Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Clouded air, deafening silence.

Dazed eyesight.

Concentrating on a hazy face of an anonymous. Twisted, cluttered, and nothing more than a shadow.

Hello dear~

A thin pair of pale lips suddenly zoomed in, freely inviting itself to cross the breathless distance between. A hint of blurry light flashed, before revealed halfway in the flickering flamelight.

As a sharp canine…

Rattling sound. Eyesoring atmosphere.

A sweetly seductive aroma of a soft cake cut.

The only image of that mouth curling into a deadly grin harshly curved into the little innocent mind of the pitiful child, as if it was an invisible force of demon reached into the little kid’s head, eliminating and rewriting, with a delicate feathered-pen and smearing mugged-ink.

That pair of lips parted, open and close slowly, like a gentle lullaby of the darkness hell.

Have you ever wondered, what’s the most beautiful weapon existed in this world…

Dar~ling?

—----------------------

Drip.

A stray caelum tear falls down to the land, patting hard on the bowing leaf in the garden outside, causing the on-air-hanging green carpet to stumble left and right in hurry, before inevitably losing its own balance till turned, pouring all its treasury dewdrops onto the misty ground under in waste.

Every creature starts to burst out laughing at that such a pitiful scene, sounds echo and echo nonstop in the vast space out there. Even the grey sky staring down at them has to pause its spilling teary rain, and a smile of sunray finally raises, draping everything with a cozy blanket that full of warmy love.

Behind the glass full-wall window, through the tiny slit between the two incompletely-closed wings of velvety curtains, there's a black silhouette sitting there, witnessing that whole play like a recording film tape in her mind. A pair of dark moss-colored spheres silently blink, as she looks down at the new blank sheet of paper on the tea table in boredom, hand returns the white feather-pen back into the waiting inkpot. 

Exhaustedly, slender orris-gloved hand raises, resting on her cheek, stray long strands gently flap like a torn veil covering a side of her pretty face. Long bold eyelashes slightly wavering, agate irises bores down to the little pot - where her favorite pen was dipped inside, dark-colored ink slowly crawling onto the metal tip, smearing the usually-bright surface in tainted darkness, possessively pulling the whole pen into the muddy-like spiral.

Another hand, marked with pinky-painted nails, absent-mindedly toys with the ear of the teacup, sometimes tapping on until the significant sound of porcelain starts ringing, then bringing it up to her lips. The substance inside still blows out some thin misty smoke, thick with the aroma of plantae, shyly hiding the honey-brown liquid contained inside.

Herbal tea with honey. Again.

The noblewoman can't help but smack her tongue in annoyance.

A blow breathes out through the slit of her mouth, like a light breeze tickling through the tranquil surface of a sky-blue lake in the garden, forming some little tidal waves slapping to the inner wall of the small teacup. Waiting for her second self in the twisted tides, a reflected doppelganger, to look up sarcastically at her, laughing at her dumb-looked face.

Yet nothing happens. Only the little waves vanish one after another, returning the tea surface to its initial tranquil state.

The black-haired woman sighs, lifting the cup up to her mouth. Faint red lips pursing on the rim, and she sips, enjoying the sweetness of the newly-brewed brown substance flowing into her mouth, tickling the soft tongue hotly with taste. A satisfied humming noise releases, pale eyelids fluttering in a dazed look.

In the quiet large chamber, a seductive instrumental melody plays in the atmosphere, like a sweet warmy lullaby from a bedtime fairytale.

At the opposite wall of the chamber, nearby the giant wooden piano, sitting a girl in a white plain dress, which's contrarily remarkable compared to the dark shade of the classical instrument. Ten precious little fingers running on the keyboard, professionally pressing on various black and white keys in a confidential line-play, long cherry-blossom curls streaming down freely along her small body, shifting with each motion she makes. 

The pink-haired girl doesn't even open her eyes, yet the play still continues, smoothly ear-pleased enough to sweep out all the negative feelings out in vain.

The woman in black just sits at her tea table, lazily leaning further into the simple-designed table, black strands pouring down aside irresistibly with a hand supporting her tilting head, eyes beginning to be clouded with both the steamy brew and her own sleepiness. Her following stare at the other was formerly an invisible string, yet ready to be snapped.

Not until the perfect strings of nodes abruptly cut. As one of the little pianist's combined sounds come undone, one only worthless-seemed key turns out to be so harsh, hanging the whole initially-flawless play incompletely until the awkward silence finally swallows it all into nothing.

This causes the female noble audience afar to raise her lips in a sly grin in resistance, before her throat betrays herself, letting a soft audible chuckle out loud audibly.

And, unfortunately, despite her trying attempt to suppress it low for only her to hear, the petite pianist could still hear it out. The former sees the bunch of pink strands shifting aside, revealing a little baby face looking at her direction, cheeks pouting in pure displeasure. Her eyebrows frown, and two marble irises in scarlet shade staring at the black haired, as if the latter is the disturbing reason that her shorter fingers come into the wrong position, making her piano play fail ashamedly like that.

"Qiao Ling-jie..."

Agate confronts scarlet, calmly, yet no hints of any further mockery, as her smile widen unconsciously genuine, shiny little canine bared under her upper lip.

"Calm down, Li Tianxi," another innocent blink, clearing the moss-green shade under the bold black strands, "It wasn't me that made you play wrong in the first place, isn't it?"

The Qiao Ling-called woman says, blankly soft, the free bare hand reaching out, lightly patting on her crossing thighs. Light-pink tongue darts out of her mouth, licking at her white teeth. 

A signal to come closer.

And serving her meal, left unsaid.

-------------------------

The little girl in the white plain dress, Li Tianxi, huffs at the silent order of her Master, yet still expressing no refusal at it. Small figure jumps down from the shady-colored seat, bare feet leaving prints with each step forward, all leading to the waiting black-dressed woman.

Or, to be said…. 

A vampire.

The petite prey raises her red eyes up, staring at the mischievous pinky crescent hanging on the noblewoman's face, hand knowingly reached up to the already loosened collar, baring her own pale neck under the bright light from the ceiling. As she comes sitting in the elder’s lap, feeling the sensation of a tentative arm snaking around her slim waist, resting there gently that holds her in place in a balanced safety, warmth draping her so sweet the pink-haired kid desires for even more.

“Have eaten anything yet, dear?”

Qiao Ling asks, no louder than a soft murmur, only able for the two of them to listen, as the smaller child in her embrace grumbles at her face nuzzling against the long untied colored hair. 

Li Tianxi lowers her head at that familiar question, thick curls of cherry-pink at the forehead hiding her closed soul-window behind, along with her unknowing expression.

“Don’t worry, jiejie. Like usual.”

“Hmmm”

Satisfied, the woman behind finally releases her at the head, face starting to travel along the curve of Li Tianxi’s face. Until the latter can’t help but shudder, as she feels an abrupt appearance of ghosting breaths against her neck, exhales tickling on her sensitive bare skin that the blood pumping inside the under veins rushing in startled. Instinct, still couldn’t get along with this process after dozens of times experienced, screams breathlessly in her reeling mind, urging her to run away into safety, despite her face stays blank, heart trying to calm down for it to pass.

Black strands has bunked a lot by her shoulder, as she starts finding the sensation of some tiny things, sharp at the edge, building pressure onto her skin, directly on a vein below that fragile surface. Alarmed, living liquid in there begins to run away, only to all end up colliding with that threatening barrier, making the waiting predator to chuckle softly.

Before with one decisive motion, those canines piercing two little holes through the skin on her neck, too through the aimed target, reaching for the stream of some seductive crimson blood inside. And the landlord gulps, feeling each drop of rich coppery-smelled substance landing on her tongue, easing her innate thirst little and little. 

Li Tianxi’s mind is just about to drift in and out of the cloud, the numbing sensation hasn’t even come, that she finds that sharp teeth leaving her skin, feel more than see a warm tongue darting out, licking gently on the newly-formed wounds. Not long later, the bunch of foreign piling hair on her shoulder blade leave, those breaths ghosting there return to her head, soft cheeks about to rub on there again as if she is a huggable doll in the other’s hands.

Just ‘about to’. Because the little girl quickly ducks down from the lovely assaults, face turning around and cheeks puffing up in an exaggerated pout, clearly for the elder to witness.

This time, no sly smile meets her gaze. In fact, her considered sister throwing her head back so fast it nearly slams on the chair behind, body shaking in a bursting-out laugh.

Tianxi snorts, the second time today, hand lifting up to the collar to fix it in place. Red-marbled eyes narrows during the process, completely fixed on the always emotionless face started to be reddened from the childish burst-out, now gradually returning to its initial state.

“No teasing, okay?” Qiao Ling, too, narrows her dark-shaded eyes, before turning her face aside, following her gloved hand. As it reaches to the small fussy-designed jar on the tea table, thumb and index elegantly pull out holding a little circular candy, and lift it up to land between the smaller’s pouting lips, “Part, Xixi, treats for you good girl coming~”

Not your pet jiejie, Li Tianxi huffs in her mind, but still opens her mouth, tongue claiming her waiting meed and quickly hiding it inside, her sweet tooth sighs at the sweetness the candy brings.

It has been a habit between them since the first time, as if this is what the invited pie of cake that day Lady Landlord offered her means for. Li Tianxi will serve her Master like a living blood bag, letting her drink blood directly from her circuit, and by contrast, Qiao Ling will give her little treats as a blood-sugar quick-filling method, although the elder always tells her it is something called reward for behaved children.

This feels like a correct equally win-win contract, even for someone too immature like Li Tianxi to recognise. The benefits seem to be higher towards the mortal child, after all.

But not the one she wouldn’t take advantage of, for sure. Not when Sister really gives her a blind eye to it.

“Qiao Ling-jie…”

“Huh?

“Next time… can you change the candies?” The adolescent child blinks innocently, cutie pout still wore on her face. “I’ve gotten a little bit sick with it…”

The noblewoman just stares at her, as if the gears in her mind haven’t stopped from processing her plea yet. Before her bold eyelashes blinks, clearing her irises once more time, and a crescent smile begins to rise on her thin lips.

“Sure? Why not?” The vampire stands from her seat, dropping her down on the way, as she drums her slender gloved fingers on the simple tea table, another free hand reaching again towards the middle, grabbing at the calling phone, dialling to someone, “I too want to change the brand so badly.”

The phone connects. Tianxi could hear the string of vibration turning to a beep, and a low male voice answers.

“What’s that, Lady Landlord?”

“I’m going to bring my dear kid outside for some shopping, yet some of my work hasn't been done yet…” 

“Jiejie, now?!”

“Shhh, come change your clothes” black-laced index elegantly lands on the Landlord’s cherry lips,  one eyelid closing in a childish wink at her, before returning to the call, “Yeah, that’s it. And just why’re you instead of Lu Guang picking up, I thought this is the connection to his workroom?”

The other side says something she couldn’t hear through as she has been at the door, hand halfway pulling it open to retreat to the other room. Yet the sudden silence in the chamber, and the stiffened gesture of her sister are all enough to tell her something not very good.

After what feels like eternity, she hears her Master sigh, and through the about-closing slit of the door, a faint saying reaches to her ears:

“Tell him to rest, Cheng Xiaoshi. Not a thing we could handle with that curse of him.”

