They reached the tower door and opened it without knocking. Inside, Bavio and Shio were already stationed, just like the day before. They were more composed now. The two soldiers turned toward the group.
"Captain Rhan?" Bavio said, narrowing his eyes at the crowd of people now filling the small space. "Is something happening?"
Shio stood beside him, helmet on, hands at his sides. The very picture of a disciplined soldier.
Rhan's voice was even. "Shio, can you take off your helmet?"
Shio blinked. He looked over to Bavio, who gave him a confused shrug. His eyes then moved back to Rhan. There was hesitation, but only a flash of it. "Sure," he said.
He reached up, unclasping the helmet, and slowly pulled it off. His hair spilled out, black and neatly cropped. His face, pale, but nothing unnatural. Sharp jaw, soft expression. Younger than many of the guards, and he had clear blue eyes.
"Something wrong, sir?" he asked.
Jinrai leaned toward Tharion and whispered, "Do you feel it?"
Tharion's brow furrowed, and he nodded. "Yeah."
Pao's eyes narrowed. "He's under a spell," she whispered.
Jinrai's eyes hardened. He stepped forward. "Now take off your gloves."
There was a shift then in Shio's reaction. It was almost invisible — just the slightest twitch of the left eyebrow. His lips parted for a second, and his eyes darted toward Rhan. But the captain gave him no cover.
"Do as he says," Rhan said.
Shio trembled slightly. Still, he complied. He slowly pulled off his gloves, finger by finger, until both hands were bare. Pale. Smooth. There was nothing overtly monstrous about them.
Shio held his hands up slightly. "Is there an issue, sir?" he asked again, more quiet now.
Jinrai stepped forward, and without another word, waved his hand. A pulse of mana rippled through the space as he cast a dispel spell.
Shio's appearance began to change. His skin lost even more of its color, turning a sickly gray-white. His lips thinned and pulled slightly, revealing teeth — fangs — that extended just past his lower lip. His fingernails lengthened, blackened at the tips, and curved ever so slightly like claws.
His breath caught. His eyes widened. The calm was gone.
He took a step back. Sweat began to bead along his forehead. His chest rose and fell, sharp, panicked. His composure cracked completely when his back hit the wall.
Rhan stood frozen, staring at him as if seeing a ghost. "A vampire… no doubt. Just like you said."
"I've seen this boy nearly every day for the last few years," Rhan said, not taking his eyes off Shio. "How did I not notice?"
Bavio then suddenly stepped forward, planting himself between Shio and the group, hands raised. "Wait!" he said. "It's not what you think!"
He looked at Shio, then back to Rhan. "He's never hurt anyone in this town! Never!"
But before anything else could be said, a sharp crack of mana sparked in Shio's palm. A glowing orb of lightning materialized in his hand. Teeth clenched as he lifted the spell, aiming at the wall.
He was going to blow a hole through it and run.
"No—!" Rhan shouted, hand moving to his sword.
But Shio could do anything, Jinrai was already gone. None of them saw him move. One moment he was standing still, and the next he was in front of Shio, gripping the vampire's wrist so tightly his arm visibly buckled.
The orb of lightning dissipated.
Shio's face twisted in shock — and pain.
"Don't even try it," Jinrai said coldly. "You're not escaping."
He shoved him back against the wall, not harshly.
"Cooperate," Jinrai said, staring into the vampire's pale, terrified eyes. "And nothing will happen to you. We know the truth."
Everyone stood frozen.
Amukelo blinked, still processing what just happened. "I barely registered when he moved," he said quietly.
Bral, eyes wide. "Hah… to think even you couldn't see that..." he muttered.
Pao added. "What's more incredible is that he was able to cast dispel spell without a staff..."
They began the walk down from the tower without saying much. Shio walked in front, his hands bound with a shimmering arcane restraint that prevented him from casting spells. Jinrai walked close behind.
Bavio tried to follow at first, stepping forward as the group made their way to the stairs, but Rhan caught his shoulder with a firm grip.
"Bavio," he said. "You stay here on the watch."
"But—" Bavio began, desperate.
"This is an order," Rhan said. "You'll get your chance to speak to him. Not now."
Bavio clenched his jaw and looked like he wanted to protest more, but he stopped himself. He turned away and slammed his back against the stone wall.
They arrived at the local barracks. Inside was a small interrogation room. Jinrai led Shio inside and forced him gently but firmly into the chair. "Sit."
Shio didn't resist, but his expression twisted in silent resentment. Jinrai then turned to the others.
"I want to speak with him alone," he said.
Tharion furrowed his brow. "You sure?"
"I'll get more out of him if there's no one else here," Jinrai said. "I won't hurt him."
Rhan looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."
They filed out, one by one. Outside, they lingered in the corridor.
"I wonder what he's going to do," Amukelo said quietly.
Tharion didn't look at him. "I don't know," he muttered, "but I know whatever he decides, he'll be fair."
Inside the room, Jinrai sat across from Shio. The vampire didn't look at him. Jinrai watched him for a moment, then leaned forward.
"So," he began calmly, "let's get this straight. If you confess your crimes, the punishment might be lighter. You may even be relocated to one of the places I know — places where your kind live in peace, without needing to hide. I want to help. But for that to happen, you have to cooperate."
Shio scoffed under his breath and finally met his eyes. "You're full of shit."
Jinrai didn't blink.
"You dragged me here and threw me in this cell because I'm a vampire. You don't care about helping. You just want someone to blame."
"I want the truth," Jinrai replied. "That's what I care about."
Shio's eyes burned. "Then you should listen when I say I didn't do anything."
Jinrai leaned back, folding his arms.
"We have proof," he said, voice low. "The treasurer's body had similar wounds to Bavio's — marks made by fangs. The merchant's horses? Drained of blood. You're connected to the incidents. It lines up too cleanly to ignore." He made this up trying to push Shio into a mistake if he was responsible.
Shio let out a bitter laugh.
"Proof?" he repeated. "That's your proof? You found bite marks and assumed it had to be me. And you think that's enough to lock me away?"
"You were hiding your nature."
"Because I had to!" Shio snapped. "You think people in this town would let me live if they knew? You saw how Bavio reacted. He's the only one who knows. You think anyone else would even speak to me again?"
Jinrai stared at him, unmoved.
"You're still avoiding the question. Did you do it?"
"No," Shio said, eyes sharp and clear. "I didn't know the merchant was coming. I had no idea. And about the treasurer—if you're not just using that to scare me—then fine, I admit it's suspicious. But it still wasn't me."
Jinrai narrowed his eyes. "Then who?"
Shio's gaze didn't waver. "Maybe there are others. Vampires, like me. Think about it. Ashvale is the perfect place for people like us to hide. High elevation, closed walls, barely any trade. We don't age. We don't need much. If I made it in… who's to say I'm the only one?"