Chapter 1 / I finally found you

March 1st, 15.001.  

South of Whispergroove, Elunthar Forest, Elaris [Elf Continent].

“They told me you were going to be very hard to catch, prince, but here we are, only a week has passed since I started tracing you.”

She was around 10 meters away from where he was standing, pointing a gun at him; it wasn’t more than a warning –she wasn't planning to shoot him, after all, she was hired to rescue him, or rather, take him back home. Her skin was white as the snow, and her eyes and hair black as the night itself. She was tiny, no more than 1,60cm, and skinny, no matter where you looked at. A few arm tattoos were showing under the long black leather jacket, and on her legs, which were exposed as she wore black shorts. A big, skinny, straight dog with luminous grey eyes stood behind her.

You couldn't guess how old she was, but that was normal when speaking of vampires. After a certain age, they would just stop aging at a regular pace. Her face was quite beautiful with almond-shaped eyes and slightly red lips, but her expressions were rough. If her body was giving child vibes, her expressions were showing a life full of experiences, to say the least. You could easily notice all that thanks to her very short black hair that left everything out in the open.

She was wearing a considerable amount of jewelry on her ears and hands –She’s clearly hiding something– the prince thought while being threatened. 

Usually, rings, earrings, and other types of jewelry were used to either compress or enhance some sort of ability or characteristic. Strong individuals will use them to hide their spiritual energy from others, or ordinary soldiers will use them to increase their resistance to specific elements, to give some easy examples. 

“Well, prince, how are we going to do this?” Sukira said with a sassy tone, making a few steps closer to the prey she was pointing at. 

“I’ll appreciate you’d stop calling me ‘prince’. I don’t know what you want, and I don’t like you pointing a gun at me. Even if you shoot, I’ll heal instantly, so don’t waste your time”. Elon, the oldest of siblings from the ruler family of Elaris, the elf reign, said with a firm, but incredibly calm voice. 

He took a seat on a rock behind him. He was unarmed and uninterested in picking up a fight. He held a rare flower in his left hand and gently placed it on his right ear. His long, almost white blonde hair was half up, and some waves of shorter strands were falling in front of his gorgeous face. His factions were shouting ‘high elf’, with deep sea blue eyes and a sun-kissed tan-colored skin. Not a single scar was showing on the visible parts of his body. 

He was also wearing a ridiculous amount of jewelry, but that was something very elvery thing to do. Culturally, elves, especially royalty ones, were known for showing beautiful pieces of accessories as their society mastered the art jewelry making. 

“I’ll call you what you are, and if pointing a gun to your head is not reason enough for you to move, I’ll expose my goal here, only because your pretty face put me in a good mood”. Elon continued with an expressionless face, almost as if he wasn't listening to a word the vampire was saying. 

“Edrien Fenroth, The Dumb King, your daddy, hired me to find you and bring you home…” Sukira couldn't even finish what she was saying when Elon interrupted her with a sober and short laugh, “I hope you know this is a trap, my father does not care for me at all, and what you refer to as my home is a place I haven't been to in 30 years”. 

His voice was clear and deep but kind of dead as well; you couldn't decipher any emotion behind his words. His facial expressions were incredibly subtle. She, a very well-trained assassin, was used to dealing with different personalities, but this lack of was a new thing she was dealing with. 

A trap, he said? A trap for whom? She liked the challenge. 

They were in the entrance of one of the many caves in the south of Whispergroove, a region of the Elunthar Forest. 

The Elunthar Forest was unlike any other woods in the three kingdoms. Each region inside it carried its own climate, its own beasts, and a whole new ecosystem, depending on which section you were in. No one was allowed inside without passing through Elunthar City first, where permits were given, and any entry or exit was carefully recorded. Some places remained hidden, and others, like the Glen of the Ancients, were forbidden entirely.

Whispergrove was one of the easier parts of Elunthar to enter, though “easy” still meant heavy air, mangroves twisting over shallow waters, and caves that stretched deep beneath the forest floor. The region stayed warm and damp under tropical skies, its nights colder and full of strange noises. Creatures both harmless and dangerous lived here. Glowing deers that drifted between the trees, parrots that mimicked voices, and cave beasts that stalked the underground rivers.

“A trap will be waiting for me there. Okay, noted. Let’s keep going. The sooner we find out what's happening, the sooner I'll get paid and leave. What’s going on between you and your family is none of my business.”

“That’s it? You are not going to ask any questions? You are not intrigued at all?” His words showed some sort of amusement at her restless reaction, but his voice and face were as stiff as before, not enhancing the assassin’s eyes at any time.  

“The less I know, the better,” she said with a sly smile.

