Setting: School
The school bell chimed faintly through the gentle autumn breeze. Students bustled past, but many couldn't help stealing glances at two figures standing near the stone courtyard by the school building. Edward stood as still as a statue, hands tucked deep into the pockets of his long black coat. His gaze flickered with emotion as Alice walked up to stand silently before him. A faint smile played on her lips, though her eyes held a trace of lingering resentment.
"…I'm glad to see you again," Alice spoke first. Her voice was soft, yet carried a subtle edge of sarcasm.
"It's been weeks… since that day," she added, her tone betraying a hint of hurt.
"I…" Edward faltered. His breath hitched, and every word he had prepared seemed to vanish the moment he faced her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't come to visit you."
Alice squared her shoulders, her gaze unwavering. "I thought… you'd come eventually. Even if just to walk past my house, or stop by to say a single word. But you never came." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough to cut straight through Edward's heart.
"I know I'm not important enough to be the reason you change your mind… but back then, Edward, I was really hurting—and not just physically."
He remained silent, guilt flashing in his eyes as the wind sent small petals fluttering down between them.
"Alice…" he whispered, looking her directly in the eye. "It wasn't because I didn't care… but because I was afraid I'd only hurt you more."
Alice's brow furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"
Edward took a deep breath, shifting his gaze toward the distant treetops as if searching for the right words. "After that day, I realized… I was too weak to protect anyone." He spoke slowly. "I went to train, to learn how to control my magic… to find out what happened to me that day. Why I… almost lost you."
Alice's eyes widened slightly, sensing the raw truth in his voice. "You went to train your magic?"
Edward nodded. "There are things inside me I still don't understand. It's different from others—dangerous, even. I had to stay away from the people I care about… even if it tortured me to do so."
Alice went quiet for a moment before speaking softly. "Next time, if there is a next time… just tell me first. I hate waiting without an explanation more than anything."
A faint smile appeared on Edward's face. He reached out slowly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Deal… no more running away."
Just then, whispers erupted from a nearby group of students. "Look, look! They're being so sweet… it's official now." "Alice and Edward? Who would've thought! That stoic guy and the fiery girl!" "Haha, Alice won him over… she really tamed his silence."
Edward glanced at the students, who quickly looked away when they met his eyes, before turning back to a smiling Alice. "We're becoming a rumor," she murmured. "Let them talk," Edward said with a small smile. "They don't know… how much you truly mean to me."
The Invitation from the Dark
At the secret reception room beneath the Haller Mansion
Hill sat motionless in the shadows. The room was heavy with the faint scent of ancient power. In his hand, he held a piece of dull, weathered parchment—it had no signature, no seal, but the scent of blood and the sender's energy were unmistakable.
Tyler.
"He sent an invitation just like that?" The deep, steady voice of Ethan rang out. The middle-aged man, clad in dark robes, stepped in and sat opposite him, his eyes filled with concern.
Hill nodded, dropping the paper onto the old wooden table. "He knows… about Edward." His voice was low but firm. "And he isn't just warning us. He's threatening to destroy the representatives of every species, to make us lose faith in the Light."
Ethan went silent for a moment before whispering, "The wolves… the wizards… and the humans too, then."
"He wants to create fear, until only silence and darkness remain." Hill locked eyes with him. "We can't let this go on." He slammed his fist onto the table. "It started with him killing my wife, then purging my kin one by one. Now, he's coming for my son's life."
Ethan sighed, pouring crimson blood from a corner decanter into a glass. "Will you go meet him, My Lord?"
"Yes," Hill answered instantly.
"If you go alone, he might think you've lost hope. But if I come with you—" Ethan offered a thin smile.
"So you've kept your wits about you after all, still thinking of a good opening move before we die." Hill raised the blood to drink and nodded slowly. "We will meet Tyler in a way he doesn't expect."
The Encounter Under the Bridge
Soft footsteps crunched on the damp earth and rotting leaves. Hill stepped out from the shadows of the trees to face a tall figure in a black leather coat who was already waiting, as if he had foretold the moment.
"Tyler…" Hill's voice was cold and level. His deep red eyes didn't waver for a second.
"Finally… you've come." Tyler turned with a mocking smirk, his pitch-black eyes filled with bloodlust. "I've missed your 'happy' little family."
