Cautious steps evaded the twigs that littered on the forest floor. Silence was of the essence as two figures stalked the oblivious horned-herbivore.

Crimson eyes met each other, engaging in mutual conversations.

‘I’ll head to the left. You confront it from the right.’

‘Not a good idea. How about you use your trusted bow and arrow instead?’

‘No. The deer is a wild one. Its stamina is unmatched, even with my accurate aim.’

‘Then, how do we deal with this animal?’

‘We trap it. Make sure it doesn’t escape.’

‘I’m hungry.’

‘So am I. Let’s get this done.’

The two vampires split ways. Yuri stationed herself to the right while Tiffany stalked the animal from the left. The beast had caught on to their plan and began sprinting off to safety.

Tiffany groaned in frustration as she and Yuri darted after the deer. The chase was on.

Leaves rustled as the two predators made their presence known. With fast reflexes, Yuri evaded the branches and tree trunks that blocked the way. The scene before her very eyes became a blur except for the target that was getting away from them.

Tiffany, on the other hand, was a little slower than the Kwon family’s Black Pearl. She struggled to maintain her pace despite her unearthly speed, which most vampires possessed.

With Yuri running ahead of her, Tiffany couldn’t just draw her arrow and shoot. She had to have a clear shot or else she’ll end up injuring her cousin. The ground they were treading was slippery with dead leaves and fungi, further slowing their momentum as they ran. It would be hard to manipulate the earth with all the impurities in it, but it was worth the try.

Taking her bow and arrow, she wills the earth to slide beneath her feet. It looked like she was skating now, her pace picking up speed as she catches up with her fleeting cousin and the deer they were after. 

Inhale. Exhale. She took aim. Hand pulls back the string along with the arrow. Fletching flutters in the wind as she releases the projectile. The arrow zips toward the deer’s head and found its mark. The beast stumbles at the force of the impact. It drags its dying body a few more feet, not knowing what had hit it before it dropped.

The two vampires stopped before their fallen prey.

“Great job, Fany-ah.” Yuri patted her shoulder before proceeding to examine the deer. With her unearthly strength, she lifts the fallen animal with her bare hands. A Herculean feat to behold as Yuri strode confidently back to the camp with the deer over her shoulder.

Tiffany trailed behind her in silence, lost in her thoughts. How long will they stay in hiding? Can they manage against their enemies without the aid of their leaders? How are their families back home? Has the vampire kingdom stood tall over their foes?

The vampire archer’s worry was beyond grasp. They do not have enough knowledge of the enemy or enemies. They only knew for sure that the hunters and the rogues were out to get them, but had the werewolves tracked them down? Yoona and Yuri have encountered White Tiger’s nemesis – and have barely escaped him.

Back at the camp, she found Sunny sitting by the small bonfire. She sat beside the blonde vampire with a pensive stare.

“Yuri and I brought meat.” Tiffany blurted as she tightened her ebon coat around her body. Eyes landed on the still figure whose attention seemed fixated on the crackling fire.

Sunny’s face was serene, contemplative.

“What’s on your mind?” Tiffany inquired softly.

The blonde sighed, “Nothing. I’m just tired.”

The Hwang archer resorted to rubbing her cousin’s back to soothe the turmoil inside the burdened vampire. “Let’s proceed with dinner so that you can rest.”

Sunny casted a glance upon her, “I’m thirsty.”

“Come.” Tiffany got up, lending out a hand for the older vampire to take. Sunny interlaced their fingers and allowed the raven-haired vampire to lead her to a more secluded area, away from their family.

Tiffany ed her coat and unfastened the two buttons of her shirt. She loosened the scarf around her neck, revealing her milky skin that made Sunny’s eyes twinkle with desire.

Without hesitance, Sunny lunged at her partner. Fangs pierced through delicate flesh. The smell of blood overwhelmed the thirsty vampire. Eyes closed to relish on the sweet, crimson liquid. Her victim moaned in painful ecstasy.

Images played in Tiffany’s mind as she catered to her partner’s thirst. She fell into the pit of her subconscious as the consistent draining of her blood knocked her out cold. Flashes of scenes back at home erupted in her thoughts. Were these real?

The ground from which she stood, shook, as the landscape of her native Romania, sprouted out of nowhere. The horrid scene of war came with it as well. Battle cries rang through the plains and the forests as Tiffany found herself right in the middle of a vampire-werewolf conflict.

The Jung fortress was set aflame as the werewolf clans launched fiery boulders using their catapults. From high atop the walls of the castle, Tiffany could make out the worried looks of the eight heads of the Royal Vampire Family.

The battlefield was in favor of the wolf clans, who found ways to arm themselves against the vampires. Armor-clad werewolves wielded huge claymores against vampire knights, who were no match in size and power against their adversaries.

Bodies of the dead littered the crimson-stained snow as the smell of fire and blood mingled with the winter air. Despite the realness of the scene before her, Tiffany was but an unseen force in the midst of war. She was a spectator meant to take in the surreal events that unfolded.

Shifting her gaze back to the high towers of the Jung castle, Tiffany sees her father and Sunny’s father shooting off fiery arrows into the field. The rest of the family had drawn their swords and Tiffany knows this will mean that the vampire family has resolved to meet their doom. The werewolves had grown strong. They wielded affinities of earth, ice, water, wind, and fire – though the last affinity was quite rare among the wolf clans.

The Hwang heiress could not take it anymore. She wanted to leave this vision as tears began to well up in her eyes. She could not take in the events unfolding before her. She turns away, her spirit dampened by the vision’s revelation.

Romania’s glorious vampire kingdom has fallen.
 

***

She awakened with a gasp. A pair of hands engulfed her in a warm embrace.

“You got me worried.” The hands’ owner whispered in her ear.

It was Sunny. Tiffany returned the embrace and said, “I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you.”

When they had pulled away, the Lee only pouted in response. “I thought I had drained you dry!”

Tiffany only chuckled. “No, silly. I was just tired.”

“I’m really sorry, Miyoung.”

The sound of her real name made Tiffany smile. “Don’t be, Soonkyu. You weren’t at fault. Let’s get some rest.”

They were huddled