Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

To the one reading these words...
To you who once lived in the bliss of ignorance...
To you who never knew what lurked in the shadows of this world...
To you whose eyes were veiled from the true history of this earth—its darkness and its fleeting light—who never paused, not even for a single second, to consider that beings other than humans share this planet with you. Beings known as Children of the Night.

Let me offer you a simple warning before you read any further: once these words enter your mind, your view of the world will never be the same.

You will begin to doubt everyone around you.

Paranoia and endless questions will dominate your thoughts.

Fear will grip your heart, seep into your bones, and slowly devour the innocent soul that once dwelt in the paradise of not-knowing.

In this world live ancient creatures—beings renowned for their immense power, their tyranny, their brutality. They fed upon humans or enslaved them. To them, humanity was weak, fragile, easily broken and discarded. Some of these creatures chose isolation, withdrawing from both humans and their own kind. Yet despite their strength, they all shared one fatal vulnerability: some perished under the light of the sun, while others could wield their powers only during certain seasons or lunar phases.

For centuries they ruled unchallenged. But time eroded their dominion. Their numbers dwindled—some races wiped out entirely in savage wars among themselves, others felled by human rebellion. The very beings they once regarded as lesser prey rose up, evolved, built empires, challenged their supremacy, and in some regions erased their rule from existence. Eventually their names faded into legend—mere bedtime stories meant to frighten children.

As humanity advanced—mastering technology, science, medicine, and weaponry—these ancient predators retreated further. The survivors hid in the darkness, watching from the shadows as the world they once dominated grew brighter and stronger. The tables had turned: those who once inspired terror now lived in fear of the humans they had preyed upon.

They witnessed everything—the World Wars, the Cold War—yet remained unseen. To preserve their secrecy and fragile existence, they formed the Council. This shadowy assembly included representatives from every major race of these creatures, usually drawn from the most powerful clans or ancient bloodlines. Occasionally, enigmatic newcomers of overwhelming strength and influence claimed a seat.

The Council enforces three sacred laws:

First : (Territorial Sovereignty):
Each race claims exclusive dominion over designated regions, governed by its ruling clans and families. No creature may interfere in the affairs or conflicts of another race’s territory. Internal wars must remain contained; any request for outside aid or intervention requires prior approval from the Council.

Second: (Absolute Secrecy):
Interaction with humans—trade, friendship, even marriage—is permitted. In rare cases, revealing one’s true nature to a trusted human is allowed, but the individual bears full responsibility for any consequences. However, no creature may meddle in human politics, wars, or conflicts. The human world must remain untouched by supernatural influence.

Third: (Unity in Crisis) :
Should any race violate the second law and interfere dangerously in the human world, or should an existential threat emerge, all members of the Council must set aside rivalries, unite their forces, and act together to protect their collective survival.

The Council was founded in 1810. Since then, new and unknown races have periodically risen in power and claimed seats, their influence measured by raw strength, ancient lineage, and political cunning.

Here are the primary races and their domains:

(Vampires)
The most numerous race. They possess superhuman strength, flight, rapid regeneration, and in certain bloodlines, extraordinary specialized powers.
Territories: Eastern Europe (especially Transylvania in Romania), the Balkans, Ukraine, Russia; in the Americas — Louisiana (particularly New Orleans), California, Oregon, Texas.
Weaknesses: sunlight, holy symbols, garlic, fire.
They feed on blood and flesh (especially human), most active in autumn and winter, less so in summer.

(Werewolves)
Fewer in number than vampires, but possessing exceptional physical strength, agility, and flexibility—greatly amplified during the full moon transformation.
Territories: Scandinavia, Scotland, Ireland, the frozen forests of Canada, and scattered pockets across northern North America.
Diet: raw meat in wolf form; human food in human guise.
Weaknesses: silver, and loss of control during transformation (they train rigorously from youth to master this).
They share a centuries-old enmity with vampires; though a fragile truce holds, skirmishes still erupt.

(Jinn)
An enigmatic, insular race dwelling in a hidden parallel realm. They include tribes of ifrits, ghouls, and other variants. Their powers and weaknesses remain largely unknown, as do their numbers and true sustenance. Some whisper of ties to demons and black sorcery from the underworld.
Territories: Africa and the Middle East.
They are masters of mysterious, forbidden arts.

(Snow Tribes (or Icefolk))
Fierce, yeti-like beings reminiscent of ancient legends—supremely fit, agile hunters skilled with every weapon (including modern human firearms). They can live over 200 years.
Diet: ordinary food; they view those who feed on humans as barbaric savages.
Territories: frozen regions — Siberia, Greenland, Arctic zones.
Weaknesses: they die like ordinary mortals—no regeneration.

(Witches)
Almost indistinguishable from humans in appearance (most are female). They wield astonishing varieties of magic, spells, and connections to underworld entities or supernatural forces.
Their numbers were decimated by the European witch hunts (late 14th to 18th centuries)—one of the main catalysts for founding the Council.
No fixed territories; they appear scattered, often offering magical services for payment.
Diet: normal human food, though blood or flesh is sometimes required for powerful rituals.
Weaknesses: ordinary mortal injuries, no regeneration, limited resources for major spells.
Despite their scarcity, witches command respect—even ancient monstrous clans seek their aid in exchange for protection or wealth.

(Mysterious Beasts)
Unknown and unpredictable entities. Some have grown powerful enough to claim Council seats; others exist only to destroy and kill, forcing the Council to hunt them down.

This is the hidden world—the underworld of monsters and shadows, drenched in blood and death. Yet even here, amid the endless darkness, flickers a tiny spark of hope, a sliver of happiness.
This story is not about a hero saving the world or reshaping it.
It is a tale of survival... and fragile hope enduring in the heart of the abyss.

Chapter Text

In the darkness of the night, the city of New Orleans, located in southern Louisiana, USA—a city renowned for its gothic and eerie atmosphere due to the abundance of abandoned buildings and the surrounding swamps that lend it an irresistible allure for lovers of horror stories and writers—has recently been plagued by mysterious disappearances and killings.

Strangely enough, these incidents began precisely four years after the infamous Elliott Mansion Massacre of 2004. That horrific event echoed across multiple states because of its brutality: more than 70 bodies—guests, staff, and servants—were found torn apart and crushed. The sole survivor was the fifteen-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, Tessa Elliott.

Despite an intensive police investigation, the case remained unsolved. There was no clear suspect, no apparent motive, and the evidence was deemed illogical and inexplicable. Under intense media and political pressure, along with the city's fear for its reputation and the mayor's need to provide an explanation to the press and authorities, the police were compelled to seek assistance from specialized federal agencies.

Even after three years of combined efforts by local police and federal authorities, nothing was found—no evidence, no suspect. The sole survivor offered no help to the investigation, as according to the records, the girl had been in her room during the incident.

 

Thus, in 2007, the case was transferred to a special cold case unit. Louisiana differs from most other states in its legal system: while the majority of U.S. states follow common law, Louisiana follows the civil law tradition (derived from its French and Spanish heritage). Under state law regarding serious crimes—particularly murder—there is no statute of limitations. The case is never truly closed, even after 10, 20, or 30 years; instead, it is preserved as a cold case if no evidence, witnesses, or suspects emerge. It can be reopened at any time if new evidence comes to light.

The recent disappearances follow a haunting seasonal pattern: they peak during the cold, fog-shrouded months of autumn and winter, taper off in spring, and nearly vanish entirely when summer arrives.

Yet even now, in the quiet heat of summer, some whisper that the silence is not peace… but waiting.
And somewhere in the city’s shadowed corners, something still watches—patient, hungry, and careful never to leave a trace that can be explained.

On a cloudy night when the clouds had completely obscured the moonlight, a cold breeze signaling the approach of winter swept through, rustling the dense branches of the trees in Wisner Tract City Park.

Two teenagers sat beneath one of the large trees. The boy—medium height but heavily built, wearing a black jacket—turned to the girl sitting beside him and said,
“Why so tense? Aren’t you happy we’re finally alone?”

The girl replied, “No, it’s not that… but couldn’t you find a better place than here?”

“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” the boy said with a laugh.

“Of course I’m scared!” she answered nervously. “Haven’t you seen the news? The recent disappearances?”

“Oh please… don’t tell me you actually believe that stuff,” he said, sounding annoyed.

She shot back angrily, “Of course I’m afraid! More than thirteen people have vanished in just two months. Isn’t that strange? The police say they haven’t found any evidence—just traces of blood…”

He cut her off. “Did we come here to discuss missing persons cases or to have some fun?” He leaned closer. “Come on… isn’t this our night?”

He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away, furious. “If that’s all you wanted, why did you even bring me here?” She stood up quickly and started walking away, muttering angrily under her breath.

“Great… now she’s pissed,” the boy muttered in frustration. “Why are girls so moody?” He got up and hurried after her.
“You always do this, you dumb jock,” she snapped. “You make decisions without ever thinking about the consequences.”
“I’m the dumb one?” he fired back.

“You’re the one who said you wanted a place with a creepy, romantic vibe!”

“I didn’t mean it like this,” she retorted. “I said it when the creepy atmosphere still felt romantic. Now it’s just… outdated. And what if one of those people responsible for the disappearances shows up? The police said—”

“The police this, the police that,” he interrupted. “Why are you so scared? Have you forgotten I’m here with you?”

“What are you gonna do—stop them all by yourself, Mr. Muscle Mountain?” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Are you mocking me now?” he snapped. “Fine. I’ll show you.” He stopped walking, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted into the darkness:
“Hey! Is anybody out there who wants to kill me or my whiny girlfriend? Anyone? I dare you! Come on if you’re brave enough!”

Then he turned to her with a smug grin. “See? As long as I’m with you, there’s nothing to be afraid of—”

Before he could finish, something burst out from between the trees at terrifying speed and flashed past them. The girl screamed and squeezed her eyes shut in panic. “George… George, what was that? Did you see it?!”

She turned toward him—and froze. His head had been cleanly severed. Blood poured from the stump in thick streams. She stood paralyzed, staring at the horrific sight.

Before she could scream again, she felt a presence directly behind her. Slowly, trembling, she turned. Standing there was the silhouette of a woman with short white hair and completely yellow eyes. She wore a cropped jacket, pants, and a scarf-like wrap around her neck. In her clawed hand, she casually held George’s severed head.

The woman spoke in a voice laced with amusement and mockery:
“Oh sweetheart, don’t look at me like that. As you can see… your boyfriend was the one who challenged me first.”

She lifted the head higher, then crushed it in her grip. Blood sprayed violently. She tilted her head back and let some of it pour into her mouth before continuing:
“You know what? I actually feel a little sorry for you. So I’ll give you one tiny chance to run. I’ll even count to three…”

Before the woman finished speaking, the girl bolted, screaming as she ran. But her legs gave out almost immediately—she collapsed face-first onto the cold ground, overwhelmed by shock and terror.

“Pathetic,” the woman sighed.

In an instant she was beside the fallen girl. Taloned fingers closed around the girl’s throat and lifted her effortlessly into the air.

“Any last words?” the creature asked with mock sweetness.

The girl could only sob uncontrollably.
“No? Well… suit yourself.”

The claws plunged deep into her body. Amid blood-curdling screams, the girl was torn apart.

 

After the woman finished, blood was pouring heavily onto the floor as she held the mangled body of her prey. She let out a small chuckle and said, "And yet... I don't feel a thing."

At that moment, she heard a gurgle from her stomach. She glanced toward the corpses and muttered, "Well, I guess a light snack won't hurt right now."

