Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

ℳℯ𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒶 𝒫ℯ𝒶𝒸ℴ𝒸𝓀'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

Everything went all a blur…

I don’t know what’s going on with me as I felt so weak that I couldn’t walk anymore and collapsed on the ground next to my grandmother’s grave further away from the church…

While I was on the ground, memories seemed to flow through my mind as I slowly remembered how I end up here; I couldn’t take my mother’s abuse to make me and my siblings’ her perfect children that I finally snapped at her by punching her in the face that caused her to fall onto the floor of the church, I repeatedly kicked her in the stomach while everyone telling me to stop until my father hold me back and asked what’s going on… and I revealed that my mother’s was abusing us and showed him along with others the bruises and the cuts that I self-harmed myself to make it like it was her, my siblings played along as they, too, couldn’t take it anymore… I was 16 while they were 13, 10 and 7… my mother tried to deny it before finally explained how much she wanted her children to be perfect so we all don’t feel like outcasts… She was mentally unwell and obsessed with making sure that we had everything that I don’t want… my father couldn’t take it anymore and shouted at her, saying that they can’t be a perfect family in her way by abusing me and my siblings… he was disgusted by this and his sister attacked my mother which chaos was occurred…

Then more memories came to where I ran out of the church, wishing I could bring my siblings with me but I needed to clear my head… I was trying to figure out what was going to happen until I felt a sharp pain on my neck… then I felt my neck was bleeding that soaked my white-and-blue stripes shirt that I was wearing… seeing my own crimson blood on my hand made me feel dizzy which lead me to where I was after trying to walk and keep my balance... I stumbled forward, trying to find something to lean on, which was my grandmother’s grave… My vision blurred a bit and I struggled to stay conscious… As I tried to reach out for help, l collapsed to the ground, the world was spinning slightly around me…

This was not the life that I wanted but I don’t care anymore…

I was able to move my head towards the sky where I gazed at the moon… I really didn’t want to die as I felt like my energy was fading away from me… I didn’t want to die… all I could think of was my father and my siblings… I don’t care what’s going to happen to my mother… but at the same time, I wanted to protect my siblings from her… I didn’t want to die… I slowly closed my eyes to embrace my death… but I really didn’t want to die…

Suddenly I felt another sharp pain coming through my entire body… I felt so cold and so in pain as I was shaking so violently… I tried to curl into a ball just to get the warmth but no avail… I cried out loud as my teeth were sharpened while my body aches in pain… my head was banging so much that I slowly hear voices of my family from the church, my ears were sharp to hear crystal clear which it wasn’t like that before… but then I gasped in relief once it washed over me and the pain was gone…

I didn’t know what just happened, but I was able to stand up like nothing happened… but I looked at my hands that were as white as pearl necklace, my light brown hair was darker and I felt like my blue eyes were now red as my vision were blurred out to pink slightly… I felt strong now but hear voices around me until I spotted a black bat that was sitting on my grandmother’s grave, its then spread their wings and fly up to the sky before flew pass me…

I glanced at the bat, who seemed to be beckoning me to follow… Reluctant to leave my family behind, but mesmerized by the bat that I didn’t know my eyes were glowing and I was smiling like a hopeful child I once was 11 years ago, I had no choice but to accept my unknown fate and follow it into the unfamiliar woods, surrounded by tall trees and eerie shadows… The bat led me deeper and deeper into the forest, its wings fluttering silently as it guided me through the darkness... I could hear the sounds of unknown creatures rustling in the undergrowth, and a sense of unease began to creep over me…

As we continued on, the moonlight filtered through the canopy above, casting a ghostly glow over the forest floor… The bat suddenly came to a stop, perching on a gnarled branch and gazing at me with its beady eyes… It seemed to be waiting for something, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched… But I just looked at the bat than what’s behind as I was too focused on what spell I was undered, wanting the unusual creature to lead me to where it’s taking me, the bat understood what I wanted without saying a word and flew down and landed my left shoulder and nuzzled to my cheek before continuing to flying towards the woods and I followed the bat.

I didn't glance back at the church because the person I used to be had disappeared…

⚔︎

𝒥ℴ𝒽𝓃𝓃𝓎 𝒫ℯ𝒶𝒸ℴ𝒸𝓀'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

I couldn’t believe what was happening… my own wife Jenny… had been abusing my children while I was at work… while my sister Suzy was fighting Jenny, my grandfather was with my three younger children to ask questions about as he was still doing his police duties as investigation was taking place now… I felt everyone was staring at me, both disgusted and confused and even concerned at what my family had done… I don’t blame Mel for finally snapped and attacked her own mother before telling me everything in front of everyone in the church about the abuse… I felt sick to my stomach for seeing the bruises and the cuts my older daughter showed me…

“Johnny, please!” Jenny cried out, she was desperate for claimed her innocence and I couldn’t believe that one of friends said that she was mentally unstable after 25 years of marriage, “I can explain if you just listen to me!”

I looked at her in hatred, “You’ve been abusing my children for years! How could you do that to our family?!” I yelled at her, “You’re sick!” Tears streamed down my face as I tried to remain strong for my daughter Mel and her siblings of the vile betrayal.

My wife stood before me, her eyes filled with guilt and regret; But all I could see was no love for our family and glossy eyes as she took something to make her hurt my children. I couldn't believe she could do something so heartless, so cruel… The trust I had in her was shattered in an instant, and I didn't know if it could ever be repaired. The words she said of denial and desperation to avoid consequence for years of abuse cut deep, leaving wounds that may never fully heal.

As I looked at her, I realized that the person standing in front of me was a stranger, someone I thought I knew but now felt like I didn't know at all... The pain of her actions weighed heavily on my heart, and I knew that our family would never be the same again.

“They’re my children too,” Jenny protested as her voice started to crack a bit. “I never meant for anything to happen, I just got angry because they weren’t being normal and perfect like everyone!”

Tears started to well up in her eyes as she tried to explain her actions. The room fell silent as those around her processed her words, the weight of the situation sinking in. Her desperate outburst had caught everyone off guard, revealing a side of her that they had never seen before. The tension in the room was palpable as no one knew how to respond to his confession. It was clear that she was struggling with his emotions, feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to fit in and meet the expectations of others.

A struggle of overwhelmed by how unstable she was in, mentally unwell and unfit to be anywhere near my children.

As the truth of her words came out, the others would realised that she was just as human as the rest of them, with her own insecurities and struggles. But I’m not having that, I lost my trust in her and she broke her promise to protect this family that we built. It was obvious no excuse for her to abused my children to be perfect.

I can’t even say that my kids were her children because she doesn’t deserve to be a mother…

“Families don’t have to be perfect or normal!” I said, “What you did is forcing my kids to be just the way you wanted!”

This kind of manipulation is not acceptable. Children should be allowed to grow and develop into their own unique individuals, not molded into someone else's image. It is important to respect their individuality and allow them to make their own choices. “Trying to control them, you are only hindering their personal growth and self-discovery. Let them be who they are meant to be, not who you want them to be!”

“Which is why I’m calling to hospital to restrain you as you are unable to be around kids,” Suzy replied with a phone in her hand. “You are out of control.”

“No!” Jenny snapped, “I am not going to the fucking hospital! I can handle the police station, but do not call the fucking hospital!” Jenny then tried to snatch my sister’s phone from her hand, “Just put the fucking phone down! I just need to explain the kids and promise them that I won’t do it again!”

“It’s too late for that!” I spoke, “You are not welcome to my house and be part of my kids’ ever again!”

“I am their mother, you can’t do that!” Jenny cried out.

“Not anymore!” I cried out louder before smacking her across her face, she was not the wife I knew and love. She was gone…

More tears streamed down my face as I realized that the woman standing before me was a complete stranger in her place. The years of love and memories we had shared seemed to vanish in an instant. I felt a deep sense of betrayal and heartbreak, unsure of how to move forward from this moment. As she looked at me with now empty eyes, I knew that our relationship would never be the same. The pain of her abusing my kids cut deep into my soul further, leaving me feeling lost and alone. I knew that I would have to find a way to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart and learn to live without the woman I once called my wife.

But before everything else was happening next, I was outside along with the rest of my family… trying to find my older daughter Mel as she somehow didn’t came back to the church two hours later after reveal… we looked and looked to the point my grandfather had to get his friends to come and search for her… three hours later, my three children were not going home until they found Mel as they cared for her deeply and upset that she didn’t come back to us…

My soon-to-be ex-wife was taken to get sectioned and I asked my sister to babysitting the kids while we’re still looking for Mel, I couldn’t gave up on her but the back of my head telling me that she wasn’t coming back after being forced to be quiet for years of abuse of Jenny…

As I sat alone in the quiet house, my mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened to Mel. I tried to stay positive and determined, but the fear of the unknown was overwhelming. I couldn't bear the thought of losing her after what Jenny had done. I vowed to do everything in my power to find my daughter and bring her back home where she belongs.

I looked at the bracelet that Mel dropped on the grave of her grandmother as the daughter I failed to protect her from her own mother was truly disappeared into the night.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized the depth of her pain and the burden of guilt I carried for not being able to shield her from harm. As the wind whispered through the trees outside where I opened my window, I made a silent promise to myself to always be there for Mel, to be the parent she needed and deserved. I vowed to protect her, to guide her, and to love her unconditionally.

With a heavy heart, I picked up the bracelet from the table next to the photo of her and held it close to my chest. In that moment, I knew that I would do everything in my power to make things right, to make up for the mistakes of the past. Mel may have disappeared into the night, but I would never let her feel alone again. I would be like her rock, her support, her unwavering protector.

And as I stood from my chair, I felt a sense of determination wash over me. Mel may have lost her mother, but she had gained a father who would never let her down. Together, we would heal, we would grow, and we would find peace in the darkness…

⚔︎

ℳℯ𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒶 𝒫ℯ𝒶𝒸ℴ𝒸𝓀'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

I don’t know how long I walked through the dark woods, but I wasn’t even bothered by the sun was about to rise in dawn until I saw a bat flying into the abandoned mossy green and brown church that I have no idea it was there in the middle of the forest, I hear music playing and someone was singing which I was even more enchanted by it and I walked towards the church… walking up the steps and placing my hand on the wooden door before I traced it down and around the doorknob… I didn’t know the song was but I hummed to the tune before I noticed the door was open…

I looked around and saw the sunrise was slowly coming, I turned to the door and I gently pushed it open before stepping inside the dimly lit church… The music grew louder and more beautiful, echoing off the walls and filling the room with a sense of peace. I followed the sound to the front of the church, where I noticed no one was in the church and the piano seemed to play by itself, lost in their music.

I stood there, mesmerized by the scene before me. The piano played the music that made my eyes close, completely lost in the melody it was creating... I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and admiration for their talent.

By the time music comes to its end, I have no idea that tiredness was taking over and I went to the bench before laying down so I could sleep. As I closed my eyes, I could feel the gentle breeze on my face and hear the distant sound of crickets chirping. This church somehow gives me comfort after the night of disaster, The peacefulness of the night enveloped me now, and soon I drifted off into a deep and restful slumber.

Not knowing that someone was watching me…

Chapter Text

ℳ𝒾𝒸𝒽ℯ𝓁𝓁ℯ 𝒫ℯ𝒶𝒸ℴ𝒸𝓀'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

Three weeks had passed and there was no sign of my older sister Mel… she had been gone for three weeks… three weeks after my mother went to the asylum where she belongs… three weeks she and Dad filed the divorce papers… and three weeks of being free and yet alone…

I missed Mel terribly, despite the arguments we used to have over what’s right and wrong with our mother when since Mel was the oldest of us siblings and knew exactly what’s going on… She was also the only one who truly understood me as I was this close to be the next doll since my mother gave up on her because of how near punk she comes out of light colour codes than black, the only one who stood up for me when Mom force me to wear the dress I don’t like and try to mentally manipulated me in her game.

I couldn't help but worry about Mel, wondering where she could have gone and if she was safe… As the days turned into weeks, the sense of emptiness inside me grew stronger... I longed for her to come back, to fill the void that her absence had left in our home… But as each day passed without any word from her, my hope slowly began to fade... I was left to face the harsh reality that maybe she was never coming back. And that thought terrified me more than anything else…

I was only 13 years old when me and my siblings decided enough was enough for my mother’s abuse of being perfect which we are all sick and tired of the bullshit… yes, my brothers were caught up to be just the way she wanted but our true self never falter because we weren’t fucking stupid… but I have no idea that it was the last time we ever saw Mel… we all missed her… not only she was our older sister, but she was our best friend… she would protect us from our mother and Mel take everything so she won’t hurt us… Mel couldn’t bare the thought of our mother being so violent to us, even with words that we would end up in broken glass…

One time, we’d often find Mel crying alone in her room, trying to shield us from the pain and suffering our mother inflicted on us. Despite her own struggles, Mel always put us first and made sure we were safe. Her love and protection were our only solace in a world filled with darkness.

Our home seemed to be colder than winter when we didn’t have enough heater, the house felt empty without her laughter and warmth. We longed for her comforting presence, her reassuring words, and her unwavering strength. Without her, we felt lost and vulnerable, unable to face the cruelty of our mother on our own. I get she’s gone, that so-called mother, but we would fear that she might return to continue where she started...

But we held on to the memories of Mel, the bond we shared, and the love that sustained us through the darkest of times. She may have been physically gone, but her spirit lived on in our hearts, guiding us and giving us the courage to stand up against the tyranny of our mother.

We vowed to never forget Mel, to honor her memory, and to carry on her legacy of love and protection. She may have left this world too soon after we be able to get rid of our mother, but her presence would forever be felt in the lives of those she touched. Like I said, Mel was not just our older sister and maybe not only our best friend as I thought about it; she was like our guardian angel, watching over us and keeping us safe. And for that, we will always remember her for a long time.

I was visiting my grandmother’s grave as it was the last place Mel was here, it was a very peaceful place to be under the umbrella as rain fell down… the part of me wanted to throw the umbrella out of the way so I could feel the rain coming down on me… I could do that if Mel was here… while she was gone, I have to be the older sister for now on… don’t know when she’ll come back…

🎶You're gone into the night without goodbye
Have you ever dream of staying away
From the world that coveres the sky
Which nobody sees the day

I though we could be free together
Lost in the woods with no word
Thought we could be happy forever
And now that there’s no world to claim

Grownups wanna fix things
When they can’t, it only fills them with shame
So they just look away
Is it being greedy to need somebody to see us
And say our names?

Seems when you lose your dreams
No one turns off the sun
Folks carry on, that’s that
You're gone into the night without goodbye🎶

I walked away from my grandmother’s grave as I smelled the breeze rain, I still remember the time Dad wanted to keep Mel’s bracelet as it was the only object he had left in her. Me and my brothers had wanted to cuddle her bracelet and wear it, but our dad wouldn’t let us in case we might break it. No one seemed to bother entering her bedroom except Dad and me, we sometimes slept on her bed for comfort and going through her books to read.

Her room felt like a sanctuary, filled with memories of her laughter and warmth. I would sit at her desk and trace my fingers over her handwritten notes, feeling a sense of closeness to her that I couldn't explain. Dad would sit on the edge of her bed, flipping through the pages of her favorite novels, lost in the stories she once loved. It was our way of keeping her spirit alive, of holding onto a piece of her that we could never let go of. And as we sat there together, surrounded by her belongings, it felt like she was still with us, watching over us with a smile.

I closed the umbrella when the rain started to go down, but all I wanted was no sunshine through the clouds because that would remind me of how bright our older sister was to keep the positive vibes after our mother abused us. I get everyone says that the sunshine would give us hope for Mel to come home, but it’s been three weeks now and I’m starting to felt alone despite being with my brothers and Dad. The days seem to drag on without any news or updates. I try to stay positive for my family, but the uncertainty is weighing heavily on me.

I miss Mel more than words can express, I just want her to walk through that door and tell us she's okay. The waiting is gonizing, but I hold onto the hope that she will return to us soon. Until then, I'll continue to lean on my family for upport and strength as we navigate through this difficult time together…

But…

I just want my sister back, so I wouldn’t be responsible for our family…

⚔︎

ℳ𝒾𝒸𝒽𝒶ℯ𝓁 𝒫ℯ𝒶𝒸ℴ𝒸𝓀'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

I was in my bedroom with Martin as we both shared the bedroom, he was listening to music while doing his homework while I was on the window ledge; Reading a book while gazing at the window. I really thought that we would live a better life without Jenny, I’d rather die than say that bitch was our mother after years of abuse in being her perfect dolls and I don’t even care what’s going to happen with her now that she’s out of our lives.

But as time will soon passed, I’ll realise that holding onto that anger and hatred was only poisoning my own soul which I need to know how far it will go. I’m curious and I don’t care if I’m going to be some depressed kid who doesn’t seem to have a good life anymore after pretending that we had something... I made a choice to let go of the pain we had from her, but I’m not sure if I should forgive her for the sake of my own healing. I’ll find a way to heal myself…

It may not be easy, but it was necessary for me to move forward and create a better life for myself. Without our older sister to be around though, she gave up her freedom for us by making us cut off the strings of Jenny’s puppet show she performed, let go of the past and choose to focus on building a brighter future. But it won’t be the same without Mel…

I blamed that abusive bitch for Mel’s disappearance, but I don’t blame Mel for making that decision because she felt guilty for disrespecting the god’s house as we’re all christened. Fuck the god and their house for us to be christened, I’m done being someone else’s toyboy because they thought I won’t do anything about it. I’d rather die than say that Jenny was our mother after years of abuse in being her perfect dolls and I don’t even care that she’s not longer part of our lives anymore.

Gosh, I repeat that last sentence about not caring for Jenny and that I’m glad that she’s gone for good.

Okay, I should quit thinking about Jenny’s abuse and Mel’s disappearance as it seems to bitter me more already despite sneaking into Mel’s bedroom at night and sleep in her bed with her favourite stuff animal. It was the only way to keep me from having nightmares about her disappearance that might have lead her to be dead, the worst thing to imagine…

Like every night, I would lie awake in my own bed, tossing and turning, unable to shake the fear that she was gone forever. The uncertainty was eating me alive, and I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her again. The first thought was to go to my sister’s bedroom for comfort and I did went to her room… and it sure made me feel so much better…

But I was reading one of her favourite books and I may have wrote a letter on her gorgeous pink paper with a dark blue glitter gel pen about her relentless desire to prove that she wasn’t no puppet by smoking a cigarette on the stage where she was supposed to play the violin at age 12. I remember that moment when I was only 6 years old and I can’t help but laugh when Jenny’s face went pale in mortified and confronted the music teacher who was keeping cigarettes in his classroom. Jenny made sure that non of us smoked but Mel had a way to keep them hidden because she said to us that it made her feel better, the first time she smoked was the time she skipped school for a day and her best friend Missi covered her.

I then saw Shell walking towards our home after visiting our grandmother’s grave where dad found Mel’s bracelet. Speaking of dad, he was still talking to his friends about Mel and us siblings notice that he was keeping his distance from us as he was focusing on finding Mel. I don’t blame him for being like this, one of his friends kept his distance from his own son after his wife died, which we don’t know what it was. It must have been a difficult time for him, and everyone copes with grief in their own way. Perhaps he doesn't want to get too close to avoid the pain of losing someone again. It's important to be understanding and supportive during times of grief, even if we don't fully understand someone else's actions.

Grief can manifest in many different ways and it's crucial to remember that everyone copes with loss in their own unique way. By offering a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or simply being present, we can provide much-needed comfort and solace to those who are hurting. Remember, showing compassion and empathy during difficult times can make all the difference in someone's healing process. Dad seemed to struggle to comfort us after three weeks of not finding Mel, but he tried. He wished for his friend would do the same after his wife died and try to talk to his son, but his son ran away and guess that’s what happened when years of abuse would led you to catch your freedom.

Me and Shell looked at each other before our eyes were on dad who was now reading a newspaper while his friends left our house, we both goes and check on Martin who was still doing his homework but looked bored. We decided that us three will go and tried to make Mel’s favourite meal which was vegetable lasagna since she’s a half vegetarian and she likes to be picky about how the meat needed to be cooked right.

While I was finding the right vegetables in our garden, I saw two butterflies flying around together. I noticed that one of them was red and the other was purple, it was odd that we could see different colours of butterflies together than the same colour. I smiled, I thought about writing on Mel’s pink paper about the butterflies as she would find odd things beautiful and relaxing.

I’d pictured her face lighting up as she read my words, her eyes would be sparkling with wonder. I imagined her taking a moment to appreciate the delicate creatures, their vibrant colors and graceful movements. I sneaked into her bedroom while Shell was chopping up the vegetables with Martin; As I sat down with a pen in hand, I began to write down my thoughts and feelings about the butterflies, letting the words flow freely onto the page. The more I wrote, the more I found myself caught up in the magic of the moment, feeling a sense of peace and contentment wash over me. And as I finished my letter for Mel to read if she ever returned, I knew that she would understand the beauty of the butterflies just as much as I did.

While I was wondering why I suddenly felt like her love for nature since it wasn’t like me at all, I haven’t noticed that the two butterflies landed on the white rose that we had outside of Mel’s window and they nuzzled to each other…

It was a beautiful sight to behold, the delicate creatures showing affection in their own unique way. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over the scene, making it even more magical. I sat there, mesmerized by the beauty of nature, feeling grateful for being able to witness such a moment of pure love and connection. It was a reminder that even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, there is still beauty and peace to be found in the world. And I couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of serenity wash over me as I watched the butterflies dance together on the petals of the rose.

I took another pink paper and written down the next thought about it; Mel may not be around, but at least she would love to read those letters I wrote…

Chapter Text

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧
Many decades ago…

“Arthur, open your eyes…”

After hearing the sound of his mother’s voice, a five-year-old Arthur opened his big brown eyes and moved his blonde locks out of the way just to stare in wonder at the lantern in front of him; The lantern was holding onto the table that was attached by ribbons, the warmth of the small box glowed in orange even had his mother’s paint design around, including his own.

He reached out his small hand, feeling the heat radiating from the lantern. The intricate designs painted on it brought a sense of those memories from his mother's gentle touch and his own artistic endeavors. The soft glow of the lantern illuminated outside the courtyard, casting a warm and cozy atmosphere. As he stood on his toes, mesmerized by the flickering light, he felt a sense of peace wash over him. It was as if the lantern held a piece of his life, a connection to his loved ones around him.

"So, this is where this lantern would be put to the sky?" He looked at his mother’s face with more wonder, feeling the comfort of her hand rested on his shoulder, he turned back to the candle.

The flickering flame danced in the darkness, casting a warm glow around the night’s air. The soft scent of vanilla filled the air, calming his thoughts. As he watched the flame, he felt a sense of peace wash over him, knowing that his mother was there by his side. In that moment, he realized how lucky he was to have her love and support.

How could something so small could be so magical, to be lifted up to the sky?

It’s like a delicate butterfly fluttered its wings, effortlessly gliding through the night’s air with grace and beauty. Its vibrant colors shimmered in the sunlight through the night, creating a mesmerizing display of nature's wonders.

"Yes, little sunshine." His mother, with brown long hair and big green eyes, replied with a small chuckle as she picked her youngest son up into her arms, "This lantern holds so much memories to our family."

She gently traced her fingers over the intricate designs etched into the metal, memories flooding back to her. The lantern had been passed down through the years ever since the day she was born, a symbol of strength and unity in their family. It had seen joyous celebrations and somber moments, always standing as a beacon of hope in their darkest times.

"How many memories?"

His mother pulled Arthur into a hug, nothing but love in her eyes. Arthur, the youngest son who had the family adored him since the day he was born. He was the royal prince and he might going to be a king someday after his older sister Elizabeth.

With a smile, the mother began to tell the story. "Long ago… a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens. And from that, grew a magical golden flower that can heal that sick and injured. Your grandmother was about to have me when she got really sick, so everyone was on the search for the flower which they did. The flower healed your grandmother and I came along with long golden hair that was connected with the flower that gifted me," She then sighed as she remembered the night that changed her life forever. “But… that night I was kidnapped by someone who wanted my hair to keep her young and beautiful forever, making me as her daughter and listened everything she said. I thought that the outside world would be a dangerous place, full of people who were selfish. But that’s when your father came, stole the crown and hide away from the tower I was in. We made a deal, and for the first time in my entire life, I felt free from my tower and explore the world around me.”

"Free,” Arthur whispered. "To think that you have never truly experienced the world until you did. What did you plan to do when you came home?"

The mother smiled, feeling a surge of excitement at the possibilities she had in the past. "I wanted to see everything," she said. "I wanted to feel more sun on my face, the wind in my hair, and the earth beneath my feet. I wanted to meet new people, try new foods, and make memories that will last a lifetime."

Arthur looked at her with excitement in her eyes, his heart full of admiration for her mother before him. "Then I’d like to try anything and everything!" He said, "You and me will explore this world and all its wonders. And who knows what adventures we may find along the way."

"Yes, freedom is what I’ve always wanted as well as having those amazing adventures in the past." The mother replied, "But before that, all I wanted was to see the lanterns up close as they appeared only on my birthday. But I had no idea that they were trying to lead me to my real home, that I discovered as the Lost Princess. After all that, I returned to my real parents." Smiling down at Arthur who was staring back at her eyes wide in curiosity and excitement. "Your grandparents, and we had a great celebration which I suggest that lanterns would be part of the memories we shared together. Especially–"

"You went outside of the walls!" Arthur interrupted with excitement with his small hands raised up in the air.

"Yes." The mother chuckled, rubbing the little boy’s cheek, "I wanted to explore the world outside of this kingdom and it was an amazing experience for three years. Someday, Arthur, when you get older, you will go outside of this kingdom and explore beyond the walls. Create your own story like I did in my journal. Plus Est En Vous."

"There is more in you," Arthur said as he remembered his mother showing him her journal of many adventures she had written and drawn in her younger days. He felt a surge of inspiration and determination as he realized that he, too, had the potential for great adventures and experiences.

The mother smiled, before she looked at the lantern. "Now, carefully dose it and lift the lantern up."

As her child followed her instructions, she watched with pride as they successfully raised the lantern into the air. The soft glow illuminated their faces, creating a warm and magical moment between mother and child. The mother's heart swelled with love as she gazed at her precious offspring, grateful for this special moment they shared together. The lantern floated higher and higher, disappearing into the night sky, leaving behind a trail of light and hope. The mother and child stood there, embracing each other, watching until the lantern in the distance. In that moment, they felt a deep connection to each other and the world around them. This simple act of releasing a lantern had brought them closer together, creating memories that would last a lifetime.

With a giggle he wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck as they watched the lantern fly away to sky, disappearing into the darkness. The warm glow of the lantern illuminated their faces, creating a beautiful moment of peace and tranquility between mother and son. As they stood there, gazing up at the twinkling stars above, Arthur felt a sense of wonder and awe wash over him. In that moment, he realized just how special these simple moments with his mother truly were. And as they stood there, basking in the beauty of the night sky, Arthur knew that this memory would stay with him forever.

As they turned in for the night, Arthur looked at his mother with eyes full of wonder, "What do you think my journal will be?"

His mother smiled warmly, "I think your journal will be filled with stories of adventures, both real and imaginary. It will be a place where you can pour out your thoughts and dreams, a place where your imagination can run wild."

Arthur's eyes sparkled with excitement as he imagined the possibilities. "I can't wait to start writing in it tomorrow!"

The mother looked at her son with a smile. "You are a creative little prince, Arthur Fitzherbert. Whatever your journal will be, it’ll be just as special as you are. Whether it's filled with your deepest thoughts, wildest dreams, or everyday adventures; Your journal will be a reflection of your unique self. Don't be afraid to let your creativity flow and make it truly your own. Embrace the beauty of self-expression and cherish the journey of documenting your life. Your journal is a sacred space where you can be unapologetically yourself.”

The mother took her son to his bedroom and began to hum a lullaby, looking at the window and opening it to see the stars. Still cradling her son who was trying to escape sleeping which made the mother smiled.

She sat down on his bed and began to sang a song while she gently rocked him back and forth in her arms. His eyelids were beginning to grow heavier by the second, but he fought hard to stay awake, not wanting to miss a moment of the world around him and his mother at late of night.

🎶Twinkle, twinkle little star
So I’ll know where you are
Gleaming in the skies above
Lead us to the land we dream of
And when our journey is through
Each time we say ‘Goodnight’
We'll thank the little star that shines
The second from the right🎶

As she looked down at her precious child, a wave of love and gratitude washed over her. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have this little boy in her life after her daughter, to be able to hold him close and protect him from harm. The sound of his soft breathing and the feel of his tiny fingers wrapped around hers filled her heart with joy.

Finally, after a few more minutes of resistance, the little boy's eyes fluttered closed and he succumbed to sleep. The mother continued to rock him gently, savoring the peaceful moment and feeling a deep sense of contentment. She knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, as long as she had her son in her arms, everything would be alright.

The mother tucked him in, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Sleep well, my little sunshine. Tomorrow is a new day, full of new stories waiting to be written."

With a smile, the mother knew exactly what’s on her little boy’s mind, already buzzing with ideas for his journal tomorrow. The promise of a blank page waiting to be filled was both thrilling and comforting, and he couldn't wait to see what adventures lay ahead…

⚔︎

𝒜𝓇𝓉ℯ𝓂𝒾𝓈' 𝒫ℴ𝓋
Many decades later…

I suddenly woke up from my dream about my mother and sighed, realising that I fell asleep after studying and researching my paperwork and books. It’s been a long day, but I shouldn’t dream something like my mother by now. I tried so hard not to think about my past. My mother would end up studying with those paperwork when she’s on duty and end up falling asleep that led her to dream about someone who took her away from my grandparents, but guess that might be a reason why I dreamt about her.

It had always made me feel like it’s a strange dream than feeling like a same dream of comfort and happiness, filled with emotions and memories that seemed to be from another time. In the other dream, I saw my mother being taken away by a mysterious blizzard, leaving me feeling lost and alone. I couldn't shake the feeling of sadness and fear that lingered long after I woke up. It made me realize how much I truly missed her and how important she was to me. I made few notes about how much she meant to me on my journal, but it doesn’t seem to make me feel better for years…

I’m exactly like her when it comes to writing on a journal about the experience I went through in years since her passing…

We both always getting lost in our thoughts and daydreaming. Sometimes, I even catch myself drifting off while studying or working, just like she does. It's funny how we can inherit these little quirks from our family and friends without even realizing it. But I don't mind. It makes me feel connected to her in a way, even when she's not around.

Every year on her birthday which was the 22nd of July, I often dreamed about her. But now I was dreaming about her all the time just like I did decades ago. Everything I do somehow reminds me of her, I remembered watching her doing some study of the seven kingdoms and I used to play beside her so she won’t feel alone, Eugene would always say that I was my mother’s little sunshine because I brought her smile on her face when she noticed me doing something silly that made everyone in the palace laugh.

Those were the days filled with warmth and happiness, where my mother's love enveloped me like a cozy blanket. Her laughter was music to my ears and her presence was my safe haven. I cherished every moment spent with her, knowing that she was the light that guided me through the darkness of the world. My mother, the queen and former princess, the woman who held the kingdom together with her strength, her curiosity, and her unwavering love for her people. I was proud to be her son, proud to carry on her little legacy, and proud to be known as the little sunshine that brightened her days.

I missed those good times…

I looked down at my desk and saw my mother’s blue-green shoulder-bag which used to be called as a satchel. It may looked old, but you can tell that it had my mother’s painted flowers with a wooden bird on its opening.

The bag held a special place in my heart, filled with memories of watching my mother carefully coated freshly new paint each delicate petal and feather. Every time I opened the bag, the sweet scent of her perfume lingered, transporting me back to a time when she was still with me. The bag may have shown signs of using it around my shoulder, but its beauty and sentimental value only grew with each passing year. It was a cherished memento of my mother's love and creativity, a keepsake that I would always treasure.

I picked up the bag and opened it, it showed many things that belonged to my family;
* My ancestor old journal that had been magically restored
* My mother’s old frying pan that had a sun design
* The Demanitus Scroll that shows about the sundrop and the moonstone that followed four incantations of life and death
* My grandmother’s royal ring
* My aunt’s necklace Cassandrium that her husband made for her
* My aunt’s old music box
* Eugene’s comb
* A book about Flynn Rider
* A wooden horse
* My uncle’s goggles
* My other uncle’s diamond earring
* My cousin’s leaf necklace
* My mother’s journal along with my mother’s old paintbrushes

I picked out my mother’s journal that was painted by colourful paintings that proved her to be quite an artist, I was able to take her journal before I left the kingdom that was once called home. I did able to finish the pages that she wrote about her experiences in life and there were several blank pages that wasn’t quite finished yet because of her passing.

