1

Sweat drips down the side of my head. The world feels like it’s spinning uncontrollably, with no end in sight.

“A… vampire…?” a voice whispers out from behind.

I want to turn around to check on Cynthia, but I can’t peel my eyes away from this creature. In return, the vampire stares back at me.

Her eyes are like a curious child who’s experiencing something new for the first time. She doesn’t seem to be at all bothered by the fresh blood plastered all over her hands, feet, and mouth.

Does it not know what it’s doing? How is that possible?

A vampire.

Surely… surely that means someone bit her. Eating corpses, drinking blood… it shouldn’t be normal for anyone.

My legs don’t move.

I’ve hunted countless vampires before… So why can’t I do the same for this one?

The sound of skin gripping against wood behind me draws my attention. In the next instant, there’s a metallic click, one that I’m all too familiar with.

Air is cut around me as a metallic scythe comes into view. Despite walking forward, Cynthia’s shoes make no noise. The vampire can clearly see us, and yet Cynthia’s moving like the creature has its back turned on us.

Even when presented with tantamount amounts of danger, the vampire doesn’t move an inch.

“Cynthia…”

My arm tries to reach out to her, but it flops back to my side pathetically. Cynthia, on the other hand, keeps walking forward, her war scythe primed for battle. Only after I tilt my head do I notice her murderous gaze.

The look that she’s carrying with her.

It means she’s going to kill that creature.

But I’m not relieved.

I should be. That’s a human-eating monster.

A plague to humankind, one that should be exterminated like every other virus in the world.

So why? Why does my chest feel like it’s getting squeezed when I look into those crimson red eyes?

“⸺!”

Finally noticing the danger in front of her, the vampire scuttles backwards. The puddle of blood surrounding her splashes all over the place. The wet surface, combined with her panicked state, causes her to flop onto the ground like a fish.

Every time she gets up, she gets knocked back down.

“Good. This’ll be an easy hunt,” Cynthia says dully.

There isn’t a hint of malice or fear. She’s like a machine that’s been bred only to do one thing.

One predator.

One prey.

One spectator.

Cynthia raises her weapon high up into the sky. The metallic edges groan as they hit the open air. I might be imagining things, but it looks like the weapon itself is smiling, as if waiting excitedly for the kill.

My heart feels like it’s getting pulled from every direction.

Why? I haven’t felt this towards any vampire or any non-human creature before.

“S-Sorry,” the vampire says in a shaky voice.

Even though she spoke the same language as us, it’s clearly broken and unrefined. It’s most likely just a survival tactic, but if she knows English, does that mean she was actually infected?

The words seem to fall on deaf ears as Cynthia starts her weapon swing.

I take a micro-step forward.

Before I can act, the girl lets out a guttural scream, disorienting both me and Cynthia. Using this short moment of distraction, the vampire bursts into a sprint across the empty market.

“Come back!” Cynthia immediately sprints after her. The silhouettes of both the vampire and my partner quickly vanish as they leave the light’s grace.

“...”

I don’t know what to do.

What should I be doing here?

I’m lost. I know I need to kill her. But for some reason, I also want to save her.

Am I the crazy one for thinking like this? Am I a bad person for wanting to save a vile creature? Creatures known to torture, infect, and murder humans on a daily basis. Do they really deserve mercy?

“Dad… please answer me.”

My lips quiver. I place both my hands together into a ball and hang my head.

“What do I do…? What should I do?!”

Everything feels like it’s crumbling apart. I should be glad Cynthia is taking the initiative here for me, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to let her kill that vampire. Is it because she looked like a kid?

It has to be…

Yes. That has to be the reason. Why else would I sympathize with a vampire?

All I have to do is close my eyes. Focus on prayer. It’ll be over soon. Any second now, Cynthia is going to pop out from the shadows with a bloody scythe. Our mission can continue, and I don’t have to think about this ever again.

Ever. Again.

Just as my resolve starts to iron itself out, I hear a loud crash coming from the distance.