Far away, deep in the Honey Swamp Island marsh in St. Tammany Parish—about 45 minutes from downtown New Orleans—stood a large facility. Ancient cypress trees, thick with Spanish moss, surrounded it, giving the place an old, abandoned look. A heavy fog hung in the air, obscuring vision and sending chills down the spine, while the scent of rot drifted from every corner.

Despite its decrepit appearance, the building was inhabited—not by humans, but by "Children of the Night," or as they are better known: vampires.

Inside the old structure, a sound echoed from within—specifically from the kitchen. There stood a tall young man with white hair and yellow eyes. He wore a white shirt and black pants. In one hand, he held a human leg; with the other, he had transformed his right arm into something resembling a blade. With each swing, blood splattered across his white shirt.

From the hallway came a voice calling out: "N, you idiot! Where are you?"
N set down what he was holding and turned toward the source. It was a woman with white hair tied into pigtails, dressed in office attire: a black blazer and skirt over a yellow shirt.

"I'm here, J," N replied. "I was just in the kitchen, uh… doing—"

"No need to explain, moron," J cut him off. "I know exactly what you were doing. Honestly, it's the one thing you're actually good at. But that's not important right now. Have you seen V? It's 5:57—"

Before she could finish, the sound of wings flapping echoed, followed by a heavy thud on the roof. Through the door stepped the same short-white-haired woman in a cropped jacket. She was carrying what remained of her latest prey. She walked down the candle-lit hallway straight to the kitchen, where N and J were waiting.

The moment J saw V, her voice filled with anger and irritation: "Where the hell have you been?"

"Where have I been?" V shot back, tossing her prey onto the kitchen table. "Hunting, obviously."

N quickly grabbed the body and transformed one of his hands into a blade again, starting to carve it up.
"And how many prey did you actually catch tonight?" J asked, crossing her arms.

V began, visibly annoyed by the question: "I—"

"Oh, sorry, let me rephrase that," J interrupted loudly, her tone dripping with sarcasm and fury. "How many did you eat out there instead of bringing them back here?"

V rolled her eyes. "Here we go again with the same crap every single night. I hunt, and you criticize me, Miss Perfect J."

J smirked coldly. "What are you complaining about? It's pretty normal that with your fat ass, you can't even bring back a single piece of meat in one night."

V's eyes flashed with rage. "Who the fuck are you calling fatass?!"
"Who's the only fatass here, idiot?" J fired back.

V leaned in, snarling. "Well, I don't know… maybe the only fatass in this house is the one in the kitchen dismembering bodies right now.

V pointed toward N, who was working in the kitchen. "While you and I are out hunting, he just sits here consuming blood from prey he didn't shed a single drop of sweat for..."

 

J interrupted her sharply. "Don't change the subject, V. N may be an idiot and useless, but at least he doesn't guzzle massive amounts of blood like you do. In fact, he's the one who consumes the least out of the three of us."

 

V smirked. "Fine. What do you want? An apology?" She continued in a mocking tone, "I'm so sorry, my perfect, beloved leader J, for doing my job perfectly and enjoying the food I rightfully earned through my efforts." Then, with a fake cheerful smile and overly bright eyes, she added, "So please, forgive me." Her expression immediately reverted to its usual gloomy, indifferent scowl. She turned away from J and walked off toward her room, completely ignoring anything else J might say.

 

J rubbed the side of her head in frustration. "That damn bitch..." She knew arguing with V was pointless—she never listened anyway. But as the leader of this group, J had to maintain a firm front to prevent V from acting recklessly or disrespecting her authority.

 

While the two of them were bickering, N—who had overheard the entire conversation not because he was eavesdropping, but because their voices were ridiculously loud—finished his work and placed the prey into the old refrigerator. Despite his discouragement, he didn't argue or speak up. He knew his teammates were right, especially V. It had been a very long time since he last went out hunting.

As he was lost in thought, J called out to him. He turned and saw her standing behind him.

N hesitated. "Uh... J, I finished... I mean, I completed..."

J stared at him coldly. "N. We need to talk."

N's voice wavered. "About what?"
J replied, "I think you know exactly what." She stepped closer. "N, answer me: when was the last time you went hunting?"

Before he could open his mouth, she cut him off. "It's been a while... Let's say 'not a short time.' Or, in other words, a very long time."

N started, "I know, but..."

"So you do know about the problems we're facing out there? The difficulties V and I have to deal with just to bring back these prey?" J stopped right in front of him. N was so tense he couldn't even meet her eyes—her gaze was stern and furious at the same time. She continued, "Do you even realize?"

N answered quietly, "No... but J, I make myself useful in—"

J raised her voice, cutting him off. "Useful in the kitchen? Where you cut up the prey, store the blood, and barely consume any of it?" That last part made N look at her in shock. She went on, "Yes, did you think I hadn't noticed? Look at yourself—you barely feed two or three times a month. It's left you in a pathetic state."

N said nothing. Even if he had something to say, he couldn't—because she was right. His body looked noticeably thinner than before, his already pale skin now ghostly white. And as for the difficulties J mentioned, he had noticed them too. Some days, J and V came back empty-handed. Other times, they returned with visible wounds from fights.
J continued, "Listen, N. I don't know what's wrong with you—truly. I've punished you, scolded you countless times, but nothing ever changes. You never fix this behavior. So hear me clearly, because what I'm about to say is extremely important."

N looked at her with a tense expression.
"We're facing a serious food shortage," J explained. "There are several reasons. First, hunting has become much harder—especially in territories controlled by other monster families or vampire clans. Second, secrecy is becoming impossible. We've been focusing on the same area for too long, and now the police are a constant nuisance restricting our movements. Starting tonight, I want you back out hunting. No excuses. Understood?"

This time, N couldn't object. This wasn't punishment or a scolding—it was worse: a warning that if he didn't contribute to the hunt, the consequences would be dire for him and for all of them. He replied, "I understand."

J turned to leave. "I hope you do. The situation has become 'survive or die.' We need every bit of help possible—even from someone as useless as you."

 

She walked out of the kitchen, leaving N alone, drowning in his thoughts as he desperately searched for a solution to this mess. But he found none. The current situation was far too dangerous, and he had always known this day would come—he would have to return to hunting. He sighed. "I should get some rest. Looks like tonight's going to be a long one."

New Orleans, 11:30 PM—half an hour before midnight.

N stood on the rooftop of one of the buildings, wearing a long gray coat that reached his knees, a black pilot-style cap, black pants, and white shoes. He scanned the area, waiting for any sign of prey, but with no luck. Due to the rising number of disappearances, humans now hurried home before sunset. Although some parts of the city remained crowded even after midnight, hunting in busy areas would risk exposing him and his companions. So he had to follow J's strict hunting rules:

First: No hunting in crowded human areas.

Second: Hunt only in places with few or no witnesses.

Third: Never target groups larger than three or four individuals—and if you must, request backup.

Fourth : Avoid fights with other monsters or vampire families unless absolutely necessary.

The night was quiet and relatively cold. All N could hear was the wind. This part of the city was deserted at night. Despite the calm outside, a storm raged inside his head. Though he needed blood to survive like any other vampire, he hated how he obtained it. He hated hearing his prey cry and beg for their lives. He hated the sound of breaking bones, tearing flesh. Every time he thought about it while feeding, he nearly vomited from disgust and guilt.

In the middle of his thoughts, his ears caught footsteps overpowering the wind. He turned toward the sound and saw a short girl with long purple hair reaching her shoulders. She wore a cap, black clothes, a choker around her neck, a short torn black jean shorts, striped sheer purple thigh-high socks, and carried a backpack. Something strange seemed to be inside the bag, though N couldn't identify it.

N muttered to himself, "What is a young girl doing alone out here at this hour?"
He considered letting her go, but then he remembered J's words. He clenched his fist and whispered coldly, "Survive or die."

His eyes turned yellow. One hand transformed into a blade, wings and tail emerged, and he launched himself toward the girl at high speed. He planned to end it quickly with a single blow to the head—sparing her the pain of a slow death and sparing himself the agony of watching another victim struggle and beg.

But as he closed in, she suddenly ducked, dodging his strike.

N crashed hard onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. He spun around, his yellow eyes locking onto the girl, who stood there stunned by his appearance.

She said in astonishment, "Is that... a vampire...?"

Chapter Text

Author note :
In this chapter, I took some ideas from the comic (Angel Fangs) by the talented artist (mishim0) and combined them with my own ideas. So if you want, you can read the first chapter of the comic (Angel Fangs) on the artist's page on X, Instagram, or TikTok. By the way, the page name on all three platforms is (mishim0). Then you can return to read the third chapter, or you can read both the comic and this chapter—it’s up to you, dear reader. Finally, a special thanks to the artist mishim0 for allowing me to create this fanfic story.
________________________________________

3:45 p.m ( About Eight Hours Before the End of Chapter One )

Copper-9 High School
Inside the school counselor’s office sat a forty-seven-year-old woman with black hair, wearing round glasses, a green sweater with a white collar peeking out from underneath. She was seated behind a brown wooden desk cluttered with papers and folders. A small nameplate read: School Counselor (Marie Goolan) .

As Marie arranged the papers on her desk, she heard a knock at the door.
“Come in,” she called calmly.

The door opened, and a short girl stepped inside. She had long purple hair reaching her shoulders and wore a black hat, black clothes, a choker around her neck, ripped black denim shorts, and purple striped thigh-high stockings that faded into transparency near the top. Her fingernails were painted black. She was, quite literally, the definition of goth style.

Marie looked at her gently.
“Oh, I’ve been expecting you. Please, have a seat.”

The girl sat in the chair across from Marie’s desk. Annoyance was clearly written across her face.

Marie attempted to ease the tension.
“It’s been a while since I last saw you, and I’m really glad to see you again. I know this isn’t exactly the best situation, and I imagine it’s upsetting to be here again. It’s been a couple of years since everything happened… Those were some pretty rough times for you. But it seems like your life has changed a bit since then ,even if being here is still unfortunate.”

She folded her hands together on the desk.
“But still… I’m happy to see you. So, how have you been, Uzi Doorman?”

Despite Marie’s effort, Uzi’s expression only hardened. Marie repeated her question, this time with a hint of nervousness in her voice.
“How are you feeling?”

Uzi, the nineteen-year-old girl, looked at her with the same irritated expression she had worn upon entering.
“Confused. Because I don’t know why the hell I’m here.”

“Uzi, let’s watch our language,” Marie replied gently. “And I think you know exactly why you’re here.”

“No. I don’t.” Uzi said.

Marie sighed, exhaustion creeping into her expression.
“You do know....”

“I literally didn’t do anything to be here,” Uzi interrupted. “I get that they’re desperate to find someone to blame, but why am I the suspect? I didn’t do anything. Are they so desperate they’re throwing their failure on me just to save face?”

“They don’t believe you’re guilty,” Marie said firmly. “Trust me, if they suspected you even slightly of being responsible for killing fourteen people and scattering pieces of their bodies around the city, you wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

“Then why am I here?” Uzi said angrily.

“To talk, sweetheart. You and I are here to talk and try to find a solution.” Marie said.

Uzi said “What problem? I already told you—I didn’t do anything.”

Marie said “Uzi, we think you might know more about what’s going on. You’ve seen parts of the bodies… maybe even new ones?”

“Yeah, like everyone else,” Uzi said dismissively. “That doesn’t make me different.”

“I know. But your attitude suggests you might know something you’re not telling us.”

Uzi said “I’m acting like I always do.”

