Digging into his meal, a white-haired boy showed a pleased expression as he looked to his left.
"Eira, the food you cook always tastes good."
The black-haired girl seated next to him on the table showed a satisfied smile when she heard the praise.
She felt happy that her efforts were appreciated.
"Mother can learn a thing or two from you. I wish you lived with us so I could have your food for every meal." Little Jarek said as he compared his mother's cooking with his friend's.
Jarek's mother, who sat opposite them, feigned anger as she spoke up. "Oh, are you trying to say that my cooking is bad or something?"
Jarek took a bite of his food as he replied, "It's not bad, but when compared to Eira's, umm, well, it could be better."
The woman's lips twitched at this response, and Jarek and Eira giggled, seeing her reaction.
Seeing the chuckling at her expense, she dropped the matter and asked, "Have you ever dreamed of opening a restaurant of your own?"
Eira stopped laughing and nodded. "Yes, because I don't think I'll inherit my father's."
Jarek and his mother wore strange expressions as they thought on the lines of, 'If you aren't going to inherit the business, then who will?'
Eira's father owns a restaurant of his own.
In fact, Jarek's mother works as a waitress there.
It was therefore very strange that her father didn't want her own daughter to take over the business.
Jarek's terrible impression of the man turned even worse.
His mother, on the other hand, couldn't help but sigh. 'Well, I can't really blame him. If there is anyone who is to blame, it should be her mother.'
Surprisingly, Jarek's mother thought differently, but she kept those thoughts to herself.
"Thanks for the meal. We enjoyed it." Jarek expressed his gratitude for the wonderful meal before moving to assist his mother in washing the dishes.
While Eira didn't partake in the washing of utensils, she still stuck around chatting with both mother and son.
When Jarek and Eira were about two minutes away from finishing with the last utensil, Eira suddenly turned to look backward.
'What was that?'
She had heard a faint sound coming from the living room.
When she was at the kitchen door, her eyes widened when she saw two strangers in the house.
The men had pale skin and fangs, features commonly associated with vampires.
When she looked into their eyes, she trembled in unexplained terror when she saw their eyes.
They were looking at her as if she were prey.
"W-who are you?!" Her voice drew the attention of the mother and son, who turned to look at the two strangers.
Jarek had the same reaction as Eira as he stood rooted on the spot. 'Cultivators?'
His mother, on the other hand, sensing their sinister intentions, picked up a knife and stood in front of Eira, as if protecting both of them.
Luneth took a good look at her and sneered.
"Begone, you broken ant."
As he said this, a blood spear manifested and it was fired towards Jarek's mother, piercing through her stomach.
"Mother!" Jarek's loud cry filled the room as he ran to his mother's body, which was barely clinging to life.
Her face was pale, and she was losing blood fast.
She turned her eyes to look at the kneeling and sobbing Jarek, who was holding her hand as he broke down. "No no no..."
She slightly moved her hand to get Jarek's attention, and once Jarek's eyes looked into her eyes, she smiled and said, "Jarek, survive... and please... take care of Eira. She will need you. I am lucky to have a son like you. If only... your father were here to see his child. It's time... we can finally reunite..."
After saying her final words, she took her last breath.
Soon, Jarek's anguished cry echoed across the house.
Eira, who had witnessed everything, had already fallen on her butt, and she held her hand in front of her mouth, also breaking into tears.
Meanwhile, the vampires were starting to get annoyed by the noise.
"Will you shut it?"
But Mir's words fell on deaf ears.
Luneth walked over to Jarek and knocked him unconscious, and Mir did the same to Eira.
Jarek woke up to find himself inside a cage in unfamiliar surroundings.
Jarek then noticed other cages filled with other children, with Eira beside him.
Some had already regained their consciousness, while others had yet to awaken.
It was then that he heard voices nearby.
"Man, that tournament was amazing. Those little noble bastards are something else."
"Yeah, I wonder when we will even reach their level. I doubt we can even become Masters in this lifetime."
"Right? We spend our entire lives struggling to reach a level they achieve in only months of cultivation. The heavens are unjust!"
But then it dawned on him that his other was now gone forever.
"She's gone. What should I do?" He mumbled as he stared into the starry sky, his expression blank.
'What do I do without you, mother?'
Days later, as the carriages moved, buildings came into view as they arrived at another town, Belmora Town.
Before they knew it, they were inside the Mayor's Mansion, hundreds of children inside cages, soon to be devoured by a group of bloodsuckers.