Elon stood up and immediately looked diagonally in front of him, and at the same time, Sukira did the same. She disappeared from the spot she was standing and appeared again in a matter of microseconds right in front of Elon, and she prepared to shoot at whatever was there. Their height difference was considerable, but she placed herself there to protect him. She had a mission to take the prince back alive, and she would do that. 

Her reasons were selfish –an incredible amount of money to bring back a royal spoiled brat? Easy job. She was usually hired for high-profile assassinations or beast killing. But the big goal of this particular quest was more personal: to enter a restricted area of the Elunthar Forest, only accessible with a magical permit signed by the Elf government; she needed that to find the prince. Luckily for her, she found him in another part of the woods and saved the permit entrance for later when she finished the mission. Her pursuit was bigger than just working for a mercenary company, but no one should know. 

Both of them felt the presence of several individuals. Mercenary elf-humans aiming for the same rescue mission Sukira was on, perhaps? 

He tried to stop her, but she was faster than him, to say the least. In a flash, several bodies fell to the floor. 

“Listen to me very carefully, try to stop me one more time, and I’ll bring you back to your wealthy, pretty palace, half-sleep. Am I clear?”. She was, once again, pointing at him, now at a closer distance; she could almost touch his chest with the point of her gun. The flower he had in his ear fell while trying to stop her, and now was ripped to pieces on the floor. Her face showed anger and excitement, and her eyes were looking directly at his: she was transparent, and she was saying what was her most honest truth, no bluff.

He grabbed the gun with his big hand, with droopy eyes and no other expression on his face, his silence was loud and clear, he disagreed with the spilling of blood he just witnessed. 

The scene passed from tense to gloomy as Elon looked at the dead bodies around them, while still grabbing Sukira’s gun, pointing at his chest like it was nothing. Silence was deadly. 

Sukira, who was starting to feel uneasy by Elon’s reaction, or the lack of it, said, “At least I didn't kill her… who I bet it's either your girlfriend or sister or some sort of complicated royal shit.” She pointed at a tree on her right, while she raised another identical gun like the one she was still holding, touching Elon’s chest.

Vampires, especially the ones with the purest genes (those without racial mixes in their bloodline), are sometimes born with different special abilities. These vary, and it does not happen often; it's just a matter of ‘luck’ or genetic roulette. Sukira’s special capacity is like ‘teleporting’ from one point to another, as long as that point is within sight. She does this through her “void.” A nonexistent space inside her. She can store some things, such as books or car keys, which can cause her fatigue. 

“Uhm, so you also noticed her. Interesting. You even sensed the mercenaries, and they were using a very strong invisibility spell. Your spiritual energy is incredibly high for a non-magic user. I wonder what you are exactly”. A pinch of curiosity was showing in Elon’s eyes, only a pinch, but it was enough for Sukira to notice it. 

She usually lacked wonder, but if Elon’s motto was knowing stuff, so be it. Skilled as she was, she understood that it was something she would definitely use in the near future for her own advantage.  

“It was about time, prince! I am indeed an interesting specimen. I hope we get to know each other better on our way back.” You could sense the sarcasm. 

She raised her voice while vanishing the other gun, leaving Elon empty-handed, while touching the air where the gun was a moment ago, lingering his fingers trying to catch the dust that the action left behind. 

“I’m guessing you’re coming too, sweety, right?’, said while teleporting herself incredibly close to the girl that was trying to hide without success. 

The young elf was petrified; she wasn't expecting to be discovered. And even though having an assassin vampire cornering her, with a bunch of dead bodies around her, what she was really afraid of was his reaction. She couldn't move her gaze away from him, waiting to meet his eyes since the moment she was discovered. Her big, light blue eyes resembled a puppy’s. She had very long hair, wavy and almost the same color as Elon’s, maybe a bit darker. She was wearing a white corset that beautifully displaced her curves, with a long skirt full of ribbons and adornments, typical fashion from the Elaris capital, Eloria. Her skin was soft to the eye, and not a single scratch was visible; it was almost like silk. 

Royalty, Sukira thought while scanning her.  

Finally, Elon met her eyes. 

“Are you mad, brother?”. Her eyes were about to explode in tears. Her cheeks were pink, and you could see from the way she was pressing her lips that she was holding back the crying. Couldn't blame her for asking; he was showing zero emotions or reactions at anything that had happened so far. 

“I’m not, Eloise.” He replied almost instantly, while turning around and grabbing some sort of bag he was hiding with a spell. 

Ah, yes, he stinks of magic traces. Sukira was almost sure that he was some sort of magic bearer, but with all of that jewelry, it was hard to tell. Now she was wondering whether he was holding in or pushing out his power. Vampires have better senses than humans and elves, especially in terms of smell, as it's usually related to a person’s blood. 

