One man's cat is another man's treasure.
By the time I woke up in the morning, Rolo was gone—unsurprising, really. I had likely insulted him beyond repair, though I couldn't bring myself to care.
"What happened?" I asked when Simon remained silent.
The ghost offered no words, only extending his hand toward me. With a heavy sigh, I laced my fingers through his translucent ones, the chill of his touch seeping into my skin.
The monster came again, bringing food for Jo. This time, the girl thanked him. The boy lingered that morning, silent but present.
"Are you not afraid of me anymore?" he asked suddenly, breaking the quiet.
Jo looked up at him. "No."
"I'm a monster," the vampire boy stated plainly. "I could kill you with one move."
"And will you kill me?" Jo asked, her voice void of fear or care. Her indifference cut through me.
The boy seemed taken aback, then stammered, "No."
"Then I have nothing to fear," she said simply and bit into her bread.
The vampire boy stared at her, a mix of bewilderment and disbelief crossing his face.
"Being a monster doesn't make you evil, does it?" Jo continued softly. "Thank you. I almost forgot that not all monsters are evil. But you reminded me."
The boy remained silent, stunned. I felt the same, watching the unexpected exchange unfold.
"You look a bit like someone I know," Jo admitted after a pause. "He's a monster too, but he's not evil."
"The mixed blood?" the boy asked. Jo nodded slowly.
I studied the boy more closely. There was a faint resemblance to me, but our features were distinct enough that the similarity was subtle.
"The mixed blood..." the vampire murmured, "What's he like?"
Jo pondered for a moment. "Shay... he really likes to pick on people, and a lot of them don't like him. But I think he does it on purpose. He doesn't let many people get close."
The boy listened intently, absorbing her words. My chest tightened, a pang of something deep and raw constricting my heart. I shook my head, trying to dispel the growing ache.
"I'll give you a name," Jo said suddenly, her voice breaking the contemplative silence. "In exchange for the food."
Like the vampire boy, I could only stare at her, stunned.
"Let's call you Ábel," she suggested with a small smile. "What do you think? Do you like it?"
The vampire boy opened his mouth but found no words.
An iron fist seemed to grip my throat as well. Jo smiled for the first time in a long time without tears. Jo's smile, fragile yet kind, lit her face—a rare and tender moment. It held a delicate magic that could soften even the harshest of hearts.
Still, it felt as though that smile was shattering my soul—gentle and kind but a mere shadow of her old, wide grin.
"Ábel?" the boy repeated, his surprise evident.
"Yes," Jo nodded. "I think it suits you."
The boy considered it for a moment before nodding, slowly and a bit uncertainly.
The boy thought for a moment, then nodded slowly and maybe a little uncertainly.
"Okay," Jo said as she reached out to touch his hand. "I'm Johanna. It's nice to meet you, Ábel."
Perhaps that was the moment Ábel, the vampire boy, was truly born. Perhaps it was the first time someone had shown him kindness, given him a name, and smiled at him. Maybe that was what stirred something inside him, something that made him take pity on Jo.
"You must escape," Ábel said softly.
Jo's eyes widened as she met his gaze. "What?"
"When the mixed blood comes, they will kill you," Ábel declared.
My fists clenched involuntarily. Jo's surprise quickly turned into a glimmer of hope—the first I had seen in days.
"Would you help me get out?" she asked, her voice a whisper of hope.
Ábel hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod. He began to tell her the path to the exit. I stood in silence, unsure of what to do, caught off guard by this unexpected turn.
"If you betray her, I swear I will tear you to pieces with my own claws!" I growled menacingly at the unsuspecting boy, my voice low and threatening.
When Ábel sensed she was ready, he rose silently and walked away, leaving the cell door unlocked. He had instructed Jo to wait a few minutes before making her escape, then to keep moving until she reached the exit. Following his guidance, Jo did just that.
She turned right, then left twice, navigating the dim corridors, descending the stairs, then another right and left. At last, she reached the double doors Ábel had described. But as she approached, someone was already waiting.
Jo halted, her gaze fixed on the figure before the doors.
I myself stopped and stared at the rising king with anger vibrating in my veins. My heart pounded, my claws ached to tear into him, the monster within me unfazed by the fact this was just a memory. I felt that if I didn't rip out that monster's heart immediately, I would inevitably lose Jo. I knew, with an undeniable certainty, that Ephraim would kill her. The dread consumed me, the primal need to protect Jo overwhelming every thought.
Yet, I restrained myself, knowing that if I shattered this fragile memory, I'd never know how it ended. I had suspected the boy had betrayed her, but as the half-blood king began his approach, Ábel suddenly reappeared. He knelt before the king, head bowed in submission.