The door shifts closed, leaving the little girl outside in confusion.

Lu Guang-gege… was cursed?

—-------------------------------------

Night comes. The army of armored darkness has finally run out of their hidepoints, expanding their existence everywhere in the ancient castle, threatening anyone who dares to wander in this hour of the day.

However, tonight they have to welcome an exception.

Through the long centre hall somewhere above from the ground, where the darkness has completely swallowed all the hints of light, even the smallest one from any stray fireflies got lost into. Clicking sounds of high-heel collided on the stone ground continuously echo in narrow space, amplifying into some horrible noise, louder and louder with each distance crossed.

Until the coming silhouette bares itself - herself - under the slim glimmer of light, revealing an emotionless face under the cover of some thick strands of contrary-yellow hair. 

People in life, was born with a flower that only meant to them.

The figure in a long plain-black dress quickly rushes into the dirted chamber, passing through uncountable numbers of transparent exhibition bells, the things inside glowing dimly as if in sleep. Before the too-black high heels stop in front of a small round table, sharp eyes narrowing at the thing on there.

A branch of sapphire-blue forget-me-nots floating on the air, yet a precious broken beauty, as it’s on the way of disaggregation, various dots of blue straying out of its original shape.

Not “it” again?

The newcoming woman sighs, eyelids sorrowfully closed at that pitiful sight. Damn that old man, she clicks her tongue in disgust, hands lifting towards the little blooming forget-me-not, starting her usual work.

Vampires are all born in this world with an innate ability as a Soul Interpreter, despite the sarcastic fact that these cursed creatures are also borned with no soul in those hollow shells.

Each could see the soul of anyone in different shapes of symbols. There’s a person that can translate soul as some kinds of animals, another considers souls are nothing but the food served on dishes, while there’s someone that can only see the resonation of those invisible spirits.

This woman, is a Soul Interpreter of Flowers. Where anyone in her sight, as long as there’s soul through that spirit windows called irises, then she could read them all like reading a plantae in the dictionary.

Also, the right hand of the Highness Novelist.

Every exhibition bell in this chamber is nothing but the flowers that mean for every soul that man claims, from the smallest grass-like spiderwort, to even a giant-sized sunflower. She couldn’t explain why that disgusting man of the colony could have such a dirty hobby of snatching human soul like that and exhibit them like some rare species in those bell collections.

Until she knew this one.

One of her hands handling below the little branch, while long fingers of the other hand professionally arrange some petite yellow-and-white bellies into the cracked slits, trying her best to glue those lights into its initial shape. As the myosotis finally regains its own very lively glow, shining the brilliant blueness that sweeps the whole vast isolated darkness around in a single blink.

A small smile genuinely plasters on the initial emotionless face of the Soul Interpreter, as she holds the beautiful flower branch in hands, letting its soft glowing light sluggishly dyeing her irises in an equally shade of aquatic, so with her vampire’s borned hollow body.

Before a gust of cold air breaths into the large chamber, causing the newly-recovered soul-condensed myosotis to stir as if feeling cold. 

The yellow-haired woman chuckles, and retreats her hands from below the soul, not forgetting to set the crystal bell into place to protect the fragile spirit once again. Her eyes, unconsciously, following each motion of the baby soul-flower, as it starts to jump naughtily inside the sealed area, like a child throwing a tantrum at being isolated again in the narrow space.

A sigh, again.

“Sleep child, don’t make them worry…”

Slender finger sliding along the height of the crystal bell, cutting through the pouting blue flame, as she moves her index down towards the wooden sole, nails drumming on the surface, sharp eyes falling right onto the title marked for this soul’s identity.

It reads…

“...Lucas.”

—------------------------------

When Li Tianxi returns to the chamber, dressed in a pretty white multi-layer dress with some pinky ribbon-tied bows decorating on her carefully-designed middle-sleeves, Qiao Ling has already waited there, back leaning at the edge of the tea table, pale skin standing out completely-contrary on the monotone shirtwaist dress on her figure, her usual blank expression has already returned to her face, absent-mindedly looking into the space.

“Jie-jie?”

“Come?” 

Vacant moss-agate eyes silently close, and the vampire slowly turns her face at the newcomer, eyes open again to stare fixed on her. The look so hauntingly grave that enough to make the cherry-haired girl frown, invisible coldness shivering along her spine. Not until the woman in black blinks, then a smile widens on her face, lips parting to form a soft cheerful saying:

“Then go, Tianxi.” She straightens on her feet, and leisurely walks towards the main entrance, “Don’t want those silly guys to yell at us returning home late.”

Hah?

Being shoved out from her own unfocused mind, the human mortal girl can’t help but jump at the fact of being left behind, as she runs towards the former, who now has even set a hand, not even forget to yelp in surprise: 

“Jie… jie-jie! Isn’t it still so sunny outside?!”

“No need to worry,” the vampire’s heel clicks, as she turns aside, one hand pulling a long well-designed black umbrella out of the umbrella stuff and stabbing its tip onto the floor, another gloved hand gains force onto the metal door handle.

“Come or not?”
“Ah, wait me jie-jie!”

And their silhouettes quickly disappear behind the heavy closing door.

—-------------------------------------

To be said, this’s just a normal shopping trip, Li Tianxi thinks. Just that.

First, they come into the mall, searching for their most priority goods. The two, one in almost black and another in freshly white, rushes into the treats store, finding whatever snacks they want, although after all, mostly are counted as the smaller’s choices.

Next, without any reasons, the female vampire suddenly pauses, then drags her into the nearly bakery, where a newly baked strawberry creamcake was halfway being cut into some perfect triangle pieces, seductively sweet smell wandering all the way in the whole little space of the shop. She remembers the bakery’s owner has asked them whether anything she could help, and the smaller couldn’t help but look up at her Big Sister, finding out her eyes now narrowing in complete disinterest. For a while, said woman finally gets out of her thoughts, as she gently lowers herself, asking for her choices instead. 

No way refused, she hesitantly looks around the cake shop, before ordering a give-away vanilla cake and a small box of cookies, then they both leave.

The third place, nothing unusual, is a small fashion store, as Qiao Ling complains that her little blood bag still had too little choices of clothes to wear, despite her protest that the giant wooden wardrobe in their shared bedroom now had nothing but her clothes in all the diverse styles to choose. After what feels like more than an hour later, the taller woman opens her black umbrella with one hand, the other hand holding two more bags for them both. 

Well, everyone must have clearly witnessed how deadpanned the smaller girl looks at that sight.

In an attempt to escape anymore strange destinations Lady Landlord would abruptly strick interests in and drag her towards there, Li Tianxi quickens her own walking pace, calling:

“Jie-jie”

“Yes?” The woman stops, her body skillfully hidden in the shadow under the umbrella, patiently waiting for the other to catch up.

“I’m… a little thirsty. Do you want to try… boba tea?”

An index finger in orris black glove raises, pressing onto the vampire’s pouting cheek, signing she’s guessing the suggestion. Until she brings it down, eyes contacting with the lower one’s, gaze softening as she agrees, even suggests to bring hom two more for the yin-and-yang couple stay home.

Which ends up they, at the moment, each one holding a boba teacup in hands, and both sipping at the milk tea contented inside.

—-----------------------------------------------

Qiao Ling silently sips her ordered original-flavored milktea, dark-green irises bored to elsewhere unfocus.

The whole trip was a successful daytime hangout, to be honest. No sunburning incident. No sudden frightening strangers due to recognising her real identity. Nothing weird, nor out of control.

Only the time she abruptly pulled her Li Tianxi into that bakery.

Logically, no one would choose to come into a bakery after just went out of the treats area merely five minutes ago. Of course she neither, not until her gaze caught it.

The scene of that strawberry-flavored cake, coated fully from upside down with an excellent dark shade of pink, being carefully slid with one determined cut.

Until she finally snapped out of her mind, she had already been inside the bakery, the shop owner smiled at their two and Tianxi stared at her, a look full of unhidden confusion.

Dazed, she could do nothing but trust her instinct to guide her body acting on itself right. It led her head lowered, led her lips flawlessly opened and closed in a soft saying to Xixi, telling her to choose whatever she liked in there, too led her hand up to normally purchase the bill.

Yet her mind was not staying there anymore.

That disgusting memory, the darkness at the bottom of her spiral sealed chest of past, crawling into her mind, daring to drown her consciousness completely into that horrorful night again, like the dark ink this morning she still enjoyed tainting her favourite bright-glowing feathered pen.

Qiao Ling forcefully sips on her straw, trying to cut that foreign force of shadow clouding her head, as a  flow of bittering sweetness assaults her tasting sense strongly once more time.

What had she expected that moment?

What made her eyebrows furrow at those perfectly-cut triangle pieces of cake?

What did it really miss after all?

Her vampire spirit begins to reach to her hollow meaningless soul window, she could feel it right. Her own innate instinct of this cursed species that she always hides to everyone, the one she always feel nausea yet also afraid to confront, has begun to snare, stirring to bare its colour.

Not until a voice echoes nearby her, unexpectedly pushing her out of the spiral thoughts.

“Come come, hurry hurry!” A girl, with two little tied pig-tails runs behind her, footsteps so loud in the deafening silence - since when it has been so silent like that? - in the boba tea shop. “Mommy finally agrees to give us money to buy coins!”

“Alright alright…” An equally childish yet male voice replies, as the duo speedily rushing out of the automatically-opened glass door, completely ignoring the chiming sounds of the “thank you guests” electronic bell, towards the line of plushies picking-up machines on the opposite side of the road.

The two silhouettes just vanish behind the door, a tiny finger from the opposite side gently poking at her hand.

“Jie-jie…” Needless to say, Li Tianxi really has an interest in everything cutely new, of course those machines would, too, easily seduce her. She lowers her head, voice shyly low, “May I follow them, please?”

She just barely stirs at the asking permission.

“I, I mean… I just watch them play, I swear!”, maybe misunderstands her reaction, the little girl flushes, usually stubborn eyes now glittering as if about to cry, “Not that I want to play. Just…”

“I know,” slowly closes her now normal moss eyes in helplessness, Qiao Ling stands up from her seat, feeling more that seeing her pink-haired sister following suit behind. She raises a hand towards her, a gesture of gently invitation.

“Then, let me lead you there, okay?”
—-----------------------------------------

When they cross the not-very-crowded road to the opposite pathway, the two children has only finished exchanging, the “thank you”s playfully ring with their young voices, silver coins on the girl’s both hands colorfully blinking lights under the sunray.

“Hey, come on. I hope these little ones will be enough!”

Hey, come on you two. Hope my little pocket-money will be enough.

Qiao Ling widens her moss-green irises at that faint saying, the one furtherly buried somewhere in the past that just coincidently echoes with the newly-acquainted baby at present, like a haunting voice from the broken record of the past.

While Li Tianxi, contrarily, even though initially not a member of the group, has somehow been getting on well with the two. Now that, all the three little children gather together around the coin-inserted slot, eagerly putting the first two coins inside.

Ten coins in total. Meaning if they all in without retreat, then there will be five-time trials for them.

