Chapter Text
‘This person is not alive.’
Hange was staring directly at the pair of light grey eyes of the man who stood right in front of her.
The man himself was staring at her as well. His gaze was sharp and penetrating, but he quickly averted it as he put three books on the long table that stood between them.
‘This is strange,’ she thought to herself, ‘I can’t sense his presence at all…’
Strange indeed, it had never happened before. Five and twenty years of life that she had lived through, she had never met anyone whose presence she couldn’t get through.
Every living thing, from humans to animals, and even to the plants and soil of the earth, have a presence. Their life essence to say the least; a warm energy that flowed through their being and radiated from within.
A telltale sign that they are alive.
Hange knew that sensation very well. She was born with the sensitivity for it after all.
She looked hastily around and noticed that no one else in the bookshop was paying the man any attention.
No. Of course, not. They would not be bothered by the man.
To them, there was nothing unusual about him. From his plain black bowler hat to his humble dark-brown three-piece suit, the man appeared just like another office worker who decided to drop by the bookshop during a break.
Most humans, as it was known, would not be able to sense his lack of presence.
Subsequently, a thought suddenly came across her.
The man did not have any presence of life, but he moved around just fine, so much so that any ordinary human would not notice any oddity from him. Therefore, allowing him to blend into the crowds easily…
Thump!
‘No! It can’t be.’
Her heart began to beat rapidly inside her chest as she came to a realisation about who—no—about what exactly the true nature of this creature was.
His lack of presence, his sickly pale skin, and his muted light eyes; he was exactly like what her parents had been warning her about.
Yes, those are the characteristics of the most dangerous supernatural creature that ever existed in the world.
A vampire—
“Are you going to tell me about how much I should pay you or not?”
Hange blinked and noticed that the man was staring at her impatiently.
“O-oh…” Hange stammered before clearing her throat, “Yes, yes… Please, give me a second.”
Hange quickly inputted the price of each book into the cash register and informed him about the final amount.
He went to his pocket and opened his wallet. While he was counting the money, Hange’s thoughts began to wander.
Her parents had taught her about various spells that she could use if she ever encountered a vampire, but during that time, she could not remember anything.
But, strangely, she did not feel like she was in danger. Which was odd, because from the way her parents always talked about them, she always imagined them to be a very vicious creature.
Granted, she never met a vampire before, so she did not have anything to compare to. However, the person who stood in front of her did not look threatening in any way.
Rather, as peculiar as it sounded, she felt safe around him.
‘Oh no! You’re falling into his trap!’ she scolded herself, ‘Vampires are always alluring, of course. That’s how they get their prey…’
“Here,” the man finally said, slamming several notes and coins on the table.
Hange almost let out a yelp, and before she knew it, he was already gone. Only leaving the lingering sound of bells on the door.
She quickly composed herself, carefully took the money and counted it.
It was the exact amount of money that he owed.
Hange put the money on the register before letting out a heavy sigh. She plopped herself down on the nearby stool and tried to recollect what she just witnessed.
Everything happened too fast. He was gone before she could even process it. She wasn’t even sure if he was real.
Would it be possible that it was just a fragment of her imagination? Perhaps the lack of sleep that she had experienced lately had finally caught up to her—those strange dreams were starting to bother her again.
Yes, perhaps that was the case. After all, her power would often go awry whenever she was exhausted.
Not only that, but moving to another city, starting a new job, and sharing a living space with two other people—all in the same time—did gave her a lot of mental load to be handled. As much as she had prepared herself, it was still quite taxing.
Regardless, this was her choice. She should just give herself more time to adjust—
“Oi.”
Hange jolted on her seat and instinctively glanced up at where the voice was coming.
Much to her surprise, it was him, again.
He was leaning against the table with a reserved expression on his face.
Usually, customers would return to complain about a mistake in the payment or the book, or just want to have someone as a target for their repressed anger.
However, what that man said that day was nothing like that. On the contrary, he asked her a very strange question.
“What time does your shift end?”
Hange—who was so taken aback that she could not stand—stared dumbfoundingly at him.
“W… what?”
“I said, what time does your shift end today?”
“Uh… It’s around six.”
He paused, seemingly thinking something to himself, before he finally continued, “Do you have any plan after that?”
“… No?” she answered, though it sounded more like a question.
“Do you know about the circus that just opened?”
“Yes…” she narrowed her eyes at him, “What about it?”
“Do you want to go there after this?”
“… Excuse me?! What did you just say?”
“Do you have something in your ears?” He commented dryly. “I just asked you to see the circus with me.”
“I know, I know!” She replied, raising her voice slightly. “I heard you the first time! It was just so baffling to me that you asked me that before asking for my name—Wait, you didn’t even tell me your name.”
That statement seemed to startle him—and even her. Why did she complain about that? Why did she instead feel bothered by his lack of manner and not by, let’s just say, his alleged vampirism?
“Huh…” he murmured. “You’re right... Forgive me. My name is…” he stumbled, as if he was hesitant to say it, “My name is Levi.”
“Levi…?”
“Ackerman.”
“Very well, Mr Ackerman…” Hange finally stood up from the chair, “My name is Hange Zoë—if you even care.”
He didn’t reply. Rather, he just stood there with a ghost smile on his face, almost like he was impressed.
“What?”
“What?” He replied, his expression returning to the usual frown.
“Do you find something amusing about my name?”
“No, I don’t. Why do you think so?” He quickly said, “Anyway, with that out of the way… Do you want to go?”
There was nothing special about the way he asked her. Not even romantic—not that she wanted it to be.
Yet, despite that, Hange found herself agreeing with his request.
“All right, I’ll pick you up at six, then,” he said before leaving the shop.
As it was hard for her to believe, he really did return to pick her up right when the clock struck six.
Once he saw her, he regarded her by tipping his hat slightly before asking, “Shall we?”
Hange pulled her gloves tighter and nodded at him; unsure of why she felt awkward so suddenly.
“Uhm, so…” Hange cautiously said to the man who was walking beside her, “What do you do for a living?”
“Nothing interesting,” he replied, “I’m just an office worker.”
“Oh…” She didn’t expect him to have such a boring answer from a supposedly supernatural being.
“See? My life is dull.”
“Is that why you ask me, a stranger, to go to see the circus with you? To make your life less dull?” Hange asked sceptically.
“If you want to think about it that way, then sure,” he shrugged.
“… Why don’t you just ask somebody else? Your friend, perhaps?”
“I don’t have one.”
She furrowed her brows, “Really?”
“Yes—Well, at least not around here.”
“Do you live alone, then?”
