KAI

"Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Hey, Maverick. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep." Tala had been chanting that a few hours ago since we began threading towards where the paranormal activity originated and has been diligently pestering us with her noise.

That and two other phrases that I'm sure is in a different language or was she doing an enchantment? She kept saying, "tabi, tabi po" if I'm hearing correctly and the other one is quite difficult to make out the sounds but she inserts her name at the middle of the sentence.

Maverick said the victims of the incident were on duty to patrol the farthest side of the forest owned by the Academy. It was bordering near the Void so it was only suitable for the Principal to tell us to meet at the entrance of the Rose Maze. Naturally, those strike team members that are monitoring the borders of the academy are one of the strongest yet something was able to suck their souls. Whoever it was, it's undeniably strong.

We are currently on our way to The Void when Tala suddenly whined about wanting to sleep. The darkness is getting heavier but don't take my word for it. With my eyes, my surroundings just looked a little green. Scratch that, the whole place is pretty clear in my eyes with my night-vision.

A hint of green hue mixes with the black canopy. Animals and smaller rodents glowed weirdly in my eyes but I got used to it.

My vision aside, honestly, I also want to sleep. My mind is not going to function as many thoughts on average if I exhaust myself. I'll probably get tired of analyzing and just think of the word sleeping.

Much like Tala's childish chanting.

That being said, out of my better judgement. I got influenced by Tala.

"Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep." Like parrots, we chant one word on repeat.

Maverick abruptly stopped and faced us yelling, "what are you?! Man, are you some kind of kids? Quit it!"

"Don't you think we should have set camp by now?" I asked him since the moon is high up in the sky and the forest seemed to be asleep as well.

Crickets are chirping, the nocturnal animals are wandering about but other than that, the whole forest is sleeping. Vampires are nocturnal too but I don't think Tala can keep up with me and Maverick--- Maverick is not a vampire. He's a werewolf.

Why did I feel the need to explain that to myself? Must be exhaustion... or the fact that my head is thinking of useless facts like this--- The reason must also be exhaustion!

"We should keep moving if we want to finish the quest quickly." Maverick reasoned.

Tala shook her head stubbornly, "ayaw! Wanna sleep. Let me sleep. Sleep, sleep, sleep!"

"Ayaw?" My brain is really hurting. I want to sleep. Kinda stupid since vampires should be fine staying up late but my brain needs rest or else it won't function well.

What kind of body do you have if not getting any sleep can make you smarter? Seriously.

"It means I don't wanna." Tala answers as she began singing a tune or more like the sound of ambulance's siren with the words "I don't wanna."

"Why are you like this?" Maverick grumbles, turning towards Tala. His body language made a drastic change from mildly inconvenienced to extremely alert. He reaches out to cover Tala's mouth in one move and became more vigilant to his surroundings. "This is bad."

Tala struggles to get Maverick's hands of off her. Seeing her glare at him makes me remember the first time I met her.

My face heated up at the choice of words that I said at that time. In my defense, I was hungry that's why I was lacking my reasoning and articulation. I wouldn't have said the word "suck" in any given context, especially to someone I just met in the woods.

"I know you're strict but you should really consider Tala's well-being," I commented, suddenly lacking the comprehension to grasp the sudden vigilance.

Maverick shushed me. He is panicking now. Only then did I become alert.

What could it be? What could he sense? An enemy?

My eyes scans the area. Honestly, it craves to close right now and fighting against it has became even difficult. Nothing particular is happening but I can never be too sure.

"We're near the area where the incident happened. For all we know, the luring monster might be hiding anywhere. If we even make our presence known and get our head trap inside its enchantment then we'll be nothing but soulless idiots." Maverick hissed.

That made sense... "Hey, can you smell anything weird?" I tapped my nose when Maverick looked at me all confused. "You know? Since you're a werewolf."

"I don't even know what I'm suppose to smell," Maverick stated. "Anyways, man, I guess you have a point. The night is getting deeper by the minute and if Tala stays like this, it would just be a hassle."

