Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ever since he had arrived in Oakhurst, he hadn’t been able to sleep well, especially with that blood moon that just seemed to watch him. Closely. 

Like an omniscient eye that couldn’t get enough of the suffering everyone was going through in this ruined town. There was a town meeting outside but exhaustion had finally caught up to him tonight.

Whatever, he was going to survive the vampires one way or another. He always has. And plus! Cleo was a vampire on their side! (He tried hard to forget about how Apo was probably a vampire.) And the militia, and the sunflower alliance, and the prospect of a cure, and…

And he dreamt of a little canary, trapped in a cage. Death was its only freedom, he thought.

“Gaah, how is my leg still hurting!” Martyn sighed as he descended into the mines, somehow the silver he had collected disappeared, though he assumed that either Avid took them to create more silver blocks or an invisible vampire stole them.

He had to be even more prepared. He would assemble the militia to protect the town. It was a duty he kind of just took, after all, with Apo being a potential vampire, he couldn’t take any chances.

Staggering out of the mines he saw Pearl and Cleo. “Hey! How’s it going?!”

“There's still a lot of voices.” Pearl sighed with an amused smile, Cleo similarly sighed and called to Martyn. 

“Martyn, come with us.” Cleo said with- wait… What? Martyn felt a strange sort of deja vu. “Come.”

“Oh gosh, what have I done now?” He said almost automatically.

“No, you haven't done anything.” He felt like he just heard this just a day ago. Or two. “I just need to talk to you two specifically.”

“Okay.” Both of them answered immediately.

“Um, just for like important stuff.”

“Oooh” Martyn smiled, maybe more info on the vampires?

“Right. Let's hear what on earth is going on with the town.” Pearl crossed her arms as they wandered deeper into the woods with apparently zero precautions for potential invisible vampires, “What… what's happening?”

Martyn suddenly had a weird feeling in his gut. This shouldn’t be happening.

Cleo looked over at him, “Okay. So, Martyn, do you want to explain what happened yesterday to Pearl?”

He would’ve recounted the entire experience, from the sudden chill to them running into the castle and finding the four vampires and the ensuing fight. And how he fell down, and how Cleo was converted.

But that was in another timeline. Right now that knot in his gut became an almost stabbing pain in his stomach.

“Cleo you’re a vampire.” He said with so much conviction that their face fell, and Pearl looked at them in disbelief and shock. 

“How? How did yo-”

“Yesterday, with Pearl right here, in the forest.” Martyn started trembling ever so slightly, did he time travel? Or are these memories the work of a vampire?

He can not even trust the one thing he trusted most. His own mind, his memories. 

Himself.

Or was this a case of deja vu? But he and Pearl already knew that Cleo was a vampire, so why were they acting so surprised? Something isn't adding up.

A discussion of morally good vampires ensued but Martyn was completely out of it, and it was obvious. He dragged his feet trying to follow them. Was it the familiarity of this journey so far that made him feel uneasy? Or was he actually going insane? He looked down at his trembling hands, trying to convince himself of something, something he didn't even know.

“Martyn.” Cleo held his hand with tenderness he had only ever dreamt of. “Calm down and tell us what happened.”

“I… I might’ve time traveled.” He laughed slightly. This better be a cruel joke. “I can’t seem to shake the feeling that all of this has happened before.”

Pearl and Cleo wanted to refute him, but what was there to refute? He had known about Cleo's condition somehow.

“Then what will ha-”

“Then if that’s the case,” Pearl stared right at him, cutting Cleo off, “You can be a hero.”

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a little voice mocked him for possibly being a hero, after all, he was the one who stabbed Sc-

“I will.” Martyn steadied himself, trying to forget the implications of time travel, (What about the future he remembered? Is this another timeline? Wh█ di█ ████) “This can only be a curse if I let it fester, but I will take control of it and make it a blessing.”

And what makes you think you have control?

“Apo might be a vampire.” He continued, “And a huge rainstorm will come! Though nobody else was turned, I think… and… and…”

He hadn’t done all that much in the grand scheme of things, or so he thought at least. Because there wasn’t that much information he could give. The vampires had the upper hand.

“I will change the outcome of today.”

Those words came out so easily, but as he caressed the petals of the sunflower he felt like an insurmountable mountain was standing right in front of him, mocking him.

He left Pearl and Cleo earlier, sunflower in hand. A huge flame roared behind the walls of the town. A butterfly flapped its wings. He decided that he had to go find Avid and Drift. A leaf flew slightly further. The story has started shifting.

Little did he know, it started shifting long ago.

Far away, in the middle of the dead forest, stood a tower.

“All right, you ready to, uh, consecrate this thing?” Avid shifted his weight on his other ankle, wincing slightly.

Drift smiled, “I'm already on it.”