He hummed agreeably, “I prefer it that way. Less hassle and more quiet time for me.”
“Isn’t it lonely, though?”
“No. Not really,” he answered casually. “Time will pass, anyway.”
“Huh?” she pursed her lips. “That’s one way to put it.”
“It’s true. Whether I’m alone or not, time will still pass.”
“It will, yes, but that is exactly why you have to live in it,” she uttered earnestly. “Every second matters, don’t you think?”
He quickly glanced at her and raised his eyebrows, as if he were stunned at what she just said. It did not last very long, though. He quickly averted his gaze and replied, “I suppose...”
Hange knew immediately that he seemed to not want to talk about it anymore, and so, Hange decided to shift the conversation to more mundane matters until they finally reached the circus.
Fortunately for her, the performance itself was delightful and entertaining. Therefore, even though she was sceptical at first about the sudden invitation, in the end, she did not regret accepting it. Especially when he treated her not only with the ticket, but also with a candyfloss, a sandwich, and a glass of lemonade.
However, there was one thing that bothered her.
For some unknown reason, he seemed to keep glancing at her way during the show. Furthermore, every time she glanced back at him, he would quickly looked away and acted as if he had not just stared at her for five minutes.
It was confusing, but also annoying and quite creepy. At first, she thought she had something on her face, but when she asked him about it as they leave the area, he said no. Then, she wondered whether he disliked the show, but he said he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Truly, what a strange man—unless he wasn’t a man.
Hange was suddenly reminded of what that man might actually be: a vampire.
Oh! It certainly made so much sense now. He probably invited her to see the circus to tire her out. He even bought her some food, which was undoubtedly for giving her extra nutrients.
Right! That surely was the case! The reason he kept staring at her was most likely because he could not wait to kill her and drink all of her blood.
Hange immediately stopped in her tracks, which alerted him. He halted and looked at her confusedly.
She could hear her heart beating so clearly in her ears as she realised that they were in a secluded area of the road. The two gaslight poles that stood from one corner to the other could barely illuminate the road.
The show had long finished, and he offered to walk her home, which she foolishly accepted.
Because of that, she was now stuck with one of the most dangerous creatures in the world.
“What—”
“You!” Hange hastily took several steps away from the man. “What do you want to do with me?”
He furrowed his brows, “Whatever do you even mean?”
“Don’t pretend to not know!” Hange responded firmly.
“I don’t understand,” he said calmly. “People ask each other out all the time, right?”
“W-well… Yes!” she stuttered. “But I know that was not your intention at all!”
“How can you be sure of that?”
A gush of wind blew past her and Hange tightened her hold on her purse. She bit her lips as she stared straight at him whose composure was unshaken.
“… Is it because you’re a witch?” he asked.
Her eyes widened, “You knew?!”
“Yeah, right from the beginning,” he answered flatly. “It’s very easy to spot a witch. All of you have the same smell in your magical blood.”
“So, it’s true!” Hange took another step back and began to think of a spell to use, “You are a vampire!”
He didn’t move, instead he just smirked.
“What if I am?” he shrugged.
Hange could not move her body, but she could feel every muscles and bones in her body shuddering.
She already knew what he was, but to have it confirmed, by him of all people in the same night—it was too overwhelming.
“Your parents…” he suddenly spoke, his voice gentle. “Are they witches like you?”
“Yes…” she answered tersely, still putting her guard up.
“Are they well?”
Hange furrowed her brows and grimaced, “Huh…?”
“Your parents. Are they well?”
She could choose to not answer him and run, but, for some reason, she still answered him.
“Yes… Yes, they are very well.”
He nodded before continuing, “Do you live with them?”
“No…” She shook her head, “They live in another town.”
“So, I suppose you live alone?”
“I don’t… I live with two other people. We share a flat.”
“I see,” he took out his pocket watch from his suit and said, “Well, it’s getting late. Let’s get you back before your flatmates start to get worried.”
“No… Thank you,” Hange quickly replied. “I can go back myself.”
He looked at her and immediately raised both of his hands in surrender.
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t drink human blood, and I’m not planning on having a hoard of witches on my back.”
Hange still refused to move from her position.
“Very well,” he finally said, “I will leave you alone.”
There was no goodbye, no thank you or even see you later.
He just left.
No, he didn’t just left. He disappeared. Before she knew it, he was already gone in just a blink of an eye.
That night, Hange dreamed of those dreams again.
She dreamed of a cat.
A black cat with a pair of bright yellow eyes was staring directly at her. The cat meowed, high and chirpy, and she found herself reaching for the cat.
She gently stroked the cat’s head, which the cat received with much eagerness. The cat rubbed their head against her hand and purred themself into slumber.
The vampire never showed up again after that.
So, in a sense, he was not lying when he said that he would leave her alone.
Which was great, of course. She didn’t have to worry about her safety anymore.
As much as she was proud and confident with her own ability as a witch, she could not be sure that she would be able to win against a vampire.
Besides, she tried to not use her power as much as she could. Other than not wanting to attract unwanted attention, she actually preferred to live her life just like any ordinary person.
However, thinking about how they parted away that night, she did feel a bit awful about it.
Maybe he truly did not have any ill intentions. Perhaps he was just bored, and she was the only stranger he trusted enough to be around.
Yes, perhaps she was being too harsh on him. She should’ve given him more time to explain.
She didn’t even express her gratitude for his generous treatment that day.
How could she do that? She let her bias and opinion cloud over her judgment.
If only she knew where he works and lives, she would try to make amend to her miscalculation.
Well, she could try to find out.
Therefore, with a great determination to set things straight, Hange decided to search for him.
Ever since that day, Hange would leave her flat earlier than usual and make a detour to the business district of the town. Thinking that maybe, by chance, she would pass by him.
She did it for several days, but alas, she could not find him anywhere.
She began to think that he might have been actively avoiding her—since he probably could tell her smell apart from afar—or maybe he already left the town altogether…
Or at least that was what she believed until that day.
She was in a queue at the bank when she found him behind the counter, talking to one of the bank tellers before disappearing into the door at the back. He did not look in her direction, but she knew that he could tell she was there.
Hange quickly finished her task at the bank and went to the café next to it. She kept a close eye on the entrance and waited for when the bank was closed.
However, even after the sky had turned dark, the last customers had left, and the door had been locked, she still could not see him anywhere.
Perhaps there was another door for the staff that she didn’t know about.
How unfortunate.
Hange glanced at her empty cup and sighed.
