Chapter 14 / Agreements

June 12th 15.001.  

Bloodmark, Umbra [Vampire Continent]

Sunlight spilled through the windows of the posada, and the streets outside were already stirring with merchants setting up stalls. Smells of all kinds filled the air, a regular, busy town morning. After a full day yesterday spent sleeping, bathing, and letting the stress melt away, everyone felt… lighter.

Eloise was the first to speak. “I think we should go to the market. I need to stock up—potions, bandages, herbs. You never know what we’ll run into tomorrow.”

Sukira leaned back, agreeing. After a big breakfast, the group got out the door.

It was a beautiful morning, and the market’s streets were replete with products and vivid interactions. A small band was singing indie-folk tunes in the main square. Summer in Umbra felt fresh, not humid nor too hot; it was the perfect weather for a morning stroll. 

♥︎

Dominique strode past a fruit stand, stopping abruptly. “Eloise, taste this. It’s mango from the east side—super sweet.” She handed a slice over.

Eloise laughed, taking it, remembering one of the first times they walked a market together. “You’re hopeless, you know that?”

Dominique ran to Sukira’s side, who was examining a stall of accessories and jewelry, her eyes lingering on the polished forms. She loved shiny stuff, though she didn’t need anything in particular.

“Domi, I’ve noticed that you are struggling with balance.”

“Can’t hide shit from you, uh?” She smirked while chewing the fruit. “Could you please not mention it in front of Eloise? She feels guilty for not being able to recover my eye, and I don’t want her bothered about that, too.”

“Of course. But I would suggest you join Risha’s training. It will help,” Sukira said with a calm voice—not scolding, just guiding.

“Sounds fun.” Dominique winked, then drifted back toward Eloise, who was comparing herbs at a stall. Eloise tucked a strand of hair nervously behind her ear as Sami slid into the space between the two girls, striking up the conversation. Dominique narrowed her eyes, her smile came a little too sharp as she looped a bright ribbon around her finger.

Jeda, ever casual, wandered toward a street musician playing the guitar. A half vampire-elf, you could tell by its distinctive green hair. He tossed a coin into the open case, grinning. Then he stopped at a food stand, ordering skewers of spiced meat. As he leaned in to charm the vendor with his usual banter, the man shared some ongoing rumors with him.

Jeda’s smile faltered just enough for the vendor to notice. “Thanks for the tip,” he said, tossing another coin in payment before biting into the meat. He strolled back to the group like nothing had happened.

In the meantime, Risha had been watching Sukira hang near the jewelry stall. He tugged her arm gently. “Do you… like that stuff?”

Sukira blinked down at him, then back at the silver chains and pendants glinting in the sun. “Yes, I do. I like things that shine.”

Risha grinned and disappeared before she could say something more. 

A moment later, he sidled up to Elon, tugging his shirt.

“Dad…no! I mean... uh… Elon? Can I have some money?”

Elon shook his head, hiding a smile. “You want what?”

“I want… little things! For Cloud! You know, accessories.” Elon noticed the lie, but also caught the way Risha’s eyes flicked back toward Sukira.

With a sigh, Elon handed him a few coins. By the time Risha wandered back, he held three tiny charms: a delicate snowflake, a bright red flower, and a miniature wolf. He smiled faintly, imagining how much Sukira would like them—but that delivery would wait.

Elon kept an eye on everyone, walking alongside Risha. “Stay close,” he muttered, though the boy ran away toward Domonique, who was calling him from further down the street.

“You watch everything,” Sami said quietly after a while, her tone curious but warm, approaching him slowly. He reminds me of someone. She thought as she looked at Sukira from afar. 

Elon’s mouth twitched. “Habit.”

“A useful one,” she replied. Her smile carried no judgment. Then, after a pause, she added, “I’d like to know who you are. Really. Just… the one who somehow ended up keeping my friend entertained for all these months.”

Elon blinked at her, caught off guard.