Marie’s tone turned serious.
“Uzi, I’m going to be honest. We’ve received several complaints from your classmates about behaviors that have made them uncomfortable.”
“Complaints? Like what?”

Marie pulled out a file.
“First, making inappropriate comments about the recent events. Second, asking classmates about friends who died in the attacks. Third, looking at disturbing images of dead bodies in the cafeteria. Fourth, interfering with the police investigation. Fifth, being seen near the crime scenes. Sixth, your attendance record shows excessive unexcused absences. And finally, the unusual amount of time you spend in the school workshop working on inventions your teacher described as… concerning. Not to mention the incident during your project presentation when it went slightly out of control and you were injured. And there’s more.”
She set the file aside.

Marie said “We tried contacting your father, Khan Doorman, but he didn’t give the matter the attention we hoped for. So I assume things at home aren’t great… even after… well, forgive me for bringing this up, but what happened to your mother years ago.”

Uzi looked down at the floor, arms crossed tightly. Her eyes narrowed with sadness and frustration. Words failed her. After everything that had been said, only one came out.
“Bite me.”

Marie said “Right… anyway, let’s return to the topic. The police and I believe you have some kind of theory or information. Ever since we found what we found inside your locker, you’ve become more suspicious.”

“My locker?!” Uzi snapped. “You searched my locker? No wonder everything’s messed up! You have no right...”

“School lockers are school property,” Marie interrupted calmly. “The administration has the right to inspect them for safety reasons—especially when student safety might be at risk. Given your recent behavior, this was justified.”

“What you found was just stuff for my final project,” Uzi said angrily. “But of course you’re all so dramatic. Now you think I want to kill everyone? I don’t have some ‘theory’!”

Marie said “What about the notes we found? They seemed important. We couldn’t make sense of them. You’re always drawing those strange symbols. Do they mean anything?”

Uzi said “No! They don’t mean anything! And I wish I could sue you for invading my privacy! And even if I did have a theory… you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
“Why not tell me? You know you can trust me.”

Uzi hesitated.
“Have you ever heard of… vampires?”

Marie’s expression shifted, barely concealing disbelief.
“Vampires?”

Uzi said “Yes. Vampires. Why not? This city has been full of vampire legends for decades. It wouldn’t be insane if they were real. And most of the bodies have those strange fang marks near the heart. That proves my theory.”

Marie asked “Have you seen the bodies up close?”

Uzi froze for a split second.
“No. I read about it in the papers.”

Marie let out a soft, incredulous chuckle.
“Vampires… Sounds like you’ve been reading a lot of dark fantasy lately.”
“Excuse me? You don’t believe me, do you?”

Marie said “Oh, don’t get me wrong. Actually, this could be good for you. You should write about it. Share your theory. Maybe join a club. You might even make some friends.”

Uzi said “Dark fantasy lover?”

Marie smiled and handed her a flyer for the school’s Fantasy Club.

“Making weird friends like you could be great. Since, you know… you don’t really have any. You should try it. You’ve got a creative mind.”

“Okay, that’s it!” Uzi exploded. “It’s NOT a fantasy! I know what I’m talking about. I know it’s real, and I know what I saw!”
“What did you see? Are you saying you saw one of these ‘vampires’? Do you have proof?”

“No, but...”

“Then what proof do you have that they exist? Or that they’re connected to the murders?"

Uzi said “The victims’ bodies, if you looked closely...”

“Uzi,” Marie said patiently, “that proves nothing. There have been many serial killers throughout history who did far worse. Take Jack the Ripper. Or the Zodiac Killer. Or Ted Bundy. Their methods were horrific and bizarre , but they were human. Not creatures from fantasy stories.”

Uzi stood abruptly.
“Right. And since you clearly think everything I say is some dumb fantasy, maybe you should stop spying on my stuff and stop making everyone think I’m some psycho freak who wants to kill people and eat their guts.”

“Uzi—”

“Okay?! THANKS. BYE.”

She snatched the club flyer from Marie’s hand and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

Uzi stormed out of the office angrily, muttering, “Nonsense!! What the hell is this nonsense? They’re comparing me to those weirdos in those stupid fantasy clubs. I can’t believe it.” She threw the paper she had taken from Marcs into the trash and continued, “I don’t need them. I don’t need anyone. I’ll solve this whole thing myself.”

While walking through the school hallways, Uzi passed by the library and said to herself, “The library? Maybe I can find a book or something about vampires there. Why not? It’s a library, after all.”

Uzi entered the library and started searching. After a long time of looking around, she found a book in the fantasy literature section. The title of the book was Vampirism '2010. When she opened it to check the contents, it read:

"THE HEART
THE HEART IT'S THE MAIN ORGAN IN YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM, IS VITAL FOR LIFE. ITS PARTS WORK TOGETHER TO MOVE BLOOD THROUGH YOUR BODY IN A COORDINATED WAY. IT CONSTANTLY SENDS OXYGEN TO YOUR CELLS AND TAKES AWAY WASTE.

THE HEART PUMPS ABOUT 2,000 GALLONS OF BLOOD EACH DAY. THAT'S ENOUGH TO FILL AN 8-BY-10-FOOT SWIMMING POOL.
IT BEATS AROUND 100,000 TIMES DAILY. IN AN AVERAGE LIFE SPAN OF ALMOST 79 YEARS, THE HEART BEATS NEARLY 2.9 BILLION TIMES.

YOU CAN TELL HOW IMPORTANT THIS ORGAN IS FOR THE HUMAN BODY... PEOPLE OFTEN ASSOCIATE THIS ORGAN WITH THINGS LIKE DESIRES, FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS LIKE HAPPINESS, SADNESS, MELANCHOLY, NOSTALGIA, OR... LOVE.

BUT THE HEART IS NOT THE ORGAN OF LOVE FOR EVERYONE...

IT IS NOT THE ONE THAT PRODUCES FEELINGS, EMOTIONS AND STUFF...
FOR SOME “PEOPLE” THIS ORGAN PRODUCES SOMETHING MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN LOVE AND IT IS FOOD.

(VAMPIRES)
SADISTIC AND BLOODTHIRSTY CREATURES WHOSE HUNGER IS QUENCHED BY NOTHING ELSE BUT HUMAN FLESH AND BLOOD.

THEY WILL ALWAYS BE BEHIND YOU, STALKING, LOOKING FOR YOU, LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT WAY TO GET THAT NECTAR THAT DRIVES THEM CRAZY... THAT DELICIOUS BLOOD....

THE MOMENT THEY FIND YOU THERE WILL BE NO MORE HOPE.

BECAUSE EVERY PIECE OF YOUR BODY IS JUST A PIECE OF DELICIOUS MEAT WHICH IS A SIMPLE BUT DELICIOUS SNACK FOR THEM.

JUST A PIECE OF MEAT WHICH WILL DISAPPEAR, THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT WHEN THEY ARE FINISHED WITH YOU.

UNLESS... YOU ARE LUCKY AND BEAUTIFUL ENOUGH TO MAKE SOME OF THEM FALL MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU, MAKING THIS VAMPIRE QUEEN SO SHE CAN LOVE YOU FOREVER...

"SO HE CAN LOVE YOU FOREVER""
Uzi reacted with surprise to the last sentence: “Wait, what?”

Her mind paused for a moment to process the words again. Then she closed the book to double-check the title and said, “‘Vampirism '2010’, everything you need to know about the Vampires and .... And what?” The last part was unclear. She grumbled, “God, do people actually like this kind of stuff?”

The girl standing next to Uzi said, “Excuse me.”

Uzi looked at the girl beside her and said, “Huh?”

The girl asked, “Do you like it?”

Uzi’s expression shifted to annoyance. She realized this girl was the author of that nonsense she considered pure garbage. She thought to herself, “Oh my god, she’s the writer.” But she composed herself and replied, “Yeah… sure. Anyway, you look like someone who usually hangs out here, and you seem to know a thing or two about vampirism and all that. You know where I can find more ‘real’ info about them?”

The girl said, “This book has a lot of information. I’m sure you’ll like it.” Then she added with a laugh and a smile, “Lots of information, facts, romance, and maybe a bit of ‘lemon’ hehe.”

Uzi looked visibly irritated and was trying to hold herself together after hearing all this empty talk. She thought to herself, “Who thinks about that kind of stuff while facing death or whatever is trying to kill you?” Then she said to the girl, “I mean real information about vampires, or something more objective. There are thousands of stories about vampires—there has to be something more legit around here.”

The girl thought for a moment and said, “Well, I think there’s something somewhere here, but like I said, this book you’re holding has a ton of information.” But then she turned back to Uzi with annoyance and asked, “What’s the deal with the word ‘objective’? You mean boring and without romance, right? You don’t like romance?”

Uzi replied, “No, not really… but that’s not the point. Do you know where I can find what I asked for or not?”

(Note about authors: Most writers hate it when their stories are criticized. Unlike me—I actually like it when someone criticizes what I write because I learn from my mistakes that way.)

 

The girl ignored Uzi and said, “Yeah, no, not really.”

Uzi snapped angrily as she walked away, “Well, thanks for nothing.”

Uzi left the library, still furious, muttering, “Why is everyone so useless? God, this makes me sick.” Then she stopped in front of a bulletin board covered with photos of missing students. Two new pictures had been added: one of a boy named George and another of a girl named Jessica. Uzi said, “Things are getting worse than before.” She continued toward her locker, saying, “I need to work fast or…”

While walking, her foot hit something on the floor. She said, “Shit, what the…?” When she looked down, she saw a book thrown in front of her locker with a note: “Hello, can you have all this ready by Wednesday? I will give you 30 bucks.”

Uzi said, “30 bucks? Are you kidding me?” She picked up the book and added, “God, I love these idiots with money. I can finish this in half an hour.” When she opened her locker, she found a huge pile of notes and assignments from people wanting her to do them for them. She said, “Okay, maybe I’ll need more than that.”

As she tried to close her locker, she heard a voice calling her in Russian: “Привет, Uzi.” (Hello, Uzi.)

Uzi turned toward the voice and saw a tall, slender girl with long, straight dark purple hair reaching her back, an orange-red headband, pale skin, reddish-brown eyes with a sharp and serious gaze. She wore a tight long-sleeved red turtleneck, a short black skirt, and long dark gray socks. Uzi said, “Hey, Doll.”

Doll asked, “Still doing these kinds of jobs?”

Uzi replied, “Yeah, as long as there are idiots with money who don’t know how to do their own homework, it’s good for me.” Then she looked at Doll and continued, “Why are you asking? Is there something you’re interested in?”

Doll said, “Not really, but you’re going to get in trouble. Didn’t they search your locker a while ago and…?”

Uzi interrupted her, “And why do you care? Actually, shouldn’t you be with your famous friend Lizzy?”

Doll tried to say something, but a girl’s voice interrupted her. When Doll turned, she saw her friend Lizzy—the blonde girl with a ponytail, wearing a pink off-shoulder dress and a short skirt—calling her: “Hey girl, where were you? I’ve been looking for you for ten minutes. What are you doing here?”

Doll said, “I was talking to Uzi.”

Lizzy asked, “Who?”

Doll pointed to Uzi and said, “You know her, Uzi Doorman.”

Lizzy repeated, “Doorman?”

Doll said, “Yeah, weren’t you two in the same chemistry class?”

Lizzy stared at Uzi and said, “No, I don’t remember that. Anyway, we should go there’s alot of work to do in the gym before the Porm .”

Lizzy walked off with Doll, completely ignoring Uzi.