It was clear, he did not want to meet her. But then again, wasn’t that what she wanted? It would be best for both of them to not meet, actually
After all, vampires and witches should not even be near each other. Not that it would not be possible. She had heard stories of the two kinds forming a close friendship or even a family together, but such relationships are discouraged and frowned upon by the communities.
The two kinds had coexisted for centuries and had been persecuted ages ago by the masses—both the witch hunt and the vampire hunt. Forcing them to hide themselves to the point of becoming a legend.
However, even with those shared experiences, the two kinds were never able to maintain their peace. Witches found vampires to be egoistical and arrogant, for they always looked down upon witches. On the other hand, vampires always said that witches are powerless mortal creatures with useless power.
Hange frowned.
Did he think so too about her?
Did he—
“You’re so persistent, you know that?”
Hange craned her neck up and saw him standing in front of her. He pulled the chair and sat across her.
“So, what do you want?” He continued.
“I… I…” she stumbled upon her words. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
“I’m aware,” he said as he leaned back against his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “Why, though? I thought you wanted to be left alone.”
“Well… To be fair, I did not really say that. Although, I do know that I was being rude for no reason to you back then—”
“No. You were being reasonable. I get why you reacted that way,” he interjected. “It would be strange rather if you trusted a stranger so quickly.”
“That’s exactly why!” Hange remarked. “I made a mistake in my judgement. I judged you way too hastily and unfairly. I didn’t even say thank you.”
“For what?”
“For taking me out to see the circus, of course… Despite how the night ended, I did have a nice time there.”
“Don’t think about it,” he replied coolly.
“I think it’s fair for me to pay it back,’ Hange continued, absentmindedly tracing the handle of the cup. “Say… Are you free this Sunday?”
“… Why do you need to know?” he answered cynically.
“If you are free, I want to treat you to a drink… There’s a tearoom that recently opened in town, and my friend said they serve wonderful tea.”
He only looked at her quizzically, and Hange quickly corrected herself.
“Wait! You can drink, right? Or can you only drink… you know?”
“Contrary to whatever your kind or anyone believe, we still drink and eat normally. It just does not satiate our hunger.”
“Great!” Hange smiled, “My offer still stands, then.”
He clicked his tongue and scowled, “I don’t think that’s a great idea.”
“Huh?!” she protested, “Why not?!”
“Your parents or even your association won’t be pleased to learn their daughter is hanging out with a vampire.”
“… They don’t need to know,” Hange murmured. “Besides, I’m old enough to decide for myself.”
“I think you need to listen to your parents more.”
“Well, I keep their teachings in my mind, but I also want to form my own judgement.”
“I can’t believe this…” he massaged his temple. “I thought you knew better. You really need to be more careful with danger.”
“I am!”
“No! If you were, then you wouldn’t be around me,” he explained adamantly before lowering his voice. “You must know that vampires are very dangerous.”
“I know, but you said it yourself, right? You have no intention of harming me.”
“Seriously?!” He looked at her in disbelief. “You failed to notice that I might be lying to you.”
“But did you?”
He went silent.
Hange smirked and nodded, “I thought so.”
“Still—”
“I trust you,” she said assertively.
Yes, as strange as it might be, she trusted him. Perhaps it was her witchy intuition, but she knew he was being genuine from the beginning.
“Don’t…” he scowled, “Don’t trust someone you don’t know…”
“Then, I suppose that’s all the more reason for me to get to know you.”
She could see his eyes visibly widen at her remark before he covered it with his hands and rubbed them pettishly.
“Please…?” Hange pleaded, half-whining.
“Ugh…” he grunted before looking at her sourly. “Fine. But just this once.”
The days leading up to the Sunday felt longer than usual, but even more so her dream that night.
She found herself in the middle of the woods. Tall trees stretched up from the ground and high into the bright blue sky upward with tiny branches framing them.
The warm sunlight was reflecting over the blue-green pasture that covered the land from where her eyes could lay.
She saw the all-too-familiar cat rolling around the wildflowers before following her around the woods.
Birds were chirping and the wind was whistling sweet song of spring. The sound of river stream could be heard faintly from afar.
She woke up to the sound of running water that was coming from the kitchen.
After looking at the hour, she began preparing for her little outing that Sunday.
Just as when she was putting her hair up, she heard several knocks on the door.
“Come in!” Hange said.
Two young women, one with red hair—Marie—and the other one with blonde hair—Nanaba—eagerly entered her room.
“Hange!” Nanaba called, smiling from ear to ear. “Why didn’t you tell us that you are being courted by a very agreeable young man?”
“Pardon me?!” Hange raised her voice in surprise and accidentally made the hair that she was holding onto fell from the pin. “I am being what?”
Marie laughed and immediately went to help with her hair.
“We saw a young man waiting on the ground floor,” Marie explained, “Imagine our surprise when he said he was waiting for you.”
“How could you keep this from us?” Nanaba chimed in, as she kneeled on the floor and looked up at her persuasively, “Why do you deprive us from the joy of knowing that you are being courted?”
“You got it all wrong! He’s not courting me!” Hange denied, refusing to look at her eyes.
“Two people promising each other to spend a day together?” Marie added as she pinned up her hair, “Sounds like courting to me.”
“It’s not!” Hange countered. “I owed him something, and now I am going to repay his kindness, that’s all.”
“Is that so?” Nanaba inquired teasingly. “What kind of kindness that warrants you to dress up so dashingly today?”
Hange glanced at her reflection in the mirror and as much as she hated to admit it, she did look like she was putting more effort into her appearance.
“No? Why are you saying so? I usually dress like this, I’m sorry if I look good in anything,” Hange clapped back.
“Yes, we believe you, Hange,” Marie said as she finished her hair. “There you go. Ready and beautiful for your man!”
“Marie!”
Despite whatever Hange said about the nature of their relationship, her two flatmates still insisted that they were in a courtship.
That could not be farther from the truth.
There was nothing romantic about it! Sure, they made a plan just for the two of them and sure, it was their second time hanging out together. Nevertheless, that still did not mean anything!
Unfortunately, it was not like she could just tell her two flatmates that they were only hanging around together just because they were supernatural beings who happened to meet in the middle of human’s civilisation.
Therefore, she could only glare silently at the two of them—who insisted on seeing her off with the man. They even told him to ‘take good care of our precious friend’ and many more things that implied their non-existent courtship.
Yet, what fuddled her the most was the fact that he did not seem to deny any of those allegations. His expression remained stolid as he assured them that he would bring her back safely.
In her embarrassment of her two friends’ antics, Hange hastily bade her farewell to them and forcefully pulled the man away from the premises.
