In the forest, a shadow flitted between the trees, alighting on the branch of a large tree before taking off again. The sudden landing startled the birds nestled amongst the leaves. The shadow then swooped down again, landing on another tree before disappearing into the depths of the woods.
Meanwhile, back in the small town, the water in the pool of a luxurious villa's backyard began to bubble ominously. From the depths of the pool, a spurt of water emerged, growing larger with each passing second, as if the water was boiling. Eventually, the entire pool began to churn violently.
The center of the pool appeared to split open, as if a fabric was being torn apart, and a pair of pallid hands stretched out from underneath. They slowly began to pull something from the water…
It looked as if the water was giving birth, as a figure emerged. It fluttered like a leaf on the surface of the water, dissipating into thin air with the slightest gust of wind. The figure wafted into the villa's balcony and slowly took on a human form. A gust of wind sent its hair flying, the figure itself leaning as if blown by the same wind. It flitted into the villa through the gap in the door.
Almost instantly, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from within the villa. The sound of objects being knocked down filled the air, before the lights flickered a few times and everything went silent.
It appeared as if tranquility had returned to the small town. Despite the alarming sounds coming from the villa, no one ventured out to investigate. The houses in the town were spread out, limiting the influence of the commotion. Furthermore, previous false alarms had resulted in a general reluctance to involve the police. After all, every morning, the owner of the house would leave with dark circles under his eyes, alive and well.
Tonight, Elizabeth was feeling restless. She tossed and turned in her bed, sleep eluding her. Finally, she got up and opened the window. The moonlight was cold, and the moon itself was mostly hidden by dark clouds. Despite its limited presence, it cast an eerily dim light over the night.
Her gaze fell on the distant woods. After a moment's consideration, she bolted downstairs, only to find the living room lights on, with Mr. kort and her mother, Sanna.
"Elizabeth—" Sanna called out first, "I think your father is right. We should move. But... perhaps it's a little late now!"
Mr. kort cleared his throat and looked at Elizabeth seriously, "Have you angered anyone? Something feels off today. Look at the moon…"
The moon? Elizabeth had noticed it earlier.
Yes, the moonlight was cold, and if you weren't paying attention, you wouldn't notice. But the kort family was sensitive to these things.
It was their wolf instinct.
Why did the moonlight become cold, and why was the moon mostly obscured by the dark clouds?
"What does this mean?" Elizabeth looked at Mr. kort, her expression unnatural. She then glanced at the moon, "What does this mean, father—"
Mr. kort said, "I'm not sure, but I feel like there's a threat to us nearby. You know why? Because we're naturally alert to predators. I'm certain that one of our enemies is coming tonight…"
"I didn't provoke anyone, not at all… unless… if beating a narcissist counts as provoking, then… I guess I did!" Elizabeth shrugged at Mr. kort, "But I didn't find anything special about him."
Mr. kort stared at Elizabeth, his gaze becoming stern.
Elizabeth then had to explain her grudge against David Gustin. Mr. kort's face darkened as she spoke, and he interrupted her with a frown, "You said his strength and speed are exceptional?"
"Yes, at least that's what they say. He's quite formidable on the school football team. I've seen his speed," Elizabeth nodded, "But I think he's just slightly better than average. You know, he couldn't even dodge my punch and was knocked down instantly!"
"Damn it, Elizabeth, we can't let anyone suspicious get close to us, we just can't!" Mr. kort said coldly, "We're leaving tomorrow if we can make it through tonight safely. Go get my shotgun." He was addressing Sanna.
"Has it really come to this?" Sanna asked her husband, "Do we really have to do this?"
"Yes, yes. We must do this. It's the foundation of our family's survival." Mr. kort called out loudly to the still stunned figure, "Go, go, get my shotgun!"
Startled by his shout, Sanna rushed to the study and returned with a double-barreled shotgun. She handed it to Mr. kort, who then looked at Sanna and Elizabeth and said, "Go upstairs to your rooms and don't come down, no matter what you hear, understand?" His gaze was stern as he watched them.
Rather than respond, Elizabeth was dragged upstairs by Sanna. The night was quiet, and the moon was gradually obscured by dark clouds. The sky's luminescent glow turned gloomy. As soon as the moon was hidden, the wind stilled. A shadow descended from the sky, floating down like a falling leaf, graceful and utterly silent.
It's here! It's here! It's here!
Mr. kort picked up the shotgun, holding it ready in his hands, his eyes alertly focused on the door. If there was the slightest movement, he wouldn't hesitate to fire. His face was tense, but his ears were already pricked.
"Crash—"
A thunderous noise rang out, and the roof of the villa split open suddenly. A shadow descended from the sky, hurtling towards him. The villa was nearly split in two. A large hole had been torn in the ceiling of the hall, and the pitch-black sky was visible through it.
"Bang—" a gunshot echoed.
The bullet didn't hit the shadow, but a residual image that looked like a wisp of blue smoke. The shadow's movements were swift. Although Mr. kort's reaction was fast, it still wasn't fast enough.
"Hey, I'm here!" a cold voice came from behind him, sounding like the creaking sound of an ice sheet cracking.
"Bang—" another gunshot. Mr. kort's reaction was indeed quick this time. The bullet hit the shadow, the tremendous impact causing the shadow to jerk back dramatically, retreating several steps but still remaining stable. Only then did Mr. kort slowly turn around to face the person.
"Gustin—" Before Mr. kort could say anything, a scream came from the side.
It was Elizabeth. Upon hearing the gunshot, she had rushed out, unwilling to let her father face danger alone. She stared in surprise at the pale-faced figure. Yes, it was Gustin. However, compared to his daytime appearance, Gustin's face now seemed hideous. More importantly, his mouth - the two sharp teeth were particularly striking, like a cold wind blowing into Elizabeth's heart.
"You're a vampire—" Elizabeth stared at him, gritting her teeth, "No wonder you're so fast, so strong... but do you think that's enough to make me apologize to you? No, never, I will never apologize to a despicable person like you!"
"No— Elizabeth, no—"
Suddenly, Mr. kort shouted loudly at Elizabeth, whose face was gradually becoming cold and cruel.
As Mr. kort was shouting, Elizabeth suddenly let out a wild roar. Her whole person seemed to transform, her pale face strained with bulging veins, and then her face began to deform. A muffled roar could be heard, and it seemed as if the whole sky was torn apart by this roar.
A gust of wind blew from the sky, and the luminous moonlight shone on the earth again. A full moon hung abruptly in the sky.