"Calm down, will you? Nothing would change if you kept on freaking out. We're basically trying to find a needle in a haystack. You complaining just adds to the pressure." Karina answered, her eyes not leaving the screen either. She just had to find a tiny detail they were missing out—a tiny detail that could permit this mission. She was frustrated as well, but this kind of task needs all the focus she has. Carl patted Alice's shoulder, trying to calm her, and led her to one side to breathe. "Karina's right. We all wanted to Gardenia. We all do." Alice didn't answer. She is still opting to barge into the nearest hide out they had and find the child. That might be easier than trying to find a tiny detail that would indicate that they have a vampire in their group. Meanwhile, Karina is still trying to comb through all the CCTV footage nearby the place where the getaway vehicle was spotted, using facial recognition technology and everything that the organization has to offer. They ma
Alice was looking at her dagger the whole duration of their travel. They tracked the van that took Gardenia and found the nearest hide out where the vehicle was last seen. They suspect that it was the first place they brought their victims before sorting them out. If they were right, Gardenia wasn't the only victim they would have to rescue. The organization usually has more information than they currently have, but this was a sudden operation and a punch to the moon. Hopefully, they find the victims alive, and unharmed. "We'll find them." Klaver spoke to try to comfort Alice. Klaver hasn't talked since earlier, mostly because he was already losing hope. He is usually the pessimistic one, though he calls it being realistic. But this time, he really wishes for the best possible result of this mission. They were in a tight situation, and he knew that his words wouldn't have much weight, but he also wanted to say that it would be fine. They always find a way. This has to work. "I ho
"Why do you have to do that?" Kate asked. Alice was obviously trying to distance herself from Gardenia, despite how crazy she had been trying to rescue the child. She was even ready to lose her career just to save Gardenia. Alice looked at Kate with indifference and said, "I don't know what you're talking about." She denied the claim without blinking while they made their way outside. The disposal team is already on its way and will arrive in a minute. Their task was to make sure that there weren't any people left to rescue. They searched the basements of the house and even the other rooms for any secret rooms, but fortunately found no one else but the children, who were already safe with the other hunters. The police would come in right after the disposal team finishes cleaning up what remains of the vampire. It will be fast, as there's only one vampire among the group while the rest are all still sedated. They will wake up in a few minutes to another hour. Alice doesn't really care
"Where have you been? We were so worried." Elijah was expecting the nagging from Allen, but Louise was the one who welcomed him with anxiety and bombarded him with questions. He glanced at Allen, who was unusually quiet. Allen would be the first to know if he was in real danger. Both Allen and Louise are my blood servants now, but his bond with Allen is obviously stronger, and he knew how to navigate it. "I had something to work on." Elijah answered with a small smile. He appreciates the worry, but he is okay, physically at the least. Louise is still worried and wondering why Allen isn't saying something. He didn't mean to react like that, but he was worried like his own son had gone missing. Maybe it was the master-servant bond that urged him to feel this way. The vampire had already told him that he would have to die sooner or later and that Louise would have to take care of Louise. But he isn't ready yet! Elijah was supposed to go straight to his room, but he could feel Louise'
Allen rushed to Willow's school. He thought he was running late, but the play barely started as well. Maybe there was a problem. He wasn't sure, but he's glad he made it somehow. He lightly shook his head upon the realization of his reaction.Why was he so eager to come here anyway?He didn't reply to Willow's message, and he didn't have the responsibility to do so. But every time he thinks of Willow, all he wants to do is see that shine in her eyes again. She has the passion for her craft that he never had, and he was drawn to it.Allen stared at the stage while the actors were starting off the scene. He realized that he didn't even have an idea what the play was about. The poster was definitely placed at the doors, but he was in a hurry to check it out.He watched while trying to hear what was happening backstage, just out of curiosity. Or maybe he just wanted to hear her voice too; he isn't sure anymore."Are you sure you can do it? Why does Julius have to drink expired milk today,
"No, I mean, yes. I wanted you to see our performance, but that's not the only reason. You never really messaged me back when I gave you my number. You probably forget to save it too..."He almost flinched. He did forget to save it, but only because he rarely uses his phone. Allen also recognized the number as soon as he saw it."I don't use my phone that much." He answered, telling the truth and avoiding the claim at the same time.She looked at him with disbelief, "at this time and age, teenagers like us can't survive without phones."Allen didn't answer. She was right, except that he wasn't what she thought."You did a great job... Filling in the character, I mean. You should reconsider your career path." He changed the topic just to avoid asking about his phone.She smiled, "No thank you. I prefer working behind the scenes. That experience is crazy. What if I didn't memorize the whole play? We could have postponed it, but then we would have missed our chance. What if I mess up or m