“All right, now keep your eyes on the skies because they can be bats and…”

“What’s our escape plan?”

“Fight, I think.” Avid said as he looked out onto the horizon. “I have no idea. I really didn't think this through clearly.”

“Neither did I.” Drift said with amusement, trying to cheer him up, just slightly, “I really just wanted to convert some beacons and now in hindsight I'm like, ‘Wow, was this a great idea?’ “

“This is a great idea.” He reassured himself, trying to ignore the growing hunger in him, trying to ignore that unhealable wound.

“You know what? It's good for the town.” She reassured herself.

An awkward silence filled the air. The heavier conversation they had before arriving clearly was still fresh on their minds.

“You know, I kind of envy you to be honest.” He thought about Drift’s determination “Because you can just go back home and solve your case. I can never bring her back.”

She felt guilty almost, were their situations comparable?

“You know, you have a chance to redeem yourself.”

“You're right.” Drift nodded, although there was something that she clearly hadn’t told him yet, ”But don't try not to try not to think of it that way.” 

“Honestly, if I were you,” She continued after noticing Avid’s mood go somehow even lower. “I would live your life doing what you guys set out to do together and knowing that it would make her happy, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“Live your life by that. “

“Then I need to, no, I want to save Shelby.”

“I do too. “

“Can she be saved?”

“I don't know.”

“I- I would never want to hurt her.”

“I mean, if she tried to turn us, we'd have no choice.” He smiled almost bitterly, “Like, I would be the worst vampire, assuming I’m still myself.”

“Listen, I'm not going to lie, I think” She put her hand on his shoulder, “I think Owen wants to make you suffer.”

“I mean, he- Yeah, he said he wanted to-” 

“Did you hear that?”

“I did.”

They peaked over the wall to see a blond figure rush in.

“And THAT, would be me!” Martyn exclaimed with fake cheeriness, trying to hide his panting, he had ran non-stop to get here. “How are you guys doing!”

“MARTYN!” Avid’s tensed shoulders relaxed, “You seriously have to stop with that!”

“Gaah, that almost gave me a heart attack.”

”I just needed to come and uh…” Martyn really didn’t want to say that he was checking if his memories were correct. Well at least it indeed was.

“I thought that was a vampire!”

“Well, me too, but apparently not.” Owen’s voice came from behind them, and the consecration suddenly halted. “Would you bet your life on it, Drift? How safe do you think Avid is?”

“Um, where are you?” Avid laughed nervously while Martyn pulled out his sword. He remembered Avid retelling this encounter, Owen appeared out of thin air, insulted his… bath? 

As he continued to do exactly that, Martyn took a deep breath and thought about Owen… who wasn’t that much of a threat. Intimidating for sure, but he hadn’t really turned anyone. He was just bloodthirsty, killing two thousand humans for some reason but without considering the impact socially. 

Did he not know that killing an entire town would mean he had no food? Did he want to make them suffer?

For some reason, for just a second, all that fear in him vanished as he thought ‘Thank god he doesn’t play a good social game unlike Scott.’

Huh?

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Martyn smiled innocently, earning the staredown of a century by everyone else. With knowledge of the future, he could change how the story will be told. “Because I know for a fact that specifically YOU won’t turn us.”

“How- how are you so damn sure?”

“You trauma dumped on us in that town meeting, remember?”

“I thought I would receive a tinge of sympathy, but apparently not.”

“Ha! I’m not your therapist, go talk to the doc or to your vampire family”

“... hmph” Owen slashed his claws at Martyn, only to meet wood and silver, not tender flesh. “Why should I talk to that quack doctor.”

“Well, you clearly don’t trust your ‘family’.” He was lying through his teeth, but either way it sowed discord among them. And who cares if the moody depressed grouchy vampire hates them? (But Owen isn’t like this, is he? He laughed so m█ch ba██ wh█…) “Get off your high horse! I don’t care if you’re a vampire, a human, or a werewolf, all I know is that you are making your problem everyone’s problem.”

“You! You filthy humans are the cause of my problems and pain!” 

“Yet for some reason, you guys are turning humans into vampires, didn’t know you wanted to live with now immortal ‘filthy humans’.”

“I thought I was showing kindness, but I clearly was just being a fool” Owen bared his fangs and strutted closer to them, but they weren’t afraid, not after Martyn’s words, “I hate all of you, and I’ll get my revenge.”

A colony of bats burst out from where Owen stood.

Martyn stared at the one bat that stood watching him slightly longer, “How weak, you won’t even fight to break the cycle.”

Avid gripped his stake tightly, and whispered “Both of us are our only prisoners.”

A discomforting silence hung over them as they consecrated the beacon. Drift tried some small talk but decided that she finally had to address the elephant in the room. Though they were quite unaware of another invisible vampire called Pyro listening in.