As I read through her words, I could feel her presence and the wisdom she had gained over the years. It was as if she was speaking to me from beyond, sharing her thoughts and memories. I knew that I had to honor her by completing those unfinished pages, filling them with my own reflections and thoughts. It was a way for me to keep her memory alive and continue the legacy she had left behind.

I looked at her experiences on her life as a princess before she was a queen for a day when the blizzard came, this page was harder to read again because that was happen to her again. Only this time, she took the sacrifice to save me the same way her little friend did.

The blizzard did put an impact on her when she was 18 because she wasn’t ready to be what grandfather had put her through. And it did make me feel less confident when I was 14, made me feel distant from Eugene who I once called him my father. He blamed me for my mother’s death when he wasn’t there when we needed him. My older sister would’ve be the next queen, but she didn’t as she too lost her life with my mother.

With both of them gone, the weight of the crown fell upon Eugene’s shoulders but mostly my other grandfather’s. Both of them were never trusted by the people and believed that their actions never forgiven, the kingdom was in turmoil, grieving the loss of its queen and princess.

I knew I had to be strong for the kingdom despite Eugene took my title as Prince away from me, I managed to lead the people with grace and wisdom. Despite my youth and inexperience, I was determined to honor my mother and sister by ruling justly and with compassion behind Eugene and his father’s back.

My grandparents knew that it wasn’t my fault no matter how hard I tried to help the kingdom, but I still felt like it was because I wasn’t strong enough to save anyone before and after I became a vampire at age 12. My mother still loved me the way I was, no matter what I became.

She always supported me and encouraged me to be true to myself despite my vampire form I tried so hard to hide my flaws from everyone around me. Even when others doubted me or criticized me, my mother was always there to lift me up and remind me of my worth. Her unconditional love gave me the strength to pursue my dreams and overcome any challenges that came my way. I am forever grateful for her love and support, and I know that no matter what happens, my mother will always be there for me.

Ever since I left my home after the conversation with Eugene that did change me completely after four years of verbal abuse, everyone somehow supported me and claimed that I’m their true king even though I felt like nothing due to my form. They accepted my decision and I embarked on a journey to find my destiny just like my mother did, and that led me here.

It was weird that I would meet several vampires who felt the same way I did, but what I didn’t expect that I lead them which made me their leader. I wasn’t sure how to handle or how to feel but I did got support from Edmund who I saved him from his death in vascular dementia.

I never wanted to turned him into a vampire but Edmund doesn’t mind it as he told me that being a vampire was his dream, his dream to forget his past life before I came. I treat him like a friend that my mother did for her friend who’s my aunt, sure we had some ups and downs but we got through our differences. Just like my mother and aunt did.

I stared at my mother’s journal that showed the page of her and my grandparents; “My parents! How wonderful to have my mom and dad in my life… I’m so happy to have a family… They mean so much to me!”

It kinda did made me smile slightly before I turned the other pages of me, my mother, my sister and Eugene: “My very own family! It’s beautiful to have two children in my and Eugene’s lives. While my dream loves our older daughter, I adore my little sunshine so much! He and his sister mean so much to us and I’m so happy for them!”

I flipped the pages that were blank but most I described my experience as a vampire leader; Some of them about Edmund, Jaye and Estevan’s relationship, the vampire hunters and the lack of Duke that I made a mistake on him…

Suddenly, there was a knock on my office door and I hide my mother’s journal in her bag before heading towards the door. I opened the door and saw Edmund on the doorway. Before I could figure out what’s going on, Edmund lead me to the hallway and down the stairs where I noticed that some of the vampires were looking at the last person I wanted to see.

Duke…

But this time, he was wearing purple than red. And he had a company with him; a young human lady with glasses and wearing a ripped red and black dress, her brown hair was a mess and she was shaking so badly with tears in her eyes.

Duke could only comfort her while her close to him and I could tell that they’re together.

The question was; What was Duke doing here? Who was this lady? And what’s going on?

Chapter Text

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧

Duke was getting himself ready for a walk through the woods of night in his purple suit with matching cape and hat, he and his frenemy Missi had plans as they usually do just to keep each other’s company. They may be at each other’s throats, but they can’t admit that they seemed to be good friends sometimes, they also enjoyed tormenting each other.

Despite their constant bickering and arguments, there was an undeniable bond between them that kept them coming back for more. It was some sort of a love-hate relationship that neither of them fully understood, but they couldn't deny the connection they shared. Their dynamic was complex and unpredictable, but at the end of the day, they knew they could count on each other. And so, they continued their dance of friendship and rivalry, never quite sure where it would lead them next.

It was crazy how far they came; Missi was a human young lady who stumbled into his castle and he thought he could have a little fun with her but not knowing how intelligent she was by seducing him to have sex and killed him by the sunlight before he had a chance to summit. Unaware that she brought him back to the dead to discover that the cane he had can turn her into a vampire, she tormented him and throw him out of his own castle which made him mad before he had an idea of the poster that flew past which she somehow accepted the challenge.

Little did she know, the challenge was a trap set by him to test her loyalty and strength but stubborn and weak at the same time because of how obsessed she was with a cane. As she approached the location on the poster which was a nightclub, she felt nervous with a chill run down her spine. The moon was full and the night was dark, setting the perfect scene for the challenge ahead. She gripped the cane tightly, ready to face whatever was waiting for her.

They did had a dance at the empty nightclub before they began to fight that could have lost an eye and a thumb, they were lost in thoughts before Missi somehow went insane by muttering herself that Duke noticed the cane was tormenting her with a sinner smile and eyes glowing red and he was able to take it from her; Turning back into a human as she was shivering in panic, Duke comforted her and trying to figure out what happened when Missi explained that the cane was like possessed by some sort of demon and she tried to get it under control but it was getting harder every day. Duke suggested that they would figure it out, which he need to keep an eye on her and the cane.

They walked to castle once they left the nightclub, either of them haven’t said a word since their conversation. Duke couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about the cane as he did found it in the graveyard weeks ago, something that didn't quite add up though as it didn’t effect him either. But he couldn't quite put his finger on it. As they approached the castle, he told Missi that he’d made a mental note to watch her closely. There was more to this cane than met the eye, and Duke was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Being a human for four days and a vampire for three days, Missi did had a cane four days so she had to be human for three days.

As a vampire, she experienced heightened senses and strength, but also struggled with the urge to feed on blood. However, as a human, she enjoyed the simplicity of her normal life and the ability to walk freely in the daylight while sometimes reading her books. Despite the challenges of switching between the two forms, Missi found a balance that allowed her to appreciate the unique qualities of both being human and being a vampire.

But living together was so much harder than they thought as they sure hate each other’s lives of living; Duke seemed to be a carefree vampire who didn’t care about anyone else but himself and Missi just wanted to read in peace and quiet. They would bicker over everything like cleaning up their mess, lack of sleep, need their own family and friends’ company that they never got a chance.

Despite their constant arguments, deep down they knew they couldn't live without each other but they can’t admit it to each other just yet. Their bond was somehow unbreakable, forged through hours of shared experiences and memories they had before they meet.

Sometimes as much as Missi did had thoughts about leaving as she couldn’t take it anymore, she had a reason for not coming home and better staying here with a cane to be a vampire as it does make her feel free.

The freedom of immortality and the power that came with being a vampire was intoxicating to her due to the cane being like a stalker. She could truly be herself without fear of judgment or rejection with the cane. Despite the hardships that came with this new life, Missi knew deep down that she had made the right choice.

If only she could use the cane to find her best friend whose been gone for nearly four years now, but Duke was keeping an eye on her so she can’t do anything about it…

Sometimes when they gone their separate ways to the other rooms, they would paused for a second and stared at each other as if they were crying for comfort and didn’t want to be alone in the inside but they shook their heads and went on their business. They were having guilt and feeling hurt which they don’t understand why…

It was weighing heavily on their hearts, causing them immense pain and confusion. They tried to push these feelings aside, but they kept resurfacing, haunting them day and night.

When they finally reached the breaking point eight days later after the showdown, they finally fought to get the feelings out of their chest and they finally calm down one hour and a half. Duke then decided to take Missi outside just to get more air as the castle was stuffed with burned and ashes which was a surprise it didn’t burnt down just had few burned marks like the living room and the hallway.

As they stepped outside, the cool evening air hit their faces, refreshing after the stifling atmosphere inside. Missi took a deep breath, grateful for the fresh air and the chance to clear her mind. The sky was painted with hues of orange and pink as the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the castle grounds. Duke and Missi walked along the garden path, the crunch of gravel under their feet a comforting sound. They looked at the castle and surprisely it was an amazing view to gaze at during the sunsets and maybe when the sunrise. Missi looked up at Duke, a sense of gratitude and admiration in her eyes. Duke smiled back, offering his hand to her which she accepted it. They walked down the garden and enjoyed seeing the flowers bloomed.

Later that night, they laid down on the ground and watched the stars before they began to talk things out about their problems and admit that they were glad to be not alone and they have each other’s company…

Eventually, they realized that they needed to confront their emotions more and face the source of their guilt and hurt. Only then could they begin to heal and find peace within themselves. It would be a difficult journey they could tell, but one that they knew was necessary for their own well-being. And so, they took the first step towards understanding and healing, ready to confront their inner demons and come out stronger on the other side…

They also agreed that they would be at each other’s throats during that time but always had each other’s back at the same where they’d face the people together.

Through thick and thin, they stood by each other, supporting and protecting one another no matter what obstacles came their way. Their bond was unbreakable, forged through three years of shared experiences and challenges. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with, ready to take on whatever challenges life threw at them. And no matter what happened, they knew they could always count on each other to have their back.

Each time growing closer and more connected. Their relationship was complex and messy, but it was also filled with love and understanding. And in the end, that was all that mattered. Unaware that they must fight off the feelings for each other as they’re not ready or why they had this feelings…

Duke was walking through the hallway of his castle and decided not to bring a cape with him, dropping it on Minose who was eating her meal. He gone out and picked out the brightest red rose for Missi, but he put it on his hat just to keep it.

Duke: 🎶It doesn’t matter if you wanna cut off my breathin’

Missi came out of the bush in her black and red dress with a matching mini top hat and the cane in her black gloved hand which turned her into a vampire, both of them walked in the woods together under the moonlight.

Missi: Doesn’t matter if you want to this day
Both: Not if you put a bullet in my heart that’s still beatin’
Missi: And if so, my heart won’t beats anyway
Duke: Honestly, there’s almost no way for you to kill me
Missi: Or even frighten me
Both: As long as I don’t go out while the sun is shinin’ through
Missi: Shinin’ through between you and me

They arrived at the cemetery where Missi used the power of the cane to bring skeletons out of the grave, her and Duke walked through the skeletons dancing and decided to join them. Duke took Missi’s hand and they both twirled around together, then they tried to dance in a tango style.

Missi stumbled a bit at first, but Duke held her steady as they moved to the music. As they danced, their bodies moved in sync, their eyes locked on each other with an intensity that seemed to ignite a spark between them. The passion in their movements was palpable, and the chemistry between them was undeniable. They danced the night away, lost in each other's arms, completely immersed in the moment.

Duke: Once I died
Missi: Once I died
Duke: I’m no longer dead
Missi: No longer dead
Duke: Sure, my body is cold
And yet I slept like in this cemetery
‘Cause once I died
Missi: Once I died
Duke: I’m no longer dead
Missi: No longer dead
Duke: Together, we’ll show everyone
That we may died but we’re still risin’

I once believe that my life would be better
If I could just disappear forever
Until I’ve found you
Missi: Till I’ve found you
Duke: My beautiful bride
Missi: My charmin’ groom
Duke: It’s an unfortunate melody
As we danced through the night
It’s like a wonderful dream
Missi: Despite we had a fight
Duke: You’re still my bride
Missi: Still my groom
Duke: No matter how different we are

When Missi read books, Duke thought he could give a try of reading books and surprisingly he enjoyed them. Missi was glad to have Duke as her companion to read books together and sometimes discussed about them. She was surprised how Duke would acknowledge the books and his thoughts were amazing to listen to, even though Duke used to like reading books when he was younger.

They would spend hours lost in different worlds, sharing their thoughts and opinions on various characters and plot twists. Duke's insights often brought new perspectives to Missi's understanding of the stories, and she appreciated his analytical approach.

Their shared love for reading strengthened their bond, providing them with endless topics of conversation and fostering a deep connection between them. Missi cherished these moments spent with Duke, knowing that their shared passion for books would always bring them closer together. In Duke, she had found not only a reading companion but also a kindred spirit who shared her love for literature and storytelling. Together, they would continue to explore new worlds and unravel the mysteries hidden within the pages of their favorite books.

Because I’m a vampire
Once I died, I’m a vampire
But I still continue being me
Both: While being a vampire
Because I’m a vampire
Once I died, I’m a vampire
I continue being me
While being a vampire

The next night, Duke and Missi decided to go and enjoy the city. Duke had his shadow form before Missi joined the shadow form too, but can tell they were darker red and darker purple. They flew up and head towards the city and turned back to normal, they had a stroll through the streets where the lights shined.

They were walking when five people came and began mocking them as they thought the pair were so gothic and looked ridiculous when they were just different in the unique way, laughing at them while pulling their phones out to record.

Meanwhile, Duke and Missi are not amused before both of them looked at each other and smirked as they glows their eyes red, they showed the five humans their shadow form and making them run in fright.

Duke then grabbed the hold of the man’s shirt and Missi grabbed him by the hair of the man, Duke would’ve had killed the person if he wanted to but terrified them was so much fun than leave them dead. He bit the guy on the left thigh and then the right arm before kicking his ass to the other four people who stood there terrified. Satisfied, Duke wiped the blood out of his lips and smiled before he took Missi’s hand and they continued walking away from the people who froze in terror.

Duke: On this crazy night
Missi: We will fight
Duke: To have fun
Missi: As we’re one
Duke: The people, I bite, died to keep the circle stay alive
Once they died
Missi: Once they died
Duke: They’ll no longer dead
Missi: No longer dead
Duke: We’ll become younger and stronger as you’re becomin’ like us

The next night, Duke and Missi decide to try the tango again and they sure to enjoy the spanish music. As the passionate music filled the air, Duke took Missi in his arms and they began to move together in perfect harmony.

Their bodies swayed to the rhythm, their feet gliding across the floor with grace and precision. Missi looked up at Duke with a smile, but then she accidentally tripped Duke who fell onto his back and both of them look at each other before laughing. Duke then gazed back at her, his eyes full of intensity and desire before shook it off. He stood up and offered his hand to her and she accepted it, the music seemed to wrap around them like a warm embrace, guiding their every movement.

I once believe that my life would be better
If I could just disappear forever
Until I’ve found you
Missi: Till I’ve found you
Duke: My beautiful bride
Missi: My charmin’ groom
Duke: It’s an unfortunate melody
As we danced through the night
It’s like a wonderful dream
Missi: Despite we had a fight
Duke: You’re still my bride
Missi: Still my groom
Duke: No matter how different we are

They still tease each other and sometimes showing off their new moves in tango, but they decided to turn into bats to fly around through the clouds. As they soared through the night sky, they felt a sense of freedom and exhilaration unlike anything they had experienced before. The wind rushed past their wings as they danced through the darkness, their laughter echoing in the night. They knew that no matter where their journey took them, they would always have each other by their side.

Duke turned back to normal and made a perfect landing and caught Missi in his arms on time, and now they had a great time dancing. The music filled the air as they twirled and moved gracefully across the floor. Their smiles were infectious, radiating pure joy and happiness.

Because I’m a vampire
Once I died, I’m a vampire
But I still continue being me
Both: While being a vampire
Because I’m a vampire
Once I died, I’m a vampire
I continue being me
While being a vampire

Suddenly, the skeletons came out of nowhere and decided to play another solo of singing and dancing as they enjoyed this wonderful even. The moon shone brightly overhead, casting an eerie glow on their bony figures as they moved in perfect harmony. Their voices echoed through the night, a fun haunting melody that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it.

Duke and Missi were surprised and confused but then watched in awe, unable to tear their eyes away from the mesmerizing spectacle unfolding before them. It was a sight unlike any other, a performance that would be remembered for years to come. And as the skeletons twirled and sang, the night seemed to come alive with magic and wonder.

Skeletons: Whoa-whoa-oh
Whoa-whoa-oh
Whoa-whoa-oh
La, la, la-la-la, la-la
Whoa-whoa-oh
Duke: This is my life
Skeletons: Whoa-whoa-oh
Duke: This is my life
Skeletons: Whoa-whoa-oh

Duke decided to head towards the dock where there’s no lights and might be a perfect view to gaze the stars. Missi was still dancing with the skeletons when Duke took her by the wrist and both of them were heading towards the dock where the stars were getting clearer.

Missi: The life that I never thought I would have
Skeletons: Whoa-whoa-oh
Duke: This is the life
Skeletons: Whoa-whoa-oh
Duke: This is my life
Skeletons: Whoa-whoa-oh

The cool night air brushed against their skin as they made their way to the edge of the water. The sound of the waves lapping against the shore created a calming rhythm in the background.

As they reached the end of the dock, Missi turned to Duke and smiled. "I’ve always wanted to go somewhere I could see the stars. Thanks," she said gratefully.

Duke returned her smile, unknowingly his eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "It was my pleasure," he replied, taking a rose out of his hat and giving it to Missi which she took. "I couldn't let you dance with them all night."

Together, they stood side by side, gazing up at the twinkling stars above. The night was perfect, and they both knew that this was just the beginning of their adventure together. With a sense of anticipation and wonder, they unknowingly leaned in closer to each other, ready to embrace whatever the future held.

Both: The life that I never thought I would have
With you

And as the music faded and the night came to an end, they both knew that this was just the beginning of something special between them.

⚔︎

ℳℯ𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒶'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

I was walking through the abandoned hallway while other vampires were sleeping due to the sunlight rising from the distance of the window, I would’ve been burn out by the sun but it doesn’t seemed to affect me as I wasn’t focusing on it.

I was more focused on finding the source of the strange noises that had been echoing through the abandoned hallway. The sound of shuffling footsteps and low whispers sent a chill down my spine, even though I was a vampire and supposed to be fearless.

As I crept through the hallway, my senses on high alert, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right. Or someone.

Suddenly, I heard voices from the doorway of the entrance and I knew that we had unwanted visitors who just don’t gets any warning from their parents or teachers about entering the abandoned building that are strictly forbidden except hunters who killed monsters like werewolves and vampires

Why does everyone have to go to the abandoned building to see if they were ghosts or vampires or all that bullshit? Excuse my language…

As I crept closer to the source of the noise, I saw a group of humans huddled together, looking terrified. They probably heard my dark blue shoes walking against the wooden board of the stairs, but they hadn’t saw me as I was hiding in the shadows. I could smell their fear, I could hear their heartbeats quickening in their chests.

Instead, I approached them whose doesn’t know that I was behind them slowly, "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice showed a threat with a drop of sinner.

One of the humans, a young woman, looked up at me with wide eyes. "We… we were looking for somewhere else to stay," she stammered. "We didn't know this place was occupied. I mean, I thought it was abandoned and we were… I mean… D’oh! Please don’t hurt us, we will leave I promise."

The group of friends stood frozen in fear as I emerged from the shadows, their heart pounding in their chests. I took a step closer, noticing that my hair did covered my scars but could tell my eyes were glowing red and I gave them a smirk. They could see the glint of a weapon in my hand.

“Well, I suggest you to be more careful about going to the place that are full of vampires you could imagine.” I replied, “Even I’m too a vampire.” The people exchanged panicked glances, unsure of what to do next.

I walked past them and opened the door for them, they were confused by my actions. But I just look at them and replied. “The homeless shelter should be open around the block, on your left and head forward to your right. You could see the building with several people who’s homeless they are.”

The people looked at each other before they goes to the door, I stepped backwards to gave them space and they looked at me like they weren’t afraid a bit. I may be a vampire but I don’t do violence against people unless they were hunters or police officers whose dare to bring harm to the vampires than just me.

Myself s a vampire has been a lot confusing over the last seven years since I discovered I was bitten by someone who was a vampire that turned into a bat, but I refuse to stoop to their level of brutality unless they wanted me to which they would test my patience. Instead, I choose to live peacefully among the vampires who welcome me with welcome arms, wishing I could blend in and hiding my true nature outside as I wasn’t ready.

But there are those who would be curious about my existence behind the walls every time they entered the building and I let them go, those who would told other people about me and those who seek to destroy me simply for what I am. I felt like, someday, the hunters who would see me as nothing more than a monster to be eradicated, and police officers who would see me as a threat to be neutralized. For them, I might had no choice but to defend myself if it’s necessary, I’ll be ready…

I entered my office that were littered with books, paperwork and files that I was grateful for my friends whose vampires to grab the copies and actually became my eyes for seven years. Wasn’t ready to go outside because of how the people would easily recognise me, but I knew I had to come out eventually.

I took a deep breath and opened the drawer, trying to find the files I was looking for. Finally, I took out the files that showed information about the vampire hunters Johnny Peacock and Andrew Wildstar, some of their fellow hunters would have been killed by a female vampire who skin was darker enough to not get sunburn but it was a relief that Johnny was be able to stop her from killing them.

The files revealed that Johnny and Andrew had been tracking the vampires for years. Well, Andrew for years longer than Johnny as he was still a rookie for seven years, studying their patterns and weaknesses. Some success and some fails due to how vampires had their own skills that were impossible. It was clear that Johnny and Andrew were dedicated to protecting the innocent and keeping the world safe from the forces of darkness.

I was only focusing on Andrew who had similar scars like mine, but I knew deep down that he was only becoming a vampire hunter because he wanted to protect his son who ran away. I was only 11 when I discovered his motivation and Johnny knew it all along, I was so curious about his protection even though his son couldn’t stand him and ran away. I felt sorry for him because he cared for his son dearly, I remember when I left my family nearly 7 years ago where I discovered Johnny was becoming a vampire hunter when he doesn’t want to but it was his only motivation to get over his grief of losing me.

Despite the danger he faced, he never gave up on his mission. I admired his strength and determination that I listened to from my friends who I ask them to watch him over, but it also pained me to imagine him risking his life every day. I knew I had to find a way to help him, to protect him from the darkness that threatened to consume him. But I’m scared of him seeing me like this as he haven’t seen me since the day I revealed Jenny’s abuse to me and my siblings.

Yes, I’m his daughter Mel Peacock and I haven’t came back for seven years because of what I’ve become…

The thought of coming back home after the transformation of a vampire was just too much for me to handle. I felt like I was a danger to my siblings than just my father, no matter how hard I tried to deny that I’d hurt them. So I ran away, thinking that if I could start fresh somewhere else like this place I was guided by a bat, I could finally be happy. But no matter what I do, I couldn't escape the guilt and shame that followed me.

I grabbed another file that contain details of the cane that turned human into vampire, discovering how dangerous it was and my best friend was holding on to it. Guess I had to get the cane out of her hands just to protect her, couldn’t believe she too left their family three years ago after four years of my absence.

Gosh, the math pun is definitely ruining me.

It was a shock to imagine her walking out the door, leaving behind everything we had built together as we were best friends since little. I never thought she would be capable of such betrayal of giving up on searching for me. But now, as I look back on it, maybe it was for the best…

Sometimes, people come into our lives for a reason, and other times, they leave for a reason too. And maybe, just maybe, it was meant to be this way all along.

I have been giving updates from my friends and I was surprised that she had a boyfriend whose the son of the vampire hunter, but I was appreciate that he was keeping an eye on her because of the cane. I’ve heard that the cane can be dangerous and might have some sort of soul to control and give the people what they want in life, and the thought of having someone to hold onto the cane, I’ve heard it from my dreams actually…

I remember it all in my dream, a mysterious figure appeared holding the cane, and as they handed it to me, l felt a surge of power and confidence wash over me. The cane seemed to whisper secrets and promises of a better life, but at the same time, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

As I woke up from that dream, the image of the cane lingered in my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth to the tales I had heard. Was there really a soul within the cane, guiding its wielder towards their deepest desires? And if so, what price would one have to pay for such power?

I guess I should finally come out of my shell and face the world to get the cane from them.

What the worst thing could happen? Who knows…

Chapter Text

𝒟𝓊𝓀ℯ'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

It’s been three years since Missi came to my home and we sure had a rocky start, but we got through this together despite the arguments and the fights we had. I still kept my eyes on the cane and made sure that she doesn’t do anything stupid as she was trying to be sneaky about it. The cane was sure to play with us sometime and I tried so hard to figure out what it would do, yes me and Missi did try to figure out what it do. Yes, we know that the cane can turn humans into vampires but we didn’t expect that cane would haunt Missi.

So, I thought I would try to get books from the library and bookstore to find answers since our books at home doesn’t seem to have any answers we need. But I was getting tired of books and Missi knew that I was struggling to keep up with all the cane thing.

How the fuck does this cane even come from before I’ve somehow found it in the graveyard?

She did suggested that we take a break and go for a walk in the park which we did. The fresh air and sunshine did wonders for my mood despite I had an umbrella so I wouldn’t get sunburn really bad like last time, and I felt rejuvenated after our little outing. Missi always knew how to lift my spirits and I was grateful to have her as a friend. As we strolled along the tree-lined paths, I couldn't help but feel grateful for moments like this. It was a simple pleasure, but one that brought me a great deal of joy.

I realized that sometimes all you need is a friend by your side and a change of scenery to feel like yourself again.

I was gazing at the stars, smoking a cigarette. I thought I’d never be like my father who had those problems when it came to finding answers but not the right one. Great, now I’m thinking about my dad. Never had a good relationship with him since Mom died from cancer, but I don’t see why I would even bother to think about him. All he ever cared about was his obsession with killing vampires, I knew he would do that since Mom died. He thought I wouldn’t know what he’s been up to with his friends, but he wasn’t good at keeping a secret from me.

I had noticed the serious changes in his behavior, the late of night where I was trying to get some sleep, the phone calls from downstairs. It was clear that he was hiding something from me.

I decided to confront him about it one evening after dinner. As we sat in the dining room, I could see the guilt written all over his face. He tried to deny it at first, but eventually, he broke down and confessed. I didn’t remember much as I knew he had been killing vampires since mom’s death… I wish I could forget about it as I was a child then.

I was hurt and disappointed by his actions, but I appreciated his honestly…

I took out my pocket to reveal my two-side locket that revealed one side of my mom and the other side of me, her and Dad. We were so happy together in this photo that it did made me feel sad, I wish we could have those memories if my mother was still alive. When she died, my father died as well. I mean, he was alive just not himself as he was obsessed with killing vampires and not paying any attention to me. But I thought that killing vampires was his only way to cope my mom’s death which I don’t get why…

It seemed like he was consumed by his grief and that hunting down supernatural creatures was the only thing that gave him a sense of purpose. I tried to understand his pain, but it was difficult for me to see him spiral further into darkness. I wished he could find a healthier outlet for his emotions, but I knew that everyone grieves in their own way. I just hoped that one day he would be able to find peace and let go of the anger that fueled his hunt…

“Duke?” Missi’s voice came out behind and I turned to see her in her human form, “You okay?”

I nodded. "Yeah, just caught me off guard, that's all."

Missi smiled sympathetically. "I forget how strange it must be for you to see me like this sometimes. I'm sorry."

I shrugged, still processing everything. "It's okay. I mean, I've known you long enough to know you're not just like those regular cats who likes to read books."

Missi chuckled. "That's for sure. But I also know it can be a lot to take in.”

I smiled gratefully at her. "It’s fine, really." Then I sighed, “Yeah. Just staring at the stars, while trying to figure out what to do.”

“Is it about the cane thing?” Missi asked, I didn’t say anything but nodded.

I looked back at the stars and Missi just sat down next to me, looking at the stars as well. We both looked tired and confused as we tried to figure out for three years since Missi told me that the cane was taunting her and acted out.

She then looked at me with concern in her eyes, trying to read my thoughts.

I took a deep breath before finally speaking. "Yes, it's about the cane thing," I admitted.

Missi reached out and gently squeezed my hand, offering her support without needing any further explanation. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I realized I didn't have to face this alone.

Together, we sat in silence for a moment, letting the weight of my little confession sink in. But with Missi by my side, I knew I could handle whatever came next. And for that, I was grateful.

“We just need to have a break for a while,” Missi spoke. “I know you want to find the answer, but it’s not good for us to keep searching.”

“Missi,” I spoke, “That cane trying to get through to you since you’re a human and you said that something was haunting you by wrapping you into a dark blanket just revisit your past life. The past life that you don’t want to remember…”

“I have my reasons to not come back to my home after realising and outsmart you,” Missi replied. “I may the right decision, but it guess I did paid the consequences…”

“Not fully,” I said. “Human for four days and vampire for three days, just to keep you from getting insane.”

“I get that, but the cane did gave me confident.” Missi sighed, “But I should have found another way to be confident than using the cane to become a vampire.”

“Hmmm,” I hummed and we both gazed at the stars.

The night sky was clear, with thousands of twinkling lights scattered across the darkness. I felt a sense of peace wash over me as I sat there on the roof, hand in hand with the person I was willing to protect. The cool night air wrapped around us, and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped. We were just two different souls as one of us was human and the other was vampire, lost in the beauty of the universe above us. And in that moment, nothing else mattered. It was just us and the stars, shining brightly in the night sky.

…

Two days later, me and Missi were out at night as we’re walking down the street. Missi was trying to get the cane out of my hands and I walked casually with a smirk on my face. I could see the frustration in her eyes as she struggled to catch up to me after trying to get the cane. Finally, I stopped and turned to face her, holding the cane out of her reach.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Missi panted, clearly annoyed with my antics.

I chuckled, enjoying the power I had over her in that moment. "Because it's fun," I replied with a mischievous glint in my eyes.

“Oh come on, Duke.” Missi spoke as she kept jumping up and down to grab the cane, “It’s been four days now. I promise I won’t do anything stupid, I swear!”

“Next month, it’s going to be your birthday,” I reminded her about her birthday to be next month which is why I decided not to give her the cane for her birthday even if it’s not this month. What can I say? I’d like to wind her up as she does the same to me. “And last time I let you have this cane, you won’t stop threatening and fighting everyone until you get the whole collection of those books you’ve been dying to read after Twilight. But you know what? Sometimes, I'm tired of your obsession with those books.”

“There’s more than just Twilight,” Missi complained. “And I thought you didn’t like it when I told you to try and read that book. But here you are, with your nose buried in its pages, completely engrossed in the story. I guess I was wrong about you not enjoying it. It's nice to see you giving it a chance. Who knows, maybe you'll end up loving it after all.”

“You using the cane to get those books without paying,” I sighed. “You got too many books to fill the shelves.”

She looked up at me with a mischievous grin, "Well, what can I say? I just can't resist a good book sale."
I shook my head in amusement, knowing that there was no stopping her when it came to her love for books.

"Just make sure you actually read them all this time," I teased.

“Oh I always do,” Missi groaned, “But why are we even here if you won’t let me have the cane?”

“Just reminding you that next month will be your birthday and I won’t let you use it for the fourth day after three days of being a vampire,” I reminded her. “We can just celebrate as an unbirthday though by going to the diner to eat dinner and cake, just to your mind off the cane.”

Missi gave me a sad puppy eyes at me. Gosh, that girl was such a nerd. I like her. But I couldn't deny that her constant need for attention was starting to wear on me. Every time she looked at me with those big, pleading eyes, I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. I knew I needed to set some boundaries, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

“Did your parents ever tell you to enjoy life more and read less books?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

After a few awkward silence, she replied. “Yes, they did some of the time. But I prefer to live my life just the way I like it, now that I’m not going home.” I just looked at her and she sighed, “All the time. They always said I had my nose stuck in a book instead of experiencing the world around me."

I laughed, knowing exactly what she meant. "I think reading is a way to experience different worlds and lives without leaving your own. But I guess they have a point."

"Yeah, I see their perspective now that I'm older. But I still love getting lost in a good book," she replied.

While she was talking, she was getting closer to me and was about to grab the cane when I noticed something dark blue coming from the distance and before I could do anything, I realised that it was a female vampire who was dressed in blue, black and grey… coming towards us!!!

The vampire's eyes glowed red as she approached, her fangs bared in a grin. I could feel my heart racing as I tried to come up with a plan to protect myself and Missi beside me. Without warning, the vampire lunged towards us, her sharp claws outstretched. I quickly pushed Missi out of harm's way, narrowly avoiding the vampire's attack. As she hissed in frustration, I reached for the cane and held it close. The vampire paused, sizing me up with a look of curiosity in her eyes. I knew I had to think fast if I wanted to survive this encounter.

“Another vampire?” Missi panted, “ I thought there was only one and that’s you.”

“You would be surprised,” I replied.

