At night, Eamon stepped out of his hotel room. The moonlight filtered through the windows and cast a silver hue across the wooden floorboards. Skarn, his silent and ever-loyal companion, padded beside him. The creature's deep golden eyes scanned the shadows, alert as always. Eamon gave Skarn a small nod before moving toward the stairs.
The hotel was quiet, save for the occasional creak of the old wooden frame. Most of the guests were asleep, and the staff had retreated into the back rooms. Eamon walked slowly, his boots making soft thuds on the worn staircase as he descended.
When he reached the front gate of the hotel, he saw Helena already standing there. She leaned against the stone pillar beside the iron gate, arms folded and eyes glinting with excitement. The night breeze tossed her brown curls around her face, and the pale moonlight gave her a glow that Eamon couldn't help but notice.
Eamon smiled as he approached.
"Ready for the meeting, are we?"
Helena straightened and looked at him, trying to maintain a neutral expression. "Yes," she said quickly. "But only because of what you said that time, okay. I respect Arthur and… I wish to help save him."
Eamon raised an eyebrow. He crossed his arms and tilted his head.
"But I didn't say anything about Arthur."
Helena blinked, caught off guard. Her cheeks turned a little pink as she looked away. "I mean… I just thought about what you said. About how innocent people get framed. And then I thought about Arthur and… ugh, never mind."
Eamon chuckled and turned around, starting to walk toward the gate.
"Come on," he said. "Let's go."
Helena grumbled something under her breath and followed, Skarn padding silently between them. The three of them moved through the empty streets of the town. The lamps had been dimmed, and the guards at the gates stood half-asleep, leaning on their spears.
Eamon motioned for them to follow him silently. They slipped past the sleepy guards with ease, staying in the shadows, sticking to the quieter alleys, and walking without a sound. The forest loomed ahead of them, dark and quiet under the night sky.
Leaves rustled under their feet as they stepped past the treeline. The air smelled of pine and dew. Crickets chirped in the distance. A fox darted past them, disappearing into the underbrush.
After nearly twenty minutes of walking deeper into the woods, they reached the same clearing as the night before. A fallen log sat near the edge, and the moonlight broke through the canopy above, lighting the spot with pale silver.
Arthur was already there.
He stood with his arms crossed, pacing slowly. His coat was slightly dusty, his boots caked in dirt. He looked up when he heard footsteps. His eyes first met Eamon's, and then he saw Helena.
He froze.
His brows furrowed. "What... what is she doing here?"
Eamon stopped in front of him, hands at his sides. "We might need her help. That's why I brought her."
Before Arthur could respond, Helena walked up and without thinking—without hesitating—threw her arms around him.
Arthur's eyes went wide. He didn't move. He was stiff as a statue.
Eamon couldn't help but let out a soft giggle.
A moment later, Helena realized what she had done. Her eyes widened, and she quickly pushed Arthur back.
"I—I was just happy to see that you're safe," she said, flustered. "And sound! I knew you were framed. I never doubted you. Everyone said you were a murderer, but I didn't listen to anyone. And… and though you're actually a vampire, I will still help you."
Arthur blinked. He didn't know what to say. He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Thanks… for your trust, Helena."
He looked at Eamon next. His face changed.
"And Eamon, thanks for telling her about me being a vampire."
Eamon shrugged, keeping his expression neutral. "Well, if we want her help, we need transparency, right?"
Helena placed a hand gently on Arthur's arm. "It's okay, Arthur. I don't have a problem with it. You have a kind heart. That's all that matters to me."
Arthur looked at her and smiled faintly. "Thank you, Helena. I'm… I'm happy someone from the town still trusts me."
Eamon clapped his hands once. "If your romance is over, can we discuss some important things?"
Arthur immediately turned away, embarrassed. Helena glared at Eamon.
"What? Shut up, Eamon. Don't mind him, Arthur. He just talks nonsense."
Arthur sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah yeah. So let's begin."
He became serious again, stepping toward the center of the clearing.
"This evening I went to see the house where the killer struck yesterday. It was a family of three. A father, a mother, and their daughter."
Helena lowered her eyes.
"They were brutally murdered," Arthur continued. "Same torturous deaths. Cuts, bruises, broken bones. The kind of pain no one should go through. The royal army has become more vigilant now. They've increased their forces and their surveillance. More soldiers are on alert. Especially around the town's borders."
Helena looked up. "They're increasing patrols in the forest as well."
Eamon nodded. "Yes, but the town is surrounded by forest on three sides. It'll be hard for them to patrol the entire area, especially at night. We might still be safe for now. At least until any royal knight arrives."
Helena's face turned grim. "It won't be that easy."
Arthur glanced at her. "Why? Did something happen?"
Helena nodded. "Some soldiers came to our diner this evening. I overheard them talking. They said a commander might arrive tomorrow. And not just any commander. Dragomir Thalvorn."
Eamon frowned. "What's a commander? Isn't the hierarchy something like… first the king, then the arch-wizard and royal generals, then royal knights, and finally the soldiers?"
Arthur looked at him like he had grown a second head.
"Have you lived in a forest all your life?"
Helena chuckled. "No, Eamon. Between royal knights and soldiers, there are commanders. A commander leads a battalion of five thousand soldiers."
Eamon's eyes widened slightly. "Then it'll be difficult if such an important person arrives."
Arthur crossed his arms. "I don't think a commander is that strong."
Helena shook her head. "They're not as strong as royal knights, yes. But they're still powerful. And this one… Dragomir Thalvorn… he's known to be ruthless. Experienced. He doesn't take chances. So we need to be careful."
Both Arthur and Eamon nodded.
There was a moment of silence as the wind rustled the leaves above.
Eamon finally spoke. "I had a question, Arthur. It's been bothering me since yesterday."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Eamon took a breath. "When the vampire killed the family yesterday, I felt his dark presence. It was like a weight on my chest. But I only felt it after the murders. Not before. Why is that?"
Arthur thought for a moment before answering.
"As much as I know," he said slowly, "vampires are among the few Obsidian Seraphs who can suppress their dark presence."
Eamon blinked. "How does that work?"
Arthur reached for his own chest, placing a hand over his heart. "Our fangs are the key to it. Think of it like a shift in power. Our teeth—these fangs—can come out on our will. When they do, they release our dark energy. That's when people sense our presence."
He continued. "We can retract the fangs, but it takes time. The dark energy lingers for a while even after the fangs go back. That's why you didn't sense the vampire before the murders. But once he let his fangs out to kill… you felt it."
Eamon nodded slowly, processing it. "I get it now. But then… when you fought me yesterday and drew your fangs… I didn't feel anything from you. Why?"
Arthur smiled faintly and pulled a silver chain from under his coat. A small, black gem hung from it. The gem shimmered faintly in the moonlight.
"That's because I have this locket. My mother gave it to me before she died. She told me to always keep it with me. It hides my presence. Protects me."
Eamon's eyes widened slightly when he saw it. He recognized it immediately. It was the same type of locket Arvin had given to him. The same design, the same gem. And he was wearing his own locket even now, tucked under his shirt.
But he said nothing.
He simply nodded.
"Okay," Eamon said. "So that's why I didn't feel your presence."
Arthur nodded once. "Yes."