“I’m really sorry about them,” Hange finally said after they turned to another road. “They like to tease me so. I can’t help it since I’m the youngest.”
“Well, I think they are very nice,” he replied.
“You are right. I can’t argue with that,” Hange smiled. “They are the reason why I could settle into this town so easily. I couldn’t ask for better companions than them.”
“That’s great,” he remarked a bit too enthusiastically than what she expected. “Are they aware of your, you know?”
“Ah! That,” she shook her head, “They don’t know about that, yet… I do want to tell them at some point in the future.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Why not? I think I can trust them,” she shrugged. “Besides, it’d be nice if I could use my power in front of them. I don’t need to wash the dishes manually anymore.”
“That’s a strange reasoning.”
“You don’t eat much, do you?” She quipped. “That’s why you don’t need to be bothered with the dishes.”
“Anyway,” he deflected, “Where is that tearoom that you’re talking about?”
“So… I’ve been wondering…” Hange said as she put a dollop of milk into her tea. “If you already knew from the beginning that I’m a witch, then what is exactly the reason why you asked me to go to see the circus with you?”
He stopped his hand from raising the cup to his mouth—which he held very strangely—and looked at her quizzically, “Are you really asking me that, now?”
“I am.”
He glanced around warily at the other customers and Hange realised what he meant.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about them. I’ve put a spell on everyone here,” Hange said, stirring her tea. “To them, we were just talking about some mundane matters.”
“You did?” He raised his brows, “When did you do that?”
“The moment we stepped into this establishment. I put the spell right on the entrance. Therefore, anyone who walks into here, will not be able to hear us accurately. Except if we talk directly to them.”
“Huh…” He looked at her; seemingly impressed. “I didn’t expect that.”
“That’s why you should never underestimate us,” Hange replied proudly.
“I never did that,” he sipped his tea.
“Is that why you asked me that day?” Hange continued. “Do you often hang around with witches?”
“No. In fact, you are the first witch I’ve ever met in a hundred years or so,” he explained. “As to why I asked you that day, honestly, I just found it amusing to see how long it would take for witches to notice or confront me.”
“Is that so…?” Hange tried to laugh despite the strange feeling in her chest, “You asked me because you were bored and wanted to test me?”
“Would there be any other reason?”
“No…” Hange looked away and drank her tea before she spoke again. “I guess when you live that long, you’ll have to find many ways to keep you entertained—which, speaking of. How long have you been alive?”
“I don’t know…” He took a butter cookie from the plate. “I lost count.”
“But, I mean, can’t you guess?”
“Do you remember much of your childhood?” he asked.
“Hmm…” she tapped her fingers against the table, “No… I suppose not really.”
“Then why do you assume I can remember something from thousands of years ago?” He stated before eating the cookie.
“Oh!” Hange gasped humorously, “All right, that’s fair!”
He shrugged before taking another gulp of his tea.
“So, I suppose you have been alive for so long…”
“Perhaps.”
“Then…” Hange paused, unsure whether she could ask such a question or not, but her curiosity got the best of her. Therefore, she asked, “Have you ever been married?”
“No,” he answered almost immediately.
“Really?” She remarked in her disbelief, “You have lived that long and never married anyone?”
“I’m just not interested in that,” he said nonchalantly. “Next question.”
Hange still wanted to ask more about that particular topic, but she did not want to be so nosy and made him uncomfortable. Thus, she moved on.
“All right…” Hange continued. “Since you’ve been around for so long, I can only assume that you’ve been anywhere and have many identities.”
“No, not really,” he replied. “I actually spent most of my life living away from humans, like most vampires do. It was not until some hundred years ago that I began to be part of the civilisation—Which, let me tell you, how much of an inconvenience it was to keep up an appearance and be constantly moving from one place to another.”
“Oh… I never thought about that,” Hange replied.
“Of course you didn’t. People only want to live long, but they don’t realise the implications of it,” he continued, his tone testy. “People are naïve if they think that being immortal is fun. It’s not. It’s boring as fuck.”
“Or maybe you just don’t know how to spend it,” Hange argued, “I can think of many things that I can do if I have your lifespan.”
“Like what?”
“Like, a lot,” Hange replied eagerly. “Think about it. We are only at the beginning of the new century, and we have already accomplished a lot of things. So, imagine how advanced it will be in the next century. Imagine how much things will change. How many innovations will you be able to witness? I mean, people used to do everything on their own, but now we have machines that will do that for us. Imagine about what we can do in the future!”
He scoffed, “Honestly, if you lived long like me, you’d barely notice those changes. It’d just be like another day…”
“Ah… I see it now,” Hange chuckled, “You lack imagination.”
“And you have too many of it,” he retorted.
“Maybe that’s what makes us different from you vampires. We need it to use our spell and make our potion,” she said before drinking her tea.
“If you are that imaginative, then can’t you just make a potion to prolong your life?”
“Technically, I can, but it’s not that easy to make,” she put down her tea, “The ingredients are very hard to find, and the spell to activate the elixir is very hard and long, only the greatest one can make it. Besides, the side effects are not worth it.”
“There are side effects?” He inquired as he poured the tea from the teapot into their cups.
“Of course, magic is about keeping everything in balance.”
“What are the side effects, then?”
“Well, for once, drinking it will change the composition of your body quite entirely. Your blood will become thicker, your heartbeat will become faster, and your internal organs will become sturdy. Meanwhile, your bones will become denser and your muscles hardened and your skin will turn stretchy, almost rubbery like,” Hange explained thoroughly, “In a way, you are transforming into something that is no longer human. Because your body has changed, you no longer feel any need to do anything. So, you just…exist.”
“But people still take it?”
“Yes, some did. I guess for them death is much scarier than whatever the side effects of that potion would give them,” Hange murmured as she glanced toward the window. “They would always say that their life is far from over and there are things they want to achieve, and so they don’t want to die yet. Which, to me, is such a foolish line of thought. For drinking that potion will suck all of the desire out of your beings. Without that, you lose all the drive to do anything at all. That’s why most people who took it disappear from the community.”
“I see…”
“Because of that, I would hardly call that a successful immortality potion,” she continued, “You might not know this, but a lot of witches are trying their best to make a potion that can turn them into immortal beings like vampires—but maybe without having to drink blood.”
“Drinking blood is not that bad once you can control it,” he remarked flatly. “If they want to become immortal so bad, then just ask a vampire to turn them into one.”
“Wait?” Hange interrupted, “You can do that?”
He furrowed his brows, “You think we can’t”
“Yes! I mean, my parents always tell me that vampires can only change humans.”