The female vampire can only stared at me and Missi, but I easily sense that she was only targeting the cane in my hands. Her eyes were locked on the red gems that glowed with a sudden, and I could see a hunger in her gaze that sent shivers down my spine. Missi whimpered beside me, sensing the danger that lurked in the darkness.

As the vampire took a step closer, I tightened my grip on the cane, knowing that it held great power against creatures of the night. I took a deep breath and prepared to defend myself and Missi against the supernatural threat that stood before us. The vampire hissed, her fangs gleaming in the moonlight, as she lunged towards us.

But before she could reach us, I raised the cane and unleashed its fire, shooting it towards the vampire who quickly dodged the fire. She growled before lunging at us in quick speed, her fangs bared and eyes glowing with hunger. I braced myself for the attack, knowing that this would be a fight for our lives. As she closed in, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, ready to defend myself and Missi against this bloodthirsty creature of the night. The battle was about to begin.

“Watch out!” I cried, pushing Missi out of the way as the female vampire took a hold on the cane, taking it and me with her as she was strong enough to lift me off the ground.

Panic surged through me all of the sudden as I struggled against her grip, desperately trying to break free. Missi lunged forward, attempting to help me, but the vampire's strength was too much for us to handle.

“Duke!” Missi cried out as she was able to grab me by the legs as we were holding our dear lives and trying to get the female vampire off the cane.

⚔︎

ℳ𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒾'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

There was another vampire?! Are you kidding me now?!

One minute I was talking to Duke while in an attempt to get the cane, then the second a female vampire came out of nowhere and try to steal the cane from Duke. He was holding onto the cane as were taking to the sky above the city, the female vampire was trying to shake Duke off the cane so we could fall.

But Duke held on tight, his fingers gripping the smooth wood with all his strength. The wind whipped around us as we soared higher and higher, the city shrinking below us.

The female vampire snarled in frustration, her red eyes flashing with anger. She tried to pry Duke's fingers loose, but he held firm. I could see the determination in his eyes, the fire of defiance burning bright.

I wasn’t going to let this happen as I was able to climb up from Duke’s legs to his back, and I gave the vampire a punch in the face. Before I could even think, we were already fighting over the cane as I tried to get the hold of it; Not realising that the female vampire had a fixed knife that nearly cut me on the side, I cried out surprised and terrified that got me to nearly fall off Duke who was able to grabbed my hand on time.

As we struggled for control, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. The vampire hissed, her eyes glowing with anger and frustration. Duke pulled me closer to him, his strength and determination giving me courage.

I noticed everyone were watching from the distance as we both tried to get the cane off the female vampire, she decided to drop us by letting go of the cane and we began to fall. Duke turned into the bat and swoop down to save me from getting hit on the ground, he took me to near tree and dropped me off.

As I looked up at him, I could see the concern in his eyes. "Thank you, Duke," I said, grateful for his quick thinking and rescue. Duke just nodded in response before transforming back into his vampire form.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice filled with worry.

I nodded, still a bit shaken from the close call, Duke helped me to my feet.

We didn’t even notice that the cane was falling and the female vampire grabbed it. With a swift movement, she twirled the cane around her fingers before giving us a sly smile and taking off to the sky.

But I knew the battle was far from over. We had to be prepared for whatever was coming next…

“Stay there,” Duke replied. “I’ll get the cane!”

“Duke!” Before I protested, he already turned back to his bat form and took off. I had no choice but to follow him with a bike nearby. “You’re not leaving me behind like that! I’m coming!”

The only question I had in the back of my head; Who was that vampire in blue?

⚔︎

𝒟𝓊𝓀ℯ'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

That bitch thought that she was going to take the cane without a fight?!

Not today. I flew as fast as I could and I was able to catch her up before pouncing her from the back, I turned back into myself and we were struggling to get the cane out of each other’s grasp. We gave each other’s punches, not realising that we were close to hit the ground.

We hit the road as vehicles tried to drive out the our way. The female was the first to stood on her ground and she pinned me down, but I was able to kicked her off as she tumbled over. Both of our eyes were glowing red in rage as we circled each other, fists raised and ready for the next strike.

The female vampire suddenly vanished into dark blue shadow form and faded into the ground, I was stunned by the sight as I have no idea us vampires could do. Shadow form that goes through the ground and maybe on rooftops and walls as I thought some theory, but this distracted me for her to come behind and wrapped her arms around my neck.

She was trying to strangle me with all of her strength but with that, I was able to get her off of me and lunged forward, aiming for a decisive blow. But she was quick to react, dodging and blocking my attack and countering with a powerful punch of their own. The impact sent me reeling, my head spinning as I struggled to regain my composure.

As we continued to exchange blows, the fight seemed to blur into a frenzied dance of aggression and determination. Each punch landed with a resounding thud, driving home the reality of our confrontation.

The female vampire then took off as the truck was about to hit us, but I noticed the knife she used to almost killed Missi was aiming towards me but I was able to dodge it. We went through the buildings that had me the opportunity to grabbed the cane and pulled away from her, lassoed the nearest building and swing around while I used the cane to fireball at her who dodged the way of my aim.

As she dodged the fireball, she countered with a lightning bolt, that I have no idea vampires can do that either, aimed directly at me. I quickly raised the cane to create a shield, deflecting the bolt just in time. The force of the impact knocked me back, but I managed to land on the building and counter with a gust of wind that sent her flying across the other building. I took a moment to catch my breath before preparing for the next round of our intense battle.

Suddenly, this hits me. I looked at the cane and suddenly felt weary of the gems glowing red as questions came over me…

How did I be able to do all that stuff? Was it the training I failed to complete in my time at Artemis’ home church or wasn’t it my fight with Missi at the nightclub three years ago before this? Did I regret of taking the cane out of the box when I should have known what it did to Missi? What did I miss…?

I suddenly had a vision of my dad on his desk before he stared at the photos of me, he sighed and continued writing before staring at the box that I’ve found in the graveyard as it got a bat symbol that matched my key I often wear. Once he finished writing, the letter had words that I had no idea what it meant…

‘My son,
My past is filled with mistakes and regrets… you will raise your own son better than I raised you…

…it calls out to them with its demonic song and so: they fall under its spell… spreading across the entire city like a virus…

…the evil inside, it grows stronger, while the holder’s soul grows weaker… there is nothing left of their humanity… you must stop it from falling into the wrong hands…

…what might happen if it’s unleashed upon the world…

Be safe and try to be wise…
Love, Dad…’

He then folded it half to reveal that letter was for me–

ℑ𝔱 𝔠𝔞𝔫𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔟𝔢 𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔶𝔢𝔡...

Holy shit!

The letter was meant to be a warning about the cane and I haven’t even read it! I felt a shiver coming through my spine and my heart dropped. Dad knew about the cane! He was trying to warn me! And I fucking ignore him! I–

Suddenly, the female vampire landed in front of me and I nearly jumped out of my skin. She was ready for round two and I was too nervous for doing another battle with her after that vision.

But then, I noticed that female vampire was definitely dressed in black and blue stripe shirt, dark grey leather jacket, black ripped jeans, dark blue shoes and fingerless gloves. She got, not just a fixed knife, but a royal long sword on her back that looked similar to Artemis several years ago before I left the group.

But what scared me the most was that she had scars on her right arm, and her left cheek along with her also left eye. Black hair with two different blue streaks on her fringe that covered her scared face. She definitely got bitten on her right neck as she was once human…

But then again, this bitch was ten times better than Missi as she’s quite a fighter! Why the fuck did I not train properly with Jaye and Esteven?!

She tackled me off the building and straight to the ground while everyone was watching, I got to my feet and give this bitch the hell smack like I did with Missi at that nightclub. This made her really angry as her eyes were glowing red and her fangs sharpened more, she took out her knife and threw it at me, but I dodged it and used the cane to wrap her in red cloth. With a swift movement, I tied the cloth tightly around her, immobilizing her. She struggled against the material, but it held her firmly in place. I knew I had to act fast before she broke free.

“Duke!” Missi’s voice called out and I turned around to see her riding the bike before she got off and run towards me! Crap, she’s here and she’s in danger because of the cane and the vampire!

“Missi, get back!” I called her. “It’s too dangerous!”

The female vampire was able to get free with her sword that she had it on her back, and she lunged at me but I quickly kicked her away from me and we fought once more. I can’t let her go anywhere near Missi, not like this!

“Give me the cane!” Missi said, “I can help!”

“Missi, you can’t!” I replied, “The cane is too much! It’ll hurt you!”

The vampire slowly stop after hearing at that moment, she turned to Missi and then lunged at her by grabbing her throat. She pinned her to the wall and got punched by her across the face, but the female vampire took a knife and sliced Missi’s arm.

Missi cried out in shock and pained, she looked at her attacker who raised her knife. She was going to end her in front of me, and I couldn’t let that happen as rage boiled over me.

I lunged forward, knocking the weapon out of her hand before she could do any harm. The look of shock on her face was satisfying as I held her down, making sure she couldn't escape. I knew I had to protect the one I loved at all costs, even if it meant resorting to violence. The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins as the female vampire then lunged forward and bit down my shoulder, I roared and pulled away.

“Duke!” Missi cried out while clenching her bloody arm.

“Stay where you are!” I told her, my eyes were glowing red, I didn’t want her to be hurt again from that crazy gothic blue bitch any longer.

And in that moment, all the anger and frustration that had been building up inside me for a while came bursting out. I couldn't hold back anymore. I had enough of this shit from her who dared to hurt me or Missi, I fought hard as she kept blocking my blows.

All I could focus on was the sound of my knuckles connecting with flesh and leather, the taste of blood in my mouth, and the fury burning in my eyes. I didn't care about the consequences or everyone around me, I didn't care about the pain. All I cared about was letting out all the pent-up rage that had been consuming me for a long time since I was little when I was pushed around.

The female vampire was struggling to keep up and I took that opportunity to smack her so hard that she collapsed, not even bother to get up as she might have called it quit.

I stumbled backwards, my legs giving out beneath me as I collapsed to the ground. Missi rushed to my side, she was so scared and worried about me.

Her eyes were wide with fear as she reached out to hold my hand. "Are you okay?" She asked, her voice trembling. I tried to reassure her, but the pain and the exhaustion was too much to bear. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes as I realized she saw the intense battle I had.

But then, I saw the vampire was getting up. She looked at me and snarled with her eyes glowing red, she was ready for another blow. Gosh, this bitch…

Missi saw this and held me tightly, “You stay away from him!”

The vampire, however, stood up and showed us the cane that she was able to get before she took off to the sky. I was about to go after her but Missi refused to let go.

“We need to get you to a hospital," She said, her voice filled with urgency.

I realised that sometimes you have to confront your demons head-on, even if it means getting a little bruised and battered in the process. Well, a lot of bruises…

And so, with Missi by my side, we made our way to the nearest medical facility, her grip on my hand never wavering. I was grateful for her presence, her strength giving me the courage to face whatever lay ahead. And as we waited for the doctors to assess my condition, I never thought that with Missi by my side, I could overcome anything.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the female vampire taking the cane though, I need to get it back and put it where its belong. I need to explain to Missi about the cane, but first I need to find the vampire headquarters as I realise something else that the cane used to an old rusty cane like the one on the paper from Artemis’ plan cupboard.

He got something to do with the cane and my father…

Chapter Text

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧

Mel could only feel the cold breeze through her hair as she walked through the woods to the abandoned church, but she doesn’t seem to care about how cold it was in the night while holding onto the cane that she was able to take it from Missi and the vampire who was quite a fighter.

The moon was full, casting an eerie glow on the faded path ahead. As Mel walked towards the church, she could imagine her first time coming to the church where she listened to the music from the piano that played by itself along. She once felt a sense of unease creeping up on her, but she pushed it aside, determined to confront whatever lurked inside the next day or night after she fell asleep. With a deep breath, she gently gripped the cane tighter, ready for whatever awaited her next.

But all she ever care about right now was how much she hated herself for hurting Missi, her best friend. It wasn’t part of the plan but it got out of hand, and she can’t control it. The situation escalated quickly, leaving her feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to proceed. She had never intended for things to spiral out of control like this, but now she was faced with the consequences of her actions in the inside.

She should be happy that she got the cane from them just to keep them safe, but she felt completely ashamed that her actions had put a impact on her best friend Missi. She was kinda relieved that she kept her mouth shut as she knew Missi would recognised her voice, as the confrontation was going to get too much and soon to be awkward for the girls.

But she never wanted to hurt Missi, but she and the vampire tested her; They provoke her.

She felt a surge of anger rising within her as she clenched her fists while gripping the cane, trying to control the urge to lash out with a frustrated scream. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused on calming her racing heart. She knew that giving in to her anger would only make things worse. Especially in the middle of the woods of the night.

She shed her tears that was slowly filling up in her eyes and looked up at the church in front of her, she sighed before entering the church. Some of the vampires noticed her presence and were surprised by her appearance, but decided not to say anything when they noticed the cane in her hand.

She goes up to her tower where her bedroom was at, put the cane on her desk and lit a cigarette before going to the window ledge. She sighed, she never felt so depressed since she was eight where she literally faced the trauma of her childhood life or since she finally became a rebellious teenager at age 12 where she first cursed at the music teacher and her mother Jenny before took her first cigarette.

But now, as she sat alone in her room, she couldn't shake the feeling of hopelessness that had settled in her chest. The weight of her past that had some of the mistakes she refused to acknowledge due to how vulnerable she was in forcing herself to grow up fast and regrets felt heavy on her shoulders, suffocating her with each breath she took. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she tried to push away the memories that haunted her. She knew she needed to find a way to move past this darkness that threatened to consume her before it was too late.

She smoked a cigarette and blew it, not knowing the cane’s red gemstone eyes were fading from its glow. Her thoughts were on Missi and the look of terror in her eyes were she was about to end her if it weren’t for the male vampire who was able to stop her from doing so. She wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, then stretched her back and slumped over the wall with a sad look on her face as her eyes closed.

⚔︎

She suddenly remembered herself as a eight year old human girl who wore a pastel green and white dress with matching pear necklaces, shoes and a bow; Brown long hair that held two pigtails and blue eyes truly a beauty at the young age as a child. She was bright and happy little with Jenny as they were going through the shopping mall to buy clothes for them. While Jenny was trying to find a perfect red dress, Mel accidentally wandered off and tried to catch a blue butterfly.

She was wandering around the streets where she heard some noises and saw the shadow down the alleyway, and she got curious about it and goes to investigate. What she didn’t know that she was about to witness something terrible.

When she got closer, Mel stood in shock as few of the vampires hunters were fighting off the few vampires. There were gunshots, knives slashing, and lots of blood and gore. She didn’t know how to react and she starting to feel the horror crept up to her, she was too terrified to look away that she didn’t realise that one of the vampire was coming up behind her.

She heard a small growl behind her and when she was able to turn away, she startled in fright as the vampire stared at her. His eyes were a piercing red, filled with hunger and malice. She could feel her heart racing in fear as she backed away slowly, trying to find an escape route. But the vampire moved closer, his fangs gleaming in the moonlight. She knew she was in danger, but she couldn't move, couldn't scream for help. The vampire's presence seemed to paralyze her with fear.

She felt herself trembling and she was so afraid of the monster that she had no idea it was truly real from those scary stories she heard, but she wasn’t sure if she could run away from it but the vampire just launch at her. But before the vampire was able to touch her, the man in black clothes stabbed them through the mouth; hardened that made the vampire been sliced open. Blood splattered all over them and everything seemed to stop its time for a moment.

Little Mel just stared at the dead vampire before it faded into dust, she looked at her saviour who wore a black coat, brown boots. The saviour turned his head to her, his smooth black hair and indigo purple but cold eyes were staring at her; But there was a little guilt in his eyes. She looked concerned and confused before she looked at her beautiful dress ruined by the vampire blood. She didn’t realise that she was crying after being scared of life and death situation. She turned to see that some of the vampires were also dead or some were able to escape while the hunters stared at her shame as they didn’t know she was there.

Before she could say, the man who saved her picked her up in his arms while he was still holding his axe that covered in blood. He took her to his home that was a castle, he put her down on the chair in the dining room and she looked around at the place. The man put a cup of water while he sat down with a wine glass that filled with red liquid, Mel took few sips of water and then heard what the man said.

“Don’t tell your father about this. He won’t understand what’s been going on, won’t understand why I’d continue harming those creatures.”

Mel suddenly understands what he meant; Dad won’t understand why this man killed vampires or even continue doing so. She still doesn’t understand either, but she was slowly realising that the world may not be a happy place to live anymore because of what she witnessed. Death was something that she was terrified the most and the trauma lingered on her mind for now on.

When her dad came, he was sure that her dress had a little bit of red paint and doesn’t understand why her mom abandoned her. What really worried that she hadn’t said any few words this lately as she was a joyful chatter box; He doesn’t know what’s the reason behind her not smiling anymore.

Every night, she would lie awake in bed, consumed by thoughts of mortality and the unknown that awaited her beyond the veil of life. The fear of death paralyzed her, preventing her from fully living and enjoying the present moment.

She tried to distract herself with school, hobbies, and social activities, but the fear of death always loomed in the background, casting a dark shadow over everything she did. She knew that she needed to confront her fear head-on, but the thought of facing her own mortality was too overwhelming to bear.

One time during the school trip two weeks later, the teacher was talking about the tree and brought an axe to chop woods so they could use them for DIY projects. Mel suddenly had a massive panic attack and everyone was shocked at this as she was only eight years old, they doesn’t know that Mel was having flashbacks of the man with an axe to kill vampires in front of her.

As Mel struggled to catch her breath, her parents came after being called by the teacher and rushed to her side, trying to calm her down. They had no idea what could have triggered such a strong reaction in their young daughter.

After a few minutes, Mel's breathing began to slow and her heart rate returned to normal. She looked up at her parents with tear-filled eyes and turned away from them before whispered after two weeks of not speaking, "I saw him, I saw him."

𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔯𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔥𝔦𝔪

⚔︎

Mel opened her eyes as she suddenly heard the demon voice that gave a sing-song vibe in the sarcastic tone, then its laughed out before fading away. She looked around her bedroom and no one seemed to be there, but then she noticed that the cane’s gemstones eyes were no longer red but black instead. She stood up and finished her cigarette, she goes up to her desk and gently touched the red fabric that wrapped around the stick.

She suddenly felt her vision shift in a blur and only see the red glowing symbols around the cane as the gemstones eyes were now glowing red again, her red eyes were glowing slightly in her original blue and nose were bleeding before she shook her head and picked up the cane. Mel looked carefully and placed her finger on the wing, she felt something wasn’t right with the cane as she noticed her nose was bleeding. She took the tissue out of the tissue box and wiped it.

Her eyes then gazed at the portrait of her family, Jenny’s face was covered with a black and red acrylic marker with the word ‘bitch ain’t no mother’ next to it. After the few seconds of staring at the photo, she gripped the cane tightly and anger seemed to flow through her as she glared at the photo with rage and disgust in her red eyes.

Memories of past abuse and heartbreaks flooded her mind, fueling the fire of rage burning within her. With a fierce determination, she vowed to confront the person responsible for her and her siblings’ pain and make her pay for the suffering Jenny had caused.

She turned around and head toward her bed, not knowing she was holding the cane. While she was walking, she suddenly felt a warm hand grabbing her arm before stroking her black hair. She turned around and saw no one, confused Mel looked at the cane and the fabric seemed to dropped off to reveal its real one red eye that pop out of nowhere, directly staring at Mel.

She gasped and dropped the cane, she walked away from the cane and then turned to look at the moon from her window, she looked concerned but also confused as she turned to the cane again. She picked up the cane and head to her office, the other vampires looked at her walking by but she ignored their concerns.

She entered her office, placed the cane on her desk and goes to the drawers. She opened one of them and grabbed the file about the cane and goes to her desk. She pulled out the paper that revealed the cane was a lot different than the cane in front of her, she got the cane and the paper closer and noticed that the head of the cane had the same bat wings and pointing ears along with the gemstone eyes. The old red fabric was covering the eye with it.

Mel then gazed softly at its eye who gazed at her back, the cane then made her have a vision that its smile sadistically at her, threatening to torture her but she put the cane down and shook her head. She looked at the red fabric that revealed to be old and dirty, she sighed and opened her desk drawer and pulled out a clean blue fabric that had siliver sparkles on them. Taking the pair of scissors, she cut the fabric but the cane magically cut it for her and wrapped around the stick that covered its eyes, she was stunned that the cane can do that by itself.

But before she could do anything, the cane’s gemstone eyes glows from red to blue that blended into purple before its magicaly pulled out of the drawer the box of beads that she used to make necklaces and bracelets. Its began to pick out a near thick dark blue thread and silver pearls before picking out a golden bat shaped charm that got red gemstone eyes and a rose gold butterfly shaped charm, creating what it looked like a keychain and tied it to the cane as it’s gemstone eyes turned into red.

She picked up the cane and look closely to it, she turned to the window and raised the cane towards. It magically opened the curtains, she was surprised by it before she looked around the office and raised the cane towards it. All the paperwork had magically flying around her and goes to the places where it belongs, she then saw a dark shadow with horns red eyes coming closer to her. She closed her eyes and ignored the shadow figure and finished up the mess in her office, the blue fabric she cut suddenly made a bow to her hair.

She stared at the cane, and she slowly glared at it; Something wasn’t right about the cane, but she was going to find out. Not knowing that her shadow was grinning at the cane…

Chapter Text

𝒟𝓊𝓀ℯ'𝓈 𝓅ℴ𝓋

As much as I hate to come back to this church where I became a vampire, it’s good to see Jaye and Estevan who were so friendly to Missi as I told them and the other vampires included Edmund to not hurt her. Edmund was unsure about Missi, but Jaye and Estevan were nice to her while she was clinging on to me as she was a bit nervous about seeing more vampires.

We both nervously smiled at everyone until Edmund decided to get Artemis, few moments later Edmund and Artemis came down the stairs while the rest of the vampires gave us space. Artemis was seriously not happy to see me and that I brought Missi due to her being human.

“Before you say any-“ I spoke before Artemis raised his hand.

“You have no right to come back and bring this girl with you,” Artemis spoke with his eyes glow red.

See, I knew he would be pissed still after I left this place because of them hunting werewolves just like my dad and his friends were hunting vampires. I never wanted any part of it!

“Look, we don’t have time for anything else right now.” I stood up from my seat, “We need your help to train me and Missi more as the blue goth girl, we were attacked by, got the cane.”

Now I was surprised that Artemis and Edmund’s eyes widened in shock but I could tell that they had no idea what I was talking about, they looked at each other and then stared at me confused. I sighed before I walked away from them which Missi follow me since she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Edmund as he, Artemis, Estevan and Jaye followed me and Missi.

I didn’t say anything but continue walking towards the planning room where the cupboard was, I didn’t even bother to notice that few vampires were above us on the beams. I opened the cupboard to see all the papers been bullet pinned with thread lines to each link of vampire hunters and werewolves, some of them were shadow figures that nearly looked like vampire shadow forms.

As I continued to looked through the papers, I found detailed descriptions of encounters with these supernatural beings, as well as maps pinpointing their locations. It was clear that Artemis and some of the vampires had compiled this information had been deeply immersed in the world of the supernatural. I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine as I realized the magnitude of what I had stumbled upon.

I wonder if they could find the location of vampire hunters where my dad would be living, I looked at the pictures of my dad and his fighting skills. I'm surprised that the last time I saw the news, his buddies nearly died from an unexpected attack during their mission I assume and Dad went missing. He might be alive and hiding somewhere in the headquarters. I can't shake the feeling that he's out there somewhere, waiting to be found. Or waiting to see me if I finally find peace with him and give him a chance. I have to do everything in my power to track him down and bring him home safely because with that blue gothic bitch on the loose with the cane. The thought of him being out there alone is unbearable…

I shook my head; he may not be there for me, but he was still my dad…

But then, I spot the picture that I was hoping to see; the cane that looked a lot different from the cane I had, but only because of the cane was old and rusty when I found it in the case at the graveyard and cleaned it up. I took the paper out of the cupboard and I turned around to see Missi and the other vampires, but I wasn’t going to show them what I was before as I looked at my locket that was attached to my pocket which I didn’t know it was hanging out.

As I quickly tucked it back in, I could feel their curious gazes on me. I sensed Missi, Jaye and Estevan were gazing at me in concern while Edmund and Artemis looked confused.

Artemis, with his red eyes glowing, stepped forward. "What do you know about the cane?" He asked, his voice sounded annoyed which he remained calm though.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. "My father was meant to give me the letter about the cane that turned Missi into a vampire," I finally admitted. "He also wrote that... ‘The evil inside, it grows stronger, while the holder’s soul grows weaker…’ There will nothing left of their humanity. I couldn’t read the letter for some reason, but I found the cane in the graveyard several years ago. I didn’t what the cane could do until Missi told me that she was driven by darkness in the cane she held onto it and I had to keep an eye on.”

“And where is that cane you’ve found it?” Artemis asked while crossing his arms.

“We were attacked by a female vampire who took the cane from us,” Missi explained to Artemis. “She looked gothic except black, grey and blue. She also had scars on her arm and face. She’s so quick and really violent that I had to take Duke to the hospital for a check up.”

“Vampires can easily get healed.” Jaye replied, “Had she hurt you too?”

“Only few bruises and scratches, and I cut on my arm.” Missi admitted while placing her hand on her arm, “But Duke got a lot of damages as well as she bit him.”

“What?!” Estevan asked in panic.

“Don’t worry,” I replied. “I’m fine, it wasn’t that serious.”

“What’s your father’s name?” Edmund asked, he was wondering what I was talking about when I mentioned it.

“Is that really necessary?” Artemis asked, raising his eyebrows.

I paused, I wasn’t sure if I could tell them about my father. He’s a vampire hunter and they might have known him. But I knew I had to be honest with them.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to open up to them. "I know this might sound crazy, but my father is actually a vampire hunter," I admitted, watching their reactions carefully.

To my surprise, they didn't seem shocked or scared. In fact, they both nodded knowingly. But I still think they had no clue what I’m talking about…

"We've heard of vampire hunters," Edmund said, his eyes looked like he’s been there before. "But which one as they are so many of them? Does he even have a name?”

“Does ‘The Unicorn’ mean anything to you?” I asked and Edmund’s eyes suddenly widened and the other vampires knew what I was talking about but fear to say it. “His name is Andrew Wildstar and he’s my dad.”

Everyone were shocked to hear this, but I didn’t expect them to be this silent. Of course, they knew my dad is a vampire hunter and might be their fear of how great he was in leadership and might be a badass if I remember correctly.

“Wha?” Artemis asked in pure shock, but also (and in a calm way) quite tone.

⚔︎

𝒜𝓇𝓉ℯ𝓂𝒾𝓈' 𝒫ℴ𝓋

“Your father…” I spoke softly, “Andrew Wildstar… is… your… father…”

Duke nodded, and everyone else were still remaining silent except Missi gulped in nervously. The tension in the room was palpable as they awaited Duke's next words or me to say something about it. We knew vampire hunters, but we didn’t know that some would have a family which was a shock to me…

I hate to admit it, but I had no idea that Andrew Wildstar, the man who nearly killed Jaye, actually had a son. When I bit him, he managed to escape before I got a chance to finish him, and his team survived the attack.

Despite my best efforts, they were able to regroup despite their injuries and prepare to fight me. The tables had turned, and now I was the one fighting for survival. As I struggled to defend myself against their relentless onslaught, I realized that I had underestimated their strength and determination because of the Unicorn they called Andrew for. In the end, it was a close battle, but I managed to escape, vowing to never make the same mistake again. From that day on, I knew that I would always have to be on guard, ready to face any challenge that came my way.

After the silence, I broke in rage.

“No,” I spoke. “No, he can’t be your father! No, I’m sorry. This can’t be happening.” I walked up to Duke and snatched the paper of the cane from his hand. “You thought you could stumbled your way back here to tell us that you lost the cane and your father is actually a vampire hunter, known as ‘The Unicorn’? Well, did you?”

“I’m actually telling you the truth…” Duke replied.

“Of course you would tell us the truth,” I interrupted. “But that would be the reason why you left because of how we do in the mission. The similarities! And how are you really his son when you don’t act like him?!”

“Act like him?” Duke asked before he glared at me with his red eyes that glows. “I’m nothing like my father, and I’m definitely nothing like you and how you do exactly the same thing that does remind me of him!”

“I’m nothing like my father!” I yelled, “I mean, I’m nothing like your father! Don’t put words in my mouth, buddy! Okay, can you believe this guy?! The man who doesn’t even know a thing or two of how to be a proper vampire.”

“As if you own me and the rest of your band!” Duke snapped, “You don’t own me anything! And you definitely don’t own anyone! You just seriously turned some of the human into vampires, so you won’t be alone in this big empty world!”

“What I do is none of everyone’s business but me and Edmund,” I replied while crossing my arms. “Not that you care about it.”

“True, but I do care about everyone’s safety when there’s a psycho blue girl is on the loose.” Duke replied, “You also don’t give a shit about everyone’s problems with their mortal life before you killed them!”

I felt offended by this, but kept my ground. “I never kill anyone and I do care about…”

“You killed them by biting their necks off with their own blood so you could mix them with yours!” Duke’s eyes glowed brighter and I noticed his fangs were getting sharpened which I was surprised by this. “I know what vampires can do, and I’m not stupid about it.”

“I dont have time for this,” I spoke and attempted to walk away when Duke grabbed me by the shoulder.

“Don’t walk away from…!” Duke growled when I quickly grabbed him and pinned him to the wall with my arm pressed against his chest, ignoring everyone gasping.

Duke struggled against my hold, his eyes filled with anger. I could feel his muscles tense beneath my grip, but I held firm, not letting him break free. The room fell silent as we stood there, locked in a tense standoff.

"Let me go," Duke snarled, his voice low and dangerous.

“Do not fucking try me!” I warned him with my eyes glow in red. “I made a mistake on turning you into a vampire, but I never made a mistake on everyone else, and I expect you and everyone to appreciate I do for them! You don’t know me and you don’t know anything about what others think!”

The tension in the room was palpable as everyone watched, unsure of what would happen next. Duke and I never had any relationship in talking or getting to know each other, but this was the first time things had escalated to this level.

“Stop it!” Edmund was able to pull me away from Duke by the waist, “Right now we need more information about the cane from Duke and his lady friend. Because the cane is in the hand of the female vampire with scars, and we have to do something as we do know that cane is highly dangerous.”

“Excuse me?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “You honestly think we’d let them staying here?”

“We could train them how to fight more,” Jaye spoke.

“And it’s a first time we could train Duke’s friend as a human,” Estevan replied with a smile.

“Well, me and Duke did study together of how to fight.” Missi replied nervously as everyone looked at her weirdly, “You know… Books? …that you read? And I know how to fight more before we eventually study them when I had a cane.”

I looked at Edmund, “You are seriously thinking we should let them stay?” I whisper.

Edmund looked me and nodded, “We have no choice, sir.” He whispered.

I sighed, placing my hand on my forehead. Then growled before speaking, “Alright. Jaye and Estevan will train Duke and Missi how to fight properly as real vampires, which means they’re staying here until we’ll be ready to find the vampire who gothic blue and had scars. And get that cane back.”

I walked away from the crowd as they welcomed Duke back and introduced Missi, I sensed Duke was still glaring at me but decided to ignore as Edmund followed me to my office.

“What was all that about?” Edmund asked.

“It was nothing,” I replied as I don’t want to talk about what happened.

“You honestly went on a blow on him,” Edmund mentioned. “Do you have any idea what would have happened if I hadn’t got involved in your fight with him?”

“It wasn’t a fight,” I said. “It was a simple argument that went a little too far.”

“Oh, a little?” Edmund asked before he grabbed my wrist. “Sir, we both know that we have to keep others safe from the cane that Duke and Missi mentioned. But we won’t protect them if you two fight.” He then sighed, “As much as I don’t like Duke, I sense that he changed because he had a companion who nearly suffered from the cane and he was willing to protect her from it. Just like you were willing to protect Queen Rapunzel.”

As much as I don’t want him to say my mother’s name to me, I didn’t have the energy to argue. I removed my wrist from Edmund’s grip and head toward the door of my office, opening the door and got inside before closing the door without Edmund says anything else.

