Run…
Panting…
Run…
Drake Nightwalker was a new vampire slayer, and he was often bullied by the others because of how weak and inexperienced he was. He lacked the size, the strength, and the confidence the others carried, and it didn't take long for them to single him out. The older slayers made fun of him, pushed him around in training, and called him a liability. No matter how hard he tried, he was always one step behind, always the last to be picked, and always reminded that he didn't belong. But now, out here on the battlefield, none of that mattered.
Branches slashing his arms, damp pine needles slick beneath his feet. The only light now came from the faint silver glow of a cloud-covered moon. And the eyes.
Glowing red. Behind him. Always behind him.
He wanted to scream—to call out for help—but the words caught in his throat. His voice was gone. And even if he had spoken, no one would have answered.
They were all fighting for their own lives.
He could hear them—clashing steel, cries of pain, shout of fear—all around him, his allies were locked in their own desperate battles, praying they'd live to see another sunrise.
He was alone.
Utterly alone.
Run…
A root caught his ankle. He crashed into the ground, pain bursting through his palms and knees as the cold dirt met his skin. For a moment, he lay there—gasping, shaking, foot throbbing. He tried to crawl, but his leg wouldn't move right. Blood pooled beneath him.
"I gotcha!" exclaimed the vampire, smiling at him. Slowly walking towards him.
He clawed backward, fingertips dragging through leaves and mud—until they brushed something cold. Solid. Metal.
A handle.
He curled his fingers around it without thinking, yanked it from the earth.
A knife.
Old. Dirty. But sharp.
Then—just as it crouched over him—
He didn't breathe nor blink.
Then, with all the strength he had left—
He drove the blade upward.
Kick him and run.
"You little brat! I'm going to kill you!" vampire said.
And it was coming for him again.
It feels like endless running.
"Keep running, little slayer! You're almost entertaining." vampires said.
He didn't look back. He knew the moment he did, fear would paralyze him. He leapt over a fallen log, but his sock-covered foot slipped in the wet moss on landing. He fell hard again.
For a second, the only sound was the pounding of his heart.
Then—crack.
A branch snapped close behind.
The vampire is here.
Adrenaline shoved him to his feet again. His body screamed for rest, but he pushed forward, deeper into the forest's shadows. Blood from a gash on his cheek trailed down to his neck, mingling with sweat. The pain from his foot, now torn and bleeding, was like fire with every stride.
He didn't know where he was going—only that stopping meant death.
Or worse.
Panting…
"Don't make it hard on yourself, little slayer." shouted the vampire.
He did not listen or say anything, but just continued running to survive. However, his legs betrayed him. He was struck by leg cramps and could no longer stand or run. He collapsed to the ground, feeling helpless, watching as the vampire approached to kill him.
He tried to raise his arm, tried to summon whatever strength was left in him—but his body refused. He was cold. Numb. Barely breathing. His torn shirt clung to him, soaked with sweat and blood, and his wounded foot throbbed with each heartbeat.
The vampire leaned closer, eyes glowing faintly red.
Then—a flash of silver.
The vampire jerked back with a snarl just as something tore through the air—a blade? A chain? Drake couldn't tell. The movement was too fast. Too sharp.
She burst from the shadows, colliding with the vampire in a blur of motion. A feminine silhouette, cloak fluttering like wings. The vampire screeched, staggering back as blood sprayed across the leaves.
Drake blinked slowly, vision dimming. He caught a final glimpse: long white hair, a glint of steel, crimson eyes not of malice, but rage. Someone stood between him and death.
Then, blackness.
He fell into unconsciousness with the faint sound of the vampire screaming and a whisper that almost reached his ear.
"You're not dying here... not tonight."