“Ah… Perhaps they just did not want you to know the truth,” he said, “Understandable. Maybe they did not want to plan any strange ideas into your head.”
“No!” Hange frowned, “I can’t believe that they lied to me.”
“I don’t blame them,” he shrugged, “it’s for your own good.”
“I don’t understand… Is becoming a vampire really that bad?”
“Depends,” he drank his tea. “Do you like using your magic?”
“I do, of course,” she took a biscuit.
“Then, you would not like becoming a vampire.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll lose your power once you turn into one.”
Hange munched the biscuit and asked, “Whait, howe?”
“Don’t speak while you eat,” he scowled. “You do know how vampires are born, right?”
She nodded before swallowing the biscuit, “You drained the body out of the blood before replacing it with yours, right?”
“Yeah, and blood is the thing that differentiate you from humans and from us. You have magical power stored inside your blood, and once drained, I’m sure you can guess what will happen to a witch once they drink vampire’s blood.”
“Oh… Now, I understand,” Hange clapped her hands. “No wonder we don't have any record of a vampire using magic or a witch having vampire’s power.”
“Which is a good thing,” he said. “Which brings me to this: why do most creatures always aim to become immortal but never mortal? A potion that can make us immortal? That’s boring. How about a potion that instead makes us mortal? A potion that turns you into a normal human, perhaps. How about it? Did people ever think about it?”
“A potion that can turn you mortal, huh?” Hange pressed her lips before she realised that, “It does exist!”
He looked at her in disbelief, “No way.”
“There are, yes!” She continued eagerly. “I mean, if we talk about supernatural creatures like you vampires, theoretically speaking, we do have a potion that can turn you mortal.”
“Theoretically?” He asked as he leaned closer to her.
“Yes! Technically, we don’t call it a mortality potion. However, it’s a potion that was invented to undo or remove a magical element from someone. That’s why we usually use it in small dose for healing—when someone is hexed or cursed by a certain spell or magic.”
Hange also leaned closer to him before continuing, “Vampires, in a way, is a cursed being. You also have magical blood flowing through you. With that said, if the potion is made with several adjustments—to make it stronger—and you drink it regularly, theoretically, it will wash away the curse from your blood—and essentially from your system… Turning you back into a human, again.”
“Impressive,” he looked at her in awe. “But it’s just your hypothesis, right? You can’t guarantee that it’s possible?”
“I did read several records of some ancient witches turning creatures like vampires or werewolves back into humans, but they never specified with what potion. However, if I might guess, they might use a similar potion as that.”
“Hold on! There are such records?”
“I guess vampires are not really into history,” Hange remarked a bit snidely, “Though, I can guess why. Once people turn back into humans, they can’t turn back into becoming vampires, again. You will become immune to them. So, perhaps, you were never being told about them the same way my parents never told me about turning into vampires… They don’t want us to change.”
He hummed in agreement, “I can see the logic behind that.”
“I think this also answers your question about why we never really think about such a potion,” Hange propped her head with his hand, “No one wants to be mortal. Giving up on your immortal life and extraordinary strength or power to become a human? I’m sure no vampires or even witches would do that.”
She glanced at her inquiringly, “I mean, would you do that?”
He took his cup again and said, “I guess not,” before drinking it in one gulp.
The sky had turned dark once they realised that they had overstayed their visit in the tearoom.
Just like before, he offered to walk her back to her flat again, and this time she allowed him.
As a matter of fact, she wished the route to her flat was longer. She even tempted to show him the wrong way so they could walk a bit more.
Unfortunately, she did not have the nerve to do that.
“I guess, this is it,” she said once they arrived at her building.
“Yeah,” he replied, his hands inside his slack pockets, “Thank you for the tea, now we are even.”
“Why are you saying it like that?” Hange remarked teasingly, “You don’t want to meet me again?”
Contrary to her tone, he answered firmly with, “No, I don’t.”
This certainly took her by surprise, “What?! Why?!”
“I just don’t think it’s a great idea for us to keep meeting,” he explained calmly.
“I disagree!” Hange protested, “Rather, I think we make a great team.”
He sighed, “What team? A witch and a vampire?”
“Yes? What is the matter with that?”
“I don’t understand it… Why do you want to involve yourself in my business?” He looked at her annoyedly, “I’m sure you can choose a better companion than a fucking vampire.”
“No… You are the one who doesn’t get it!” Hange looked down on the concrete road before looking at him determinedly, “I don’t care if you’re a vampire or not. I like spending time with you… No one here knows the real me, not even my two friends who I live with… You’re the only one who I can be open about…”
She noticed the way his eyes twitched, and his mouth pressed into a thin line before he turned away from her.
“Levi…” his name slipped out from her lips accidentally, but she kept going on. “Please?”
“You…” he paused. “You really are persistent,” he said dejectedly.
She smiled a little, “I am often being told so.”
He rubbed his hand against his nape exasperatedly and groaned.
“So…” Hange spoke again. “Can we do this again?”
“… Suit yourself,” he whispered before disappearing into the thin air.
As the day was becoming longer, so did the days felt when she was not spending it with Levi.
Before they knew it, their meeting had turned into a weekly occurrence.
Granted, there were times when they could not meet due to other plans, but most of the time, they—she—would try to arrange a little meet-up.
He, more often than not, would grumble and act like he was not interested. However, by the end of the day, he would always show up with the same scowl on his face.
That Sunday was no different than usual, though unlike before, she invited him to do something that both of them had never tried to do before.
She invited him to see a film, a moving picture! She could not contain her excitement for such a show! Especially since it would be her first time seeing it with her own eyes—after only reading about it in the newspaper.
On the contrary, Levi was clearly not interested in something like that. He said to her that there are a lot of better plays and musicals for them to see. After all, the film would only last for six minutes, which would not offer an in-depth narrative story like plays or musicals.
Hange countered by telling him that it’s not fair to compare a film with a theatrical show. They are two completely different mediums. She already knew a film would not be as thorough as any play, and so that was not why she wanted to see that.
She wanted to see it because she could tell that it would be the beginning of a new era of art and entertainment. A gate to a much more modern approach in show-making. Therefore, she wanted to be a part of it; witnessing what would be a pivotal moment in human history.
‘Do whatever you want,’ was what he said after that.
As always, he picked her up in her flat—which by that point had become a habit for anyone in that building. Including her flatmates’ never-ending teasing and jesting about the nature of their relationship.
Regardless, Hange always tried to ignore them every time.
She found him waiting on the ground floor, leaning against the wall near the mailboxes. She quickly approached him with a wide smile on her face.
