"So let me get this straight," Amélie leaned against the kitchen counter and took a sip of her morning coffee. "There's this woman named Morrigan, who fancies herself as a 'vampire' and tells you that you have a blood that can kill their race?"
"Yes, that's exactly what what she said."
She placed her cup down. "That is the most ridiculous shit I have ever heard in my life."
"Well," Kazuo scratched his head. "I wouldn't say that it's ridiculous."
"What? You're kidding right?" Amélie folded her arms. "You believe her? This Morrigan woman is clearly mental. I think she's one of those cosplayers that's already adapted their character and forgot their own identity."
Amélie's dismissal stung, but he couldn't blame her. He'd seen it with his own eyes - the man in the fedora taking a bullet to the skull and getting back up. He wanted to believe her, to laugh it off as some cosplayer's delusion. But deep down, he knew better. The fear gnawing at his gut told him this was real, dangerously real. And if Morrigan was right about vampires, what else might be lurking in the shadows of Paris?
"I did see a man's brains blew up in front of me and got up."
"Yeah, that's just a movie effect to fool you."
He sighed and glanced at her. "I'm telling you it's real. I smelled his blood on me and saw the brains scatter on the ground. I know the smell of blood when I see it."
After finishing her coffee, Amélie washed her cup in the sink and placed it back in the drying rack. She then dried her hands with a towel. "I don't know what to tell you, Kaz. Believe what you want to believe. I don't really care. The way I see it, it's good that you got out of that woman's place. Who knows, with all those weapons around her, she maybe one of those terrorists in the news."
"Maybe. Who cares? I just want this to be over and go on with my life," Kazuo rose from his seat and adjusted his coat. He then took out his phone and glanced at the screen. "Listen," he placed his phone back into his pocket, "I got to go. I need to meet someone. I'll come back later, ok?"
"Sure. Do be careful out there."
"I will."
As he approached the door, his hand already on the doorknob, Amélie's voice called out to him, and he turned to face her.
"Call me if you need some help."
"Thanks," Kazuo replied before pushing the door open and exiting the apartment.
The morning sun glinted off the fine surfaces of passing vehicles and drones. He walked briskly, weaving through the crowd of pedestrians on the sidewalk.
After a few blocks, he reached a designated cab stop. He tapped his wrist device, and within seconds, a driverless cab descended from the sky, landing smoothly in front of him.
The door slid open with a soft hiss and Kazuo climbed in, settling into the plush seat.
"Le Pixel, near the Louvre," he said to the cab's AI.
"Certainly, sir. Estimated travel time is 15 minutes," the AI responded in a pleasant, gender-neutral voice.
The cab lifted off, joining the stream of flying vehicles above the city. Kazuo leaned back, watching the cityscape blur past the window.
He glanced at his wrist device. 13:30. He had some time before his meeting with Yuki. Pulling out his phone, he typed a quick message:
"Hey Yuki, you at Le Pixel yet?"
A moment later, his phone buzzed with a reply:
"Not yet. On my way. ETA 10 mins. See you there!"
Kazuo nodded to himself and pocketed his phone. He turned his attention back to the view outside.
As the cab flew over the Seine, his mind wandered to the events of the past day. The attack, Morrigan's revelation about vampires, the supposed special properties of his blood – it all seemed too fantastical to be true.
"Maybe Amélie was right, " he muttered under his breath. "Maybe all of this was just a dream and that Morrigan is just a cosplayer who's not right in her mind. I don't know...I don't know what to think any more."
The cab began its descent as they neared the Louvre. Kazuo straightened up, adjusting his jacket. He needed to focus. Yuki might be able to help him access the hidden files Victoria had mentioned. That was the priority now, vampire bullshit aside.
The cab touched down gently on the street. "We have arrived at your destination, sir," the AI announced. "That will be 25 euros."
Kazuo tapped his wrist device against the payment panel. "Thanks," he said, stepping out of the cab.
Le Pixel was a trendy café nestled in the heart of Paris, just a stone's throw from the Louvre. As Kazuo approached, he took in the sleek glass façade and the holographic menu floating above the entrance. Inside, patrons sat at tables with built-in screens, sipping on artisanal coffees and tapping away at their devices.
Kazuo scanned the room, looking for Yuki's familiar face. No sign of her. He checked his watch: 14:05. She should have been here by now.
He pulled out his phone and fired off a quick text: "Hey, I'm here. Where are you?"
A minute passed. Then two. Finally, his phone buzzed with a reply: "Sorry, stuck in traffic. Autonomous system glitch. Be there soon."
A glitch in the autonomous system? That was rare these days. Something felt off. Was she really stuck in traffic, or was this a sign of something more? Maybe he was being paranoid, but what if someone had gotten to her? What if 'they' knew about their meeting? He needed to stay calm, think rationally. It could be anything.
Kazuo sighed and pocketed his phone. He approached the counter, where a barista with neon blue hair greeted him.
"What can I get you?" she asked.