"Father, please don't harm the human girl," he pleaded softly. "Remember, she is essential for your plan's success."
The Fifth King, however, was not pacified. His fury only intensified as he kicked Ábel, sending him crashing into the wall.
"What were you thinking?" the king demanded, his voice a thunderous growl. "You betrayed your father for a mere human!"
With heavy, deliberate steps, he advanced on Ábel, but before he could reach him, Jo stepped forward, placing herself between the boy and the enraged king.
"No, no, no," I whispered, my heart clenching. "Don't do this!"
Jo stood her ground, defiant, as if her presence could shield Ábel from the wrath of a monster. The half-blood king paused, momentarily taken aback by her audacity, before closing the distance between them. He loomed over Jo, a predator eyeing its prey.
"Step aside," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding.
Jo remained still. I struck the wall beside me in frustration, my claws carving into the unyielding surface. I was powerless to intervene.
"Please, step aside," I begged, my voice a desperate whisper. "Just move!"
But Jo didn't budge. Her determination was unshaken, even as Ábel spoke softly, urging her, "Human girl, step aside."
"No," Jo replied firmly.
The king's claws grazed her cheek, a thin line of blood appearing. She trembled but held her ground, her gaze unwavering.
"Humans despise monsters," the king said quietly. "Why would you risk your life for one?"
"I don't hate monsters," Jo answered, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "I hate you, and I hate Kain... but there are monsters I care about."
The king was silent, his expression unreadable. Then he opened his lips to speak but before he could say anything, Ábel pulled Jo down, reversing their positions in an instant. And at that moment, I was incredibly grateful to the vampire boy for that.
"I accept any punishment," Ábel declared, his voice resolute.
For a moment, the king stood motionless, then he nodded curtly. As Jo began to rise, Simon's ghostly hand touched hers, freezing her in place with an unseen chill. Although she looked confused for a moment, she couldn't dwell too much on the invisible force freezing her.
In the next instant, the king tore Ábel's left eye from its socket. Ábelwhimpered but remained standing, his hand pressed to the bleeding void. Jo screamed, her face splattered with his warm, aromatic blood, horror etched into her features.
Vampires entered the room, seizing Jo and dragging her back to her cell. She struggled fiercely, but her resistance was futile; they didn't even seem to notice her desperate fight.
I opened my eyes, releasing a shaky breath.
"She's not hurt, right?" I asked, my voice tense. Simon gave a slow shake of his head.
Despite his reassurance, I pressed my lips into a thin line, frustration gnawing at me. I cursed my own powerlessness. If I could, I would have gone after Jo immediately, but I knew that without support, I would only run to my loss.
"I'll protect them," Simon whispered, sensing the simmering anger and desperation within me. "If anything serious happens, you'll know right away."
"Thank you," I finally managed to say, though the words felt hollow.
"There's something else," Simon added, his voice heavy with meaning.
I arched an eyebrow, curious. But instead of speaking further, he simply took my hand, his touch freezing cold.
Suddenly, I was pulled into the flow of memories again. I watched as the vampires threw Jo into her cell. She hissed in pain, taking a moment to gather herself before crawling to the wall and sitting up. Her breaths were shallow as she scanned the cell with wary eyes.
"Who's there?" she called out, her voice steady despite the tension.
Silence.
"I know someone's there!" she insisted, her gaze fierce as she waited for a response.
Simon must have decided there was no need to hide anymore, as he appeared before Jo. Although she had seemed resolute moments earlier, she clearly hadn't expected this. Her face turned pale in an instant.
"Who... Who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling. Since I was viewing everything from Simon's perspective, it felt as though she were asking me directly.
"I'm one of Shay's acquaintances," Simon replied.
At the mention of my name, Jo visibly relaxed, if only slightly.
"Shay... what happened to the others?" she asked, her tone tinged with concern.
"The vampires attacked, but everyone is okay. They're preparing to rescue you."
Her expression flickered between anxiety and relief, a complex mix of emotions flashing across her face.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm protecting you," Simon said simply. "Shay asked me to."
Jo pressed her lips into a thin line, processing his words.
"Could you convey him a message?"
Simon nodded. "I can show him this memory."
Jo's eyes widened briefly before settling into a calmer state. "Okay."
"Just talk to him like he's here."
For a moment, she hesitated, and I felt my heart pound in anticipation.
"Shay," she began quietly, "I'm mad. Really mad. But I don't hate you anymore. So come and apologize for everything."
My heart sank, yet I felt relieved. I will. I will.
Simon pulled his hand away from mine and Jo disintegrated into colourful memories before my eyes.