Sami tilted her head, not teasing, simply earnest. “I’ll admit I’m a little jealous. I dropped her off in the forest to rescue some prince, and then she vanished from the map. I only had rumors to hold on to. I taught her how to move without a trace, but I wasn’t expecting to be this hard to find her... Anyway, you seem to have been with her all this time. Who are you?”.  

For a heartbeat, Elon said nothing, but then his voice softened. “You are giving me too much credit. I just happened to be a part of a bigger scam. Dominique used her family’s bounty of Sukira’s head to trap her in my family’s palace, and in order to take her there, she had to ‘rescue’ me.”

Sami studied him with the kind of gaze that didn’t pry, just listened. “Well, but that happened months ago. You must have given her something worth staying for.”

Elon looked away, uncomfortable but not dismissive. “I doubt it’s that simple.”

“No, it never is,” Sami agreed. Her hands brushed over a hanging row of scarves, grounding the words. “But I’d still like to understand, to know the person who kept her going all of these months.”

Her openness was disarming, the kind that couldn’t be deflected with silence. Elon sighed softly. “I can’t take credit for that. That’s all on him”, he pointed at Risha. “He’s the one keeping us going”. 

“A lot of weight for a kid to carry,” Sami said, and there was no weight of judgment in her voice.

Elon, in return, asked, “And you? Why are you joining La Paz? Why so easily?”

Sami’s gaze turned a little distant, though her tone stayed calm. “I’m bored. Eternity is just boring; I’ve robbed, I’ve dismantled, I’ve lied…and many other things. I had fun. But everything’s so plain lately.” 

“That’s it? You are bored, and that’s why you join the upcoming war?” Elon wasn't judging her either, but vampires tended to reason things in a way that was difficult for him to follow; he was still learning. 

“No, that’s not all. I also have a Risha around, dragging me from my comfort zone. I have a little half-brother. I hacked La Paz’s database and transferred him there, and since that moment, I’m thinking there comes a time in your life when you must step into something larger than yourself. I guess this is it. This is my moment to do something that’s worth doing.”

Elon considered her words in silence. Then, almost unexpectedly, he gave a short nod, as if filing away the truth of her.

And for a while, they walked side by side, not needing to fill the quiet.

♥︎

By mid-morning, baskets and pouches were filled, and the group regrouped near the posada. The market’s bustle continued around them, but the team felt a rare, simple calm. Tomorrow, their journey to La Paz would continue—but for now, they walked back slowly, carrying more than just supplies: a little ease in their hearts.

♥︎

The table creaked under the weight of food and voices. Bread was being torn, plates passed half-way, someone’s cup nearly tipping as hands reached across.

Risha was the loudest, as always, he wanted everyone to listen to his report. “And then—AND THEN—the man tried to charge me double, but I told him I’m—”

“Short,” Jeda cut in, already chewing on some more dry meat from earlier. “Short people get discounts.”

Risha slapped the table. “That’s not what I said!” He extended a hand over the breadbasket. 

“But you are short, and you did get a discount”. Jeda interrupted him again. 

Sukira only arched a brow, elegant and sharp, smiling a bit. “If you managed to argue with a vendor and not get robbed blind, I’m already impressed.”

Jeda leaned his chair back, grinning at her. “If you smile again like that, I might start charging you for cuteness.” 

Her stare was ice; his smirk didn’t falter. Dominique snorted into her cup. Eloise tried to shush them; him flirting so easily made her uncomfortable. 

Sami tried to sit right next to Eloise, but Dominique slid in closer, nudging Eloise’s arm. “Ignore them. Here, for you,” She fished out the bright ribbons she’d been twirling all day, pressing them into Eloise’s hands.

Eloise froze, cheeks flushing scarlet. “D-Domi…”

“Ohhh,” Jeda sang instantly, pointing with a strip of meat in his hand. “Gift exchange at the table! How sweet.”

Eloise ducked her head, looking at the ribbons. Dominique stuck her tongue out at Jeda. 

Sami, calm as ever, only gave a soft chuckle and took the seat at Elon’s side instead. Her eyes wandered over the group with quiet patience. “It’s lively,” she murmured, half to herself. “Feels almost… like home.”

