The morning air was colder than usual, biting against my skin as if the entire vampire realm wanted me to know I didn't belong. I tugged at the bracelet he had given me… sleek, silver, and far too elegant for someone like me.
It wasn't just jewelry.
No.
It was a leash.
The prince had pricked my finger yesterday, drawing blood to activate its magic. He said it would allow him to see wherever I went. His words were sharp, arrogant, and laced with that same cold confidence that made me want to scream.
"Don't wander off, human. You'll only embarrass yourself. And me."
That was his version of care.
We walked through the bustling streets of the vampire city. Shops lined the cobblestone paths, their windows glowing with enchanted trinkets and shimmering fabrics. I wanted to stop at every stall, to breathe in the scents of roasted meats and sweet pastries.
But of course, he noticed.
"You're drooling," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "Pathetic. You humans and your obsession with sugar. Keep eating like that and you'll roll down the street instead of walking."
My jaw dropped.
Did this man just—
"Excuse me?!" I snapped, clutching the pastry I had just bought. "At least I enjoy life. Unlike you, who looks like he's permanently rotten flesh."
His lips twitched. Almost a smile. But instead, he turned away.
"Don't get lost, human. I won't waste my time finding you."
So of course, I stormed off without waiting another moment for him to roast me off the plate.
Brilliant idea, Hina. Just great wandering off like that? What if i get lost or something… But when push comes to shove, I was a fool yet again. I wandered deeper into the city, past alleys that grew darker, quieter. The laughter of the crowd faded, replaced by the echo of my own footsteps. My chest tightened.
I was alone.
And then I wasn't.
Two men suddenly stepped out from the shadows. Their eyes gleamed with hunger, not the kind that wanted food, but something far worse.
"Well, well," one sneered. "The prince's little pet."
My stomach dropped at the title because how the hell did he know about me? The prince promised my information on living off him would've been kept secret, but these two riffraff just casually spoke of him in an ill-mannered tone as if they knew something more…. Yes, that's right. Someone must've told them, but who? And it's almost funny; while I left the prince standing at the sweets shop, I almost forgot to do a safety check. I mean, they had been hunting girls. I had heard whispers. And now I was their target.
"Stay back!" I shouted, raising my wand. My hands trembled, but I forced myself to stand tall, but….
They laughed seemingly unbothered by a meekly shy girl.
"Cute. She thinks she can fight," one of the kidnappers said while eying me up and down until his partner. The first lunged. But I was like a feral cat when my instinct took over. I took up whatever was near to me, this big rock, and swung it at them with all my might, and don't ask how that's possible; I managed to do it because of the feel of the adrenaline rush. a burst of light shooting forward. It kneecapped him in the most vulnerable place imaginable, right in his balls!!! The second guy was my next issue; he growled at me like a ferocious tiger before rushing me. I screamed, slashing the broken glass i picked up through the air as blood began to splatter around like a fizzy soda explosion. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might jump out. But I wasn't weak. Not this time as I wiped the sweat and a drop of blood off my forehead.
The fight dragged on as one man, the sidekick, came out of nowhere. And grabbed my arm, twisting it painfully. I shrieked, kicking him in the ass. He cursed, stumbling, but didn't let go. The other lackey circled, snarling like a beast.
"You'll fetch a good price if we catch you. Your feisty but not weak people will definitely pay good money to break a bitch like you in HAH!!!" he hissed. "And besides that, your coward idiot prince of yours won't even notice you're gone since he could care less whether you live or die. Have you heard the stories, the rumors? They all link back to that piece of shit; because of him, we humans have to suffer in a dirty pt split into different hierarchies, while you vampires, monsters, and demons get to live the good life, but what about us?"
My blood boiled at the comment because why are these useless garbaes blaming their own suffering on someone else? I hate it; they look like the type to make small mistakes and completely corrupt it into a problem that was never anyone else's.
"For your own information, I'm not some toy you can sell, and frankly, you all should get a life before blaming others for your misfortune!" I spat, forcing another glass shard into the third lackey's neck, and For a moment, I thought I had them cornered and for once i was fighting my own battles until…
The prince. Appeared, ruining my moment, stealing my spotlight!!! But something was different about him this time; he looked colder and furious, his eyes burning like the fire that could burn through an ocean.
By the time he reached me, both men were already on the ground, beaten and groaning. He stared at me, stunned.
"You…" His voice was low and dangerous. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA AT ALL HOW WORRIED AS FUCK I WAS ABOUT YOU, STUPID HUMAN!!!
What if you…
YOU COULDVE GOTTEN KILLED. what would i do then if you died? What would I—
For a moment, his mask slipped, showing a slight ounce of concern.
I was worried about you the moment I noticed you didn't come back. I went searching for you all over; I even dropped my face-changing spell just to use my title to save you, to look for you, and when I saw the bracelet shaking like crazy, I knew you were in trouble and used the tracking power to save you, fuck!
My breath caught. Did he just…say he's….
Worried about me?
But before I could smile or even tease him, his expression hardened yet again.
"Don't get excited. It was sloppy. You'd be dead if I hadn't arrived to save your ass."
He grabbed my wrist, yanked me forward, and without warning, lifted me over his shoulder like a sack of flour.
"HEY!" I shrieked, pounding against his back. "Put me down!"
"Stop whining. You'll only get us more attention. You're coming home."
We bickered the entire way back, my fists useless against his iron grip.
At the palace gates, Lukas was waiting.
The moment he saw us…me dangling upside down, the prince covered in blood, mud, and…was that rotten food? He nearly collapsed from laughter.
"What in the world happened to you two?" Lukas wheezed, clutching his stomach. "Did you wrestle pigs in the marketplace? Oh, oh, or were you two dumpster diving and competing to see who could get the most trash? Oh wait, or did the prince send you in the trash to get something for him, and when he realized you might drown in the blood pool river, he went in and fished you out? Hahahahah! I can't stop laughing. I'm dying. My lungs! My stomach!!!"
"Shut up," the prince snapped, "or I'll cut your head off." His voice sharp as a blade, clearly irritated by being made fun of. Idk why, but these two seem almost like brothers. But despite the command, it only made Lukas laugh harder as Lukas walked inside along with the prince and me over the prince's shoulders. I couldn't help but smile. Maybe my life here wasn't so bad after all. And later that night, the two criminals were tied to a pole in one of the prince's torture rooms. They cursed, spat, and mocked the darkness, but no one was foolish enough to let them out despite their threats of working for someone powerful.
"You think we're afraid of shadows?" one sneered.
But then the air shifted.
A figure stepped forward, cloaked in mystery.
"Tsk, tsk, dracarus, dracarus, my dear… you still lack the moral rule of vampire royalty law. Always finish up the troublemakers who step into territory that doesn't belong. I guess I have to do the job for you then."
"Alright, you criminals, time to meet your end," the man smirked. His sharp fangs shined back a beautiful light into the night sky as the criminals' arrogant laughter soon turned into screams of pain, and soon the silence faded to black as another chapter soon unfolded.