The group of vampires walked through the dark forest, Natsuki leading the way as she used an old compass and map to the old school building. The others lagged behind as sore leg muscles and hunger started to catch up to them.

 

Mako turned her head back to see Nana staring up at the night sky. She couldn’t forget about the girl asking to kiss her, but that proved difficult.

 

“Why did she ask me that so suddenly..?”

 

“Natsuki~ I’m getting tired…” Yuka whined.

 

“Oh, alright. Let’s rest a bit,” Natsuki turned around, then her eyebrows furrowed. “Wait.. where’s Natsumi?”

As the girls saw she was missing, they groaned in frustration.

 

“You gotta be kidding…”

“Somebody go find her,” Natsuki said.

 

Nao offered, immediately going off to find the girl as the others rested. Mako looked over at Manatsu, who was resting by herself while rubbing her temple.

“Manatsu-chan, you alright?”

 

“Yeah.. just a little headache.”

 

Nana looked down, eyeing Manatsu worriedly. Natsuki also noticed her behavior and approached her.

 

“You still feeling sick?”

“A little…”

 

She felt her forehead. “No fever… yet.”

 

“Eh? Manatsu-chan’s getting sick?” Yuka asked.

 

“Seems like it. She wasn’t all that well yesterday.” Tomu looked around the environment. “I think there’s some herbs out here we can use to make medicine.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think this is just any common cold…”

“Then, what?”

“Keira…” Akari voiced out, making everyone look at her as she had been silent. “This is exactly what happened to Keira…”

 

Everyone grew quiet, remembering the girl mentioned. Just like them, Keira was a young vampire going through her Cocoon period. However, she suddenly fell ill and died, much to their dismay.

 

Akari especially was heartbroken by the event, unable to speak or interact with the others for months after the ordeal. She couldn’t handle the unexpected loss of her friend. And it was hard for her to even mention her name… until just now, it seems.

“Why Manatsu? Why Keira?” Akari muttered, holding her arms.

“Hold on. We don’t know that it’s the same as…” Mako started, but stopped when she saw Akari’s troubled expression. She spoke again, this time more reassuringly, “I’m sure Manatsu will get better.”

“You just rest. Maybe the hunters won’t find us if we just calm down and stay hidden.”

 

“Then Nao better hurry and find Natsumi.”

-------------------------

Natsumi had wandered off again, distracted by the stars shining in the sky.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star~ How I wonder what you are~” she sang with a giggle now and then, her feet leading her aimlessly through the woods.

However, she blinked and soon realized that her friends were nowhere to be found.

“Are? Are? Where’d everyone go?”

 

She looked around, confused and slightly dazed, as she couldn’t recall how she ended up on her own.

 

“Natsuki-san~? Mako-chan~? Where are you~?” she called out.

 

As she searched for them, she then started to smell smoke. She followed the scent and started to see a fire in the distance.

 

She walked closer and saw someone warming up by the fire. She blinked, tilting her head.

“Who is that? She’s familiar…”

“Madoka, let’s make s’mores!” Another girl said as they approached Madoka, who smiled upon her arrival.

“Madoka…” Natsumi repeated, getting closer.

Madoka’s ear twitched as she heard the rustling. They looked up, Marika immediately jumping behind Madoka’s back. When Natsumi approached them, the two stared at her silently for a minute.

“Uh… who are you?”

“Madoka,” Natsumi spoke again, staring at Madoka.

“Eh? Someone you know?” Marika asked.

Madoka knew exactly who it was. It was the girl who wandered into the school without permission and found her in the music room. The spacey, airheaded girl named Natsumi.

 

“Why are you here?”

Natsumi gave an ignorant smile. “Madoka… it’s been a while.”

Madoka stood up, “I said, what are you doing out here? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why?!”

“Me and my friends need a new home.”

“Eh?”

“Do you, like, LIVE in these woods?!” Marika asked, receiving a slap on the head from the other girl. “Ow! Hey, Madoka, what was that for?”

 

“Stop asking irrelevant questions.”

 

“Why are you here, then?” Natsumi then asked.

“We’re camping. That’s all.”

 

“Camp-ing?” Natsumi tilted her head.

“Want a s’more?” Marika offered, receiving another glare from Madoka. However, Natsumi took the treat, staring at it. Marika said, “It’s good! Taste it!”