A vampire's thirst for blood is literally endless, and it would do more harm than good if they tried to suppress it for too long. The desire for blood is strong, but that doesn't mean that all vampires enjoy the feed. The high of the bloodlust lasts for a few minutes to hours, but it's misery after that, at least for Allen, knowing that he'll have to live hurting people. It was an endless cycle. He doesn't blame Elijah for what he has become. His master had done everything to help him as well, giving him a home, providing for him, and helping him overcome his bloodlust when anyone would have probably given up on him for being problematic. She hasn't heard someone tell her that before. Willow smiled and handed him the plate of fries, saying, "You're going to eventually have a good appetite if you keep hanging out with me." Allen reciprocated the smile and ate with Willow, even though he couldn't taste anything. He didn't realize it sooner, but he has been smiling throughout their tal
She is embarrassed, but she couldn't go against Allen's order of her telling the truth. Willow shook her head, implying uncertainty instead of opposition. "That's the thing. I'm not sure either. It's also one of the reasons why I wanted you to be around. I wanted to confirm it, but I can't comprehend my feelings because I don't even know if they were mutual. I don't want to assume, because even if I hate to admit it, I was the one who made all the first moves. But aside from that, I always wonder how you've been. I always want to see and talk to you. I'm really happy with my life, I really am. But I felt happier thanks to you. At first, it was really just to thank you, but the more I spend time with you, the more I desire that we're a thing. I know it's crazy because we barely know each other, but that's how I feel. Maybe I didn't just like you... "There must be more at this point." Words continue to flow out of her lips. She wasn't expecting that she'd be confessing in the middle of
"Why are we called here?" Klaver asked as he arrived late and had no idea why they were called by Black Lotus again. Karina shrugged, "Not sure. Maybe we’ll get a new mission?" They all went inside Clarisse’s office with anticipation. None of them did anything wrong lately, so they were confident that they were not here to be scolded by their head. Clarisse took a moment to look at each of them. They even held a birthday party for Alice and Carl the other day. She saw how happy they were. It’s just a shame that Alice couldn’t live as a human, even if their circumstances had already changed. "Did we mess up again? Please don’t tell me we’d have to attend trainee classes again." Art spoke up after he couldn’t take the silence anymore. She smiled, "No. Unless you did something else I wasn’t aware of." "We haven’t broken any rules… lately." Carl promptly answered as he was tired of being reprimanded. She pointed at the envelope Alice left for her group, "I called you guys to give yo
"You need to feed." Elijah kept looking at Alice. She was pale as she refused to drink any human blood. Louise continued to alternately look at Alice and Elijah. Alice was his enemy one moment, and now she appears in their house as a vampire. She demanded to join Elijah in fighting off the purebloods, which Louise still thinks is a suicide mission, but he has no abilities to stop his master or Alice. "I’m still Alice, and my hunter pride is still intact. I’ve been alive longer than you think. I could handle this." She simply refuses to drink human blood, even if everything in her is screaming to feed. Unfortunately, even a human soul couldn’t maintain her body as a human. Her body naturally went back to its natural form right after her mind fully awakened. Her abilities came back to her almost immediately. "Why are you insisting on coming anyway?" Elijah doesn’t know how he would treat Alice now. He remembers everything, along with all the feelings that he shared with Alathea. They
"Alice, Alice, wake up." Elijah had already gotten the location from Black Lotus and also received the blood flowers he requested. He was on his way to the given location when he felt a very ominous feeling. Instead, he rushed his way towards Alice’s house and found her unconscious with the charm he had gifted her on the ground. He checked if she was still breathing before lifting her towards the bed. Elijah has been trying to wake him up for five minutes straight, but to no avail. By experience, she looked like she was remembering her memories again. He doubts that the doctors would find anything wrong if he brought her to the hospital. "Alice!" He exclaimed and finally opened her eyes, and Elijah saw her eyes turn red, as of a vampire. She gasped and lifted herself from the bed. Elijah was staring at her with complete shock in his eyes. "Who the hell turned you into a vampire?!" There was fear in his eyes. He had killed all of her past lives, but now that he didn’t have to kill h