"Coffee, black. And... that cake looks good. I'll take a slice."
"Coming right up."
Kazuo found a table near the window, giving him a clear view of both the street and the café's interior. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched as his eyes was darting to every person who entered.
The barista brought over his order. "Enjoy," she said with a smile.
He thanked her and took a sip of coffee, enjoying its rich and smooth flavor. He then began to pick at the cake, taking a bite and savoring its sweetness. He tried to focus on the food, on the normalcy of sitting in a café, but his mind kept circling back to his friend' delay and the possibility that someone had intercepted her.
An hour crawled by. Kazuo's coffee was long gone, the cake half-eaten and forgotten. He checked his phone again: 15:10. No new messages from Yuki.
Something wasn't right. Yuki was never this late, traffic or not. He hovered over the keypad, debating what to say. Finally, he typed: "Everything okay? It's been an hour."
The reply came almost instantly: "Meet me in the back alley. I think I'm being followed."
Kazuo's stomach dropped. This was bad. Really bad. His paranoia hadn't been unfounded after all. Someone was after her, probably because of him. He should've been more careful, shouldn't have involved her. But now wasn't the time for self-recrimination. Yuki needed help, and fast. The back alley? It screamed 'trap', but what choice did he have? He couldn't leave her hanging.
He quickly texted back: "Why the alley? That's not safe. Come inside."
Another quick response: "No time. Please, just come to the alley. I'll explain everything."
Kazuo stood up, leaving a few euros on the table for the uneaten cake. He made his way to the exit, trying not to look rushed or panicked.
Outside, he circled around to the back of the café. The alley was narrow and dark, lined with dumpsters and discarded cardboard boxes.
"Yuki?" he called out. No response.
He ventured deeper.
That's when he saw it – a crumpled form lying motionless on the ground. It was Yuki, lifeless with bite marks on her neck. Standing beside her was the man with the fedora. His lips were stained with blood, which he casually wiped away with a napkin as he began to approach Kazuo with a sinister grin on his face.
It was then that he knew he was in grave danger and his instincts screamed at him to run, but his body froze in shock.
"S...Stay back," Kazuo said, scanning for a way out.
But the man didn't care and lunged forward with blinding speed, his fingers inches from Kazuo's throat. Then, a deafening bang ripped through the alley.
BANG!
The man's skull shattered into a gruesome explosion, sending chunks of flesh and fragments of bone flying in all directions. The sheer force of the impact threw him backwards and his body tumbled across the ground until it came to rest near a dumpster, blood pooling around his twisted form.
Kazuo whirled around, his ears still ringing from the loud bang. He was met with the sight of a red-haired woman holding a smoking double-barreled shotgun in her hands. Without hesitation, she grabbed his wrist and shouted, "Move your ass!" as she pulled him along with her.
They sprinted out of the alley, emerging onto a busy street where pedestrians gaped and started pointing at their direction. Some pulled out their phones, recording the spectacle.
"Where are we going?" Kazuo gasped, struggling to keep up with the woman's pace.
"Less talking, more running," she snapped.
The whine of police sirens filled the air, causing Kazuo glanced over his shoulder. He saw flying police vehicles descending from the sky, their lights flashing.
"Shit," the woman muttered, pulling Kazuo down a side street while weaving between startled pedestrians.
"Who are you?" he panted.
"Name's Siobhán. I'm with Morrigan."
"Great, another vampire?"
She snorted. "Human, actually. Well, mostly."
They turned another corner, ducking into a narrow passageway between two buildings. Siobhán finally slowed down, allowing Kazuo to catch his breath.
"What do you mean, 'mostly'?" he asked between gasps.
"It's complicated. Look, we don't have time for twenty questions. Those cops will be all over this area soon."
Kazuo leaned against the wall. "My friend... Yuki. She's dead, isn't she?"
Siobhán's expression softened. "I'm sorry. I got there as fast as I could, but..."
"Fuck!" Kazuo slammed his fist against the wall. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have involved her."
"Hey," Siobhán grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to look at her. "You can beat yourself up later. Right now, we need to get you somewhere safe."
"Where are we going?"
"Follow me. You'll see."
They moved out of the passageway, trying to blend in with the crowd on the street.
"How did you find me?" he asked as they walked.
Siobhán kept her eyes forward, scanning the area. "You remember the phone you lost and Morrigan gave you another? That's how. She sent me to shadow you."
"So you've been following me all day?"
"Yep. You're not as observant as you think, Mr. Investigative Journalist."
"And you just happened to have a shotgun on you?"
"I always come prepared. You'd be surprised how often it comes in handy."
They turned down another street, less crowded than the last. Siobhán led them to an unmarked door set into the side of an old brick building. She pressed her palm against a hidden scanner, and the door clicked open.
"Get in," she said, ushering Kazuo inside.
The interior was sparse but clean. A small living area with a couch and coffee table, a kitchenette in the corner, and a door leading to what Kazuo assumed was a bedroom.