I had my back against the door and sighed, placing my hand on my forehead and smoothing my hair from top to bottom before I looked at my mother’s satchel still lying on my desk. I don’t know why but I caught a sob in throat and before I knew it, I was sliding onto the ground and had my knees on my chest. Sobbing softly as I pulled my knees closer to place my head on top, I tried to not cry but I couldn’t…

🎶Flower, please gleam and glow with your delicate petals
Just for once, bring me back what once was mine in my heart🎶

Chapter Text

𝒜𝓇𝓉ℯ𝓂𝒾𝓈' 𝒫ℴ𝓋

🎶Flower, please gleam and glow with your delicate petals

I don’t know how long I cried for, but I was able to calm down and took few breaths before sighing of exhausted. Why does I end up crying after things have been too much to handle? First, it was grieving for my mother’s death and Eugene’s abuse for four years. Second, it was when I’ve finally felt free after leaving my home but knew I’d be alone. Third, it was when I had to save those who didn’t deserve to die but turning them into vampires for the first time in a while. And fourth…

I honestly don’t know now…

Let your healing gifted shine through your delicate petals

I looked at my mother’s satchel, still lying on the desk. I stood up and goes towards my desk and picked up her bag, opened it and saw her journal. I took her journal out of the bag and opened the book to see the last thing I wanted to see; the picture of Eugene tried to propose to my mother for the second time. “I don’t want to rush into marriage… I need more time. I do wish to marry Eugene… someday!”

Please, make the clock reverse one last time

I remembered the time my mother and Eugene told me about their three time proposals until the fourth one was official after they saved the world from the evil monster who threatened to use the sundrop and the moonstone to destroy everything they had with family and friends before me and my sister came to the world.

It was a story that always amazed me, hearing about their bravery and love for each other. I couldn't help but feel grateful for their sacrifices and the life they had built for our family. Their love story was like something out of a fairytale, and I was lucky to be a part of it…

Just for once, bring back what once was mine…🎶

⚔︎

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧
Many decades ago…

In the kingdom of Corana, Queen Rapunzel was holding her newborn baby boy after three hours of giving birth with her husband Eugene by her side along with their family and friends. Their daughter Elizabeth couldn’t wait any longer and climbed up onto their bed to get a closer look at her baby brother. Everyone were surprised by the baby boy’s long blond hair just Rapunzel had when she was a baby, both of them came to the world strong and healthy with beauty that shines through the world and the kingdom.

“He looked so strong,” Lance spoke.

“Yes,” the elderly doctor replied with a warm smile. “He took it from the Queen herself.

“He came to the world two months early,” Eugene said as he was worried about it.

“He is fine,” the elderly doctor said. “He is so healthy and couldn’t wait any longer to see the world himself.”

While everyone else were talking, the baby prince slowly waking up and opening his small eyes to reveal brown eyes just like his father, he looked around and all he could see was his mother’s paintings on the ceiling. His eyes widened in wonder and curiosity before letting out a joyful sounds that got everyone’s attention.

“Mama,” Elizabeth spoke. “He saw your paintings up the ceiling!”

“Yes, Lizzie.” Rapunzel chuckled, “And he had your eyes, Eugene.”

“He sure does,” Eugene said proudly. “He’s definitely going to take the side of my family for sure.”

“Yeah, if he stop staring at the paintings.” Cassandra rolled her eyes and smiled, “You really need to give your kids to adjust for a while before they start looking for their talents.”

“Yeah, I know.” Eugene said, “But I can’t believe that we got two beautiful kids before they might be troublemakers when they gets older.”

“But I’m only 4 and a half years old, Papa.” Elizabeth said with her arms crossed and tried to look upset. “And I’ve done no trouble at all!”

“Of course you haven’t,” Rapunzel chuckled before she noticed that her baby son was slowly looking at her with eyes full of curiosity. “Hello, little one. I’m your Mama and I promise I’ll look after you just like your big sister and your Papa.”

The baby recognise her as she was indeed his mother and began giggling while trying reach out to her with his tiny little hands, Rapunzel pulled her son closer to her face while placing their foreheads together as a bond between them was just beginning…

Tears welled up in Rapunzel's eyes as she looked into her son's innocent gaze, feeling a love unlike any she had ever known. Something tells her that he was something so special like a new star from the night sky that she wished every year on her birthday while watching the lanterns when she was in her tower for 18 years.

She whispered softly, "I will always protect you, my sweet little sunshine. You are my everything." The baby cooed in response, as if understanding every word his mother spoke.

And in that moment, Rapunzel knew that no matter what challenges they may face, they would always have each other. Their love was unbreakable, a bond that would last a lifetime. And as the sun began to set, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange, mother and son basked in the warmth of their newfound connection, ready to face whatever the future held together…

⚔︎

🎶We’re like warriors, we stood so strong

Rapunzel was painted herself, Cassandra and Eugene on her journal that looked similar to the picture that she made for Cassandra who tore a bit of Eugene out of the picture. Once she done, she spotted her 1 year old son Arthur taking his very first step while he was playing with her chameleon friend Pascal in paint which she giggled. She couldn't believe how fast he was growing up. As she watched him wobble around, she felt a surge of pride and joy.

She quickly grabbed a blank paper and a black ink pen to capture the moment, wanting to remember it forever. The sight of her son and her colorful chameleon friend playing together brought a smile to her face. She knew that this was just the beginning of many more precious moments to come.

Once she finished the sketch, she stood up from her desk, goes to Arthur and kneeling down to reach him. He notices this, and happily goes to his mother and both of them embrace while he got paint all over her dress which she doesn’t mind. Pascal sounds happily while climbing on the desk, Rapunzel goes to her desk and sat down on her chair before continuing to do her journal.

She opened her other journal that was for writing instead of painting pictures due to her duty as queen and picked up her ink pen and, ready to jot down her thoughts and memories from the day. As she began to write, she couldn't help but smile at the sound of Pascal playing around on the desk just to make Arthur laugh. The little chameleon was always full of energy and never failed to bring a smile to her and her son’s faces. With Pascal's cheerful presence in the room and Arthur’s curiosity sounds of course, Rapunzel felt inspired to fill the pages of her journal with all the beauty and wonder she found in her everyday life. It was moments like these that made her grateful for the simple joys that surrounded her.

But then baby claps and places his red painted hands on the page of Eugene’s face, nearly covering him. Rapunzel was surprised by this, but saying nothing as Cassandra came and checked out the page that Arthur was doing just in time. Cassandra smiled and patted Arthur’s head while Rapunzel looked a little annoyed but smiled at it. Despite her initial annoyance, she couldn't help but be charmed by the bond between Cassandra and Arthur. As they continued on their little journey, Rapunzel found herself growing closer to Cassandra and Arthur, forming a strong friendship that would last a lifetime.

“He’s such a little artist, hey Raps?” Cassandra laughed.

“He just took his first step,” Rapunzel smiled. “So, he would have took his first painting lesson.”

The girls then saw Arthur painting red hearts and added a red nose for Eugene’s near painted face, both of them laughed. Arthur had some sort of magic to bring laughter to his mom and aunt. It seemed like he always knew just the right thing to try to talk at a baby age or funny face to make to lift their spirits. His infectious laugh would fill the room, causing his mom and aunt to join in, forgetting their worries or their daily works for a moment. They cherished these moments with Arthur, grateful for his ability to bring joy into their lives.

His mom often said that he had a special gift, a way of brightening even the darkest days…

⚔︎

6 years old Arthur was on his mother’s lap as they were riding the horse named Max as they were racing with Eugene who had Elizabeth on his lap, they raced through the forest. When they reached the river, Max took a great leap while Rapunzel and Arthur holding on to him. They landed safely and little Prince bounced up and down in excitement, Rapunzel got off and took her son off Max’s back before she spins around.

“Best day ever!” Arthur happily cried out as his mother spin him around like he was flying, but then she pulled him with a big hug and dozens of kisses that got him to giggle.

Rapunzel puts her son down and he began running through the field of flowers, followed by his mother. The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the meadow. The little boy's laughter filled the air as he chased after a butterfly, his tiny legs moving as fast as they could. Rapunzel smiled as she watched her son play, his joy infectious.

As they reached the edge of the field, Rapunzel called out to her son to be careful near the forest. But the little boy was too caught up in his game to listen. He darted into the trees, disappearing from sight. Panic gripped Rapunzel's heart slightly as she rushed after him, calling his name frantically.

After what felt like an eternity, Rapunzel finally caught sight of her son. He was standing at the edge of a small pond, gazing at the reflection of the setting sun in the water. Relief flooded through her as she ran to his side, scooping him up in her arms.

"Mommy, look at the pretty colors," the little boy said, pointing at the shimmering water.

Rapunzel smiled, grateful to have found her son safe and sound. She then saw the tallest tree near the pond and pulled out her grappling hook, aiming to the tree and fired it. Once it got a good grip, Rapunzel took Arthur to her arms and clicked the button of the grappling hook that pulled them up to the tree.

Once they were top of the tree, Arthur’s eyes widened in wonder and excitement as he gazed at the view. Rapunzel looked at her little boy and smiled, feeling a rush of joy and pride at seeing him so happy. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as they took in the breathtaking scenery around them.

“I can see the big wall!” The little boy pointed at the wall few metres away from them.

“Yes, Arthur.” Rapunzel smiled, “Someday, your dad and I will take you and Lizzie to the world that we can explore together.”

“Really?” Arthur asked, her mother nodded.

The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over the treetops. The air was filled with the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. It was a moment of pure magic, a memory that would stay with them forever.

As they sat together, mother and son, high above the world below, Rapunzel knew that this was where they were meant to be. Together, they were a team, facing the challenges of life with courage and love. And as long as they had each other, they could conquer anything that came their way.

Later on, Rapunzel was singing a lullaby to Arthur and Elizabeth before Eugene joined her, the couple sang the last lyrics of the song before they tucked their kids in bed. The children drifted off to sleep, their dreams filled with the soothing melody of their parents' voices. As Rapunzel and Eugene watched over them, they felt a sense of peace and contentment knowing that their family was safe and together. The couple exchanged a loving glance before retiring to their own room, grateful for the blessings that filled their lives. And as the night fell softly around them, the kingdom was filled with the gentle sounds of a peaceful slumber.

⚔︎

9 years old Arthur was reading books in the library with Catalina and Angry, learning about history and magic. As they turned the pages of ancient tomes, a sense of wonder filled the room. The words seemed to come alive, painting vivid pictures in their minds.

Catalina pointed to a passage about the lost city of Atlantis, her eyes shining with excitement. "Do you think we could find it one day?" She asked eagerly.

Arthur and Angry exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with the thrill of adventure.

"Who knows," Arthur replied with a smile, "but with our knowledge and determination, anything is possible." And so, the trio delved deeper into the mysteries of the past, their imaginations soaring to new heights as they dreamed of the magical wonders that awaited them.

They would spent hours poring over ancient texts and artifacts inside the books with Elizabeth and Varain, piecing together the secrets of civilizations long forgotten. As they uncovered hidden chambers and decoded cryptic messages, their excitement grew with each new discovery. They marveled at the intricate designs of long-lost cities and marveled at the advanced technologies of bygone eras.

Later on, Arthur was looking for his dad who was helping Elizabeth with some royal duties as queen while his mom was having a meeting with the people of the Sevem Kingdom. As he wandered through the castle halls, he could hear the faint sound of voices coming from the throne room. Curious, he walked towards the room and peeked inside.

Arthur saw his father standing beside his grandparents Arianna, Frederick and Edmund, deep in conversation with his older sister Elizabeth. They were discussing matters of state and Arthur could see the seriousness in their faces. He watched for a moment, noticing that his sister was about to cry as his dad was scolding her, this made the young prince shocked by this. He had never seen his father looked so serious in such a harsh manner before.

“Lizzie,” Eugene spoke in a dark tone. “You should know better than that, you should never try and leave the wall of Corana so you could discover where the Golden Flower was planted.”

“I know, but…” Elizabeth spoje but interrupted when Eugene snapped.

“Don’t start with Cassandra telling you the story about it. Because it’s none of your business.” Their father crossed his arms.

“It is my business, Dad!” Elizabeth snapped. “I maybe be 13, but I’m not a child anymore and I can easy go on an adventure without everyone guarded me!”

“Lizzie,” Frederick spoke calmly. “You know it’s not safe out there at your age, you must stay here while you and your brother are safe.”

“I’m done being safe!” Elizabeth spoke, “I want to face the world!”

“You honestly think you could do what your mom did?!” Eugene asked angrily, “You’ll never be good enough for her!”

“Eugene!” Edmund spoke and Arianna gasped, followed by Elizabeth and Arthur.

Feeling a surge of protectiveness towards his older sister, the young prince stepped forward and spoke up. "Dad, please stop!” He said, his voice trembling slightly but his tone was bold.

His father and grandparents turned to him, surprise evident on their face.

The young prince stood his ground, determined to defend his sister. "She and I are just kids, we may not know any better. Please, don't be at us for being stubborn" he continued, his words came such wisdom.

His father's expression softened as he looked at his son. He realized the error of his ways and took a deep breath before speaking.

"You're right, Art. I shouldn't have been so harsh. It’s been a long day, you kids should go to bed as it’s getting late," he said, turning away and sighed.

The young prince looked concerned before taking Elizabeth’s hand and left the room, slightly relieved that he had been able to intervene and protect his sister.

Arthur spent the night with his sister, learning about the responsibilities of ruling a kingdom and the importance of serving its people from her during her classes just in case she might get bored and hand over to her brother for a day or two.

“Thanks for defending me, Art.” Elizabeth replied after reading a book with him. “You don’t have to do that…”

“You know I don’t like when Dad being too hard on you,” Arthur said.

“I know,” Elizabeth replied. “But it is what it is. And there’s nothing we can do about it, but kept trying for the kingdom.”

Arthur smiled and hugged his big sister, who smiled and hugged him back. They had a fantastic bond since Arthur was born and Elizabeth was so happy to be a sister to him, they never had a fight and they both taught each other the talent they had.

⚔︎

We beat the horror with your hopeful song

12 years old Arthur had no idea what was happening around him. He felt weak and tired at the same time, ignore the fact he was badly wounded in the chest; Some strange creatures were attacking the kingdom as the sun sets and they tried to harm the people, his dad and his crew were trying to fight off the enemies but they were too strong and way too fast.

One particular creature had already entered the castle and tried to harm Elizabeth and Rapunzel but thanks to his aunt’s training, Arthur was able to protect them from the monster who had dark brown hair and dark red eyes. As the creature lunged towards the the Queen and the princess, Arthur stepped in front of them, wielding his sword with confidence.

The monster roared in anger, its red eyes glowing with malice. But Arthur stood his ground, his determination unwavering. With a swift and precise strike, he thought he defeated the creature, saving his mother and sister from harm… but the creature had other plans as he brought his thugs to continue fighting. But then his dad and the other guards came into the throne room and that distraction made Arthur made one mistake as the leader of the creatures used his dark magic and aim to his mother.

In a split second decision, Arthur stepped in front of his mother, taking the hit meant for her. The dark magic burned through him, causing excruciating pain, but he stood his ground, determined to protect his family at all costs. He then felt his life slipping away as he collapsed, his mother and sister rushed to his side, and then his father took his sword and fight off the creature who dared to hurt his family.

His mother, tears streaming down her face, whispered to her son as Arthur goes in and out of consciousness, the last thing he heard before darkness consumed him, "I love you, Arthur, more than anything in this world. Please hold on, we will get through this together." Arthur's heart ached at the sound of his mother's voice, the love and fear evident in her words. As he drifted into unconsciousness, he held onto her words, finding strength in them. Deep down, he knew he had to fight, not just for himself, but for his mother, who loved him unconditionally. And with that thought, he surrendered to the darkness, determined to emerge stronger on the other side.

But then, he felt a sharp pain that went through his body. He gasped and that caught everyone’s attention, he was staring to shake violently while his mother hold him dearly. He felt cold and cried in pain, unaware that his skin was turning white and his teeth were bleeding from his mouth to make room for his newfound fangs. His hearing was getting too much as his ears were starting to get pointing, but then he gasped in relief as the pain went out.

He then woke up later after the battle, but barely breathing after as his family and friends were all watching him. They looked relieved but also concerned and terrified, Arthur then looked at the nearby mirror when he realised that his reflection was gone. He looked at his hands and looked shocked that they were white, but his hair was remained blonde and Angry mentioned that his brown eyes were now red.

Varain mentioned that the creature had turned him into a vampire, Arthur gasped. A vampire? He was a human for 12 years and now he became a vampire, he heard stories about them but he had no idea that they would be real. He couldn’t hear what everyone else was saying as his heart began to pound against his chest so fast, realising he was having a panic attack due to the sudden change.

The room seemed to spin around him, and he struggled to catch his breath. Desperately, he tried to focus on his breathing, taking slow, deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. The familiar sensation of fear and dread washed over him, and he knew he needed to find a way to regain control before it consumed him entirely. He got out of bed, ignoring his dizziness and everyone protested. He ran out of the room and began running out of castle, he ran as much as he could into the woods.

He didn’t know how long he ran or how he even got here without breaking the sweat, but here he was. The place where Dad found Mom… He needed to clear his head, he stopped where the tower was laid down due the dark times with the black rocks and this tower used to be his mom’s home for 18 years. He was surprised when the tower still survived the damage that took place as some of the paintings of Mom found very clear or not faded much.

He saw the broken mirror that shattered, his reflection was gone. He looked at his hands, shaking slightly as tears started to pour down from his eyes. He had become the very thing everyone might feared most - a creature of the night, doomed to feed on the blood of the living for eternity. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and he collapsed to the ground in despair. Tears streamed down his face as he grappled with the enormity of what had happened to him. He was no longer a human, no longer able to walk freely in the daylight. The weight of his new reality was almost too much to bear, and he cried out in anguish, mourning the loss of his former life. He knew that things would never be the same again, that he was now a vampire, forever changed.

⚔︎

A year later, everything weren’t the same anymore as everyone had feared him as a vampire. His mother refused to believe that he’s a danger to the kingdom and their family, even though he hadn’t hurt anyone since his rebirth in a vampire form. He often had his meals in his bedroom and won’t talk to anyone except Max, Owl, Ruddiger and Pascal, but what surprised him that he was definitely a vegetarian which means he won’t drink human blood and just eat raw meat that had blood on them. He was glad that the animals weren’t there to see him as he can be a feral sometimes but he learned how to control it.

He continued studying books and asked the royal staff to leave the books outside so they won’t get closer to him, but he wasn’t really a fool when his mom would come to his bedroom late at night when she thought he was sleeping and come to his bed and wrapped her arms around him. She doesn’t care about if he’s a vampire now, she still loved him as a son that a mother would protect him at all costs.

Her love for him was unconditional, transcending any physical or supernatural changes he may have undergone. She would stand by him, defend him, and support him no matter what. To her, he would always be her beloved child, and nothing could change that. She would do everything in her power to keep him safe and happy, even if it meant facing the challenges and dangers that came with his new identity. Her love knew no bounds…

Then one day, while he was reading a book on his desk, his mother came to the room and saw him.

“Arthur,” Rapunzel spoke. “I thought you would be in bed.”

Arthur looked up and checked the time, “Oh. I lost track of time because I was reading books again, but I should’ve known that you would come every night to comfort me in bed.”

His mom looked sheepish, “Oh. You knew, for how long?”

“Long enough for me to smell your scent of hazelnut, Mom.” Arthur stood up and put his book on the shelf, “You should get to bed as it’s late.”

“Arthur,” Rapunzel spoke as she walked slowly toward her son. “It’s been a year since you’ve become… this…”

“It’s fine,” Arthur said while trying to avoid eye contact. “I’m doing well, talking to the animals…”

“But you need to talk to your family,” Rapunzel pointed out. “I don’t like when everybody said that you’re dangerous when you’re not.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard what they said about me.” Arthur replied, “Aunt Cass told me that you slapped Dad for calling me a ‘Devil’s Child’ and that I’m nothing to you, Mom.”

Rapunzel was shocked before cursed under her breath, “Cass had no right to say that to you. And your father as well…”

“You did told me three days ago that I need to prove to everyone that I’m not dangerous and I had to go outside,” Arthur said. “But I can’t because I’m a vampire and…”

“Arthur,” Rapunzel got closer to her son and took his hand. “You are not a monster. You’re still my little sunshine, my baby boy. When I’ve finally got out of my tower, I felt free. You’ll be free if you get out of the castle and show them what you are, they’ll see that they were wrong about you.”

Arthur chuckled, “You’ve never gave up on me. Just like you’ve never given up on Cass.”

“Of course,” Rapunzel replied. “You and Cass meant the world to me, I love you until the end of time.”

Arthur smiled sadly, the thought of his mother might die means he’ll never see her again because he’s a vampire. Despite his abilities, he couldn't bear the idea of losing his mother. The thought of never being able to hold her hand, hear her voice, or feel her comforting presence was almost too much to bear. But he knew that it was inevitable, for vampires were immortal while humans were not.

Rapunzel sense his discomfort and hugged his son who hugged her back, “I promise that I’ll support you and protect you from whatever comes next. I won’t let anyone hurt you, I know someday… you’ll never be alone and you’ll find someone who accepts you… just like I do as you’re my little sunshine…”

As tears welled up in his eyes, Arthur made a silent promise to himself to cherish every moment he had left with his mother, knowing that their time together will soon be limited someday. And as he gazed out into the night while hugging his mother, he whispered. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, Arthur.” Rapunzel whispered, placing a kiss on his head.

⚔︎

14 years old Arthur, his mother, Pascal, Owl, Cassandra and Varian tried to keep everyone safe from the blizzard while his father, Lance and grandparents tried to fight out the creatures who had the opportunity to attack since they failed 2 years ago and got the young prince into a vampire.

While they head to the underground where they could stop the blizzard as the creatures made plans to stop summer, Arthur and the others found the Demanitus Device in a secret chamber at the end of the tunnels, and manage to activate it. The machine was about to work but the vibration of the machine causes some stones to fall and one of them stopped the gears and the creatures ambushed them which lead Cassandra and Varian to fight them off while Arthur and Rapunzel tried to fix the machine.

Rapunzel uses the ropes to lower Pascal to the gears but spotted a creature behind her, ready to strike her when her son rushed in and attacked the creature. The creature was much stronger than Arthur and he overpowered the Prince, Cassandra and Varain noticed it and tried to get to him to stop the creature but the other beast won’t let them. As Arthur struggled against the creature, he could feel his strength waning.

Rapunzel, with tears in her eyes, pull Pascal back up and rushed to save her son. Arthur was struggling to get up and saw the creature looming over and raised his spear, the Prince closed his eyes and ready for an impact. Nothing came. Confused, he opened his eyes and saw his mother and shocked to see that the spear went through her chest where her heart was.

“RAPS!” Cassandra cried out as tears goes up in her eyes, “NOO!!!”

Panic washed over him as Arthur tried to make sense of the horrifying scene before him. His mother's eyes met his, filled with pain and fear along with tears. The creature lifted her with the spear through her chest, she tried not to make a sound of pain and closed her eyes for another impact.

“MOM!!” Arthur cried out in tears.

Without thinking, he went completely insane and lunged at the creature while Rapunzel was laid on the floor bleeding out. He continued attacking the creature with his sword, his rage was the reason that blinding him after witnessing the horror. He was crying but he was angry at the same time, he wasn’t end to destroy the murderer who hurt his mother.

Everything went downhill and way too fast, Arthur was holding his mother as she was dying in his arms while Cassandra tried to stop the bleeding and Varian tried to fix the machine while avoiding the thought of blood.

The underground was filled with a sense of urgency and despair as they all worked frantically to try and save her. Tears streamed down Arthur's face as he tried to find words of comfort to his mother, knowing that she was slipping away before his eyes.

“Mom…” Arthur spoke, “Why did you have to come and save me? I can handle this, I promise I’d be fine.”

“I know, Arthur.” Rapunzel said weakly, “but I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you. You’re my baby, my little sunshine.”

“Mom,” Arthur replied. “I wanted to protect you and our family…”

“You did,” Rapunzel give a small smile. “And I’ve never been so proud of you.”

Cassandra's hands were shaking as she tried to apply pressure to the wound, her mind racing with thoughts of what they could have done differently to prevent this tragedy. Varian's brow was furrowed in concentration as he worked on the machine, his hands moving quickly and efficiently despite the chaos around him.

But despite their best efforts, it was too late.

“Mom, please stay with us.” Arthur replied, “I can’t do this without you. I can’t go on if you leave…”

“I’ll never leave you,” Rapunzel replied. “I promise you will be strong with me in your heart…”

“Mom…” Arthur spoke, more tears began flowing down.

“You’re my little sunshine, Arthur…” Rapunzel replied, “I love you and everyone else… Please, stay strong and have kindness in you…”

With a smile, Arthur's mother took one last shuddering breath, her eyes fluttering closed as she passed away in his arms. The room fell silent, the only sound the sounds of the machine that Varian had managed to fix.

Arthur clung to his mother's lifeless body, tears falling freely down his cheeks as he tried to come to terms with the loss. Cassandra and Varian stood by his side, offering silent support as they grieved together for the person who brought so much joy and love to their lives…

Meanwhile, Eugene grieved over his older daughter Elizabeth who was killed by a creature as they failed to protect her and some of the people in the blizzard. Despite the machine succeeded in stopping the storm, Eugene couldn't shake off the guilt of not being able to save his daughter. What worst that he lost his wife too!

Arthur spent sleepless nights replaying the events in his mind, wondering what he could have done differently. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his mom’s face, full of fearless and determined, yet fear and regret. The pain of losing her was unbearable, and Arthur struggled to find solace in the fact that the storm was finally over. He felt like he had failed as a son, unable to keep his mother or even his sister safe.

He could tell that his dad hated him for not protecting them during the storm or the fact that they were ambushed by those creatures who started the whole blizzard in the first place,

Every night, either one of them would sit by the fireplace, staring into the flames, lost in their thoughts. The memories of the girls’ laughter and bright smile haunted them, reminding them of the precious life that was taken too soon. Deep down, they knew that nothing could fill the void left by queen and princess’ absence.

As the days passed, Eugene became withdrawn and distant from the rest of the group. He couldn't bear to look at the other survivors, knowing that their lives had been spared while his wife and daughter’s had been taken away. The guilt and sorrow weighed heavily on his heart, consuming him from the inside out.

Wile Arthur was feeling more alone, despite his grandparents, Cassandra, Varian and Lance with his adopted daughters were there to comfort him. Cassandra felt disgusted with Eugene gave him a glance and walked away at Rapunzel and Elizabeth’s funeral, a father can’t even comfort his own son as if he’s the blame for their deaths that wasn’t really his fault.

He could see the disappointment in his father's eyes as they sat at the table during dinner. The crackling of the flames was the only sound in the room, creating a tense atmosphere between them. He knew his dad blamed him for what had happened, for not being able to keep his family safe.

But the truth was, he had tried his best. The storm had come out of nowhere, fierce and unrelenting, and they had been caught off guard. And those creatures, those terrifying creatures that had attacked them in the midst of the blizzard - how could he have known they would come?

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling the weight of his father's disappointment bearing down on him. He wanted to explain, to make his dad understand that he had done everything he could to protect them. But the words caught in his throat, suffocated by the guilt and shame that consumed him.

Then his father, now to be Eugene by his own son, spoke in the cold words; “What happened in the blizzard, stay in the blizzard. We have to move on and forget about what we’ve been through. But I can’t stand to look at you right now, you ain’t a son I know anymore and you should be dead instead of your mom or your sister.”

The words hit him like a punch to the gut, leaving him stunned and speechless. He had never imagined his father could say something so cruel and heartless.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he struggled to comprehend the betrayal once he left the room, he felt his eyes glowed with rage as he punched his wall after slamming the door shut and goes to his bed. How could his own father wish him dead? The man who had once been his hero, his protector, now stood before him as a stranger filled with hatred. For what, over the fact that he tried to save his mother and didn’t know what happened to his sister?

He gazed at the ceiling, his heart heavy with pain and confusion. He knew he would never be able to look at his father the same way again. The bond they once shared was shattered, irreparably damaged by those harsh, unforgivable words. And as he drifted into sleep, he knew that some wounds could never fully heal. Arthur couldn't find peace. He knew that he would never be able to move on from the loss of his mom and sister, and that the pain would always linger in his heart.

Rapunzel, his mother, mostly, would forever be a painful memory…

We promise to fix the world to make it right

⚔︎

𝒜𝓇𝓉ℯ𝓂𝒾𝓈' 𝒫ℴ𝓋
Many decades later…

When darkness finally meets the light🎶

I opened my eyes and tears seemed to fell down from my eyes and hits the pages, I trembled and sighed. Well, that thoughts about the past was for nothing. I was supposed to think about the happy memories that came with the darkest days of my life. Becoming a vampire and lost my mother, especially Eugene’s harsh words.

The image of her lifeless body haunted me as I placed my hands on my face, overwhelmed by grief and guilt. Sure I had failed to protect her, failed to keep her safe. And now, all I could do was recall that memory of watching helplessly as she slipped away from me, her spirit fading into the darkness.

I looked at the pages of myself holding my dead mother with aunt Cass and uncle Varain to try and comfort me, these two pages were the hardest thing I had ever draw them because I had to draw Eugene grieving for my sister as well.

Then I turn the pages where the funeral took place with Eugene walked away from me as I mourned my mother and sister, then the page of Eugene saying those words that hurt me so much; “He wished that I should be dead instead of Mom and Lizzie. How can he even say that to his own son? How can I fix this now…? What if this is the last time we ever talked?”

I then turned the pages until I stared at Duke and his ridiculous dance routine on the stage with Estevan and Jaye singing, I wasn’t pleased at Duke’s performance and neither did Edmund; We were shocked by how one man like Duke could dance. I drawn myself and Edmund’s shocked face as Duke dance on the stage while Estevan and Jaye sang as part of a karaoke night they hosted. “I left Duke with the others for one hour to do training, and this is what they’ve been up to?! Sometimes, I don’t know why I turn him into a vampire because he showed us that he is still a naive man who just wants to have fun. He really needs to understand that the world is a dangerous place; Dark, selfish… and cruel… Guess Aunt Cass might be like that while trying to protect my mother when they were young.”

I turned to the blank page, and brought out my black ink pen. After having thoughts on Duke came back with his friend Missi, I began to write on my mom’s journal. While I was writing, I glanced over to see my mom’s friendship bracelets that she made for her and aunt Cass. I sighed, and continued writing and then I drawn some doodles of Missi and Duke.

I looked at the window that showed the sun rising, I looked at the page and leave it to dry due to the ink. I stood up and went to my bed, taking off my shirt and getting under the covers. As I closed my eyes, I felt the weight of the night lifting off my shoulders. The softness of the sheets enveloped me in comfort, and soon I drifted off into a peaceful slumber. The gentle rhythm of my breathing filled the room as I let go of all my worries and allowed myself to relax completely. Sleep came quickly, and I welcomed its embrace, knowing that tomorrow would be a new day full of possibilities.

Chapter Text

ℳ𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒾'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

I’m often stay up all day and sleep all night, but now I’m sleeping all day and up all night like any vampires would do. Guess I have got used to it when I had the cane that turn me into a vampire; I remembered the pain and the confusion, but now it all feels like a distant memory.

The thirst for blood but I chose to drink red wine instead as it was closest thing to have for vampires, the eternal life that I imagined to have in the future - it's all become a part of who I was during having the cane in my hands before. I roamed the night, embraced my new identity and embraced the darkness within me. And as I look back on my human life, I can't help but feel grateful for the transformation that has given me a new lease on life. Being a vampire may have its challenges, but it has also brought me a sense of power and freedom that I never knew was possible. I was no longer afraid of the night.

But now, I have no cane and I’m stuck in my human self. I just laid there in the coffin-like bed next to Duke who placed his purple cape over me to keep me warm, feeling grateful for his gesture of kindness. The room was dimly lit with the curtains had holes on them that tried to cover the sunlight from outside, with only a flickering candle casting eerie shadows on the walls. Outside, the wind howled and rain beat against the windows, creating a haunting soundtrack to the night that soon followed the daytime. Well, this is a crunch that was abandoned for sure. Way abandoned than Duke’s castle that I arrived three years ago.

Despite the unsettling atmosphere, I found myself drifting off to sleep, comforted by Duke's presence beside me. His steady breathing and the gentle rise and fall of his chest were a soothing rhythm that lulled me into a peaceful slumber.

As I closed my eyes, I whispered a silent thank you to Duke for his another unexpected act of generosity. In that moment, I knew that no matter what challenges or dangers lay ahead, I had a loyal friend by my side who would always have my back. And with that comforting thought, I let myself surrender to the darkness and dreams that awaited me in day…

🎶Since I don’t know what I’m doing
And there might be far to go
I’ll imagine that I’m braver
Braver than I know

The next night was where the training began as me and Duke found ourselves with our new outfits that would be suitable to fight. Estevan and Jaye were so nice to me since I was Duke’s friend who their friend two several years ago before I came along. We all gathered in the training room, ready to start our journey towards becoming skilled fighters.