“Forgive me, Levi,” she said. “Did I make you wait long?”
“No, not really,” he answered as turned to look at her.
Right away, Hange realised there was something different with his appearance.
“Is that a blood?” Hange pointed her finger at his chest where she could see a visible stain on his tie, shirt, and part of his waistcoat.
“Blood?” He looked alarmingly down at his outfits, “Shit! You’re right. No wonder I’ve been smelling blood since earlier.”
“It’s not like you to miss it,” Hange remarked bitingly.
“Oh, shut it,” he said as he tried to rub the stain away with his finger.
“Here, let me help you.”
He stared at her quizzically as she put her hand on his chest. She raised her eyebrows, asking for his approval, and he just nodded.
Hange closed her eyes and began whispering a spell as she focused her energy on the palm of her hand.
Gradually, she felt her skin getting warmer with each syllable of the spell, before it transformed into hot thin air that slipped between her fingers and evaporating into nothingness as she finished the spell.
However, once it was done, Hange noticed something even more strange.
He had no heartbeat.
No—he had, but it was so faint and so far in between, that it amounted to nothing.
She knew that vampires had different bodies than most, but to directly feel it, it did feel so unnatural.
Yet, it felt comforting and, how to say it, nostalgic…
“Are you done?”
Hange opened her eyes quickly and saw that he was staring at her, unimpressed.
“Oh!” Hange immediately took her hand away from him and smiled, “Yes. I’m done! Now yours are as good as new.”
He checked the work that she had just done and smirked, “Huh? Didn’t know you could do this.”
“A thank you will suffice,” she replied.
“Yes. Thank you,” he said before he made a gesture toward the door. “Come now, we have a show to catch.”
“That was exactly six minutes, all right,” Levi remarked half-mockingly as they left the music hall after the screening of a film titled Cinderella.
“I think that’s what makes it amazing!” Hange said, “They compressed the story enough for the six minutes runtime, and it was pretty entertaining. I do like it quite a lot.”
“It was stupid,” he responded. “There was no sound and no colours. Don’t even get me started on the way they acted and the stupid effects they made.”
“Well, sure. When you look at it like that, of course it is not as impressive as a real performance on the stage.” Hange rolled her eyes. “Honestly, you must learn to look at the bright side of things.”
“Well, that thing sure is bright, I can say that.”
“Levi!”
“Fine,” he surrendered. “What is the bright thing that I must see?”
“See, you’re right. We have no sound or colour now, and it’s super short. However, this thing will continue to evolve in a way that we probably will never expect. Soon, there will be sound, and there will be colour. It will become longer, and longer, and perhaps, we can make our own film someday.”
“What? You want to make one?”
“Of course!”
“What kind of film do you want to make, then?”
“Not a film, actually. More of a record, perhaps.”
“A record of what?”
“A record of us, of course,” she beamed at him. “About all the things we do. So, whenever we feel like it, we can watch it again—You know what, perhaps if such a thing already existed, you would be able to see me again even after I’ve long gone.”
“What makes you think I would watch that?”
“You wouldn’t?” She put her hand on her chest and feigned an offended gasped. “Wouldn’t you miss a friend like me?”
“No.”
“You answered that so fast!” She melodramatically protested.
“Listen, you talk about this and that, but can’t you just make a similar kind of stuff with your magic?”
“No! That’s impossible,” she shook her head. “Don’t just assume we witches can conjure up anything using our magic.”
He shrugged, “Now you understand how I feel every time you ask me questions about vampires.”
She looked at him in disbelief.
“Oh! You are cruel!” She exclaimed.
Much to her surprise, he let out a small chuckle.
She was taken aback by his reaction. That was the first time she ever saw him making such a relaxed and amused expression.
“You laughed!” Hange remarked in a tone that sounded accusatory.
His expression quickly shifted to the usual scowl, “Huh?! What? You thought I couldn’t? Rude.”
“Well, forgive me, but you rarely smile whenever we are together,” Hange explained. “Makes me wonder whether you enjoy these as much as I do.”
He looked at her, his expression indecipherable, before turning away.
“Are you a fool?” He said in a mocking tone. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
Hange dreamed of a church, made out of greyish old stones. Damp and dark.
It was her first time dreaming about it, and she found herself unable to move.
For what seemed to be an eternity, she just stared at the façade of the building whilst the sky changed colour from light to dark.
She woke up when she heard a knock on her door and the cheerful voice of her flatmates.
“Rise and shine, princess! Don’t you have a rendezvous with someone today?”
Right. She had a plan to go promenading around the park with him.
So, she quickly prepared herself—with the uninvited help of her two friends who insisted on playing dolls on her. They even told her to wear her laced gloves and bring the parasol.
“You look…” he looked at her in astonishment as she walked out of the building, “different.”
“I know,” she sighed before pulling him away toward the park.
That day, Hange had an idea of doing something different, and that was renting a boat for them to row around the lake.
She thought he would refuse at first, but she was wrong. He took a look at the lake and shrugged before saying, “Sure, why not?”
He paid for a boat and jumped down to it, before looking up to the dock toward her. He extended his hand to help her get down, which she took.
That was when she realised that her hand was very cold—even through her gloved hand. If she did not know what he was actually, it probably would freak her out.
However, despite the freezing touch, his hold was gentle but strong enough to steady her. And strangely enough, it left a warm sensation on her hand—even when he had let go of hers.
They sat across from each other with him rowing the boat slowly.
Hange glanced to the side of the boat and hovered her palm over the water. She looked around and they were almost in the middle of the lake, away from the land and away from any prying eyes or ears.
“Hey, Levi…” she asked. “Can you feel anything at all?”
He furrowed his brows, “Whatever do you mean?”
“Well, your body is cold… So, I was wondering do you ever feel anything other than that?”
He seemed to think for a moment before shaking his head, “I don’t think my kind can feel anything. It does not matter if the outside was cold or hot, our bodies don’t care.”
“Huh? That’s nice,” she said as she twirled her parasol.
“No, it’s annoying,” he said, “I have to constantly adjust my clothes to others, so I won’t stand out like a freak.”
“You’re annoyed just because of that?” Hange laughed. “You talk like an old man.”
“I’m old,” he scoffed.
“Still, it makes me think…” Hange trailed her words. “You said you didn’t remember much from your past, but do you remember how you get turned into a vampire?”
He looked at her with his usual impassive expression.
Realising what she asked might be personal, Hange quickly corrected herself.
“Ah, forgive me. You don’t have to answer that question—”
“A vampire took me when I was still a child and raised me until I was of age before turning me into one,” he replied stoically, almost as if he was just announcing what he had for breakfast.
