Some nights are bathed in blood; others, in regrets.
Marcell trembled violently in his mother's arms, his silent sobs muffled as he buried his face in the blouse of the woman who had always been his safe haven. His mother held him tightly, trying to comfort him with all her strength, but there was no soothing the terror that had overtaken him. Richie, on the other hand, gripped the kitchen knife with trembling hands, his knuckles white. The door nearly flew off its hinges, and the washing machine collided harshly with the edge of the bathtub, the sound like a gunshot in the otherwise silent room.
When the vampire appeared, its second set of fangs snapped into place, the sight of them sending a chill through the air. He snarled at the family, the red glow in his irises and the darkness creeping into the whites of his eyes marking him as something otherworldly, something deadly. Richie shook uncontrollably, his grip unsteady on the knife. Despite the terror that gripped him, he forced himself to stand, but the blade quivered in his hand, threatening to slip.
The vampire let out a low snort, a cruel laugh that echoed in the room. It seemed to relish the fear before him, like a predator toying with its prey.
Inez, her voice breaking with desperation, pleaded with the monster, begging it to spare her children. The vampire laughed again, louder this time, savoring her fear. But soon enough, his amusement wore off. He took a step forward, then another...
"Don't move!" Richie shouted, his voice ragged, his trembling hand holding the blade toward the vampire. "Don't come any closer!"
The vampire took another step, and Richie's legs buckled beneath him. He collapsed to the floor, the knife slipping from his hand and knocked aside by the creature's menacing presence.
Before the vampire could react, his head flew from his shoulders, landing with a sickening thud on the cold tile. The body slumped, lifeless, and the blood sprayed across the room, splattering the already shivering Marcell, coating him in crimson.
I wiped the blood from my hand, flicking the excess away, before grabbing a towel to clean the blade. A dull edge could mean the difference between life and death in moments like this. Once done, I discarded the rag into the tub and finally turned my attention to the family before me.
"You did well, Richie," I said, lifting him gently by the shirt and helping him to his feet. His legs wobbled but held firm under his weight. "You protected your mother."
I offered him a strained smile, though I couldn't help but realize how morbid it must have looked—my face and clothes drenched in blood.
Inez, still in shock, opened her mouth to speak but faltered. "What… what the hell is going on here?"
I sighed, my voice low. "It's better if you don't know."
"Shay, who are you, and how...?!" The woman's scream cut through the air, her voice escalating into full hysteria.
"If I were you, I'd keep it down," I said coldly, my gaze scanning the room. "There could still be vampires lurking nearby."
"Vampires...?!" Richie gasped, his voice trembling with fear.
The woman, however, wasn't shaken by my warning. "You beheaded another human!" she screamed, her eyes wide with outrage.
I looked at her, unphased. "Not a human," I corrected, my tone flat. "A vampire."
Inez swallowed hard, and Marcell instinctively moved closer to her, his small body trembling.
"I am exactly who I've always been," I said, extending my hand to the woman. "I'll take you to the hunters. They'll get you to safety."
"Who are the hunters?" she asked, her voice shaky.
"They fight monsters and protect people," I replied, trying to reassure her. "You don't have to worry, everything will be fine now."
After a long pause, and still trembling, Inez slowly reached out and took my hand.
"Pack whatever you can—money, jewelry, anything important," I instructed. "But do it quietly."
They nodded, and I watched as they moved to gather their things, each moment more weighed down by the grimness of the situation. When they were ready, we made our way to my quarters. They followed me without a word, though I paused in front of the bedroom door.
"Wait here," I said, holding up a hand. "You won't want to see what's inside."
Inez nodded in silent agreement. I stepped into the room, closing the door behind me to shield them from the sight. The damage was overwhelming—most of the furniture was broken, the walls were scratched, blood soaked the floor, and several lifeless bodies lay in grim repose.
I turned toward my box, which was not far away, and carried it over to the ruins of the closet. After rummaging through the wreckage, I found the old travel bag, placed the box inside, and packed clothes for Alex and me, along with the items I'd kept at the bottom of the closet in a shoebox, our valuables, and the last of our money.
Once done, I glanced back at the place where we'd spent most of our three years of peace—without looking back.
