"In the delicate balance between predator and prey, even the darkest heart can harbor the sweetest rose, a testament to the complexity of love and survival."
- Roses and Blood
Trigger Warning: This chapter depicts graphic violence, including death, suicide, torture, and massacre. Reader discretion is advised
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"Thomas, this is urgent. Get me any comms relay under the Sanctuary. Track my location immediately. Nightbringer situation here. Repeat, Nightbringer situation here! Get me help, now!"
Panic clawed at my throat. I fumbled for my phone, my fingers shaking as I dialed Thomas. He was my only lifeline, the only one who knew which emergency services, if any, were connected to the Sanctuary in situations like this.
I had no idea who to call, what services functioned in this country, let alone within the Sanctuary's jurisdiction.
I glanced at the mother and daughter. The young woman was still in shock, her eyes vacant, as if unable to process what she'd just witnessed.
I didn't speak to them right away. Any questions I asked now would be met with blank stares or incoherent replies. They needed time to absorb the horror of what had just happened.
I saw the mother trying to comfort her daughter, who sat silently, tears streaming down her face, as if she'd committed some terrible sin.
We're in a warehouse, just off the road, but the area is desolate. No houses nearby, only a dense forest pressing against the building. It's here, in this forsaken place, that I followed the Nightbringers earlier.
I want to erase their memories of the attack, but the investigators will surely question the sudden blank in their minds. Bloodborn Emberkins don't possess such abilities.
Minutes tick by, and then two patrol cars and an ambulance screech to a halt in front of the warehouse. A sleek black car, undoubtedly Thomas', trails behind.
Officers surge from the police vehicles, their faces etched with grim determination. Paramedics, too, rush towards the mother and daughter, their concern palpable. Two officers approach me.
I study their features, trying to gauge their intentions.
One is human, the other, an Emberkin.
"Where are the bodies?" one of the officers demands firmly.
I glance at his name tag—Salvador.
Extending my hand, I introduce myself. "Good evening, Sir Salvador. Zephyr Ramirez, Emberkin. Originally from the Mediterranean region, specifically Spain. I apologize for dispatching the Nightbringers so quickly; the mother and daughter were on the verge of becoming victims of their bites, so I acted out of necessity. The bodies are inside the warehouse, completely decayed..."
He studies me for a long moment before offering a smile and shaking my hand.
"No problem, Zephyr. Thank you..." He nods and heads into the warehouse to follow the other officers, while one approaches the mother and daughter to speak with them.
.
.
.
.
.
"If you hadn't acted quickly to save that mother and daughter, they would have been the second case tonight," Thomas says.
I turn to him, my eyebrows knitting together.
"What happened?"
We don't linger there long, as the officers allow us to leave fairly quickly. Thomas drives while I sit beside him.
We're on our way to my condo.
"They found three bodies in a hospital—one doctor and two nurses," he recounts.
"That's what the investigators confirmed."
I listen intently.
"They were all found naked on a floor under renovation in the hospital," Thomas continues.
My mind races back to the three Nightbringers I encountered earlier.
Their clothing...
It all clicks into place now.
The Nightbringers I killed were young-looking Bloodborns, and I'm confident they're the ones behind the murder of those three professionals Thomas just mentioned.
It's sickening to think they used their uniforms as a disguise.
Fucking evil.
"How old were the victims?" I ask, already piecing together the puzzle.
"The doctor was in his 40s, the nurses both 32. All had those telltale double puncture wounds," Thomas replies, eyes still on the road. "Why?"
"Because the three Nightbringers I took out earlier were wearing nurse and doctor uniforms," I state, a slow grin spreading across my face. "Think the Sanctuary investigators will have a breakthrough tonight?"
He glances at me, a look of dawning realization on his face. "Wait... you're saying...?"
"Bingo," I confirm, leaning back with a smirk. "The investigators won't have much to do tonight."
"You're unbelievable," he chuckles, giving my arm a friendly punch. "Seriously, you're amazing."
A moment later, a chilling thought hits me. "Those Nightbringers... they're focusing on young Bloodborns, aren't they? That kid earlier... seventeen years old." I shake my head, the horror of it sinking in.
"Yeah," Thomas says grimly. "The Sanctuary believes younger Bloodborns are stronger, more potent. That's why they're prime targets." His voice is low, filled with a grim understanding of the situation.
Elehiya's image flashes in my mind.
She, too, is a Bloodborn—a vampire who was once human. It's true that being turned at a younger age makes you stronger than those transformed later. That's why Elehiya is so violent and incredibly skilled in close combat. Even after all my training with her, I struggle to keep up. She's quick, agile, and deadly.
Sometimes she loses control, especially when she's furious or craving blood. That's why, when I left this country, I took her with me to Spain. She's been my constant companion through every relocation, a necessary step to help her adjust to her new life as an immortal.
I grab my phone.
I check the message she sent two hours ago. It's her address.
"Thomas," I say, tapping him on the shoulder while he focuses on driving.
"Yeah?" he replies, glancing at me.
"Can you drop me off at Silverleaf Ridge tomorrow after class?"
"Where's that?" he asks, turning slightly to look at me.
I pull up Elehiya's message on my phone. "It's at 123 Silverleaf Ridge Drive, South Taguig."
"Got it," Thomas nods. "What time's your last class?"
I switch to my home screen, where my class schedule is set as my wallpaper. "My last class is from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m."
"Cool," he says. "I'll be there at 3:30."
"Thanks, Thomas," I smile. "I really appreciate it."