“Martyn, why were you out here?” Drift asked, already suspicious since she clearly remembered Martyn looking for silver in the mines as Avid and her discussed coming out here. “I know you’re not a vampire! But it’s just too coincidental.”

“Yeah, especially right before Owen arrived.”

“And you made the entire trek alone.”

“When you’ve before always asked to go out accompanied.”

Martyn stared at them dumbfounded, knowing the future made him overconfident, didn’t it? Again, power got to his head.

“You guys are the last people I’m telling this to.” He sighed and fidgeted with his head band before admitting, “Time travel, I remember the future.”

“You’re kidding… There’s actually no way…”

Pyro also almost gasped out loud.

“Here some time, a vampire, probably Scott, will cast a spell to summon a thunderstorm.”

“What!?”

“And you get a tome on- Wait…” The second the beacon’s warm light filled their chests Martyn grabbed both their hands, “I’m- we need to go. Now. And look for tomes.”

Despite their confusion, Avid and Drift decided to follow him.

“Books, we have to get the tomes.” Martyn led them to the closest tomb, “Because I remember you getting one that allows you to turn bottles into holy water.”

In the chest was, in fact, a tome about holy water. He sighed in relief, there were parts of the future he did not want changed.

“Martyn.” Avid tried getting his attention as they left the tomb, still being dragged by Martyn, “Martyn!”

“What?!”

“Is there any chance that time is… you know… a self-fulfilling prophecy?”

“I don’t think I even know, why do you say it with such fear?”

“What if no matter what you did, I was destined to get this book?”

“Then what’s so bad about it?”

“Maybe whatever will happen in the future you remember is destined to happen.”

“You’re saying my actions may just be meaningless.”

“I- I don’t want to put it THAT way, but-”

“Nobody became a vampire.” 

“That’s reassuring.”

“Except for probably Apo.”

“You should’ve led with that!” Drift interjected, “That’s why you’re panicking so much then.”

“Old specs, M, Apo and I will create the town militia and we went consecrating together.” He explained as they made their way back to town, “Apo… she was so suspicious.”

“Then why didn’t you go protect her?! You know the future!” 

“I am! By taking a more direct approach. You guys are going to castle, right? I have to confront the vampires head on!”

…

“You suspect that Apo got turned prior to your ‘militia’ thing.” Drift deducted, Martyn didn’t dare look at her, “But it is still far too dangerous to go there.”

“Two birds with one stone Drift!” Avid grinned, “We can also talk with Shelby!”

“I… but what-”

“If Martyn’s time travel thing is correct, then we will be perfectly fine! Let’s go!”

“Pyro, are you this gullible?” Scott sighed, deeply.

After the humans finished consecrating the Pale Oak beacon, he helped his sire desecrate and had the vampires reconvene urgently. Then he recounted the conversation he overheard earlier, but when he got to Martyn saying he time travelled the other vampires burst into laughter.

“My goodness I haven’t laughed this much in forever.” Owen looked way brighter than he had in literal centuries, “You can’t really believe in this nonsense, can you?”

“It might be true though!” Pyro yelled, “Because even Avid and Drift were confused on how he knew their location!”

“Honestly, as much as I wished time manipulation was real,” Shelby said, “But it’s kinda… impossible, y’know? Unless Martyn is a literal god.”

“Yeah, I think you wasted time that I could’ve used to get to the next level of vampirism.” Scott sighed as he turned into a bat, “I won’t punish you this time.”

“Guys! Sire! When you see him, you’ll see how different he acts!”

“Sure thing pal.” Scott disappeared into the treelines.

Owen facepalmed, “Look, I talked with Martyn directly and he just seemed like his usual overconfident self, probably parodying the doctor.”

“What if he takes control of the town?!”

Shelby sighed, “Honestly, if I could just keep them scared of me and away from me, I really don’t care what they do in town.” 

Pyro slammed his fist down on the large center table before turning around and leaving them behind. 

“All right, let's also get out there, the sun is setting now” She smiled as she walked out the castle with Owen following close behind, “They're going to really regret messing with us and we just need to scare them to keep them away.”

“I’ll go from the other side to terrorise them.” A certain Pyro shaped bat said as it flew away.

As they crossed the broken bridge Owen talked about how corrupt the human soul is, and she couldn’t deny it at all, after all the others looked at her like an enemy, like a monster. ‘and I hadn't even done anything.’ She complained in her head, ‘But these guys, I mean, they like me. They think I'm fun. I wonder what everyone's doing in town. They're probably building up their forces. I bet they're scared.’

As they were just stepping off the bridge, they heard the voices of Avid and Drift yelling out Shelby’s name, and how she was still welcomed in the town. Although she doubted it very much.

With agility they both hid behind a tree as they saw three figures come into view.

