Chapter 1 - Encounter

    "We meet again Gretel," giit ng lalaking nasa harap ni Gretel. Nasa likod ng lalaki ang mga kasama nito.

    "Yeah, yeah. We meet again uh... Ano nga ulit ang pangalan mo?" mala sarkastikong tanong ni Gretel sa kanya. Umigting ang panga ng lalaki at mas lalo siyang nainis dahil tumawa si Gretel.

    "Kung gulo ang gusto mo, next time nalang hah. Wala kasi ako sa mood." Umirap si Gretel. Hahakbang na sana siya paalis ng biglang hatakin ng lalaki ang balikat niya.

    "What?" giit niya habang matalim na tinititigan ang kaharap niyang lalaki.

    "I want to fight again."

    "Hah?"

    "But I want a fair fight," dagdag pa ng lalaki. And in a blink of an eye, agad na sumugod ang lalaki kay Gretel gamit ang kanyang kamao.

    "Huy, dito pa talaga!" she said after she avoided the man's fist. Sabay sabay silang sumugod kay Gretel.

    Walang magawa si Gretel, kaya go with the flow lang siya, as usual. Sipa at suntok ang mga atake niya, at natatamaan niya rin ang mga lalaki. Hindi siya natamaan o nasaktan. Naging excited pa nga siya sa nangyayari sa kanya ngayon.

    "Ang titigas talaga ng ulo niyo, hah!" Isa isang bumagsak ang mga lalaki sa lupa. Ngumisi si Gretel nang makita ang mukhang talo nilang mukha. Puno ng pasa at sugat.

    "Bwisit!" siigaw ng lalaking hindi makaupo dahil sa sakit na dinadarama nito.

    "Yan... Yan napala niyo. Kala mo kung sino malakas, eh siya naman pala ang talo. Oh gusto niyo ba ng round 2?" She boasted and laughed as she saw the others run away quickly.

    "Kainis!" Inis na inis ang lalaking natira, hindi siya makatayo kaya mas lalo siyang nainis.

    "Hmph! Buti nga sayo." She patted her black school blazer as she turned around and walked away.

    After the fight, pumunta siya sa Rejo Caffè upang maka pag pahinga siya. Nakakapagod naman kasi makipag suntukan. Pero sanay na siya. Lumaking basagulera si Gretel, pero mula siya sa isang sikat at malaking pamilya ng Velasquez.

    She opened the door and entered the Caffè, dumeretso siya sa counter at sinalubong siya ng isang matangkad at maamong lalaki.

    "I need some red."

    "Coming right up!"

    Umiling na lamang si Gretel at umupo sa pinaka sulok ng Caffè. She recklessly wore out her wig and put it on beside her.

    "Uy, uy, baka may makakita sayo," saad ng lalaki. Dala niya ang order ni Gretel habang naglalakad patungo sa kanya. She just rolled her eyes at him.

    "Here's your 'red'... sweet," he said after he sat down on the chair, facing her.

    "Thanks, and don't call me sweet, Rejo." Kinuha ni Gretel ang black container na order niya. She opened it to check if it's a real 'red' or not.

    "Smells nice and... sweet." Sabay silang tumawa.

    "Oh shut up!"

    "Napa away ba?" Rejo grinned as he leaned his back on the chair. He smirked when he knew the answer by just staring at the look on her face.

    "You don't have to always ask me Rejo, you know me." Gretel takes a sip of her 'red' drink.

    "Put your wig on, I sense someone is coming." Rejo stood up and went to the counter. She then immediately put her wig back on her head.

    "Good day!" Rejo greeted the customers. She leaned on the chair as she took a sip of her 'red' drink.

    Hmm...Humans... While sipping her drink, she stared at those humans, especially their neck.

    Ano kaya ang lasa nila? Sweet or bitter?

    She stopped when someone called her on her phone.

    "Gutom ka talaga. Alam ko na kung ano ang iniisip mo!" She glared at Rejo with a smirk on his face.

    "Tsk."

    What's the problem with this guy? She answered the call and a very loud voice almost shattered her ears!

    "Heeelllooooo Sisteeerr!"

    "La myerda! Lower down your voice Claud."

    "Young sis, don't be angry! Napaka astig talaga ang bagay na ito na gawa ng mga tao. Ano nga ulit ang tawag sa bagay na'to?" Napakamot nalang siya sa ulo nang tumawa ang kapatid nitong si Claud.

    "You've said that a hundred times, Kuya. And I know that you know it's a phone." She lowered her voice when humans and other creatures were looking at her.

    "Oo na, ikaw na ang bida. Well, by the way we have some good news for you so, GO BACK HOME NOW OR I'LL FEED YOU TO THE WOLVES OF THE NORTH!" his brother shouted on the phone and laughed at the end and ended the call. Leaving his sister shocked.

    "Ridiculous." She then stood up and went to the counter.

    "Ang ingay ng kuya mo. Oh, uuwi ka na ba?"