Uzi sighed and said, “Whatever, that’s not important. The most important thing is…” She pulled out the project she had been working on for a while (the one Mary had mentioned before): a long black Railgun weapon.

Uzi hugged her weapon and said, “There you are, darling. Just wait until I fix you up and use you against one of those vampires.”

At that moment, Uzi heard a voice from behind her: “Doorman.”

She turned toward the voice and saw a boy with glasses wearing a blue shirt. Annoyed, she said, “What are you looking at .”

The boy said " you are late "

Uzi said " late about what? There's no o'clock here "

The boy said, “Whatever. I’m heading out. And you probably should too.”

Uzi asked, surprised, “What? Why?”

The boy replied, “It’s getting really dark, and people are disappearing or getting killed almost every night since summer ended. I kinda value my life, y’know?”

Uzi said, “Wait , anyone else still in the workshop?”

The boy answered, “Uh… just Frank. But he’s about to leave for the same reason. So yeah, that’s another reason why you should leave too, y’know?”

Uzi said, “Huh… so there’s the whole workshop… for me.” Then she opened the workshop door excitedly, saying, “The whole workshop for me.” She worked from 8:50 until 11:30 p.m. When she finished, she looked at the clock and said, “Huh, I stayed way too late. I didn’t even notice.” She gathered her things, put the Railgun in her bag, and left the school.

On her way home, she noticed the road she was walking on was dark and deserted. She said, “I forgot how abandoned this part of the city is.” Suddenly, she heard a sound behind her. She turned in fright but saw nothing and muttered, “Great, now I’m imagining things.” But then she spotted something standing far away on the roof of one of the buildings. At first she thought it was just a normal person, but the figure spread wings and flew toward her at high speed.

Shocked, she quickly ducked her head and dodged the attack.

The man landed on the ground, his attack kicking up a cloud of dust. When Uzi turned to see who had attacked her, she saw a tall man with white skin and white hair. He wore a black coat and pants, white shoes, and a black hat. His eyes were completely yellow with some lines on the sides, and one of his hands had transformed into a sword.

Uzi stared in shock at the thing standing in front of her and said, “Is that… a Vampire?”

Chapter Text

Uzi froze and stared at N in shock. Confused and amazed by what she was seeing, she said in bewilderment, “Is that… a vampire?” But a second later, excitement took over and she said joyfully, “Oh my God, it’s a vampire! I knew it! I knew you guys were real, but no one believed me! All this time, you idiots! Ha ha ha!”

 

N stood there in front of the girl, stunned by her reaction. Normally most people would be terrified or screaming, but this girl was smiling at him — and that confusion made him hesitate as he looked at his cheerful prey.

 

After a few moments, Uzi finally processed the situation she was in. Fear crept into her voice, and terror finally took over her face. Her body froze in place as she stared at N and said, “Oh my God… it’s a vampire.”

When N saw that, he thought to himself in surprise, What a strange girl. She was happy a moment ago, and now she’s terrified. Well… let’s just finish this quickly.

While Uzi stood paralyzed with fear, she suddenly remembered the weapon in her bag. As she tried to reach for it, N grabbed her by the throat and lifted her with one hand, ready to finish her off.

N tried to end it quickly, but when he looked at Uzi’s face and saw her eyes , full of pain and silently begging for mercy , something happened. In that moment, old memories began to surface in his mind: the face of his last prey from long ago, the woman who had died by his hands. Those memories made him loosen his grip on Uzi’s neck.

The moment Uzi felt his hold slacken even slightly, she realized this was her only chance — she had to use it or die. She quickly located her bag behind N; her weapon was still inside. With all the strength she had left, she kicked him square in the face, forcing him to release her and stagger back.

Uzi fell to the ground, gasping for air, but she didn’t stop. She crawled with every ounce of remaining energy toward her bag. Behind her, N recovered from the shock of her sudden kick. His hands transformed into claws and he lunged toward her with full force. But at that exact moment, Uzi pulled the weapon from her bag, aimed it at him, and shouted, “Bite me!”

A powerful green beam erupted from the gun with such force that the shockwave created a gust of wind around her and kicked up a thick cloud of dust.

As Uzi began to regain her senses from the recoil of her own weapon , she hadn’t expected the modifications she made to produce such an intense effect , the dust cloud slowly cleared, revealing a sight that left her stunned.

N’s head had been completely vaporized. His body lay crumpled on the ground, soaked in his own blood. The scene would have horrified any normal person, but Uzi (once again) smiled and said gleefully, “It worked! The weapon actually worked! I did it! Hahaha! You all said my gun was just a piece of junk take that, you useless idiots! The stupid school board and my dad too!”

While she was celebrating, she suddenly heard a strange sound behind her. When she turned around, she saw N’s body rising back to its feet. The area where his head had been was already regenerating bones and flesh were visibly knitting themselves back together.

Uzi stared in shock at what she was seeing and muttered, “Regenerate…? How…?”

She tried to fire the weapon again, but nothing happened. The massive energy blast had completely drained the battery; it clearly needed time to recharge. Annoyed, she said, “Seriously? Recharge? Right now?!”

Uzi realized that if she stayed standing there, she was dead. She grabbed her bag and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

N finished regenerating his head and placed a hand on it, trying to recall what had just happened. Through the flood of returning memories, he saw the girl who had attacked him — and remembered the weapon she used. Shocked by those memories, he looked around, but she was gone.

“I have to catch her,” he said.

He began tracking her scent, spread his wings, and took off after her. But the trail ended in a busy street filled with people and cars. Here he realized he had lost her , her scent had blended with the hundreds of other human smells. Even if he found her now, he couldn’t attack her in front of so many witnesses.

 

He wondered what to do next. She had seen him, escaped him, and even blown his head off. If she told anyone what she saw, it would be a disaster. But more than anything, he kept thinking about what his teammates would say. They would lose whatever little trust they still had in him (which was already basically zero). Worse , this time J wouldn’t just punish him… she might actually kill him.

He tried to think of a solution while anxiety ate at him. Then an idea came: go back to the scene and look for any clue that could help him find her.

N returned to the site of the fight and searched, but found nothing useful at first. Then his eyes caught something on the ground. When he picked it up and looked closely, he realized it belonged to that girl. It had her information written on it.

It was her school ID card, which must have fallen out during the struggle.
He stared at the name and read aloud, “Uzi Doorman… Copper-9 High School, junior.”

Uzi burst into her house, slammed the door behind her, and leaned against it, panting and shaking. Her body had reached its absolute limit. When a human faces a life-threatening situation, the body releases massive amounts of adrenaline to aid survival. That same adrenaline had helped Uzi fight and escape the monster trying to kill her. But now that it was over, her body could no longer stand. She couldn’t stop trembling. She still couldn’t believe she had actually seen a real vampire. In her head she kept repeating, Vampire… I saw one… Did he see me? Does he know what I look like? Did he follow me here? Am I safe?

 

After a while, her body and mind began to calm down. She went to her room, placed the weapon on the table, and tried to process everything she had witnessed.

“Are all vampires able to do that?” she said. “From regeneration to turning their hands into blades? I mean, sure, they have wings and claws that can rip through skin, but this…”

She couldn’t find words to explain it , what she had seen simply didn’t make sense. She turned to look at her weapon on the table and continued, “Well, on the bright side… at least the gun worked. But it needs forever to recharge after just one shot, and it didn’t even do that much damage to the monster.”
She picked up the weapon, sat on her bed, and said to herself, “That was a really long day.”

From sheer exhaustion and mental overload, she yawned. “No, no, I can’t sleep. He might have followed me. I have to stay awake.”

But her eyes were already closing. “Okay… just ten minutes. Ten minutes won’t hurt.”

She lay back on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

N returned to the old facility at 5:45 a.m., just before sunrise. As usual, J was arguing with V near the entrance. When J noticed him, she called out, “N, so… how many did you hunt this time?”
N said, “Well… actually, I didn’t have any luck… Sorry, J. But don’t worry, tomorrow...”

“Stop,” J cut him off. “Just stop. What did I expect? That you’d finally do something useful? That you’d actually help us for once in your life? Looks like I was wrong. After everything, you’re just a useless idiot, N.”

V walked toward her room and said, “Told you.”

J looked at N and continued, “Do you know how you can actually help us?” She turned away from him and added, “Kill yourself and spare us the trouble.”

N stood there, staring at the ground in sadness and defeat. What J had just said hurt him more than any insult or punishment she had ever given him. In a quiet, broken voice he said, “Maybe…”

He went to his room. When he entered, he saw the same scene he always did: a broken, old room with cracked floors and a worn out bed just like every other room in this facility. N sighed, extended his wings and tail so he could sleep in the classic vampire style, and before closing his eyes, he remembered Uzi , especially that moment right before his head exploded, when she pointed the weapon at him and shouted “BITE ME.”

Despite the danger of the situation and the risk of their existence being exposed, the words that now dominated his thoughts slipped out:
“Uzi Doorman… she was really amazing.”

This state he was in — where the hunter falls for the prey — is sometimes called reverse Stockholm syndrome. In classic Stockholm syndrome, the victim falls in love with the captor. Here, it was the opposite: the captor (the hunter) had fallen for the victim (the prey).

The reason? He had seen something he had never seen before. He saw someone stand up to a monster like him and fight back. Most people would run, cry, or even wet themselves in terror. But this girl didn’t hesitate — she faced him with everything she had. Because of that, N couldn’t help but admire her courage and defiance.

He wondered aloud, “I wonder what she’ll do if she sees me again…”
Then he shook his head. “No. This is serious. There’s no time for games. I have to deal with her quickly and decisively, or she’ll hurt J and V and expose everything.”

He sighed. “But… is there really no other way?”

N kept thinking until sleep finally overpowered him, and he closed his eyes.

Chapter Text

The next morning (7:30 a.m.), Uzi woke up with tired eyes. She was still wearing the same clothes from the previous day, and her hair was a mess. Even though she had slept when she returned to her home , her body still felt exhausted and seemed not to have recovered from the excitement of the previous night.

Uzi yawned and rubbed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened last night. When she remembered, the look in her eyes changed from tired to a mix of worry and fatigue. Every time she tried to convince herself of what had happened, she still couldn’t believe she had seen a vampire the night before — a real vampire. Not an illusion or a hallucination, but the very creature mentioned in stories and novels, the same creature that had tried to kill her.

 

With all these thoughts racing through her mind one after another, the next one that popped into her head was: “What time is it now?” When she looked at the clock, she was shocked to see she was late for school. She jumped up quickly to start changing her clothes and head to school, despite her exhaustion and what had happened the night before , and the risk that she might encounter one of those creatures again. But that risk was nothing compared to the school administration and their annoying questions, especially their insistence, which would pressure her father to get involved in this matter. Also, her attendance record was already full of absences.

 

Uzi got ready quickly and prepared to leave, but before exiting the apartment door, she made sure her weapon was with her. After it had malfunctioned after firing just one shot and needed a long time to recharge, she decided to fix it at school so she’d be prepared if she ever met that monster again. She put the weapon in her bag and left the house , heading to school while muttering to herself, “I hope this day ends quickly… I’m so tired.”

 

6:00 p.m. at the old facility. When the sun set and the last ray of its light disappeared from the sky, N woke up immediately. Without any hesitation, he went out the window of the room, spread his wings, and flew quickly toward the same place where that girl studied , Uzi Doorman (Copper-9 High School) , in an attempt to fix his mistake (meet her again) before something bad happened.