Duke and I stood side by side, ready to learn and improve our abilities. Estevan and Jaye took the lead, showing us various techniques and strategies for combat. They were patient and encouraging, guiding us through each step of the training process.

Jaye was quite a show off and deadly at the same time as she was willing to fight against few of the vampires who easily knocked out or tried to avoid her vicious attacks, which Duke and I were nervous about it but noticed Estevan was adoring her since they were a couple. As we watched her fighting with the vampires just to show us how to do if we’re get on her level, Jaye's skill and agility were unmatched. She moved with grace and precision, striking down her enemies with ease. Sometimes speed which she didn’t catch a break unless Estevan gave her a drink for support, and she quickly thanked him with a kiss on the cheek.

Despite our initial concerns, it was clear that Jaye was more than capable of holding her own in a fight. Her confidence and strength were impressive, and it was easy to see why Estevan was so enamored with her. As the dust settled and some of the vampires lay defeated at her feet, Jaye turned to us with a triumphant smile.

"I told you I could handle myself," she said, her red eyes sparkling with pride. And we had to admit, she had proven herself beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was worried about. Jaye was a force to be reckoned with, and we were lucky to have her train us.

“She makes it so easy,” I said nervously.

“I bet she enjoys being herself and proves that she’s a fighter to never be messed with,” Duke replied.

“Yeah,” Estevan sighed. “Isn’t she the best?”

Duke then stood up as it was his turn to try his skills, but I noticed him hesitating to grab the axe from the weapon cupboard and that serious look on his face. I could tell that he was feeling a little bit nervous or somehow pressure to show what he had in front of the other vampires. Taking a deep breath, he finally reached for the axe and stepped forward to face the target.

Every time I start to tremble
Knowing this is not a dream
I'll remind myself I'm braver
Braver than I seem

“Take your time, Duke.” Estevan said, “We’re counting on you.”

“Yeah,” Jaye nodded. “Let’s see what you got.”

With a determined and yet serious expression, he swung the axe with all his might, hitting the bullseye nearly in the center. The other vampires gave a small cheers and applause, congratulating Duke on his first impressive display of skill. Duke's face slightly lit up with a small smile of satisfaction, knowing that he had proven himself in the eyes of his peers. It was a moment of triumph for him, and I couldn't help but feel proud of his small accomplishment.

He grabbed the axe and turned to see some of the vampires wanted to help him train his skills. With their supernatural speed and strength, they would make perfect sparring partners. Duke was unsure about it, but he was willing to give it a try for the axe he held in his hands. As he swung the axe, they dodged and countered with lightning-fast moves, pushing him to his limits. The vampires' guidance and expertise were invaluable, and he soon found himself improving by leaps and bounds. Together, they honed his abilities until he was a force to be reckoned with. Grateful for their assistance, he knew he could always count on his vampire allies to push him to be the best fighter he could be.

But what really impressed me was that he had read some of the books that showed reference guides to fight that I picked out for him to study since we both had a fight three years ago; Twice or few small banters with arguments before and after. He was smooth to dodge, blocking the attacks and somehow sense the danger came closer to him.

“Never thought he would be able to fight more,” Jaye said.

“How did he got out of his shell?” Estevan asked, looking at me curious.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. It had been three years since that night at the nightclub, but the memory was still fresh in my mind. I wasn't sure if I could bring myself to tell them about the fight, especially since I had been holding a cane at the time.

As I hesitated, my new friends looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to speak. I could feel the weight of their gaze, urging me to open up. Finally, I gathered my courage and began to recount the events of that fateful night.

I told them about the showdown that Duke invited me to the dance which we had a great time at first, but then I knew he was trying to poison me with red wine after trying to received the cane. All this had escalated into a physical confrontation. I described how I had grabbed the cane in a moment of anger after he slapped me and used it to defend myself. I confessed to feeling guilty about my actions, even though I knew it had been a moment of desperation.

Then, it was yesterday when the female vampire attacked us and took the cane. I was scared to get killed as she was craving for something that I had and won’t let anyone touch the cane if I still in my vampire form, knowing full well that it was dangerous as me and Duke was going to figure out what was happening. It did almost drive me to go insane but I was trying to control it, and Duke kept an eye on me just for safety reasons because he knew I was in danger.

The female vampire almost killed me, but Duke came in and saved my life. Him saving me was a big thing for me after everything we had been through. I just couldn't believe he risked his own life to protect me. Duke had proven once again that he was willing to do whatever it takes to keep me safe. And for that, I would always be thankful.

As I finished my story, I braced myself for their reactions. To my surprise, they didn't judge me despite they looked shocked in the eyes but was impressed that Duke was getting used to fight than he was offended by doing so due to vampire nature, of course. And instead, they offered me their support and understanding. In that moment, I realized that true friends would stand by you, no matter what mistakes you had made in the past.

Feeling relieved and grateful, I thanked them for listening and for accepting me despite my flaws. I knew that they would help me and Duke no matter what, I can tell that they were impressed with us fighting each other at the nightclub. I don’t know why they were teasing us as if we’re a couple when we’re not, we’re just friends/enemies.

It’s so annoying how most of the people always assume that a guy and a girl can’t just be friends without any romantic feelings involved. But maybe there’s a reason why we’re always bickering and getting on each other’s nerves. Maybe there’s a thin line between love and hate, and we’re toeing that line without even realizing it. Or maybe we’re just two stubborn individuals who can’t stand to admit that there might be something more between us. Either way, I can’t help but wonder if there’s some truth to those teasing comments after all.

Anyway, we need to focus on the training as I noticed Artemis was actually watching us from above.

His gaze made me feel nervous but also a sense of determination to push myself harder, to prove that I will be worthy of his attention. And I’ll help Duke as well as I was seeing him pushing himself to fight more despite his exhausted and other vampires were trying tell him to slow himself down as they looked concerned about him.

I go towards him and he nearly collapse onto me when I took a hold on him, keeping his balance. His eyes were glazed over and his breathing was labored. I supported him as we slowly make our way to a nearby bench. Other vampires decided to have a break as Estevan and Jaye kept their close eye on us.

Duke slumps down, exhausted and weak. "Are you okay?" I ask, concern evident in my voice.

He looked up at me, a grateful expression on his face. "Thank you," he whispers. "I don't know what happened. I just suddenly felt dizzy and weak." He placed his hand on his shoulder where the female vampire bit him.

I hand him a bottle of water and help him take a few sips. "You probably just need to rest and hydrate. Do you need me to call someone for you?"

He shakes his head. "No, I think I'll be okay. Thank you for helping me."

I sit with him for a while, making sure he's feeling better before I leave. As I walk away, I can't help but feel grateful that I was able to be there for him in his time of need. It's moments like these that remind me of the importance of helping others and being there for those in need.

Yes, I maybe feeling nervous about living in the abandoned church than I thought the castle was abandoned. But now, I’ll find a way to be brave without the cane that made feel confident enough to fight back against those who hurt me. I had to do it without it all by my own…

This church’s full of noises
And it seems to have no end
But I'm not giving up as I promised to my friend

I will stand tall on my own two feet, knowing that I am strong enough to face whatever challenges come my way. I will no longer rely on external sources of strength, but instead, I will draw from the courage that lies within me. I am capable, I am resilient, and I am ready to take on the world with a newfound sense of determination. I am no longer defined by my past, but by the strength and bravery that I possess in the present.

If we smile at shapes and shadows
If we laugh when vampires roar
Bit by bit, we grow much braver
Braver than before

For the next night after the training, as I continued to practice my moves, I could feel Artemis’ eyes on me, analyzing every step and every strike. He was known for his strict training methods and high standards from Edmund, and I knew that if I wanted to impress him, I needed to give it my all just Duke was despite Artemis’ disapproval. With his watching, I pushed myself to the limit, determined to show him what I was capable of.

As the night went on, we practiced tirelessly, honing our skills and pushing ourselves to the limit. Despite the physical exhaustion, we were determined to succeed and become strong fighters. By the end of the night, we were all exhausted but satisfied with our progress.

Just then, Artemis finally descended from her perch and approached us.

"Impressive," Artemis said, his voice cool and composed. "But you still have much to learn."

We both nodded, grateful for his acknowledgment but also understanding that we still had a long way to go. With Estevan and Jaye as our mentors, I knew that we were in good hands and that, with hard work and dedication, we could become like warriors we needed to get the cane back from the female vampire. Bit by bit, we’ll grow stronger and braver than before…

When I'm standing in the sunshine
And my fearful journey's through
I'll be glad that I was braver than I knew

I knew that this training was just the beginning of our journey, but I was excited to see where it would take us. I felt confident that we could overcome any challenge that came our way. Together, we were a formidable team, ready to face whatever obstacles lay ahead.

I'll be glad that I was braver
Braver than I knew
Braver than I knew🎶

⚔︎

𝒟𝓊𝓀ℯ'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

I was in the bathroom with thoughts in my head, I looked at the mirror that showed no reflection of mine but I easily imagined my reflection was there. I took off my purple shirt and noticed that the bite marks on my shoulder, where the blue gothic girl bit down during our fight, had silver-blue veins that spread small around the blade of my shoulder.

The veins seemed to be pulsing slightly, almost like they were alive. I touched them gingerly, feeling a strange tingling sensation spreading through my body. I shuddered at the sight, wondering what kind of strange power this girl possessed to leave such marks on me. She’s a vampire, so I probably going to have a different side effect later than sooner since Artemis bit my neck several years ago and it did took me to a near death experience before a sharp pain took over me to transform.

Then I watched in awe as the veins began to glow softly, illuminating the dark room with an eerie light. I could feel a surge of power coursing through me slightly, as if I had tapped into some hidden reservoir of energy. It was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I knew that my life would never be the same all over again…

I quickly covered the marks with a bandage, hoping to hide them from prying eyes under my shirt. But as the hours passed, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was changing within me. The silver-blue veins seemed will soon be spread, creeping up my neck and down my arm. I ended up feeling a strange energy coursing through my veins, a power that I might not quite understand.

I shook my head and left the bathroom, looking for Artemis. Since four days ago me and Missi came to the church, he did nothing but keeping his distance from us as usual. It was as if he was avoiding any interaction with us and the rest of the vampires including me, always finding a way to slip away whenever we tried to approach him or even talk to him. Despite our efforts to engage him in conversation, he remained aloof and detached.

Then again, when I first came to the church years ago; He had always been so strict and always keeping distance from any of us like he doesn’t seemed to care about what’s going on. Often to roll his eyes when I’m doing something dumb and make other vampires laugh at my personality which was trying to fight or showing off my style of goth or anything that looked sexy. He kept telling us that the world isn’t all fun and games with confetti and cupcakes. Bullshit…

I mean, he does saved us some of the time during missions that I heard. Not to mention my first mission was hunting werewolves when I couldn’t bring myself to kill them and one of them almost killed me when Artemis just jumped in and saved me.

The problem was that he never smiled! It was as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, never allowing himself a moment of joy or happiness. I often wondered what his past life was like that somehow haunted him, what past traumas had shaped him into the man he had become. Despite his lack of a smile, I couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for him. His bravery, his skill, his unwavering dedication to our cause - all of these qualities made him a formidable ally.

I mean, I did had a crush on him when I first met him years ago, to be honest…

Suddenly, I heard a soft melody that came in my pointing ears and felt a warmth that went through my entire body. As if, I felt fully healed after the training I put myself through. I turned to the door next to me as I had no idea I was walking so much through the hallway, no one was around and I gazed at the door that was painted green. I heard that soft melody again and this time, it was getting clearer…

🎶Flower, gleam and glow
Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine🎶

Chapter Text

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧

Duke was in Artemis’ office which he wasn’t supposed to when he entered the room, but the door was opened and he spotted there were tons of papers and pens on the desk. He listened to a soft melody again, he looked around and closed the door, going towards the desk and lights up the candle nearby before he took the seat on Artemis’ chair.

He noticed a blue-green gemstone necklace on the table that had four or six points that he could tell that necklace was a star despite it look like a diamond, it glows in a cool colour and Duke can’t help but grabbing it to get closer look at it. As he held it in his hand, he could feel a strange energy emanating from the necklace. It seemed to pulse with a mysterious power, drawing him in deeper. Duke couldn't resist the temptation to put it on, feeling a surge of power as he did so.

He thought he felt nothing until he saw the mirror and was shocked to see his human reflection on it, he stood up from the chair and got closer to the mirror. He turned himself into a human, he thought he was dreaming but he looked down at his hands and realised that he’s not. Pale normal human skin, no longer white sharp vampire skin. He looked at the reflection again and saw his ruby brownish red eyes. The necklace he’s wearing somehow made him human, he placed his fingers on the gemstone.

Feeling a surge of the human’s warmth course through his veins. It was as if the necklace held some sort of magic, transforming him into a being of flesh and blood. As he stood there, he could feel his heart beating in his chest, his lungs filling with air. He looked down at his hands, amazed at their warmth and texture. It was a strange and wondrous sensation, to be truly alive.

Suddenly, he had flashbacks when he was human years before coming to the church where he got bitten by Artemis and that’s where he had died in the alley before transforming into a vampire. The memories flooded back to him, overwhelming his senses as he relived the moment of his death. The pain, the fear, the darkness closing in on him as he took his last breath as a human.

He remembered the sensation of Artemis's fangs piercing his skin on his neck, the rush of power and energy that surged through him as he was reborn as a creature of the night. The hunger that consumed him, driving him to seek out his first victim and feed on their life force. But he had a way of fighting back the urge of biting everyone and took their blood, he wasn’t that kind of vampire to harm everyone unless he quote ‘Women are for fucking and men are for sucking.’

But along with these memories came a sense of loss and regret. He missed his humanity, the warmth of the sun on his skin, the taste of food and drink but Missi managed to help him after studying that he might be a fruit bat just like her when she had a cane, the touch of another's hand. He longed for the life he had left behind, even as he embraced his new existence as a vampire.

As the flashbacks faded, he was left with a deep sense of melancholy. He wondered if he would ever find peace, if he would ever truly belong in this world as a creature of darkness. He hesitate to take the necklace off, but he finally did and he turned back into a vampire. He looked at the necklace and held it to his chest, feeling the comfort where his heart was.

The star-shaped diamond was closer to his key where he wear it as a necklace, and he’s unaware that the key was shimmering a bit as it was trying to clean the rust on it. The key was a gift from his mother, passed down by her father who was given by his mother; The key was a reminder of the love, responsibility, wisdom and strength of the women who came before him. As he closed his eyes and let the memories wash over him, he knew that he carried a piece of her legacy with him always.

He remembered when he was only five years old, his mother gave him the key to cherish it as a necklace. His mother had told him that it was a symbol of their family's history and the importance of keeping their traditions alive. Especially now she was married to the Wildstar after was born on their prom night, watching their wedding at age 1.

Their love story was one for the ages, filled with twists and turns that only brought them closer together. From that magical prom night when they first laid eyes on each other, to the moment they exchanged vows in front of their friends and family, their bond only grew stronger with each passing day. He smiled at the thought that he believed his parents were prom king and queen while he was born as a prom prince, wishing it was on Valentine’s Day instead of the next day.

As he grew older, Duke never took the key off. It became a part of him, a reminder of where he came from and the values that his family held dear. Every time he looked at it, he felt a sense of pride and connection to his roots. But sometimes, he would feel like he wanted to earn something greater than it was just a gift. He wanted to prove that he was more than irresponsible person that he believed that his father was disapprove of his decisions in life, but he felt determined to change him for once in life.

And as he looked at the key now, he realized that its true value was not in its material worth, but in the memories and love that it held. It was a symbol of his past, present, and future, a reminder of the legacy that he carried with him wherever he went. And he knew that as long as he had the key, he would always have a special place in his heart.

He spotted a bag that had painted decorations of flowers with a pink wooden bird on it, Duke goes towards the desk before putting the star necklace on the table and picked up the bag and looked inside it. He sat down the chair as he took out a book that was handmade painted of animals and forest theme in different bright colours.

Why does Artemis have such girly stuff like that? Duke opened the book and saw the words ‘There is more in you’ in french before it said ‘love mother’ on it, he traced his finger on the word ‘mother’ before looking at the next page that got a man looking disappointed at night by the window.

Duke then turned another page and another. While he was looking through the pages, he noticed some of them looked colourful between adventurous and dangerous as colours seeme to show themes of the events that happened. Bright and dark, happiness and sadness, day and night, healing and hurt…

He kept going while spotting a young woman with a long blonde hair looking sad at the palace that were covered with snowflakes as a sign of the snow blizzard; ‘…every choice I have made has been to help my people… it is much a responsibility! My dear Pascal, who means so much to me, was in great danger! It has been such a challenging day for me! This is all a big responsibility, and I know they’re counting on me… I hope that I have made the right decision! I only want what is best for everyone in our kingdom!’

Duke saw her looking happy as the lanterns flew overhead with the wall broken and the words ‘With the wind in my hair… I’m going to explore the world!’ across the page. ‘Next stop anyway! There’s so much adventure out there waiting for me and my friends!’

Duke continued to look at the pages of the man tried to propose to her, she laying down on the flower field, her and her parents, she having a hot-air balloon adventure both good times and bad, woman with the blue hair and black spikes around her, two women had a battle and everyone was having a celebration…

Duke then saw the pages of a boy with blonde hair just like the young woman had, but he had brown eyes. His hairstyle, however, looked exactly like… Artemis?! That boy was Artemis as a child, a human?! That’s when he realised that Artemis was a son of the woman who turned out to be a royal princess. He was once a human at birth before becoming a vampire!

‘My little sunshine! He somehow brightened my day when I’m feeling sad with his little smile, he means so much to me and I’ll do anything for my baby!’ Artemis as a child giving his mom the cutest smile ever with flowers around them.

Duke was shocked, eyes widened and trying to get some thoughts on him; Artemis was a human prince? He was happy? He used to smile? He had a family? He kept this journal that belonged to his mom, after all these years? Why would he hide this from them? Wait, scratch that… why would he open up like this? Wait, scratch that again… it’s soooo confusing to Duke. He looked at the pages again, looking carefully at the details that his mom might have been drawing or painting about those events that happened in the past.

Artemis, his parents and his older sister named Elizabeth, or Lizzie for short, were happy together until he noticed that the woman had painted her son turning into a vampire that caused the people of the kingdom feared him. But his mother wasn’t scared of him because she loved him so deeply that she doesn’t care about his appearance or that he’s immortal. Artemis became a vampire when he was 12, but sadly lost both of his mother and sister when he was 14 during another snow blizzard. Four years of abuse from his father that led him into what he was now, Artemis even painted or draw the blank pages that his mother couldn’t completed and still going as he turned the pages.

He looked at Artemis’ drawings were different from his mother; Hers was colourful while his was often black, blue, red and green but added yellow for his hair. He looked at the pages of Artemis grieving his mother’s death by hugging her dead body, then he looked at the pages where the funeral took and noticed his father turned away as if he was ashamed of Artemis. ‘He wished that I should be dead instead of Mom and Lizzie. How can he even say that to his own son? How can I fix this now…? What if this is the last time we ever talked?’

The pages then shifted to where Artemis unleashed his vampire powers as he finally snapped and was able to defeat his father with the help of his uncles and aunt who knew this wasn’t right to blame someone who was trying to protect the kingdom. ‘I don’t know what got into me, but I knew I had to do something as this had gone too far. But I also knew that this might be the last time I’ve ever seen Eugene, whose he had no right to be called ‘father’, again and finally walking forward to my new dream for the future…’

Duke was surprised that Artemis’ real name was Arthur Fitzherbert; definitely a royal prince alright, and handsome too during his human appearance as a teenager. Artemis used to smile that looked just like his mother…

And actually… he almost did smile one time years ago as he remembered… when Duke, Estevan and Jaye were having a karaoke show where Duke performed a dance which Artemis wasn’t pleased about it, leaving the crowd and left Edmund alone to watch the show. He did noticed that Artemis never left, just as he was about to… he just standing there in the back of the room while no one was looking, watching his performance.

His did intense gaze made him nervous, but Duke couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement at the thought of him watching him. Sure, he did focus on his routine, despite Artemis’ presence was distracting. As he finished his performance, he couldn't help but steal a glance at Artemis. Their eyes met briefly, and he saw a hint of a small smile on the former prince’s lips before he turned and disappeared into the crowd…

Duke slowly understood why Artemis was like this now; His father abused him for four since ever since his mother and sister’s deaths after the snow blizzard. He destroyed his own son’s life that his wife had made him with love, he even wished that his son should be dead! Duke was feeling disgusted by Artemis’ father treated him because of that, he saw a picture of his father holding a large seal. Duke, unaware his left hand was clenched into a fist, glared at the picture with his eyes glowing red.

He continued reading the journal where Artemis and his father’s battle against each other; After Artemis won the battle, he decided to leave his hometown which was the kingdom as he believed that he doesn’t seem to belong there anymore because of his appearance as a vampire.

His grandparents accepted his decision and he went on the adventure just like his mom did. ‘They weren’t happy about my decision, but Grandfather Fred agreed to let me go as he once did with my mother. I promise them that I will make them proud, no matter what happens next…’

Duke thought about his father, he took out his pocket to reveal the photo him and his parents. He looked at the picture of Artemis’ refusal to write letters to his father when he kept sending him those letters, the former prince didn’t even read any of them. Duke felt the same was as he didn’t read his dad’s letters when he tried to reach out to him…

Artemis’ father tried to reach out to his own son… Duke’s dad tried to reach out to him…

Duke closed the journal for a moment and then sobbed slightly, his mind filled with memories and emotions. Duke couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness wash over him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought about all the pain and hurt that had led him to this moment. He knew that he needed to confront his past in order to move forward, but the journey ahead seemed daunting and overwhelming. Duke took a deep breath and wiped away his tears, he opened the journal and saw the words ‘there is more in you’ in french…

Plus Est En Vous…

He looked at the rest of the desk that got the papers stacked up next to the ink pots, he sighed as he couldn’t believe what he was going to do. He moved the journal to the side and took several papers that had Artemis’ mother’s paintings of the sun and the moon with stars and flowers on them, grabbing a red ink pen from the ink pot.

After hesitating, Duke began writing. Writing to his father was the last thing he wanted to do. They hadn't spoken in years, ever since the falling out over their decisions to what they want in their lives differently.

But as he sat down with pen in hand, he knew it was time to mend the broken relationship. With a deep breath, he began to pour out his thoughts and feelings onto a paper or two. He also wrote down about his mistakes when he found the cane and what he discovered about it, the female vampire attacked him and Missi, and where to find them as he needed his dad’s help. It was a cathartic experience, and by the time he finished, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

“Hey Father (or Dad),

Throughout my life, I’ve always thought that I was a disappointment to you and I’ve always making mistakes as much as you might have done so. But I was wrong about you don’t care about me or Mom, and that you were trying to protect us from what you’ve seen which I don’t understand, but Mom does. But now, I do understand that I’ve made a huge mistake that was already too late… But I promise you that I’m trying to fix this.

The letter that you left me when I got back from years of running away, I burned it without even looking at it. I was depressed at the time, but that was no excuse… Then I heard the strange sounds from the graveyard where I discovered the cane… yes, you said that vampires would hear the music like a virus that spreads from other places. And… Well… I’m a vampire… But ever since I had this cane, I couldn’t help but feel something was off as its nearly corrupted my friend Missi whose a human, but turned into a vampire when she holds the cane. She mentioned that something was possessing her to go insane and she tried to control it.

It’s been three years since we tried to figure out, but now another female vampire who dresses black and blue along scars took the cane and we’re in the church where I turned into a vampire by Artemis. I discovered something sinister about the cane after having a vision when I stared at the cane. It was when I noticed the stuff (like the fight for example) I had no idea how I was capable of doing so while trying to protect Missi from the female vampire…

I don’t know how much to say, but I’m trying to be safe as you wanted me to and I need to be wiser about it. But I am sorry that I was careless and never listened to you, but I needed you ever since Mom died and I still need you now. I… I forgive you and love you, no matter how different we were. If we have to save each other’s skin and everyone else’s from whatever the cane is doing, we have to work together as human and vampires need to put their differences aside. Rather Artemis likes it or not.

I need you, Dad… please, come back and find me in the church where you went missing… I’ll be waiting…

Love,
You son Daniel (Aka, Duke)”

He sealed the letter with a decorated envelope, hoping that his father would be open to reconciliation. He stood up from Artemis’ chair and head towards the door, leaving the office, holding a letter in his hand.

He was nervous about what he dad was thinking about now that he was going to deliver the letter to him, but he needed to do it. He needed his dad back more than anything…

Chapter Text

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧

To Jaye, it’s been six days since Duke and Missi came to the church and began their training together in the hope of getting the cane back from the mystery female vampire who ambushed them. So far, Duke seemed to be better with the training as he used the axe to fight with it, and Missi was the intelligent one with the dagger and a sword after she told Jaye and Estevan about her fight with Duke at the nightclub three years ago.

Jaye decided to take her boyfriend Estevan and their friends Duke and Missi somewhere where they could explore more outside of the church; Somewhere peaceful, somewhere exciting, somewhere… that you would let the wind blow through your hair.

Jaye begged Edmund to let her and the other three have a break for a night and promised to be back once the sun came up multiple times until he finally accepted, much to Jaye’s joy despite Edmund’s annoyance at being nagged all night.

After some discussion, Jaye and the others settled on a small walk before taking the bus that headed to the nearby mountains. The four friends grabbed some supplies just in case, loaded up their backpacks, and set off on their small adventure for the night. As they got off the bus and walked higher and higher into the mountains (before Jaye, Duke and Estevan turned into bats and the two boys took Missi by the arms to lift her up to the air), the air became crisper and the views more breathtaking.

They found a secluded spot with a stunning view of the valley below. The wind whipped through their hair as they stood on the edge, taking in the beauty of nature around them. Jaye felt a sense of peace and freedom wash over her, grateful for this moment with her loved ones.

Even though she liked her life in the church, she couldn’t help but enjoy to go out both day and night to catch the air of freedom and nature. She couldn’t believe that she would be the only vampire who can walked free on the light of day because she had darker skin, Estevan said that she had special skin that was magical to him.

She remembered the time when she became the vampire and kept staring at the sun before going to sleep, all the vampires thought that she was odd because of her skin. But then she decided to stepped out into the sunlight, much to everyone’s shock and confusion as she wasn’t burning into ashes. She literally felt a surge of power and freedom coursing through her veins. The rays of the sun seemed to dance and shimmer on her skin, causing a beautiful array of colors to reflect off of her. The other vampires watched in awe as she moved effortlessly through the daylight, basking in the warmth and light that had once been forbidden to her kind. With each step she took, she knew that she was breaking barriers and defying expectations. And as she looked back at Estevan with a smile, she knew that her special skin truly was a gift that set her apart in the most magical way.

As the moon hung over them, they sat around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and sharing stories. Duke strummed his guitar, filling the air with music as they laughed and enjoyed each other's company.

🎶Seems like I've spent my whole life hoping
Dreaming of things I've never tried
Tangled in knots just waiting for my time to shine

Missi was reading her book, sitting next to Duke and listening to him playing his guitar. The soft strumming of the strings filled the nature around the campfire with a sense of tranquility. Duke's fingers danced effortlessly across the frets, producing a melody that seemed to harmonize perfectly with the words on the pages in front of Missi.

As she turned another page, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She couldn't help but feel grateful for moments like these, where the world seemed to slow down and everything felt right. Duke glanced over at her, a warm smile in his eyes as he continued to play.

Lost in the music and her book, Missi felt a sense of contentment wash over her. She closed her eyes, letting the music and words envelop her in their embrace. In that moment, she knew that she was exactly where she was meant to be.

What if the doors began to open?
What if the knots became untied?
What if one day, nothing stood in my way
And the world was mine?
Would it feel this fine?

Jaye and Estevan looked at the two, Missi reading a book and Duke playing the guitar. They looked at each other, smiling at the couple. The scene was peaceful and filled with a sense of contentment. Jaye couldn't help but see how cute it was as she watched Duke strumming the strings of the guitar, his fingers moving effortlessly across the fretboard. While Missi was reading the book, resting her head on Duke’s shoulder that caught the vampire to smile lovingly at her.

Estevan noticed his girlfriend’s expression and squeezed her hand gently. Jaye smiled at him, grateful to have him in her life; They both can tell that Duke was also grateful to have a human girl in his life. She knew that their relationships were special in its own way, and she didn't need to compare it to anyone else's.

As Missi turned a page in her book and fixed her glasses, Duke looked up and caught Jaye and Estevan’s eyes. He rolled his eyes at them when he noticed that their eyes can tell what was happening, before he decided to leave it and returning his focus to the music.

"Let's go for a walk," Estevan suggested, standing up and offering Jaye his hand. She took it, feeling a rush of love for him as they walked away from the couple with the guitar and the book. Together, they wandered through the woods, enjoying each other's company and the simple beauty of the night.

Jaye and Estevan walked before they decided to turned into bats just to play chase through the sky and the branches of the trees. The couple flew gracefully through the night sky, their bat forms allowing them to move swiftly and effortlessly. They darted between the branches of the trees, playing a game of chase that only they could fully enjoy.

‘Cause I got the wind in my hair
And a gleam in my eyes
And an endless horizon
I got a smile on my face
And I'm walking on air

And everything life oughta be
It's all gonna happen to me out there
And I'll find it, I swear
With the wind in my hair

The moonlight cast a silvery glow on their sleek bodies as they swooped and soared, their laughter echoing through the cool night air. For a brief moment, they were free from the constraints of their human forms, reveling in the freedom and exhilaration of flight. As they continued their playful pursuit, they knew that this moment would be one they would always treasure.

Once they turned back to normal, fireflies seemed to appear. Estevan smiled at the scene, wishing that Duke and Missi would see this. Then he quickly took out the camera and began capturing the stunning view in front of them. Jaye's eyes widened in amazement as she took in the breathtaking scenery. The moon was glimmering above them, casting a cool silver glow over the landscape. The lake shimmered like a mirror, reflecting the vibrant colors of the sky. Fireflies flew overhead while dancing around the lake, their tiny wings catching the rays of moonlight.

As he snapped photos, he couldn't help but smile at Jaye's joyful expression. It was moments like these that made all the challenges of travel worth it. He knew that these memories would last a lifetime, preserved in the photographs he was capturing.

After a few minutes, he turned to Jaye and showed her the pictures on the camera screen. Her eyes sparkled even more as she saw the beauty of the scene captured in the photos. They sat together, admiring the view and savoring the moment.

In that instant, he knew that this spontaneous decision to stop and take in the beauty around them was the best choice he could have made. And he was grateful that he had the camera with him to capture this unforgettable moment with Jaye.

The fireflies were getting closer to the vampires and decided to play with them by creating Estevan’s head with a golden crown and Jaye’s neck with a golden necklace. The vampires were surprised by the sudden display of light and beauty around them. As the fireflies continued to dance around the vampires, more intricate designs and patterns began to form in the air. The vampires watched in awe as the fireflies created a stunning display of light and magic.

The fireflies seemed to be sending a message to the vampires, a message of peace and unity. The vampires, usually feared and misunderstood by the creatures of the night sometimes in the city, felt a sense of warmth and acceptance in the presence of the fireflies. As the night went on, the fireflies and vampires danced together in harmony, creating a bond that transcended their differences.

In that moment, the vampires realized that they didn't have to be feared or hated. They could coexist with the other creatures of the night, finding beauty and joy in the darkness. And so, the fireflies and vampires continued to dance together, their hearts and souls connected by the magic of the night.

So many roads I've yet to travel
So many friends I haven't met
So many new adventures just around the bend

Plenty of mysteries to unravel
Tons of mistakes to not regret
So much to see, and to do and to be
A whole life to spend
And it doesn't end

And I got the wind in my hair
And a song in my heart
And the fun's only starting
I got a skip in my step
And I don’t even care

Meanwhile, Duke couldn't help but feel a rush of affection towards Missi as he watched her engrossed in the story. The way her eyes scanned the pages, the slight furrow in her brow as she concentrated, it all made Duke's unbeating heart swell with adoration.

Duke should understand how much she loved reading books by now, but he sometimes doesn’t know how to read her interest just like she tried to read his like last she read a bit of ‘I Fell In Love With My Boss!’ much to his annoyance and embarrassment. He did tried to read a bit of ‘Twilight’ which he end up falling asleep of how boring it was, much to Missi’s annoyance and embarrassment as well.

Gosh, they got a lot in common with reading each other’s books and finds it boring…

As Missi turned the page, Duke couldn’t help but leaned in closer, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. Missi looked up at him, her face surprised but her eyes sparkling with wonder and a hint of happiness. Duke knew, in that moment, that he might be utterly and completely in love with this mortal woman.