Elon said nothing, breaking bread with slow, neat movements. Jeda elbowed him from across the table. “Hey, mister watchful. You gonna eat or just brood into your cup?”

“Leave him,” Sukira said dryly before Elon could reply. “He’s perfect as decoration.”

Dominique burst out laughing. Elon sighed through his nose, saying nothing, which only encouraged them more.

“Speaking of decoration,” Jeda said, licking sauce off his fingers, “market whispers say a beast been spotted north of here. Ugly one. Wings like a bat.”

Risha’s head shot up, eyes wide. “REALLY?!”

“Jeda,” Eloise groaned, “don’t—”

“Yup,” Jeda went on with relish, “eating goats, scaring farmers, crying babies—” 

“That’s just you when you’re hungry,” Dominique cut in, making everyone choke on their drinks.

In the middle of the laughter, Risha suddenly jumped to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair. “Wait, wait, wait! I forgot something!” He scrambled under the table, then up again, clutching his little pouch. With both hands, he offered the charms to Sukira—snowflake, flower, wolf—face bright with pride.

“For you!” he blurted.

The table went quiet for just a beat.

Sukira blinked, staring at the delicate trinkets. “…You bought these for me?”. Her eyes went full red for a second. Then black again. Her heart was about to leave her body. 

Risha puffed his chest. “Yup. With Elon’s money.”

That broke the silence—the table erupted in laughter again. Elon pinched the bridge of his nose.

But Sukira, with all of her sharpness, accepted the tiny gifts with surprising gentleness. “Thank you, kid.” 

Risha grinned so wide his cheeks hurt.

And just like that, the table fell back into its noisy rhythm: Jeda teasing, Dominique braiding Eloise’s hair with the new ribbons, Eloise glowing shyly, Sukira hiding a small smile, Sami watching it all like a patient guardian, and Elon—quiet at the center of it, listening more than speaking, though his eyes softened at the sound of them all together.

♥︎

The calm of the evening was shattered with a scream. Bells rang out in the city center. From the inn’s balcony, a dark shape blotted out the stars—a massive, leathery wing stretching wide before it folded, diving down into the streets.

“Of course,” Sukira said flatly, already rising from her chair.

Chaos spread fast. People were rushing, shouting, dragging children by the arms. 

Sami reacted first—she pulled Dominique and Risha closer, guiding the frightened crowd inside the inn. “We’ll stay here,” she said, looking at Sukira firmly.

But Dominique, half-recovered and still missing an eye, tried to stand tall. “I can fight—”

“No. You can’t” Eloise’s voice cracked like a whip. She rarely raised it, but now it rang, fierce and sharp. “You are not ready for this”. 

Sukira wanted to give them space to talk, but there was no time. “Everyone, listen to me. Let’s move fast. Elon, Eloise, you’ll be in charge of bringing the citizens here. Sami, you and Domi will stay here and receive them, keep them safe. Cloud, guard Risha.” She continued, “And Jeda, you and I, we are going to have some fun”. 

Risha squirmed in her grip. “No! I wanna see it! PleeEAaase—just one look—”

“You heard the boss. Inside,” Sami snapped, pushing him toward the safe room.

Outside, the square boiled with panic. Small shadows darted across the rooftops—bat-shaped creatures, dozens of them, squealing and diving at civilians. Eloise raised a protective barrier, ushering people behind her. As soon as the spell was placed, she continued with glowing hands to heal a bleeding arm or shoulder. In the meantime, Elon swung his hands in controlled arcs, striking at the creatures that got too close. 

“Keep moving!” Eloise called, voice steadier than she felt. “Toward the Inn—stay together!”

But at the center of it all, a bat-shaped beast circled like a predator. Its torn, spined wings kicked up clouds of dust. It was as big as a house. A barbed tongue lashed out between jagged fangs, dripping black spit. At its shriek, the smaller beasts attacked in perfect unison.

Jeda spun a blade in his hand, lips curling. “That’s our cue.”

Sukira was already striding toward the square, twin guns with some cute charms hanging from them, Risha’s gift. 

