Interlude
Within a matter of seconds, the rumbling ground came to an absolute halt. Rom, having fallen into the void with Evi, was nowhere to be seen. The scientists, which numbered about eighteen, watched patiently, waiting for their savior to appear from the ground.
“A-Are we safe?” one scientist asked quietly.
Despite having seen their vampire captor die before their very eyes, they had trouble processing the fact that the events had actually occurred. Each and every one of them took small microsteps forward.
They didn’t dare sprint toward the exit. For a good part of three weeks, they were taught, no, disciplined not to act out of free will.
Such were the teachings of Noblique Safir.
Even though their physical bars were shattered, their mental bars weren’t.
One man, named Kevin, decided enough was enough. Noblique Safir was dead, and he wasn’t going to risk any more of his life staying in the collapsing cave. Minutes passed as he tried to convince his co-workers to escape alongside him.
Once everyone finally came to an agreement, he volunteered to lead the way.
Just as he took the first step toward freedom, a blur of silver flashed before his eyes. To him, it was an instant switch to nothingness, but his co-workers had to watch a man’s head come clean off his neck.
In their fear for survival, they had neglected the other silhouette in the room. One that was far better hidden than Noblique ever was.
A nun.
A golden cross on her neck.
With a war-scythe.
“Stop~! I never gave any of you guys permission to leave. Be good boys and girls and stay still, ‘kay?”
Her cheerful words contrasted her actions. For only a moment, the scientists obeyed her command, pushing themselves back to the corner they were hiding in. It was only after the executioner swung again that they realized their grave mistake.
“⸻Huh?” one gasped, just as her head came right off.
The crowd burst into chaos.
“⸻RUN! RUN! RUN!”
Cynthia swung her war-scythe. Blood sprayed out from their bodies like a broken sprinkler, tainting her face and clothes.
“WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO US?! WE’RE JUST SCIENTISTS!!!”
She swung again, ignoring the pleas with a smile on her face.
“PLEASE! WE’LL DO ANYTHING, PLEASE DON’T HURT US!”
… And again.
“W-WAIT! PLEASE DON’T SLICE MY LEGS. AGH! PLEASE! PLEASE! AGHHH MY HANDS! WAIT! AGGGHGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
Cynthia slowed down as each scream clenched her heart tightly. Her attacks became much less precise, making her unwillingly target the scientists’ vital organs and limbs before their heads.
It happened so fast that the original eighteen were now reduced to one.
With one swing to the side, Cynthia wiped off all the blood stuck on her weapon’s edge.
“Hey…” the last person, named Angela, fell to her knees. All hope was snuffed out from her eyes as her head hung low. Whether it was deliberate or not, she was willingly offering her life for a swift death.
“Hm?” Cynthia raised her brow and fiercely scratched her arm.
“Why are you killing us? What did we do wrong?”
“Why?” Cynthia scoffed. “Do you think that vampires deserve to ask why they’re getting killed? If you really, really care about redemption, be sure to pray and repent. The Lord will accept all those who come to his embrace. Even though you are vampires.”
“Vampires…?” she questioned, as if she didn’t know what the nun was talking about.
Cynthia sighed. “Listen. All of you had bite marks as bright as day. Well, I didn’t see all of you with one, but better safe than sorry, right?”
Angela’s situation was perilous, but her mind couldn’t help but wander toward her best friend, who managed to build up the courage to sprint toward the lab exit.
“D-Did Abigail survive?”
When Angela looked up, all she could see was Cynthia’s tense face. Moreover, she saw something that Cynthia herself hadn’t noticed.
“W-Why don’t you kill yourself too then? You’re a vampire as well!”
That statement was the final nail in the coffin, as Cynthia wasted no time eliminating the heretic who dared to even raise such an idea.
“Me? You must have lost your damn mind. Where do you see a bite mark on me?”
Letting out an exhausted sigh, Cynthia looked down to see blood on her fingers. Her throat was parched, and curiosity got the better of her. Raising her hand up to her face, she licked the blood right off.
“Hm. Doesn’t taste bad.”