When he first saw her outside of the gates years ago, he thought he would play his prey by letting her in to his castle and enjoy the fun until she pretended to seducing him that had him confused and surprised. But he did let it happen and thought that it what she wanted it until it was a trapped to open the curtains and burned him into dust. But then brought back to life, and everything went to a love/hate relationship that they both agreed to say that it’s complicated for those around them.

But deep down, he might have been in love with her since they try to get to know each other for three years now. The way she looked at him, the sound of her laughter, the warmth of her touch - it all stirred something deep within him that he had never felt before. The cane did tried to hide her true self, but he knew that he had a way to get through to her without the cane.

He found himself wanting to protect her, to cherish her, to make her happy in any way he could. As they gazed at the stars while sitting at the campfire hand in hand, Duke realised that he didn't care about the differences between their worlds. All that mattered was the love that he felt for her, a love that he knew would last for eternity. And in that moment, Duke made a silent vow to himself to never let her go, to always be by her side, no matter the cost. For she had captured his heart in a way that no other ever had, and he knew that he would do anything to keep her safe and happy.

Not just because of the cane, but because of how they live differently and ended up getting into each other’s nerves. They couldn’t bring themselves to leave each other and glad to have one another,

That beautiful breeze blowing through
It's gonna carry me who knows where
I'll take any dare
With the wind in my hair

They sat in comfortable silence, the only sound being the gentle rustle of pages turning, campfire cracking and gentle nature around them. Duke couldn't imagine a more perfect moment. Missi nestled closer to him, and Duke wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in close.

In that quiet moment, Duke knew that he would do anything to protect Missi, to keep her safe from the dangers of his dark world and the danger of the cane that the blue goth bitch took. And as they continued to read together, their hearts beating as one, Duke vowed to never let anything come between them. For he might have found his true love in the most unlikely of places - a simple book.

He may not ready to confess his feelings to her as he wasn’t sure if she felt the same way, but maybe someday… he would find the courage to tell her… someday…

⚔️

Once the four friends got back from their trip, Edmund was a bit relieved that they come back before the sun would rise. Even though he wasn’t sure with Missi since she’s a human and not a vampire like Duke, Estevan and Jaye, he couldn't deny the strong connection he felt between Duke and her. Her kindness and warmth drew Duke in, making him forget about the differences between their species. As they spent more time together, Edmund found himself thinking that Duke was falling for her more and more. Despite the challenges they may face, Edmund sensed that Duke was willing to take the risk for love.

Edmund can’t even remember the last time he had ever fallen in love with someone else when he was a human, he felt like there was someone he fell in love with but he couldn’t remember due to Dementia illness and when he turned into a vampire.

He still kept an eye on Duke and his human friend, because he knew that now they need to figure out how they going to get the cane back from another vampire who might be so much different because of she was able to fight them to get the cane from them. Edmund was hoping that Duke won’t do anything stupid just like the last time he messed up with the mission, he promised himself to keep everyone safe from whatever the cane was planning for.

⚔️

Missi came to her and Duke’s room and spotted Minose licking her paws, her heart melted and eyes sparkling with her cat as she was thankful for Duke to bring Minose to the church for keeping her company three days ago.

Few of the vampires were unsure about bringing the cat in until Minose seemed to like Artemis, purring and nuzzling her head against his chest when he hesitated to pick her up just to look at her closely. The vampires were surprised at their leader was blushing slightly and then slowly cuddling her, like he had used to animals before. They can tell his eyes somehow show a soft smile, which was unusual for him to never actually smile on his face or his eyes. But the smile in his eyes counts better than the face. For now…

Missi picked Minose and give her a spin on how happy she was to have her furry friend, giving her a hug. When she was in the castle alone, reading books… she had no idea that Minose would come to the doorstep and decide to comfort her loneliness, Missi had always wanted a cat since childhood but her parents refused and said that she would never look after it. Missi proved that she can look after a cat and that cat would be Minose who give her comfort and love they needed for each other.

Duke wasn’t sure to have a cat in the castle since he’s not a cat person. But after they had a rivalry problem, they were slowly getting along much to Missi’s delight.

It was a relief to see them finally putting their differences aside for her sake; they may be at each other’s throats sometimes but it wasn’t a lot anymore, Missi had always believed that they had the potential to be a great team if they could just set aside their differences and focus on what really mattered. Missi could also see the positive impact it was having on their relationship, and she couldn't help but feel proud of how far they had come. It was a reminder that sometimes, with a little patience and understanding, even the most challenging relationships can be turned around for the better.

She sat down on the window ledge, with Minose relaxing on her lap to take a nap. She smiled at her cat before picking up the book from her backpack to continue reading while thoughts of how Duke was there for her at the campfire filled her mind.

As she turned the pages, she couldn't help but feel grateful for the comforting presence of Duke. The crackling of the fire, the warm glow illuminating their faces, and the sound of laughter and chatter in the background all added to the sense of peace and contentment she felt in that moment. Duke playing his guitar that got her listening to the music while resting her head on his shoulder, but she had no idea how Duke kissed her on the forehead.

As the soft melody filled her mind, Missi felt a wave of warmth and comfort wash over her. Duke's gentle touch and affectionate gesture made her heart flutter. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment and feeling grateful for the simple but beautiful connection they shared. In that moment, everything else faded away, and all that mattered was the music and the love between them.

Love?

Missi’s eyes snapped opened as the word came to her mind, and sighed. She couldn’t believe she was thinking; Love? With a vampire? Duke? She was confused about how they would share a love and hate relationship for three years due to her holding the cane.

As time went on, she realized that their dynamic was a complex one, filled with ups and downs, laughter and tears. Despite the challenges they faced, their bond only grew stronger with each passing day.

With the cane that turned her into a vampire, it was all tease and fight to wind each other up. Without the cane when she’s on her human self, it felt so different from how Duke treated her and then… oh, my gosh… he was the only person who treated her better than her family… he treated her like like a princess. The way he looked at her, the way he spoke to her, it was like she was the most important person in the world to him. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have him in her life. Duke had a way of making her feel special, loved, and cherished in a way that no one else ever had.

She couldn’t help but feel how much he meant to her as well, even though she had never admitted it out loud. His presence brought a sense of comfort and joy that she had never experienced before. Every time he smiled, her heart skipped a beat, and every time he held her hand, she felt like she was on top of the world. She knew deep down that he was special; Not just because he was a vampire, but because he truly understood her just like the time they talked things out after a fight. He went through the same thing as well in life, with that… She never wanted to let him go. Despite her fears and insecurities, she was willing to take a chance on love with him by her side.

She actually slowly falling in love with him, she doesn’t seemed to care if he’s a vampire or how old he was but she wasn’t sure if she could confess to him. But someday… she’ll find the courage to tell him.

Chapter Text

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧

Somewhere far away from the church, Otto was opening the letter box to see if there were any letters to read when he noticed one letter seemed to be different as it was purple than white but had a golden stamp on it that sealed it. The golden stamp had a sun on it but also had a small purple tibouchina flower and a small lavender flower as well. Otto wasn’t sure what it was but brought the purple letter along with the others inside the headquarters where all the vampire hunters were training and minding their business.

“Mail call!” Otto called out, and few of his friends goes to him. “Hunter, back-up medication for your anxiety. Buster, few postcards from your family. Manny, the HUNTR/X magazine gossip.”

Manny quickly snatched it from Otto as the twins Jerald and Harold laughed, “What? Their songs are the boss! Let’s forget we, too, used to be the rock star band as well.”

“That’s when we were in high school and university,” Buster rolled his eyes and smiled.

“And Andrew,” Otto spoke and paused for a moment as he realised that this purple envelope had red ink than black. “Uh… Where’s Andrew?”

“In his office,” Buster replied. “He’s busy with some paperwork, planning what to do next for our next mission.”

Otto goes upstairs and looked for Andrew, the others looked at each other in confusion but decided to leave it. But they had no idea that they would notice a purple envelope with red ink handwritten for their friend Andrew.

⚔️

𝒜𝓃𝒹𝓇ℯ𝓌'𝓈 𝓅ℴ𝓋

I was reading the newspaper about this myself vampire girl, who dressed blue and black stripes shirt along with a leather jacket, seemed to be spotted by other people where she was literally minding her business and not attacking anyone which was unusual. Deciding to dig deeper into the story, it seemed that the vampire girl was causing quite a stir in the town, with rumors spreading like wildfire about her mysterious appearance. Some claimed she was a lost soul searching for her place in the world, while others believed she was a dangerous creature to be feared.

Despite the speculation, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this vampire girl than met the eye. It was like a few days ago that she did proved to be quite a fighter just like the other female vampire who had grey skin and seemed to walk free in the sun, but after that this vampire girl with blue streak on her black short hair seemed to not doing any more trouble after the fight with two people whose doesn’t want to be notified.

Minding her business like buying daily stuff, and actually give some bread to the homeless people. How can a vampire girl be generous to homeless people and not even bother to cause danger to other people?

It seems contradictory, doesn't it? But the truth was, it seems to me that not all vampires are evil creatures who prey on innocent humans. In fact, there were some vampires who choose to use their powers for good, helping those in need and staying away from harming others.

Which was kinda confusing me since I encountered vampires who were all but evil and selfish to kill others without a second thought, so it hard for me to believe that now there was some were… good? Still confused me…

Just then, Otto came to the door and knocked. “Um, Andrew?”

I looked up and saw him, but his look was concern which was unusual for me. “Otto, what is it?”

“Um, there’s a letter for you.” Otto came to my office, “It’s purple and had red ink which is kinda an unusual colour to combine with. Along with flowers and golden stamp of the sun too.”

“Let me see,” I reached my hand out to take the purple letter from Otto and take a look at it. The paper felt smooth in my hands as I scan around. Otto wasn’t joking about the letter that had a golden stamp of the sun and flowers of both tibouchina flower and lavender flower.

Now the lavenders used to be my wife Lucy’s favourite flowers, and smell of it reminds me of her. I remember how she would spend hours tending to her lavender garden for my son Daniel, her hands covered in dirt but her smile radiant. Lucy had a special connection to nature, and the lavender was her way of bringing a piece of it into our home.

After she passed away, I couldn't bear to touch her lavender garden. It felt like her spirit was still there, watching over me and my son. But as time went on, I found solace in the scent of the lavender. It was a bittersweet reminder of the love we shared and the memories we made together.

Now, whenever I catch a whiff of lavender in the air, I can't help but smile. It's as if Lucy is still with me, guiding me and comforting me in her own special way. The lavender may have been her favourite flower, but it has now become mine as well - a beautiful symbol of the love that will never fade.

And then, when I turned around the envelope, it shook me when I saw the red ink handwritten on the back. The red ink handwriting looks familiar and it wasn’t long before I realised that this was my son’s handwriting. He finally reached out to me after years of trying to reach me and told me how sorry I was for mistreating him after his mother’s passing.

I was taken aback by his unexpected letter, and my heart ached with regret for the pain I had caused him during such a difficult time in his life. I knew I had to make things right and apologize for my behavior. I composed a heartfelt message expressing my remorse and asking for his forgiveness. I hoped that he would understand and give me a chance to make amends. Waiting anxiously for his response, I prayed that he would find it in his heart to forgive me.

“I’ll leave you be, Andrew.” Otto said and i nodded before he left the room to give me some time alone as I unfolded it carefully and started to read his letter.

“Hey Father (or Dad),

Throughout my life, I’ve always thought that I was a disappointment to you and I’ve always making mistakes as much as you might have done so. But I was wrong about you don’t care about me or Mom, and that you were trying to protect us from what you’ve seen which I don’t understand, but Mom does. But now, I do understand that I’ve made a huge mistake that was already too late… But I promise you that I’m trying to fix this.”

I’ve never disappointed my son, and yes he does made mistakes because of me. He always thought I don’t care about him or his mother, but I was distracted with the things that happened in my life where vampires were still out there. I couldn’t see that it does hurt my son to see me going through this madness as I was trying to protect him from them, but I failed to save his mother from them…

“The letter that you left me when I got back from years of running away, I burned it without even looking at it. I was depressed at the time, but that was no excuse… Then I heard the strange sounds from the graveyard where I discovered the cane… yes, you said that vampires would hear the music like a virus that spreads from other places. And… Well… I’m a vampire…”

I gasped and my eyes widened after reading that part… my son… is a vampire? I couldn’t believe it… how could this be possible? As the realization sank in, my mind raced with questions. How long had he been a vampire? Was he dangerous? What did this mean for our family? I felt a mix of fear, confusion, and a strange sense of protectiveness towards my son. Despite everything, he was still my son.

Whoever did this to him, they will pay for turning my son into a vampire. I took a deep breath and continued reading his letter.

“But ever since I had this cane, I couldn’t help but feel something was off as its nearly corrupted my friend Missi whose a human, but turned into a vampire when she holds the cane. She mentioned that something was possessing her to go insane and she tried to control it.

It’s been three years since we tried to figure out, but now another female vampire who dresses black and blue along scars took the cane and we’re in the church where I turned into a vampire by Artemis.”

Artemis… of course, that leader of the vampires who had a talisman that turned him into a human to fight me after I attacked his albino tribes. The one who tried to bit me but sure miss the aim on my neck, I placed my hand on my shoulder where that lemon head bit me. I remembered the pain where he bit me, but I remained strong and fought back before I was able to escape with the others before I passed out.

“I discovered something sinister about the cane after having a vision when I stared at the cane. It was when I noticed the stuff (like the fight for example) I had no idea how I was capable of doing so while trying to protect Missi from the female vampire…

I don’t know how much to say, but I’m trying to be safe as you wanted me to and I need to be wiser about it. But I am sorry that I was careless and never listened to you, but I needed you ever since Mom died and I still need you now.”

I should’ve been the one whose sorry for not being there for my son, but I had no idea that he needed me the most after all these years. I thought he would never want anything to do with me because I was doing the job of slaying all vampires, thought that he wanted anything but a hunter like me as I accepted his decision to leave home to start his life. That’s why I tried to reach out to him with letters, but ended up rejecting from him…

“I… I forgive you and love you, no matter how different we were.”

My heart seems to swell slightly from what my son wrote me… after all these years, he forgave me and loved me… I didn’t even know that I was crying as tears started to fall from my eyes. The weight that had been on my shoulders for so long suddenly lifted, and I felt a sense of peace and joy that I hadn't felt in years. My son's words healed a part of me that I thought was irreparable. As I wiped away the tears, I knew that our relationship might have a chance to be restored, and I vowed to never let anything come between us again. My heart overflowed with gratitude and love for my son, and I thanked the universe for this moment of redemption.

“If we have to save each other’s skin and everyone else’s from whatever the cane is doing, we have to work together as human and vampires need to put their differences aside. Rather Artemis likes it or not.

I need you, Dad… please, come back and find me in the church where you went missing… I’ll be waiting…

Love,
You son Daniel (Aka, Duke)”

After I finish the letter, I was deep in thoughts. My son wrote me a letter of what’s been happening, telling me to meet him in the church and try to get both vampires and hunters to put our differences aside and find the cane from the vampire girl in blue.

I looked over at the photos of Daniel and his mother Lucy together;

One was Lucy in her purple and black prom dress holding our newborn son. She looked radiant, her eyes filled with love and joy as she cradled our baby in her arms while sitting on the dance floor while the others had no idea how we didn’t know that Lucy was pregnant and Daniel decided to come to the world and meet us. I remember how happy I was when I took him in my arms, my little prom prince. He opened his tiny eyes that had Lucy’s eyes of ruby brown and tried his hardest to reach his tiny little arms to me.

The other was Lucy and 6 years old Daniel in her lavender garden with lavenders and daisies on their heads, smiling at the camera as mother and son bonded. Lucy was everything to me and Daniel because she was so beautiful, so caring, so confident and so smart too, she used to be a perfect student until I came that made her find her true self and stood the crowd.

I gave her a confidence and she gave me the life I needed the most than living as a vampire hunter, she used to date a guy before I came to her life and we ended up together after one fateful night during saving her from the vampires. I had no idea she decided to be with me than her ex boyfriend who cheated on her, I’m glad she did because I love her and she truly loved me.

I sighed, and decided to go to the church to meet my son. I knew this task would not be easy, but I also knew that it was necessary for the sake of peace between the two warring factions in the hope to get the cane from the vampire girl. I gathered my things, tell the others what’s going to happen next and we’ll be headed towards the church, hoping that I would see my son and I’d be able to successfully unite the vampires and hunters in their common goal.

I took out my locket to see the photos of Lucy left side and 16 years old Daniel on the right side, there are hopes for me to reunite my son and hopes for everyone’s safety.

Chapter Text

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧
Many, many decades ago…

The young woman, whose around about 17 years old, stood proudly in front of Harvard University. The devoted private school of United States of America that she begged her dad to let her go to college instead of boarding school that her mom wants her to go. She explained that her boyfriend Callum and his foster sister was attending there, and she wanted to study there together. She was glad that they both agreed as long as she stick to the rules as she always did, since she was a star pupil in any school she attended since 4 years when she began reading and writing all on her own.

She was wearing pink skirt with matching cardigan, white button shirt with matching socks, black shining shoes that had pearls on the strap, pearl earrings and key necklace that shaped of a bat. Long brown hair that tied as a ponytail with a white ribbon and had scarlet red eyes, she had such beauty for the crowd to see that she was perfect.

She entered the building after getting everything she needed for her first day of college tomorrow, where she met Rosie Osborn and they find out that they’re roommates which they’re thrilled about it. They already have a good time talking about while helping each other out of getting ready tomorrow, they did admit that they were nervous about it but knew they would be alright as long as they had each other.

🦄💖🦇

On the first day of college where they would study fashion, music and history; the young lady spotted her boyfriend Callum and his foster sister Violet who was mad at her for actually coming to university which she was supposed to be attending boarding school. Callum’s sister had always disliked her for believing that she was taking her older brother away from her and their family which Callum said that they’re together as girlfriend and boyfriend, but the argument seemed to spill over now and the teacher had no control over it as he was nervous on his first day of teaching.

Suddenly, a loud guitar sound played up and everyone were silent before turning towards the doorway where a young man, whose around about 23 years old, stood proudly at the moment of silence since it was a library and he’d rather have them respected peace and quiet than being loud. He, too, was supposed to be at boarding school due to his troubles which his uncle and aunt thought it was better that he would stayed here as he promised to not doing anything stupid.

He had black hair and indigo purple eyes, wearing a blackish grey shirt with black jacket with silver chains attached to a locket in his pocket, a unicorn ring and brown boots with silver buckles. For some reason, his looks were handsome and all the girls were adoring him already by talking about him as the lead guitarist of the band called Equestrian Boys.

The brown head woman stared at him in awe when he walked in and introduced himself to the other students and the teacher appreciate his music while stopping the noises since they were in the library. She couldn’t help herself as she stared at his looks or his gothic style in her scarlet red eyes.

His dark clothing and mysterious aura drew her in like a moth to a flame. She found herself captivated by his every move, his every word. The way he carried himself with confidence and a hint of danger only added to his allure. As she watched him from afar, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was different from anyone she had ever met before. And she couldn't wait to find out more about him.

While doing so, Violet purposely pushed the woman out of spite and that she want to sit next to her foster brother. The woman’s friend Rosie confronted Violet while Callum was even more embarrassed by his sister’s actions that he couldn’t do anything which was stupid of him standing there, doing nothing but he was stuck between his girlfriend and his foster sister.

The woman felt like she was flying in slow motion after being pushed and everyone gasped at it, but the woman was only focusing on the man who was staring at her with his indigo purple eyes as she hits the ground and her stuff was scatter all over the floor. She felt embarrassed as her skirt was lifted slightly and she tried to cover it up, but then spotted that the black head man in front of her offered his hand with a comfort smile on his face. She was surprised as Callum never done that and she felt her heart flutter as she reached out and grabbed his hand, he pulled her up and went down to pick up her stuff.

He stood up and give the bag to her, she smiled as a thank you and the young man nodded but then offered his hand to her.

“Andrew J. Wildstar,” the man spoke in his velvety voice.

“Lucy Sparkles,” the woman replied and shook his hand.

🦄💖🦇

Later that evening, Lucy was reading her book in her room while Rosie was going to the party. Lucy was content to spend the night in, wrapped up in a cozy blanket with her favorite novel. The sound of laughter and music from the party outside of her window seemed to be drifted closer to her room, but she didn't mind. She preferred the quiet solitude of her own company.

As she turned the pages of her book, Lucy lost herself in the world of the story, completely absorbed in the characters and their adventures. While she was reading her book, the window seemed to open wider and she realised that it wasn’t windy enough to move the window. She then saw two ginger heads and discovered they were twins, both of them jumped in the cause madness, but then Andrew came up to the window and entered the room before the 16 year old twins went under Rosie’s bed.

Lucy asked what’s going on and what were the three doing, Andrew shushed her and explained quietly that he and his friends had brought the twins Jerald and Harold to the university so they could start the band for the next couple of weeks. Their older sister and her friends were looking for them as they were not happy with her brothers to be pulled out from the other school. Lucy looked over the window and saw the twins’ older sister in rage along with her friends before they decided to go to the party and look for them.

Lucy questioned about the band Andrew and his friends were in, and Andrew explained that he and his friends had been a band since he was 17. He quickly told her about their early days of practicing in his parents' garage, playing small gigs at local bars, and eventually recording their first album. Lucy was impressed by their dedication and passion for music, and she couldn't wait to hear their music. Andrew promised to invite her to their concert, and Lucy eagerly accepted, excited to see Andrew and his friends perform live.

Lucy and Andrew then noticed that the twins were not under the bed and goes to the door, escaping! The pair chased after the twins who were having their sugar rush experience. They went to the water fountain, the bridge, under the bridge, up the trees and goes cartwheeling.

Lucy accidentally stepped on the skateboard and she rolled down the street where the party house was located. As Lucy sped down the street, Andrew suddenly sprinted, trying to catch up to her. The skateboard picked up speed as it rolled down the hill, causing Lucy to cling on for dear life. Finally, with a sudden jolt, the skateboard came to a stop once it hit the curb. Lucy flew off the skateboard, and Andrew was able to catch her in his arms.

The twins were caught by Buster who was a year older than Andrew and he was able to calm the twins down, the twins looked at each other and burst into laughter at the crazy adventure they had just been on before they dropped sleep after the sugar rush started to settle.

Lucy was blushing like crazy when she noticed how close she was after Andrew carefully put her down, Andrew was impressed how she was able to skateboard like that. As they stood there, catching their breath, Lucy couldn't help but smile shyly at Andrew.

"Thanks for catching me," she said, still feeling a rush of adrenaline. She had no idea how she was able to skateboard like this after a long time, but she still got it and she was happy with it.

Andrew grinned back at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "No problem, Lucy. You're a natural out there." Lucy felt her cheeks grow even more warmer at his compliment, Andrew thought that she was cute when she blushed.

🦄💖🦇

For the last couple of days, Lucy couldn’t stop thinking about Andrew while she was studying with Callum, Violet and Rosie in class and the teacher was teaching them about the history of Victorian times which Andrew was unease about it. She found herself distracted, replaying the conversations they had shared in her mind. The way his eyes sparkled when he talked about his favorite books, the sound of his laughter that always made her heart skip a beat.

Lucy couldn't shake the feeling that there was something special between them, something worth exploring. As the days passed, she realized that her feelings for Andrew were growing stronger and she couldn't ignore them any longer. She knew she had a boyfriend Callum, but Andrew seemed like they had a lot in common.

Like the time where Andrew and his friends started to play on the stage in front of the whole school in assembly as they were the band as Equestrian Boys, Lucy couldn’t believe how much she enjoyed the song they were playing. Callum would feel slight jealousy over how Andrew was playfully flirt with her while playing his guitar and she played along with it, causing Violet to nearly lose it until her foster brother had to dragged her out of the assembly as he knew his foster sister won’t hold it in.

The teacher wanted them to study what happened in the Victorian times, Lucy noticed that Andrew was also writing something about it but then she spotted the drawing that looked like a cane with red eyes and bat wings along with it.

Andrew then asked about if they had to study the dark times about the history of Victorian times, which the teacher replied that he doesn’t need to if he doesn’t want to…

“When I said about the dark times, I meant the history of vampires.”

Andrew said those words that got the whole class laughing except Lucy, one mention that vampires doesn’t exist when Andrew replied;

“They are real. Because… my dad was the vampire hunter who killed vampires.”

The entire class stopped laughing and stared at him in shock. Lucy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Andrew’s father was a vampire hunter?

“Your dad was a vampire hunter?” The other student asked, few of the students were a bit nervous about Andrew having a father who killed vampires. Despite this, some of them thought to themselves that it was cool that a student like Andrew to have had a father as a vampire hunter.

The revelation sent a shiver down her spine as she tried to process the information. Andrew shifted uncomfortably in his seat, avoiding eye contact with his classmates. The room was filled with a heavy silence as everyone tried to come to terms with this unexpected news.

Finally, Lucy spoke up, breaking the tension. "Wait, so does that mean… you hunt vampires too?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Andrew nodded slowly, his expression grave. "It's complicated," he replied.

The class erupted into a frenzy of questions and exclamations while the teacher tell them to calm down and quit questioning Andrew and his family, but Lucy couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach. She had always known Andrew was different because he’s a goth prince who rock music, but she never imagined just how much he had a father hunt vampires.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Lucy couldn't help but wonder what other secrets her classmates might be hiding. She shook her head, she can’t think something like that…

She saw Andrew talking to his friends at the front of school, he noticed her watching him and both of them stared at each other’s eyes before Andrew walked away with his friends.

🦄💖🦇

Few weeks later, in the pouring rain, Lucy was running down the street in tears after she walked in on her boyfriend Callum cheating on her with his own foster Violet. She caught them in bed together, devastated and heartbroken. She couldn't believe that the person she loved and trusted could betray her in such a way. As she ran, the rain mixed with her tears, creating a blur of emotions inside her.

Feeling lost and alone, Lucy didn't know where to turn. She had invested so much time and energy into her relationship with Callum, only to have it come crashing down in front of her. She felt betrayed, angry, and hurt all at once. The image of Callum and his foster sister together haunted her, replaying over and over in her mind.

But amidst the pain and confusion, Lucy knew one thing for certain - she deserved better. She deserved someone who would love and respect her, someone who would never betray her trust. Wiping away her tears, Lucy made a vow to herself to move on from Callum and find happiness again, even if it meant starting over from scratch.

With newfound determination, Lucy picked up her pace and continued running through the rain, leaving behind the wreckage of her past relationship and embracing the promise of a brighter future. As the rain soaked through her clothes and plastered her hair to her face, she felt a sense of renewal washing over her. Each step she took was a step towards healing and moving on from the hurt and betrayal she had endured.

With each passing mile, Lucy felt stronger and more empowered. The rain that had once seemed like an obstacle now felt like a cleansing force, washing away the pain and sorrow that had weighed her down for so long. She no longer felt the need to look back, only forward to the endless possibilities that lay ahead.

Suddenly, she heard few gentlemen talking about her and she felt a bit uncomfortable but continued walking down the street. She didn’t even notice that the five or six men were following her, and she tried to make a run for it and went to the alleyway.

Lucy didn't even notice that the five or six men were following her, and she tried to make a run for it and went to the alleyway. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she raced down the narrow passage, her breath coming in short gasps. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her, getting closer and closer.

Panic gripped her as she realized she was trapped. She looked around frantically, searching for a way out, but all she saw were high brick walls on either side. The men were closing in on her, their dark figures looming ominously in the dim light.

One of them bared his fangs, which she realised that they were vampires. She felt a chill through her spine as she saw more fangs and and eyes glowing red in six men, she tried to escape. The men who were vampires moved closer, their sinister grins sending shivers down her spine. Panic set in as she frantically looked for a way out, her heart pounding in her chest. With a burst of adrenaline, Lucy made a run for it, dodging past the menacing figures. The sound of their footsteps echoed behind her as she raced through the dark alley, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She could feel their presence looming closer, but she refused to give up.

One of them, were quicker than her, grabbed her by the ponytail and the other pulled her cardigan off while the other grabbed her by her skirt. She screamed and begged them to let her go, she felt scared and yet she felt sick and tired of being treated like a doll to play with.

The men laughed cruelly, taunting her as they continued to assault her. In a desperate attempt to escape, she kicked and thrashed, managing to break free for a moment before they caught her again. The fear and helplessness she felt were overwhelming, but she refused to give up. With all her strength, she fought back, determined to survive this horrific ordeal.

One of them grabbed her and pinned her against the wall, and vampires drawn closer and bared their fangs. She could feel their cold breath on her skin as fear gripped her heart. But just as she thought all hope was lost, a vampire got shot in the head and collapsed on the ground before turning into dust, causing the vampires to turn around and hiss at the lady’s saviour.

Lucy turned to see that it was Andrew who had come to her rescue. With his weapons both a gun and an axe drawn in his hands, he quickly ran towards them who were ready to fight the young vampire hunter amd leave Lucy from their grasp.

The moonlight glistened off the silver blade of his axe as he lunged forward in the rain and lashing down, his heart pounding with adrenaline. The group of vampires hissed and snarled, their fangs bared in anticipation of the coming battle.

But the young hunter was fearless, his eyes locked on Lucy's terrified face. He knew he had to protect her at all costs. With a swift motion, he fired his gun, the bullet hitting one of the vampires square in the chest. As the creature fell to the ground, the hunter swung his axe, slicing through another vampire's arm.

The remaining vampires hesitated, unsure of whether to continue their attack. One of them, however, decided to go ahead and tried to attack Andrew but he was quickly enough to block his blows. Andrew swiftly dodged the incoming punches and retaliated with a series of strikes, taking down his opponent with ease with his axe. The other vampires hesitated, realizing they were no match for Andrew's skill and strength. They quickly turned into shadows and flew away, knowing it was best not to mess with him. Andrew stood tall, victorious in the face of danger, ready for whatever challenges came his way.

The hunter saw Lucy's and goes towards her slowly, both them say nothing but gazing at each other’s eyes. Andrew slowly took her hand and pulled her away from alleyway. Together, they walked out of darkness, leaving two dead vampires behind.

As they walked through the streets, Andrew took off his jacket and placed it on Lucy and whispered to her, "Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you. I'll always be here to protect you."

“I…” Lucy spoke, “I… had no idea that you can be a rockstar and a vampire hunter at the same time.” Lucy said, chuckled a bit. “You surprised me, in the most amazing and dark way. I wish I could have that confidence that you had.”

Andrew smiled, “But you did have confidence in you. You tried your best to fight off the vampires. As matter of fact if I remember correctly, I thought you standing up to your parents, when you dress up so gothic with the hint of pink than just black on it own instead of what they wanted you to wear for the family meeting at school, was actually impressive for a young and independent woman like you to be inspired by me.”

Lucy blushed, “I was in the bad place with my parents and I felt like I needed to snap.”

“You proved them that you’re more than their puppet,” Andrew said as he smiled. “Even the teacher thought that your parents are so overprotective and over controlling you, that she and the principal had a word with them.”

“My parents are still mad that I attacked Violet for mouthing off about you,” Lucy said. “I never thought I could beat her up for that.”

“I thought she deserved it,” He said while gently squeezing her hand.

“Thanks,” Lucy said. Looking at him in the eyes, she had no idea how lucky she was to have him being there for her. Especially saving her life from the vampires.

As she gazed into his deep, caring eyes, she felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. She couldn't imagine what her life would be like without him by her side even though they were friends. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it tightly as a silent thank you for everything he had done for her. He smiled back at her, his eyes full of love and understanding. In that moment, she knew that she was truly blessed to have him in her life. And she vowed to never take his presence for granted again.

“I wish there was something I can give you for everything you did for me ever since you came to my life,” Lucy confessed. “I couldn’t help but feel something for you and I couldn’t ignore it for a while now, and I’m just glad that you’re the reason I somehow changed from being someone else’s doll to someone who can have a confidence and for once being myself.”

Andrew couldn’t believe what she was saying, “Lucy.”

She placed her hand on his cheek and continued, “Your presence in my life has brought out a side of me that I never knew existed. I feel like I can truly be myself when I'm with you, and that is a gift I will always be grateful for. Thank you for being the reason I have found the courage to break free from the expectations of others and embrace who I truly am. I cherish the way you make me feel and the way you see me for who I am. You have given me the strength to be unapologetically myself, and for that, I will always be thankful.”

“I… I never thought I could help you with that. But I’m glad that it’s at least I could do.”

Andrew wasn’t even expecting that Lucy would pulled him closer and placed her lips on his. The sudden rush of emotions and sensations took his breath away, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. As their lips met, Andrew felt a spark ignite between them, a connection that he had never felt before. The kiss was soft and tender, filled with a mixture of curiosity and desire. In that moment, Andrew knew that his feelings for Lucy went beyond friendship.