I froze. Something was missing. The realization hit me with an odd sense of longing—I'd forgotten the annoying purring that had become such a familiar background noise in my life.
"Mao," I muttered, "where are you, little pest?"
I heard movement from the bathroom. I signaled for Inez to stay put, then crept forward, taking careful, silent steps. I pushed the door open slowly, wincing as it creaked loudly in the silence.
A pair of yellow-green eyes flashed in the dim light, and I saw the cat leap out from behind the laundry basket. It scrambled to my feet, frantically scratching my calf, mewing pitifully with all the fear and sorrow it could muster.
Part of me wished one of the vampires had caught it—one less problem. But, Alex's heart was weak, and there was no way I could leave it behind. I sighed, realizing I'd been holding my breath.
I scooped up the cat by the scruff of its neck, and it immediately squirmed, yowling indignantly.
"Calm down," I said, my voice low and threatening. The effect was instant. The cat went limp in my hand, surrendering to my hold.
I glared at it for a moment, then, as my allergies to both stupidity and cats kicked in, I decided it was best to pass the burden onto someone else. Richie was closer, so I dropped the little nuisance into his arms. His face twisted in surprise, and I could barely suppress a sigh of disappointment as he awkwardly caught the cat.
I secured my dagger between my belt and pants, grabbed Inez's heavy bag, and made sure it was properly slung over my shoulder. It felt at least three times heavier than my own pack.
"Can we go?" I asked, my voice steady.
She nodded immediately, no more words needed.
But before we left, before we walked away from the place we once called home, I had to make sure it was gone—everything that had happened, everything we'd been through. I pulled my lighter from my pocket, flicked it open, and set the broken curtain alight. The fire took hold eagerly, licking at the fabric as the flames began to spread.
I picked up the pace, my steps quickening, and Richie, as determined as ever, pushed himself to keep up with me.
"Are you a hunter too?" he asked, his voice breathless.
I glanced down at him, a wry smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
"Oh, no. I'm only partially human, though you're right, my mother was a hunter," I replied.
The boy nodded thoughtfully, as if processing this. Despite the "Closed" sign, I swung the door open and gestured for Richie to step inside. Before Inez could follow, I leaned in close to her ear.
"If you want, they can alter your memories so you won't remember this nightmare," I suggested quietly.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but after a moment's hesitation, she shook her head.
"If we forget about these... creatures, doesn't that just make it more dangerous?" she asked, though her tone was more statement than question.
She stepped into the pub, Marcell still in her arms, and I followed, shutting the door behind us. I noticed Hajnal was already tending to Inez and her family, so I turned my attention elsewhere.
"Shay!" Alex's voice nearly shouted my name, panic in his voice. "My God, you're covered in blood! Are you hurt?"
He rushed to my side, dropping the bags onto one of the tables without a second thought. His eyes scanned me urgently, looking for any signs of injury.
"Relax, it's just enemy blood," I said, gently pushing him away.
"I'm just so relieved you're okay!" he exclaimed.
"I was out shopping when Ben called, told me to get to the pub right away, and that everyone was here. Then he said vampires attacked the house! I wanted to come after you, but he wouldn't let me, and he even had the crazy hunter tie me up and lock me in the booze chamber! But that's not important right now." He waved it off, his focus back on the bigger issue. "Everyone was attacked by vampires!"
"What?" I could only manage a stunned groan in response.
"Ben and the crazy hunter both got a dose of vampires, and Izidora too," the wolf explained. "When Ben called her, asking her to meet here, Izzi was checking Johi's apartment. Everyone was dead, except Johi, but she disappeared—couldn't find her anywhere. Then the line went dead. Ben said she was going after the vampires..."
"What did she do?!" I barked, my voice sharp. "She went after them alone?!"
"She did," came the calm reply from Des, who was sitting at the bar, looking unusually grim.
"You didn't stop her?!" I snapped, my fury barely held in check. If anything hard had been nearby, he would've gotten more than just words.
"The situation is worse than we thought..." My brother's voice was steady but grave. "The attack was coordinated—targeted. And they left a message for the target."
