Note about Auras:
Here are some types of auras that have appeared in the story sofar:
Spiritual Aura: Originates from the heart of the characters and reflects their psychological nature.
Hidden Aura: An extremely rare trait, known for dominance or imposing existence.
More details about these auras will be revealed in the upcoming chapters.
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Chapter 3: The Crimson Child in the Rain
The sky was clear as Toki and Luna continued east. After five hours, Toki spoke, his sarcasm masking a quiet curiosity.
"What was that sudden request about?"
He recalled Ilona's parting words:
"Sir Toki, Miss Luna… in the eastern forest, you'll find someone lost. Please help them."
Toki halted. "Let's rest a bit."
They perched on a branch, watching the horizon, trading calm remarks.
"This is kind of fun. By the way, it reminds me of when I first met you," Toki said, spinning lightly around the branch, his expression unchanged.
Luna, surprised yet composed, toyed with a red thread between her fingers.
"Really? I don't remember that…"
Standing beside her, Toki clasped his hands against the trunk and met her gaze with a faint smile.
"Back then I was climbing trees… Luna, what do you think of the spirit of the forest?" he asked, serious now.
"I think she was hiding something. Even her words were suspiciously… precise," Luna replied, lifting her head.
Toki eyed the dirt path threading between the trees.
"Maybe she's testing us—and knows more than she lets on."
They set off again. Soon the rain came down hard, filling the air with a fresh, earthy scent.
Among the trees, they found a small girl with drenched crimson hair and a torn dress. She sat hugging her knees beside a root, eyes sunken in sorrow.
Toki approached carefully and reached to brush aside her wet bangs—memories flickering of a child amid rubble and blood—when a frail voice cut him off.
"Please… don't come closer."
Luna slipped off her coat to offer it, but the girl shrieked, trembling.
"I said don't! You'll get hurt because of me… I—I'm just a killer!"
Her breathing quickened. A violent red aura burst from her, writhing chaotically as if freezing time itself. The pressure clawed at them while the rain drummed faster on the leaves.
This could go very wrong… I'll try, Toki thought.
He lifted his hand, coating his fingers with his own aura, and tore through the wild surge, severing its influence. He gave a small laugh—though his heart felt hollow, heavy with old wounds and loneliness.
"So that's what happened… Strange. But I'm glad you survived."
Luna's voice softened.
"Don't let guilt bind you. Can you tell us what happened?"
The girl raised her head shyly, a faint light returning to her eyes.
"Yes… but who are you?"
Toki sensed a weight lifting from her chest, and with it came a gentle calm for them all.
They sat near her, and she said,
"My name is Sophie Sylvan Evandrine. I'm seven… and I belong to the vampire race."
She fell silent—then her memories spilled out.
---
Sophie's Memories
When she opened her eyes that morning, rain hammered the earth. She looked around to find herself in a sea of blood—her hands soaked, her body stained crimson.
She gasped—then screamed, a cry that split the sky.
Her legs trembled as they carried her away without thought; her mind scattered, her heart collapsing. She wandered until awareness left her, and when it returned, she was among the trees.
She crouched by a root, covering her face as tears fell, her eyes empty. In a hoarse whisper:
"What… have I done?"
---
Back to the Present
Sophie clung to Luna's coat, tears glinting in her eyes.
"That scene… it keeps coming back. And I feel like it's my fault."
Toki sketched a rough map in the mud with a stick, his tone cool—this was only the beginning; in time she would uncover what she'd missed.
Then he looked her straight in the eyes, resolve and curiosity mingling there.
"Will you stop here—or keep going… even if it's for just one reason?"
Sophie had no answer. She stared at the ground.
Toki smiled faintly while Luna, hampered by the rain, struggled to assemble a gray hut with her magic. The sun broke through the clouds, warm and gentle.
Luna offered her hand.
"Sophie… would you like to come with us?"
Sophie's eyes widened.
"Come… with you?"
Toki lifted a thumb with an easy grin.
"You'll understand if you try."
She hesitated, then held the edge of Luna's coat. Luna glanced at the compass and at the open field ahead.
"We'll change course north in the morning," she said steadily. "For now… let's rest."
Sophie walked beside them on unsteady feet, whispering as she wiped her tears:
"What does it mean to live in a place that isn't your home?
I feel like a stranger… as if it's my first time living…
But my family… they'll never come back."