“WHAT?!” She shouted, which alerted him immediately because the boat suddenly shook a little.
“Oh shit!” He said as he tried to balance himself. “What did you just do?!”
Hange knew that sometimes when she was in shock or distress, her power would accidentally manifest itself.
However, at that moment, she was too shaken up by what she just said to register what just happened.
“That’s awful!” She exclaimed, “You’re telling me that a vampire abducted you so they can turn you into a vampire?!”
“… You’re overreacting,” he said before he picked up the paddles again, “I can’t say I was abducted. I mean, I was already living in the street to begin with, so no one would miss me if I disappeared.”
Hange felt a tug at her heartstrings. Her hold on the parasol tightened as she watched him act like he wasn’t bothered with it.
“You’ve no idea what a person would do when they are desperate,” he continued. “If a person came to you, in your dingy place, with the promise of giving you a much better place to live for free, wouldn’t you do the same?”
“I suppose you’re right…” Hange murmured, “Did you know he was a vampire back then?”
“No, he didn’t tell me the truth until I was much older. However, I already knew before that, I just didn’t say anything. I knew he brought me just to turn me into a vampire, or more precisely, into his aide.”
“And you willingly accepted that?”
“What choice do I have?”
Hange bit the inside of her cheek and looked at him dejectedly.
“I was young back then, and I didn’t have anything to lose. So, why not, I thought.”
“…Is it painful?”
“No. Our bite relaxes the victim's body actually,” he explained casually. “I mean, that’s why most humans don’t run away when being bitten.”
“Oh…! I didn’t know that…” Hange uttered. “What happened after you transformed into one?”
“Hungry.”
“Hungry…? Oh!”
“Uh-huh, it’s very hard to control when you just transformed.”
“So…” Hange said carefully, “Does that mean you…”
“Yes, I have tried human blood before,” he answered immediately. “And yes, I’ve killed humans before, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Oh… I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s all right,” he replied good-naturedly. “But, anyway. I never like drinking blood from humans.”
“Which is why you shifted to animals instead?”
He nodded.
“… Do you regret it?” Hange continued, “Transforming into a vampire, I mean.”
He stopped his rowing and stared at her in silence, before answering.
“Yes and no,” he said before picking up his pace again.
“If you could undo it, would you?”
“You mean, not becoming a vampire anymore?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know…” he replied. “I’ve become a vampire longer than I’ve ever been a human, so to become a human again, it might be strange.”
“Is that so…?”
“I mean, imagine yourself suddenly losing your power. Wouldn’t that be weird?”
“Ah! You have a point.” She nodded. “I have lived all my life with this power, I can’t imagine living without it.”
“Exactly.”
“But, actually,” she suddenly added, “I don’t mind if I lose my power.”
He raised his brows curiously, “Do tell.”
“I think it will do me good,” she answered, “Humans are weaker than any witches or vampires, or any other supernatural beings, but that never stopped them. They keep moving and learning to make their life better. Despite their short life or their lack of magical power, they still manage to accomplish so much. So, in my opinion, they are actually much stronger than we believe.”
Levi blinked repeatedly before sneering at her.
“What?!” Hange inquired defensively, thinking he wanted to make fun of her.
“Nothing,” he said, his expression returned to his usual scowl.
After rowing around the lake, they decided to relax in the park. They sat on a bench and just talk about anything.
Whilst she was telling him about a story that Nanaba told her yesterday, a flower girl approached them and asked whether they wanted to buy something from her.
Levi kindly bought a small purple flower from her.
“Oh, I like the colour of that,” she said as soon as the girl left.
“You do?” He said as he examined the flower before bringing it up in front of her face.
"Yes, I think it's—"
Suddenly, he interrupted her by doing something that took her breath away.
He leaned forward a little before tucking the flower in her hair ever so carefully so it would not get squashed under her hat.
“What do you know,” Levi nodded swiftly, “It looks good on you.”
He turned away and began to talk about another topic, but Hange could not listen to what he was saying to her.
Her heart was thumping loudly against her chest, and she was sure that her face was coloured red.
Despite that, he kept chattering about something, seemingly unaware of her restlessness.
She felt bad for not listening to him, but she could not help it. Looking at his face made her feel queasy, so instead she looked at his hand that was resting on the bench.
Hange absentmindedly moved her hand closer to him, but just when there was only a touch away, she quickly pulled it back.
The season had changed, the air had become colder, the day had become shorter, and the road had already partly covered in dead leaves, but Hange still had the same strange dream as she usually did.
That night, he dreamed of what seemed to be closed-off window shutters made out of woods that had chipped on the edges. She reached out her hands forward and opened it. Outside, she saw a dark sky adorned with millions of bright stars and a full moon.
It was never like any sky she had ever seen before. It was a beautiful sight, but she woke up that morning with a burning pain in her chest.
However, she quickly pushed that feeling away and prepared herself for another stroll with him.
She had lost count of how many meetings they had ever since they started doing it months ago. As a matter of fact, by that point, it had become part of their routine.
That day, they went to a recently opened exhibition, and it was crowded for a particular attraction, a big wheel.
Hange was of course curious to see what made it so popular, so she begged him to ride it with her.
Unfortunately, he was not as interested in trying it as much as she did. He found it to be counterproductive.
“You are a witch for god’s sake.” He quibbled irritably. “If you want to see something from above, can’t you just fly?”
“It’s different!”
“No, it’s not!”
She pouted, “Don’t tell me you’re scared of height?”
“I’m not!” He deflected, “I just don’t believe in its safety.”
“That’s it?” She protested. “You’re a vampire! You have strong legs, I’m sure you can land just fine—just like a cat.”
He looked at her in disbelief, “Don’t say it like that!”
Fortunately, thanks to her unrelenting pleas, he finally yielded to her request.
After being in the queue for almost an hour, they finally get their chance to enter the cabin of the big wheel.
Just as they settled themselves inside, the operator who was about to close the cabin door, managed to tease them by saying, “Please enjoy a romantic moment with your lady here, sir!”
“Ah!” Hange gasped out of embarrassment, “You got it—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the operator already closed the door on them, and in one swift motion, the cabin vibrated before moving upward slowly.
She actually had heard plenty of similar remark ever since they first hung out. However, back then, she brushed it all away. Even when her flatmates endlessly teased her, she still believed that there was nothing between them.
However, lately, she found herself beginning to doubt her own conviction.
She became more self-aware of herself around him and she started to feel a strange fluttering in her stomach that made her unable to act normally around him. Even her face flushed easily now.