Natsumi bit into the snack and her eyes lit up.

“It’s yummy..!”

Eating the sticky marshmallow and gooey chocolate, her lips became dirtied with the sweet delicacy. The sight made Madoka chuckle, seeing her eat like a little kid.

Marika handed her a napkin, to which Natsumi accepted.

 

“Natsumi!” A voice then called out.

The three saw Nao as she approached Natsumi, out of breath.

“There you are! Mou, why did you wander off like that?!”

 

“Sorry…” Natsumi apologized.

 

She then looked at Madoka and Marika, who were eating together happily. Looking back at Natsumi, she started to gain a worried expression.

 

“Natsumi,” she whispered so that they couldn’t hear her, “Why are you with a couple of humans?”

 

“Humans?”

Nao mentally facepalmed. “Yes.”

“They’re nice. They gave me sweets,” Natsumi just smiled ignorantly. Then, she pointed at Madoka and said, “And she plays pretty music.”

 

“Don’t you realise that these humans can ruin our plans?”

 

She just tilted her head, “They don’t look like hunters, though.”

“Hey, you want a s’more, too?” Marika asked, offering a treat to Nao.

“U-Uh, no thanks,” Nao said, trying to be polite as she declined. She took Natsumi’s wrist, “Natsumi, we need to go.”

As she was being pulled away, she waved goodbye to Madoka.

“Bye bye~”

Madoka waved goodbye back as the girl disappeared into darkness.

“We’ve come across some weird people out here, huh?” Marika asked.

“Yeah… weird.”

 

--------------------

 

Nao and Natsumi finally made it back to the others back at the resting spot. Everyone felt relieved as they saw Natsumi back safe and sound.

“Natsumi, don’t run off like that.”

“You need to be more aware of your surroundings.”

“Right.. Sorry…” Natsumi apologized.

Mako then smelled something from Natsumi. A familiar, sweet scent.

“Chocolate..?”

“Eh?”

“I smell chocolate. Did you eat chocolate, Natsumi?”

“I ate s’mores.”

Akari raised a brow, “A what?”

“Eh?! You don’t know what that is?!” Yuka asked.

“No?”

“It’s an awesome snack! It’s marshmallows and chocolate, sandwiched between two graham crackers. It’s crunchy and gooey all at the same time!”

“Graham crackers?”

“They’re cookies. They’re really sweet and they get crumbly easily.”

“Humans have strange taste,” Natsuki commented.

“Anyway, they’re really yummy!”

“Wait, but that means…” Tomu then realized, “You were near humans?!”

“They were nice though!” Natsumi retaliated.

 

“What if they were hunters? They would’ve killed you if they found out you were a vampire!”

“They didn’t.”

“Natsumi, this forest is filled with dangers,” Natsuki said calmly. “If something happened to you…”

 

“What did they look like?” Nana asked curiously. “What were they wearing?”

“Huh? Why are you asking that..?”

“Ah~ they were wearing white jackets! Their school uniforms!”

“Eh? Students?”

“Yeah!”

“Maybe they were on a camping trip…”

Natsuki cleared .

“There could be more humans out here; we never know. We need to be extremely careful. And, more importantly, if anyone sees or hears one of the Fallen beings, run. Don’t try to fight it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

---------------------------

Akane returned to the camp quarters where she saw Karen on look out.

“Takayanagi-san…” she stood up, bowing to the girl. “Welcome back.”

“Everything secure here?”

“Yup. No sign of the vampires.”

“Good,” Akane laid down on the ground, looking up at the sky from behind the trees. “It’s a clear sky tonight.”

 

Karen didn’t look up. She was too focused on her job as being on look out.

 

“Say, why did you decide to become a hunter, Karen?”

“Huh? Why do you ask?”

“You don’t like being asked?”

“It’s not that…” Karen fell silent, letting out a sigh. “My best friend.. was taken by vampires.”

Akane could hear a glint of sadness beyond the evident anger in her voice. She looked and saw Karen’s eyes were hidden behind her bangs, but she sensed that she was fighting tears.

“I swore I’d kill them and take her back… But, if she’s lost her humanity and become just like them…”

“You don’t want to kill her, do you?”

Karen glared out into the darkness, touching the gun at her side.

“No, but… If I must.”

“That’s bold.”

