The fire flickered, casting an orange glow over Ronni's face as she bit into a piece of meat she'd pulled from her bag. She didn't offer me any.
Granted, I no longer need to eat, but it still gives me energy.
I sighed, leaning back against the rough bark of a tree on the side of the road.
The flames danced and crackled as they flickered, warming the cool night air.
The road we were on wound through the forest, a thin, weather-worn path barely visible in the moonlight.
On either side of us, massive trees rose like silent sentinels, their long branches creating shadows that stretched across the gravel beneath our feet.
The smell of earth and wood mixed with the smoke of our campfire.
The road ahead curved toward a hill, the incline hidden from view as the path wrapped around its base.
The silhouette of a figure stood at the top, obscured by the shadows but unmistakable.
"Sister, I think we may be attacked soon."
She looked up at me, licking her fingers, unbothered. "By whom?" she asked in a snarky voice.
"Did you even use that word right?" I shook my head. "You know what, I don't care."
I let the fire burn my hand just slightly, then pulled it back and pressed it against my left eye. My vision shifted, and the future began to unfold in my mind.
"Hmm, one hunter. Probably wielding a large rifle, and he might be a magic user."
Ronni ran her fingers along her chest, then unzipped her puffer jacket with a mischievous grin. "I'll just seduce him."
Without hesitation, I focused my mana, binding her hands to her sides. "Ronni, do not test me. I will become the big brother who never lets you leave the house again."
She chuckled and fell back onto the ground, arms outstretched. "Brother, you need to learn to be less strict. You have to understand, that I'm getting older."
"You're only eighteen! You're still young!" I said, my voice tinged with exasperation.
"Brother, you're only a year older than me. Why do you act like you're some wise man?" she retorted, sitting up.
I smirked. "What's my middle name?" I asked, my hand still hovering over the fire, watching it crackle and twist.
She fell silent, eyes narrowing as she searched for an answer.
"Exactly," I muttered. "He might also be very strong physically, and he will smell good," I added, slowly pulling my hand away from the fire.
Ronni tilted her head, intrigued. "How do you do that? I've always wondered."
I glanced at her, a slight grin tugging at my lips. "Mother tried to teach you, but you never cared to learn. All you have to do is focus your mana into your eye and ask the Seeker to use his vision."
Ronni let out a dramatic sigh, clearly overplaying her annoyance. "Mother was a bad teacher.
She would make me hot chocolate and expect me to stay up reading books. It's just impossible!"
I laughed softly, finishing my vision of the future. "Ah, and finally, we will win."
Just as I spoke, the sharp crack of a bullet echoed across the air. I instinctively ducked as the shot zipped past me.
The bullet, glowing with mana, exploded on the ground just behind us, sending dirt and debris flying.
The force of the impact knocked me off balance, but I quickly regained my footing.
"He's here. Be on guard," I said, standing and drawing my silver blade from the ground. The blade caught the firelight, gleaming with a deadly shine.
A few more shots rang out, and I deflected them with my blade, the sound of metal striking metal echoing in the night.
As I made my way forward, I glanced up and saw him—standing at the top of the hill, the silhouette of the hunter illuminated by the faint moonlight.
His rifle, a long, gleaming weapon, was raised, the barrel still glowing with the residual mana from his shot.
His red marksman goggles glinted as he adjusted his aim.
I started running toward the base of the hill, my feet pounding the road. Ronni was right behind me, her movements swift as she followed.
"Do you think you'll get away?" the hunter called down, his voice carrying down the hill, filled with amusement.
I didn't answer. My blade flashed as I deflected more bullets, moving quickly to avoid the shots.
We reached the base of the hill just as the hunter took another shot, his mana-infused bullet rocketing toward us with devastating speed.
The shot landed right behind us, creating an explosion on the road as wide as a pond and as deep as a lake.
The impact shook the ground beneath us, and I barely managed to stay on my feet.
"Hey there! Don't you wanna talk? I might surrender!" I called up to him, trying to stall for time.
The hunter adjusted his goggles, narrowed his eyes, and shouted back, "Raviel, do you take me for a fool?"
"Kinda. You seemed to forget I have a sister."
With that, he turned to face Ronni, clearly making the mistake of focusing solely on me.
In that split second, Ronni, who had stopped behind me, darted forward with incredible speed.
She smacked the back of her hand against the hunter's head, sending him tumbling down the hill in a heap.
He crashed into the ground below, rolling toward me, before coming to a stop at my feet.
Ronni jumped down beside him, landing with a quiet thud, and we both looked down at the disoriented hunter, who groaned in the dirt.
"Maybe next time you'll remember we're not so easy to catch," I muttered, standing over him.
The hunter groaned beneath my boot, his goggles askew, revealing dark, hollow eyes.
He spat blood onto the ground, glaring up at me. "You think killing me will solve your problems, Raviel? There are others. Stronger. Smarter."
I pressed the tip of my blade against his throat. "And yet here you are, dead at my feet."