“⸻!!!”

Like activating a sleeper agent, I immediately burst into a sprint. The cool air slams against my face like a moving truck. Every breath I take into my lungs feels like it’s been put into a blender.

“⸺GHK! I’m so stupid! So stupid!” I scold myself for doing something so absolutely stupid. That scream didn’t belong to Cynthia. I know her squeals all too well by now. Since there’s nobody else in this building, it can only belong to one other creature.

I might be her partner, but even she might not forgive me for this one. I’m going against the Holy Church, and for what? To make me feel better about myself? So I wouldn’t have the guilt of killing a child?!

She’s not a child. She’s a vampire. I know that.

But I can’t help but keep running!!!

Fading into view is Cynthia, who has her weapon raised against the vampire once more. There’s a large crater in front of her, most likely caused by her slamming the scythe.

Her prey is backed up against a wall, curled up with her hands on her head. At this rate, I won’t be able to make it.

I have my gun… no. I’m not shooting Cynthia. So the best I can do right now…

“CYNTHIA!!!”

Spinning her torso, Cynthia’s emotionless face transforms into one of absolute shock.

“Huh?! Rom?!”

Good. This is the distraction I needed.

I zoom past her. She doesn’t try to stop me.

She most likely thinks I want to finish the job. I’m sorry, but that’s not happening quite yet.

I reach my arms out, wrapping them around the girl’s torso. With one swift movement, I manage to lift her up from the ground and start carrying her away from where Cynthia’s standing.

“Wai—! WHAAAT?!”

Keep running.

The vampire digs her head into my ribcage like a scared child. There’s nowhere else to go but outside. Thankfully, the moonlight in the distance gives me enough information to know where the exit is.

My breath is ragged, and it feels like my legs are about to slide right off my body. Despite the lower half of my body gradually losing strength, my arms are still wrapped tightly around the vampire as if she were my own daughter.

Stupid! Stupid!

Clenching onto my shirt tightly, the girl lets out a sad whimper.

Gritting my teeth, I leap over a row of unused baskets sprawled across the floor. The building may have seemed like it was unending when we were walking, but running is a different story entirely.

As my shoes scrape against the pavement, moonlight bathes us in its glorious presence. Still holding the vampire, I lean forward, letting out desperate gasps for air with sweat pouring from every crevice of my body.

Slowly, my breathing starts to ease up.

Just as I’m about to check on the vampire, the sound of metal scraping against stone snaps my attention back.

From the shadows of the market emerges Cynthia.

She’s looking straight at me. Unlike me, she doesn’t seem to be out of breath in the slightest. Normally, I wouldn’t be either with this level of physical exertion, but for some reason, tonight is different.

Each step she takes makes me want to curl up into a ball.

Our eyes meet. There isn’t a single glimmer of life hidden behind them. She’s looking at me like one would look at someone they despised. Compared to her cool and calm attitude, I probably seem like a coward.

“Hey,” she asks with furrowed brows.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Her tone is laced with absolute fury.

If I don’t choose my words carefully, she might kill me.

Swallowing hard, my mind races faster than it ever has before. There isn’t a world where I outrun or outmatch her. My only ally are the words that I’ve been granted to speak, even if it’s momentary.

“Cynthia…” I call out to her, tightening my hold on the vampire.

I can’t lie. She’ll see right through me.

The best thing I can do now is tell the truth.

If she doesn’t accept what I have to say, then I’ll have to live with my choice.

“Cynthia, wait!”

Despite my desperate cries, she doesn’t stop.

My legs wobble ever so slightly.

The more I try to force breath down my throat the more I want to collapse.

“Cynthia, stop!”

She’s thirty feet away from me now.

Biting my lower lip, I put down the girl wrapped around my body. As I place her on the ground, she looks up at me in fear. Glittering clear liquid is streaming down her cheeks. Her slender arms are quaking uncontrollably.

Leaning down, I whisper into the vampire’s ear.

“Stay close to me.”