“Don’t tell me you are scared now?” Levi suddenly asked, breaking her away from her reverie.
“Huh… No!” She replied hastily. “Why do you think so?”
“Because you are not saying anything.”
She tried to smile, “Is that so strange?”
“Yes, you usually can’t shut that mouth of yours.”
“Well…” she turned her head awkwardly to look outside the window of the cabin and saw the orange-pink hue on the horizon as the sun began to set. “I just want to appreciate the view… Doesn’t it look beautiful?”
He followed her gaze and hummed in agreement, “I guess this is not a bad idea.”
Hange chuckled, “See? I told you!”
“Still, I can’t rest assured until we are back on the ground,” he remarked rigidly.
“It will be fine, Levi,” Hange said comfortingly.
He huffed in annoyance, but from the corner of her eyes, she could see he seemed to be enjoying the view.
Hange shifted her attention slightly from the window, to get a better view of him.
He was still looking outside, and he seemed to be unaware that she was looking at him, or at least she hoped he was.
Vampires had very pale skin, and sometimes it could came across as grey.
However, there was something about the colourful sky which reflected on his skin that made Levi appear so radiant, warm, and alive.
For a moment, he looked like a human.
She did not know what came over her when she raised her hand and gently touched his face.
It was warmth, perhaps from the sun, or perhaps it was a miracle.
He was startled and eyed her with shock, but somehow, he did not avoid her touch. Rather, she felt him leaning slightly on hers, before he took her hand in his.
“There was someone whom I used to know,” he said suddenly as he turned to look at her.
Levi put her hand back on her lap, but Hange almost did not notice that because she was too taken aback by his words.
“It was a long time ago, though,” he continued.
Hange pressed her lips, unsure what to say to that, before she finally asked, “How was that person like?”
There was a smile, though a sad one, “She was reckless, but her heart was always in the right place.”
Hange felt a bit jealous, wondering if she could ever make him feel like that about her. No, she knew that she probably would never make him happy just like that person did back then.
If there was someone who could make him felt like that, then, “she must had been a very wonderful person.”
He nodded and looked far away outside the window, to somewhere that she probably would not know.
“She was,” he replied under his breath.
Hange looked at him, heart lovelorn, and in desperation she muttered, “Do you think I can ever be like her?”
He glanced at her through the corner of his eyes and scoffed, perhaps thinking she was jesting.
“That’s a ridiculous question. Why would you ask that?”
“Because I want to make you feel like that,” she confessed, “The same way you made me feel.”
He raised his eyebrows and looked at her as if she had just put a curse on him. His mouth twitched slightly before he turned his head away from her, again.
“You clearly left your mind on the ground,” he said in a way that left no room for her to reply or argue.
So, she closed her mouth and looked outside the window, holding her breath so she would not break down in front of him.
Little did she know, it would be their last meeting, for he had disappeared once more.
However, this time, she knew he was not just hiding away from her, because she really could not find him anywhere in the town.
He was really gone.
She had a dream, but it was only sound. She never had that kind of dream before. It sounded like a muffled scream and the sound of crackling that she couldn’t pinpoint where it came from.
However, she pushed that dream away and pulled herself to do her shift at the bookshop.
It had been several months since she last met him, but she tried to not think about it at all. However, with the festiveness of the street and the anticipation of when the first snow would fall, Hange found herself wondering whether he would love strolling around the town with her.
Alas, she could only engage in a wistful thinking.
If only she kept her mouth shut back then, he probably would still be around.
She just wished that wherever he was, he would be happy.
Hange finished her shift quite late that day, since she had to help with unloading several new releases and special edition for the holiday.
It was already dark by the time she had finished. There was barely anyone in the street as she expected. After all, no one would be out in such a freezing night. She cheated a little by giving herself a warming spell, but regardless, Hange would still rather settle herself in the comfort of her flat.
Therefore, she decided to take a shortcut by going through an alleyway.
People rarely use that path, but even so, Hange still felt safe enough to go there. She had used that way several times in the past and returned in one piece. Therefore, she believed that night would be the same.
Unfortunately, that night, the alley was somehow quiet. Too quiet even. No one seemed to be there, which she could confirm because she could not feel anybody’s presence at all.
But then, suddenly, Hange heard a movement.
Before she could react, she was already faced by a man who stood tall and menacingly in front of her.
The dimly lit alley and his tilted hat made it impossible for Hange to see his face. She could only make out his outline.
However, she did not need to see him to know who that person actually was.
A vampire.
“Well, well… Look what we have here,” he muttered with a voice dark and laced with venom. It echoed through the alley like a cold breeze.
Hange took a step back and calmly tried to think of a spell that she could use to defend herself.
“Who are you?” Hange asked steadfastly, “What do you want?”
“What? You don’t know me?” He inquired almost innocently, “Oh… I am disappointed. Did he never tell you about me?”
His footsteps resonated through the cold air, almost as loud as her own heartbeat.
“He?” Hange took another step back, “Whoever do you—Oh.”
Hange froze in her position as she felt the realisation sinking in.
“Don’t tell me…” Hange whispered.
He didn’t reply. Instead, he vanished.
Before Hange could react, her shoulders suddenly felt so heavy.
Heavy and cold.
The spell was just at the tip of her tongue, but she could not mutter it. Not when a thick hand tightly covered half of her face, and his grip on her was so strong that she could not even move her head, not even for a millimetre.
She could not even breathe.
Hange heard a loud and long intake of air from behind her and her whole body shuddered.
“Ah… There is no sweeter scent than those of you witches,” he whispered; his words were icy against her ear.
Hange tried to fight, to break free from him, she really did. However, every muscle in her body refused to listen to her.
“No wonder he was so attached to you,” he continued. “No vampire can resist the blood of a young witch.”
Hange brought her hands to his and tried to push it away from her face, but it did nothing. He didn’t even budge or even regard her attempt.
“I wonder what you did to him—no, what kind of spell that you put on him?” he questioned. “Because he just said something outlandish to me, and I knew it was because of you.”
She knew it was a rhetoric question, because there was no way he expected her to answer to that. Not when his hold suffocated her so greatly, so much so that she was beginning to lose consciousness.
But somehow, amidst the blurred vision of the alley, she saw a figure standing at the end of it, and she quickly felt her ears ringing greatly.
She blinked, and that figure disappeared.
What followed later was a strong push from behind and before she could register what just happened, she felt a pair of strong hands wrapped tightly around her abdomen.
Hange instinctively grabbed whatever was in front of her as she felt her legs losing their balance. She leaned against it before surrendering to the gravity and darkness.