“Shelby, it's your two best friends!” Shouted Drift as the group approached the bridge, “I have a book of Twilight if you want it.”

“How pathetic,” Owen whispered into Shelby’s ear, “They fall apart without you.”

“Guys! I mean, vampires!” Martyn yelled, “I… I want to talk!”

“I’ll deal with them,” Shelby said exasperated, “I was planning on talking to them either way.”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, 100% sure! I wanted to talk to Avid and Drift, Martyn not so much, but I’m much more powerful!”

From behind the tree she beckoned them to her as Owen turned invisible. After having told them the classic excuse of ‘not good if anyone catches us’, they talked.

“Where are your glasses?” Avid asked.

“Don’t need them anymore, that’s a benefit from being a vampire.” Shelby panned nervously over the three of them, “Can I be honest?”

They nodded.

“I didn’t believe in any of this nonsense when I came here, not vampires, nor werewolves nor Bigfoot. I just wanted to believe that my dad wasn’t a raging alcoholic who left me to find mythical beasts.” 

They stood in silence, her crazy ideas were nothing more than a coping mechanism? Avid was particularly shocked.

“And when I got turned, I had definite proof! Then I went to town and found you, Avid, building a jail cell.”

“That- that’s for me.” Avid admitted, everyone looked in shock at him, “When I get turned by-”

“I don’t buy that one bit.” Shelby interrupted him, “No vampire even wants to turn you!”

Martyn shrugged, “Who knows? Maybe you want to.”

“Martyn, you burned me alive. And I haven’t eaten anything except for sheep.” Shelby had been forcing a smile throughout the conversation, “When you turn into an immortal vampire, burning is horrible.”

“I- It was a precaution.” He tried to explain, and if he had paid closer attention to his surroundings, he would’ve heard how Owen flinched. “...I apologise for that, I really was hotheaded, but I changed.”

“No, you haven't and won't change.”

“But Shelby, do you really enjoy being a vampire?” Drift asked.

“The vampires are the one that accepted me, they offered their home,” Her fake smile turned into a real one, “They want to spend eternity with me, I found a family too, you just went around spouting rumors and making people fear each other!”

“But isn’t it hypocritical that they forced you into that position in the first place?” Martyn spoke words that she felt were far beyond his wisdom, “Did they even give you the right to choose?”

“But at least they accepted me!”

“After having chosen for you, it’s just not…”

“The second I go back to town, someone will kill me or trap me in a silver jail cell, so I’m staying. You guys don’t even see me as a person.”

“You are a person! It’s just Owen who goes around giving vampires a bad rep.”

… Owen clenched his fist.

“Does he.”

Avid nodded, “He and Scott are nearly irredeemable, what could compel him to slaughter so many innocents?”

“No! I don’t want to hear it from you! I died painfully because of YOUR fear-mongering! I don’t want to die! Nor suffer, just to live in peace! And if living in peace means your death, so be it.”

“Do you see it now Shelby? The humans are all guilty.” Owen spoke up from above them, “They burned Louis at the stake and they will do it to you.”

“So your loved one died, wah wah wah.” Martyn mocked, “And now you go around committing the same horrible pain to others because you can’t fathom caring for someone else.”

“You…” He readied his claws, ready to strike them down. Louis was his light and everyone else deserved nothing but death. 

“He cares about me!” Shelby yelled.

“Until he starts suspecting you of helping us! He can’t imagine living without ruling over others!” Martyn continued mocking him, “Pathetic honestly, when your only personality is being a vampire.”

Avid followed up, “When you refuse to follow his choice, see how much he truly cares for you!”

Owen had had enough and clawed at Martyn, but Avid pushed Martyn away and it instead hit his neck, tearing the bandage apart revealing a claw mark beneath that was still bleeding. 

“RUN!” Avid yelled, “RUN AND DON’T LOOK BACK!”

Drift sprinted towards town while Martyn swung his sword at Owen.

But it was futile, another claw sank into Avid’s back, and he started to lose way too much blood. Shelby seeing this, tried to pry Owen’s hand away, only to be mauled alongside Martyn. The shock on her face wasn't fake.

Martyn, staggering from that near fatal blow, could only see the worst outcome happen before his eyes.

Shelby tried to reason with Owen, but he clawed both Avid and Shelby in a bloodthirsty rage, sending them to the ground. Blood trickled down her chest, seeing Owen’s furious eyes, she knew she had messed up. ‘Maybe he really never cared about me.’

She couldn’t recognize the person behind Owen’s eyes.

Ba-dum ba-dum

A heartbeat resonated in her palm.

Ba-dum ba-dum

Her own claws were plunged deep inside of Avid’s chest. An accident had turned Avid into his worst nightmare.

She felt her blood rushing through her veins. 

A new blood was right beneath her.

Shelby ran. 