She teleported again, now in the middle between the brother and sister. “Chop, chop, then. The sun it's about to settle, and we are very close to a beast nest. Humans are easy, but Im not interested in fighting a creature while taking care of you two. Ah, and to make things clear, I was hired to take you back; puppy eyes over there is not my problem at all. But I guess if she made it until this point, she’ll manage the way back. She also smells like a magic user.” 

Elon made a small grimace after she said that last thing. Sukira noticed, you could say she did it on purpose. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye while petting the dog beside her, with what could be described as a slight smile. He fell right into my trap.  

“Let me introduce myself properly, as you royals are used to. If you’re wondering—yes, I’m a vampire. Yes, I can control my vampire traits, that’s why you are not seeing the red in my eyes or the sharp in my theeth. I work for a mercenary firm, your family hired me to take you back home”. She paused for a second. “And, I know your type, blondie. If you want to know more about me, be ready to give me something in return.” Her voice was loud and clear, but not to the point it was annoying at all. 

“That was a proper introduction…?” Eloise mumbled while looking at Elon.

“You forgot to mention your name.”

“Oh no, I didn't. I just forgot regular people are interested in that kind of stuff. He’s Cloud, my bloodhound, and my name is Sukira.”

“No last name?”, Eloise asked, accustomed to formalities. 

Sukira didn't bother to look at her and continued walking, as if she didn't even hear. 

♥︎

When night arrived, what seemed to be a very animated forest during the daytime suddenly had a grim and dense atmosphere, but it was colder than before. 

At night, Whispergrove changed entirely. The warmth of the day gave way to a damp chill, and the air felt heavier, carrying the smell of salt coming from the near beach and wet earth coming from the deeps of the caves. The forest that had buzzed with color and sound now pressed in with silence, broken only by the distant cry of birds or the drip of water from the mangroves. Glow-fungi lit the cave mouths like lanterns, and pale flowers unfolded in the dark. From the sea, a breeze slipped through the trees from time to time, sharp against the humidity.

“My car is a few hours away from here. We’ll rest for the night and walk during the morning. We’ll be in the capital by dawn tomorrow if everything goes well.” 

Eloise nodded with her whole body as she was trying to show Sukira how much attention she was paying to her words. There was something cute about her, like she was seeing the world for the first time. Sukira asked herself when was the last time she experienced something for the first time. As for Elon, it was hard to tell if he wasn't listening or if he didn't care. Maybe it was both. 

“No magic? I would have bet you were an elemental magician. I’m actually surprised you can even set up a fire like that.” She was trying to cause him any sort of reaction. She was looking straight at him, almost like an invitation to a challenge. Sukira was an expert on reading people; with her very well-trained skills and her sharp personality, she had a killer instinct. She was sure he was deliberately avoiding her gaze, but not out of fear; she wasn't very sure why. Once again, she was enjoying the situation. 

“I’ve been traveling on my own for almost 30 years. 30 years in elf or vampire times, it's not much, but if I couldn't set up a fire, I would be dead already. Also, I’ll only show you my abilities only if needed.” His voice was calm as he put another piece of wood into the already burning fire. 

Among elves and vampires, time carried a different weight. Vampires were truly immortal. They could be killed in battle, or by a disease, but never by age. If they wished, they could simply decide when to end their own lives. Their bodies aged at a much slower pace: in their first century, they grew five times slower than humans, reaching the appearance of a twenty-year-old by their hundredth year. After that, the change nearly froze, their aging slowing to one-twentieth the speed of a human’s. A vampire of three centuries might look no older than thirty.

Elves lived long, but not forever. They shared the same rhythm of slowed time, though their span eventually came to an end after a millennium and a half. They could still be killed, as could vampires, but elves bore the quiet knowledge that their lives—long as they seemed—had limits. This difference had shaped both races in subtle ways: vampires carried themselves with the weight of eternity, while elves looked at life through abundance and careful patience. 

“Smart decision, but that already tells me you have something to hide. Luckily for you, I’m not noisy.”   

Sukira pulled off a small device from her void, tiny enough to fit inside her hand. It was a gray, solid cube. She stood backwards from the fire where Eloise, Elon, and Cloud were gathered and clenched his hand into a fist, and immediately after, she let the cube fall down onto the floor in front of her. As soon as the small cube touched the floor, it became a full-size XL tent. 

This type of technology was not rare at all, but for Eloise, who was born and raised in Eloria, the big capital city of Elaris, and who traveled only to other big cities within the elf reign, her first encountering was something very amusing to see. How cute. Sukira forgot the feeling of amusement, too. How long has it been since the last time she shared time with others? She couldn't tell. Cloud didn't count. 

“Well, I’m going to write some notes and then go to sleep.”

“Is this a part of your series of medical plant books?”. 

“Do you know about them??”. You could almost hear her heart beating from her chest. Her big, rounded eyes were once again at the edge of overflowing in tears, but now the feeling driving them was very different from fear. 