"Who you calling a hassle?" Tala grunts then shakes her head. "Nevermind. I understand."

"We need to find where to set up camp first. We sleep for 5 hours then go back to the quest. Got it?" Maverick orders.

"Yey!" Tala exclaims. Clearly, being exhausted does wonders to her personality. She seems cheerful which is not how I expected a tired Tala to be. If that's the case, she must be really tired.

Maverick and I stared at her, "we should find a cave." Maverick says, changing the topic.

Tala is doing something weird right now. Like a ritual of some sort? Her mouth keeps moving like she's saying something but we couldn't hear it. At least for me, I have no clue if Maverick does.

That aside, I nodded and used my night-vision to find a place to set-up camp. It didn't take long before I spotted a small cave next to a clearing in the forest. I haven't been in this part of the forest and the academy covers a really huge ground of the forest in this town so it's logical that in my one quest experience, I haven't explored near half of it.

"Let's go. I found a cave." I lead the way. Tala trails after, her movements are sluggish. She keeps dragging her feet as she walk.

Behind her is Maverick. He is looking frantically around. I guess, he doesn't let his guard down for even a second. I kind of expected that for the Strike Team leader.

We settled inside the cave. Maverick told us he'd guard. Needless to say, he shifted into his wolf form and slept at the mouth of the cave. Tala grumbles and complains to a boulder like the mess she is due to utter exhaustion. She drops her bag on the ground and drops herself, knees first, her head hitting the bag then proceeded to sleep on her stomach.

How she could sleep with that torture is beyond me but I am getting too tired as well and seeing the two of them slumber, I felt myself getting dragged down into the sweet embrace of rest.

»※«

The Draven's ancestral mansion is massive, the floor space is massive as well. That distance gave of an aura of solitude. The mansion gives no warmth whatsoever. Each of the floors inside the house is almost always empty except for the living room, the kitchen, and the backyard.

Father's siblings would lock themselves in their own rooms and conspire in secrecy. They talk as if no one will hear them whisper their traitorous conversation.

The adults of this house never take notice of the children playing around its halls; not fearing the possibility of them evesdropping. They never really cared if I have somehow listened in on their chats as well.

Father's siblings never took notice of me, least of all, at least not in a way that makes me feel like a person.

After all, a son of a vampire with the most ruthless hunter family in all of Europe is not something they could treat as a blessing.

Every hallways are only filled with echoed voices from the hush whispers of the conspiring adults, hiding in their rooms as they talk about a monster inside the house. There are always arguments being heard from the dining hall every dinner about how my mother should be killed and it is an insult that she was given the privilege to step inside the floor of the famous family of hunters which is the Draven.

One night, I sat by the stairs leading to the dining hall, inside the shadowed corner where not even the amber light of the grand chandelier from the first floor can reach.

"You are threatening the life of your brother with such preposterous suggestion," my grandfather replies. I always imagine him to be a wrinkled old man who can hardly lift his hand but even so, he holds this domineering air to him that even his children cannot disobey him. "Do not ever let those words leave your mouth."

"But, father---" I assumed my aunt was glared at for even daring to speak again.

A cough broke the awkward silence of that dreadful dinner, "I believe that what Cynthia meant, is that, there must be a way to cut the bond between our dear brother, William, and his wife."

"Your concern is noted." That was my father's voice. Out of all the siblings, whenever my father talks, he reminds me most of grandfather. That might be the reason why he can never disown him as a son nor as a Draven.

"I hope this topic ends," grandmother comments, "you kids are spoiling my dinner."

"Mother, do not tell me you're keeping quiet about this." Uncle slams his hands in the table.

"You're brother might be stupid enough to get curse by destiny but you are even more stupid for thinking that you can go against it." She replies. "A curse is a curse. The only way to break it is through a hero. You can only pray that your children are destined to end William's curse."