He tossed his phone at me. Reflexively, I caught it and stared at the screen. On the peach-colored wall of Johi's apartment was a message, written in blood: 1024. My heart skipped a beat.
"1024?" Alex read aloud, his brow furrowing. "What does that mean?"
"It's my birthday," I muttered hoarsely, my throat suddenly dry. My gaze locked with Des's. "They know about me."
"Who knows about you?" Alex asked, confusion clear in his voice.
Just then, the door to the pub creaked open. Alice stepped through the threshold, his silhouette framed in the doorway. Des opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
I froze. The unmistakable scent of blood hit me like a wave, and my stomach twisted. The blood... it was one of my friends' blood.
Alice's left hand hung limply at his side, crimson droplets falling from his fingers and splattering on the floor, shattering into tiny red fragments. Before he could take another step, my brother leapt forward, catching him just in time to prevent him from collapsing.
"Ben!" Des called out urgently, his voice tight with worry. "What happened?!"
The boy barely had the strength to keep his eyes open, but he clung to his partner's clothes, his grip weak but desperate.
"I was careless... so careless," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. "After I sent the picture, I was attacked... a creature left behind... Deni, I've never seen anything like it!"
Des's gaze shifted to the boy's neck, and he froze, horror creeping into his features. He'd been bitten.
"Your neck..." Des murmured in disbelief.
The seer shut his eyes for a moment, gathering what little strength he had left. When he opened them again, they burned with determination, and he gave his partner a look that spoke volumes of his pain.
"You have to kill me," he said with a broken whisper. "It hurts so much... I can't take it anymore..."
Des shuddered, and just as his mouth opened to protest, Alice began coughing, blood splattering across his partner's shirt. The seer exchanged a final, desperate glance with Des, then his strength completely failed him, and he collapsed, unconscious.
"Ben...?" Des's voice cracked. "Ben! BEN!"
Hajnal sprang into action, rushing to the wounded seer. "Help me get him to the office!" she ordered my brother. Des nodded, still frantic, as they carried Alice into the cramped room, laying him on the table. Hajnal quickly removed the remnants of Alice's shirt and focused on the bite mark on his neck.
"When did he get bitten?" she asked, her tone grave.
"About half an hour ago," Des replied, his voice tight with concern.
Hajnal nodded, her gaze darkening as she took in the injury. We all knew what that meant—the vampiric venom would already be spreading through his system, and the first signs of transformation would soon appear.
"It's not vampire venom," Hajnal stated bluntly. Then, with a practiced movement, she removed the glove from her left hand.
Until that moment, I had thought Alice and Hajnal were similar in some ways—then I realized how wrong I was. Hajnal placed her bare hand gently on Alice's chest, and her eyes flickered with the same glowing light Alice's did when he glimpsed the future.
Seconds passed. The trance ended with a sharp intake of breath, and Hajnal quickly pulled the glove back on. Her eyes flickered with uncertainty as she met our gaze, and I saw the deep conflict there before she spoke.
"The venom doesn't transform him, but it's killing him slowly," she said softly, her voice tinged with sorrow.
Des's face fell as he looked at Alice, the pain of knowing what was coming clearly evident.
"How much time does he have left?" Des asked, his voice tight.
Hajnal hesitated, her expression darkening. "He will die at dawn on the tenth day."
Des's face twisted in disbelief. "Will he wake up?" he asked again, the question hanging heavily in the air. Hajnal shook her head, gently brushing a loose strand of hair from Alice's forehead.
"Can't... can't anything be done?" Des's voice trembled, barely holding back his anguish.
"You can save him, but it won't be easy," Hajnal answered, her tone serious. "You have to remove the venom before the tenth day is over. Only a trained mage can make an antidote."
I stood frozen, my fists clenched so tightly that my claws pressed into my palms, threatening to tear at my skin. The anger simmering inside me felt like it was about to explode. My jaw clenched so hard that my teeth ground together.
"Des..." I said, my voice low but laced with fury.
He met my gaze, and in that moment, our feelings mirrored each other—burning rage, a thirst for vengeance that, if unleashed, could consume everything in its path.
"This is war," I hissed, my voice cold and deadly.