“Ladies first,” Jeda said, but his grin was tight—his eyes on the beast in front.

The demon swooped low. Sukira dove aside, claws tearing cobblestone where she’d stood. Sparks burst. Jeda rushed in, steel flashing, cutting at its leg as it crashed down. The beast hissed, a wing sweeping barrels into walls.

“Keep it grounded!” Sukira shouted. She leapt, dagger jamming between scales at its shoulder. The demon reared, shrieking, wings thrashing. For a moment, she clung on, hair whipping—then drove her blade deep into muscle.

It bucked, hurling her across the square. She skidded, rolled to her feet, blood streaking her forehead.

“You okay?” Jeda called, slashing fast along its flank. The demon lunged; he slipped past and rammed his sword into its knee. Black ichor sprayed.

The shriek split the air. Above, smaller bats scattered into a frenzy. Elon’s wards flared gold at each strike, while Eloise blasted one mid-flight before kneeling to heal a fallen man, sweat shining on her brow.

“Perfectly fine,” Sukira shot back. She blinked through her void, reappearing mid-air, dagger tearing into the demon’s throat. She used the blade to keep herself hanging there with one hand while using the other to fire straight into its mouth. Gunfire flared white in the dark. At the same time, Jeda’s sword drove a horizontal cut into its underbelly. 

Sukira dropped, twisting through her void, disappearing mid-air and appearing a few meters away, cleanly landing on the stones.

“Fancy moment. Could you teach me that?” Jeda said while cleaning Sukira’s bleeding forehead with his hand. 

“You won’t stop flirting even in the middle of a fight?” She stood still, letting him remove the blood. 

“I won’t stop even if I’ll be half cut open”, he smirked. 

The monster froze—eyes rolling, wings stuttering. Then it crashed down, shaking the square, one wing tearing through a house front. The street lights toppled, cables sparkled, and fire raced across dry wood.

The fight wasn’t done. The swarm still churned overhead, and from the beast’s smoking chest a parasite crawled free—small, twisted, glowing purple eyes. It clung to the burning wall, screeching. The swarm turned to obey.

From the ruined house came a child’s thin scream.

Sukira didn’t hesitate. 

She void-herself straight into the smoke, boots striking sparks as she crossed the collapsed roofs. Fucking fire. Heat clawed at her skin, but she tore through the ruins, dagger slashing aside the splintering wood. She found a small girl curled in the corner, coughing, flames closing in. She instantly remembered when they found Risha. 

She swept her into her arms, shielded the little girl with her own body, and burst back through the fire. Flames were licking at her body, but she didn’t slow until she laid the child down safe in the street.

The parasite screeched from the wall, summoning the remaining smaller bats. Sukira’s eyes narrowed. “Sorry. Don’t look”. She used her whole body to avoid her to witness the situation, tapping the little girl’s eyes and ears with her curling arm.

She spun her gun, shooting the creature with a clean strike. She shot as many times as she needed to confirm the thing was dead. Jeda appeared and made the final movement, taking the parasite's head off.

Sukira was standing still, smoke around her, the fire still raging in the ruined homes. The child clung to her body. Blood ran down her arm where the beast had caught her earlier.

♥︎ Later that night ♥︎

Citizens filled the inn, voices trembling through cracked lips. Dinner was quiet, broken by clinking bowls. Dominique nodded off against Eloise, who had Risha curled in her lap, heavy with exhaustion.

“I’ll keep watch outside. Everyone should get some rest,” Sukira muttered, rising. Eloise caught her wrist.

“You’re injured.” Her tone was soft but firm. “Let me heal—”

“Not necessary,” Sukira cut in, slipping free. “It's only a cut in the arm. Plus, my healing tattoo works better if I stay awake. Enhances recovery.” She left before Eloise could press further.

Tattoos were more than symbols. They could be crafted through magic, technology, or a mix of both, each carrying unique effects. The strength of a tattoo depended on the artist’s skill and the person’s endurance, but outcomes were never fully predictable. Some tattoos simply refused to work—rejected by the body without warning, leaving only the ink behind as decoration. Others lasted for years, days, or just a single use. No two tattoos were ever exactly the same.