The only boy in the team volunteers for the first pick, skillfully controls the controllers, and determinedly slams the pick-up button. The metal hand swings a few times in a string of clacking sounds, before falling onto a brown teddy bear near the corner of the machine - where, Qiao Ling deadpans in her thought, was exactly randomly chosen by a non-expert, under three pairs of star-glowing eyes outside the cabin.

“Woahhhhhhhhh”

Until ends up lifting nothing in the defeated exaggerated sounds from both the three at the same time.

“Ah……”

The lady vampire couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Yet she has to admit, children are always some strangely kind creatures in life. The fact that Xixi, in this trio, is definitely a completely stranger first-time they met is nothing to be denied, yet the others still leave her a try, despite the continuous refusal of her that she hasn’t even one time touched this kind of machine before. Of course, she predictably fails, and so do the next three last opportunities played by the remaining two.

As the picking hand lifts, once more guaranteed failure, they both sigh, loudly, then politely biding goodbye to each other, their families calling from the other pathway side. Li Tianxi waves her hand, so do the other kids, and when she finally turns her face back, Qiao Ling knows she would have to face a circumstance that she wouldn’t be left a chance to say no.

And yes, she’s right.

Stars, still haven’t stopped blinking from the first place, naughtily shining in that pair of scarlet irises, a wide happy smile plastering on her soft lips, as the shorter girl raises her face to see the taller’s one, voice ringing:

“Can I try one more time, jie-jie?” She asks, innocently, completely forgetting what she had said in that boba shop not half an hour ago.

“One more, I swear. Only one more is enough, pleaseeee”

……….

Right. She loses, as expected.

Helplessly, she finds in her wallet for a while, and gently puts some money into the smaller’s opening hands, softly tells her to buy coins for another five tries.

Xixi’s eyes spark when she sees that compromised expression on the face of her Big Sister, yet soon turns into a horrorful look at the order of buying five times.

“Jie-jie! I said one time only…”

“And who told you that’s only for you, dear?” Lady Landlord grins childishly at her child, canines mischievously bare, “I want half of the tries, deal?”

—----------------------------

It was a windy autumn day that they first met.

A leaf swaying in the cool lightly-blowing breeze, gently landing on the tranquil surface of the lake, forming little waves expanded in various circular patterns, twisting a mirror-like reflect of a pretty white-haired boy sitting on the verge nearby.

Spinel cat-eyes focusing on the page that full of words written in the book held in his small pair of hands, sometimes sluggishly blinked, sensing the wind softly carding into the bunch of fluffy cotton strands on his head, half-heartedly covering his dimly-dazzling soul window decorated with lines of long delicate eyelashes.

He just stayed like that for who knew how long, embraced in the silent and brilliant atmosphere, until a snapping sound rang, shattering the whole peaceful scene.

The white-haired boy raised his head up from the book in hands, like an elegant cat raising his head in curiosity, face turned towards the source of the disturbing noises.

"Ah," standing there was a boy, maybe just equally as young as him, little bit long raven hair tied freely in a small un-neatly ponytail behind, a digital camera held close in his large hands, "sorry for interrupting you! Just that you look so beautiful that I can't help but..."

He dumbly laughed, long finger awkwardly scratching on one side of his face, stray black strands flying in the tickling breeze.

Not until another dark-haired girl appeared from somewhere behind, one hand speedily landed on his ear and forcefully smacked without any hesitances, as if this was such a thing that she had done familiarly multiple times in her whole life.

"Cheng Xiaoshi you brat, look what good things you've done!" She yelled, teeth gritting in frustration, while the victim in her hand cried loudly, even harder, in agony, "Go sorry him, or don't you dare come home!"

"Qia... Qiao Ling! At least let me go first... Ah!"

In spite of how childish they seemed to express, both their appearances and gestures said more than anything they tried to act normal instead. Guessing, they must be someone from a noble family nearby in the area.

The grey-eyed boy sat there, face emotionless, and cat-like irises continued staring at the two, still yelling at each other noisily nonstop.

As if finally remembered there was another outsider-child around, the two abruptly stopped, and the boy called Cheng Xiaoshi quickly crossed the distance between them, while the Qiao Ling named girl just stayed standing at her initial position, arms folding crossed around her chest like a real bossy sister.

A larger child-size hand raised, politely, right in front of the smaller boy’s eye level, in a gesture of a noble-styled standard greeting, except the fact another hand of him completely unstillable, it seemed, as it settled on his raven hair again, scratching up and down nervously.

“Sorry again for the incident, beauty,” Said boy smiled, like a flower bloomed with so dazzling sunshine of the long passed summer behind. The other could feel his own face heating up hard in barely a single blink, just at the beauty calling, unable to subdue its darkening shade of his cheeks seconds after, as the girl afar suddenly huffed at them - actually, at her brother - in warning. “My name’s Cheng Xiaoshi, hers Qiao Ling. Would you mind tell us your name, please?”

The catboy blinked, once again, brilliant grey orbs making a shy eye-contact with the taller one, mouth opened and closed slowly with its best to successfully form the name of his own as an embarrassing answer:

“Called me Lu Guang”

—-----------------------------------------

“What a nice name of yours, Lu Guang! May us join you too?!”

Qiao Ling swore, if she wasn’t the sister of that bratty Cheng Xiaoshi, the one that lived together under the same house with her for years, she must have clearly misunderstood that this Lu Guang was the one that silly young brother had fallen in love with since who knew how long ago, instead of just a first-time acquainted stranger coincidently around his age.

And, strangely enough, the asked boy just absent-mindedly nodded at the request, face still dyed in a deep shade of tomato-colored that visibly stood out under the cover of his silver snow hair.

The elder sister sighed. Yet still happily joined herself with the two others.

—------------------------------

Cheng Xiaoshi, Qiao Ling and Lu Guang had become a best-friend trio together since then.

The time they fatefully bumped into each other beside the tranquil lake that day, the smallest kid in the group had already unhesitantly pointed out exactly their identities. He reasoned that, when they both stood up and were ready to bide goodbye as he retreated earlier, he had coincidently found out that. between the three, it was such a weird thing that only him had the reflection on the transparent water surface, while the two of them didn’t have them at the same moment.

Everyone all knew that vampire was cursed to be borned with a hollow shell with no soul, and so did Lu Guang. Nothing more to be hidden from now.

The siblings couldn’t help but frown, even though they knew the most about how this thing would be bared one day if they turned friends. Just haven’t expected to be revealed so soon like that.

“Don’t you scare us, Lu Guang? Even known us are the creatures that are colonising you humanity just now?”

Cheng Xiaoshi had questioned him like that.

And the human boy just nonsensely answered:

“For a human-abandoned one like me, then that fact would do nothing more for me to be concerned about.”

From that moment, they didn't have to force themselves to act like a human child anymore.

They experienced everything together, the things that they haven’t never known about before, even with the human boy. The three children ran together on every long roads in Guidu, camera raising and snapping various pieces of memorial scenery around - despite the fact that the grey-eyed catboy seemed to be intentionally captured in almost all the photos, tasting every junk food from either vendors or giant malls till their sweet tooth satisfied.

Until one day, they both stopped in front of a strange machine in a newly-opened store aside of one of the main streets in the city.

“Plushies picking-up machine… isn’t it?”

“Uh….”

Other children stood in lines before them, the kids in turn at that moment yelling and laughing loudly in the small area, so noisy that even the usually-emotionless smaller boy had to grimace in unpleasantness. 

“We’ll have to pay for those coins to play,” Qiao Ling pointed out, her saying only reached to the two just faintly, swallowed in the metal clanging sounds of some silver coins colliding others inside the slotting cabin, “worth trying?”

“Probably should one try.” Cheng Xiaoshi snorted, voice murmuring low that only the three of them could hear, then a familiar grin widened on his face again, “is there anything we haven’t dared to try since then, huh?”

The vampire siblings huffed at another, lips unconsciously twisted into a predator smile, so confident that leaving the only humanoid boy no other way to convince them to give up.

Lu Guang silently turned around on his little heels, head lowered, cotton white hair covered almost his expression.

When the vampire duo saw the white-haired child returned, there had already been a handful of silver coins in his little gripping hands, neon lights on the ceiling of the shop brightly dancing on those carving-patterned surfaces, brilliantly shone like some petite captured rainbows from the sky.

The two latter gaped at the coins the former pouring into their hands, dark-green and dim-cedar irises widening at the shining pieces.

“Come on you two,” his rarely-raised smile bloomed on his face, cunningly stared at the two elder kids, as he softly vexed, “hope my little pocket-money will be enough.”

His “little pocket money”... now condensed into ten metal coins in their opening hands.

—----------------------------

“Jie-jie.”

Qiao Ling is pulled back to reality. The vampire woman turns her face aside down, staring at the little cherry pink-haired suddenly interrupting her thought, another ten coins holding tight in her short hands.

How… coincidently the memory of hers overlapping true again. 

Past still flowing into her mind, like a cleanly gentle river passing through her drought garden after being frozen still in the severely cold winter. 

According to the deal, Xixi volunteers herself for the first two plays. She targets the metal hand to, this time a little bit experience, to above the nearest white teddy bear with some adding pinky decorations in the cabin, yet still couldn’t help but reluctantly received both the two attempts failed, although in the second time, the red-eyed girl has finally already been able to pull it up a little closer to the dropping slot, yet the lose is completely inevitable.

Li Tianxi retreats from her position, face pouting once again in the day as she stares fixed on the older, who, at the moment, again chuckling hard at her childish-making face, before the latter places one gloved hand on the control, another elegantly pushing the first two coins in.

Arrrh… Lu Guang, why couldn't we do this?!

Her first try, predictably, only enough to urge that chosen bear another inches out of its initial place, even further to the plushie-way exit.

Xixi, standing beside her, winces audibly.

“Two more times…”

Calm down, Cheng Xiaoshi. This time…

Decisively, long fingers in lace adding another two metal round pieces in.

… follow my instructions.

A blank calming voice echoing from the memory, now overlapping faintly into the present, like that human boy really standing beside her, mumbling right into her ears.

Qiao Ling grips hard at the direction-control once more.

Right, let it shift slightly nearer to the edge, just slightly, don’t be so out.

Then, swing it as much as you can.

The metal claw swinging left and right continuously under her force, releasing strings of displeased metallic colliding sounds.

Time!

She almost slams not only her hand, but also her own weight on it. Inside the cabin, the clawing hand throws itself from the handle, grabbing at the doll below, before lifts the poor chosen onto the air, separating it from other friends.

A near success. Yet maybe from the start she has been shifting the grabbing hand to the wrong position, the bear is dropped to the edge of the dropping slot, and vexingly falls to the other side.

“Nooooo”

She could hear her little Xixi yelling, clearly loud beside, at that scene. Resonating with other similar sounds of a raven-head in her not-so-clear memory.

Just one more time, you did good, didn’t you? 

…..

This time, wait for it to swing to the highest position, then it’ll be time.

Qiao Ling nods, exactly to no one, as she inhales a sharp gulp of air, two final coins pushed in marking their last chance for this game.

Another one. 

Swinging. Waiting. Calculating.

She will let her hopeful instinct guide the moment this time, eyes completely shut in expectation.

Strike!

