A deathly silence hung in the air, the three generations of the family stood in place, dumbstruck. The sudden appearance and disappearance of the young man had left them in shock. Especially the tiny gleaming sword he'd conjured out of thin air, slicing through the solid steel door as if it were butter...
Could anyone withstand the flying sword? Probably not... The speed, the casual attack, the image of the sliced iron door made them recall the people in the basement. Simultaneously, they sprinted towards the basement. Indeed, the deafening silence of the basement was the most terrifying.
The basement was eerily quiet, the light casting a ghostly pallor. The stench of blood was potent. In the basement lay three bodies.
More precisely, three headless corpses.
"My God..." Robin Gustin moaned, swaying on the spot and nearly toppling over. His son, Thor, reached out to steady him. Words failing him.
"Grandfather, what... what should we do now?"
David Gustin swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he addressed the patriarch, "It's horrifying... how could such a person exist in this world?"
Robin Gustin was silent for a long while. When he finally spoke, he seemed feeble and aged, "If people like us exist, so do people like him. That's how the world is. That's why I always tell you to keep a low profile."
David fell silent. The fear was finally sinking in. His back was soaked in sweat. Not just him, Thor too was bathed in cold sweat. He wiped his brow with his hand.
"Let's burn the bodies. Maybe it ends here... I hope it ends here..." Robin Gustin sighed, shaking his head. He turned and walked away.
A small sword, conjured from nothing, with power no one had time to resist, had taken three lives in an instant. These were powerful members of their family, what was the question of revenge?
Let's live and let live.
That was Robin Gustin's hope. He wished it wasn't wishful thinking. Maybe if David hadn't revealed his true nature, they wouldn't have attracted the young man's attention. This disaster could have been avoided.
Though he thought this, David wasn't entirely to blame. The three victims couldn't bear the isolation, being trapped for fifteen years, they would have caused trouble eventually. It had just happened sooner.
Having realized this, he felt a sense of relief. His only worry was the young man. The vampire family wasn't as glorious as it had been many years ago. Their living space was constantly being squeezed, not only by human society but also by their rivals, the werewolves.
Now, werewolves and vampires were only legends in society. Discovering them was hard, and they hid even deeper, avoiding detection easily.
"Should we move?" Robin Gustin wondered, and promptly shook his head in denial. Where else could they go? If the young man knew their whereabouts, wherever they went, revealing their vampire nature could lead to discovery. It might be better to stay put.
As long as they didn't infringe on the young man's interests, they could live in peace. Instead of hiding, they should maintain a low profile. This might lead to a better outcome.
The night proved to be extremely difficult to endure. Early in the morning, the door to Joseph's house was being banged on persistently. Yawning, he went to open it, only to see Luke Prescott standing on the doorstep, looking haggard despite his immaculate attire.
"Oh, Luke...what time is it? Five thirty-two, good Lord, you must've had a terrible night. Come in, want a cup of coffee?" Joseph ushered Luke Prescott in, and soon after, sounds could be heard from the bedroom. Lisa was awake too.
"Today is a dreadful day. If you can't get a good sleep in the morning..." She sauntered into the living room, yawning. Catching sight of Luke Prescott sitting in the living room, she laughed apologetically and then went back into her room to change.
"Joseph, alright, I admit it's my fault. I don't even know how to describe what happened last night," Luke Prescott said dejectedly, "I saw that woman again. Yes, her, not Sally. That Chinese man was right, I should've believed him."
"So what are you planning to do?" Yawning again, Joseph headed towards the kitchen.
Luke Prescott followed him into the kitchen, chattering away, "I saw that woman, I couldn't see her face clearly, but it was definitely not Sally. God, I've never seen anything like it... it's my worst nightmare, a hideous face... and a huge mouth like a black hole..."
"Stop, Luke, you're making it sound really disgusting."
Joseph brewed some coffee, poured a cup, and handed it to Luke Prescott. He then turned around and headed towards the living room. Luke Prescott followed, continuing his rambling.
"It really was disgusting," Luke Prescott said, holding the coffee cup in his trembling hands, "What's worse... God, I thought I was dreaming, but... but it wasn't a dream, it's a horrible reality..."
"So... what are you planning to do?" Joseph looked at him, speaking seriously, "Have Jason continue helping you? No, no, buddy, I have to say, you not trusting him yesterday upset him pretty bad."
"That's my fault, but... aren't you his friend? For the sake of a friend's friend, he will forgive me, right? I'm being driven insane," Luke Prescott sighed heavily, then looked at Joseph hopefully.
"I'll try, Luke, but don't get your hopes up too high."
"Alright, thank you, I'll wait for your news. Be sure to help me solve this problem, we can negotiate the price... double it, tell him I'm willing to pay double the price, if he refuses!" Luke Prescott took a sip of his coffee, then stood up, "I have to go, I smashed a lot of things last night. I need to clean up."
Joseph saw Luke Prescott to the door, and the man hurried off in his car. Just after he left, Lisa emerged from the room, already changed.
"Are you planning to scam money with Jason again?"
She said, grinning and winking at Joseph.
"I don't like Mr. Jason Prescott. So, I don't mind if you guys fleece him hard."
"I agree with the part about Luke, not about Jason. I'm going to make toast," Joseph said, heading into the kitchen.
Lisa sat on the living room sofa, when her phone rang. She picked it up, it was Elizabeth, "Hey, Lisa, it's me, I think... I need to tell you, I might not go to school with you today. But... don't worry, that bastard David Gustin probably won't bother you, at least he can't now."
"What? Elizabeth, did something happen to you?" Lisa couldn't help but exclaim.