"Now it's time for the main ingredient." Vanessa reminded Elara; without wasting any time, Elara raised her hand to cut her wrist once more.

  Just then—

  She stopped.

  Her expression shifted as she drew her hand back and closed her eyes. Vanessa tensed, sensing the changes in her demeanor.

  Elara sensed something; her expression turned sharp in an instant, which caused Vanessa to tense up as well. She looked around to see if there was an enemy nearby but saw nothing.

  Bound by the ritual, she could not move at will, which had limited her senses and visuals.

  Elara took a single step and vanished!

  An instant later, she stood atop the railing of the skyscraper, as if she were standing on solid ground. Her kimono fluttered against her body from the strong wind.

  Her gaze cut through the dense crowd of humans below, piercing the darkness; it landed on something the humans nearby failed to see.

  She saw them, two figures lurking in the shadow of an alleyway. Even when the human passed by the entrance of the alley, they failed to see or sense their presence.

  But Elara saw them as clear as day. Her glowing red eyes landed on the totem hanging from one man's waist.

  The Totem of the Unseen.

  A magic tool responsible for hiding their presence from non-supernaturals. The energy from the totem had covered the whole alleyway like a veil, making it invisible to anyone who did not have supernatural power.

  A handy item most supernatural beings use to blend into the human world to avoid being noticed.

  But this totem was not what caught her sight. The totem was a mere low-level item that had no use for her.

  What caught her attention were the canine fangs shining under the moonlight.

  Vampires!

  She instantly recognized their identity from those fangs and the distant conversation that echoed in her ears.

  Her gaze then landed on the unconscious figure of a boy slumped before the two of them.

  Elara's lips pursed into a thin line. 'They might become a hindrance if they sensed something.'

  Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed through her eyes. "I'll be back after dealing with them. If we begin the ritual now, they might be drawn here."

  Without waiting for a reply, Elara's figure moved through the air as if she had merged with the shadows; in an instant, she vanished like a gust of wind.

  Vanessa sighed, staring at the spot where Elara once stood before turning her attention back to the ritual. 'There is no stopping her now. Not that she needs my help in the human world.'

  …

  Moments ago, in the dark alley

  A young man stood in the alley's shadows, facing a graffiti-covered wall. His hoodie was pulled low over his eyes. The dim glow of a cheap, cracked phone screen cast a dim light against his face.

  His hand trembled as he stared blankly at the screen. Anger seething in his eyes, his finger clenched around the phone.

  It was a message—an image.

  His girlfriend was sleeping. It would have been a sweet image if not for the guy who took the picture lying beside her in the picture; both were naked under the sheets.

  The man in the picture was none other than the guy who bullied him every day.

  His vision blurred with fury; just when he was about to let his anger out, he heard a sound.

  A faint crack. As if something heavy landed on a metal surface.

  A chill ran through his spine as he felt a gust of wind against his back, even though he was wearing a padded hoodie.

  He knew something was wrong.

  The background noise of the city had faded; he could not even hear the sound of the steps of people walking; only two faint breaths lingered behind him.

  The silence did not last for long, and he suddenly heard a voice echoing in the alley.

  "Look, brother, what do we have here?" The boy immediately snapped his neck backward and saw two figures crouching on the outside unit of two ACs on opposite sides.

  He could not see their face clearly for some reason, but he could see their red eyes glowing.

  Monsters.

  A fear of the unknown sprouted deep in his heart; he stood in his spot, rooted to the ground.

  He tried to scream, but no voice came out.

  Then, suddenly, one of the two men vanished from his sight before he felt a sharp pain coming from the back of his head. His mind spun from the blunt impact, and his vision started to fade.

  Before falling unconscious, the last thing he saw was a pair of shimmering white fangs that were grinding against their lips.

  'Vampires…?'

  A single word appeared in his mind before his consciousness slipped away.

  The man who struck him lowered a cylindrical metallic container, and the container was as big as his forearm. Staring at the unconscious man, he lowered his head and stared at the unconscious boy, his crimson eyes pulsing with hunger.

  He gulped down his saliva and flicked his tongue over his fangs.

  "You're as reckless as ever!" The second figure jumped down from the air conditioner unit he was standing on and hissed. "Do you have any idea how much effort it took to get that 'thing' here safely? And you want to waste time feeding? We are supposed to deliver that 'thing' on time. Your actions could endanger not only us but that thing as well!"

  "Don't be so tense, brother; take another look at him. Don't you feel that there is something about this human?"

  "Are you going to bear the wrath of our master if we delay his plans or, worse, foil them?" The other vampire hesitated; irritation flickered in his gaze, but he stepped forward nonetheless.

  And as soon as he took a step forward, he froze.

  A sweet smell assaulted his senses, and the smell was so hypnotic that he felt like taking a deep breath. And so he did—

  Once. Twice. Thrice.

  He kept breathing in the scent greedily, and the more he did, the more his hunger grew.

  His pupils dilated as he looked at the small cut on the young man's thumb that was still holding on to the now dead phone. The cut seemed to be made from the cracked screen of the phone.

  "This…!"