Another slamming sound, combining with a female surprising cry.

“Woahhhhh”

She hears another yell, from no one else but her little childish blood bag, this time full of totally uncovered happiness. Gaining enough courage to split one moss-colored iris to witness the scene, is when she sees it. 

Her Li Tianxi has just finished creeping her small body into the receiving hole, initially neat hair now untidy with a few strands stray around. Her pretty white dress has been dotted with various little spots of black and coppery red, tied ribbons has already untied one or two ones. However, the latter seems to not spare any thoughts about fixing those. Instead, she hugs the new teddy bear in arms, swaying and swaying multiple circulars on her black shoes in bliss.

The vampire sister could resist her own lips raising into a genuine smile, dark orbs soften under her bold eyelashes, as she looks up to the sky through the rim of her dark-shaded umbrella, revealing a canva that has been tainted in grey clouds, thunder has even striked, signaling for an upcoming rain.

She looks down at the shorter girl, a hand lifting to find the smaller’s hand.

“It’s time to go home, Li Tianxi.”

“Aye!”

—-------------------------------------

“Neh Lu Guang… how could you know how to pick it?”

“....”

“You líed us about your first time, it must be that?”

“....”

“You should observe more, Cheng Xiaoshi, instead of throwing tantrum”

“Hah?! He..Hey, Lu Guang, don’t you dare sneer like that???”

—-------------------------------------

A white-haired nobleman is lying lazily like a carefreely calm snow-fur kitten on the sofa in the middle of the main resting room, hand toying with an ingenious sandclock in front of his stormy orbs, a taller man dressed in a contrary shade of black standing nearby, hands skillfully playing on the strings of his favourite violin, that the yin-and-yang duo both hear the main wooden door creak ajar.

“Cheng Xiaoshi-gege! Ah, Lu Guang-gege too!”

The catboy on the sofa slowly raises himself up into a sitting position, face grimaces in annoyance, while the raven-haired vampire lowers the instrument in his hands, amber irises dims into a darker cedar shade and a usual smile curves on his lips, as they both turn their heads towards the happily-yelling sounds.

A small, noisy child in white ribbon-tied dress, arms hugging an unfamiliar teddy bear, following with a woman in a plain black-and-white shirt dress, the latter’s one hand resting on the wooden handle of the closed umbrella standing on the floor, appears from behind the opened doorframes, and enters the chamber.

“Xixi, don’t run in the resting room.” Lu Guang sighs at the shorter girl, who has already invited herself a seat nearby him on the sofa, pinky-red eyes beaming at him and legs swinging up-and-down joyfully, before returning his attention to his Landlady, now gently putting two cups of cold beverage onto the near table, “Why’re you two go so long?”

“We came buying you two boba milkteas. Then embarrassingly got lost in amusement.” She smiles, eyes silently signaling at her dark-haired younger brother. “Trying to pick that little huggie for our dear Xixi.”

Cheng Xiaoshi pouts, digging a blue straw into one of the cups, then hands it to his lover’s direction. Another hand of him holding the remaining cup, sipping at the liquid inside.

Biding a small thanks to the taller guy and receiving a smiling nod for the other in return, the grey-eyed vampire purses his pale lips on the rim of the straw, sipping. Savoring the sweet beverage flowing into his always dry mouth, sometimes even adding a few chewy boba topping.

“Lu Guang-gege.” Hearing the sound Li Tianxi calling him, Lu Guang turns his head up to her side, only to see the pink-haired is curiously staring at the sandclock in his hand, “Can I see it?”

“Nope. This’s my very important thing, can’t let you play with it. Beside…” He stands up from his seat, placing the half-empty cups onto the table, then calls her. “isn’t it a little bit late for your bathing time? Come hurry, or don’t ask me why the water had turned so cold.”

“Mmmmmm” the little sister pouts, yet still jumping from the sofa, and runs towards the another entrance of the room, following suit behind the elder in white, “then let me go leaving this bear into my bedroom first!”

“Up to you. Just hurry up.”

Cheng Xiaoshi, still continues satisfying his sweet tooth by sipping on the milktea in hand, lets his gaze set fixed on the two silhouettes just disappeared behind the doorframes, when he hears the elder woman behind him breaking the awkward silent atmosphere between them.

“Has he already recovered fine, yet?”

The younger vampire can’t help but narrow his eyes, unconsciously, as he sips, once more. But nothing comes into his waiting mouth.

Cheng Xiaoshi grimaces.

“Not very good.” He finally answers, throwing his body onto the sofa, of course under the icy glare of those dark agate irises, “I have tried resonating to heal his condition, slightly effective, but one eye of him still hasn’t recovered yet, it seemed.”

Qiao Ling snorts at the information. 

She knows, no, they both know, who stood behind this problem. A too-usual matter for them, years.

That fucking old bastard.

“I don’t know how much the Yingdu-side has known about this,” the raven-head continues, the coldness has condensed into an invisible thin layer in his voice, “but Chris has called here when you’re outside.”

“Head Sister?”

“Indeed.” Barely a nod. “She said that she has fixed the Lucas-titled Soulflower, and so that my Soul Resonate power can do its work on him.”

The elder sister slightly nods.

Every vampire can feel the soul in their own way, right, but not everyone is an innate Soul Interpreter. A small number of these cursed creatures society have a lower imaginary form ability, yet much more echo-able, called the Soul Resonators.

Cheng Xiaoshi is one of those aforementioned little quantities, as a Soul-melody Resonator. Such a versatile member, even as a fighter or a supporter. Only one weakness, is that he can only apply this ability on a real human, the one with a soul in their shells, or, the most special case, is Lu Guang.

Qiao Ling shakes her head, then stands straight up again, heels clicking sounds on the floor as she walks towards the entrance. Not forget to throw a sharp glare at her younger brother still sitting on the sofa behind.

As the ponytail-tied head lifts his boba tea cup again, condensed waterdrops trailing fast on the cup outside.

Drip.

Like the mini version of the heavier-getting rain outside the castle.

“If that’s all, then that’s been good enough to hear. Just… remember to be careful.” Hand gaining force at the door handle, Lady Landlord just throws back a saying like that, unknown whether talking to herself or the one behind her.

“After all… we haven’t found out whoever is Beast, you know.”

—---------------

A thunderbolt suddenly roars, scratching through the dull cloud-covered sky like an electrical flash of a cut through that usually unpredictable face of some divine human.

A red-haired nobleman sits there, blood-shaded irises bored into the equally-boring rainy scenery outside, a light red Chinese-tied-braiding earring fluttering in the gusting wind. One hand resting on his cheek, another one gently carding through the bunch of soft yellow-black hair below, like a master petting at the sleeping dog on his lap.

Or, this situation quite suits this comparison, it seems.

His lips sluggishly raise into an absent-minded grin. Behind, another man in all black looks at him, voice calmly ringing in the space.

“Boss, sorry for the interruption, but I’ve already collected the information you need.” He says, hand politely pushing something onto the table between them. Scarlet irises indifferently stare at the thing, finding out it’s nothing but a neatly-sealed monotone envelop, the dark-crimson sealing wax curved with the symbol of one of the so-ancient noble family, the one the red-eyed remembers that had been buried deep dozens of years in the forgotten novel-past under the hand of that man.

The Liu Family.

“To such an extent that you’ve to use force from that Family vestige, Xavier?” He shifts on his seat, quiet as best as he can, to turn to the position that he could directly opposite the circulator in front of him, a deviant crescent raising sharp on his mouth, “Or should I call you the descendant of the phantomhive, Xavier?”

Xavier only stands there, his usual Poker Face with a totally-fake smile left unwavered under the mockery.

“If nothing more, then you can retreat.” The redhead gently knocks his knuckles on the table, creating some not-very-pleased sounds, the envelope on the other hand of his, “Just remember arranging the trip to Guidu yourself, as I’ve said before.”

“I know.” The man with black-haired politely bows at his called-Boss, and turns his heels to the entrance.

By the time his hand about to place on the door handle, he finds it twisted down itself, before the delicate-carved doorframe shifts ajar.

Revealing a tall woman with a significant gold-sunlight shaded, dressing in a long dress in totally plain black.

“Lady Chris…”

The woman called Chris just slightly nods at the greetings of the about-leaving silver-eyed guy, sunshine-colored orbs glaring at the shadow-shaded silhouette soon vanishing behind the doorframes, as her hand on the handle gains force, pushing the door shut in a click sound.

Before she enters further towards the table at the centre position, attention throwing back again to the red-haired vampire by the opened window, now holding the already torn-open envelope. She invites herself a seat, and also a cup of still-smoking newly-brewed tea from the teapot, enjoying the smell of coppery condensed thick in the rising smoke, the redness swaying in the porcelain cup like a spiral of some humble lives under their hands.

A gust of sudden wind blows into the luxurious room, flying their yellow and scarlet strands flapping in the air. Somehow, successfully hides the expression of those light crimson vampire-significant irises, as his long fingers digs inside, pulling out a thin piece of paper.

“Hey witch,” he says, without a look at her, a Cheshire smirk raising on his face as his irises flash bright-red, activating his Interpreter ability, “do you know, that our little Jo has been raising an escaped mouse beside recently?”

Chris sips a gulp of tea at the saying. Her amber eyes glare at the opposite side, before elegantly lowers her tea cup for a snort.

“From that already eliminated town?” Another boring sip, “Aren’t you too raising one like that now licking your face, Vein?”

The man closes his eyes at the call of his name, one hand combing on the bunch of yellow-black hair on his lap again, letting the soft strands slide through his calloused palm, before his fingertips reach to the napping’s torn neck, pinching at the white skin now marked with various shades of biting red with enough force to leave purple-black.

“Don’t say Felix like that, Chris. Didn’t you too exist there the moment I started my work of massacre in Bahati?”

The elder vampire can’t help but furrow her eyebrow.

“Even have to leave our uncle Cheng Weimin behind to run like a recreant rat…” 

Something sharply cuts through the air, also invisible, flying towards his face. Causing him to quickly tilt his head to evade, bloody strands on his forehead too falling aside at the motion.

Which contingently covers the dark expression filling in those opaque crimson eyes, shadowing on the widening smirk on his thin lips.

“...till death?”

“Vein.”

A muffled voice coldly raises, completely uncoverable by thunderbolt roaring loudly in a scary noise outside the window sill. A neon-bright lightning flashes on the dull usual-blue canva, painting the sharpness onto the pair of amber hollow spheres behind the curtain of golden hair at the opposite side of the chamber.

The younger vampire, Vein, still contrarily calm after his mockery, rests his bunch of red hair on his free palm, another still petting on the human-shaped lion on his lap, relaxingly glances to the wall behind. To see a spiky blade-similarly thorn, embedded almost its length into the hardened cement, still glowing with a shade of unusual spinel.

“Don’t assault your younger brother just because of being provoked like that, dear Sister~” He returns his glance towards his big sister, who’s now sipping at her teacup in an attempt to calm herself down at the burst of frustration, “Isn’t it the fact?”

The yellow-haired woman just blinks, attention fixed on the shimmering coppery liquid in the porcelain little cup in her hand.

“You know from deep down, that I would never forgive you since what you have done that fateful day.”