Sami shook her head once the door shut. “That’s not how tattoos work.”

Jeda smirked. “So, you also know about that. So impressive. So smart.”

Sami laughed, stretching. “You are incredibly annoying, in a very cute way.” She paused, as Jeda’s face was melting on the table, looking at her. “I think we should all listen to her and go to bed. I can share rooms with anyone, but be careful—I bite.” She padded upstairs before either could answer.

Dominique grabbed Risha, who was dead-sleep in Eloise's lap, to take him upstairs with them. Cloud was nowhere to be seen; he was probably with his owner.

That left the boys alone. Silence stretched, broken only by the crackle of the ice inside the glasses. Hours passed, each waiting for the other to retire.

Finally, Jeda spoke. “This is getting boring. We are both waiting for the chance to sneak out and find her.”

“If you are bored, just go to sleep”, Elon said without taking his eyes from his book. 

“You promised you’ll stay away”. Jeda shot back instantly, making Elon remember what he said back in the car a few days ago. 

“I lied. You wouldn't stop talking; it was irritating.” Elon replied. 

“You dirty elf,” Jeda mocked him while closing his eyes. The elf’s old fame was fitting just right into place this time. He felt a bit stupid for believing him. 

“So you are interested, then?” Jeda mocked him, but asked seriously at the same time. 

“I’m not. Not in that sense. She intrigues me. There’s something about her I can’t decipher.”

“You’re a strange one. It feels like the only thing that drives you is knowledge.” Jeda leaned back, casual but sharp. “If you were human, I’d say you’re just killing time until death comes. But you are not human. And being near her—” he tapped his chest, smirking faintly—“is like anticipating death. It's a bit contradictory.”

“It's not. I just want to understand her”. Elon was trying with all of his strength not to reply to this man’s attempts to tease him, but he found it very difficult. 

“First time you feel like this, handsome?” Jeda asked.

“No.” Elon’s gaze dropped. “But, it’s been many years.” He put the book down. “Or maybe— maybe it is the first time.”

“You’re so naive even with your own feelings.” Jeda studied him, then chuckled low.

Jeda stood up, resigned but nonchalant. “We’ll take turns, then.” 

Elon blinked, doubts all over his face.

“Each of us will get a moment with her. Out of good faith, I’ll let you go first.” Jeda’s smirk widened. “Besides—if all you’re chasing is intrigue, not interest, maybe there’s nothing for me to worry about.”

Jeda disappeared on the second floor of the inn. When Elon noticed he wasn’t looking at him anymore, he stood and slipped into the night after her.

♥︎

She was on the rooftop of the tallest building of the city, curled up in the corner like a shadow. Sukira raised her head and pointed at someone across the dark, out of instinct. 

“How on earth did you sense me?” Elon’s voice cracked with frustration. He lifted his hand as if showing proof of his own work. “I’m wearing the same sigil as before and added a non-traceable enchantment. One of the most complicated I’ve ever created, and—”

“You breathed,” she cut him off, voice flat.

He blinked. “I breathed? Are you—are you serious?”

“If I can’t rely on vampire instincts with you anymore, I can at least use the years of killing experience I have.” Her tone darkened; her red eyes flared. She was in pain. “I’m a monster. You keep forgetting that.”

His gaze flicked to her weapon. “What’s with the gun?” 

“What were you planning to do? How did you find me?”

“You smell like dark magic,” she admitted. “That’s not an ordinary wound you’ve got. That beast had a dark parasite inside it, that’s why it attacked. Normal beasts don’t just attack villages for no reason.” He paused briefly after his little lesson. “I want to heal you. And the only way was to catch you off guard.” Her fingers curled into fists at her sides.

“That’s what the gun’s for.” She tried to smirk, but it broke halfway, leaving her lips twisted in exhaustion. “Leave me alone, Elon. Please.”

His heart started pounding like never before. He was aware of it, but he couldn’t manage. He even brought a hand to his chest, trying to steady what was happening, as if the anatomy of a heartbeat worked that way, as if he could simply stop it with the palm of his hand.