 

While flying, he thought, “What should I say when I meet her?” Then he shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away, and said, “No, no time for games. I have to do something before she exposes our secret or hurts J and V with that weapon.” After a while he added, “But… it’s not wrong to talk to her, right? I should take a peaceful path through dialogue before doing anything else.” A short while later he said again, “Should I bring some flowers? Maybe she’d like some purple irises , the same color as her hair and eyes.”

 

Even after everything that happened last night, N still didn’t understand why every time he remembered that girl his heart started racing. Even though she had blown his head off with her weapon, all he could think about was how awesome she was last night. Despite standing in front of a vampire, she didn’t run away — she faced him with full courage and awesomeness.

Then N said to himself, “Yes, flowers would be a good idea. After all, girls love flowers.”

(6:15 p.m. at Copper-9 High School)
Uzi was exhausted and looked miserable. Even though the school classes were boring and time passed slowly in them, that was nothing compared to the interrogation session (counseling meeting) with Marie, the school counselor, which lasted three hours. The result was that she was banned from using the school workshop, the reason being that she spent most of her time there and didn’t interact with her classmates.

 

Uzi said angrily while walking out of the school, “What a bunch of idiots… Don’t they realize I’m trying to save their lives? I should be a hero, but no , they punish me by banning me from the workshop.” Uzi kicked an empty metal can on the ground with full anger and said, “Bite me. I don’t need any of them. I can do this alone.”

The can she kicked hit one of the students walking in front of her. He was a boy with blue hair walking with a group of friends. He turned to Uzi and said, “Hey Doorman, why don’t you watch where you’re going?”

Uzi replied angrily, “Bite me. In your dreams. I didn’t do anything to you, or are you gonna cry over a tiny can that bumped into you, you big baby?”

 

Uzi’s words embarrassed the boy in front of his friends, so he decided to do something to salvage what was left of his dignity. As Uzi passed by him, he snatched her weapon — which was wrapped in tape — from her bag and said mockingly, “Whoa, what’s this? Guys, look — one of Doorman’s failed inventions, hahaha.”

His friends started laughing at what he said. (Well, that’s high school in short: to be considered “cool,” you have to bully someone else or make them a laughingstock. The targets are always the quiet ones or those who don’t have friends.)

Uzi said, “Give it back, you idiot, or…”

He threw it to one of his friends, who caught it and said, “Aren’t you the emo girl of the school? Don’t you know the emo era is over?”

At that moment, N landed in a spot not far from the school so no one would notice him. He was holding a purple rose and began looking around, trying to find Uzi, while saying to himself, “I hope I’m not too late. School’s over and the students went home. Will I find her now?”

While thinking, he noticed a group of students mocking a short girl. N said, “How rude , why would they do that to…” When he looked closely at the girl, he recognized her and said, “Uzi… Uzi Doorman.” He pulled her ID from his pocket, checked the photo again, and said, “Yes, it’s her… and she’s being bullied.”

 

Then N realized Uzi’s situation and said sadly, “So she’s also being mocked and ignored by her classmates… just like me.”
The blue-haired boy held Uzi’s weapon and said, “Want it back? Maybe if you behave, Doorman, and apologize for what you said earlier… maybe I’ll think about...”

Uzi kicked him in the shin and said angrily, “Bite me. I’m not apologizing to an idiot like you.”

The boy yelped in pain and said furiously, “You’ll see what I’ll do ...” He grabbed Uzi and tried to hit her, but before he could land the punch, he felt someone holding his arm. He turned and saw a tall young man with white hair, yellow eyes, wearing a black coat, glaring at him angrily. (This was N.)

N’s furious look made the boy and his friends freeze in place. They hadn’t seen this person walk past them , how did he appear here so fast?

N said angrily, “Let her go. Now.”

The boy, trying not to look scared, said, “And what are you gonna do if I...”

N tightened his grip on the boy’s arm, making him wince in pain. The boy groaned, “Okay, okay, I’ll let her go.” He released Uzi and ran away with his friends, shouting, “This isn’t over, Doorman!”

N turned to Uzi and asked, “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

Uzi replied, annoyed, while picking up her weapon, “I’m fine. Actually, I didn’t need your help at all. I could’ve handled this myself.”

She answered that way because it was the first time in a long while someone had helped her, so she felt embarrassed about herself. That feeling was strange to her — she had never felt it before.
N said shyly, looking at Uzi, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Uzi felt a pang of guilt for what she had said to this young man who had helped her even though she didn’t know him. So she looked at N and said, “It’s okay… and also, thanks, I guess.”

N said happily, “You’re welcome!”

Uzi looked at N and asked, “Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
N replied, a bit flustered, “Uh, well… you could say that.”

While Uzi was examining the details of N’s face, she thought to herself, “White hair, yellow eyes, black coat and hat with white shoes… why does that feel familiar?” Suddenly, memories of last night slammed into her brain, making her eyes widen in shock as she realized the person standing in front of her was the same vampire who had tried to kill her the night before.

Immediately, she raised her weapon toward N and said, “Stay away from me, you monster.”

In panic and hesitation, N pulled out the purple rose, held it toward Uzi’s gun, and said, “I surrender. I came in peace. I don’t want to fight , I just want to talk.” Looking at the confused Uzi, he added, “Please?”

Uzi said in surprise, “Talk?” Then angrily continued, “Are you kidding me? You tried to kill me last night!”

N said, “I know, and I’m really sorry about that. But trust me , I only came to talk.”
Uzi pointed the gun at N’s face. “Don’t lie to me. I’m sure you want to lure me somewhere isolated and then finish the job. Do you think I’m stupid or what?”
N said nervously, “No, no, it’s not like that. Trust me, I only came to talk.”
Uzi, still unsure whether to believe him, said, “And how can I trust that you won’t just drag me away?”

N replied, “Listen , if you don’t trust me, how about we talk somewhere with a lot of people around? That way I won’t be able to attack you without risking exposing myself in front of many humans. Also, I’m sure you have a lot of questions you want answers to, right?”

Uzi thought for a moment about what N said. She thought to herself, “Okay, that makes sense. Vampires are careful to keep their identity secret, but…” After long consideration, she lowered her weapon and said, “Fine. I know a place where we can ‘talk’… but...” She aimed the gun at him again and continued, “If you try anything, the next shot will go straight through your heart. Understood?”

N said happily, smiling, “Yes, I understand.” Then to himself: “Finally I can talk to her. I must not mess this up.”
Uzi thought to herself while looking at N’s smiling face, “What a weird vampire.”
At the same moment, N thought while looking at Uzi’s angry face, “What an amazing girl.”

In the crowded center of New Orleans, especially in a busy café full of people, Uzi sat at one of the tables with N sitting across from her. Despite the noise of the city and the sounds inside the café, Uzi kept watching N with sharp, unwavering eyes. Meanwhile, N sat nervously , he had never been in a place with so many humans before. On top of that, he was thinking of a way to start a friendly conversation with her.

 

During the silence between them, the waitress came to their table and asked, “Have you decided what you want?”

 

N wanted to answer but started stammering in front of the server, so Uzi spoke first: “No, I haven’t decided yet what I want. As for this guy — I don’t think anything on your menu would satisfy his appetite.”

 

After hearing that, the waitress said, “Well, you know, we have a discount for couples if...”

 

Uzi interrupted angrily, “We’re not a couple.”

 

The waitress left, and the atmosphere returned to cold silence between them. They hadn’t spoken the entire way here, and after entering the café, they hadn’t talked for a full ten minutes.

 

N tried to break the tension and silence: “So… how’s the weather?”

 

Uzi raised an eyebrow and said in disbelief, “How’s the weather? You tried to kill me last night, we came all this way, and you’re just gonna ask me how’s the weather?”

 

N said, “No… that wasn’t…”

 

Uzi replied, “Good. The weather is nice and cold because it’s winter. You’d know that if you watched the weather forecast. Wait , do vampires even watch TV? Or care about the weather forecast to decide which day is good for hunting their prey?”

 

N froze at her response, which made the atmosphere even colder, and said, “We haven’t properly introduced ourselves, right? My name is N.”

 

Uzi said, “N? Wait a second , is your full name just one letter? Is this some kind of code or symbol so you can hide your identity, find out my name and info, kill me, and drink my blood? Or is this...”.

N said nervously, “No, no. My name is just N. It’s not a code or anything , it’s just my name.” He looked down and added in frustration, “Or at least… that’s all I know about myself, I guess?”

 

After hearing that, Uzi’s expression changed. She didn’t know whether to feel cautious or pity toward the person sitting in front of her. She sighed and said, “Uzi. My name is Uzi Doorman.”
N said, “Yeah, I know. Actually...”.

 

Uzi interrupted angrily, “You know? Wait , have you been stalking me? Following me home? Are you trying to make me lower my guard so you can...”

 

N said in panic, “No, it’s not like that! Your ID...” He pulled her ID from his pocket and continued, “You dropped it last night. As you can see, your name is written on it.”

 

He reached out to hand it to her, but she snatched it quickly from his hand and said, anger visible on her face, “You mean last night when you tried to kill me? Huh?”

 

N put his hand on his head and looked down, trying to calm himself and gather his thoughts. Every word he said, she countered with a barrage of accusations and incorrect assumptions. Well… mostly incorrect. After all, he did try to kill her, and now he was sitting with her in a café. He thought to himself, “Okay, I don’t blame her. This doesn’t make sense at all.”

 

While N was lost in thought trying to find a way to start the conversation, Uzi was staring at him, examining his appearance, facial expressions, and clothes. Last night she hadn’t been able to focus on these details well because she was fighting to stay alive. As she stared, she noticed his pale white face, yellow eyes, and slightly tattered coat at the bottom. She asked herself out loud, “Are all vampires like this?”

 

N heard the question and said in surprise, “What do you mean ‘like this’?”
Uzi realized she had spoken out loud and said, “Uh, I mean…” Then angrily, “Don’t distract me. And I’m the one asking questions here, not you. First question: how many of you are there? Second: why do you hunt humans ? what’s your goal? Third: what the hell was that ? how did your body regenerate so fast? And also...”

 

N tried to calm her down: “Okay, okay, slow down a second. First, there are three of us. We hunt humans to feed on their blood, as you know. About what happened last night… well, all I know is that when my body gets damaged, it repairs itself, but it consumes a lot of energy, to be honest. As for the other abilities like flying and claws — yes, they exist.”

 

Uzi said, “Energy? You mean you need to feed if you do that many times to recharge yourself?”

 

N said, “Yeah… something like that, I guess?”

 

Uzi asked, “You said there are others besides you. Who are they?”
N said, “Oh right! First there’s V.” While explaining about her, he remembered one situation with her and continued, “She’s really awesome. She’s a very skilled hunter , one of the best , and she loves playing with her prey before catching them. And of course there’s mutual respect between us.” N remembered a time when V completely ignored him and continued, looking to the side, “Yeah… mutual respect. Then there’s J.” He remembered a moment when J was punishing him and continued, “She’s the leader. She takes care of everything related to the team , from hunting to storing prey and how much blood we should consume. She’s awesome.” (Despite how they treated him, he spoke about them as if they were friends.)

 

Uzi asked, “How’s your relationship with them?”

 

N said awkwardly, “Well… there’s some tension, I won’t lie to you. But other than that, they’re really great. And honestly, I don’t blame them for how they treat me. They have their own problems too.”

 

After hearing this and the way N answered, Uzi realized things weren’t as great between them as he described. She asked, “Okay, what about your names , why are they just letters? I mean, isn’t that weird? Don’t you have full names with multiple letters?”

 

When N heard the question, worry appeared on his face and he said, “Well… uh… to be honest with you, I don’t know.”

