Year 2205, Early winter.
Compared to the other empires, Luxiria had the coldest winter, the nights were chilling, yet it didn’t stop people from going out.
Lux, the capital of the Luxiria empire, the second most powerful empire on the human’s continent, was bustling with people coming and going even with the rumor that started circulating recently. It was as if those disappearances were a lie. Lux’s streets didn’t lose their usual vigor.
In this peaceful environment yet hiding an ominous aura, a young man whose feature couldn’t be seen clearly because of the hood covering his face walked between the crowd, his footsteps were light as if he was not walking on the ground but floating above the ground instead, and that was not the strangest thing, the strangest thing was that nobody seemed to notice his presence as if he didn’t exist in the first place, it was not like there weren’t any strong people in this crowd, but none of them seemed aware that someone just passed them, this strangeness continues until the young man stopped in front of a stall selling mutton swekers. There he could see people gossiping while eating and drinking.
He didn’t wish to cancel his ability yet as he decided to listen to the gossip quietly. However, gossips aren’t some reliable source; but he could learn more through them by filtering the information received; it had been more than a thousand years since he last came face to face with so many humans.
”Have you heard it?”
”Heard what?”
”About the disappearances, you idiot.”
This conversation was happening between a muscular man and a skinny man whose face was full of battle scars; from their gears, they are what people call hunters. The others hunters and normal people sitting around a table were quietly listening to those two.
”Tell us, Maddox.” Another hunter said; the muscular man tore up his meat swallowed it, then gulped down his ale before slapping his mug on the table; nobody said anything as it was the custom here and in the other areas as well.
”Last night, another person disappeared, so that the number of victims reaches the staggering number of twelve victims.”
”What? what are the guards doing? and who is behind those disappearances?” Shouted one of the customers; he was afraid; he regretted having come out, but because he didn’t want to let the others see his weak side, he was trying to cover it by shouting.
The young man stood there quietly, listening to the gossip; he could see the middle-aged woman selling the mutton skewers hands trembling, she was also afraid, but for a different reason, soon the reason she was acting like that was revealed. A young girl around sixteen came running; she wore an apron; she must have gone out to deliver some food. She had short auburn hair like her mother and the same honey-colored eyes; it was like a younger version of the middle-aged woman.
”Mom, I’m back.” the young girl embraced her mother with a sweet smile on her face.
”Good Hella, I was worried. Please stay where I can see you.” The middle-aged woman said to her daughter, the young girl called Hella wanted to say something but immediately shut it when she saw her mother glaring at her, she decided to listen to her mother for once.
Suddenly, Hella looked in the young man’s direction but couldn’t find anything; she attributed this as being oversensitive; sitting beside her mother, she also began to listen to the customers’ gossip.
Meanwhile, the young man observed Hella for a moment before shifting his attention elsewhere. Although she had not awakened her origin power yet, for an average human, she possessed a sharp sense. Like the others, the young man decided to listen to the hunters; the story was about to reach its climax.
”So, in the end, no one was caught? Who is the hell behind all those disappearances?”
”We don’t know, maybe it’s an evil cult or something.”
”No, it’s a vampire’s doing.” Maddox suddenly declared, immediately the surrounding fell into a deadly silence.
Even the young man who had decided to cancel his ability stopped; the conversation had become interesting.
After what seemed to be an eternity but in reality, two minutes had passed, one of the hunters rebuked Maddox for playing a joke on them, but Maddox stood firm; he said that those disappearances were vampires doing.
Despite the peace that reigned for almost a thousand years already and some scars fading, there were still some that refused to fade no matter how many years have passed; vampires are one of them. The bloodthirsty race had left a deep scar on the other races; However, some say that vampires have disappeared, but their names still struck fear in other’s hearts, so hearing that vampires were the ones responsible for the recent disappearances, people began fearing that after a long period of absence, the vampire race was about to rise again, if this were indeed an omen of their resurgence, then another bloodbath would soon follow, the third war would happen.
”Stop joking and enough with such dreary atmosphere.”
Finally, the middle-aged woman stopped the discussion about the disappearances from continuing any further; at this rate, she would lose customers because nobody would want to sit where people openly talk about vampires, the taboo topic one should not talk about.
”Claire, We are sorry!”
Unexpectedly hunters and other customers apologized. From their behaviors, Claire was not your ordinary woman.
”Jeez! stop it; it makes me look bad.” Claire said with a giggle, the customers laughed, instantly the stall had regained its liveliness, and in this lively atmosphere, a young man appeared; his sudden appearance shocked everyone.
”Excuse me, can I have two mutton skewers with more garlic?” The young man who finally canceled his ability said. His voice was cold; his natural voice made people feel distant when they looked at him.
”Eh? Yes, it will be 40 copper coins.” Despite being surprised by the young man’s sudden appearance and emotionless voice, Claire still replied and immediately prepared two mutton skewers; her hands were shaking. The young man before him was so handsome that she was surprised.
Claire’s daughter, Hella, mumbled absentmindedly.
”Beautiful.”
Those crimson eyes were so mesmerizing that Hella wished to get sucked in them; she had never seen eyes so beautiful; the young man before her not only possessed a beautiful face, he also had beautiful crimson eyes. Although he was rather cold, it didn’t stop the young maiden fantasizing.
”Vampire, huh?” The young man mumbled as he disappeared into the crowd after paying for the two mutton skewers.