Chapter 17: The Crimson Waltz
The hallway behind Club Yoru was narrow and dark, a tangle of steel doors and flickering lights. The music outside had turned from bass to chaos—screams, crashes, the thud of something heavy hitting the floor.
I didn't have to look back to know the vampires Riku had warned me about were there.I could feel it.The air itself felt… alive.
Riku was moving fast, pulling me by the wrist.His expression had changed again—the polite, camera-ready smile replaced by something sharp and focused.
"Where are we going?" I whispered.
"Exit's behind the kitchen."
"And what about—"
"Haruto, do not stop. No matter what you hear."
That was not comforting.
We turned a corner—and froze.
Three figures blocked the path ahead.Pale skin, glowing eyes, fangs glinting under the emergency lights.
"Leaving so soon, Riku?" one of them purred. "But the night's still young."
Riku stepped forward slowly, placing himself between me and them."I don't have time for you," he said.
"Oh, but we have time for you," another said, smiling wide. "The council wants a word with their runaway prince."
Prince.That word stuck in my head like a knife.
Runaway prince?
I didn't have time to ask.The vampires lunged—so fast they blurred.
But Riku moved faster.
He caught the first attacker mid-air, spun, and slammed him into the wall hard enough to crack concrete.A second came from behind; Riku ducked under the swipe, grabbed the man's arm, and twisted—too quick to see—until I heard a sickening snap.
The third tried to run at me.Big mistake.
Riku's hand shot out, catching him by the collar.For a heartbeat, his crimson eyes glowed bright as fire.
"Touch him," he said quietly, "and I'll end you where you stand."
The vampire froze.Even monsters apparently knew when they were outmatched.
The air went still.Then, slowly, Riku released his grip and turned back to me.
"You okay?"
I nodded shakily, even though my legs felt like jelly."You—you just—what was that?!"
He exhaled. "Self-defense."
"That was murder ballet! You threw a guy through a wall!"
Riku almost smiled. "Better than letting them throw you."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.The club lights flickered through the cracks in the door, painting his face in flashes of red and blue.
That's when I realized—his pupils were still slit like a cat's. His fangs hadn't retracted.He was still in fight mode.
But even then, his voice softened when he looked at me."I told you not to look back," he said quietly. "Now you've seen it."
I swallowed hard. "Yeah… I saw."
"And?"
"…It was kinda cool," I admitted. "Terrifying. But cool."
That actually made him laugh—a low, genuine sound that I'd never heard before.
He reached up and brushed dust from my jacket, the gesture strangely gentle for someone who'd just body-slammed three vampires.
"Let's get out of here before more show up."
"Right. Totally normal sentence. Just another night out."
As we pushed open the back door, the cold night air hit my face.The city lights looked peaceful again, like nothing had happened.
But as Riku glanced up at the sky, his expression darkened.
"They won't stop, Haruto," he said quietly. "Kael warned us. This was only the beginning."
And though I didn't know what was coming next, I had the sinking feeling he was right.
TO BE CONTINUED…