“That’s so loud even I can sense it,” she muttered, tilting her head. “What happened? Did the sigil break? Did you lose your ring?” 

“No.” He exhaled slowly. “It’s the first time you’ve called me by my name.” He took a step closer, then another, moving in a way one would toward a wounded wild animal: patient, deliberate.

But she didn’t hesitate. She pulled the trigger.

Pain ripped through his thigh, his shoulder, his hand. Flesh knitted together almost instantly under his healing. He kept walking.

“Those were pity shots,” he said evenly. “If you wanted me dead, I would already be.”

She voided the gun away, dropping her head between her knees. “I’m so tired of you”, she let that out with her last strength. 

“I know.” He knelt, finally close enough to touch her. He tried to lift her, but she didn’t cooperate, rigid as stone. So instead, he laid his hand on her shoulder, letting the spell seep through his palm.

“This might take a while. I’m not good at healing others. Lack of practice.”

She didn’t answer. Her head stayed hidden.

“Why don’t you like being healed?” he asked, careful to keep his tone neutral.

“Magic reminds me of the sorcerer I once fought.”

He stilled. “I thought you didn’t remember that.”

Her crimson gaze met his at last. “It’s hard to explain. And I don’t like difficult things.”

Her eyes. His heart tripped over itself again. 

“Please,” she whispered, “stop that.”

“I don’t know how to.” His lips twisted in bitter amusement. How do you stop your own body from betraying you?

“Practice,” she said simply.

She pushed his hand away and staggered upright, but her legs failed her. She swayed, collapsing forward.

He caught her before she hit the ground, arms scooping her up with almost desperate gentleness.

“You filthy rat,” she hissed, writhing weakly. “What did you do? This is why I don’t trust magicians, or elv—”

“Shh. You don’t trust anyone,” he cut her off. His grip tightened, steady. “Just sleep already. Sleep. I’ve perfected this spell for you, and you keep resisting it. I’ll take it as an insult.”

♥︎

June 13th 15.001.  

Bloodmark, Umbra [Vampire Continent]

The dining hall still smelled faintly of smoke from last night’s chaos, though the table itself was laid out with fresh bread, fruit, and steaming pots of tea.

Sami and Jeda appear together. Jeda stretched like he had conquered the world, while Sami’s calm expression betrayed nothing.

On the table, all the girls were there. Sukira was reading a novel, while Eloise and Dominique were still waking up. 

“We reached an agreement,” Jeda announced, dropping into the nearest chair with the flair of a man who knew he would be asked.

Dominique, already munching on an apple, tilted her head. “...you had sex.”

Eloise nearly choked on her tea. Her cheeks flared bright red as she covered her mouth. “D-Domi!”

“Not that kind of agreement.” Sami laughed softly, touching Eloise’s hand in reassurance. “I’m joining the elite. I’ll be working closely with Dominique’s brother, Tech, in the intel department.”

Dominique added “...and you also had sex”. 

Jeda cut her, “Enough, you’ll make me feel you are jealous. Don’t put those hopes on me”. 

At the far end of the table, Sukira was quietly reading but following the conversation. When Sami leaned over to greet her with open arms, she didn’t even lift her eyes.

“Too close.” 

Sami stopped mid-step, mock-offended. Immediately after, Elon appeared behind Sukira, casually leaning over her back to glance at the pages of the book she was reading, his almost white hair spilling over her shoulders.

“Ah, so for him,” Sami said with a wry smile, “there’s no such thing as too close?”

The table paused. Everyone’s eyes flicked between the vampire and the sorcerer leaning too comfortably. 

Jeda burst out laughing. “Oh, this is gold. Especially after last night’s little arrangement. Should I start keeping a chart?” He was talking directly to Elon. 

Sukira finally looked up from her book at him. Elon said nothing, which only made Jeda laugh harder.

Before the tension could stretch further, a loud thumping on the stairs broke in. Risha appeared, hair sticking up, practically sliding into the room.