“I’m a hunter. That’s how things must be.”

Akane smirked. “Really?”

“There’s no other way I know as a hunter. If she’s… If Yuka is a vampire, she’s not my friend anymore. She’s my enemy.”

“Does it have to be that way?”

“What other way is there?”

“You continue to be friends.”

“Haa?” Karen looked down at her, confused.

“Maybe, if you didn’t kill her, if you stayed friends with her, it could start a change in the world.”

“But, she wouldn’t be human--!”

“So?” Akane suddenly glared at her, making her tense. “Just because you two are of different races, doesn’t mean there should be any grudges between you.”

“Takayanagi-san… are you..?”

“Enough,” she said, closing her eyes. “I want to rest. Don’t bother me.”

“Y-yes, ma’am…”

---------------------

Manatsu let out a small cough as Tomu prepared some herbal medicine for her. She felt her forehead a moment.

“She’s warm… Looks like the fever from before is coming back.”

As she was doing that, Mako was sitting by herself, snacking on some chocolate she had packed or the trip. She glanced over at Nana, who was silent for most of the trip. She walked over to her.

“You hungry?” she asked.

“No.”

“You sure? It’s been awhile since you’ve eaten.”

“I’ll be fine.”
 

Mako sat beside her, still eating the chocolate. She then saw a bandage wrapped around her finger.

“Isn’t your finger healing up?”

“That’s…”

Mako gently took her hand, unwrapping the bandage. The bite wound was still fresh and not completely healed.

“Strange… It should’ve healed by now.”

“Blood…”

“Huh?”
 

“I need blood… to heal.”

“Blood? Human blood?”

Nana shook her head, her hand grabbing Mako’s wrist. Mako pulled away, but was then forced down as Nana pushed her to the ground.

“N-Nana..?”

“Mako… say it’s okay for me to drink your blood.”

“What? B-but, it’s forbidden..!”

“Just let me… Tell me to bite you. Say that I can have your blood.”

“Why?”

“Mako-chan? Nana?” Natsuki called out to them.

While Nana was distracted, Mako broke away from the older vampire, standing up and running to her sister.

“Natsuki!”

“What’s the matter?”

“Natsuki, something’s wrong. Nana’s saying strange things..!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nana… Nana wants to--”

Mako suddenly felt a sharp pain at her neck. She grew tense as she felt a pair of fangs buried into her neck, and her body became paralyzed.

Natsuki screamed, alerting the others. Nana broke away as her lips were blood red, small droplets of the younger vampire’s blood dripping from and coating her fangs.

“Mako-chan!” Nao ran to her side, shaking Mako. “Can you hear me?!”

Mako looked at her. “Nao…”

Then, she suddenly winced, screaming a bit.

“Ow! That hurt!” she said angrily, turning around. “Nana, why did you bite me?!”

“Mako-chan..?” Akari and everyone else’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Your Initiative… You still have it?” Natsuki asked. “Nana just bit you, but you still have free will?”

Mako furrowed her brows. Indeed, it was strange. She still had all her emotions and memories in tact, and she was fully aware of what’s going on around her.

“Do you.. Feel any different?”

“Like, you want to follow Nana’s orders?”

“No. If anything, I’m mad,” she said while holding her neck, trying to stop the bleeding. She turned to Nana again. “Nana, don’t do that. It really hurt. I didn’t even give you permission.”

“Permission?” Nao raised a brow.

“Right! She was asking permission to drink my blood!”

“What..?”

“I’m sorry…” Nana spoke, hanging her head low.

She suddenly knelt on one knee, bowing to Mako. She and the others stood shocked at the sight.

“W-what are you doing? Stand up.”

Nana immediately did as she said, standing up.

“Wait… is it possible that..?” Natsuki then got an idea. “Mako-chan, tell her to do something else.”

“Eh? Um… Nana, spin three times?”

Nana didn’t hesitate and spun around, three times exact.

“No way…”

“N-Nana, shake?” Mako held out her hand. Nana took it obediently.

“Oi, is she a dog?!”

“Erm… Nana, what does this mean? Why are you obeying me?”

“Because, my Initiative belongs to you.”

Mako’s eyes widened. She wanted to believe it was a lie, but Nana’s straight, sincere eyes, told her that it was true.

“I have… Nana’s Initiative?”