“Yes, I’ve read them all. I’m looking forward to reading the next one. Good night.” Cold as ice, he finished the conversation. Eloise did a small bow to both of them and headed directly to the tent. 

Sukira looked at the very short exchange of words between siblings in silence, sitting in front of the fire with Cloud lying down next to her. Her expressions were nothing but subtle. And she was giving a direct look at Elon with a small but mocking smile, with eyes slightly wider than normal. 

“I know you used her to bring me back with you.” He gasped, aware of Sukira’s expression pointing right at him. His tone was measured, almost instructional, as though he were explaining a concept rather than accusing. He didn't meet her eyes at all. And after a short moment of silence, he continued:

“I agreed to come, driven by curiosity, to see what my father wants, even though there’s something fishy about it, as I already mentioned. But you didn't know why or even if I would agree to come with you. So you, somehow, make her follow you, as it was her idea, to make me come back without a protest. You knew I was going to refuse to leave her come back alone with you.”

“I like you, you are not as naive as I thought a crystal lookalike prince like you would be. To be honest, she made it very easy. She was dying to see you.”  

“I see. How stupid of her to want to see me so badly, after all of these years. I would’ve expected her to give up on that.” 

“I know what you’re trying to do, I’m not gonna pick the bait”, she said in a mocking, rather relaxed tone. 

“Are you always this distrustful?”. He looked at her directly at her, without hesitation, for the first time since they met. 

Sukira’s eyes made something that can only be described as a glitch, showing her true red pupils for a portion of a second. Elon noted it and sharpened his gaze without even realizing it; he even leaned forward as if that would help him comprehend what had just occurred.

She stood up and pointed at the tent almost as a command, her face was showing no discomfort, like that exchange of words didn't happen at all, she was smiling even. Not a true, honest smile, of course not, but her usual mocking one, a smile that was clearly stating ‘you won’t get more from me’. Elon sighed as he understood that the conversation was over and headed directly to the tent. 

♥︎

The morning arrived, and the Fenroth siblings were ready to start walking under Sukira’s directions after a light breakfast of canned food. 

In the first hours of walking, the sun was slowly starting to heat. Eventually, Sukira took off her long leather coat and made it disappear using her void.  

“Can I ask what that is?” His voice carried no curiosity on the surface, only analysis. “It isn’t magic. I can’t see any trace around it, and since you’re no sorcerer, the idea of you using a concealment spell to eliminate the trace is out of the question. That leaves to artifacts. I wonder if it's some sort of sigil or jewel. But even the most refined of those couldn’t account for what I’ve seen. Which means whatever you’re holding, it doesn’t fit into the usual categories.”

She transported herself closer to him. When looking at it from a short distance, you could notice a mist around her just after appearing again; it was black with a dash of red. He already noticed this, yesterday, after she disappeared the gun pointing at his chest. 

“You don’t have much experience with vampires, am I right?” She was awfully close to him; this was another one of her intents of trying to disrupt his calm personality somehow.   

“To be honest, no, not much. I’ve traveled with halves. And I have read a lot about your culture and history, but I’m well aware that the books I might have encountered weren’t a true reading of your race.”

He wasn’t wrong to doubt his sources. The core of history was shared across nations—the same wars, the same treaties, the same victories and losses, but each people bent the story to their own purpose. Humans painted vampires as villains to keep their citizens united in fear. Elves, on the other hand, softened the edges of every conflict, presenting themselves as mediators of peace, conveniently leaving out how often they had stood aside until the outcome was certain. And vampires, when they told their version at all, elevated their endurance and sacrifices, though rarely in a way that outsiders would ever hear. In that sense, Elon was right: to repeat what he had read as “truth” in front of an actual vampire would have been foolish.

“I’ve read something on an official vampire tome, ‘The Ways of the Blood’, and it was mentioned that the purest individuals, those without racial mixes in their bloodline, were more likely to be born with special abilities. But the one you have it's a very old and rare one, if I’m not mistaken…”. Eloise’s words were shy.

Sukira offered her a smile that made her tremble a little. 

“You’re right, cutie. That’s exactly how it works, plus there’s a big rate of randomness to it as well. Not all pure-blooded are born with skills, and even some of the halves, as you just called them, can inherit an ability. Mine was pure luck. I can just use this space called ‘the void’ to move myself or small things from one place to another, as long as it's within my range of sight. I can save some small stuff too, but it gets heavy to carry, after all, this void its inside me.”

Cloud cut the lesson by meeting Sukira’s eyes as he was trying to warn her about something. 

“I feel them too. Eloise, please protect yourself”’ Cloud didn't like how Elon stood up between him and his master. 