I was intently trying to hear the rest of the conversation until my mother caught me. She never made any sound whenever she walks so I never notice it when she appears. Even though I know that she is my mother, she feels more like a stranger.

"Who let you out of your room?" Her cold voice reflects the way she looks at me. "Go inside before they see you."

"Yes, mother." I obeyed.

As I went to my room, the noises in the dining hall changed from previous topic about killing my mother to the accomplishments of my older cousins and the spouses of father's siblings cannot stop bragging of their achievements.

My room is the darkest out of all the brightest rooms in this mansion. It could be because I am half-vampire. Still, the shadows does not feel any comforting. It's like an entity that beckons you to enter as it swallow you whole after you do. Just those thoughts makes me remember why I hate the dark.

Humans tend to hide their monsters and faults inside the darkness, where no one can see. I was one of the things they hide. Me and my mother.

And I was raised as such, no interaction with my cousins or any other kids. Just looking at my father's relatives would give me a terrible bruise. They would scream at me whenever they saw me near them. Kick me if I look at them. Push me whenever they feel like it. Fighting back will only make things worse. I cannot say doing nothing is any better.

My mother had always saw how my relatives treated me and she would shyly look away. Strange seeing a woman who carries herself with prestige look at me like she was powerless.

I didn't know why but I hate that she chose not to defend me everytime. I would get bruises showing up days after days. Having pale white skin didn't help hide it. And the bruises are not just from the torment of my relatives but from my father as well.

He would train me to fight. To kill. Force the image of what a monster is, what his definition of a monster is, then turn me into that kind of monster until I can no longer move.

Until I am forever scarred with the image of blood and death.

Until I learn that I am destined to destroy the life of everything I see.

My father, he would train me blindfolded. I trained my whole childhood like that that it became a habit for mine to be able to concentrate better whenever I close my eyes. It's an instinct whenever I sensed danger.

I was born as a curse, raised as a killer, and up to this day, is thought that I can never be the hero.

"Get up." That was my father's voice. Deep and without any warmth. My eyes are covered and his voice blended in the dark.

For me, he has always been a dark entity that torments my life. His face is not engraved on my mind and no matter what I do I can never recall what he looked like.

Evil, perhaps.

I felt my little body stand, stance ready for an attack. The air pierced near me and something hard hit the back of my knees.

"Get up!" The voice said once again but it was frantic. Filled with panic. "Kai,... get up."

Kai? Father never calls me by my name.

"Kai! You mother *beep*---" cursing? Now I am even more confuse.

I could feel myself being shaken and slowly, my eyes opened up. Tala greeted me with a frown but rather than upset, she looks more scared than anything else.

"What's wrong?" I ask, rubbing my eyelids with the back of my fingers.

With hee hoarse voice, she said, "Maverick. He's not at the entrance anymore." My eyes widen. My sleepiness completely gone as my eyes darts towards the entrance of the cave.

The huge wolf is not there anymore.

"Relax," I said to Tala. "He could just be patrolling the parameters. A habit of his perhaps?"

That was a poor excuse to reassure her. Still, we shouldn't make hasty decisioms especially if there is really someone who took Maverick.

"Or he could be in a trap by that myth shit." Tala retorts. "Look, I woke up because I heard a baby crying. We're in the middle of the forest! There should not be a freaking sound of crying baby in the middle of the forest! But I heard the sound." Tala grips her hair tight, rambling on and on about a baby crying in the forest. "It's scaring the shit out of me so it must be that myth shit out there and it could possibly have taken Maverick as prisoner!"

I replied a bored look. She is much more tolerable when she's exhausted than when she's panicking. "Just because you're scared, doesn't mean there's a monster out there."

"It's a monster!" She exclaims, her voice echoed in the cave. "How can I not be scared?"

For a moment, I almost wanted to lose control and attack Tala for being judgmental but that won't change anything. Just confirm her beliefs on monsters.

This is no different from my dream--- No, it's more like a nightmare because before the memory of my worthless childhood, I remembered dreaming about being in my room and opening one of the drawers to see a full-size prison inside it with tiny little people eating green leafy vegetables.