Owen stole Avid’s stake and tried to kill him. But Martyn’s sword sliced his hands off, forcing him to retreat. In the distance he could hear the doctor rushing in to help Avid, only to find out he had become a vampire.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Mr. Woodhurst, what has happened here!?” Ren ushered the injured into the tavern. Most townsfolk were outside building higher defenses, leaving Apo to help Martyn out with his injuries, and the doctor to deal with the new vampire.

But Martyn didn’t speak. He felt lightheaded in a strange way. 

“Martyn, what did you do?” She asked, expecting the usual deflections and rage.

“Guys, I really messed up.”

Neither Ren or Apo expected this answer. In the back of their minds, something was telling them this wasn’t the Martyn they knew. 

“I got overzealous and thought I had more control than I actually had.”

“What, what really happened?” Ren poured another cup of alcohol to clean his wounds. “Ye need to be honest, don’tcha know?”

“Time, I remember the future, and I thought time was deterministic, turns out it ain’t.”

Oh silly little listener, if only you knew you were right!

“I… what? Did you hit your head?” Apo stared, “You can see the future?”

“Avid was never turned into a vampire from the future I remember.”

“Young lad, ye aren’t making sense.” Ren grabbed his shaking shoulders and pulled him closer into a hug, trying to comfort him. “Calm down-“

“NO! I can't,” Martyn shook with all his might knocking them both down and “I just- I just doomed Avid to-”

“Martyn.” Legundo called, “There’s a cure for vampires.”

He was so shocked that he thought he was going to immediately demand more information. But for some odd reason, he felt like staying silent.

Avid on the other hand looked like all the hope that was sucked out of him was suddenly reignited. 

“Abolish found a book, part one of three on the cure for vampirism. We just need to find the other two. So what I need you two specifically to do,” He pointed at Martyn and Avid, “Is to not cause panic and search for the cure! It might even be easier now that you're a vampire and can turn into a bat.”

The night was silent. Avid and Legundo left wanting to have a more private conversation.

“Martyn, we created a secret group if you will.” Apo spoke up.

But Martyn already knew what she was going to suggest, “The town militia, I know.”

“One of these future visions?”

“Yes. And while we’re at it, there will be a thunderstorm and Apo, you are probably a vampire.”

“What?”

Renhardt slammed his fist onto the bar counter, “Do not make false accusations based on a hunch! The town is as fractured as can be!”

“It’s more than just a hunch!”

“Ye hunch is but a mere fantasy of an unknown future!”

“I don’t ask for much, I just need you to trust me on this.”

“Trust that Miss Apo is a blood sucking fiend?!”

“I have proof! She…when we went to consecrate, she will not help us.”

“Mr. Woodhurst, there is no way that I can trust yer hallucinations, don’tcha know?”

“But I do know! I knew about the militia, right? I know that there are two, now three vampires in town!”

…

Martyn hated being answered with silence, not even a dignity of being told no. When he realized his soulmate was Cleo, who had chosen Scott over him. 

“Martyn! Where are ye goin’?!”

That pang of jealousy. He didn’t choose to have this power! But he still tried to help, right? And he was just gathering materials with Pearl, who later called him a traitor. 

“You just can’t go around accusing me!” Apo trembled ever so slightly, “And, well maybe vampires can be good too!”

Awful feelings welled inside his chest and froze him in place, with one foot out the door, “Then admit that you are one! Don’t just lie to me!”

“...Fine.” She looked defeated and tired, “I was turned. I’m sorry I lied to you, Renhardt, but I was so scared. I feel more hungry than ever and- and I want to help the town! I don’t like Scott nor Owen and I’m so damned scared of what will become of my life.”

“Miss Apo, I’m glad yer trusting us with-”

“I wanted to tell you guys on my own terms. If only Martyn didn’t force me into this awful position.” She turned to look at him, “Do you know how afraid I am that my immortality will now make me a monster? That I will watch everyone I ever loved die and that one day I will, inevitably, also forget them?”

“I…”

“I just wish you cared about others slightly more. You’re not welcomed into the militia.”

Martyn slammed the door in her face. The moon was still outside when he left the gates of the town and into the forest.

He hated the moon.

He doesn’t know why, he used to though. The moon had once tricked him into worshipping it.

Can’t really hate something you don’t remember, right Listener?

“Not many do wander around at night, do they?” A bat spoke to him. He was almost thankful that he wasn’t just hallucinating voices. “What are you doing here all alone?”

“I just need more time.”

“Do you?”

“I do. To change the outcome, to fix my mistakes. Why won’t they just believe in me? Even for just a moment.”

“Believe in that future sight of yours? It turned Avid into a vampire from what I’ve heard.”

“Shut up.”

“Haha, you hate me because I speak truthfully.”