Ronni crouched beside him, picking up the rifle he'd dropped during his tumble. She inspected it with curiosity, running her fingers along the barrel. "It's a nice gun," she said, her tone almost casual. "But I don't think you'll be needing it."
"Ronni," I said sharply, not taking my eyes off the hunter. "Stay focused."
She sighed and stood, tossing the rifle aside with a shrug. "Fine, brother. Do what you need to do."
The hunter coughed, his expression a mixture of pain and fear. "You don't have to do this," he rasped. "I was just following orders."
I leaned in slightly, my voice low and cold. "Who gave them?"
He hesitated, his lips trembling, but he didn't answer.
I sighed. "You hunters are all the same." Without another word, I drove my blade through his neck. He choked on his last breath, and his body went limp. I wiped my blade clean on his cloak and stepped back.
Ronni wrinkled her nose as she watched the blood pool beneath him. "You didn't have to be so dramatic about it."
I shot her a glare. She grinned, raising her hands in mock surrender. "What? Just saying."
"Help me gather our things," I muttered, turning away.
We retrieved our bags from the fire's edge, where the embers still glowed faintly, their warmth barely cutting through the chill of the night.
The road stretched ahead, curving around the base of the hill where the hunter had ambushed us.
As we walked, Ronni broke the silence. "So, who do you think sent him? He knew your name."
I adjusted my bag on my shoulder, keeping my eyes on the road. "Could be anyone. I've made a lot of enemies."
She frowned. "That's not really an answer."
I sighed. "If I had to guess, one of the clans. They wouldn't risk sending an original, so they used a pawn like him instead."
"Clans, huh?" she mused. "Do you think they're after her?"
I paused for a moment before answering. "Most likely. They know she's important to me, and they know what I'm planning."
Ronni raised an eyebrow. "And you think they'll stop you?"
"They'll try," I said simply, continuing up the road.
The hill's incline grew steeper as we climbed. The air was cooler here, the faint scent of rain carried on the wind.
At the top, the road leveled out, and the forest began to thin. In the distance, faint lights flickered against the night—lanterns from a village nestled in the valley below.
Ronni caught sight of it and quickened her pace to walk beside me. "Do you think they'll have hot chocolate?"
I ignored her. "This plan to make her immortal isn't going to be easy."
She groaned. "You've said that a hundred times, brother. I get it. Eternal life is hard to come by."
I stopped walking and turned to face her, my expression serious. "Ronni, I need you to understand. There are only two ways to make this happen. The first is to find a vampire of the original rank—one of the progenitors. If one of them turns her, she'll inherit pure immortality."
Ronni tilted her head, considering. "And the second?"
I hesitated, knowing she wouldn't like the answer. "The heart of an original vampire. She'd have to eat it."
Her face twisted in disgust. "Eat it? Like… actually eat it?"
"Yes," I said bluntly. "It's not pleasant, but it would give her what she needs—immortality, pure and untainted."
Ronni crossed her arms, glaring at me. "And you didn't think to mention this earlier?"
"I didn't think I needed to," I said, starting back down the road. "Unless you'd rather she stay mortal and keep getting hunted."
She sighed, jogging to catch up. "Fine. But you owe me if I have to help with this heart business. And I'm not touching it. That's your job."
"Fair enough," I said with a faint smirk.
As we neared the village, the hum of life reached us—voices, laughter, the distant clink of metal against metal.
Smoke spiraled up from chimneys, and the warm glow of lanterns spilled onto cobblestone streets.
Ronni pulled her hood up, her usual carefree demeanor replaced by cautious curiosity.
I followed suit, my hand instinctively resting on the hilt of my blade.
"We'll rest here for the night," I said, scanning the village from a distance. "And then we keep moving."
Ronni looked at me, her expression unreadable. "Do you think anyone here might… you know, be like you?"
"Maybe," I said quietly. "If they are, we'll know soon enough."
The road dipped toward the village, and as we stepped into the lantern's light, the shadows of the forest seemed to linger behind us.
Ronni seemed to embrace the village's liveliness before speaking to me as we passed by a few open market stalls.
"I know you wish for her to gain eternal life, but there are other ways that don't involve vampires."
"I meant ways that don't require her to train or gain power on par with the gods."
I replied dryly. "I don't mean infinite power, Ronni, I mean infinite life itself."
She walked to the gates of the village and looked back, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"Brother, why not give her your heart? You're a immortal being as well?"
"You idiot," I snapped, lowering my voice as a few villagers glanced our way. "I'm only a monster."
Ronni's face straightened as she spoke. "Brother, you're going end up regretting not taming it my way."
I stopped walking and met her gaze, my tone low but firm.
"Ronni, if I feed on your blood, my curse might be lifted, but it's not like it affects me all that much."
She sighed, frustrated, and turned toward the heart of the village.
I followed close behind.
This village was real its life, its warmth but it still carried the faint, bitter scent of unease.
As I stepped through the gates, I could feel the weight of every villager's gaze.
Conversations grew hushed, and whispers followed me like shadows.
It seemed my reputation had preceded me.