 

Uzi said in surprise, “You don’t know?”
N continued, “Yeah… my memory about that matter is… fuzzy?”

 

Uzi said surprised, “Fuzzy meaning you can’t remember, or you get a headache when you try?”

 

N said, frustration on his face, “Yeah, exactly.”

 

Uzi said thoughtfully, “But what about your teammates? Surely they know something, right?”

 

N replied with a frown, “Actually… they don’t like talking about it.”

 

Uzi asked, “You never tried asking them?”
N said, “I did try, but every time either V ignores me completely or J punishes me, calls me an idiot, or says I’m slacking on my job again like always.”

Uzi said surprised, “Like always?”

 

N said, “Yeah… actually I haven’t gone hunting for a while… well, I won’t lie , quite a long while.”

 

Uzi raised an eyebrow in surprise, “Why? Don’t vampires need to feed on blood?”
N said, “Yes, but I didn’t want to. I would stay home, do some chores, and in return consume only a small amount of blood… you know, just so I wouldn’t become a burden.”

 

Uzi thought about what N told her while staring at his pale face. She thought to herself, “Okay, he does look quite pale… and judging by his behavior and the way he speaks, I don’t think he was lying about any of the information he gave, but…”

 

Uzi asked, “Why don’t you like hunting?”
N froze in place, a hint of anxiety appearing on his face. “I… I don’t want to talk about that.” He turned his face away and looked to the right as he said it.

 

Uzi said, “But you said you’d answer any of my questions.”

 

N replied, “Yes, I’ll answer your questions, but this question… honestly I don’t know exactly how to phrase the answer for you.”

 

Uzi saw the increasing anxiety and tension on N’s face, which made her feel a bit sad, but she held back her feelings and thought to herself, “No, no Doorman. This is a vampire who feeds on blood and tried to kill you. Even if what he said is true, you can’t weaken in front of him.”
Uzi said, “Okay, I have one last question I want to ask you, and I want a direct answer. Understood?”

 

N said, “Of course. What’s your question?”

 

Uzi asked, “What’s your goal with all of this?”

 

N said in confusion, “Sorry?”

 

Uzi said angrily, pointing at him, “Don’t play dumb. You helped me a little while ago against those idiot boys, and even though you had the perfect chance to get rid of me, you offered to talk. And now here you are sitting in front of me, answering all my questions and spilling your secrets to me. Why? This makes no sense at all.”

 

N said, “I wanted to talk to you… that’s all.”

 

Uzi looked at N in annoyance , she didn’t accept his answer , and said, “Again , that makes no sense.”

 

N tried hard to find an answer that would satisfy Uzi: “I wanted to talk to you because… you’re amazing.”

 

Uzi raised an eyebrow in surprise, “Sorry?”

 

N struggled to pour out everything in his heart to Uzi: “You know… after what happened last night… you never gave up even though a vampire was in front of you. You resisted, you fought for your life. You were so amazing. So I was thinking… maybe we could—” N’s cheeks turned red from embarrassment as he continued, “maybe we could become friends.”

 

Uzi said angrily, “Are you kidding me? That’s nonsense.”

 

Uzi’s response left N stunned. She continued, “You want to be my friend? This is a trick , please tell me this is some scheme so you can kill me.”

 

N said, “No… no, it’s not like that. You don’t understand, I...”

 

Uzi interrupted loudly, “You what? Are you stupid or are you that pathetic that you ask the prey who blew your head off last night to be your friend? I mean, who else would do that except a crazy, useless, hopeless idiot? You know what , I think that’s why your teammates treat you like that. Because you’re a huge idiot no one can rely on.”

 

Uzi’s words shocked N , her tone had become exactly like J’s. In an attempt to fix things, he said weakly, “But… I...”

 

But Uzi interrupted again: “You know what I think of you, N? I think you’re a hypocrite. You said you don’t want to hunt, but last night you tried to attack me, and now you want to be my friend. Why? Do you see yourself in me? Yeah, I can be angry sometimes, and yeah, my classmates don’t care about me , just like my dad , but at least I don’t lie to myself like you do.”

Uzi sighed, put her hand on her head, and said, “You know what , this conversation has become really stupid.” She picked up her bag to leave and continued, “I’m going. If you try to follow me, I’ll point my gun at your heart and end you.” And Uzi left, leaving N in a state of shock and disbelief at what he had heard.

 

After leaving the café, Uzi kept muttering about what happened: “Friends? Is he stupid or pretending to be? That’s impossible — one of the most impossible things.” Then she stopped, saw her reflection in a shop window mirror, and remembered when N said so innocently and shyly that he wanted to be her friend. Looking at her reflection, she said, “Why… why would he want that? What’s so special about someone like me ”

 

While thinking, the sky began to rain. She said annoyed, “Great. Of all times, it starts raining now. I should hurry and go back to—” Before she finished her sentence, she saw N standing in front of her, sadness and frustration clear on his face.

 

Uzi pulled her weapon from her bag and said, “I thought I told you...”

 

N interrupted loudly, “I didn’t want that.”

 

Uzi said surprised, “What?”

N said, rain falling on his face to hide the tears starting to flow from his eyes, “I didn’t want to be a monster. I didn’t choose this. I woke up one day and found myself like this.” He stepped closer to Uzi and continued, “I didn’t want to feed on human blood or hunt them, but I was forced to. Every time… every time I hunt someone, they start crying or begging for their life, but I kill them anyway. It makes me disgusted with myself. Do you think I wanted to kill innocent people just to survive? I don’t drink much blood, thinking maybe… maybe my body would gradually stop depending on it. But the result is always the same , my body just gets tired and weaker. Every time J punishes me or she and V insult me, I don’t talk back because they’re right. I’m a failure, an idiot, a coward… and above all, I’m sinful… sinful for killing innocent people just so I can live… a failure for accepting reality and not trying to find a solution to my problem… a coward for not being able to kill myself and end this suffering.”

 

He stood right in front of Uzi’s gun and continued, tears streaming down his face, “An idiot for believing that maybe… maybe I found someone who understands me — like you. Trust me, I never wanted any of this to happen.” Then he grabbed the barrel of her gun, pointed it at his own heart, and said, “If you don’t believe me, then please — end it now and give me peace. I’m tired of all of this. Please.”

 

Uzi froze in place. Even though N stood right in front of her, her finger couldn’t press the trigger. After hearing those words, she realized that the person standing before her wasn’t a monster , just a broken person. A person let down by those around him. A person with no one to turn to. A person exactly like her.
Uzi felt guilty for everything she had said to him earlier. She lowered her weapon and said, “Okay.”

 

N said, “What?”

 

Uzi replied, “We can be friends… or whatever.”

 

N said, “But you said...”

 

Uzi said, “I know what I said and I… I… want to give you a chance.”

 

N wiped his tears and said, “Really?”

 

Uzi said, “Yes, really. But if you try to betray me or…”

N said happily, “No… I won’t… I definitely won’t.” Then he extended his hand and said, “Friends?”

 

Under the rain, in front of the vampire who had cried in front of her after pouring out his heart, Uzi extended her hand to shake his and said, “Friends.”
Uzi thought to herself, “I hope I don’t regret this.”

 

And at the same time, N thought to himself while smiling, “Awesome. Finally I have a friend.”

Chapter Text

Now that I have finished the first arc's story and explained how Uzi and N met and the beginning of their friendship, I want to say that I will take a 10-day break after the end of each arc, so that I can think about the story of the next arc. After the 10-day break, I will return to publishing, where I will release a new chapter every 3 or 4 days, and each chapter will contain between 2,500 and 4,000 words.

 

The reason that led me to do this is to write a fully developed story in every aspect, containing many myths and horror stories. As mentioned in the prologue, the story's world, where these events take place, is very vast and contains many monsters and different kinds. Of course, I do not want to include them all or complicate the story by introducing too many characters, but all I want is to write a wonderful story that deserves the time of those who read it.

if there is any opinions about the story ( hard opinion) please write it in comments section and please support by kudos and comment.

One more thing I am not good in romantic things , but I will do what I can , ok ?

Chapter Text

The next morning (after the events of the first arc)

 

Uzi woke up to the sound of her alarm. It was 7:30 a.m. She let out a huge sigh while rubbing her tired eyes. The reason for her exhaustion was what had happened the night before: a bloodthirsty monster had somehow become her friend.

 

She muttered to herself, “Why did I agree to this? I should have just aimed my weapon at his heart and ended it.” Then she remembered the words he had said to her and continued, “…but he seemed…”

 

She dragged her exhausted body out of bed with difficulty, ran a hand through her messy hair, and said, “No. No. We might be ‘friends’ now, but I’m not dropping my guard around him. If he tries anything, I’ll…”

 

A loud crash came from the kitchen, cutting off her train of thought and leaving her startled.
“What the hell was that?” she whispered to herself.

 

She grabbed her weapon, left her room, and walked down the hallway while thinking nervously, “Did he follow me here?”

 

She reached the stairs leading to the first floor and continued thinking, “Impossible. The sun is up. And even if he did follow me, it would have been better for him to finish me off. So why wait until morning? And why the kitchen specifically?”

 

She descended the stairs while smelling something burnt. She approached the kitchen door, readied her weapon, stepped inside, and said, “Don’t move or...”

 

The sight in front of her actually shocked her. The person standing there was none other than her father, Khan Doorman, holding a frying pan with charred eggs on it. Behind him, several pots and pans lay scattered on the floor.

 

Khan looked at his daughter in surprise and said, “Uzi, good morning, sweetheart.”

 

Uzi stared in confusion. “Dad… what are you doing?”

 

“I was trying to make a wonderful breakfast for you and me,” Khan replied.
“Breakfast? Why? You haven’t done that in forever.”

 

Khan shrugged. “Well… I thought maybe we could eat breakfast together. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

 

Uzi forced a fake smile to hide her irritation. “Yeah… super nice… but you know, I’m already late for school, so—”
Khan interrupted her. “Oh, come on, don’t be like that. Five minutes won’t hurt anyone.” He scraped the burnt eggs onto a plate, poured her some juice, set the breakfast on the table, and added, “So? What are you waiting for?”

 

Uzi didn’t know what to say. On one hand, her father was finally being kind to her and had made her breakfast. On the other hand, he was only being kind after a very long period of basically ignoring her and being obsessed with his work.
With a tense smile, she said, “Okay…”

 

She sat at the table. Khan sat across from her with a coffee mug that read “#1 Dad.”

 

Uzi asked, “Aren’t you eating?”

 

“Huh… no… I’ll just have my coffee,” Khan replied.

 

During breakfast, a strange, awkward silence filled the air. Neither of them spoke; they both just stared off, avoiding each other’s eyes.

 

Uzi thought to herself, “I don’t know what’s worse—the taste of this burnt egg on my tongue or this suffocating silence. I need to say something. This is getting… somehow embarrassing.”

 

Khan thought while sipping his coffee, “Come on, come on, think of something to say. She’s your daughter, for crying out loud… You have to say something or she’ll feel even worse that her dad won’t talk to her during the first breakfast you’ve shared in years.”

 

Khan cleared his throat. “Uh…”
Uzi echoed, “Uh…”

 

They looked at each other, both of their trains of thought derailed at the same moment.

 

Khan said, “You can go first if you want…”

 

Uzi replied, “Oh no, you start.”

 

“No, you go ahead. I insist,” Khan said.

 

Uzi paused for a moment, then asked, “So… how’s work?”