I don’t know whether or not it can understand me, but I might as well try.

If she leaves my side, she’ll be executed within a fraction of a second. Close quarters is Cynthia’s main domain. I’m not so stupid as to expect to win.

Pivoting my heels, I turn back to Cynthia. She’s approximately ten feet away from me now. I straighten my back as much as I can and puff out my chest. My right arm moves backwards, getting a hold of the vampire’s arm.

It’s dangerous to turn my back on a vampire. I know this better than anyone. And yet, I can’t stop myself.

Cynthia stops dead in her tracks.

“Explain yourself.”

Her sudden halt gives me a chance to finally catch a breath of relief.

Then, standing firm, I fire back.

“You can’t kill her. Not yet.”

“Haah?!” Cynthia’s entire face contorts in disgust.

“Have you lost your mind? You DO know what that thing behind you is, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“Then get out of my way. We’ve worked together for years now, so I’ll let this entire thing slide if you do the right thing.”

“I… I can’t.”

“Can’t? Or won’t?”

I stare at her dead in the eyes.

“Both.”

“Cynthia, that corpse was already dead. It looked like it was rotting for a few hours now. Besides, there were no claw marks or bites. She wasn’t the one that killed that man.”

There’s a click. She removes the long wooden handle of her weapon, transforming her war scythe into a curved armblade, and points its tip at my chest.

“I don’t care if she’s the one that killed that man or not. She drinks blood, has sharp fangs, and looks like a human. That’s a vampire. If she didn’t kill that man earlier, then she’ll kill someone later.”

“Vampires are sinners. Our job is to get rid of sinners.”

I shoot back, “Our job isn’t to get rid of sinners. It’s to prevent the sin from growing. If we went around killing a bunch of sinners, we might as well start with each other first! Nobody’s free from sin. Your way of thinking is wrong and you know this.”

She clicks her tongue. “Are you stupid? That’s a vampire. They’re evil to the core. If that creature really was human, why was it eating a human corpse?”

“I never said she was human,” I furrow my brows. “Vampires can’t survive without blood. You were with me this entire time. There are no animals or humans around. She was probably just hungry.”

“There’s no difference between us eating meat and her…”

I stop myself. What am I even saying?

“Do you hear yourself? Why are you so dead set on trying to save this vampire? You’ve never had a problem before, so why are you hesitating now? Is it because they’re a little girl? If that’s the case, close your eyes. I’ll make it quick.”

She takes a step forward.

Every crevice of my body is telling me to step aside. It knows danger when it sees it. Even so, I can’t do what it’s asking me to do.

“Stop… stop!” my voice cracks.

Cynthia halts, letting out a disappointed sigh.

“What would God say?”

A simple string of words from her is enough to reignite my adrenaline. She probably thinks she’s getting the upper hand in this argument, but she just gave me a win on a silver platter.

“He’d forgive her.”

“Because Father is graceful. If she repented, she’d get accepted.”

“Isn’t that the case for all humans, animals, and living beings?”

“Rom. Move.” she grits her teeth.

Quietly shoving my hand into my pocket, I grip my gun.

“You’d go THAT far? To save an unsaveable creature?”

“Fine, Rom. Let me tell you something.”

“Let’s say she’s a great vampire, the nicest vampire you’ve ever met in your life. Sure, let’s say she was only feasting on the man. A man who is someone’s son, who is probably someone’s father. She was feasting on a human body for the sake of survival. Let’s say that.”

“Have you seen any other humans around? Have you seen any other animals around? So what happens after you convince me not to kill her? She either runs away and finds fresh prey who might or might not be another human.”

“Or we take her with us, and she has the chance of becoming frenzied, attacking us instead.”

“If we keep our guard up, I guess we’ll be able to protect ourselves. But have you thought about what would happen if we’re distracted in a fight, and she happens to get the jump on us? Have you thought about the consequences for even a second?”

…

My heart stings. Not because she’s wrong, but quite the contrary.