The redhead still wears himself an emotionless face at the saying, as if he is deaf, fingers drumming on the photo he has looked at lately.

“Then, tell me. What’s your purpose for reminding me of Bahati, at this moment?”

An awkward silence laces between them, hanging heavily in the atmosphere.

Not until the napping boy under the hand of Vein sleepily shifts, clothes ruttling with some little fabric sounds, helpfully breaking the deafening quietness, causing both the two vampires in the room to fix their attentive gaze on him. 

“Hm? Already awake?”

“Laoban…” he yawns, while continuing rubbing his face on his Master’s clothed thigh, “why don’t you wake me up?”

“Just bored.” The redhead’s expression softens at his human bloodbag, hand going on patting gently on the former’s doggy head. Then, as if remembering something, he raises his head up towards the Flower Soul Interpreter, gaping.

“Oh, almost forgot. Do you mind checking this for me?”

The elder sister furrows her eyebrows at the asking, sight leaving from her tiny tea-spiral in her hand, only to see long calloused fingers of her hateful brother skillfully flick the photo towards her direction, aimingly stopped in front of her eyes.

And she sees it.

A little girl was taken in the photo, a delightful smile beaming bright on her face. Her long hair, painted softly in the color of a beautiful pink as if dying in the shade of the most blooming cherry blossom in the most prettiest time, tied neatly into two pigtails, yet its length still streaming down her small body, half-successfully covered almost of the simple dress in mainly pure white on her figure, some petite pieces of pinky red looming in the captured frame.

Yet, the background beside her, unfortunately, has been distastefully blanked with nothing. If Chris doesn’t know the fact, then she would criticize this was a completely trash work, with such a twisted background canva in an unprofessional studio that her foster brother would quickly erase its existence out of this world immediately.

There was another vampire beside her. Another person, that couldn’t be caught in any photos in life.

“That girl is the mouse little Jo adopts, as I said to you. Called Li Tianxi, if I’m not wrong.” Vein explains, feather-light as if saying about a pet in the zoo, eyes contacting with the questioning look shooting up from his bloodbag below, “Just a little bit…weird, that my Interpreter said she was a strawberry cake.”

“Then?”

“A two-layers strawberry cake, you know. I haven’t seen anyone like that before.”

Chris nods. Vein is definitely a Cuisine Soul Interpreter, where every soul under his eyes are nothing but dishes ready to serve onto his dining table. A definitely gluttonous brat, she snorts.

Seeing someone as a cake is nothing strange to that fucking man. But a two-layers one, is nothing usual anymore, to be said.

The elder woman lifts the photo up onto her hand, then closes her eyes. When those pairs of irises open again, a color of blue has already consumed her usual amber shades, brightly shining in the room.

The clockwise ticks, continuously bored yet steady. 

A girl in white dress. Her ruby irises, covered under the strands of pinky cherry.

Oleander, equally simple pink. A pure happiness, love, a flower with harms despite its beauty.

Understandable fact, but…

She continues her look, still cautiously careful.

Until her eyes widen in realization. Before narrowing in suspicion.

“Does this little girl… have any siblings?”

—-----------------------------------------

A thunderbolt drummed loudly outside the house, rain falling down fast from the pitch-black sky above their heads, like some tiny sharp arrows cruelly flying towards the direction of lives below, so fast that they could leave littering invisible painful cuts on the bare skin, but also so small that they couldn’t even make the giant fire now consuming the whole town in a dear-life disaster subdue an any little bit. 

Flame licking hotness onto the atmosphere, daring to burn her skin raw despite distance crossed them.

Smoke tickling the smell of burning flesh into her weak nostrils, reaching its hands deep into her lungs that she almost gagged in nausea.

Liquid leaking into the house, but not only the raindrop invading through the damaged creaks on the walls, but also the coppery substances painting bloody red on the floor, the puddles crawling enlarged each second passed.

Drip.

She couldn’t help but run, following the guiding of the one before him, eyes unwillingly forced shut at what she had witnessed still freshly stagnant in her mind, unable to stop screaming any moments.

In the darkness of all the electricity had turned dead from who knew how long, the main entrance of their home was forcefully shoved open, the broken pieces of the cheap wooden doorframes scattering on the floor. Anonymous armed intruders rushed into their living room, where all the four people in their cozy family were gathering together, a thin white light of something sharp revealed in the air, before swinging down speedily in a silent assault.

Warmy disgusting liquid splattered on her face, the final dots of light on the candle in her sight cried in helplessness as the redness spatted it died in one drop, letting the fire fight against its last breath with the coppery-smelled evaporation.

Screams started ringing off, both here and somewhere afar outside.

They ran, the image of a pair of beautiful female eyes, always softened at the sight of them, slowly dimmed into a hollow, lifelessly opened organ.

They ran, the flame surrounded them to the final corner of their own house. Where once their cozy relaxing place, where happiness filled each inch of the atmosphere, now remaining nothing but hotly coldness and icy fear threatening to freeze their rushing blood flows into cubes of crimson ices.

A figure, not bigger than her so much, hugged her little body. Tight. Like a pitiful attempt to calm the on verge of crying her.

On the balcony outside their bedroom, behind the closed door, completely damp with raindrops. The two little mice, unhidden under the arrowed rain, feeling each raindrop cutting agony on their bodies, eyes taking the sight of the deadly disaster of their whole town.

Fire. Hot and unstoppably giant.

Corpse. Bulking into piles and piles, like some invaluable straw-piles ready to be thrown into the stove fire

On the whole scenery that looked like a horrorful canva monotone with only shades of black and red, rushing and full of death, there was a silhouette, wearing a simple black dress with layers of delicate orris, standing there calmly under a black umbrella with some decoration of silver bunnies. Those scary armed people surrounded that person, but respectfully bowed down, gravely saying something, before leaving.

Their attention unconsciously fixed on that mysterious person.

Even not noticing the door behind them being yanked ajar in a surprisingly loud jerk, and an iron gloved hand reached towards them, catching at the neck of the one beside her, and yanked him back with a supernaturally strong force.

“Brother!”

“Run, Tianxi! Now!”

“But I…”

Foolishly, Tianxi looked around, coincidently catched sight of that person under the umbrella again, as the latter’s dark high-heel shifted, turning aside towards her direction. 

She couldn’t draw her gaze on that black silhouette, as if being tranced, following inseparable from those remarkable silver bunnies decoration on the contrary dark-colored umbrella. Which sluggishly lifted, slowly revealing the face of a girl, black hair till-shoulder length slightly flied in the breeze.

She shivered, feeling a chilling haze widely spreading along her spine.

As behind the rim of the umbrella, a pair of hollow condensed-icy silver irises stared at her position.

Combining with a pair of delicate pale lips, which sluggishly widened and curved into a pretty cruel smile. 

So slow that everything seemed to pause, to witness the flower of darkness completely blooming in the flamesea.

Until someone behind her suddenly screamed, tragically loud, shattering the deafening atmosphere hanging between them.

—-----------------------------------

Li Tianxi jolts awake with a gaping no-sound scream, eyes blurry with hazy tears and breaths couldn’t slow down from hyperventilation any moment.

A sound of something clicks nearby her, yet the pink-haired girl couldn’t spare a single mind for it. 

Until the surface she’s sitting on softly dipped down, an arm braces her small body in a cozy warmth, a slender finger resting on her eyelashes, gently wipes the rimming dews which’re on the verge of pouring down on her eyelid.

Tianxi blinks, about to lift her up, almost instinctively evading from the caring gesture. However, the other has already rested her chin on her head, nose burying in the soft pink hair of hers.

“Nightmare, hm?”

The gentle voice of the Lady Landlord murmurs down from above her head, effectively calming her down immediately.

She nods, opening her watery eyes at the surroundings.

No darkness. No raindrops damping on her skin. No disgusting smell of some coppery substance leaking from some lifeless corpse scattering along her eyesight anymore.

Not a hint of any catastrophic fire. Not a hint of any other people crowded in the space.

Just them, sitting here, on a luxurious white mattress, a little light brightening a corner of the room coming from a dot of fire dancing on the white candle on the table, releasing some relaxing flora aroma into the air. The aroma she’s kind of prefers, little Tianxi notes with a sharp inhale, then exhales calmly.

“Qiao Ling-jie,” the smaller girl raises her voice, small and a little bit hoarse, “why’re you still awake?”

“Just some remaining work, since today Lu Guang couldn’t do for me.” Qiao Ling releases her little sister from her embrace, before raising herself up from the mattress, face still unknowingly hidden behind her own black hair, one hand picking up the newly-picked white teddy bear lolling at the end of the queen-sized bed at its hand, “Wanna drink some hot milk, dear? I’m gonna go get some for both of us, if you want.”

Li Tianxi finds herself just staying stunned in place, for no reason why. 

Until a bunch of soft fur touching her arms, snatching her mind back to reality. To face a pair of moss-green agate spheres, slightly glittering in the little moonlight shining through the full-wall window - who knows has been uncurtained since when - by the side of the bedroom.

“Ah… then I also want one, too.” Absent-mindedly hugging the white bear tight, the little girl lowers her head, letting the pink hair cover almost her face, so does her expression.

The Big Sister only nods at the saying, not forget to pat gently on the smaller’s head in a reassuring gesture, before the latter hears the sound of the other woman’s clothes rattling in her move, and the sound of the door creaking shift, in and out, marking the leave of the only female vampire in this castle by her side.

Li Tianxi couldn’t help but let out an exhale full of silent relief that she doesn’t even realise she has held.

To be said, that destiny-twisted night… is the piece of memory that she wants the most badly to bury it under the graveyard of her own mind. The night that the smallest child of a cozy four-member home turns out to be a stray child with nothing left, a mouse running on every road to hide the threats and seek for anything to live on.

Right when the sun rose on the cloudied sky, shining hollow eyesored light onto the catastrophic scenery of the raided town the night just passed, there was a dirty girl in an old black gown straying on the streets, eyes reddened from disgusting dried tears and depressed sorrow.

The soul of one named Li Tianxi… had found lost in the fire that day, buried in layers of forgotten dust.

No relatives. No family. The only one survived.

No home. No warmth. The only thing accompanying is loneliness and coldness.

Li Tianxi has thought she would never return to be herself anymore. Not when no longer after that traumatic incident, she was kidnapped by some annoying strangers, to work herself nothing more than an adolescent slave in the illegal world of the underground.

Until the day she came to this castle, and met that noblewoman in fully black dress, a dark-shaded veil covering all of her identity and the expression she wore on her face.

…..

“What’s so deep in your thoughts, little Xixi?”

Two ruby-candy irises widen in surprise, only to see a cup of hot milk in her cupping hands, warmth spreading comfortably through the hesitant touch.

Li Tianxi couldn’t help but smile, lifting the cup up for a sip, feeling the sweet milky liquid flowing into her dry mouth in each gulp. Opening her half-closed eyelids up, she steals a look at the elder sister of hers, who too slowly takes a sip of the content inside her pink porcelain cup, before staring at it, thinking something she couldn’t read through.

The one resemblingly overlaps with the elegant Lady Landlord on the throne that night, except the dark veil on her face has no longer existed, instead, darkened in the dim shadow out of the range of the candle light, continuously shifting in the breeze.