“What happened to the demon last night? Did you cut its wings? Was it true that it spat fire? Did you see how big it was? Did anyone keep the claws?!”

He fired off queries like arrows.

Jeda raised a brow at Elon. “Is he always like this?”

“Yes.” Elon didn’t even look up from pouring himself tea. “He asks a lot of questions.”

“We usually take turns to reply”, Eloise said with a soft laugh. 

Jeda leaned back dramatically in his chair, smirking. “Then allow me.” He slapped a hand over his chest, voice booming as if the whole inn should hear.

“The beast towered over the square, scales harder than steel, fire pouring from its mouth! It was closer to a dragon than a dragon itself, black as midnight, with eyes that could melt a man’s soul. But I—fearless, unyielding, undeniably handsome—charged straight into its jaws! With a three strike—no, two strikes—I brought the monster down, saving every villager in sight!”

Dominique followed him, stretching her arms wide, nearly knocking over a cup of tea. “The women wept! The men cheered! Children begged to be trained under his banner!”

“You weren’t even there”, Sukira said to Dominique while sipping on her coffee. 

“He said a dragon?” Sami whispered. 

Risha’s eyes went wide, sparkling with awe. “wHAAAT!? You are so coOoooL. Can I see your sword? How do you train? Did you even kill an actual dragon?? Do you know how to run? Can you stand on one foot–”

Elon sat him back in his chair. “Let’s have breakfast”. 

Risha, still bouncing with restless energy, suddenly pressed his palms together in a small, almost clumsy prayer gesture, closing his eyes. 

Everyone turned to watch. 

Dominique blinked. “Since when do you do that?”

“The other day,” Risha said quickly, “I saw a family do it before eating, and I remembered… mine used to do it too.” He hesitated a bit and then continued, “I know you are not used to doing it, but…it’s… important… to be grateful for what you have today.”

The words dropped like stones in still water. Slowly, awkwardly, each of them mirrored the gesture. No one spoke.

Sukira’s gaze found Elon’s. Neither said a word. Risha had never spoken of his family before until now.

The silence broke with Sami’s voice, soft and clear. “Risha.”

He looked up, startled, mid-bite of bread.

“Would it be alright if I joined the team?”, the vampire asked. 

Risha blinked. “Why are you asking me?”

Sami smiled, tilting her head. “Because it’s obvious—you’re the one in charge here.”

Risha puffed out his chest, eyes shining like tiny suns. He hopped onto his chair again, like a miniature general rallying his troops this time.

“Listen up! I’ve been paying attention to everything everyone said about this team, how we’re supposed to protect each other, fight the scary stuff, and never let anyone get hurt. We’re not just a team. We’re the heroes who run in when everyone else runs away! We make sure everyone stays safe, that people can sleep without being scared, and that we don’t let the bad things win.”

“Agh, the kid’s been listening to everything we said… all of this time,” Sukira mumbled, half-worried, half-proud.

He waved his tiny fists in the air, grinning. “So from now on… we do it together! We stick together, we fight together, and we never, ever let the darkness win! Got it?”

The adults exchanged glances—impressed despite themselves. Jeda thumped the table. “There. That’s our motto now. Straight from the kid.”

Sami rose from her chair, kneeling slightly so she was at Risha’s eye level. “Then I promise to uphold that. To fight with you, and to protect you, as one of your team.”

Sukira finally tore her gaze from Risha, leaning back in her chair. “Alright, enough hero talk for now. Jeda, how exactly do we reach… that place? I want to organize the trip properly.” 

Jeda scratched the back of his neck, smiling faintly. “Well… it won’t be easy. The roads are long, there are a lot of cut roads because of the black awakening energy.” He paused, glancing at each of them, and added, “First, we need to head to Velmore City."

Risha bounced a little in his seat, interrupting once again. “So we’re gonna have a little adventure before the real adventure? Sounds fun!”

Sukira nodded; vampires were eternal beings, being hurry to reach a place wasn’t really a part of their nature.

“We’ll stay here in Bloodmark until the fifteenth. Rest, recover, resupply… then we head out.” Jeda concluded. 

♥︎