    "Yes, Rejo." Bahagyang ngumiti si Gretel at ngumiti rin si Rejo sa kanya. They just smiled at each other to say goodbyes. Because vampires like them must not say the word 'Goodbye' if they're parting ways or just leave. It is said that when the other one says goodbye to the other, he/she will die and turn into ashes after 1 or 2 days. The elders say it's a curse of a witch. She went out to go home.

    "What a curse." Rejo sighed as he looked at Gretel, walking outside.

    "Well, at least the sun can't turn us into ashes anymore," dagdag pa niya.

    While walking outside, Gretel takes a sip of her drink. Is this a new taste of 'red'? She enjoyed drinking it not until someone bumped into her.

    Her 'red' drink was spilled on her uniform. Especially on her white polo and a little bit on her face. Gulat na gulat ang nakabangga sa kanya na nasa harapan niya.

    "What the hell are you drinking?!" The man looked shocked and panicked as he looked at Gretel. He looks ready to run away and report to the ministry.

    Hindi makapagsalita si Gretel. Parang na estatwa siya o binuhusan ng malamig na tubig. But, she immediately wiped of the red stain on her uniform. Buti nalang, walang tao o nilalang sa lugar, kundi sila lang.

    "It's h-human b-blood. Oh, Lord Dra-"

    "It's not what you think!"

    "No! It's forbidden. I must kill you before you turn into a monster!" Even though the man looked angry, but inside he's scared. He's scared that at any moment, she will turn into monster and kill him.

    "Ano-" Kaagad na umilag si Gretel sa atake ng lalaki. He then attacked again and all Gretel can do is to avoid his attack and defend herself against him.

    She then attacked his weak point by kicking it. Bumagsak ang lalaki at namilipit sa sakit. Bago pa man siya makatayo ay kaagad na tumakbo si Gretel.

    "Papatayin talaga kita!" the man shouted. Nawala ang kanyang takot at kaagad na bumalik ang lakas nito, well he's a vampire who can bring he's energy back in any second.

    As Gretel run as fast as she can, she stopped and immediately hide at the big and tall tree beside her. She's in the forest, she gasped as she saw the man.

    Ang bilis niya! Bwesit. Ilang milya lang ang layo ng Mansion. I'll surely make it. 

    "Wait, where did he go?" she said silently. She stayed there for a while. Hahakbang na sana siya paalis nang biglang sakalin siya ng lalaki.

    "Urgh!" Namilipit sa sakit si Gretel habang sinasakal siya ng lalaki. Pilit siyang kumawala.

    "Hahaha. Huli ka!" He laughed as he throttle her neck roughly.

    "H-how dare you!" Gretel's dark side slipped out. She then used her strength to break his hands. She became serious, blank.

    "Urgh" Nagulat ang lalaki sa lakas ni Gretel. All he can feel is pain on his hands. It's like she's breaking his bones into pieces.

    "Stop it!" Walang magawa ang lalaki kundi tigilan ang pagsakal kay Gretel. She's now in control.

    "You asked for it." She glared at him as she slowly twisted his hands, breaking his wrist and bones.

    "Arrrghhh! Tama na!" The man looked very scared and in pain. He can't even look at her eyes. It was like, his facing death.

    Gretel kicked his abdomen with her great strength. The man was thrown on the trunk of the tree. "Urgh!" He's in pain. His backbones were shattered into pieces as he dropped on the ground.

    Gretel laughed evily. She walked towards him. All he can do is go backwards, he can't run because of pain.

    "Hindi pa ba to sapat?!" buong tapang niyang sigaw kay Gretel. Alam niyang hindi siya papatayin ng babaeng kaharap niya ngayon. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya nang inumin ni Gretel ang natitira pang red drink.

    "Sorry for that, don't worry hindi kita papatayin." She then squatted onto the ground and glared at him.

    "What are you gonna do?"

    "Relax, I'm not gonna rape you! Geez..."

    "Tsk."

    "Listen, I'm just gonna tell you that I'm not drinking human blood nor any blood of a living organism. It's just my medicine to keep me calm. Look, naging mabait ako ngayon nung ininom ko yun. Tell me, did I look like a monster, kanina?"

    He was hesitant to answer her question." Y-yes, it's like you went berserk." His black eyes focused on hers.

    "Really? But, please... Don't tell anyone about me or about this red thing. Gather your energy and leave immediately. Forget about what happened, forget about me." He nodded and avoided her gaze. Then she stood up and walked away.

    All can Gretel do is to lie. She don't know if it is a human blood or not. Hindi niya alam kung bakit pinagkatiwalaan niya ang lalaki. All she knows is to follow her instincts, that is to trust him.

    On another hand, the man stayed there for a while so that his energy could go back to his body. He was thinking of her. Like, who is she? And what is her name?

    But all he knows is that she used super strength. A strength that can surpass any vampire. It means, it's a power possessed by one of the vampire families here in Seville.

    Don't tell me she's a Velasquez?

    "I have to ask the twins later."