“I could’ve saved more people if they just…!”

“Didn’t think you would be the one with the messiah complex.” Pyro laughed, “Trust me, people only listen to what they want to hear.”

“…They should listen to anyone who needs an ear.”

“They don’t, no, WON’T.” He said with conviction, “You know? Nobody listened to me back when I was accused of murder. Now I guess I’ve become the monster they imagined.”

Silver hair, bloody eyes, and clothes that went out of style a century ago. Martyn couldn’t recognise this new Pyro in front of him. Maybe he really became a monster, huh?

“Whatever, do what you want Martyn, it’s working great for the sire.”

“…”

“Well, I’ll leave you be, it’s almost morning.”

Martyn sat down and contemplated the scenery. The town slowly lit up with the rays of the morning sun. This haunted town looked livelier and even tranquil, with fields of grass and sunflowers.

If there wasn’t an existential threat he would’ve gladly lived here.

“Hey…” From behind him he heard Avid, “Can we talk?”

He nodded.

“I, I don’t feel too… different?” Avid said as he sat down near him. “I thought I would’ve lost my mind but I seem ok. Just thirsty.”

“For blood?”

“I guess so, but it isn’t unbearable.” He ran his hand through the grass, “I wonder then if my… partner wasn’t a vampire in the first place,”

“Hm.”

“Look, I'm uh- I'm just going to get right to it. I'm sick.”

“Not surprising.”

“When I was a kid, um my friend and I, we went into the woods. And uh before we knew it, we were lost.” Avid recounted the day his life turned upside down. “I barely remember it, only that my friend and I were attacked by a creature.”

“A creature…”

“Yeah, and when I woke up, I- I was just covered in my own blood. But, uh, whatever scratched me left a wound on my neck that to this day has not healed.”

“Did you think it was a vampire? “

“I once did, but now that I see what vampires are like, I don't think it was. I don't know what it was.”

“But not vampires.”

“No I- I mean, I still haven’t lost my mind, and my… injuries seem to have faded.”

“Thought you would be more distraught, but you make it seem like an alternative choice for treatment or something.”

“… I’ve always been running out of time, and being immortal doesn’t seem to actually help that much.”

“Why not? You’ll live until the sun itself extinguishes.”

“Come on, you know what I mean! I- I just- I’ll always be running out of time to spend with my loved ones.”

“Ha, I’m always reminded of how much human culture revolves around death, to the point where dying and not dying are both our biggest fears and biggest comforts.”

“…”

“… Y’know what? I never, for a second believed in that time travel thing of yours.” Avid turned over to look at him, “But I guess some part of me did because the Martyn I know isn’t like this.”

“… Then how was I?”

“Impulsive? Arrogant? I- I really don’t know, I guess. I never really did get to know you.”

“Huh.”

“But I know that you’re a good guy, don’t let anyone snuff that light out of you.”

“Hm, thanks.”

Has Martyn’s eyes always looked so dead? Avid wanted to tell him more, about how turning into a vampire wasn’t his fault, and if anything he was planning on being turned. But Martyn had already wandered away, deeper into the woods.

Then just as he expected, thunderclouds covered the sky and fog covered the land. Last time he was with the militia. This time he was alone. Inside he wondered if other the townsfolks would believe him slightly more now.

He could hear faint voices from beyond the trees. (Has his hearing always been this good? He wondered briefly.) Through the downpour, he recognized one of them to be the doctor’s voice. With no other matters at hand, he decided to go find him.

After all, he was a man of action, sulking around did no one good. If his actions got him stuck here with both the town distrusting him and the vampires hating him, then he would be the one to salvage this situation.

“What if I could save you?”

“I like how I am now way more than I was then, I don’t need saving, I’m fine.”

“But you can only live at the expense of others.”

“…You think you can heal me.”

“I think I can try”

This wasn’t a conversation he was meant to hear, was it? But he needed information if he wanted to help the town.

That’s why we should only watch, no need to intervene. Why are you so attached? You should’ve stuck to the routine.

No, one must always try their very best to help others.

Even if that results in your death? 

… You would never understand. Your greed has corrupted you.

It is just in our nature to feast on emotions, why must you always reject that?

Perhaps, but what is life when others must suffer for you?

“You expect me to trust that a handful of people can be trusted with the future of humanity?!”

“Some people aren’t worth saving.”

“Some are.”

“Some are rotten inside.”

“Perhaps they are, but don’t they also deserve the same respect?”

“Back then, I was sick, and no one even tried to extend a hand to me” Owen explained, Martyn remembered their conversation at the castle, about him being saved by the ‘blessing’ of vampirism, “But Louis, he saved me! Then he was met with a stake and fire, even though he was the best mayor in Oakhurst.”