Humans either worshiped or feared them. They called them gods, not knowing that their belief was the one that strengthened them. At the same time, losing belief in creatures like her greatly weakens them. The more people forget about them, the sooner they cease to exist. She has existed for thousands of years. Time was fleeting, and so many things have changed over time. Her existence was fueled, not by belief but by fear. No one knows what she truly was, unlike other "gods" that humans have encountered. Instead, she was born out of fear of the unknown. It morphed in her over time until she developed a taste for human blood. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t stop what she had become, like all the monsters they had imagined. Before she knew it, she became a creature that survived on human blood and fear, and yet she still fights for her own instincts whenever she can. Alathea, or at least that is what she calls herself at the present time, quickly walked on a shade to protect herself
"Why am I called at such an ungodly hour?" She complained as she entered Clarisse’s office. Black Lotus didn’t tell her the reason why she was hailed, but she hoped that it was for a great purpose. "Alice, why are you here early?" Carl asked with curious eyes. "I was called by Black Lotus. Why are you here too?" She threw back the question. Carl pointed at Clarisse’s office, "She called me too. What is up? She didn’t tell me what this was about." Alice didn’t answer and walked ahead. She was now certain that it wasn’t about Elijah. Carl wouldn’t be called if it was. "Wait for me!" He exclaimed and caught up. They both entered the office and were welcomed by on of Clarisse’s secretary. She pointed at the door, "She’s been expecting you. Feel free to head inside." Alice immediately figured out that something was happening. Still, she went ahead and opened the door. "Happy birthday!" She heard party poppers and confetti flying over her and Carl. Alice looked at them with utter co
Alice went home with a heavy heart. She had had a bad feeling since earlier. It has been a bit peaceful after the incident of them being ambushed by the old gang members of their old enemy, but deep inside her, she knew that something bad would happen. She dismissed the worry, wishing that it was just her being paranoid. Elijah already killed the newborns but the pureblood who turned the humans was still alive. "Two of them were thrown in a dumpster, and the other one was just left on the streets." She recalled the report she heard earlier. Three of their hunters were killed relentlessly by different vampires, whom she assumes were pureblood vampires. The hunters that were disposed of in the dumpster like trash were killed by a woman, while the other one was killed by another vampire. None of them were the purebloods she saw last time, but they all thought the same after seeing the footage of how the hunters were killed. It was impossible that it had been done by a newborn vampire.
Allen let out an annoyed groan after he had just pulled Louise out of the scene when he saw hunters hovering near them. Louise was still out of it because of the high of the bloodlust still rushing to every fiber of his being. "What was happening?" Louise asked. His voice is deeper than usual, but he is slowly gaining consciousness about what is happening. He clicked his tongue, "Idiot. You almost got killed. Wipe that blood off your mouth." Louise’s eyes widened, and he felt more sober after what he heard. He touched his face and realized that Allen was right about the blood on his lips. There was something about blood that the vampire’s body was constantly craving; no matter how much they consumed, it would never be enough. That is why he doesn’t even realize that he is covered in blood as his body casually hangs on for that connection. He promptly wiped his mouth clean and used all the concentration he had to calm himself. They couldn’t walk around with his eyes glowing, and he
"Why are you all here?" Alice complained after seeing the rest of her old team. Art laughed awkwardly. "You didn’t check the notice again, didn’t you?" "What was it about?" She didn’t deny it at all. It was true that she didn’t bother reading it. Carl shakes his head. He was starting to wonder how Alice hadn’t gotten herself into any danger because of her carelessness. "We were set out as a group again. Because of what happened yesterday, we were advised to be careful just in case they were planning any group attacks." Kate was the one who explained the situation. Alice frowned and was about to leave, but Karina quickly managed to stop her. "Anyone is expected to follow the notice, and was told that anyone who would abandon their group will be suspended indefinitely. I think Black Lotus added that part just for you." Alice’s smile was oozing with sarcasm, but she had no choice but to follow them around. It took them an hour to find a vampire, and it wasn’t even a newborn. Elijah
She practiced her aim and poured her heart out while running. This time, she got the rest she wanted, and no one randomly appeared to bother her training. There were trainees who saw her, but no one dared approach her. She realized that they were put into self-training because there were no availability of trainers. It has never happened before when she was still training. If one of their trainers wasn’t around, there would always be someone who would step up to help. They never got to idle like that, and it somehow worried her. She shook her head. "What would be our future with these kids?" Alice couldn’t help but sigh after watching them from a short distance. She wasn’t expecting everyone to have perfect aim, but they were just bad. Alice couldn’t take it anymore and finally stepped up to help them. They all tensed up when Alice suddenly approached them, but she quickly told them that she simply couldn’t take watching them. "Skills are useless if your stance sucks. You’ll always