“It’s a sin to drink blood. It’s a sin to kill. Which is why I’m going to get rid of the root first, so that the sins cannot be committed. Tell me, do you have a problem with that?”

I gulp. “If a sin hasn’t been committed, then she’s not a sinner. We can’t kill her based solely on the fact that she’s a vampire! Someone’s existence isn’t a sin.”

“Okay,” she places a hand on her hip. “What about the feeding problem then? How will you keep her satisfied enough to keep her on a tight leash? Actually, isn’t she a vampire? She can’t even venture out during the day. What kind of life is that?”

“If you want to take the sympathy route, it’s far better if we end its pathetic suffering right here, right now.”

I’m frozen solid. No matter which route I take from here, I won’t be able to come out on top of her arguments. It’s clear that she’s thought about this kind of scenario for a long time. Hate tends to bring out our most strategic side.

“I’m not saying you’re wrong…” I murmur.

“But… I’m asking you to trust me.”

“You’re right. She is dangerous. I don’t have a guarantee that we’ll be entirely safe either. Which is why I’ll take responsibility. If she attacks us, I’ll be the one to take the bite. You can kill her, and then me.”

“Rom, you are the dumbest person I’ve met. Why would I willingly accept this? So in the worst case scenario I not only finish what I started, but I also have to kill someone I’ve come to call a close friend? I don’t want to lose you, not one bit.”

“Then please trust me. Trust me that I won’t let you down. I haven’t in five years, and I don’t intend on starting now.”

“Let me take care of this. The D.D.A. has a cure for vampirism, right? As long as we get out of here the moment our mission ends, we should be okay. Please, please trust me.”

She moves her gaze from me to the vampire, who seems to be peeking out, half her face from behind my body. Slowly, she begins to move forward, her grip tightening on the weapon’s handle.

I knew it. She won’t be convinced that easily.

“P-Please…” the vampire speaks again. Her high-pitched, child-like voice makes me want to shield her even more. There isn’t a guarantee that she’s putting on an act in order to survive, but I can’t in good conscience let a child die.

With a hitched breath, I shift my body just enough to be face-to-face with Cynthia again. Even after all that, her expression hasn’t changed one bit.

“Please. Please, Cynthia.”

“I know you trust me. Please let me do the right thing. I promise I’ll be okay. I promise.”

The air around us feels like it has come to a sudden halt.

We’re only five feet apart, but it feels like an unending void.

Seconds turn into minutes.

During that time, my legs beg to be released from their stationary state. Nerves across my body itch to release tension. But no matter how hard it gets, I stand my ground as best as possible.

I can see her jaw clenching through her skin.

With her eyes locked firmly with mine, she says lines that freeze my heart for a split second.

“Make no mistake, Rom. I care for you, but I don’t for her. I’ll choose you over her every time. If she flinches in a way I don’t like, I’ll splatter her guts everywhere. Do you understand?”

I nod rigidly.

As much as I want to loosen her resolve, I should be satisfied with what I got. Beggars can’t be choosers. I should be lifting my arms in joy at the fact that she’s being this lenient.

The Testament Cynthia Marowell.

Hunter for the Church who’s known for her unwavering hatred for sinners. Every mission we had together, we were in sync like our minds were connected. I still don’t know why I’m going out of my way to save a vampire.

I wish I did. But what’s done is done.

Letting out a sharp sigh of relief, I look down at the vampire still cowering behind me. I get on my knees, gently reaching out for her shoulders. As if scared by me, she recoils backwards.

Even though I’m not looking at her, I still feel Cynthia’s burning gaze at the back of my head.

This is bad. If she’s this attentive the entire time, there’s no telling what might trigger Cynthia’s bloodthirsty tendencies. I might be imagining it, but I’m pretty sure she got ready to slice the vampire apart.

Lowering my arms, I ask, “D-Do you have a name?”

The vampire breathes heavily. Her eyes are colored with fear, with tears still streaming down her cheeks. Despite having backed away a bit, I can still see her trembling from head to toe.