“I know you’ve been dealt a tough hand in life, but the fact that you’re talking to me right now shows me that you still have a flicker of humanity in you. There must be a reason you aren’t going around making everyone a vampire.”

“Because I think they should choose. And because people like Avid should’ve never been allowed this blessing.” Owen sighed, “You’re asking me to trust you. You know, vampires take a long time to die by fire. They tortured him.”

“I know I don’t deserve your trust.”

“You don’t. Especially with that spoiled rich kid over there.”

Martyn wondered if vampires could see behind trees, but he wanted to listen more. And did it really matter if Owen saw him?

“What?”

“Oh doctor, you aren’t the last to try to trick me. Bloodletting, leaches… and now you got that pyromaniac to try to burn me.”

“I really don’t-”

“You’ll earn my trust if you let me drink.”

“...Fine, I trust you.”

Martyn watched as Owen sank his teeth into Legundo’s neck. Mortified, he ran away. He just saw Owen convert the doctor into one of them, and he trusted a vampire over the townsfolk? Was this his fault for changing the timeline? 

If he had listened a little more, he would’ve realised that Legundo was just earning Owen’s trust to find a cure. And what’s more, Owen never turned him into a vampire. Perhaps Martyn didn’t want to recognise the humanity in Owen.

The rainclouds parted and the sun was already going down. Martyn ran far away, without thinking where to, he ended up near the pale forest. The echoes of crows and the eerie silence sent shivers down his spine. But from far away, he could hear two people conversing.

Following the sound, he walked quite far to see Cleo and Abolish.

“Like, honestly, I want this cure.” Cleo said to Abolish as they gathered more books, “I want this cure. I want people back.”

“Yeah. No, like the idea of immortality is something that fascinates few, but I don't- I think it's more of a curse than a blessing to those sometimes.”

“Yeah, I know that.” Cleo agreed, then suddenly, hearing Martyn’s footsteps, she turned around with her sword, “Don’t scare me like that!”

“Ah! Um…” His eyes widened as if he was caught redhanded, “Sorry I just-”

“You can come with us,” Abolish said, “We were just discussing immortality.”

“Huh.”

“Mhm, since Cleo’s one, we were-”

“You know?!”

“I told him.” Cleo smiled, “Calm down, let’s just go back to town.”

“I guess it is getting late…” 

They followed the coastline back to town.

“I wonder, maybe being immortal can help humanity.” Martyn said, “Like you can research medicine nonstop for centuries.”

“Like it can be it can be wonderful, but you watch everyone you care about disappear before you.” Cleo said wistfully, “And how would I stop myself from being apathetic.”

“Yeah, but I mean, you care.”

“I just don’t trust myself to care here a hundred years.”

“...”

Abolish lit his lantern up, “Dying is living in some sense, almost, in a way.”

“If you don't die, can you ever really lived?” As soon as Cleo said that, they felt the town beacon being snuffed out. “Okay, well, let's go back faster.”

“How does this keep happening?” 

“That means someone in town is a vampire and they are trying to convert said thing. Or no one's in town right now and Beacon's getting converted. We just sent the doc back.”

Martyn gasped out loud, making the others instantly turn to look at him, “He was turned by Owen, and he did it willingly.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I saw it happen during the storm.”

“Oh my goodness me, we also basically lost Pearl in the storm too.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Yeah, but she is smart, we don’t need to worry about her, she's way stronger than she let's on.” Abolish said reassuringly, “If anything, this feels like a ploy to get us back into the village and away from the outskirts.”

“I mean, sure, but we have to go back in the first place-.”

“No, what do you mean that Pearl was also alone during the storm?! Do you mean that now we have FIVE vampires in town?!” Martyn yelled, “This is wrong, we need to stop-”

“Martyn!” Cleo grabbed his wrist, “You have to calm down!”

“You aren’t reacting enough!”

“Guys, nothing good will happen if we argue here.” Abolish separated them, “This is an issue, but we can discuss it later.”

Martyn took out his own lantern, “You guys go back to town, I- I need to go.”

“You good, dude?”

“Yeah, yeah don’t worry about me Abolish.” He started sprinting to the castle, “I’ll be fine.”

“Hey!” He yelled, “It’s not safe!”

“Knowing him, he will be too stubborn to stop, so let’s get the others to help us.”

“Ok, let's run.” 

A bloody moon, a half finished vampire castle and a broken bridge, Martyn would’ve felt uneasy, but he just didn't care. With swiftness, he made his way into the castle.

The door creaked open and he saw Scott, Owen, Shelby and Pyro laughing about the paranoia of the townsfolk while they built the castle. When they turned to look at him, the sight of their silver hair and red eyes was burnt into his memory.

“So we have a little rat here.” Owen looked more unhinged than ever. “Get out before I kill you.”