And, she blinks, strangely resembles the silhouette under the bunnies-decorated black umbrella in her nightmare.

After how real it was, so much like a memory bubble…

Then was it the reality?

The first time they met each other was definitely in this ancient castle that night. The night the noble Lady Landlord lowered her crossing legs down and raised her hand-on-resting face up from her bored gesture, slowly crossing the line of stairs between them in a calming string of high-heels clicking sounds

Tell me, little girl, orris gloved-hands offered her a silver fork, an already cut in a perfect piece at the captured humble like her.

Do you want to be mine?

Well… were there any vampires in this life who ask their claimed humans like that? Not when she was the Lady Landlord in the telling of humans, the highest Master of this colonized land. Where humanity is nothing but trashy like some monkey-shaped cattles, working and consecrating their everything to the Highness.

How could she refuse, when she herself was just a lonely abandoned child, too pitiful to run away, that straying on the street nor staying isolated in that mossy relics now meaned nothing different to her anymore?

As if sensing her thoughts wavering, Qiao Ling turns her face at her direction, shady moss-green eyes glaring in an eye contact with her red orbs. Before the former’s left hand raises, a soft handkerchief holding in palm, gently cleaning the milk staining on her creamy-soft cheeks.

“Thinking something happy?” the vampire chuckles, genuinely, “suddenly see you smile at nothing.”

“Uhm…” heat crawling to her cheeks, dying the thin skin there to a shade of boiling cherry, as she lowers her equally pink-shaded hair, sipping at the beverage, suddenly realising an additionally sweet tone in her drink, “just wonder… did you add anything into my cup, jie-jie?”

“Only honey,” the other replies, then calmly lifts her own cup to invite herself a gulp of sweetness, her eyes close comfortably at the flavor, “someone once told me honey with milk would be very good to calm people with terrible nightmares, then I want to try.”

Li Tianxi couldn’t resist her own lips curving into a small rare crescent.

Instead of accepting her destiny of being a slave of some nasty disgusting human guys, like a foreign mice in the dug hole at the bottom of the rotten wall, the girl named Li Tianxi had reached her hand out towards that High Lady in that memorable fateful stormy night, little fingers grabbing around the offered cold silver fork, tongue savored the addicted creamy sweetness and throat swallowed down the scarlet invitation to join into this exquisite jail under her blank staring dark irises.

However, this supposed-to-be jail… had really made said stray child feel like has finally found a real family again. 

Her Master has once said that vampires are such insanely longlife creatures. Even the teller, with an appearance that ages no older than her half a decade, is actually a hundreds-year-old existence, not to mention the two ‘brothers’-supporters of her, who have claimed to her that are all around that impossible age. 

Yet they’re really like her newfound siblings. 

With Cheng Xiaoshi-gege, a raven-headed vampire that would never turn down her asking of teaching her playing the instrument, even occasionally brings her out to the outside area, guiding her how to snap a picture of some typical white-haired man, although she knows how many times those happen are all the failed attempts.

With Lu Guang-gege, a cat-like teenager that would stay with her in an easily comfortable silence, a book in his hands, blank voice rising in a slowly rhythmical melody, lulling her into the world of the imaginary fairytales.

 And Qiao Ling-jie, Tianxi looks up, only to see the elder sister has retreated herself to the dark corner of the bedroom, one hand pulling a long silver-edged black ribbon and curling it loose around her slender fingers, her usual cagey clothes hanging halfway on the vampire’s contrary pale-white body, about to completely fall onto the carpeted floor under her feet forgotten.

No need for a mirror to see, the adolescent girl knows her cheeks are really burned so red till the verge that she wonders whether there's any smoke coming from her evaporating face.

Who knows how long after, said vampire has already returned by her side with a questioning look, now dressed in a simple white casual sleeping gown, hand reaching to the already empty cup in her hand to place it on the nightstand instead, before slowly turning around on her heel to blow the candle light off. Moonlight shines silvery gold lights into the turned-shadowy bedroom, delicately carving the movement of the elder girl returning to their shared bed, throwing herself into the soft-feathered mattress in a soft ear-pleased thud, arms conveniently pulling the smaller girl lying down in one smooth go.

“Go back sleeping, babe.” Li Tianxi feels more than sees her vampire sister yawns in exhaustion, combining with the latter’s hand lightly patting on her hip, reassuring the smaller into an attempted lulling sleep, “Forget whatever you’ve seen in that dream before, Xixi. You’re already here with me, safe and sound, that’s all.”

“Um, I know.”

She shifts a little bit.

Yet why did you appear down there in my dream, I wonder?

Two glittering red eyes blink.

“Qiao Ling-jie?”

“Yes?”

“Do you know… Nande Town?”

A quiet moment between them.

Until she hears her sister humming in thoughts, before replies.

“In the past, yes. But now, hasn’t it been eliminated so far on the map for you to ask about?”

Her embrace on the white teddy bear unconsciously tightens at the question.

Li Tianxi slowly closes her eyes, eyelashes fluttering in a sigh.

“Just… nothing.”

“Hmmm” She feels the elder sister’s chin placing on her head, her humming tone echoing low in her throat left unsaid. “Then rest.”

Good night.

“Umm, good night jiejie.”

—-------------------------------------------------------

The Guidu Ancient Castle is considered as one of the most symbolic landmarks of the Guidu, every human borned in this city couldn’t help themselves but remember this, also due to the passing down from the living generations. Not only because of how impressive in structure it is, but also because of how this place reminding them of the existence of the stronger creatures living together with them, and colonizing on their head, never a time losing to any revolutions from they lowborn existence.

Even when night falls, still no one could, and would dare, to criticize how magnificent this ancient construction is in their sights.

Twinkle stars weaving diamonds onto the silky night sky, silver moon circularly shining contrarily on the dark veil of Mother Nature. Her brilliant pure white moonlight drapes lights on everything existing below her eyesight. Onto the giant land full of stunning plantae blooming leaves and flowers, the daytime lively dancers now all deep in a peaceful slumber, to the monotone well-designed stone walkway lying shyly between the sleepy colorful shades decorating above, lines and lines obediently matching into the sigil sign of the Dandelyaltar family.

Brilliant in the sight, fragile in the look. Yet a demonic guide in white, leading everything to the death altar of the hollow white land.

Somewhere inside, Lu Guang steps one step forward on the stoneway. 

A small book holding in his hand, slender fingers embracing the untainted cover, which now hueing a sacred shade of light sapphire blue in the dim darkness, unable to stand unnoticeable under the beautiful golden moonlight today.

The silhouette in pure white moves himself forward once more time, before standing paused, lonely in the nightfall. A breeze combs into his soft snow hair, revealing the unusually sharpness in that pair of calming spinel orbs under the curtain of long bold lashes, sometimes blinking sluggishly stunning.

The snow-colored gown tail flying in the windy blow, like a gentle flap.

“Mice’re supposed to run around in a mess instead of waiting, you lowborns.” 

Nothing follows his aimless saying.

Only the delicate aquamarine sandclock hanging by his hip continues flowing, marking the nonstop time still ticking run.

The white-haired vampire exhales a sigh in boredom, lazily setting the book in his hand onto the wooden bench nearby. 

The blue sand on the upper glass bulb of the hourglass is about to drain out.

Suddenly…

There are noises. The noises of the leaves rattling together, combining with some slightly cracking sounds of the broken branches.

From somewhere that is too close to him from behind.

Lu Guang quickly turns his face towards the source of those disturbing sounds, grey eyes flashing sky blue in a supernatural-fast blink. 

Only to see a silver blade swinging vertically right at his face, merely an inch across that he could clearly see his blue spheres reflected on that flat mirror-like surface. To see a black-cloaked figure holding on the handle of that fatal weapon, veins bumping blood loudly at the aiming blow.

To see some other human-shaped shadows jumping from the hiding bushes onto the air, colouring his view with full shadowy darkness.

A pair of glowing red irises stare at him, full of fighting spirits that the vampire could feel that look digging holes on his body.

“Go back to your prison in hell, you vampire!”

The final tiny sand falling from the upper glassclock bulb.

Dark clouds start to cover the whole vast night sky, hiding the giant moon from the battle sight below her eyes. That the moonlight vanishes from the scene, returning the garden into darkness again.

“Should I?”

How unfortunate for your pathetic dogs… 

Lu Guang’s eyes blow wide under his soft long strands, before sharply narrowing, while darkness cruelly shading a small crescent with fangs is crawling widely on the usual emotionless face of the vampire in white.

A metallic colliding noise echoes in the stressful tranquil atmosphere.

—------------------------------------------

Lu Guang is a cat. Definitely a white cat.

Absolutely no doubt at all, when her Animal Soul Interpreter ability had told her that since the very moments her usual dark moss-agate orbs glowing in a dim shade of silver, and making a glaring contact to those tranquil grey irises of the white-haired human boy by the lake side that day.

That’s why when Cheng Xiaoshi pulled out the white teddy cat he had already successfully picked out of the machine slot and put it into her embrace, she had thought to herself, that she had finally had someone really to call friend, that that friend of hers would never leave her side any moments forever after.

Even in her lonely moments of slumber.

She looked at the plushie’s fatty face. A face that expressed nothing but pure innocence, a slyly cute smile sewed on the snowy fluffy texture. Unmistakably similar to the cunning grin the smaller human boy had raised on his thin delicate lips towards her still tantrum-throwing little brother, the blow of air from the air condition nearby combing on the soft strands in front of his forehead, revealing a pair of usual stoic stormy irises now genuinely softened with unsaid emotions.

The two bickering at each other, totally and embarrassingly childish.

But on their faces, there was happiness beaming like a warm stray sunshine crawling into the shop, what should’ve supposed to be the most uncomfortable existence for such a cursed creature like her, now brightening her hollow garden of feeling in her frozen heart inside that bird cage of her own body.

She couldn’t suppress the smile too raising itself on her pinky lips.

Hugging the cat tight in her arms, she silently swore to herself.

“I, Qiao Ling of the vampire Dandelyaltar family, will never let your smile dim with anything.”

The roses in her chest bloomed, wavering themselves in the flow of emotions her heart first chanced to taste after so long.

“I swear with my honor, to unilaterally protect you as our most precious friend.

Lu Guang.” 

—--------------------------------------------------------

Clang!

A long silver sword suddenly appears in front of the white-haired vampire, right between the slight gap of the blowing assault at his pretty face, causing the two weapons to collide hard in a deafening clanging noise.

And, with only one forceful counter blow, the leading assailant has been thrown back to the flower bush behind in a loudly painful groan, completely unseenable under the bunch of fallen leaves landing on that poor-fortuned hunter on the land.

“Who’re you, lowborn, to even dare darting your blunt knife at my dear lover’s handsome face, huh?”

The one who holding it, is no one strange but another familiar vampire of this ancient manor. Another vampire, with a contrary un-neatly ponytail-tied raven head.

“Cheng Xiaoshi, mind your manner.”

“Nuh huh.”

The newcomer, Cheng Xiaoshi, raises his face up at his dear companion. To reveal into sight a pair of still glowing amber eyes in the shadow, which dipping deep with pure malice bloodlust, so bright that his own bare-teeth grin could be clearly shone under the dark veil of the moon-covered night sky.