 

“Oh, it’s good. You know—doors and all that. Security doors, thief-proof doors, all kinds of great doors,” Khan answered enthusiastically.

 

Uzi’s face showed faint annoyance. She knew very well how obsessed her father was with doors and how he could talk about them for hours. She thought to herself, “Did I really just ask the one question that would set him off?”

 

Khan asked, “So, how’s school?”
Uzi poked at the burnt eggs with her fork. “Oh… school. Yeah, everything’s fine.”

 

“Anything exciting going on at school you want to talk about?” Khan asked.

 

Uzi looked at him in confusion. “Not really… Everyone، teachers and students، is just preparing for the prom that’s happening in a month.”

 

Khan smiled. “Ah, prom! I bet you’re excited to go with your friends.”

 

Uzi looked down at the floor in frustration. “Not really. Honestly, I was thinking of skipping it. It’s just a waste of time.”

 

The smile faded from Khan’s face. “Oh… I see.”

 

Silence stretched between them for another minute before Uzi snapped angrily, “Okay, what is the deal, Dad?”
Khan looked flustered. “Huh… what do you mean…?”

 

Uzi gestured toward the barely touched plate of burnt eggs. “This! The breakfast, asking about school… You never do any of this. You’ve basically been ignoring me since… well, you know.”

 

Khan sighed. “Uzi… honey… To be honest, I’ve been getting several calls from the school about...”

 

Uzi shot up from her chair. “I knew it! It’s because of those idiots at school!”

 

“Uzi…” Khan tried.

 

But she cut him off again. “The breakfast, all of this… You didn’t do it because you wanted to. Someone forced you.”

 

“Uzi, this is serious,” Khan said. “You’ve been interfering with police investigations. There are multiple complaints from teachers…”

 

Uzi glared at him. “And why do you care now? You never cared before. You left me alone and cared more about your stupid rusty doors than your only daughter…”

 

Khan raised his voice. “At least the doors do their job and don’t cause me problems!”

 

Uzi laughed bitterly. “There it is. You said it yourself. You prefer a bunch of rusty metal doors over me. You know, if Mom were here...”

 

Khan slammed his hand on the table. “If Nori were here, do you think she’d be proud that her daughter causes trouble everywhere she goes because of some stupid ideas about supernatural creatures? She’d be ashamed and embarrassed by her irresponsible, immature behavior!”

 

Uzi tried to hold back tears. “Well excuse me then. Your irresponsible daughter is going to get ready for school so she doesn’t embarrass you any further.” She turned and walked toward her room.

 

Khan called after her, “We’re not done talking, young lady. Come back here.”

 

Uzi shouted without turning around, “BITE ME!”

 

She stormed into her room. Khan rubbed his eyes in exhaustion and muttered, “What am I going to do with her? She’s exactly like her mother, never listens.”
As he was thinking, his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

 

He answered, “Yes… yes, I’m coming… Don’t worry, there were some issues at home. I’m heading to work now.”

 

He went to Uzi’s door, knocked, and said, “Uzi, I’m going to work now…” No answer came from inside. He continued, “Listen… we’ll finish our talk when I get back home.”

 

As Khan left the house, Uzi sat on her bed, head buried in her knees, full of sadness. She whispered to herself, “Idiot. I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone.” Then, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she added quietly, “No… I don't need… anyone.”

 

That night (exactly one minute after sunset)

 

In the abandoned facility, the white-haired vampire N woke up. He dropped to the floor, still groggy. What had happened last night was shocking to him, he now had a friend. Not just any friend, a human friend.

 

He left his room carrying his coat and hat, walked down the corridor, and replayed the events of the previous night in his mind. A bit of anxiety and doubt crept in.

 

“I mean… V and J won’t find out, right? They never pay attention to me anyway. They’re always either fighting or insulting me—especially J. Right?” he thought.

 

He rubbed his head as he walked. “But I still don’t understand. Last night she was right there. I could have finished her off and destroyed that weapon. Instead, I spilled my entire heart to her… and now we’re friends. I mean, sure, she’s awesome and all, but… did I make a mistake?”

 

He opened his mouth slightly and continued, “But what is this weird feeling I get every time I think about her?” He sighed. “I’m so confused.”

 

He reached the entrance of the facility and noticed he was the first one up. “Looks like J and V aren’t awake yet.”
Deciding to leave quickly before they woke up, he thought, “If I go now… will I catch her in front of the school before she heads home?”

 

He spread his wings, took off flying, and said to himself, “Well, no harm in trying. I’m just checking on a friend. That’s not wrong.”

 

Copper-9 High School

 

Uzi stood in front of her locker, organizing her things and preparing to leave, when she heard someone call, “Hey, Zi!”

 

She turned and saw Thad—a cheerful, confident-looking guy with light blond, short, casually styled hair, bright green eyes, and a wide, friendly smile. He wore a shiny red bomber jacket with yellow sleeves, a black t-shirt with a big white “C” on it, regular blue jeans, and a small red baseball cap.

 

“How’s it going?” he asked.

 

Uzi replied indifferently, “Nothing new, Thad.” She closed her locker and added, “Same miserable, depressing life. Why do you ask?” She started walking down the school hallway.

 

Thad walked beside her, looking a little worried. “Well… I heard some idiots were harassing you yesterday. You okay?”

 

Uzi rolled her eyes. “Oh please, those morons are nothing. I handled them my way.”

 

They reached the school entrance. Thad said, “I’m sure you did, Zi.”

 

Then he heard someone calling him from behind. He turned and saw Lizzy.

 

“Oh, hey Lizzy. Where’s Doll? Wasn’t she supposed to be with you?” Thad asked.

 

Lizzy answered, “She got an important call from home. But more importantly, where were you? We agreed to meet here ten minutes ago.” She glanced at Uzi and added, “And why are you with her?”

 

Uzi glared. “Bite me.”

 

Thad quickly said, “Oh come on, Lizzy, don’t be like that. Uzi’s my childhood friend. I was just checking on her, some idiots tried messing with her yesterday.”

 

Lizzy smirked. “Oh right… but that’s not what the rumors going around her today are saying.”

 

Both Uzi and Thad said at the same time, “Rumors?”

 

Uzi narrowed her eyes. “What rumors?”

 

Lizzy said mockingly, “I’m surprised you don’t know. Are you even living in the same world as us?”

 

“Bite me. Just tell me the rumors,” Uzi snapped.

 

Thad tried to calm her. “Whoa, easy Zi.”

 

Lizzy continued, “Well, from what I heard, the emo girl at our school has a tall white-haired knight who saved her yesterday… So, Doorman, do you have a boyfriend now?”

 

Uzi blushed in embarrassment. “What the hell are you talking about? That guy is not my boyfriend. You’re completely wrong.”

 

Lizzy pointed with her finger. “Then maybe you should tell him that.”

 

Uzi turned in the direction Lizzy was pointing and froze. There stood N, right in front of the school.

 

She thought in panic, “That idiot... what is he doing here? Why now, of all times?”

 

Thad said in surprise, “Whoa… Uzi, I didn’t know you...”

 

Uzi cut him off and hurried toward N. “He’s not my boyfriend…”

 

N saw Uzi approaching with an angry expression, but he still waved cheerfully. “Hi…”

 

Before he could finish, Uzi grabbed his clothes and hissed, “Shut up and follow me.”

 

She dragged him away from the school at top speed.

 

After walking for a while, Uzi snapped, “What the hell are you doing here, you moron?”

 

N answered nervously, “I… I came to see you…”

 

Uzi put her hands over her eyes and sighed. “Look, I’m not in the mood for games. Just tell me what you want—quickly.”

 

N looked disappointed. “I… I don’t want anything. It’s just that…”

 

“Come on, speak. I don’t have all day,” Uzi said.

 

“I just wanted to pass by, say hi, and see how you’re doing today. That’s all,” N explained. He rubbed the back of his neck, his voice tinged with sadness. He felt like he had come at the wrong time and caused her trouble. He remembered how J always called him annoying and useless, and added quietly, “Sorry if I bothered you. I didn’t mean to.”

 

Uzi was surprised by his response. This was the first time someone (other than Thad, who was just naturally nice to everyone) had been genuinely kind to her. She felt a bit of guilt and embarrassment for how harshly she had acted toward him moments earlier.

 

She looked at the ground and mumbled, “I’m… fine… thanks for asking, I guess.”

 

N’s face lit up with a goofy smile. “You’re welcome!”

 

Uzi crossed her arms. “Okay, there. You asked, I answered. What else do you want?”

 

N hesitated. “I was thinking… maybe we could… you know, hang out together?”

 

Uzi stared at him in disbelief and thought, “Is he serious?”

 

She replied, “Sorry to disappoint you, but I have to go home now. It’s getting late. Bye.”

 

She turned and started walking, thinking to herself, “Hang out? Together? Does he think I’m stupid enough to agree and spill all my secrets? No way. I’m not falling for any tricks. Besides, no one asks about you just because they care. There’s always some angle, some benefit.”

 

N said softly and sadly, “Okay… uh, I’ll go now… sorry again if I caused you any trouble earlier.”

 

He felt hurt, but this was what he expected. This was always his luck, no matter how hard he tried, he was never accepted. He hadn’t been accepted by his teammates, so how could he be accepted by the girl he had tried to kill just two days ago? Still… this time there had been a tiny spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could find someone who would accept him in this world. But it seemed he was wrong again.

 

Uzi sighed. “Ugh…” She turned back to him and said, “Listen… I’m taking the bus. You can ‘hang out’ with me until we reach the stop… or whatever.”

 

N’s face brightened instantly. “Really? Sure!”

 

Meanwhile, Uzi was mentally cursing herself for feeling sorry for him and saying that. She thought, “Let’s just get this over with.”

 

N walked beside her, smiling. After a long silence turned his smile into nervous tension, he tried to think of something, anything to say. But he realized he had nothing interesting to offer. Unlike V (cool and bold) or J (organized and smart), he was the least remarkable one. He was bad at his job, felt overwhelming guilt whenever he hunted, and the only thing he was good at was chopping up the bodies his teammates caught, which wasn’t exactly the first thing to say in conversation material.

 

After thinking for a while, he finally said, “So… how are you…?”

 

Uzi snapped, “I’m fine. Fine! Can’t people just understand that I’m fine and stop interfering in my life for once?”

 

N flinched. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

Uzi saw the sadness on his face and softened slightly. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. It’s just that everyone around me either ignores me or meddles, thinking I’m some crazy girl with mental issues because I’m apparently in an ‘unstable teenage phase’.”

 

N looked at her. “Yeah… I get what you mean.”

 

Uzi raised an eyebrow. “Really? How?”

 

N explained, “Well, like I told you before… my teammates J and V always either ignore me, mostly V, or insult me, especially J, because I don’t do my job properly. Every time I try to talk to them, they walk away. They think I’m just an annoying embarrassment.”

 

Uzi asked, “Isn’t there anyone else you talk to? Another vampire or…?”

 

N shook his head. “No. No one.”

 

Uzi looked at his gloomy face and realized she hadn’t expected this bloodthirsty vampire to have a social life as lonely as hers. She got rejected by people around her; he got rejected by the only two people he knew in his entire existence. The difference was that she could at least in theory find humans who cared if she looked hard enough. For N, there was no one else.

 

She asked carefully, “N… I have a question. It might be a bit personal, but if you don’t want to answer, it’s fine…”

 

N replied gently, “No, it’s okay… you can ask me anything.”

 

Uzi continued, “You said that J punishes you, right?”