Eloise reacted firmly, which surprised Sukira. In less than a second, she placed a protection barrier. But also, a sort of invisibility spell was created at the same time. The traces were different, and this was only visible for those who could wield magic or had an incredibly well-trained eye, as Sukira had. She immediately noticed that the second spell was created by Elon. 

A small group of mercenaries appeared on the road they were standing on. It was easy to tell that they were part of the same group they encountered yesterday. Elon’s plan was to lie low until they were gone. It's not that he said something about it, but that invisibility spell showed that words weren't needed. On the contrary, Sukira was not on the same page as he was. 

Magic, at least the kind that isn’t elemental by nature, works like drawings. When a magician casts a spell of protection, concealment, trickery, or enhancement, which is usually called white magic, they do it by shaping their intention into lines and dots.

Some spells are simple, a few strokes held together by will. These create quick but fragile spells. Others are vast and intricate, interlaced with hidden patterns and layered meanings, almost like puzzles. The more complex the design, the stronger and harder to break the spell becomes. 

Breaking a spell is never a matter of brute force. Of course, you could break a spell only with strength, but it would require an incredible amount of it. To truly undo one, you’ll need to find and break the connecting dots. Some magicians would even hide traps or smaller spells within their drawings, so that tampering with them carelessly can turn dangerous.

In the end, a magician’s true strength is not only in the power they command, but in the clarity and cleverness of the drawings they leave behind when casting a spell. That’s why magic wielders were so feared, but they were not a majority in any of the societies, and training was long and hard for them to become good. 

Sukira shot 5 times in different directions, without hanging back, breaking Eloise’s spell in a matter of seconds. 

The battle, if you could call that murdering scene a battle, ended even before Elon’s invisibility spell could be de-casted. 

“I’m done with your killing. I’m bringing Eloise to the capital alone.” For the first time since they met, Elon’s calm, deadpan voice cracked, showing clear annoyance. His body stiffened, and his shoulders tensed.

Sukira’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. “Shocking. The rebel prince who travels the world for the sake of knowledge gets angry when blood is spilled. Tell me, do you even understand the world you’re so obsessed with studying? If I didn’t kill them, someone else would have. They were mercenaries, not innocent unarmed people”.

Elon’s eyes narrowed. “Do not presume to teach me about morality. It’s clear you’re incapable of thinking beyond what’s convenient for your coin. A vampire assassin… you’re a parasite who thrives on death without understanding its cost. Disgusting.”

Sukira’s hand flickered, her void swallowing the space between her and Eloise. In an instant, she had Eloise on her knees, arm wrapped around her with a knife pressed lightly to her throat. Her tone was casual, almost bored. “Calm down, hero. I’m not here to talk morality. I just need this done quickly. Let’s wrap this up and keep going.”

Elon drew a circle with his index finger on the palm of his other hand. A black spot appeared under Eloise, making her ‘fall’ right into it. The motion was so fast that even Sukira’s keen reflexes struggled to track it. Suddenly, they were facing each other only a few meters apart, tension crackling between them. 

Okay, I just need to knock him out. Injure only if needed. She shifted her knife to a gun, weighing it in her hand with practiced ease, using her void. She shot, aiming to hit one of his thighs –an area easy to heal and thats far away from any important organs– she thought to helfself. 

The bullet vanished mid-air, swallowed by a black seam as if reality itself had blinked. 

Fuck. Didn’t even touch him. Alright… think.

“You waste effort when you don’t understand your opponent,” he said, almost like a lecturer correcting a careless student.  

Sukira’s lips curled in a smirk. Already gone from where she stood. Her void carried her behind him, pistol raised again. A ring of symbols flared between them. She took a few seconds to think, and after a moment, she encountered the pattern and shot. The circle collapsed with a strong pulse, forcing her a step back. She clicked her tongue, annoyed but not shaken.

“Interesting,” Elon murmured. “You actually know how to read a spell’s pattern. Most don’t even get close.”

“Interesting, you’re a cheating elf. Placing traps in your own spells? Fucking bold. Makes me think you actually want to hurt me!”. 

Sukira teleported again, this time kicking from above. The impact was blocked by a thin but immovable line that he conjured with a flick of his wrist. As soon as her bullet touched it, it broke, but it exploded at the same time. She teleported herself immediately, the reaction didn't reach her. 

Most would have panicked. “Not many can interrupt my casting without frying themselves in the attempt.” 

“I’m not here to amuse you.” She fired again, this time combining a kick and a bullet, using her void to make her movement unpredictable. Elon was hit by her leg, probably some ribs broke, but he barely moved. The bullets skimmed harmlessly off shifting symbols he projected from his hands.

“You’re… persistent,” he said, voice soft. Am I enjoying this?. Then, in a fluid motion, he drew a circle in the air with his fingers. Lines exploded, forcing her to stumble back.  Sukira’s smile didn’t vanish. She traced her own patterns in the void, bending the energy around her, dispersing his spell into harmless fragments. 

