Rebecca and Diana wandered through the crowded streets of Silicon Eden, stopping every few minutes to ask passersby for directions.
A short distance away, Dracula and Varin leaned against the corner of a stone building, watching them.
Varin sighed.
"Sometimes I wonder if you have mild dementia."
Dracula slowly turned his head.
"How old are you?"
Varin opened his mouth confidently—
Then froze.
"...Huh."
He scratched the back of his head.
"I..." He frowned. "I don't remember."
Dracula stared at him without blinking.
"...The next time you annoy me," he said calmly, "I'll remove your tongue."
Varin laughed.
"Fair enough."
Before either could say another word, two elven women approached them.
"Well..." the first said with a playful smile, "what are two handsome men doing standing all alone in a corner?"
Silence.
Neither Dracula nor Varin answered.
The second elf giggled.
"Don't tell me you're both shy."
Varin glanced at Dracula.
Dracula ignored them completely.
With a small sigh, Varin turned back toward the women.
"My apologies, ladies. You both seem lovely..."
"...but we're in a bit of a hurry."
"Oh?" the first woman teased.
"Too busy to spare us a night or two? Our father owns one of the nicest hotels around here."
Varin smiled.
"So..."
"You're two overprotected daughters looking to add a little excitement to your lives."
The sisters blinked.
Then one laughed.
"Oh? You read minds too?"
"Not quite."
"What are you?" the second asked curiously. "You don't look like an elf... or a fairy."
Varin's smile softened.
"My people aren't exactly welcomed wherever we go."
The second elf tilted her head.
"You must be new."
She spread her arms toward the bustling city.
"This is Silicon Eden."
"Everyone's the same here."
Varin paused.
"...Huh."
A genuine smile appeared on his face.
"That's... a refreshing experience."
Slowly, he pulled back his upper lip.
Two sharp fangs caught the light.
The sisters fell silent.
After a moment, the second finally spoke.
"...We don't get many vampires here."
"We're usually too busy hiding who we are," Varin admitted.
"So..." the first asked, curiosity replacing caution.
"You drink blood?"
Varin chuckled.
"I can do far more than that."
The sisters exchanged amused glances before smiling.
Not far away—
Dracula's attention shifted.
A group of teenagers laughed as they shoved an elderly beggar to the ground, snatched the few coins he'd collected, and sprinted down the street.
Without a word—
Dracula began walking after them.
The boys scattered in different directions.
One of them turned a corner—
Only to slam straight into Dracula.
"Ow!"
He stumbled backward.
"Watch where you're—"
His words caught in his throat.
He turned to flee.
Dracula was already standing in front of him.
The boy's eyes widened.
Instinctively, he pulled a dagger from his belt.
"W-Who are you?"
No answer.
Dracula simply continued walking toward him.
Panicking, the boy lunged.
He never reached him.
His body suddenly froze.
The dagger slipped from his fingers with a metallic clang.
He clawed desperately at his own throat.
Air refused to enter his lungs.
His fingers twisted unnaturally.
Veins bulged beneath his skin as though something inside his body was forcing its way out.
Blood trickled from his ears.
Then his nose.
Then his mouth.
His eyes gradually turned crimson.
The boy looked up at Dracula.
For the first time...
Fear completely replaced defiance.
"M... mercy..."
he whispered.
Dracula's expression remained utterly unreadable.
Diana and Rebecca made their way back toward Varin.
The two elven sisters were now hanging comfortably from his arms, chatting away as though they'd known him for years.
"We found where we can get everything we need," Rebecca announced.
"That's nice," Varin replied absentmindedly, barely listening.
Rebecca smirked.
"He seems to be enjoying himself."
Diana let out a quiet laugh before scanning the crowded streets.
"…Where is he?"
"Who?" Rebecca, Varin, and the sisters asked in unison.
"Dracula."
Varin glanced around lazily.
"Oh… he's probably somewhere nearby."
Diana frowned.
"I'll go look."
Rebecca hurried after her.
Varin watched them disappear into the crowd.
"…Did she just say Dracula?" one of the sisters asked.
"The Dracula?" the other added.
They looked at one another.
"…Nah."
They both shook their heads at the same time.
Not far away—
The young thief's body jerked violently.
Against his own will, he slowly rose to his feet.
"No…!"
His legs moved on their own.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Each step dragged him closer to Dracula.
"Please…!"
The boy's voice broke.
"Please!"
Dracula remained silent.
His crimson eyes never left him.
Then—
SMACK!
"What are you doing?!"
Diana shoved Dracula with all her strength.
The invisible force controlling the boy vanished instantly.
He collapsed to the ground, coughing violently as blood spilled from his mouth.
Diana stumbled backward.
Her palm throbbed with unbearable pain from striking Dracula.
As she looked up—
She froze.
Their eyes met.
Gone was the tired, indifferent man she'd been speaking to all day.
His gaze was empty.
Cold.
Furious.
An overwhelming pressure crashed into her.
Blood streamed from her ears.
Then her eyes.
Her wrist twisted with a sickening crack.
"Aaahhh!"
She screamed.
Her body lifted from the ground as though seized by an invisible hand before slamming violently into a nearby wall.
Rebecca stood rooted to the spot.
Fear stole every thought from her mind.
"D… Diana…"
She couldn't move.
She couldn't breathe.
Dracula slowly raised his hand.
His fingers curled.
Diana felt something inside her chest respond.
Her heart.
It was being pulled toward him.
"P-Please…"
she whispered through tears.
"…Stop."
Just as Dracula's fingers tightened—
A hand seized his wrist.
"I thought this was a thing of the past."
Varin's voice was unusually serious.
He glanced around at the gathering crowd.
"Get a doctor!"
Rebecca finally snapped out of her paralysis and sprinted away.
Crimson mana slowly seeped from Dracula's body.
Varin looked directly into his eyes.
"DRACULA!"
The shout echoed through the street.
Dracula blinked.
The crimson glow disappeared.
"…Where am I?"
"Look."
Varin nodded toward Diana.
Dracula followed his gaze.
She lay crumpled against the broken wall, one arm bent at an unnatural angle.
He silently crouched beside her.
The moment she saw him—
She instinctively curled into herself.
"…Please…"
Her voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Leave me alone."
Dracula froze.
For the first time…
Something flickered behind his expressionless face.
He slowly turned toward the young thief instead.
"You need sleep," Varin said quietly.
The two elven sisters came running over.
"What happened?"
Before they could see anything—
A wall of blood rose from the ground, sealing off the street.
They stopped.
"What in the world is going on?"
Varin poked his head through the crimson wall.
"Ladies…"
He offered them his usual carefree smile.
"We're going to need those rooms you mentioned."
The sisters exchanged amused glances.
"That comes with a price."
Varin grinned.
"…No problem."