  "No, you see it, don't you?" The first vampire grinned; he was barely holding himself from directly feasting upon the delicacy before him. "His blood isn't just high-quality. He's a blood virgin."

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The other vampire did not reply; he only shuddered in silence, his eyes rolled backwards as if he was experiencing euphoria.

  A primal hunger clawed at the second vampire's insides.

  "If I drink this… I could ascend." His hand twitched toward the boy's throat.

  The first vampire chuckled darkly. "Oh, but I get a first taste—"

  The second's expression darkened. "You always destroy the bodies when you drink. That won't happen this time."

  The two of them looked at each other with a hungry look. In their eyes, they were on the verge of losing their senses.

  Just then, a voice interrupted their faces.

  "I'm sorry, boys…" The alley seemed to be still; the two vampires felt air poking at them like sharp knives.

  The voice was a gentle whisper, laced with amusement: "But you cannot have that boy~"

  The two vampires jumped away from the boy unconsciously and jerked their heads towards the entrance of the valley. There stood the most beautiful woman they had ever seen in their lives. They could see the moonlight shining over her body; with each step she took, the sound of her wooden sandals echoed in the valley, and an ornate umbrella followed behind her, floating in the air.

  "Who are you?!" The vampire clutching the container was the first one to snap out of his daze; his voice was laced with fear. His grip tightened, his instincts screaming at him to act before it was too late.

  The allure from the blood and Elara's appearance made him lose his composure, but he was able to snap out of it for one sole reason.

  The presence of the woman in front of him.

  Just the sight of the woman sent a wave of current through his blood. He could feel the fear creeping in on his blood itself.

  Like it was telling him not to mess with the woman.

  Elara did not answer. She walked forward, hands delicately clasped before her; she did not even spare a glance at the two of them as if they were nothing.

  Watching her walk towards the unconscious boy without even paying attention to them changed his fear into rage. The second vampire finally reacted, hearing his words, but it was too late.

  With his fingers wrapped tightly around the container, he hurled it at her with all his strength.

  The container!

  His brother's breath caught in his throat. Seeing his brother using the very thing they were supposed to protect with their lives as a weapon almost drained his remaining life.

  "NO!" His voice tore through the valley, but the warning came too late.

  Elara finally took action. Without turning her head, she lifted a single hand.

  The vampire who was jumping at her froze mid-air, paralyzed. It was not just him; even the container refused to budge from its position. It was like someone froze him in the middle of the air.

  "This power…" The vampire finally realized who he was dealing with, but there was no medicine for regret.

  Boom!

  Before he knew it, he felt his spine breaking, and his body collided against the stone wall with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered, painting the wall red. He was crushed to the point that not even a single organ or bone of his remained intact.

  The second vampire also made a move. But instead of wasting time avenging his idiotic brother, he lunged for the floating container, desperate to reclaim it.

  "Vampires do not fear decapitation. We do not fear losing limbs," Elara finally spoke, acknowledging his presence, her voice smooth, almost amused. "But do you know what we fear the most?"

  Her gaze locked onto him. His entire being recoiled; his instincts were screaming at him to run away, and he even followed them. But there was no escape, and he found his body frozen, not just from fear.

  "We fear—" Elara's finger twitched as she spoke.

  Drip.

  He gasped, looking down at his hands. His once-pale skin was flushing red, veins darkening. He looked no different than a normal human, and that sent waves of alarm in his head.

  Drip. Drip.

  His own blood seeped from his pores, running like rivulets down his trembling arms.

  "No…no…" he despaired, watching his own blood seeping out of the pores on his skin.

  Plop!

  In next to no time, he was drained of all of the blood inside his body. His once youthful face had withered; his strength left his body before he fell to the ground.

  Even though he was weaker than a human child, he did not die. Elara did not seem too surprised by it; she tilted her head, watching him with detached interest. "And another thing we fear," she added, "is electricity."

  With a flick of her wrist, the vampire's weakened body flung backward—straight into an exposed power line

  "ArRGHHH!"

  Sparks erupted as the current ran through his body. His agonized screams echoed for only a moment. He writhed while sticking on the line before his charred body fell to the ground.

  As soon as it struck the ground, the body crumbled into ashes and vanished into the air, carried by the night wind.

  Silence returned to the alley.

  Elara turned her attention to the unconscious boy on the ground, her sharp gaze analyzing him. Her lips twitched as a pair of canine teeth peeked out of her lips.

  Even someone like her, who had grown accustomed to all kinds of allure of every luxurious blood there was, felt the potency of the blood.

  She could feel the potency of the blood. Her instincts urged her to take a sip, just one… but she resisted.

  'He can be of use for Alvin.' With a flick of her wrist, the boy and the container floated toward her. Then, in a whisper of air, she vanished.

  Elara landed gracefully back on the terrace of the skyscraper. Her robes fluttered a bit with the wind blowing through the air. Her body became more solid as she took a step forward.

  Upon landing, she noticed that the ritual had already begun. Vanessa was standing before the ceremonial magic circle, her long silver hair floating weightlessly in the air. Before her, an ancient tome hovered, pages flipping on their own as she chanted incantations in a language long forgotten. Ethereal energy, distinct from the moon's power, pulsed around her, lifting her inches off the ground.