"I'm sorry for asking you to do this," I said, glancing up at Simon. "But can you relay a message to her?"
Simon sighed but didn't protest.
"Jo," I began, the name heavy on my lips. It took a moment to gather my thoughts. "I wasn't brave enough. For the first time in my life, I was afraid—afraid that if you learned the truth, you'd hate me."
I pursed my lips for a moment. "Wait for me. When we meet again, I'll tell you everything. There will be no more secrets, I promise."
Simon rolled his eyes. He was starting to know me too well.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Okay," he said. "I'm going back."
I nodded and the ghost disappeared from the room. Left alone, I sat in silence, staring at my trembling hands. I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening as I fought against the wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.
After at least half an hour of wallowing in deep depression, I finally grew tired of the pointless brooding and decided to head to Dining Room Number One, where a buffet breakfast awaited me. I grabbed some scrambled eggs and tomatoes, then sat down, hoping for a moment of peace. But of course, Des came along and dispelled my delusion. What a way to start the day.
"Good morning, little brother," he said, grinning.
What was this low-key start?—this showed how much what had happened to Alice affected him.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Of course, this was one of those moments when everyone's internal monologue screams, I could've asked that too.
"I asked first," he added quickly, as if to claim the upper hand.
I sighed heavily. To be honest, I didn't want to share my inner turmoil with him, especially not if it involved Simon. It was my most closely guarded secret, a trump card I wasn't ready to reveal. If Des knew how easily Simon could observe people, he'd probably try to find a way to block him, knowing me as well as he did. So, I did what I always did when I didn't want to face something—changed the subject.
"Rolo is strange," I said, trying to sound casual. "He's not like the average fifteen-year-old."
"Did you just notice that?" he raised an eyebrow. "Which other fifteen-year-old would dare sass you? You of all people?"
"Did Alice tell you about his first meeting with the kid?" I asked, quickly shifting the topic.
"For sure," he replied, grinning. "Can't forget that."
"But that's not what I mean," I pressed on. "There's something more to him. He feels... more mysterious than I originally thought."
"Seriously?" Des frowned. "You didn't even look him up? Is that what I taught you back then?"
Damn it, he was right. I wished the earth would open up and swallow me whole for bringing shame upon my hunter ancestors—but since that didn't happen, I had to accept that the gates of Hell weren't right there in Babel's Number One dining room.
"So, what did you find out?" I asked, bracing myself for the wisdom of my older, more experienced brother.
"I guess you never bothered to ask him what class he was in, did you?" Des replied with a smirk. "He'll graduate next year, just like you. He jumped three grades, so that's something."
"What?!" I almost choked on my scrambled eggs.
"Yeah, I know, right? Who would've guessed that little brat's a secret genius?" Des shrugged and took a leisurely bite of his toast, clearly unfazed.
"This is unexpected," I muttered, still trying to process.
"Not really, if you think about it," he continued, munching away. "I mean, to steal from the Fifth, he had to be a bit... special."
I didn't respond; instead, I poked my scrambled eggs like they had personally offended me.
"Did you guys have a fight?" Des asked, casually demolishing his toast.
"I wouldn't say we were fighting," I grumbled.
"So, you quarreled," he said, and I nodded. "How did you manage to get him mad at you?"
"I told him he didn't have to fight and that he didn't owe me anything," I said dryly.
Des stopped mid-chew, staring at me with wide eyes before bursting into laughter.
"What's so funny?" I groaned, glaring at him. "I swear, you're laughing at the wrong time."
"The fact that you're such a calculating little brat," he said with a wink. "But hey, I like that about you."
"For a human, it's nice to feel protected," Des continued. "But monsters? It's an insult to their pride. You knew the kid's ego couldn't handle it."
"Has anyone ever suggested you should quit hunting and become a therapist?" I asked, trying to hide my eye roll.
"Unfortunately, hunting's in my blood," he smiled, unfazed by my sarcasm.
"Anyway," he said, back to the original topic, "you don't need to keep him away from the battlefield."
"Why?" I sighed. "He's still so young."
"He contacted me yesterday," Des shrugged. "Wanted to know about the oath... but mostly, he asked about you."
"About me?" I blinked, surprised. "What did he ask?"
"Nothing too serious, just the usual. Favorite color, favorite food, all that stuff," Des said with a casual wave.
He stood up, and ruffled my hair like I was five. "It's not a bad thing if you're important to someone," he said with a gentle smile, then just added. "After all, everyone is good for something. If nothing else, to use them as a human shield."
With that, he grabbed his empty tray and walked off, leaving me to contemplate my scrambled eggs. I wondered if Des meant what he said.