At those words, the fire of rage flared in Hill's eyes. He clenched his fists, the blood in his chest boiling. "Don't you dare mention them with your filthy mouth."
Tyler laughed lowly, baring long fangs stained with old blood. "Do you still remember? Her screams—your wife trying to protect you… how pathetic."
"Enough!" Hill roared, his voice echoing through the treeline. "You killed her… when she was defenseless. You killed the mother of my child even as she begged you to spare her!"
"Yes, and I didn't." Tyler spoke with chilling indifference. "They were too weak for this world—and you were too weak to protect them, Hill. You are a failure as a patriarch."
A sudden crack of lightning split the sky as the cold wind began to howl. Hill stared Tyler down, all hesitation gone from his gaze.
"I have hunted you… waited for the time to end this." Hill hissed through gritted teeth, his voice so harsh it seemed to shake the earth. "I may have failed in the past… but I won't let you destroy anything else."
"You're too late, Hill." Tyler stepped closer. "You're training that boy now, aren't you? Edward? Your adopted son… do you really think he'll escape my grasp?"
Hill's eyes widened slightly before he spat out, "If you touch him… I will tear your head off with my bare hands."
"There it is…" Tyler grinned wide. "That's the rage I've been waiting for. I can feel it… you're being tainted by the darkness, bit by bit. You're no different from me, Hill… you just won't admit it."
"I am different!" Hill lunged instantly, landing a blow that sent Tyler flying into a massive tree with a deafening thud. "Because I still remember… what love is."
Tyler chuckled darkly, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth as he slowly stood up. "Then show me… with your blood. Come on, Hill! Prove to me how 'different' you can be!"
Tyler roared and lunged from the ground like a black bullet. Hill didn't hesitate; he thrust both hands forward, parrying the oncoming wave of force. A silver magical aura erupted from his body—a pure power that vibrated through the air.
CRACK!
The two collided mid-air, the explosion of energy snapping nearby trees like twigs. Hill staggered back, breathing heavily—he had expended a great deal of energy to block Tyler's dark pulses, which were as sharp as ten thousand blades.
"Light magic?" Tyler laughed softly, snapping his fingers. Dozens of shadow blades rose from the ground, streaking toward Hill from all directions. In that split second—a shadow intercepted.
"Watch out, Lord Hill!!" Ethan dove in, diverting the attack, his twin daggers parrying the shadows without hesitation. Hill's silver shield held firm, but the impact rattled him to his bones.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Despite Ethan's help, the sheer number of shadow blades was overwhelming.
Suddenly, Tyler appeared behind Hill soundlessly, as if merging with the surrounding shadows.
"Too slow…" a faint voice whispered in his ear just as Tyler's fangs neared his throat. Ethan spun around just in time, swinging his blade to intercept. The clash of steel and dark energy created a shockwave. Ethan's body trembled before he was thrown aside by the shadow force.
Hill seized the opening, spinning around to deliver a counter-strike, releasing a wave of pure white light from his chest. The blast sent Tyler reeling back several meters, slamming him violently into a tree.
Hill's breathing grew heavy, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. "I fight you with goodness… but that doesn't mean I am weak!"
"You fight with hesitation, Hill!" Tyler shouted back. "And that hesitation will kill you!"
Suddenly, Tyler raised his hand, unleashing a veil of darkness that blotted out the sky. The moonlight vanished. A bone-chilling cold swept through the area.
Hill stepped back, his eyes wide. "Light-sealing magic..."
Tyler spread his arms—shadows from the ground flowed back into his body. His skin transformed into a metallic, midnight-black armor, and a demonic aura erupted from him.
"This is my power—the power of a True Vampire that you threw away!" Tyler declared, lunging once more, many times faster than before.
Hill tried to defend, but he was brutally overwhelmed. A punch to the gut followed by a heavy blow to the head sent dark blood spraying from Hill's mouth. He collapsed to the ground but refused to give up.
In that moment, Ethan, still forcing himself to stand, threw himself in the way once more.
"Stop, Tyler! I am still here!" He gathered his final strength, emitting a pale light before striking out in the shape of a vampire energy cross.
Tyler paused for a fraction of a second at the resistance, but with a casual flick of his hand, he swatted Ethan away like a nuisance.
Ethan's body skipped across the ground, coughing up blood. Yet, even drained of strength, he tried to prop himself up with shaking hands.
"As long as I have breath… you will never lay a hand on my master so easily!"