“Haah, let’s talk this out, shall we?” Scott smiled insincerely, though Martyn didn’t say anything, the fact that he still hadn’t swung his sword was all the confirmation Scott needed, “You leave the vampires alone and you will survive.”

“You bastards are the ones that have been turning people in town into vampires!” He gripped the sword tighter, “And you have also been terrorising us-”

“Oh Martyn, don’t get it wrong.” Scott walked closer to him, “We haven’t done a single thing other than self-defense. Please don’t tell me that you guys didn’t go around talking about staking vampires and such!”

“You piece of s-”

“Is it so wrong to want to survive? We just want to live a normal life just like you guys and then we are kicked out because we need raw animal food. What a crime.”

“...”

“Not only that, being a vampire also allows us to theoretically keep you guys safe from mobs, to reach further places and even send messages by teleporting to desecrated beacons!”

“But you need human blood.”

“Correction, WANT. Shelby over here has only drunk animal blood.”

She nodded hesitantly and walked up to Martyn. “You killed me, you are a bigger monster than whatever I am.”

That’s right, remember the thrill of killing? You stabbed Scott when he was unprotected. You dueled Grian and murdered him. And you don’t even have the excuse of ‘oh I was so thirsty that I needed to kill'. Oh no, you leave behind a trail of bloodshed.

“Tsk tsk, humans never learn, do they, sire?”

“Hahaha, that time travel bullshit doesn’t help much now, does it?”

“We don’t even want you as a vampire.”

“Leave and all of this will be resolved.”

The vampires were mocking him, weren’t they?

“Martyn is there! Oh ye folksmen of the militia, guard him!”

“Martyn, are you crazy!? I am mad at you but not to this extent!”

“No confrontation! We just need Martyn.”

“Vampires! We won’t strike if you don’t!”

“You guys are the ones who entered our castle.”

It’s way too loud.

“Miss Apo, young Abolish, I shall carry him to safety!” He felt Ren grab his shoulder. “Are ye hurt?”

“I- I just need to-” Martyn staggered out while Ren helped him on his feet.

Martyn, you need more time.

“I need more time.”

Time is delicious, isn’t it?”

“Time… time is delicious, I need more.”

Owen stared at him, perhaps he thought about how Martyn, with all his hatred for vampires was acting mighty like one at this instant, asking for… time? Akin to his own thirst for blood.

“Ren, my liege, I… I just need his time.”

“Mr. Woodhurst! What nonsense-”

Martyn stared back at Owen, who gasped at seeing someone who he thought was human have-

“Your eyes, are you secretly a vampire?”

A psychotic smile, blood red eyes with a tint of purple, holding a blood tainted sword… This wasn’t Martyn. 

Vampire? Well who needs blood anyways?

“What the hell.” Apo and the others backed off, his voice sounded weird; this wasn’t Martyn speaking.

I just need time.

Scott laughed as he brandished his claws. “Obsessed with time much? Come on, you shouldn’t be having a mental breakdown over being proved wrong.”

The one who has defied them stands before me, I failed once, I won’t again.

“Defied?”

You will die today.

“I’ll put you out of your misery. I’ll make your death painless.”

InTheLittleWood ran out of time!

(Martyn had a big grin when he fought the vampires, with skill and swiftness that he had not previously shown, it took both Owen and Scott fighting together to put a stop to his rampage. Pyro and Shelby watched from the sidelines while the townsfolk dragged Ren back home)

Scott stabbed Martyn with a wooden stake that fell from Ren’s pocket. 

“Scott, I’m-” Martyn coughed out blood, “Hahah, I’m running out of time.”

“I got that part.” Scott sighed as he saw the other vampires chase the humans out, “I didn’t expect you to be a vampire, and not a recent one either.”

“Does dying hurt?”

“I normally just wake up again, maybe-”

“Not a vampire, I’m not.”

“Red eyes, manic attitude towards ‘time’... could’ve fooled me! You even attacked Ren screaming ‘Beyond the Red Winter, spring will come!’ ”

“...”

“Maybe Pyro was right about your time travel thing!” Scott laughed amusingly, “Whatever, I hope you stay dead.”

“Anyways sire, I will desecrate some beacons with Shelby.” Pyro held Shelby smiling while purple particles enveloped them.

Purple?

“Watchers… they-” Martyn held Scott’s hand as if █ey did this for fore██r, “D█n’t le█ the█ █████ ██ ██████ ██ ██.”

No, they deserve to know what he said.

Wh- how are you-

“Don’t let them control you, the Watchers only lie.” Martyn tried to look for the honourable Scott that he knew from his memories. He didn’t know why he thought the eldest vampire was an honourable man, but for some reason he did, just like how for some reason, he knew about those entities. He shouldn't remember them in the first place. “The canary will break free.”

Martyn died a madman. 

No, Martyn died trying to reach for the truth.