Elon tilted his head, clearly entertained. “Your technique… clever. You understand the language of magic.” He waved his hand, launching a series of jagged, ice projectiles. Each one carried a mini-trap, designed to disorient her. She dodged, teleported, and countered, occasionally letting a shot graze him to test the reaction. 

“You read the patterns like an expert,” he said, dodging a bullet with uncanny timing. He snapped his fingers, sending a pulse that bent space around her, forcing her to scramble.

With that, she extended her void to grab nearby stones, hurling them mid-teleport in a precise barricade that disrupted his space-bending casting. He stopped them with a barrier, but it was only a distraction for her to shoot him. A small cut appeared on the side of his neck. 

That was just a warning, prince. 

Mhh, she clearly missed on purpose. But I can’t heal myself now, in any other circumstance I would, but she’s not giving me the time. 

He didn’t attack immediately, just admired her control, her skill, the way she bent her void to not only move herself but also manipulate objects to fight at range. Then, with a flick of both hands, he launched another series of tiny ice projectiles, this time one of the sharp darts hit her left shoulder. 

She aimed to take it out, and he mumbled, “Don’t do that.” He placed some sort of poison in them, not to react at the moment those hit the opponent, but as soon as they were out of skin contact. She listened, and while still holding it, she decided to leave it there. 

Hours passed this way. Attack, evade, manipulate, disrupt, break. Both were careful, clever, and skilled to a degree few could match. But neither of them was fighting to kill. She moved like a storm. Elon, by contrast, rarely shifted from where he stood. He conjured short, deliberate strokes of magic that redirected her bullets, dulled the momentum of her kicks, or warped the very space she tried to cross with her void. He even showed her some elemental magic of his. He provided a very broad range of types of spells to her, like a personal spectacle. She was thrilled, and she wasn’t hiding it. 

After several hours of fighting, Eloise, who all of this time was trying to figure out how to break out from the space where Elon trapped her, intervened. She stood firmly in the middle of them. 

“Please, stop!” Eloise was shaking, even though she didn't witness the fight; she could see the traces of magic and broken spells, and a disgusting amount of blood was spread over the scene. But she stood there, stoic, like she knew that was the only way of stopping this nonsense battle. 

Elon healed himself. Blood, scars, and even bruises disappeared in the blink of an eye. He didn't even cast a spell to do it. It was almost like he was using white magic as elemental magic, the oldest type of magic, and one of the few that didn't need casting to be used. Raw and powerful, yet difficult to control. 

Oh, I see. You are one of those. After that last display of magic, she confirmed her doubts. 

Individuals are divided into three: those who wield magic, those who cannot, and those who live in between with minor gifts or natural resistance. Magic itself touches all races equally, though each expresses and approaches it in their own way. Each magician is born with affinity toward certain branches, though study can expand their reach. At the highest level stand the sorcerers, rare figures who can defy tradition, break rules, create original 

conjurations, and their most amazing trait is that they don’t have the need to use a medium to work with magic, they can just use it. They can use almost all types of magic as natural forms of energy, without the need for spells or casts. Sukira only fought with one once before, and she won. 

She was covered in blood and sweat; she laughed loudly when she realized what had just happened. 

“That was interesting. If you excuse me, a few minutes from here, there’s a small river, I’ll go clean myself, and then we can continue our path to the car.” Her movements were elegant, as she was as light as a feather. If she was tired at all after that fight, you couldn't tell. 

♥︎

Eloise approached her from behind, something that, with the passage of time, she would learn that she should not do. 

She was soaking wet but clean overall. The amount of scars her body carried was astonishing. Her white like snow skin was beautiful, mixed with marks and tattoos, it was quite a canvas. She had two big ones: her right arm was completely covered with what was a traditional design that resembled an old book scene with nature elements. And on her left leg, she had a sort of rune design covering most of her skin. Other small tattoos were seen from here and there, especially under her gloves. Her chest was covered by a turtle neck sleeveless top, but it was certain that she also had some others in that part of her body. 

Dripping water over Eloise, who was now frozen, not from cold but from being that close with a female assassin vampire, she started skimming at her skin taking advantage of the proximity, trying to understand if there were merely aesthetic addings or if they were impregnated with magic; she was lying on the floor, being threatened, again, with the same daga she was pointed hours ago. After a moment of looking at her skin, her fear transformed into curiosity; she lost herself in her own research. After all, she was a scientist.  

“Can I heal you? You have some minor injuries, but you are bleeding, and I don’t want you to get an infection.” She asked with the biggest puppy-dog eyes ever. Her voice was soft and showed some real concern. 

She’s so cute.

As she teleported herself a few meters away from Eloise, she shook her head while grabbing a piece of fabric that appeared in the middle of the air, which used to wrap her bigger wound, placed on her left arm, near the shoulder. 