"I'm a vampire, inside a cave, with you, all alone." I pointed the obvious. "Shouldn't you be more worried about that?"

She paused for a second then stared at me. Her eyes raked my whole body, judgingly. Slowly, she scooted away, her feet dragged against the rough ground as she hugs herself.

"Don't your dare, you pervert." Tala glares.

"That is not what I meant!" I yelled rather defensively. Heat covered my face. Her words painted images of what she meant.

And that is NOT what I meant.

I was supposed to be fuming red with anger but now, I'm fuming red because of another reason. I cannot even get angry anymore!

"Geez. You look like a maiden," Tala teases. I glared at her and she raised her hand up in defense. "Kidding. Kidding."

"You do not seem to be worried anymore," I pointed out which made her gasp.

"Fuck! You idiot of a brain, how can you forget?" Tala groans, slapping her head with the heel of her palm. She stood up then dusted her pants swiftly before pulling my arms and dashing out of the cave. "I'm seriously worried about Maverick. Crying baby or not, we should still look for him."

Tala moves fast and I barely grabbed my bag with her haste. She forgot her bag and I just dropped mine.

Wonderful.

»※«

The night began to fade into the light. The sky was getting clearer but Maverick is still nowhere to be found. Frankly speaking, I know that something was wrong the moment Tala said that Maverick is no longer at the mouth of the cave.

He's not one to patrol the parameter without saying a word to anyone especially with the given situation but seeing how Tala reacted, all panicky and almost impulsive, telling her the truth would be counterproductive.

Not that it changed anything from what I expected to happen but I guess I shouldn't try to stop a force like hers.

Tala is as stubborn as anyone could be. I'd be nicer and phrase it as determined but no. She is undeniably stubborn.

"Where is that damned dog?" Impatience laced in Tala's concerned voice. She's starting to panic again.

I can tell because she keeps looking around but all she can see are trees. Her hands keeps moving around her arms like she doesn't know where to place it.

Looking at it in a different perspective, it would seem like I do not care much about the situation but I'm handling my worry a bit differently from Tala. She wears her emotions like how people wear clothes. I, on the other hand, have been raised to never show anything except composure.

Was she loved in her childhood?--- why did that question popped in my mind?

Tala glanced over her shoulders and saw me staring at her. "What the hell? Where are you looking, dumbass? Do I look like Maverick to you?"

"Not one bit," I told her in all honesty. Shouldn't she know this? I mean, it's very obvious that she doesn't look like Maverick. "You aren't tall enough."

"The fuck did you just say?!" Something about what I said must've insulted her. I was just stating the facts though. She halts from her tracks; turns towards me, stomping her foot once. Tala tilts her head to face me looking a volcano about to explode.

She really does look like a hamster. A fuming monster hamster.

Hamster then glances at my feet before deciding to kick it hard.

I hissed in pain, "what is it with short people and being insulted with their height?"

"I'm sorry that you can't see reason from the view up there." Tala sarcastically answers.

"Fine," I conceded. "I apologize. Let's continue."

"Then help me look for him," she said after saying something from another language. I did not quite get it but it sounded sarcastic.

I want to tease her, seeing how adorable she is pouting and fuming. Like a little hamster, a little vampire hamster who got drunk from drinking too much blood.

"Hoy! Maverick. Missing. Find him." Tala grunts, storming off.

She made sure to be as quiet as she can for no apparent reason and it is clearly uncharacteristic of her. She wanders far ahead of me but still, I can tell where Tala is just by closing my eyes and feeling the surroundings. Listening closely and focusing---

An arrow pierces into the air. It's trajectory is aimed towards me. With one swift move, I shifted my body to the right to move out of the way and caught the arrow with my left.

My eyes shot wide open as I stared at the arrow. The body is carved with a small crest, a moon with two arrows crossing it like the moon was the bow.

"Hunters," I groaned at how horrible this day had started.