Chapter Text
The heavy iron bells of the cathedral tolled three times into the winter night, cutting through the dense fog that draped over the moss-laden rooftops. Cheng Xiaoshi sat perched carelessly on the high stone sill of a glass window. His eyes caught the faint, shimmering light of the silver crucifix atop the main altar.
“Step down from the sacred sill. You are an uninvited guest here.”
Lu Guang’s voice was low, resonant, and entirely unbothered, cutting through the hollow silence of the nave. The young priest stepped out from the vestry, his black leather-bound Bible held loosely in one hand, while the long fingers of his other hand twined around the silver chains of a rosary.
Cheng Xiaoshi let out a quiet scoff, a smirk tugging at his lips to reveal two fangs catching the candlelight. In a single blink, his shadow swept across the rows of wooden pews, materializing directly behind Lu Guang. A sudden, deathly chill – the signature aura of a walking corpse – enveloped the priest.
“Lu Guang, you’re always so delightfully frigid~”
Cheng Xiaoshi whispered, his breath entirely devoid of warmth as it brushed against the priest’s ear. Tilting his head, he gave a dramatic sigh.
“I haven’t hunted in three entire days, you know. The blood of those sinners out on the streets makes me want to throw up. But your scent is the only thing that smells so infuriatingly pure.”
Lu Guang didn’t flinch, nor did he display an ounce of fear. He simply turned around, facing the crimson eyes that burned with a monster’s rising hunger. The silver chain of his rosary clinked softly as Lu Guang raised his hand, pressing the heavy metal crucifix firmly against the center of Xiaoshi’s chest.
Sizzle.
The sound of flesh scorching against holy silver echoed in the quiet hall, a thin wisp of white smoke rising between them. Cheng Xiaoshi let out a sharp grunt of pain, stumbling back two steps as he clutched his burning chest. Yet, despite the pain, the gaze he leveled at Lu Guang held no malice – only a desperate, teasing longing.
“You know the parameters.”
Lu Guang lowered his hand. His deep eyes remained completely expressionless as he watched the burn wound on the vampire’s chest slowly knit itself back together.
“I am a servant of the Lord while you are a creature of the dark. Your very breath within these walls is a transgression.”
“And yet, you still haven’t put a stake through me?”
Cheng Xiaoshi replied, his voice dropping into a raspy, quiet tone. He took a slow step forward, intentionally dropping to his knees right at Lu Guang’s feet. His hands gripped the hem of the white cassock, looking like a mocking yet desperate pilgrim begging for absolution.
“Help me. This thirst is burning me alive.”
Lu Guang looked down at the vampire trembling at his feet. He knew Cheng Xiaoshi had never taken an innocent life, choosing instead to endure agony just to keep his human heart intact. It was the sole reason an executioner of the Church like Lu Guang tolerated his existence.
Lu Guang let out a very faint, almost imperceptible sigh – a silent concession to the dark. He placed his Bible on the lectern and slowly, deliberately unbuttoned his white clerical collar, the symbol of a cleric’s purity. He tilted his head to the side, exposing the pale skin of his neck where his pulse beat steadily, releasing a scent that was intoxicatingly sacred.
“Twelve seconds.”
Lu Guang commanded, his voice cold and authoritative, ensuring no personal emotion bled into the edict.
“Only enough to keep you alive. Exceed the limit, and the stake goes through your chest.”
Cheng Xiaoshi looked up, his pupils dilating with a mix of hunger and playful triumph. He rose like a sudden gust of wind, but as he closed the distance, his movements became incredibly careful. One of his cold hands cradled the back of Lu Guang’s neck, while the other slid around the priest’s waist to lock him in place. He buried his face into the crook of Lu Guang’s neck, and his sharp fangs sank deep into the flesh. Lu Guang’s brow furrowed slightly. His fingers squeezed around the silver rosary until his knuckles turned white, but he did not push Cheng Xiaoshi away. The hot, holy blood poured into the vampire’s freezing mouth, carrying a purifying sting. In that quiet embrace under the ancient vaulted ceiling, the line between the sacred and the profane blurred into nothingness.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Ten.
Eleven.
Twelve.
Lu Guang counted the final second with absolute precision. Without a single moment of hesitation, he tightened his fist around his rosary and drove his elbow hard into Cheng Xiaoshi’s chest, forcefully breaking the vampire’s hold. Being shoved back, he stumbled across the stone floor. A smear of brilliant crimson stained his lips, contrasting sharply against the deathly pallor of his skin. He darted his tongue out to lick away the trace of blood, the feral red in his eyes slowly receding to reveal his natural, expressive dark irises. The madness of the hunger had been appeased, but the faint, satisfied grin on his face was impossible to hide.
“The blood of God’s favorite servant always drives me a little crazy...”
Cheng Xiaoshi teased, his voice still a bit rough as he offered a casual smirk to mask the underlying guilt swirling in his chest.
Lu Guang didn’t deign to respond. He calmly pulled a white silk handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the residual dampness from the wound on his neck. Thanks to the holy grace dwelling within his blood, the puncture marks were already closing up at a visible rate, leaving behind only two faint red marks that looked like tiny birthmarks. He readjusted his garments, fastening the white clerical collar securely back in place, entirely concealing the evidence of their midnight transgression. His face returned to its usual state – a flawless, unreadable marble bust.
“You have what you came for. Leave before the sun rises.”
Lu Guang ordered, turning his back on the vampire to collect his Bible from the lectern.
“Lu Guang, are you seriously never afraid?”
Cheng Xiaoshi took a light step forward. His movements were no longer those of a dangerous predator. Instead, he hovered close behind the priest’s straight back like a stubborn shadow.
“What if one day I completely lose it? What if one day twelve seconds isn’t enough, and I end up draining you dry?”
Lu Guang paused, his fingers resting on the edge of the leather book while his other hand quietly gripped the wooden stake hidden within his sleeve. He didn’t turn around, but his flat, resonant voice echoed clearly through the empty cathedral.
“If that day comes, it means my faith has faltered, and the wrath of Heaven will strike us both down.”
He tilted his eyes slightly backward, catching Cheng Xiaoshi’s reflection.
“And you know very well, I make a habit of never losing to monsters.”
Cheng Xiaoshi blinked, caught off guard for a fraction of a second, before letting out a soft, amused laugh.
“Understood. See to it that you remember those words.”
A sudden, violent gust of wind swept through the nave, snuffing out the remaining candles upon the altar in one swift stroke, plunging the entire sanctuary into absolute darkness. By the time Lu Guang turned around, the stone sill of the glass window was already bare. The silhouette of the vampire had completely dissolved into the dense, choking fog of the winter night, leaving behind nothing but a solitary black feather, drifting silently onto the cold stone floor.
Lu Guang let out a quiet sigh, the wooden stake slipping from his hand and hitting the floor with a dull thud. He dropped to his knees before the pulpit, his fingers entwining tightly as he raised the silver rosary to his chest, beginning the prayers of penance for yet another night of sin that had come and gone.