“At least let me prepare some medicine for you. I won't take no for an answer.” She left almost immediately, with a level of energy and excitement that resembled a kid. Sukira looked at Cloud, he quickly understood his master’s intentions. He followed her. 

“You could have won if you really wanted to.” A deep, steady voice mumbled from behind. 

“I lost that fight, don't sugar-powder me the facts. The only way to win that was by aiming to kill you, and it's certainly not my goal right now.” If he wanted to stay behind her while having the conversation, that was okay with her; he had such a strong presence she could easily sense him and his movements. 

“What bothers me is that I realized you were a sorcerer only at the end of the fight. That was really reckless of me, but c’mon, this is only my second encounter with one of your kind. I’m still gathering intel.” 

As soon as the words struck his head, he approached her with a velocity that she didn't know he had, grabbing her firmly by both of her arms. She tried to break away from it, as this type of proximity was not allowed, especially not after the battle they had just had. 

“Another sourcerer, what did you…??”. He got cut while a thin line of blood ran from his nose, while still fighting Sukira’s intention to leave. But her breath caught.

Vampires were just another race among many; their fangs and red eyes were ordinary to see nowadays, but they once were a sign of danger. For centuries, her kind had learned to suppress their instinctive traits. Eyes dulled, fangs hidden, so they could walk among other races without sparking fear. At present, vampires didn't hide anymore, or at least they only did it when it was convenient for them, not for others. But some things do make self-control far harder.

They only needed blood once every 14 months, on the night of the Red Moon; they never needed blood to live. That was a very ancient lie humans spread. But the suppression of vampiric nature is hardest when strong emotions rise. In moments of pain, jealousy, lust, rage, or deep love, their instincts surge and can override their control, making their teeth get sharper and their eyes red, almost instantly. 

Some blood called louder than others, like a favorite taste one could never refuse, like for some people, chocolate makes their mouth water. 

It cannot be said whether it was the way he surprised her with the sudden change in his careless personality by touching her with his almost boiling warm hands, or simply the fact that he pressed her injury, but it was in that moment that Sukira, who until now was hiding her vampire traits perfectly well, let her pupils narrowed to burning red with her fangs pressing against her lips. 

And in that instant, Elon looked straight into her eyes.

“He won’t be easy to find. And, take this as a friendly warning, don’t let that boy look directly into your eyes.” 

Some elves are born with a strange gift, it's passed down the royal bloodline, and it can even skip generations. But this wasn't the case. 

When he looked directly into someone’s eyes, he was able to see their past. For him was like being a spectator; he could choose how much and where to look, but for the person being viewed, it was like reliving those moments; it could be described as a mind trick. A very nasty one. The body collapses from the paralyzing feeling of being back in time, of the reminiscence of what once happened. 

The connection snapped into place before either of them could stop it. Flashes of Sukira’s life burned into him. In her eyes, he saw loss and betrayal, and a life shaped by harsh choices. But her memories were a mess; he saw things that seemed fake, if that even makes sense. At the same time, she tasted his emotions as if they were spilling into the air: restraint, loneliness, mixed with quiet grief, emotions he kept buried in that detached mask he was wearing.  

It was fast and overwhelming. They broke eye contact. She wrenched her head aside. He let go of her wrists. Just like that, the connection ended, leaving them both aware but shaken.

Silence was devastating. Elon was avoiding her gaze all of this time for a clear reason; it wasn't his intention to submit her to that experience. 

“What just happened?”. She assembled different theories, but she also knew that the easiest way to understand was to go straight to the source of the problem. She was out of breath. She was touching her chest, and she was slightly surrendered toward the floor. Her eyes were still red as blood itself. 

While Elon explained to her about his ‘gift’, Eloise appeared and encountered them again in a very tense situation, even worse than when she stopped the fight moments ago. If she needed to guess, she would have said that they just tried to kill each other again, this time for real, with no foreplay. 

In silence, she approached Sukira and offered her a small glass tube with a transparent green liquid inside. She took it and smiled at her, but she didn't drink the potion. Her body posture changed, and, in the snap of a finger, the whole situation changed, too. 

“Let's get in the car. I don’t want to spend more time with you, Fenroth people.” She said in a vivid, mocking tone, with a big smile that showed her teeth. No sight of her vampire traits. 

She drove a mobile that was closer to a truck than a car. It didn't match her size, but it definitely matched her personality. It was also black and it was full of marks. 

For some reason, Cloud and Eloise were enjoying each other's company, maybe because the hound wasn't used to receiving this much caring attention. Maybe it was for the same reason that Sukira also liked Eloise; she was cute, naive, and easygoing. They fell asleep as soon as they got in the car, like a pair of kids who played games the whole afternoon. He was nice and loyal, once you forgot about the killing traits of the breed, he looked like a good dog. 