Before he lifts his arms up, two well-carved clock needle-similar blades with the uneven long-short length in each hand, professionally setting the shorter one on his shoulder blade and the other perpendicularly on the forth. As if these’re supposed to be a unique violin in his instruments collection, for a violinist like his to plug and pull into a lulled melodic rhythm in the tranquil night, instead of a dual-sword weapon for a cold-blood vampire like him to assault, raising their invaded enemies with an undeniable fear and an audibly loud gulp in their fragile throats.

Wind continues to blow, bringing the fallen leaves flying on the way it goes, while shyly rubs itself onto the bare skin of the yin-and-yang duo, invisible fingers intertwine into the slit of their hair and clothes. As the vampire of the yin steps forward, expression remains blank since the first second, closing eyelids opens in a clear polished pair of spiritual pale pearls, staring at the unusual attacking gesture and the violin-resembling double time-needles blades in the hands of his partner.

Even from the standing position behind the shadow vampire, Lu Guang knows so well that there should be a grinning demonic smile plastering on the twisted maniac looking face of his ying-side representative.

…..

He couldn’t help but sigh.

As if that boring exhale is nothing but a signal… for the stressful delayed opening of this battle to start. For those black disgusting vampire hunters to begin to run from their frozen postures, with some disturbing rustling noises following in annoyance. 

Continuously, nonstop. Like some sewer rats finally bare their fatty ugly self out of the dusting holes to even dare surrounding a noble cat.

“Kill them.”

Someone suddenly shouts from the chaotic human side.

The white-haired guy snorts in grimace at it, while the raven-haired reacts with a huffing smirk in a contrary sense of entertaining dark humour.

Before the latter swung his bow-served longer blade in a jarring high-pitch tone, so fast that their opponents didn't even have a second to blink at the second note echoes, the sharper edge of the blade shining in a slicking shade of immaculate bloody crimson.

As the lead blowing man falls to the stony ground, hot blood oozes onto the cold surface from a fatal openly-wide wound slicing cut through his slim boobing throat.

Lu Guang shakes his head in the disgusting spreading coppery-smelled puddles under his feet.

What a pity.

“What a pity, you brat!”

Doesn’t even spare a thought at the brand-new lifeless corpse lying dead on the walkway, Cheng Xiaoshi snarls his sharp canines again, which shine dangerously under the yellow lights coming from his eyes. His holding sword lifts again, both the two this time, adding a low metallic note resonating with the thud of his foot stepping forward into a ready run.

To throw himself right into the crow humans, completely no mercy.

“Pathetic. Totally pathetic!” He laughs, maniacly, enjoying his own deadly rhythm of the imagined violin performed on the ear-pleasant tones of blood splattering and human’s agony screaming, “Whenever Lu Guang’s still here, then you cowards would never stand any winning chances at all!”

The Melody Resonator rushes towards those unlucky hunters, corpus and bow in needle-shaped swords swinging up and down with no hesitances, despite the terrifying look laced with hatred shooting from those near-death soul spheres glueing with those pitiful frozen unable-to-counter postures.

Down to the core of the very melody-bonded musician like him, then his spirit will never let himself pause for a moment between, for a play to continue until either it ends, or one single cursed undone note abruptly rings out.

“How… couldn’t I move?”

An anonymous cloaked figure trembling, struggling to break his traitorous limbs to shift by the order in his mind. What a pitiful prey, scarily afraid of its enemy, like a mouse finally realizes there would be no way Goddess would leave for him to win a cat-mouse game that set by the cats.

The hour-needle blade on the black-haired’s right hand is already settled on the nape of his tilting neck, ready to cut his head out of his body.

“A clock with no needles will no longer serve itself as the blessed representative of the running time anymore.” The emotionless white-haired nobleman silently parts his thin lips, slowly murmurs, as one of his hands absent-mindedly raises to touch the delicate aquamarine hourglass on his hip, “When the time stops flowing to the future… that will turn out to be my territory.”

Not waiting for the one behind’s small-voiced mumble to finish, not even spare a moment for his prey’s soul-ful eye widening in indescribable surprise, the shorter blade has already embedded itself into the humble man’s neck, and so do his pitiful soul, splitting his head to lolling painfully on the hard surface, the expression painting vividly horrorful in the smearing blood.

How unfortunate for you to receive the invitation to this death banquet tonight.

A killing banquet of that dark-furred predatory beast, where everything humble only participated to be eliminated in redness, and the beast himself moving and dancing around in a brilliant performance, all like a mad engagement for the snowy princess to savor.

The unwavered spinel irises of the Time ability user silently closes at the whole bloody scene in a boring quiet sigh.

Clouds begin to floating thin again, a hint of moonlight gently piercing down the garden, golden white and slowly enlarging on the ground, when the metallic playing violin notes slows down its pace into a more genuine melody, soothing and resonating to the tranquil mourning spirit crawling from the bottom of his gut, signaling for the ready end of the rhythm performance tonight.

The moment his long eyelashes fluttering lifts open, is the moment he witnesses a strand of silver moonlight bridging slim across his partner, as the latter lowers his blade instrument down, defenselessly, and turns his attention to him, the short untidy tied ponytail behind his head pendulating slightly like a puppy’s little tail waving at its master.

“Am I good, my dear Guang-guang?” Cheng Xiaoshi walks towards his standing direction, a significant husky-smile affectionately raising on his placid face. “Hope there’s nothing that makes you feel displeased tonight.”

The white-haired vampire blinks, saying nothing in reply, just silently raises his left hand palm-up at the black-haired newcomer. Stormy irises bore down to the pocket watch grabbing between his small slender porcelain fingers of his other hand, a blank watch with only the silver-colored frame structure embracing a diamond-carved shining circular piece of crystal. Only that and the Roman numerals from 1 to 12 staying limply there, completely a pretty yet useless clock with no existence of any needles running inside the narrow space.

The Melody Resonator curls his lips into a small crescent, obediently hands the duo-swords into the open palm of the smaller guy.

To see the two needles abruptly shattering into fragments and vanishing into thin air, as if they’re just something imaginary in this world. The only evidence of its already existence is the pocket watch in the catboy’s hand finally has its needles returned, continuing their works of witnessing each moment hours and minutes flowing into the future.

Conveniently, the taller vampire slaps his empty hand onto the offering one of his fiance in a loud clap, a chuckle bursts out loud excitingly at the icy glare of those spinel orbs and a significantly grumble “Idiot” he has so familiar with in react to his annoying redundant action.

Lu Guang is definitely a bossy cat, ahaha.

“You two damn cursed beasts…”

Hm?

Frowning questioningly, Cheng Xiaoshi turns his head around at the sudden sound. Only to view the sight of a figure covered in the dark cloak, pitifully shorter compared to the other defeated lowborns, struggling to stand up on his trembling little legs, teeth gritting hard in agony and irises shining in a malice scarlet bright.

Haven’t I already killed them all?

“Stop overthinking, just the first vampire hunter you have blown out from the starting counter, unconscious till this moment for you to spare your mind on.” Lu Guang closes his eyes, the hand holding the pocket watch digging into the pocket of his snow-white gown, before he turns his face to stare at said human hunter through the corner of his sharp eyes, cold stony irises tranquilling under his long lashes.

“And you, human, don’t you dare call anyone a Beast again.”

“Hah?! Some disgusting cursed creatures like you could even breathe out like tha… Urrgh!”

“Stop play yourself out of your fortune, lowborn.” Since when, the Resonator ability user has already teleported right in front of the humble survival, calloused fingers grasping on the shorter’s cheeks till leaving bruises, burning cedar irises confronted full of maniacly threatening at the pair hatred crimson ones.

Behind his black clothed figure, the contrary fairy white silhouette stands there under the wide-shone moonlight, his soft hair and feather-light clothes tails flying in the newly-blowing wind.

His pale thin lips open and close sluggishly, as if saying something, by the wind sending to the human’s ear, so small as he almost misses it.

Do you know… what a Beast would be?

—---------------------------------------

Once upon a time, there was an ancient castle lying in the middle of the forest labyrinth, completely abandoned from the knowledge of any human existed surrounding.

Such a superb construction, a supernaturally impressive building in the history claimed. People would tend to believe in everything they have never known, to acknowledge the rumors from human spreading from gossiping word-mouthing without any further exclaim.

The story they told, each after each, started to variate to multiple versions with multiple additional details. However, there was a detail that would never vanish from the telling as if it was the most important core of that mysterious tale, regardless of it was told as a midnight horror or just a sweet lullaby for a sleepy child before slumber.

That, this castle was borned to be a seal for an unknown Beast inside. A Beast, a cursed creature, a forbidden existence in the world. A monster that there was no way to eliminate except jailing it into the oblivion, no way to crawl its shadow into the life of humanity forever after.

Well...

It should've been an imaginary telltale to scare the children, and warn the adults to do not dare coming close to that haunted foggy woods. To bet their luck in witnessing that Beast, nor to satisfy their curiosity of checking for the truth inside that gossiping fairytale.

Yet everything's easier to be said than done.

Until there was a little pretty girl straying herself lost inside the woods, finding no way to get out of that supernatural sealed labyrinth. She cried till her eyes turning red and blurry in fresh tears, till the darkness of the nightfall finally claiming the unfortunate new toy being thrown into its territory.

That was the moment she found a light afar. Cozy, and so warm her hope up from the bottom of fear and despair. 

She followed it, following the dancing red flame like it was a guideline for her to the exit destination. She walked, hope filled her heart, to the moment she saw it.

That luxurious, impressive ancient castle that must be the one described in the story of her town's gossiping and telling.

And a noble Beast, sitting beside a beautiful rose but about to wither in a crystal bell on his tea table in the front garden, stared at her in a smirk full of giant teeth. Before he welcomed her in a smile, so gentle that melt her heart.

"Finally, I have finally found the one that would revive my rose of condensed love again."

"Lady?"

No need to say further, she shyly ran towards his arms, feeling a happy ending for such a fairytale that always full of miracles like that.

-----------------------

Not when the embrace around her tightened, threatening and sharp like a delicate silver chain that caging her in place, not way to escape.

"Do you really think that's what a Beast means to be, dear?" A soft voice murmured by her ears, feminine seductive and laced full of mocking danger, "or is that a happy-ending boring fairytale that lowborn friend of yours gaslighting you with to erase the remnant of nightmare I have haunted into your mind?"

Her lips trembled, but found no way to force a breath out of her overwhelming lungs, let alone bite back a complete protest.

Her dark-shaded eyes stared down to her arms, only to see herself hugging at nothing in the air, the coziness since when has long disappeared out of her realization.

Metallic sounds rattling nearby caught all of her attention, causing her to raise her head up at the source direction.

Only for her irises to seize wide in horrible shock, at the sight of various silver chains entwined together, all roping tight her new teddy cat. Its limbs, its neck, its body, no where escaped from the glimpse of the brighting spinel.

Most of all, half of its face had already been torn, cruelly, the remnant of the cotton filled inside falling out of the rim of the blown wound, shreds loosely straying in the air.

"Don't..."

Yet it didn't stop.

