Chapter 4: Bane

                      Night

Life isn't a fairy tale as almost everybody sees it.

It is a war, a battle of you against yourself, and if you’re too unlucky, you'll fight against the world.

My body was still numb as Kill quickly lifted me that day and fled me to a somehow nipa hut together with Ash. I tried to escape, but something still made me go with them.

"We saved you, but in return, you became like us, monsters," his voice echoed inside my head. I'm not yet done scrutinizing but he quickly dropped another bomb again.

"You are a vampire now, Carnelian. "

My eyes widened. As I absorbed all his words and decode it all. I couldn't help my eyes but move briskly.

The moment I let you have my blood.

Sh*t!

I suddenly felt the urge to vomit, but the contrary happened as Kill sliced his wrist with a pocket knife. Blood dripped from it, wetting the floor.

I can feel my heartbeats getting louder than a beat of a drum. My throat is getting dried.

I involuntarily wetted my lower lip.

I can feel thirst, I can smell the aroma of his blood, yet has a little bit of iron smell. But nothing changed as I feel salivated more.

I hardly swallowed the lump on my throat as he moved his wrist closer to my lips. It's like he wanted me to drink from it.

I looked at his face, it suddenly became emotionless. Then my gaze was forced again to stared at his wrist as he let it touched my lips.

As I can't resist the temptation I feel, I suck it out until I was full.

His blood tastes so savory.

I burped, as I felt satisfaction. But then I suddenly feel disgusted. I quickly stood and moved away from Kill.

"Sh*t! It couldn't be." I gulped as I held my neck then next to my lips. My eyes darted to his wrist that was already healed.

"You can't live with another blood but only mine, Carnelian," he said as he fixed his pocket knife then hide it behind his pants. "It is the mode of the contract. You are linked to me, Night."

---

I was brought back to reality as Ash sat beside me. I was now laying on a wooden bed, like a fre*king sleeping beauty but awake.

They let me napped here, and from now on too, this is my room, they said.

"Are you feeling better now?" he suddenly asked.

I forced myself to sat then rested my back to the headrest. I looked at him straight to the eye.

"Tell me I'm still a human," I said in a croaked voice. His eyes quickly became soft, he was about to speak but someone interrupted.

"Stop daydreaming, Carnelian!" someone shouted from nowhere.

My forehead quickly wrinkled as my eyebrows almost crashed to each other.

"I'm not talking to you, Bane!" I shouted back. Well, I got to thank my memory for remembering his full name.

Killix Bane, a too-cursed name.

I smirked. Imagine someone naming you Kill, then your surname is Bane, which means the cause of ruin.

I chuckled.

"Is there anything funny?"

My eyes darted their glance to Kill who was now standing in front of me. He was holding a soup that he was preparing the whole time. He handed it to me, which I quickly snatched.

It's a grace!

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about your name." I shrugged off my shoulders then blew some air to the soup. As it was all ready to eat, something suddenly goes into my mind. "Please tell me it doesn't have a poison." My face twitched.

"Well, it doesn't have your blood, so there is really nothing to worry about." He smirked as he rested his body on the nearest wall.

I cleared my throat as I combed my hair to lessen the annoyance I feel. In my peripheral, I saw Ash glaring at Kill.

As my brain can't think of any savage reply, I forcedly ate the spoonful of his soup then made a face.

I continued to eat not minding their presence. But as their eyes can't take off on me even a second, I stopped.

"Let me eat, dudes!" I shouted that made them both shook their heads then averted their glances somewhere then leave.

Hours passed and all I did was just laying on the bed. As I thought that this will accompany me the whole time, I was wrong.

Someone just knocked on our door, almost discreetly, but continuosly. Yet Ash and Kill quickly entered my room, running, as their faces suddenly deteriorated.

They both looked at me with an alarmed face. I arched my brow, I was about to spoke but Kill hastily ran towards me then cover my mouth with his palm. He shushed me as he whispered something in my ear.

He suddenly lifted me but I can't even react because of the words that he whispered. He placed me outside the nipa hut, taking the back route, then sprayed something all over my body.

Then he returned, leaving me behind. I roamed my gaze all over the place but darkness won't allow me to see clearly.

I forced myself to find the way to the nipa then as I finally reached it. I sneaked to the small hole near the window.

I saw Ash opened the door and Kill laying on the sofa, pretending to be asleep.

It is maybe weird but I can hear them clearly, their footstep, and their breathing.

I closed my eyes.

Maybe I'm really a monster.

I sighed.

I opened my eyes as I heard someone's footsteps and a presence that differs from the presence of the two dudes.

A lady entered the house then shouted in a form of a whisper, "Kill!" her voice radiated agony.

I was surprised when Kill quickly jumped off from laying then almost became a statue staring at her.

"Ciara?" his eyebrows took a higher position on his forehead.

My eyebrow arched.

Who is she?

The lady ran to Kill and hugged him tightly. My eyes widened as my mouth became agape. I looked at Ash, but his reaction is also the same as mine.

The lady named Ciara buried her head on Kill's neck. She's clutching Kill's shirt so tight that she's almost tearing it.

"H-help me Kill, I'm already tired of being on our f-father's grip," the lady whispered between her sobs. Her breathing wasn’t also normal as what I heard. She buried herself more to Kill.

Do they have the same father? Could it be possible that she is his sister he's talking about?

I forced myself to watch them. To understand them more.

"I already have a plan, don't worry."

He cut their hug as he faced the lady and held her chin. Now that I saw her face, she somewhat looked like Kill.

"B-but h-he wants to kill you."

The lady's voice struck my head like a lightning. My eyes widened at her words.

Does their father want to kill Killix?

Kill hugged the lady. He combed her hair and massaged her back. "He already wants to kill me even I'm still inside our mother's womb," he said then murmured a shh.

"Even then, I know he loathes me to death. He always wants to end my life every time he has a chance. And I know right now too, Ciara," he whispered as a menacing smirk plastered all over his face.

"You're a trap."