catacombs.
As we entered the catacombs, the atmosphere shifted. Lucius and Kaizer exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up. With shouts and laughter, they embraced, celebrating their reunion. The once ominous catacombs echoed with camaraderie.
"Kaizer. I thought you were a dead man for sure," Lucius said, grinning. "Welcome back. Ay, we have a lot to catch up on, me and you."
Kaizer nodded, smiling. "Yeah, we do. Zachary? Is that you, Zachary?" Kaizer pointed at Zachary, noticing his red hair.
Zachary grinned. "Hey, long time no see, Kaizer! Good to see you again!"
"Oh. Wow, hey." Kaizer tried a small smirk.
Darcia addressed Lucius, "So, Lucius, what's the plan?"
"Hold on." Lucius furrowed his brow, glancing between Kaizer and Kira. "I feel like there's a piece of the puzzle missing here. Mind filling me in?"
Kira stood poised with a polite smile.
Kaizer shrugged casually. "Lucius, this is Kira. Kira, meet Lucius." He paused, a faint pink tinting his pale cheeks. "Kira is my best friend, oh and Kira, Lucius is also my best friend, but from another world."
The room fell silent momentarily as the two eyed each other, and Zachary shook his head in amusement. Lucius then looked at me from the corner of his eye.
Zachary chuckled, breaking the silence. "Man, this is like a soap opera. Best friends from different worlds meeting. Classic drama stuff."
Kira smirked, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Well, aren't we in for a treat?"
Isyra stepped forth, partially covered in blood. She held out a scaly hand. "I am Isyra, and it is a pleasure to meet you. We were just fighting a battle, excuse my appearance. I hope you're not too critical of first impressions."
Kira shrugged, shaking Isyra's bloody hand. "Nah, you're good. I'm Kira, nice to meet you."
"A friend of Kaizer's is a friend of mine!" Zachary chimed, clasping his hand with Kira's. Kira offered a polite smile, laughing nervously but maintaining her friendliness. "Zachary Vishblood, at your service."
"No longer Necessary?" Kaizer said next to us.
"Yeah, you didn't notice my eyes?" Zachary smirked. "Vishblood took me in."
Lucius raised his voice. "Attention, folks."
The team fell silent, turning their focus to Lucius.
"Currently, we are being searched for by Bloodguard. From here on out, consider our missions very high-stakes, high danger. Be on your toes. You wanted to know the plan… here it is…"
FLASH!
A blinding light erupted, blurring my vision, muffling sounds, and ringing in my ears. Suddenly, six Bloodguard officers were upon us, forcefully pinning us to the ground.
"Hey! Hey! Get your hands off of me!" Kira yelled, struggling.
"Kira, Kira, stop! They'll kill you!" Zachary shouted, fear wide in his eyes, breaths coming in rapid rasps.
"Iris! What happened? Lucius?" Isyra's voice rang out, and I looked up.
Lucius stood above us, his gaze cold and emotionless. The Bloodguard officers ignored him, continuing their invasive searches as we struggled.
"Lucius… what's going on?" Iris asked from beside me.
From the shadows emerged a familiar figure beside Lucius—the motorbike rider who had chased us. His arms lifted, revealing a Vampire with pale skin, carefree chocolate-brown hair, and crimson eyes enhanced by optical implants. His features were sharp, his stare full of unknown wisdom, and tattoos peeked out from his collar.
"Pleasure doing business," the Vampire said, handing Lucius a bag.
Lucius accepted the money. "And the other conditions, as we agreed?"
The Vampire smiled, nodding confidently. "Don't worry about it. You're taken care of; I gave you my word."
"Okay…" Lucius looked down at me, met my eyes briefly, then turned away.
"Lucius… are you… you're betraying us?" I choked out, tears forming. "How could you… after everything… how could you, Lucius?"
"I'm sorry…," Lucius held back tears, repeating, "I'm sorry, Kaizer."
Kaizer remained silent, seemingly resigned to the inevitable capture. He lay there motionless.
The brown-haired Vampire shook his head, sighing. "Shame, isn't it? All this for what, huh? You Noble Vampires and your shit." He scoffed and laughed.
"You're free to go, Asher," Lucius snapped.
The Vampire smirked, donned his helmet, revved the bike, and sped away.
Lucius pulled out his phone. "Hey Meave, call a ride."
The phone rang and replied, "Currently calling a ride for you…"
Lucius stepped back from the group, surveying the scene as Bloodguard officers escorted us into their vehicles. Iris screamed and cursed, Zachary and Isyra wept, Kira snapped at the guards, and Kaizer, silent, accepted his fate.
Kaizer and I found ourselves in the same vehicle, huddled together as we were driven away from the Midnight Catacombs. I could hear his heartbeat, ever so steady, and I knew that Kaizer felt no fear in this situation.
"The cards I was dealt…" Kaizer repeated under his breath, staring out the window. He grabbed my hand and squeezed.
"Don't worry, Darcia," he said, his obsidian eyes shimmering with something I couldn't describe.
"This is supposed to happen."