Creak...
I cracked the door open and peeked out cautiously. Once I was sure the coast was clear, I grabbed Charlize's wrist and pulled her to stand beside me, then we quietly slipped down to the first floor.
"We're really going to look for them now? Wouldn't it be better to wait until they come back here?" Charlize whispered as we neared the exit.
"Waiting here is a waste of time. At least if we go out now, we might learn something."
Truth was, I wanted to see it for myself—how bad this place really was after the rebellion I once sparked.
Click.
I pushed the door open and tugged Charlize out with me. We stood on the pathway by the road where the car had dropped us off.
To the right was the direction we came from—past the mansion that seemed to house the demons. Our dormitory for humans stood here, which meant this area must be the residential zone. To the left, a long pathway led further in. It might be where the academic buildings were.
With that in mind, I grabbed Charlize's hand and headed left.
"Hey..." she muttered after a while.
"Do you think... our sisters have made any progress yet?"
"Remember when we saw that person running from something when we first arrived?" I glanced at her. "I think that was the answer."
It wasn't surprising, really. Our sisters had only arrived here a year before. That's far too short to change the minds of those who saw our kind as nothing more than slaves.
"Look over there," Charlize said suddenly, pointing ahead.
My gaze followed.
A large building loomed before us, designed in the same Greco-Roman style as the dorms. It gave off the same vibe as...
A school building? For humans?
"There's a thick fog over there," she added.
Indeed, not far from the building, a dense white mist hovered low, and there was a path leading straight into it.
What... is that place?
Thud!
"!!!" Just as the question crossed my mind, someone burst out of the fog, stumbling as they fell face-first to the ground.
The moment I saw the human uniform, Charlize and I rushed over to help her.
"B–blood..." Charlize's voice trembled as she stared at the girl's neck.
Wait—wasn't this the girl Madame Gretel had thrown out earlier? If I remember right, her name was Trixie.
Smack!
The girl flung our arms off her violently, causing both Charlize and me to step back in surprise.
"D–don't touch me," she muttered, her voice quivering as she covered the side of her neck. From my angle, I couldn't see the wound, but Charlize could.
"She's been bitten... by a vampire," Charlize whispered, reaching out to steady the girl again.
"Let us help you. You're clearly too weak to walk."
"Don't..." I sighed softly and glanced at Charlize. Without a word, we each took one of her arms to support her.
"Let go..."
"Come on, we'll take you back to the dorm."
"I'm not going back!" she snapped, gasping for air. Charlize and I stayed silent, continuing to lead her away.
"You're stupid... even if you go back, they'll just throw you out again..."
"She's right," Charlize muttered, pausing to look at me for direction.
"I can take care of myself. I don't need your help," Trixie interrupted before I could answer. She tried to pull away again, but her body gave out too easily.
I turned to Charlize, ignoring Trixie's resistance. "There's probably an infirmary in the school building. Let's take her there—it's safer than staying out here."
"I'll say this one last time. If you don't want trouble, you better le—"
Whoosh!!
I whipped my head around at the sudden chill that swept through the air.
"!!!"
It was—
"Fresh prey... :)" The glint in those eyes was unmistakable.
Vampires.
"Well, well..." another voice sneered. I turned and saw one of them yank Charlize into its arms.
"Charlize!!"
Grab!
The vampire closest to me seized my arm so tightly that I stumbled, letting go of Trixie, who crumpled to the ground.
"Mmm... you smell delicious," it whispered as it leaned in toward my neck. I glared at it, trying to wrench my arm free—no use.
They were just as strong and fast as the stories said.
"Fresh little toys like you... so enticing," the one holding Charlize murmured, burying its face in her neck. My fists clenched.
"So that's how you want to play?"
"Oh, scary girl—"
FWOOSH!
"Ahhh!!" The one clutching me recoiled in pain. I lifted my hand, flames roaring to life in my palm.
I warned you... it's harder to control now.
Too hard, in fact. I hadn't even thought this through.
"You..." the other vampire looked at me in shock, releasing Charlize immediately and backing away toward its companion.
"How... do you have power?"
Still not leaving?
I raised my flaming hand higher. This time, they truly panicked—and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Well, not vanished. More like dashed away so fast it felt like vanishing.
"Charlize." She looked up at me, tears brimming in her eyes. I wrapped my arms around her.
Even if she possessed the strongest powers, the past had left deep scars. And I understood... better than anyone.
"I'm... hic... sorry..." I stroked her head gently, glancing at Trixie—now unconscious on the ground.
Time passed. Eventually Charlize calmed down and pulled away slowly, wiping her tears as she looked at the girl.
"I'll carry her."
"You sure?"
"Don't underestimate me. I was just in shock earlier, that's all," she pouted a little before lifting Trixie effortlessly into her arms, then turned to grin at me.
"If those vamps come back, I'll break their arms."
"I'll be watching."