♥︎

He tried saying something, and she interrupted him abruptly. 

“Do you know what a blood pact is?”.

I read it in a book… a human one. “I can assume, but I can’t say I know about it”. 

“It's similar to what humans call promises, but involves blood, and it's unbreakable. You set some clear terms or clauses that you speak out loud while making the pack, and that’s it.” 

“What happens if someone breaks the promise?”. 

“What is it with you elves that you’re always trying to play in the gray areas?? Honestly, I don’t like that at all.” 

Among the races, elves have long carried a reputation for caution that borders on cowardice in the eyes of others. They are a people who avoid the sharp edges of conflict, preferring neutrality, delay, or carefully worded half-agreements when the world demands decisive action.

This tendency has given rise to their old fame of being ambushers, not in the literal sense of battlefield strategy, but in the way they slip through history, emerging only when outcomes are clear and risk is minimal. To vampires especially, such caution is a sign of weakness. 

“If you break the pact, you die.” Said with a dry voice. She looked at him from the corner of her eye while driving with one hand and laying her head in the other. Outside was dark, well into the night. He didn’t even blink at hearing those words. 

She sighed, he was boring to tease; he either wasn't picking her bait or he simply didn’t care. 

“Well… not exactly, you can also decide what happens when setting the terms.”

“I see. There must be something you really don’t want me to see if you want to make a death pact with me”. He did something like a smirk. Almost like he read her mind and tried to show her he could be fun, or at least he could try. The reality is that all of his life, he has avoided most interactions. Maybe because of his vision and not being able to control it. Anyway, he must have had his justification, but even if he wasn't actually uncomfortable around others, he needed practice in how to navigate a conversation.  

“Hah, nice that you got it. Now you just need to think of what you want in return. You can't say anything, you see, that’s not how this pact works.” 

“If the time comes, you can only bite-mark me”. He said his wish surprisingly fast. 

Her eyes fluttered open, not looking directly at him, but at the road. “I don’t think you know what you are talking about, blondie.”

“I do,” he replied evenly, as if correcting a detail in a book. “Ordinary feeding only lingers for a season, tops. Strength, sharper senses, quicker healing… are taken from the vampire who bit. But a bloodmark isn’t that. It cuts deeper, physically and spiritually speaking, touching the channels where mana itself flows. And, if im correct, it leaves a mark that binds the bitten to the vampire forever. Their strength, even their years become shared. It’s not something done lightly.” He wasn’t a talker, but when he did, he did it in a way that sounded like he was giving a school lesson, like lecturing the world with his knowledge. 

He paused, his gaze steady. “Among your kind, it’s considered love, or possession, even enslavement. Or at least that’s what I understood. I apologise if it's not completely accurate. Either way, once marked, there is no return.”

How poetic. He surely read that in a shitty book. 

Sukira let out a sassy laugh, leaning back in her seat, adopting a flirty posture.“So what is it then, prince? Do you want to spend eternity with me? Are you falling in love with me or something?”

Elon didn’t flinch. His voice was smooth, almost cold. “The opposite. I don’t want you near my emotions again. Whatever you smelled earlier… don’t mistake it for something to keep tasting.”

She pulled back the car in an instant, a bit aggressively. They were in the middle of nowhere, and the only light and witness to this scene was the bright moon and the glowing fluorescent night flowers. 

Blood was dripping, dark and steady, from the straight cuts on their forearms. 3cm long, more or less. She did a clean work, using the sharp knife she had in her void. 

“The terms are clear.”

His dark-blue eyes remained on the line of red running down their arms. “And the consequences?”

She tilted her head, considering. “If either of us breaks the pact…” She let the pause hang, her lips curling faintly. “The blood burns. From the inside out.” She was almost excited while reciting those words; she pointed him with the knife while talking. She was holding her wounded arm close to his, almost nailing her finger tips into his skin. Her voice was always so vivid, even when saying the most terrifying things.  

Elon didn’t move, didn’t speak, until at last he gave a slow, deliberate nod. “Pain as the price of betrayal. Fitting.” Not very creative, thought. 

She pulled their arms even closer, pressing their cuts together. Heat surged in the contact, their bodies instinctively aware of the old magic at work.

Together, they spoke the words. “It’s a promise.”

The wounds sealed almost instantly, leaving nothing but faint red scars—a reminder graved into skin that looked as if it had already healed years ago. Blood that was dripping seconds ago vanished as well. He had a lot of questions regarding the nature of this ritual. But this wasn't the time to ask. 

Sukira leaned back into her seat, tossing the knife onto her void, and got the car moving again.

“There. Now you’re stuck with me, prince.” 

Elon glanced at his arm, then at her, unreadable as ever. “Or you with me.”

♥︎