Ever since he met Lucy, he was a bit jealous that she was with Callum and thought that she was better off with her boyfriend than him because he was a like a goth prince to everyone as a lead guitarist for Equestrian Boys. But mostly because he was a young vampire hunter, and he wanted to protect her from the danger that he had to face in this world. But over time, he felt like Lucy was curious about him and concerned for his father as a vampire hunter that he was uncomfortable with it. Or even if she was teasing him after he playfully flirting with her during his performance in assembly in front of everyone.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer, deepening the kiss. Lucy responded eagerly, her hands tangling in his hair as they lost themselves in each other. The world faded away, leaving only the two of them in their own little bubble of passion and longing under the heavy rain. And as they finally pulled away, both breathless and exhilarated, Andrew knew that this was just the beginning of something beautiful.

🦄💖🦇

Once they got into Andrew’s apartment, they couldn’t resist each other as Andrew hosted Lucy up in his arms and they were kissing. Lucy had her legs wrapped around his waist and hands on his shoulders, yes they were soaking wet from the rain but either of them didn’t care. They were lost in the moment, completely consumed by their passion for each other.

Andrew gently laid Lucy down on the couch and began to kiss her neck and she sighed softly before she took off his jacket that was on her, wrapping her arms around his neck and he began to unbuttoned her white shirt while his other hand was slowly moving under her skirt that made her shiver with anticipation. As their passion grew, their hands explored each other's bodies, igniting a fiery desire between them. Lucy moaned softly as Andrew's lips trailed down her neck, sending shivers down her spine. The room filled with the sound of their heavy breathing and the rustling of clothing as they gave in to their desires, losing themselves in each other completely. Both of them gazed into each other’s eyes and leaned closer to kiss.

Few minutes later, Andrew took Lucy to his bedroom and they were continuing kissing before Lucy smirked at him before she gently shoved him toward the bed. He falls back onto his bed, propping himself up on his elbows and staring at her before his face was glowing pink as Lucy took off her shirt with the flirty look on her face and lets her skirt fall to her feet, leaving her in nothing but her black bra, matching underwear that got pink bows on it and her key necklace. She also lets her hair down as well, and chuckles at Andrew’s face so love struck and eyes sparkle. Andrew noticed Lucy looking at him and he tried to turn away as his face was warmed up and slight embarrassed, but Lucy crawled onto the bed and on top of him.

“No need to feel embarrassed, Andy.” Lucy said flirting as she slowly took off his belt, “I promise I’ll be gentle. But will a man would say that to a lady, instead of a lady say that to a man.”

Andrew was lost at that moment, he had no idea that Lucy would be in charge of their first time together. He sure gave her more than confidence, and he was going to enjoy it as she lifted his shirt to reveal his strong abs before she then leaned down and kiss the side of Andrew’s neck. The touch of her lips sent shivers down his spine, and he couldn't help but pull her closer to him.

🦄💖🦇

After an hour of two, the pair were in bed together with the duvet cover their naked bodies while their clothes were on the floor. Lucy just finished her story about Callum’s cheating with his foster sister and Andrew was shocked about it.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Callum had always seemed like such a loyal and trustworthy guy. But now, it seemed like everything Andrew thought he knew about her now ex-boyfriend was a lie.
As Lucy continued to recount the details of Callum's betrayal, Andrew's shock turned to anger. How could Callum do something so despicable? And with his own foster sister, no less. It was a betrayal on so many levels.

Andrew couldn't even imagine how Callum's girlfriend must be feeling right now. She deserved so much better than to be treated so poorly. As the reality of the situation sunk in, Andrew knew that he had to confront Callum about what he had done. It wouldn't be easy, but he couldn't stand by and let her ex-boyfriend get away with such a terrible act.

“Does their parents know about this?” Andrew asked.

“They barely ask the question what’s going on, but I quickly ran out of the house without saying a word.” Lucy replied, “I bet Callum or Violet would try and lie about why I was so upset…”

“I felt like I wanna kill one of them,” Andrew responded.

“No, I don’t want you to get involved.” Lucy said, resting her head on his shoulder. “It’s not yours to fight.”

“Lucy,” Andrew spoke. “He cheated on you, with his foster sister. This is something you can’t ignore.”

“Who said anything about ignoring?” Lucy asked, “I’m not going to let them get away with it.”

“What are you going to do?” Andrew asked while stroking her hair.

“Oh, I’ll think of something.” Lucy said, “But right now, I’m just glad that I’m stuck with you.”

Andrew chuckled, “Same here.”

He kissed her on the forehead, but she shook her head and leaned over and kissed him on the lips. They both smiled, feeling the warmth of each other's embrace. It was a moment of pure love and affection, a moment they would never forget. As they held each other close, they knew that they meant to be together forever as fate had other plans for them.

After they done, they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms. Little did they know that tomorrow was going to be a new life for both of them.

Chapter Text

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧
The Present

Andrew and the others were heading towards the church where Duke and the rest of the vampires were there, some of them were ready for any danger awaits them while the rest of them were worried about going back there like last time where they almost got killed by two vampires; One who can walked free in the sun, the crazy chick.

“We’re going to not hurt them until we find your son?” Manny asked, he then sighed as he knew Andrew would make it clear that they were only going to find his son and try not to hurt any vampires unless they wanted to. “Alright, I’m just gonna let you know that this is getting so messed up right now. We don’t know if we’re gonna get ambushed like last time or–“

Suddenly, he heard the music coming from the television on the shopping display window.

“The hell…?” Manny come up to the display and finds out that it was the HUNTR/X performaning. “Oh, yeah! Yeah, these girls!” Manny laughed, “Yeah… I enjoy their songs. Hell, I’d love to watch them in person. Oh, it would be great. Hey, come on. You guys need to have a break from hunting vampires, and just roll with it.” He smiled while the others chuckled at his fan obsession with the HUNTR/X.

Andrew, however, was focusing on his way of heading to the church. He took his cigar and blow few smoke. As much as he was happy to see his son after all these years, he was nervous about what his friends would think of Duke as a vampire. Whatever happened, he was still his son and he would protect him no matter what.

He took out his locket to see his son as a teenager staring at the window, he closed it and sighed. He knew that Duke might have changed throughout his life ever since he ran away when he was 17, Andrew let his son do that so he wouldn’t be just like him as a hunter.

Just then, he stared at the church where he and his friends were seriously injured so many years ago because of that crazy chick. He remembered that they tracking down the vampires who lived there behind the shadows, not really knowing how they would end up more scars and reminders of being more careful when it comes to someone who can walk free in the sun and not be burned.

He blew few smokes, and turned to his friends. They looked nervous about going in again but they had no choice but to be even more careful: Manny, Buster, Otto, Hunter and the twins Jerald and Harold had those faces in nervous but excited for a round two unlike the others.

Andrew glad to have six friends who were confident enough to come with him and find his son inside the church, but he was hoping that they wouldn’t attack him as he believed that he won’t defend himself no matter how hard he tried…

⚔️

𝒜𝓇𝓉ℯ𝓂𝒾𝓈' 𝒫ℴ𝓋

I was reading those old books while stroking Minose’s head. Ever since Duke came back with a cat because Missi was lonely and she loved cats, I had no idea that I still love animals ever since I could remember. Minose sense that I did had animals as friends and cared for them deeply which is why she purred and nuzzled against my chest, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me when they noticed my eyes were softened with a hint of a smile.

I remembered Pascal, my mother’s chameleon friend, often stayed closer to me when I was asleep. Sometimes, he, Owl and Ruddiger would be there to comfort me when I was sad and felt alone, but I did enjoy their company while I’d read books and doing some doodles on my journal. Then, there were the time where I enjoyed riding Max or Fidella just to escape classes at school. I chuckled at the thought of the crow Hamuel who was a funny bird when I was a child, my grandfather Edmund told me that he was a brave little bird who kept a close eye on Eugene when he was at the orphanage until he often to be seen as a funny bird when I came.

The thought of these animals who were my friends sometimes made me sad to how much I miss them, they were my only friends to talk to. And now, Minose is here and I try my hardest to not let everyone see that I’m a full animal person and I love them to bits. Minose somehow understood me and wanted to be there with me to keep me company which I secretly appreciate, the other vampires won’t understand.

Suddenly, Minose’s ears twitched as I sensed someone was coming in church and that someone wasn’t alone. I knew who they were; Vampire Hunters.

I put the book down, and picked up Minose in my arms before I head to the planning room where vampires already alerted by human presence. I looked at how many they were; Edmund, Jaye, Estevan, Duke and Missi. The others vampires were getting their weapons ready for the battle, but I raised my hand and shook my head. I don’t want anyone to get hurt despite they looked ready for it, so I decided to go out there by myself but Minose seems to be worried about me. I stroked her ears, and handed her over to Missi and went out of the planning room. What I didn’t know that a certain person decided to follow me.

⚔️

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧

Andrew carefully opened the curtain and looked around, noticing that there were empty coffins in the room. He knew that the vampires would sense he and his friends were here, but he knew that he had to find his son before they’ve been attacked again like last time. Gosh, he really thought that vampires were abino tribes until he realised that one of them was able to walk free in the sun and she was grey than white. Buster did mention that he was impressed with her skills and he wouldn’t mind if he could have a round two with her again if they see her again.

While his friends were searching for clues, Andrew was checking his watch when his eyes suddenly glow red and turned around to see the vampire was to attack him but Andrew quickly blocked his blow. His friends were alerted by this and rushed to help him, but they were surprised when Andrew was able to fight back. The vampire was revealed to be the leader, looked like a normal human figure with blonde hair that gleamed in the moonlight shining down from the broken window. As the friends gathered around, they realized they were facing a powerful enemy. But Andrew stood his ground, ready to fight for his son and protect his friends at all costs. The battle was about to begin.

Andrew’s eyes were turned back to normal as indigo purple shine on the vampire who had a sword in his hand and decided to fight him again, easily gone passed through Otto and the twins who tried to stop him from hurting Andrew with his shadow. Andrew was easily dodged the blows and swung his axe at the vampire who got to his cheek cut slightly and his sword dropped. The vampire leader took it by surprise but turned to glare at Andrew, the others weren’t sure what was going to happen next.

Artemis had no idea that he could faced HIM again, the same person who nearly killed Jaye and same person who was able to survive his biting that he missed. He was aiming at the neck, not the shoulder. But he wasn’t going to let him get away with it, he made a grave mistake to come here. He want a round two, he’ll get one. Artemis jumped over the hunter and grabbed the sword before he took a swung on him, but the hunter block it again. And both vampire and hunter were fighting against each other’s kinds, not giving up.

The vampire, with his supernatural strength and speed, was a formidable opponent for the hunter. But the hunter, armed with a silver axe and a keen sense of strategy, was determined to rid the world of the undead menace.

The two foes clashed in a fierce battle, each one using their unique skills to gain the upper hand. The vampire's fangs gleamed in the moonlight as he lunged at the hunter, while the hunter dodged it and was able to grab the sword from the vampire’s hand.

As the fight raged on, it became clear that neither would back down. It was a battle of wills as much as a battle of strength. In the end, only one would emerge victorious. Andrew used both axe and sword to attack the vampire leader before managing to slice him on the leg, Artemis cried out in pain and gripped his side as he kneeled down on one knee. He stared at his injured leg that was bleeding and glared at Andrew with red glowing eyes and bared his fangs.

Andrew’s friends were standing there, watching the whole scene as Andrew was able to take down the vampire leader. Andrew was able to finish him when he paused for a moment, he carefully heard footsteps coming closer towards him and his friends. He turned around, with the axe and the sword in his hands, thought it was a tall shadowy figure like any vampires would do in the shadows with red eyes. But then he got a clearer look at the vampire and recognise the look that he would often be given by…

“Daniel?” Andrew asked, shocked to see his son after all these years. The last time he had seen him, he was just a young man of 17, full of black and gothic just like him when he was his age. Now, standing before him was a grown man with white skin and red eyes that showed him as a vampire, his eyes was filled with a lifetime of experiences.

Artemis, meanwhile, was shocked to hear Duke’s real name and realised that the vampire hunter with the black coat was his father. Everything suddenly seemed to stop when he saw between Duke and his father - they were both the same but slight different, both were gothic types and different things in what they were. Duke was finally taken things seriously because of the cane being stolen and actually followed footsteps of his father without realise it, because he doesn’t want to be a hunter of vampires or werewolves. Duke had never seen his father for a long and his father might have tried to reach out… Artemis felt a surge of emotions - confusion, anger, but also a strange sense of regret and jealousy.

"I never thought I would see you again," Andrew said, his voice filled with emotion.

His son didn’t smiled, a regret and unsure expression on his face and he couldn’t face his father. "I never thought you would come back after I finally sent you the letter," he replied softly. “I thought I could leave everything that had happened behind. Leave the past that ate me alive ever since… that day. But now, I made a mistake that you warned me about the cane and that I just ignored it. I didn’t know.”

Andrew dropped the axe when Duke walked forward from the shadows, revealing more of a vampire than he thought. His son. Dressed in dark purple, matching cape and black hat, still keeping the key that his mother gave him when he was a child. His son might have suffered from the transformation from being bitten, he looked exhausted from it.

As they stood facing each other, a flood of memories came rushing back. The years of separation, the unanswered questions, the pain of absence. But in that moment, none of it mattered. They were father and son, reunited at last.

"I don't know where to begin," Andrew said, feeling overwhelmed.

His son finally looked up at him, "It's okay, Dad. We have all the time we need. But right now, I just need your help to find her who got the cane. The blue gothic girl who nearly killed my friend, but I fought back. I know what you’re thinking, but I’m nothing like them. I… am still me…”

“Daniel…” Andrew spoke, “I…”

“You knew that I’d end up being a vampire if I wasn’t careful enough,” Duke said. “But I wasn’t wise enough and looked what happened to me; Although I thought being a vampire would make me not slay them, but they had other plans and that they’d slay werewolves. That’s why I came home and you know the rest of it.”

Duke couldn’t take it anymore as he fell onto his knees, feeling ashamed of himself and his father’s presence. He still holding his own axe and stared at his reflection in his mind, vampire doesn’t bother him to have no reflection unless you had a mind of a human still. He knew that it wasn’t easy, but it didn’t stop him from talking,

“I guess I can’t escape the past,” Duke replied. “Or my fate to be what the family business wants…”

Andrew felt a tug of regret and shame as his son was actually talking about the family business that was passed down from father to son; But he told his son that he didn’t need to be a hunter if he didn’t want to in the first place.

Artemis wasn’t sure what to feel right now; What does Duke mean by what he was saying? Especially he finally sent the letter to his father? He noticed that Edmund, Estevan, Jaye and Missi (with Minose in her arms) were at the doorway, weren’t sure what’s going on. Duke’s father’s friends weren’t sure what to do either. Artemis needed answers, and he needed it now…

“But you can’t escape it, especially when you felt like you lost so much.” Duke spoke, his voice starting to crack as he tried to fight back with the tears that began to fell from his eyes slightly. He never cried in his life ever since his mom passed away, and he was trying to be strong enough for his dad because he loved her so much.

“I’m sorry…” Duke said, “I’m so sorry…”

Andrew goes to his son and took the axe off his hand, placing it on the ground and grabbing his son by the shoulders. “I should be the one who apologises.” He then knelt down and his son stared blankly at the floor, lost in thought and tears streaming down.

“When I lost your mother, I promised to her that I’d protect you from the vampires. But I’ve never thought of how you could take this and keep it hidden from me as you suffered all alone instead of talking to me.”

Andrew took off Duke’s hat and stroked his hair to just see the original style that he had a very long time ago, then he placed his hand on his son’s cheek to remove the tear from his face. Duke hate to admit it but he missed this comfort, his mother would always him when he was hurt or sad as a child. He knew that his father was trying to do the same thing as well…

“I always believed that it was my fault for failing as a son, a husband and a father to the family I loved. But I was so lost in trying to wipe out all the vampires who murdered those innocent lives, it’s been like this since I was 10 when I lost my parents in the alleyway.”

Duke finally looked at his dad, “Does Luke and Mandy know that you’re still carrying on the family business? Last time I checked, Luke and Mandy were relieved that you looked after me normal and said that you’re better off than being a hunter just like Grandpa Adam.”

“I lied to them so they wouldn’t find out what I’ve been doing,” Andrew replied. He turned away and sighed, “I lied just to protect you as a promise from your mother. She doesn’t want you to get hurt when you got older if you choose to be a hunter…”

Duke’s eyes raised in question until he realised something deepened. “She didn’t died from cancer, did she?” His father was shocked by his question but didn’t say anything, he couldn’t bring himself to look at him. “She was killed by a vampire, wasn’t she?”

Artemis, Edmund, Estevan, Jaye and Missi stood there in shock, Duke’s father lied to him about his mother’s death was actually caused by a vampire; not the cancer.

Artemis suddenly remembered the vampire he knew. His name was Steve, he was a human businessman before he turned him into a vampire after he nearly died from the car chase that led him into the explosion. He was a greats fighter and only wanted to be on top, but Artemis chose Edmund to be his ‘royal’ advisor that led Steve in rage. He became cruel and dishonest, no matter how hard he tried to help. He had been banished from the church for committing the crime of killing humans that weren’t even hunters, but Artemis had no idea that one of the victims would be… Duke’s mom…

While Edmund was shocked by how Duke’s father was ashamed of telling him the truth about his mother’s death, Jaye and Estevan looked at each other and stared at Duke worrying while Missi slowly took a step closer to Duke after she put Minose down.

“Look,” Andrew said as he tried to keep his emotions under control. “I tried to save her but it was already too late, she took the bullet for me when the vampire ambush me and I… I couldn’t save her. It’s my fault.”

Duke doesn’t know what to say about this, but his eyes landed on Artemis who stared at the floor in shocked. Duke couldn’t help but feel something was off with Artemis’ expression as his eyes were dull, but Duke decided to not pay any attention and focused on his father who looked ashamed.

Then he remembered one of the pages from Artemis’ journal that was once belonged to his mother… ‘Cass kept saying how sorry she was after no longer holding the moonstone that made her realise that she had been used by Zhan Tiri. I told her that it was never her fault and reminded her that she would always be my friend or a sister, no matter what happened between us. Reminded her that I’d be the one who got her to smile.’

“Do you remember the time we moved after Mom’s funeral?” Duke suddenly asked, his father looked up at him. “I remember that you wanted to moved into a castle so I’d feel like a prince since I was born on Prom Night while you and Mom were crown King and Queen. It was Mom’s idea and you took the opportunity to take that castle and make it feel like home, hanging pictures of me, Mom and you around the castle. I remember that you said to me that we need to act professional and ‘royalty’ when we’re in public, and the first thing you saw Brian’s dad Callum was punching him in the face. In front of his wife and son, at school.”

Andrew couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit as he remembered meeting Callum again when Duke was eight, he had to admit that he had always wanted to keep punching him for what he did to Lucy.

“I never know why you hated him so much, but that was until you told me that he used to date Mom before he decided to cheat on her with someone you promised to not tell me who was. You told me that you loved Mom so much that you’d never replace her with anyone, but sometimes I wanted you to be happy with someone just what Mom wanted. Your happiness can be confusing though.”

“What do you mean?” Andrew asked.

“I mean, your happiness is you slayed several vampires or get new weapons that you need for it...” Duke replied.

“My happiness was never about slaying vampires,” Andrew spoke. “My real happiness is you and your mother. I never been honest with you, but I didn’t know how to open up because I was never able to talk to anyone about my feelings that bottled me up. There was a time when I wanted to end my life just to be with your mother, but I knew that you needed me to look after you and I knew that I couldn’t let you be an orphan like I did.”

“You got Luke and Mandy,” Duke pointed out.

“It doesn’t matter,” Andrew said. “What matters is that you means so much to me, that’s because I made sure that you’d never be a hunter.”

“Dad,” Duke said. “I’ll end up being a hunter eventually because I messed up with the cane to be out, but I had to protect my friend but I can’t do it without your help.”

“Why do you want my help?” Andrew asked, “I thought that…”

“…that I hate you?” Duke asked, “Dad… I never hated you, I thought you would hate me but I was wrong. You do care about me. In your own way. Which is fine. Sometimes it’s hard for me to understand how you felt and I should have let you explain to me or I should have listened to you instead of shutting you out. Looking back, I see that I was being selfish and thoughtless, and I deeply regret the pain I caused you. Going forward, I promise to be more open, understanding, and patient.”

Andrew couldn’t believe what he was listening, his son had grown up even more responsible than he thought. Sure he too wanted to make up for the things that happened between him and his son, but he had no idea that his son somehow beat him to it in saying those things. “Daniel, why are you saying this?”

Duke smiled sadly, “Because even when I look at you now after all that’s happened, no matter what we’ve done to each other, I feel like I want to make things right. As someone once said; Plus est en vous.”

Artemis’ eyes widened after hearing that; Where did Duke heard those words?

“It means, there is more in you.” Duke continued, “I want to make up for everything that happened.”

“Son,” Andrew sighed. “I appreciate it, it’d means a lot to your mother.”

Artemis and everyone were surprised by this father and son reunited and tried to make amends; Duke and Andrew weren’t sure what to do next after the conversation, but Duke decided to go ahead and hugged his father who was surprised but slowly wrapping his arms around his son as both of embraced.

Artemis felt a tug of jealousy at the scene of Duke hugging his father, but he should know that he couldn’t be jealous of this. It’s not like he had a good relationship with Eugene after… now his heart was actually breaking as he remembered that he used to have a good relationship with Eugene before his mother Rapunzel and sister Lizzie were killed during the snowstorm. Four years of Eugene abusing him with words that caused damage to him for what happened to the family, Eugene blamed him for it when he was trying to protect them. But before that, Eugene had been distanced himself from Artemis because he turned into a vampire when he was 12; They had a good relationship before darkness decided to took that away, tearing them apart. Yes, his mother loved him despite his vampire abilities but Eugene couldn’t bring himself to get closer to him.

When he was 18, Artemis had enough of Eugene and had a battle with him just to end the misery. He could’ve finished him if he wanted to but Eugene was still his father and he decided to not go through it. Making the decision to leave the kingdom that was once his home, Artemis never looked back or even let Eugene talk to him.

Artemis stood up with an injury leg and walked away from the scene while Andrew’s friends turned when they noticed him leaving the room, but did nothing. Not even Edmund could saying anything as Missi decided to go to Duke and his father before introducing herself, leaving Jaye and Estevan feeling unsure.

⚔️

𝒜𝓇𝓉ℯ𝓂𝒾𝓈' 𝒫ℴ𝓋

I got to my office and growled in frustration, I had no idea what just happened down there. First, I was willing to fight the hunters who hurt Jaye and escaped from her attack; Thought I could finish them off once and for all. Then second, Duke came in and before I or anyone else knew… he and his father were having a family reunion and reconsider their relationship. Why am I even bothered about that? It’s not like they were reminding me of myself and Eugene…

Eugene…

The guy that was never deserve to have the title of being my father…

My blood was boiling as I remember his words in my head, saying those hurtful things that he wish I should be dead instead of my mother and Lizzie. The rage inside of me threatened to consume everything in its path. How could he be so selfish, so heartless? Over the deaths of my mother and Lizzie? Lance once told me that he was grieving differently than we had after we lost them, but that doesn’t mean Eugene would hurt me more than he hurt others, especially my grandparents. I clenched my fists, feeling the anger pulsing through my veins.

I had no idea that I started to cry at the memories of Eugene never comfort me at the funeral, saying those hurtful words, couldn’t even look at me, trying to fight off my own pain that he put me through for four years, begging for mercy, can’t even say goodbye when I left home! I tried to hold back tears but the sobs in my chest were coming out of my mouth and I was shaking hysterically.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, but the words that had been said to me kept replaying in my mind. I could’ve finished Eugene if I had a chance, I could’ve saved my mother and he could’ve save my sister, we could’ve fixed the machine when we got the chance to stop the snowstorm rising! I couldn’t take it anymore and I cried out in rage, punching the wall that left a massive crack on it.

Tears streamed down my face as I sank to the ground, overwhelmed by emotions. The pain in my hand from hitting the wall matched the pain in my heart. How could things have gone so wrong? Why did it have to end like this? I felt lost and broken, unable to see a way out of the darkness that surrounded me.

But as I sat there, breathing heavily and trying to calm down, I closed my eyes as I recalled my mother’s comfort after turning into a vampire despite trying to distant myself from everyone. I could still remember the feel of her gentle touch on my cheek, her soothing voice in my ear. And even though I had pushed her away, she never stopped loving me.

The memory brought tears to my eyes as I know deep down how much I missed her. She had always seen me as a good person, just like she saw Aunt Cass and Uncle Varian after they betrayed her. She never gave up on me and the other two, she believed that she was the one that helped others to see the end of the tunnel and redeem themselves to be a better person.

I opened my eyes, and stood up despite my injured leg. I was able to walk towards the desk and pulled out the wanted posters of Eugene where he used to be a thief as Flynn Rider and his mother’s journal where he turned the pages of Eugene. My mother did done two pages of Eugene experience of finding out that he too was the lost prince as she was the lost princess; While she took it well of discovered who she was, Eugene was so lost in who he was meant to be.

🎶I thought I’d be an outcast
I thought I’d stand alone
A vampire, a villain, a monester
No title to call my own

I stared at Eugene’s depression moment where the wanted posters were flying around him with Rapunzel and Lance stood by his side; ‘Eugene was the lost prince, just like me! But he was still struggling to accept the truth and couldn’t handle it easy as he once said that he wish he could’ve grabbed the moonstone instead of me or Cassandra. He doesn’t even know who he meant to be which saddens me.’

I thought no one could know me
And how could I have known?
Am I wrong? No, I can’t be wrong

I turned the pages where my mother’s new adventure began where she had to leave Cass behind after the betrayal; She returned to the kingdom where she had to save it from memories being erased, let the kingdom overcome their fears, saved Varian from Cass after returning home on Eugene’s birthday and save the world from the evil Zhan Tiri.

Then I thought I'd found it
A purpose that I could lead
I thought I’d be lucky
It had always been succeed

I thought I knew my purpose now
I thought that I knew where I belonged
But why do I feel like this is wrong?

I stared at my empty reflection on the mirror but in my mind, I see my old human self before turning into a vampire and slowly letting go of the posters and the journal that were in my hands. I didn’t flinch at them hitting the floor as I recalled my old life as a human prince I once was.

Everything I ever thought I knew
Where I've been, where I’d be going
Everything I counted on turned out to be untrue
Could've guessed, should've known, now I do

I kept turning the pages on the day I was born; Taking my first step and painting on my mother’s journal which Cass congrats me on doing so, horse riding with my mother, collecting flowers with Lizzie, reading books with Catalina and Angry, sword fighting with Cass and Hector, having fun with Lance and Adria, hearing stories from Grandpa Edmund, helping Grandpa Fred with eggs, flying the kite with Grandma Arianna and Great Aunt Willow, getting comfort from my mother as she sang the song when I became a vampire. Those memories I had in the past, I just wish to forget them forever as I died that day I became a vampire. But I still remember them all.

Everything I've yearned for, everything I planned
All of those memories I had were nothing but just memories
I don’t understand why I would recall them all to see
If none of it was really me, then who am I supposed to be?

And everything I ever thought I knew
Every hope, every feeling
Love and trust and happiness
They're done, they're gone, they're through
And what's left, me alone, once again
Should've known, now I do

I then turned to the pages of Edmund, Estevan, Jaye, Duke and Missi; ‘Duke came back with a friend, he needed our help to get the cane back. Why should I help him when he can’t get the job right? And why is he acting so serious about it?’

I know my old life meant nothing
I know it was a sham
I know I'm someone else now
But I wonder who I am🎶

I stared at the drawings before my tears came down from my eyes and it landed on Duke, he had a chance to reconnect with his father. I didn’t took a chance to do the same thing with Eugene, not after what he did. Guess Duke’s father didn’t do that much of the damage than Eugene did.

I took out my own journal that were nothing but words written instead of drawings; I preferred my mother’s journal to have pictures for me to draw for her and my journal to be written plain text. I began writing about what happened now and kept staring at my drawing of Duke’s axe skills that I saw him training while the vampires were watching.

Chapter Text

𝒟𝓊𝓀ℯ'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

Who would have thought that the moon would be peaceful to stared at…

I never thought that I’d be able to talk to my father about the past and that I want us to make amends while we’d try to figure out where we could get the cane back from the blue gothic girl who took it from us.

But as I gazed at the moon, I realised how peaceful it was. The soft glow of its light cast a calming aura over the world below. I couldn't help but feel a sense of tranquility wash over me, as if all my worries and fears had melted away in the moon's gentle embrace. The stillness of the night was broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze, adding to the serene atmosphere. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting the peacefulness of the moment seep into my very being. It was a moment of pure bliss, a moment I wished would never end. And as I sat there inside the church, bathed in the moon's ethereal light, I knew that I would always cherish this memory of peace and serenity.

“Duke?”

I heard Missi’s voice and I turned my head to see her holding Minose in her arms, I didn’t say anything but let her sit next to me and we both remained silent until Missi spoke.

“Your dad seems… nice. In fact, he’s a mystery one. Not because he’s a vampire hunter but… he’s something that I couldn’t find the words to describe him.”

“Some people would often say that my dad is kinda sexy,” I said. “Which I find it very disturbing because there are few people who were very old and very young, but I’m glad that my dad didn’t seem to be interesting to have any relationship since… my mom died…”

Missi looked at me with concern, “How old were you when you lost her?”

“I was only eight,” I replied as I suddenly remembered my mother when I was a little boy. She used to tuck me in at night and read me bedtime stories until I fell asleep. I could still hear her voice, soft and soothing, as she recounted tales of whatever stories she read. Those were the moments I cherished the most, feeling safe and loved in her presence. But then, I thought she died with cancer when really it was some bastard who murdered her while trying to kill my dad. The memories of her sacrifice her life to save Dad might have haunt him to this day. We both miss her more than words can express.

“It was hard for me to understand what happened in life when you lost someone and had to move on without them, but I think both of me and Dad did our best.”

Missi could tell that I was depressed because of the truth and I did my best to not be mad at Dad because he was actually trying to protect me, he lost Mom and he couldn’t bare to imagine what would’ve happened if he lose me.

“I still had my parents, my grandparents and my sister.” Missi said, “But I wish one of them would just go away…” She sighed and looked out the window, feeling overwhelmed by remembering that she would feel tired of being left out among her siblings. “As the youngest in the family, I often felt like I was either left out or being caught in the middle of my parents’ disputes over Nessa choices of man as she sleep with any man.”

“I remember her,” I replied. “We almost slept together…” Noticing Missi was glaring at me, I quickly added. “But I quickly rejected her for getting ready to face you off at the nightclub.”

I didn’t notice that Missi rolled her eyes and smiled, “I longed for some peace and quiet, a moment of solitude where I could escape the stupid chaos that seemed to follow me wherever I go. I’m sick of my sister sleeping around, my dad sport addiction with his friends, my mom being a total brat of still being friend with the bitch who abused my best friend and her younger siblings. I still wish either my sister or my dad would just disappear and won’t come back…”

“Your mom being friend with a woman who abused her children?” I asked, she nodded and I’m in shocked at this. It was difficult to comprehend how someone could maintain a friendship with someone who had committed such heinous acts. As I processed this information, I couldn't help but feel a range of emotions - anger, sadness, and disbelief all swirling inside me.

How could her mom turn a blind eye to the person whose suffering innocent children? How could she continue to associate with someone capable of such cruelty?

My eyes glowed red in anger, my mind was filled with hatred and imagination of how I’d do to get my hands on Missi’s mother’s friend for abuse.

Missi’s then placed her hand on mine when she noticed that my hand was gripping into a fist, I looked at her and tried to relax. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me…”

“It’s fine,” Missi replied. “Last time I heard was seven years ago when my best friend finally snapped and beat the hell out of her mom before exposing her abuse in the church. That was the last time I ever heard of her, because her siblings and her parents discovered that she disappeared without a trace afterwards. It did change her family so much, the siblings didn’t want anything to do with their mom who nearly destroyed them…”

I looked at Missi who was staring sad at the floor with Minose to comfort her, I never thought she would lose a friend seven years ago. I scooted closer to her and Minose looked at me curious before leaving us in peace which I am thankful for.

As I sat next to her, I placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "I'm sorry for your loss of a friend. Just remember that I’m here for you, Missi. I know it's hard, but you're not alone." Missi looked up at me with tears in her eyes as we both didn’t know she was crying, but she looked grateful for the support I gave her. We sat in silence for a while, letting her emotions run their course.

