Leo Carter was sitting in his office when a knock at the door interrupted his work. His secretary opened the door.Kaelen sat in the chair opposite him.
"Where's Drake?"
"He's gone. He's not in his apartment. When I checked, it was empty. The neighbors don't know where he went, but they saw a woman and a man with him when they left the place."
"Do they know anything about the woman and the man he was with?"
"No, they only saw the woman recently, and it was their first time seeing the man."
"Alright. Keep looking for him. You may go."
Kaelen left the office. Leo sat in silence, a heaviness settling in his chest. Something about the situation didn't sit right with him.
Then the telephone rang.
He picked it up, and a voice on the other end began to report.
"Adrian, send our slayers to the scene," Leo said, his voice firm. "Last night, there was a commotion at the train station. Fortunately, a few of our men were there—they managed to take down the vampire. Send a team to go there early in the morning to investigate the area."
"Yes, Sir."
*****
Drake returned to the hotel just as the vampire slayers arrived in town.
"You're bleeding!" Lyra yelled.
"I'll get the first aid kit," her mother said and rushed to get the kit.
"What happened out there?" Selena asked, worried in her voice.
"There were vampires… they went berserk. I mean, they were different from before. More aggressive, hungrier. Their eyes weren't red—they were black. And they were drooling like animals," Drake said, still catching his breath.
"That's strange," Selena muttered. "When vampires are angry or starving, their eyes are always red."
"Something's wrong," Mr. Finch added, his voice grim. "If there are more of them like that, it's going to be far more dangerous for humans."
"What should we do now?" Lyra asked.
"I don't know yet," Drake replied quietly.
Lyra's mother returned, carrying the first aid kit. She gently tended to his wounds. Drake winced but stayed silent, not wanting to show the pain—especially with everyone watching him so closely.
"I remember when I was seven years old," Lyra's mother said. "The same thing happened. The vampires' eyes turned black, and they went berserk."
"What was the reason behind it?" Lyra asked.
"Some say they were experimented on, but we don't know how. They used to be human. The leader of the vampires performed blood transfusions to turn them into weapons—no emotions, less intelligence, just tools to fight against the slayers."
"Where were they experimenting on?" Drake asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "The Shadowfang ordered that the location be kept secret. Only the vampire slayers and vampires know the truth."
A knock rattled the hotel door.
"Stay here. I'll open it," Lyra's mother whispered.
"Wait," Drake said, stopping her. "Don't tell them we're here."
She nodded.
"Hello, sir. How may I help you?"
"Are there any casualties here?" the vampire slayer asked.
"No. It's just my daughter and me. We're hiding."
"Alright. Stay right here until we've cleared the area."
Lyra's mother closed the door and returned to them.
"Thank you," Selena said softly.
A week later, the nightmare still lingered over the town. Drake and his team had started training hard to make themselves stronger and be ready for whatever might come next.
"Within the next five days, we have to leave this town. There are vampire slayers guarding the area and they might see us," Drake said during a break.
"Can I come with you guys?" Lyra pleaded.
Selena stared at Drake, silently urging him to say yes, while Mr. Finch quietly cleaned his sword.
"Okay, fine. But you're responsible for yourself. And second—stop being annoying."
"Yay! It's a deal!" Lyra jumped behind him, wrapping her arms around his back in a hug.
Selena's face twisted with irritation. When Drake noticed, he gently pushed Lyra away.
*****
"What's the progress?" Lord Vesperian asked.
"My lord, the defectives escaped from the cave. I couldn't stop them," the old lady replied.
"Oh, I see. Now I understand."
"But there's one who's making progress. He's different from the other subjects. His blood is much more compatible, and in a few months, he could fully awaken."
"I want more like him. I'll order my men to bring you more subjects."
"Thank you, my Lord."
The old lady left the office. Lord Vesperian's lips curled into a wicked smile as he watched his plan begin to unfold.
*****
Drake and others are carrying their bags preparing to leave.
"Lyra, take care of yourself out there." Lyra's mother hugs her tightly.
"I can't breathe mama." she chuckles.
"You guys take care of my daughter and visit me here too." she said firmly.
"We need to go now. Thank you Mrs. Blaze." Drake said.