 

“Yeah… she does it whenever I don’t do my job perfectly or slack off. Honestly, sometimes she hits me even when I didn’t do anything wrong just because she’s in a bad mood or needs to vent. But I don’t blame her. She just wants what’s best for me.”

 

Uzi was stunned. “Wait doesn’t that make you angry? That’s not ‘wanting what’s best.’ That’s straight-up bullying. She’s turned you into her personal punching bag. You should stand up for yourself and...”

 

N interrupted quietly, “But… I think… she’s right.”

 

Uzi blinked. “What?”

 

“Yeah,” N said. “As you can see, I’m a failure. An idiot. Trash. I deserve every bad thing that happens to me, every insult. After years of being hit and insulted… I just got used to it.” He gave a weak laugh and continued, “You know, yesterday before the night I attacked you when I got back to the mansion, J asked if I had any success. When I said no, she didn’t hit me. She just looked at me and said… ‘Why don’t you just die and save us the trouble?’”

 

Uzi’s mind went blank for a second. Then she said, “Then why don’t you leave?”

 

N looked surprised. “What?”

 

“Yeah,” Uzi pressed. “Why don’t you leave? What’s keeping you there when no one wants you around?”

 

N answered, “It’s not that I don’t want to leave. Believe me, I’ve thought about it. But the real question is… where would I go? There’s nowhere for me.”

 

Uzi didn’t know what to say. Before she could respond, N pointed ahead. “Look we’ve reached the bus stop. And just in time. The bus is here.”

 

The bus pulled up. Before she got on, N said softly, “Well… I guess this is goodbye. Sorry again if I bothered you.”

 

Uzi hesitated. “Listen… N…”

 

He turned to her in surprise this was the first time she had called him by name.
She finished quietly, “See you later… I guess.”

 

N’s face lit up. “Yeah! See you later, Uzi!”

 

Uzi added quickly, “But next time you come see me, don’t stand right in front of the school. Got it?”

 

“Got it!” N said happily. “Oh and if you ever need any help, just ask. I love doing anything!”

 

Uzi boarded the bus. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

The doors closed and the bus pulled away. Uzi put her hands over her face in frustration and sighed. “I said way too much. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite me. Will he think I’m easy prey now?”

 

She leaned her head against the window and thought, “But… I didn’t feel anything bad toward him. He was completely harmless.”

 

When Uzi reached home, she tried to unlock the door and realized it was already open. She froze. “Is someone inside?”

 

She considered calling the police, but they knew her face and would never believe her—they’d think she was making it up. And her weapon was still inside the house; she had left it there that morning.

 

She looked around, found a stick, picked it up, and muttered, “Better than nothing.”

 

She entered cautiously. When she reached the living room, she was shocked to see her father sitting on the couch with a box beside him.

 

“Dad? What are you doing here?” This was the first time in a long while that Khan had come home before her.

 

Khan said, “Uzi, I came because I want to talk to you.”

 

Uzi headed toward her room. “Well, I don’t want to.”

 

“I know what I said earlier was awful… I’m sorry. I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be. I won’t take much of your time. I just want to give you this.” He gestured to the box next to him.

 

Uzi frowned. “You want to give me your toolbox?”

 

“No, no this isn’t my toolbox. This box belonged to your mother.”

 

Uzi’s eyes widened. “My mother? What’s inside?”

 

“I don’t know,” Khan admitted. “But she told me to give it to you when you were older. And… here you are. It’s yours now.” He took a key from his pocket. “I’ll give you the key, but first—promise me you’ll be more careful from now on and stay out of trouble, okay?”

 

Uzi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. I promise I’ll stay out of trouble if it keeps you out of my business. Happy now?”

 

“Very happy, sweetheart,” Khan said. He handed her the key, checked his watch, and added, “Well, I should get back to work.”

 

Uzi raised an eyebrow. “But you just got home.”

 

Khan joked, “Oh Uzi, doors don’t have set working hours.” He left, leaving Uzi behind feeling disgusted by yet another door-related joke.

After her father left, Uzi turned her gaze toward the box and said, “Great… so what am I supposed to do with you now?”

 

She carried the box to her room. Fortunately for her, it wasn’t large—it was actually quite small, which made it easy to carry.

 

Once inside her room, she tossed the box onto her bed, took out the key her father had given her, and thought to herself:
“Why did my mother leave this box for me? Did she really go through all that old drama just to make Dad give it to me?”
Then she spoke out loud: “Well… there’s only one way to find out.”

 

She inserted the key into the lock and turned it.

 

The moment the lock clicked open, Uzi heard whispers in the air. The sound startled her a little. Those weren’t the noise of wind—they were something else, deeper, almost like words being spoken, but incomprehensible.

 

Uzi pulled herself together, steadied her breathing, and slowly lifted the lid of the box to see what was inside.
But all she found was:
a plain white sheet of paper and an old necklace with a skull symbol on it
and a black-covered book with nothing written on the front—just a strange purple emblem that looked like three equal-length arms (like spears or arrows) connected at a small hexagonal center, resembling a simple three-pronged star or a triskelion-like symbol.

 

Curiosity burned stronger and stronger inside Uzi. She thought:
“Why did Mom leave me this book?”
Despite the earlier chills and tension still lingering, her curiosity overpowered everything else. She decided to open the book and see what was inside.

 

The instant she touched the book with her right hand, a sharp, burning pain shot through it—as if her hand were on fire.

 

She immediately dropped the book to the floor and hissed,
“Damn it… damn it! What the hell was that? It hurts like hell!”

 

When she looked down at the book, she saw the emblem on the cover beginning to glow. Then letters appeared above and below the symbol.

 

A minute later the glow faded, and with it, the pain in Uzi’s hand disappeared.
She stood frozen in place, completely bewildered. This kind of experience would be enough to make most people throw the book straight into the trash. But not Uzi. Instead, the strange event only made her more determined to read it.

 

When she cautiously picked it up again, there was no pain this time. Relieved, she focused entirely on the words that had mysteriously appeared on the cover.

 

Above the emblem it now read: Journal of Shadows

And below the emblem:
“Authored by the Sisterhood of the Night: Nori, and ____, and ____”
Only her mother’s name was visible; the other two spots remained blank.

 

Uzi frowned and muttered, “Why is Mom’s name the only one showing? Does she have some connection to this weird book? And what even is this ‘Sisterhood of the Night’?”

 

She spoke aloud again: “Alright… only one way to find out.”

 

She tried to open the book, but it wouldn’t budge. Surprised, she grumbled “Come on, you stupid book—why won’t you open? There’s no lock or anything!”

After many failed attempts, she slumped into her chair, sighed heavily and said,
“What’s wrong with this thing? No matter how hard I try, it just won’t open. Is it cursed or something?”

 

She flipped the book over to look at the back cover and muttered “Maybe it needs some kind of key… or a magic phrase…”

 

Suddenly the book glowed again. This time, a block of text appeared on the back cover:

“You who read these words… you denier, you ingrate… You who scorn the blessing of ignorance and choose instead the hell of awareness… You whom curiosity has slain in search of answers… You who rummaged through the nights to find what is most precious… Know that in your pursuit of the forbidden... You must find the accursed key...Pay the page with your wretched blood ...To be guided to the accursed treasure... But beware, you doomed soul… beware… beware
Of the cursed voice ... Lest it lead you to your fated doom... Beware the hounds…
For they are extensions of what lies beyond the shadows... And beware the one who died in oblivion…”

 

Uzi couldn’t understand most of what was written on the back cover. She stared at it for a long time, trying to make sense of anything. Then she repeated one particular line out loud:
“Pay the page with your wretched blood… to be guided to the accursed treasure…”

 

She whispered to herself, “The page… blood…”

 

Realization hit her. Without hesitation she rushed to the plain white sheet of paper that had been inside the box.

 

She unfolded the paper, placed it on her desk, picked up a pin, and said,
“Okay… I hope I don’t regret this.”
She pricked her finger, squeezed until a round drop of blood fell onto the pure white paper, staining it.

 

The paper absorbed the drop instantly. Faint lines began to appear from nowhere—simple, barely understandable marks at first.

 

Uzi realized she would need to give more. She kept pressing her finger, letting drop after drop fall. Each one revealed only tiny, almost meaningless lines.

 

She sighed, understanding that the paper was demanding much more blood.

 

With a look of grim determination, she took a deep breath, grabbed a small scalpel from her room, and sliced across the palm of her left hand.

 

Strangely, in that moment Uzi felt almost no pain. The mixture of curiosity and desperate eagerness had completely drowned out the sensation of pain.
She pressed hard on the cut, letting a steady stream of blood pour onto the paper.

 

Only then did the lines finally connect and complete themselves. A map of some area appeared, and above it, in clear writing, were the words:
( Manchak Swamp )

Chapter Text

Julia... Julia Brown, a victim of ignorance that blinded people, or a victim of an evil soul that frightened, blinded the observer, deafened the listener, and silenced the speaker.

In Arizona, according to people's testimonies and what was said at the time, Julia was described as a (witch), but was this talk born of fear or of hatred that blinded all insight and distorted all truth?

Julia Brown was born in 1845. She was a Black woman, and any reader of history knows what happened in those past years. They were lean years of injustice and oppression for every Black person. The idea of white racial superiority prevailed in the minds of every white person, except for those whom God blessed with a pure heart and mind. Julia had a modest house that was sufficient for her needs in the Manchaak swamp, and on the edge of that swamp was a small town called Friner. Because of the fertile nature of the soil, which helped Julia to grow her medicinal herbs, in fact, that soil did not only help her, but it was a seed of hope that God had bestowed upon Julia. Julia was a herbalist, or "traitos," who used her methods, convictions, and herbs that she obtained from the swamp. Despite her assistance to the local people, her practice did not soften the hearts of those who hated her.

 

Some people, based on flimsy or delusional assumptions, considered her method of treatment to be nothing but heresy, and they called her a "witch" or a "voodoo priestess." This title was enough to spread rumors, fear, and hatred towards her.

 

But what increased Julia's pain was that the villagers she had helped believed these rumors—the same villagers she had helped and given medicine for every ailment they suffered from. But what you, dear reader, might not have expected, for you know in our time that you helped someone who thought they owned you, and that you became their servant because of your pure heart that showed compassion for their corrupt heart. Julia would sing a song while sitting on her balcony, adding a modest touch to her guitar to bring joy to the atmosphere of sadness and gloom in which she lived. The lyrics of this song sent shivers down the spine of anyone who heard them: "One day I will die, and everything will die with me... One day I will die, and I will take everything with me."

Despite its brevity, the song's lyrics were enough to cast another accusation upon her and create a widespread belief that the song was a curse she had placed upon herself due to the injustice and neglect she suffered at the hands of the villagers.

On September 29, 1915, Julia Brown died, and on the same day her soul departed her body, a devastating Category 4 hurricane struck the area, destroying and submerging the village of Frenier.

 

Unfortunately, every disaster brings losses not only in material terms but also in lives. The hurricane killed a considerable number of people and resulted in many being buried in a mass grave in that swamp (may God have mercy on the souls of those who died during that disaster). After the disaster, a rumor spread like wildfire among the people that the hurricane was the result of a curse placed by a woman named Julia Brown before her death, and that this curse led to a hurricane that took the town with it, just as she had predicted.

Today, it is believed that Julia's spirit still haunts the swamp, along with the spirits of the victims who died at that time. On tourist tours of the swamp, guides tell the story of Julia Brown and pass by a fake grave marked '1915'. Some visitors claim to have heard Julia's voice singing her song, its echo reverberating through the Manchaak Swamp.