Eventually, she spoke softly, sharing memories of her lost friend and the impact they had on her life. “Her name was Mel and she was the closest friend I had, she was the sweetest and quite a chatter box. She used to wear dresses when we were kids; aqua green, pastel blue or white, those were her favourite colours. She loved to wear bows on her long brown hair as she tied it up as a pony tail, she let me and her sister to ding-dong her ponytail like a bell just to cheer us up. She taught me how to read books and little bit of the dance that was different from ballet as I grew tired of it, she got tired of playing the violin that she used to do.” She then chuckled while wiping her tears.

“And?” I asked, actually enjoying the story of her friend.

“I remember when she was 12, she flipped out on the music teacher in front of the school assembly. The teacher wanted her to play the violin, and Mel just swear at her and even hit her with the violin when the teacher started yelling at her verbally. That day she had a rebellion instant against her own mother, no longer her puppet. She was quite a fighter when she argued back and give a hit on the head or the face, she inspired me.”

“She did?”

“Yeah,” Missi sighed, “She’s the reason why I decided to not to return home when I almost did after letting go of that cane. If she ran away from home because of what happened, then I’d do the same because I felt like we both had a common of family being too much of you to take.”

I was surprised by her little explanation of why she didn’t want to come home to her family, her friend ran away for seven years now because of her mother and Missi is with me for four years because of how rough she was having with her family.

“Missi,” I spoke. “You were seventeen when you came to my castle and things changed fast. To be honest, I ran away from my dad when I was seventeen as well because I couldn’t take it either. But it’s not him, it’s other things. Like Brian, who used to be my friend until he decided to be a fucking jockey.”

“Brian?” Missi asked, “As in Brian Dumarias?”

That hit me like a rock when I heard that last name of my old friend, “Your last name is Dumarias?”

She nodded, “Brain is my dad.”

There was a silent between us until I groaned, “I can’t believe I almost slept with you or your sister! You two are Brain’s daughters! Oh, fuck my life…”

Missi chuckled, “It’s okay. You’re not the first person to be left out so my dad can be a jockey, there are few of his friends who can’t stand him being so addicted to sports. He won so many trophies and medals, but over time… he was so obsessed of teaching his nephews to be just like him, Mom doesn’t seem to care but my uncles and aunts aren’t happy about it.”

“Okay,” I sighed. “Anyway, I ran away from home and lived my life as what I usually do; Fashion designs, journalist or playing my guitar. It was fine until…”

I paused as memories of me arriving at the abandoned church where vampires were there, but before I could react I felt a pain on my neck that was bleeding heavily when I realised that I got bitten by a vampire and I felt like I was dying. Painfully transformed into a vampire, I did felt the darkness consume me as I opened my eyes to a whole new world. The hunger for blood pulsed through my veins, overpowering any sense of humanity I once had. I was now one of them, but I felt like I’m nothing like them as I wasn’t the type of vampire to kill. Especially when my dad was a hunter to kill vampires. The memories of my old life faded away as I embraced my new life as a creature of the night.

“Until you turn into a vampire,” Missi finished my sentence when she noticed my face darkened with the memories that night. I turned to her and slightly nodded.

“If I could turn back the clock and not got caught up in the vampires’ lives, then I wouldn’t become this and I wouldn’t get the cane out of the grave…” I whispered as I stared at my key and imagined my reflection in it. I couldn't believe how much my life had changed since that fateful night when I was bitten by a vampire.

I remembered how I had been curious about their world as a teenager, fascinated by their allure and power. But now, as I looked at my pale skin hand and feel my sharp fangs with my tongue, I realised now the terrible price I had paid for my stupidity. Vampires hunt werewolves, just like humans hunt vampires.

I easily saw my dad in Artemis when we were on the mission, and I knew that it never been different; It had been the same. I was surprised that–

…

Suddenly, I felt my collar was moving slightly down and I realised that Missi was pulling it down to see the bite marks that Artemis bit down years ago. Usually, vampires would bite their opponents to become one of them, but that’s what Artemis did with others before me as I noticed few of them had bite marks on their left or right sides of their necks.

Missi, remain silent, placed her fingers on my neck as she traced the bite marks. I winced as her touch sent a shiver down my spine. The memories of that night came rushing back to me, the fear and the pain still fresh in my mind after Artemis bit me and I had a painful transformation into a vampire as I thought I was slowly dying. I could feel her analyzing the marks, her expression growing more concerned by the second.

"Does it hurt after you got bitten?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. I hesitated, unsure if I should tell her. But looking into her eyes, I knew I couldn't keep it from her any longer.

"It was painful to get bitten by Artemis. I really thought I was going to die until I took the transformation like I was having a migraine," I admitted, my voice barely audible. Missi's eyes widened in shock, her hand instinctively tightening on my neck. She pulled me closer, as if trying to shield me from any more harm.

Her arms wrapped around me tightly, offering comfort and protection. I felt safe in her embrace, knowing that she would always be there for me as I was doing the same for her. I enjoyed this moment of embracing and silencing between as we hear the birds and bats flapping their wings or singing their songs, despite the wind rustling through the trees.

As I hesitated to speak, a gentle touch brushed against my neck, and I was startled by the sensation of Missi’s soft lips tenderly meeting the bite marks there. In that moment, a surge of electricity coursed through me, leaving me rooted in astonishment and bewilderment. The unexpected caress ignited a mix of emotions within me, a blend of surprise, curiosity, and an indescribable connection that seemed to transcend words. My mind was like a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts, torn between the desire to yield to the unfamiliar yet captivating allure and the instinctual need to question the inexplicable yet overwhelming chemistry that pulsed between us.

Time seemed to stand still as the fleeting touch lingered, imprinting a memory that resonated deeply within me, a memory that would forever anchor me to that singular moment of unexpected intimacy shared in a swirl of silent emotions. The soft brush of her lips against my skin became a defining moment, a turning point that marked the beginning of a journey into the unknown, where love, longing…

I sighed softly as she continued kissing my neck and I suddenly felt weak; Not like painful near-death sort of way, just a sense of surrender to her touch. Her lips were soft and warm against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I closed my eyes and let myself get lost in the moment, savoring the feeling of her gentle caresses.

I was slowly lying down on the floor, from her sitting on my lap to be on top of me, she kissed deeply on my neck with one hand still holding my collar and the other went under my shirt as she gently caressed my shoulder before slowly moving up to my chest. Her touch sent shivers down my spine once more and I couldn't help but let out a soft moan. She pulled away from my neck to looked into my eyes with a mischievous glint and she moved my hair out of my face… before leaning in to capture my lips with hers.

Holy shit, another spark sent through me as she kissed me. Last time I checked, I did kissed her older sister Nessa and it was perfectly fine. But with Missi? This was different, this was… unexpected. As we both lie there, eyes wide open to look at Missi’s closed and peaceful eyes behind her glasses, I could feel my heart racing. But then, I slowly closed my eyes as the kiss was getting intense and passionate, igniting a fire within me. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer as our bodies pressed together.

As we breathed in sync, lost in the intoxicating moment of our kisses deepened, my hands traversed the delicate landscape of her body. Starting from her shoulders, they traced a tantalizing path down to the curvature of her back, reveling in the softness beneath her fabric and my touch. The gentle exploration took a turn towards the more passionate as the atmosphere crackled with desire. While one hand remained firmly planted on the small of her back, anchoring us in the whirlwind of emotions, the other ventured boldly, savoring the warm skin of her thigh from behind. The contrast between the tender caress on her back and the daring grip on her thigh heightened the intensity of our connection, creating a fiery blend of sweet intimacy and electric anticipation.

Each touch sparked a symphony of sensations, weaving a captivating dance of desire between us, where every movement, every brush of skin against skin, seemed to speak a language of its own, echoing the unspoken words of our longing hearts.

I had a little tired of her being the top, so I rolled her over to make me the top and we gazed at each other’s eyes before continuing making out with our tongues sharing each other’s mouths. The room was filled with the sound of our heavy breathing, the only thing that mattered in that moment was each other. We pulled away from the kiss and our connection saliva broke off, we panted as we tried to figure out what just happened while gazing at each other’s eyes…

“Do you remember that night you said to me?” Missi asked, breaking the silence between us. “That night you said that you’re glad that you’re not alone anymore after I spoke about me feeling glad that I lie next to you after we fought in the castle over the recent event at the nightclub?”

I remembered that night; That night we laid down on the grass after the long walk to calm down after the fight. That night where Missi still had the cane that turned her into a vampire. That night we watched the stars before we began to talk things out about our problems. And that night we admit that we were glad to be not alone and had each other’s company…

We also agreed that we would be at each other’s throats during that time but always had each other’s back at the same time…

“Do you still think that?” Missi asked, feeling a bit worried after I didn’t say anything but I replied.

“I also remember that we would go through this together, facing the people who would stand in our way or judging us the way we are. But I never thought how far we would go after four years of trying to understand what’s the purpose of the cane that would lead us to be closer than before.”

Missi stared at me before asking again, “And what do you think about me when I hold the cane or not? I mean, I turned into a sour puss of a vampire…”

I chuckled softly at that part, and stared at her with longing despite my eyes glowed red slightly before I removed the hair out of her eyes and placed my hand on her cheek.

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of fear. "What do you think of me now that I don’t have a cane?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Missi…” I spoke, my hand still resting on her cheek. "I don’t care if you’re a vampire or not," I reassured her, my voice low and soothing. "It's just... you have no idea how much you mean to me." I could see the tension in her body ease slightly at my words, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"I feel the same way," she whispered, leaning into my touch. And in that moment, with her soft skin under my fingertips and her warm breath on my face, I knew that she was everything I had ever wanted.

While I was on top of her, Missi took my hand that was on her cheek to hers. Our hands locked in as our fingers intertwine, we remained silent for the moment as I drew her hand to my chest and let her touch my key that was around my neck. She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine for some unspoken answer. I could feel the connection between us growing stronger with each passing moment. It was as if we were speaking a language only we could understand, a language of touch and emotion.

She then untied my cape with a delicate and teasing flutter of her fingers, letting the fabric slide down from my shoulders before lightly dropping to the floor. Her touch turned tender as she slowly unbuttoned my shirt, revealing each button one by one, her gaze fixed on mine with a mixture of desire and anticipation.

Her other hand rested gently on my shoulder, offering both support and guidance as she subtly directed me to lean closer to her. As our bodies inclined towards each other, our lips met in a passionate and intimate kiss, a moment suspended in time where the world around us seemed to fade. The warmth of her touch and the sweetness of her lips created a swirl of emotions within me.

Our embrace deepened, drawing us closer together, as if we were two souls entwined in a dance of devotion and desire. Each touch, each caress, spoke volumes of unspoken words, igniting a fire of longing and connection between us that felt both exhilarating and comforting at the same time.

⚔️

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧

Artemis and Edmund were looking for Duke after their conversation with his father, and Edmund knew that Artemis was not happy about it because Andrew told them about the letter he had received from his son. Artemis recognised the letter and the envelope, especially the golden sun stamp, which was a sign of his mother Rapunzel and Artemis knew Duke had come to his office without asking.

Part of him knew that Duke was going to discover the talisman necklace as well that turned vampires into human, but he wasn’t going to think about it right now until he finds Duke. They asked few of the vampires where he could be, but they didn’t notice him which was frustrating Edmund.

“Where could he be?” Artemis asked when Minose came from the corner of the hall, “Minose.”

Minose meowed and goes up to Artemis, purring and nuzzling around his legs. Artemis nearly smiled before picking the cat up from his arms and into his arms, not knowing that Edmund raised his eyebrows but not saying anything.

“Do you know where Duke is?” Artemis asked, Minose nodded as if she understood him and jumped off Artemis’ arms and tilted her head to follow her.

Artemis followed her while Edmund was standing there in surprise, he never thought of Artemis to talk to animals like Minose and she understood that he was asking for. He shook his head and followed the two to find Duke.

Few moments later, Minose stopped to the door in front of her while Artemis and Edmund catch her up.

“Thanks, Minose.” Artemis replied, stroking one of her ears.

He opened the door… and he wished he could have knocked…

Missi was on top of Duke by sitting on his lap while he sat up as both of them were still making out, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hold the back of his head to pull him in closer while her fingers tangled through his hair, deepening the kiss. Duke’s hand was on her back and the other was on her waist, his button shirt was open while Missi’s hair was down.

They were so caught in the moment that they didn’t notice the door was open or that Artemis and Edmund were standing there in shock to witness this moment. Their presence unnoticed by the Duke and his human friend. Caught off guard by the unexpected sight before them, they were frozen in place, their expressions a mix of Edmund’s astonishment that got his eye-glass to drop just like he done when Duke was dressed as a stripper at the karaoke years ago and Artemis’ curiosity about their relationship between love or hate they’d often say but seen them as ordinary friends.

Once they pulled away, Duke and Missi were breathless as they looked at each other’s eyes until Edmund cleared his throat and the pair turned to see him and Artemis; While Edmund looked questioning and slight annoyance, Artemis looked not mad or disappointed as he slightly embarrassed that he interrupted their moment as he nearly looked away with a slight blush on his face.

Duke was completely embarrassed, Missi was too as both of them separate with their face looked either red or pink when they realised that they got intimate. While Duke tried to button his shirt, Missi tied her hair up and put her glasses.

“It’s… uh,” Duke first spoke up before clearing his throat, “It’s not what you think…”

“Really?” Edmund asked, raising his eyebrows. “And you two said that you’re enemies/friends?”

“We… We are!” Missi replied, nervously trying to explain what happened. “I don’t know… I don’t even know what’s got into me. They’d say that vampires are easy to seduce humans, but Duke… he was, I was… god damnit! Oh, please don’t tell his dad about what you two saw! We weren’t doing anything wrong. We were just–“

“I’m only here to have a word with Duke about something,” Artemis interrupted.

“About what?” Duke asked, putting his cape on as he and Missi stood up, dusting themselves the dust off that was on them.

“About the letter that you sent to your father,” Artemis replied as he crossed his arms.

Duke’s face froze in surprise for a second before he sighed and looked at Artemis in the eye, “I actually thought you’d find out sooner or later.”

“Why did you enter Artemis’ office without permission?” Edmund asked.

Duke looked away, “I don’t know…”

“There had to be a reason,” Artemis said as he took a step closer to Duke. “You know the rules of this church that all of you vampires have to follow; You don’t enter my office without permission, you don’t use any equipment on my desk that doesn’t belong to you, and mostly importantly…”

“Gee,” Duke rolled his eyes as he heard these things before with the teachers where he was at high school and Edmund hums years. “I know the rules, you don’t have to tell me again for a lot. It’s getting old and I’m surprised that everyone is so used to you and your second commander over there.”

“Some of them don’t listen,” Artemis’ eyes glow. “You’re not the first person who felt that way.”

“I only need to write a letter to my dad and I had stumbled upon your office door open,” Duke crossed his arms.

“You know,” Artemis replied. “I am tired of dealing you, not showing your side of being a vampire and still act human.”

“Because I’m still human in the inside!” Duke snapped, “Just because I’m a vampire doesn’t mean I don’t have a human dignity in me! You honestly think that we’re all have to forget our times as human once you turned us into this?!”

“Duke,” Missi replied softly.

“I’m not asking you to forget your time as human,” Artemis said. “I’m asking you that you need to understand that you’re a vampire and you need to embrace it!”

“Don’t you think that I’m already embraced that years ago, but not in the way you’re hoping me to feel?” Duke asked, taking a step closer to Artemis.

“It doesn’t matter if you embrace it already or not, what matters is that you’re just a useless idiot while I’m just a–“

“A prince?”

Artemis stopped himself when Duke spoke up, his face was shocked to hear that the word from the son of the vampire hunter. Duke's words somehow hung heavy in the air, causing Artemis to feel a sense of dread creeping up his spine. He wasn’t even sure how Duke could think of him as a royal. Taking a deep breath, Artemis tried to compose himself before responding to Duke.

"What did you just say?" Artemis asked, his voice nearly trembling slightly.

“You heard me,” Duke said before his eyes glowed red and looking at him directly again in the eyes. “Arthur…”

That hit him hard in the stomach, Artemis held his breath, realizing that Duke went through more than writing a letter. Edmund was shocked and yet angry while Missi and Minose looked confused by Artemis’ different name.

“You were the prince, aren’t you not?” Duke said, nearly snarling as he showing his fangs. “And your name is not ‘Artemis’. Is there any wonder how I said those words to my dad that was written on the journal which belong to your mother had on the day of her coronation day? I’m surprised that you didn’t notice unless you were distracted by your leg being injured.”

Artemis remained strong, despite feeling uncomfortable. “So, you did more than writing a letter. You went through my journal that wasn’t even your business to begin with.”

“Yeah well, I’m not going through of not letting my dad reach out to me the same way you did to your dad when he tried to reach out to you.”

“You honestly think we are the same?!” Artemis asked angrily.

“Sir,” Edmund spoke softly.

“We’re not the same,” Artemis said. “You don’t know anything about Eugene or the rest of my family and friends.”

“You can’t even say that Eugene was your dad,” Duke pointed out. “You’re still holding on this hatred towards him only because he disowned you after your mother and sister died, I bet they’d be disappoint in you if they were here.”

“Don’t you dare bring them to this. I didn’t know how much you read my mother’s journal, but if you did; you think you could use that to tear me down?”

“I’m not here to tear you down. I’m only here to send you a home truth or two, because you can’t run away from the past as they would come back to haunt you.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Artemis said. “My past is sealed and there’s nothing for you to make me realise my mistakes when I was trying to help my home.”

“And your dad still blame you which wasn’t your fault in the first place,” Duke sighed. “This isn’t you, Artemis.”

“This isn’t me?” Artemis asked, “You don’t get to tell me who I am, no one does. Only I decide that…”

“Sir, please.” Edmund spoke, he doesn’t like Duke trying to talk to him about his past as he did nearly the same thing himself.

“And have you decided?” Duke asked, “Is this who you are now? Is this what you really want? Because I think your father has your head so clouded with anger and hate after your mother’s death and you’re now a vampire which everyone else were feared for, you don’t know what you want anymore.”

“I know exactly what I want,” Artemis replied. “And I honestly want you to know what it feels like to fail, despite your best efforts or that you’ll always have a duty no matter how much you try to escape your destiny. I want you and the rest of the world to know that everything you’ve faced will always be a reminder of where you were!”

Artemis’ red eyes glow brighter and bared his fangs, Edmund took a step back as he noticed his hair blonde hair was glowing a bit as well. Duke, never actually felt scared for once, gripping his fists tightly and his eyes glow red as well bared his fangs; Missi took Minose in her arms and took a step back as well.

Both Missi and Edmund were nervous as they might going to witness Artemis and Duke’s fight…

Chapter Text

ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕠𝕧

“Sir!” Edmund spoke up, “This isn’t going to solve anything and you know that. Duke is not worth it.”

“He should have thought about it before he decided to try and give me the pathetic excuse,” Artemis replied to Edmund before he turned to Duke. “And as for you, you better think before you interfering my privacy.”

“You know I’m right, Artemis.” Duke replied, not backing down from the conversation. “You know that someday the others will discover who you truly were before you decided to kill those innocent people so you won’t alone in this dark world we’re living in. We had no choice but to be what we are now, because of you.”

“I never killed anyone besides werewolves,” Artemis replied.

“Not even human?” Duke asked, raising his eyebrows. Artemis remained silent, Duke continued. “You vampires killed humans while doing the same thing to werewolves, you might have started war by causing human to hunt vampires down.”

“Duke, please that’s enough.” Missi spoke up, Minose whimper silently.

“You risk your mortal life for your mother and you had to live the rest of your life as a vampire where the people feared you, but your mother was always there for you because you were still her son and she didn’t even care that you’re a vampire as you never hurt anyone.”

“Stop it,” Artemis said as he felt his blood was boiling. He clenched his fists, trying to control the anger that was threatening to consume him. The person in front of him getting frustrated, clearly not letting him to try and shut him up.

“Then your mother had to sacrifice her life to save you and left you with a father who blamed you for her death along with your sister,” Duke continued.

“That’s enough,” Edmund demanded.

“He even wished that you should be dead and not them! And I felt sorry for you, but you managed to escape him after four years of misery he put you through. The misery he put everyone you even cared about through. But I don’t understand why you would spare him when you want to end him, why you had to leave the rest of your family, why you didn’t even bother to return home just once! But I guess you’d rather be alone in this world while turning everyone into vampires than being a fucking prince instead!”

That moment literally crack the camel’s back and Artemis, finally snapped, threw a punch at Duke right in the face. That send a red vampire flying across the room and hit the ground with a thud, shocking Missi and Edmund while Minose jumped out of her arms and rushed to the her backpack.

Duke, who was literally piss, had his red eyes darkened in rage by how it glowed. Placing his hand on his face where he noticed that his nose was bleeding, he snarled and bared his fangs before he transformed into a shadow and lunged at Artemis, grabbing him by the neck and pinned him to the wall. Artemis struggled against the his grip, that attack caught him off guard as he wasn’t unexpected Duke would fight back. Artemis managed to kick Duke between the legs, causing him to stumble to the ground.

Duke quickly stood up before Artemis had a chance to collect himself and punch the leader in the face which took him off guard again but didn’t got the chance to protest it when Duke kept on punching him. Artemis suddenly was able to grab hold on Duke and tossed him to the side, but Duke lunged at him and get punched down again by Artemis.

“Sir!” Edmund yelled while Missi stood there in shock.

“I’d rather stay down if I was you,” Artemis demanded.

Duke only glared at him as he struggle but able to get up, “You’re gonna hit me harder for that.”

“You’re gonna regret this,” Artemis replied.

“Just because you’re once a prince, doesn’t mean you would make yourself as king of vampires because you killed everyone to make them as your people!”

Duke was unaware that his eyes were glowing red with a hint of electric blue spark, and he ran up to Artemis and kicked him in the stomach and pinned him on the wall again by grabbing his neck. Both of them snarled as they stared at each other’s eyes.

Artemis punched Duke’s arms to let go of him and grabbed his arm and thrown him over his head before body slammed him to the ground, Duke grunted before Artemis pinned him by his knee that was pressed against his chest and grabbed his shoulder where he was unaware that Duke had a bite mark from the female vampire. Duke cried out in pain, but he grabbed Artemis on the thigh tightly that made Artemis lose the grip before Duke rolled over, making him be on top of Artemis before he punched him again five times before Artemis blocked his blows and kicked him off him.

Duke stumbled backward to the ground and quickly dodged Artemis’ punch before he turned himself into a shadow again and ran out of the room, followed by Artemis along with Edmund and Missi while Minose came out of the backpack and sighed.

⚔️

Artemis came to the training room where Duke would be, ignoring everyone around or Edmund’s protest. Jaye and Estevan looked at each other in confusion when Artemis grabbed hold on his sword while the vampires were about to get their weapons ready when Andrew raised his hand to stop them before he turned to see his son Duke quickly reached for a nearby weapon, an axe that glinted in the moonlight. With a swift motion, he lunged forward to Artemis but just as the blade was about to strike, the Artemis quickly dodged by blocking the axe with his sword, both of them had their eyes glow red furiously while glaring at each other.

Jaye and Estevan, along with the vampire hunters, Andrew and the other vampires, stood there in shock while Edmund and Missi came to the room and they weren’t sure what to do as Duke and Artemis were fighting each other. Neither of them don’t want to stop; Duke dodged every strike Artemis kept swinging and he missed him, causing the table to cut in two with an axe in his hands while Artemis threw his sword at him but Duke ducked on time.

Duke stumbled back from the force of the punch from Artemis, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. Artemis wasted no time in attacking, his own blade flashing in the sunlight as it clashed against Duke's. The sound of metal on metal rang out as the two warriors fought fiercely, each trying to gain the upper hand.

Despite the strength of Artemis's blow, Duke managed to hold his ground, his muscles straining as he pushed back against her. Sweat dripped down his brow as he gritted his teeth, determined not to let his best him in combat. Their swords danced in a deadly ballet, the clash of steel echoing through the clearing.

“I was actually hoping that you would at least understand the whole situation as we both have problems with our dads,” Duke said. “But now that you’ve made this impossible, I am not holding my frustration on you slaying werewolves or expecting us to be your royal guards back!”

Duke then spun around and kicked Artemis in the stomach and the vampire leader went flying before tumbling to the ground.

“I can’t tell how disappointed that is to hear, Duke.” Artemis replied, “Because if you’re not holding back, that means this is the best you can do.”

Duke growled before he lunged at Artemis again who quickly moved out of the way, but Duke managed to cut the slight edge of Artemis’ hair that literally a shock to both of us. Artemis was in rage while Duke knew he literally fucked up and regretting it, just like he did at the nightclub where he accidentally ripped Missi’s dress while they were fighting.

While those two were fighting, Missi was slowly go behind Edmund and Jaye looked at him in question but he ignored her and Estevan was fiddling his long dark red hair as he watched the fight. The other vampire hunters and the other vampires were watching every move between Duke and Artemis as they fought and they would agree that it was impressed to see how Duke’s skills nearly matched Artemis.

Andrew had never seen his son fight before unless it was at school throughout his life that he never had a chance to see him, but now he’s witnessed his son fighting with the vampire leader. The sight was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. His son moved with a speed and agility that Andrew never knew he possessed, dodging the leader's attacks and landing his own with precision.

As the battle raged on, Andrew felt a surge of pride mixed with fear. He never wanted his son to be involved in such dangerous situations like this, but there was no denying the bravery and skill he displayed in the face of danger.

It became clear that neither vampire would back down easily. They were evenly matched, each one refusing to give an inch. The clash of their weapons filled the air, a symphony of war that seemed to go on indefinitely.

Artemis be able to slashed Duke’s fabric that ripped, exposing his shoulder where the bite marks from the female vampire bit. With a swift movement, Artemis lunged forward and Duke dodged it before grabbing him by the hair and yanking to the side. Artemis tumbled to the ground and rolled away when Duke was going to do something, like throwing an axe to the ground.

“Seriously,” Duke spoke as he panted. “How much longer before one of us finally going to collapse?”

“You tell me, you’re the one who provoke me to fight me.” Artemis replied, moving the locks of hair off his face. “Not to mention that you’re trained very well than the last time you had years ago. But just for the advice of the compat; turn your enemy’s strength into a weakness.”

Little did he know that Duke was going to use that advice, as it was the stupid thing Artemis had done but it did help him to defeat him.

“Why are we even fighting for?” Duke asked. “All because I give you the truth that you can’t even handle when it comes to your past, it’s not like I was going to tell everybody that your past was something they thought was impossible.

“I don’t want anyone in this church to know about who I was or where I came from,” Artemis said.

“Why is that?” Duke asked, “If you think you’d keep your past from everyone for the next hundred years, would you be more alone and more afraid? Have you even thought about that? What are you afraid of that made you feel so alone and not open up about it? Was it because of what happened to you or your mother?”

While Andrew was shocked to hear this, Estevan and Jaye were deeply worried about Duke and feared that Artemis would hurt him more.

“Whatever happened in the past that involved me or my mother, it’s not your job to interfere.” Artemis replied, his eyes were glowing red again. “And let me tell you something, Duke; This whole ordeal has shown me that I don’t need anyone…”

“Art, come on.” Duke spoke up, “I know you believe that–“

Artemis grabbed him by the neck, “You don’t get to tell me what I believe!”

“Is this what your mom wants you to be?!” Duke snapped as he struggled to get his grip of his neck, struggling to breathe when it was tightened. “You really think she wants you to be a leader for biting everyone to be vampires or let your guards kill human who ain’t a hunters?! What would she think of you if she was here?!”

Then suddenly, Artemis doesn’t know what happened but when he looked at Duke into his red eyes he saw a blue sparks that gave him the vision of a younger Andrew and Lucy happily walking together in the woods. It was dark and the shadow figure revealed to be Steve who smirked at the couple before he sneaked onto Andrew and with the weapon in his hand, Steve raised it to strike Andrew who turned to see him but Lucy rushed in and ready to be strike down.

The flashback ended there and Artemis was shocked to witness Duke’s mother being killed by Steve who was supposed to kill Andrew. Artemis felt a surge of anger and sadness as he watched the tragic scene unfold before his eyes. He couldn't believe that Steve would betray him or the rest of the vampires so much in such a cruel and heartless way.

While Duke was waiting for anything from the vampire leader, Artemis struggled to come to terms with the reality of what had happened. He had always known Steve was still mad that he chose Edmund to trust him and maybe be the next leader if he wanted to take a break, but now he was faced with the harsh truth that...

🎶Here what’s had been hurt
Change the fate’s design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine…🎶

⚔️

The past…

“What once was mine,” Rapunzel sang the last lyrics of the song just to cheer her 12 years old son Arthur after a harsh reveal of becoming a vampire. She managed to find her son where her old tower was there and she was surprised by how he was able to find it, but it broke her heart to see Arthur crying so she knelt down and comfort her son with a hug.

“Mom,” Arthur spoke as he sobs each breath.

“Shh,” Rapunzel soothes him while stroking his hair. “It’s okay, Arthur. Everything is going to be alright, I promise.”

“I’m a vampire,” Arthur replied while staring at his white hand. “I don’t want to hurt anyone…”

“Arthur, you’re not like one of them. You’re my son, and I promise to love you no matter how different you are now. We’ll figure this out, I’d read books about vampires to keep you in my hair.”

Arthur looked at her confused, “Your hair is too short to keep me as a nest if you think I’m a bird.”

Rapunzel was flustered and a bit embarrassed by her son pointing out that she doesn’t have a very long hair anymore, “Oh. Right, yeah. I meant, I’ll keep you in my arms.”

Arthur smiled sadly and hugged his mother tightly, “I love you Mom.”

Rapunzel smiled, “I love you too Arthur. My little sunshine, I promise everything will be okay.”

⚔️

The present
𝒟𝓊𝓀ℯ'𝓈 𝒫ℴ𝓋

I was waiting for any reaction from Artemis, but then I wasn’t expected for him to slowly fall apart as tears came in his eyes. His shoulders shook as he tried to hold back the sobs, but it was clear that he was struggling to keep it together. He let go of my neck and took a step away from me, and then tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. I somehow felt his pain as a wave of sadness wash over him, consuming him entirely. Despite his best efforts, the floodgates had opened, and there was no stopping the outpouring of grief.

I carefully looked at him in the eye and I knew that he actually thought of his mother and what she’d think of him, but what I didn’t expect Artemis collapsed to the ground, his body racked with sobs as he finally allowed himself to release the pain that he had been holding inside for so long. I wanted to reached out to comfort him, unsure of what to say in this moment of vulnerability.

But… I don’t know if he wants me to, especially when Edmund glared at me while Missi, Estevan and Jaye stared at the scene in shock; I realised that vampires, hunters and my dad were there to witness our fight before Artemis had a breakdown.

Artemis was still crying in heap of tears and grief; The pain of loss consumed him, and I… I’d allowed him to mourn, to feel every ounce of sadness and heartache. To feel that he needed to let go after years of feeling…

Now, I felt ashamed of bringing his past up and saying those horrible things. I turned away from Artemis and placed my hand on my arm, but then I looked at Edmund walking up to Artemis. He kneeled down and hesitated to wrap his arms around him, but Artemis placed his head on Edmund’s chest as he cried.

"Artemis, it’s okay. I got you," Edmund said softly, he hoping his words would provide some solace.

He looked up at Edmund, his eyes filled with pain and sorrow. "I never wanted you to see me like this," he whispered, his voice breaking. “I never wanted anyone to see me… Jaye, Estevan, Duke, his dad…”

He never wanted anyone in the room to see him like this, crying in Edmund’s arms after fighting with me.

"I told you that it’s okay to not be okay, Artemis.” Edmund said while stroking his blonde hair, “You should know that you don't have to go through this alone."

Minose came to the room and goes towards Artemis with concern, climbing up onto his lap and purred. Artemis sniffed and stroked her head, tears streaming down his face. He had somehow been so good at putting on a brave face, pretending that everything was okay, but deep down she was struggling with his own trauma from the past that his father Eugene had brought him to for four years after his mother and sister’s death.

Suddenly, a hand was on my shoulder and I turned to see my dad standing there beside me. I sighed exhaustively, then I looked back at Artemis who was still crying despite Edmund and Minose comforting him.

“Don’t blame yourself for this,” My dad spoke up. “You were only trying to get him to open up, and let him know that he’s not alone.”

I replied, “I just want him to understand how we’re feeling and he doesn’t need to be alone anymore. The reason why I decided to write you a letter is because of how much drawings his mother made before he took over, but mostly because I don’t want to go through what he went through. I just want to help.”

I let a tear fall from my eyes, and felt Missi hugged me by wrapping her arms around me. She looked at me with comfort in her eyes, telling me that it wasn’t my fault and everything will be okay. I smiled sadly, everything was going to be okay. I hope…