“E… E…” she says, as if forcing herself. Each time a word comes out of her mouth, she lunges forward.

I want to tell her that she doesn’t need to force herself. But I find myself in the same dilemma of not being able to speak.

“E… E…”

Cynthia clicks her tongue behind me, clearly unsatisfied with what’s happening. I hear the soles of her boots rubbing against the pavement. Then her steps grow more and more distant.

She must have realized her presence was suffocating.

Turning my head slightly, I watch as her silhouette leaves our immediate vicinity. Only then does the girl speak clearly. Her voice is still shaky, but it’s also laced with a calmness I can’t describe. No, it’s not calmness, it’s hopelessness.

The moment she says her name, it repeats in my brain nonstop.

“Evi.”

2

Evi…? It’s a name I haven’t heard at all. It’s definitely not from these parts of Mexico. If I had to guess, it most likely originates somewhere in Europe.

“Evi. Rosenthaal.”

She talks in fragments, like she’s struggling to piece two words together. The pause in between⸺I’ve seen it in foreigners before, but since she seems to have basic knowledge, I’ll just have to talk a bit slower.

“I’m Rom Sivongsa.”

“She’s…” I turn to Cynthia, who has her back turned on me. I stare at that back dully for a second, a rush of unease spreading across my body rapidly.

“She’s Cynthia Marowell.”

“Um. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

She nods, wiping away the last of her tears from her face. I give her a gentle smile, or as gentle as I can manage in a situation like this.

Our eyes meet. I don’t know what to say to her.

It’s not like she’s an adult that I can communicate with. If I had to guess, she’s probably around ten or eleven years old. Plus, even if I could properly talk with her, I doubt warning her to be careful around Cynthia will end well.

“Erm— Evi.”

She lunges her head forward curiously.

Ignoring her unusually pale skin, looking at her up close really does make her look human.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

She nods silently.

“Listen to me, okay? Make sure to stay close to me.”

She nods again.

“If you feel hungry, can you tug my shirt and tell me you’re hungry?”

She nods… this is going to be hard. I’m not sure whether she just doesn’t want to talk, or if she struggles to talk. I want to ask her, but right now, I feel like I need to do something else.

Standing back up, I point my finger at the ground.

“Can you stand still here?”

She nods lifelessly again.

After adjusting my clothes, I walk over to Cynthia, who’s standing a bit of distance away from me with her arms crossed. Her head is tilted upwards. It seems like she’s looking up at the moon.

The air between us is still tight, but it’s much easier to approach her now.

Standing beside her, I look up at the moon as well.

“Hey…” I initiate, but she cuts me off instantly.

“I’m doing it for you. I don’t like it, and I wasn’t lying about what I said earlier.”

“I trust you, Rom. But that doesn’t mean I’m not keeping my guard up.”

“I… I know. Thank you.”

She lets out a sigh, turning her gaze back to Evi. I do so as well. The pale vampire is seated on the ground, running her fingers against the dirty pavement. I want to comment about how she seems so innocent, but if I say something like that, Cynthia will kill me for sure.

“Whatever. Let’s keep looking for clues.”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean ‘huh’?” She places a hand on her hip. “This clearly isn’t the work of a vampire. Our job still isn’t done.”

“Oh, right. Sorry. I knew that. It’s just that I was a bit distracted.”

She lets out a low hum, as if to question my answer.

“This is the first time I see you like this,” she says flatly.

Naturally, my ears perk up. “Really? I don’t really think I'm that different.”

Lightly punching my shoulder, she looks at me with pitiful eyes.

“You are.”

After that ominous reply, she shrugs her shoulders and starts walking towards Evi. My body immediately tenses up, ready to defend the vampire at any moment.

But she just walks past her like she’s not even there.

Following her cue, I follow closely behind her. I extend my hand to Evi, which she takes almost immediately. It comes as a bit of a surprise, as I thought she would be far more reserved based on her tone.

It takes a second for me to realize but…

Her hands are freezing cold.