The image of her teddy cat suddenly cluttered, twisted horizontally into ribbons of disturbed colors. Before the blurry little plushie seized into a larger silhouette, and clearer, revealing a familiar scene in the deep of her memory.

A crimson tear dropped onto the ground, spattered into a stain that rising a disgusting coppery aroma. Another one fell onto a piece of torn cloth beside, dying it into a contrary brown-red stain.

Her sight leveled up, despite her inner instinct screaming for it to stop. First from the pair of slim thighs kneeling on the shady floor, scratches littering remarkably on the fragile porcelain skin, to the torn white shirt hanging on the little frame, which had already turned into a red-white motley clothes, unable to fully hide the large cuts still oozing fresh blood on the trapped figure's body. To the shivering chest, heaving up and down in painful difficulties, higher to the slim neck, to the pale face had been smeared halfway with coppery stains, thick crimson substance still continuously streaming along the curve on his face.

The longer she travelled her eyes up, the colder she felt the shudder running along her spine. Each second passed, and she couldn't find her legs be able to handle her entire weights anymore further, so badly waiting for a give-up.

The moment she saw a bunch of soft white hair, of course inevitably matted in scarlet, covered half of the chained human's face shifted, showing only one closing eye under now trembling flushed open, revealing a dazing stormy irise that nearly lost itself in clouded unconsciousness, staring at her position.

Lu Guang?

Her dark eyes widened at the sudden contact, as the silver chains binding around him tightened its tie, forcing the human boy to weakly groan at the abrupt-coming agony.

The rattling sounds echoed again, threatening.

How could it...

"Surprise, Jo?"

Another voice, sharper and lower, resonated with the devilish whisper of the shadowy woman still hadn't released her tying embrace from her body, making her goosebumps to instinctively raise all at once at that familiarly-haunted predatory tone.

Separating from the dark corner behind the bound Lu Guang, was a taller nobleman with significant scarlet braided hair relaxingly walking towards the little prey, a masterpiece-curved barrel gun swiveling playfully careless on his index finger.

"Brother... Vein?"

Stop!

Qiao Ling knew what this meant. She already knew too well, that she wanted to tear her throat out to yell at her elder brother to stop, to please not continue this painful torture to her innocent little newfound friend, to leave him alone since he had made anything wrong.

All useless. Totally useless, when that gun had already found itself in the perfect position, grabbing between the professional calloused fingers of the second-child vampire of the family.

Tears burning on the rim of her moss-green eyes in begging.

"Remember this, Jo," the shiny barrel aimed directly at the white-haired temple, no inch across, and the feminine voice by her ear murmured darkly, toxic honey pouring into her nightfall mind as she forced her own eyes to shut in helplessness.

"There's a Beast... in the middle of this cursed Family."

Bang!

A dreadful gunfire rang off, and Qiao Ling finds her eyes flew wide open, unbelievably darting through the curtain of matted strands to the peacefully slumbering pink-haired girl lying by her side, sweats beading in damp drops on her temples.

-------------------------

…..

The golden-haired female vampire calmly darts her eyes down onto the mossed soil covered under layers of swinging dark green in the cool night breeze, where a little hole still steaming smoke after the gunfire, saying nothing.

Before raises her attention at an opened window on the ugly-turned bricked wall of the humanity-colonizing  Family’s castle, amber irises sharpened at an another familiar silhouette standing there, long yellow hair with some spotted black strands carelessly flying tangled in the wind, occasionally hiding the confident pair of delicate fox eyes and beautiful face staring down to somewhere below.

On one of his hand, landing an old-designed rifle leaning against the window sill, its long carved barrel still blowing hot slightly, evidently signaling a newly-fired shot. The one that’s too also familiar with the Dandelyaltar eldest daughter, the one that undoubtedly belonging to the collection of that scarlet-haired oddball borned no long after her existence.

Seemed like the brat was over-spoiling that stray dog too much again.

The Flower Interpreter snorts in disgust, sight falling into her initially gripping hand since the moment the gunshot rang. Into the still-pouring drop of crimson dotted with little tainted purity, darkening coppery-brown stains condensed in her delicate-cut nails unmovable, several faint crescent marks embedded in her pale slowly-opening palm.

You there?

The elder vampire sister blinks at the sound popping inside her head, before frowning.

“Yes,” Telepathy, she thinks, then that will be nobody but him. “Anything, Father?”

Nothing. A soft chuckle, then go on echoing. Just suddenly wanted to remind you of your responsibility, my dear daughter.

Liar.

Breeze blows, once again. Blowing her golden strands flying in multiple directions, conveniently bringing the scattering scarlet-turned dandelia feather-light seeds on the way it goes, shushing them to somewhere out of her sharpened amber-shaded eyes forgotten.

Chris turns her heels to the view of the highest chamber of the ancient castle, teeth gritting so hard that it aches, no wonder if she would find several tiny cracks on her canines later. A trying attempt to not audibly smack her tongue at that sweetly affected worrisome saying of that old man.

The man that, compared to that fucking red head always relaxing himself in mocking and getting on her calm nerves almost every time they confront, she would choose the latter for good. No matter how many times be surveyed or who asks.

There’s no way the now Head Vampire of the Dandelyaltar Family would contact her directly like this, in spite of the fact she could be considered as a secretary for that maniac-behavioural man, ever since the funeral of their deceased mother, the brilliant caged rose for that man to savor in freezing crystal and the cursed woman that the siblings don’t even desire to find themselves mourning for. The only exception moment this telepathy way would activate, is just when…

“Your next destiny has already started, hasn’t it?”

Hmm?

By the slightly crack-ajar window on the top of the castle, a nobleman sits there, thin lips curling upward in a joyful grin, and sending a hint of surprise, undeniably fake, following with a maliced mischievous tone into the nonverbal link between him and the younger woman afar in the garden below. 

Then… you must have known who would be the start, mustn’t you, Chris? 

No, this time…should I call you with the name Wang Qing

My little Unbeast?

Crack!

—-------------------------------------

“How humourous your grave-visiting story is, damn you!”

“Stop playing tactless, humble!”

Two calm spinel gems of the after-storm fateful vampire dart aside at the lowborn human daring to shout at them - at him - that impolite, silently signaling for his partner to stop competing snarling like some gatekeeping dog in the home garden at a foreign mouse in sight. Causing Cheng Xiaoshi to make a ridiculously grimace face, clearly acting pity at the nonverbal scowl, yet still obediently make himself a distance to the already wounded vampire hunter in his alerted view.

“What do you mean by grave-visiting story, lad?”

The pink-haired boy snarls at the raven-haired trying to block sights in front of him in a dagger-sharp glaring and bare his dangerous canines visibly in ready assaulting, while young red sharp bullet-like look shooting at the far behind pale bright-colored silhouette, who is quietly stretching distance from his kneeling position in boring wordlessness, steps leading closer to his book on the bench nearby.

“Isn’t it right, vampire?” The latter boy, after being released from that stressful prey-ed circumstance, abruptly bursts out in laughing, uncontrollably that the Melody Resonator standing nearby couldn’t suppress a wince twisting on his expression. “Isn’t it you who’s waiting for the death sentence sending you down to grave, Lu Guang?”

The silver moon, just halfway floated out of the curtained black clouds, suddenly finds itself running back into the dark area, velvety moonlight hidden like a frightening girl from the creeps.

“Who told you that?”

Shadow widens onto the ground, once again. Inevitably painting a hazardous shade onto half of the porcelain emotionless face of the Time Pause ability user turning at the laughing oddball, grey eye slightly blazing spark in the dim light. A dew of sweat lolling along the curve of his face, which now paler and paler each moment passing.

Without any signs, the white cat throws his eyesight to somewhere above, irises narrowing into little needles in caution.

To find himself falling into an eye contact with a pair of silver orbs, brightly significant like a split newborn duo from the hidden moon on the dark blue sky above, staring fixed at him before seductively spiralling into two glowing amethyst gems under the layer of long bold lashes ringing prettily in the light.

Isn’t it…

“I vow this body to be your puppet in this theatre performance, ally.” The vampire hunter screams, obliviously mysterious at someone out of the two yin-and-yang, “Rule this territory and take revenge for me.”

Liu Xiao.

—-----------------------------------------------

The golden-haired female vampire stomped one step forward, delicate hands slamming themselves with force to push the old heavy wooden doorframes ajar, then threw herself vanishing into the mysterious hallway.

A low call, and the amber-eyed human teenager standing by the window sill turned around, crossing the distance to the direction of his hot-headed master. Waiting for the rifle in his hands picked up, and pointed at his skull with bloodlust.

A novelist swung his feather-pen in the right hand, cozy rosy hue shining from the broken crystal bell nearby him onto the blank sheet of paper in front of his sight. Before a drop of black ink fell onto the white canva, suddenly tickling his gut to raise a smile at destiny.

A sleeping beauty closed her eyes in a dreamy slumber. While her lover lying on her arm, dark irises fixed on her peaceful face with nightmare painting her anxiety, waiting for her to rescue and be rescued.

A little human danced on the chessboard, various strings guiding its act for a revenge, yet too guiding him with foolishness to the abyss of hell. Dagger in hand, danger shining at the aimed target. And the puppet swung its little arms forward, stabbing the weapon deep into the Taijitsu board, hatred and madness burning like alcohol in his pumping veins.

Without any acknowledgement that the seal of a hidden beast has already been broken, since that fateful moment.

The black half side shattered, fragments and fragments, screaming at its another white piece sinking into the dark vortex in helplessness.

Unknown of spreading hands waiting under the shadow surface, a silent crescent grin rising behind the spiderweb, as the separated yang floating along gravity, unconsciously falling into the sluggishly curling embrace has started caging him inside.

—-------------------------------------------

A hint of light deadly subdued in the dreadful darkness.

A drop of tear, heavily vanished into the heartless surface.

A pair of amethyst eyes, genuinely narrowed at the twist of destiny.

A large hand with calloused long fingers gently entwined into the soft strands in dying scarlet.

And an inked pen, smoothly set a pitch-black period dot at the end of the sheet, falling to the side.

—--------------------------------------------

When the white moon reveals again on the seemed to be evernight sky and starts spreading its silver lights down to the scenery below once again in shivering, there has been no one staying there, leaving only the dreadful silence lacing thick and stressful into the atmosphere remained.

Trembling, she lets her moonlight go, like her intangible fingers groping for any traces of them, hoping for anything that would affranchise her from this unbearable tranquility, even the coolness behind, since the wind still stubbornly blows without any signs of stopping.

Until her fingertips reach it, on a wooden bench beside a stone pathway somewhere insignificant in the middle of the sleeping plants, where some stray lifeless fallen little leaves and blooms lying dead like some pitiful corpses nearby beneath it.

There was a book not bigger than a teenager’s palm lying there, a pool of splattered crimson dyeing its initially neatly white cover, disgusting damp sensation oozing drop after drop, visibly wider the longer she looks at it.

Quietly, isolated… and tainted.

—-----------------------------------------------------

“Tell me, my dear deceased lady.”

The rose in the crystal bell slightly shifts, as if struggling in something invisible chaining it.

The novelist just smiles, unwavered.

What will the wound end you like this world to play?

O’ the Fairytail Resonator?