  The sight before Vanessa was no less magical than her situation, and his lifeless body floated several feet above the glowing sigils, his arms limp at his sides, his legs slightly bent. Unlike Vanessa's aura, Alvin was bathed in moonlight.

  The mandala channeled the moon's power through the glyphs, feeding it into Alvin.

  Woosh!

  The energy thickened, filling the air with raw power. Watching the scene before her, Elara's sharp gaze softened ever so slightly. Everything was progressing as it should.

  Vanessa's chanting slowed. Then, as the final words left her lips, the energy around her stilled. She opened her eyes, locking onto Elara.

  "The preparations are complete. We can begin anytime," Vanessa announced. Then her gaze shifted behind Elara, landing on the unconscious young man floating beside her. Her brows furrowed. "Why did you bring that hunter along?"

  Elara turned slightly, glancing at the pale boy before answering, "He's not a hunter." She paused, recalling the events in the alley. "I mistook him for one, too, sensing the purity of his blood and soul energy. But he's just a normal human."

  "You could have just taken that human for yourself. I am sure your power would have been greatly increased."

  Hearing Vanessa's words, Elara shook her head. "He is someone whose blood will be of great nourishment to Alvin once the ritual is done. He might even form his first blood bead in less than five years."

  Vanessa let out a sigh after hearing her plan, but seeing the calm look on her lady's face, she knew that she had already made a decision and she would not be budging from it.

  "Whatever," She rolled her eyes before shifting focus. Her gaze landed on the cylindrical object in Elara's hands. "What about that thing in your hands?"

  Elara tilted her head, an intrigued glint in her crimson eyes. "Let's find out."

  "Wait—"

  Vanessa wanted to reject her idea of opening unknown things, but Elara had already twisted one end of the container.

  Hissss!

  A faint hissing sound escaped as the seal broke. Vanessa tensed, readying herself for whatever might come next. When nothing immediate happened, she exhaled in relief. "You're reckless, Lady Elara. What if it was cursed?"

  Elara ignored her reprimand, her gaze locked on the container. With a smooth motion, she lifted the lid.

  Woosh!

  A faint white-purple mist gushed out, curling into the night air.

  And then—

  Boom!

  As soon as she fully opened the container, a huge amount of pressure came off from the object sealed inside of the container. The violent surge of energy burst forth, crackling through the rooftop like a shockwave. The protective barrier trembled, its golden glow flickering as it struggled to contain the pressure.

  Vanessa's eyes widened in alarm. She raised her arms, reinforcing the spell. "What the hell did you bring here? This energy—it's not like anything I've ever seen!"

  She had to scream as the violent surge of wind around them caused her voice to become muffled.

  "This is…" Elara was also surprised by the sudden surge of power from the container, but she held onto it tightly. Gray energy instinctively seeped from her body, forming a protective veil around her.

  And then she saw it.

  The object is within the container.

  "Um… An umbilical cord?!" Vanessa gasped, recognizing it instantly. The withered, ancient cord floated from the opened cylinder, its surface covered in intricate veins pulsing with an eerie purple glow.

  Both she and Elara could feel the power, even stronger than their own, gushing out of the mere, withered umbilical cord. This made both of them tense up.

  Woosh!

  Before either of them could react, the umbilical cord shot forward—straight toward Alvin.

  Elara's breath caught. "No! Alvin!"

  But it was too late.

  The moment the cord reached him, its energy exploded like a raging storm. Pulsing waves of purple light surged into Alvin's body, pouring down as if a waterfall of raw power was merging with him.

  Panic surged in Vanessa's heart; she looked at Elara and asked, "Lady Elara, what should I do?"

  She was ready to abandon the ritual and pull Elara away, unsure what the unknown energy might do to Alvin—or them.

  But no matter what happened, saving Elara was her priority.

  "Keep going!" Hearing the firm voice coming from Elara, she froze. She saw her looking at Alvin with determination and stepped into the magic circle herself.

  "No! Miss, step away! We don't know what that thing might do. Continuing with the ritual like this is dangerous!" Vanessa screamed in a pleading tone, but Elara did not listen to her once.

  Her feet marched on until she was before the young man. She didn't hesitate even the slightest and slashed a cut across her palm, letting crimson droplets spill into Alvin's open mouth.

  "There's no time to stop, Vanessa!" Her voice rang with conviction. "He's my only shot at this! And I can feel it—whatever this thing is doing, it's not harming him. It's making him stronger."

  Vanessa stared at her, stunned. Elara also turned to look at her; seeing her moist, panic-struck eyes, her gaze softened.

  "Trust me," she said, her crimson eyes burning. "Trust my instincts." Saying this, she turned back and slashed open her healing palm again.

  "You ask too much of me, Lady Elara…" Vanessa was stunned by her smile and words before she muttered to herself. She wiped her eyes clean and raised her hand once more. "Very well, let me believe in you once more like I did that day." Her voice was drowned in the current of the shifting air.

  Gaining her previous sharpness, she poured out her golden energy with a crazed look on her face, "Don't die on me, Lady Elara, or I will make sure that you don't haunt me later!"