THE NEXT MORNING
Dracula stood outside the hotel, waiting patiently.
Even after your inhumane death, Silicon Eden still stands and flourishes. Stand proudly from beyond the grave. Your stronghold has become a land of hope.
Diana and Rebecca hurried out of the hotel.
"Move faster!" Diana yelled.
"I'm trying!" Rebecca responded.
Dracula simply stared at them.
"Were we late?" Diana asked.
"Not at all. You were quite early," Dracula replied.
"To be honest, we knew it was early, but seeing him already waiting outside scared the living shit out of us," Diana muttered.
She glanced at Dracula.
He was rubbing his eyes repeatedly.
"Did you get any sleep?" Diana asked.
Dracula stopped and looked at her.
"I don't need sleep," he responded coldly.
Diana's expression softened with concern before she turned away.
"Where is Varin, though?" Rebecca asked.
"He must still be with those elf twins," Diana responded.
"Hmm… seems like he actually took a liking to them."
The two girls giggled.
"Rebecca."
Dracula's voice immediately made Rebecca freeze.
He knows my name?
She slowly turned toward him.
"Stay behind," Dracula commanded.
"What?"
"Your skin burns under sunlight. We will have to move during the daytime to avoid arousing suspicion. All you will do is slow us down."
"That's too harsh," Diana spoke up.
Rebecca grabbed her shoulder.
"It's fine, Diana. I can stand up for myself."
She stepped toward Dracula.
"I know you don't care whether I'm dead or alive, but I want revenge just as much as Diana does."
She clenched her fists.
"I'm a coward. I'll admit that. But the people I regarded as my family were killed by the Elders, and all I could do was watch."
Her voice trembled.
"Even the man I loved was killed by you because he was searching for an extreme way to bring down the Elders."
Rebecca looked directly into Dracula's eyes.
"You have no right to write me off just because I was born with a skin deficiency."
Dracula stared down at her.
"How do you intend to follow us, then?"
"I could catch up with you guys at night."
"Do you think we'll still be in Eryndor by then?"
Rebecca froze.
"I'll find a way," she replied.
Dracula studied her for a moment.
"Give me your hand."
He extended his hand toward her.
"Huh?"
Rebecca glanced at Diana.
Diana nodded.
Rebecca hesitated before placing her hand in Dracula's.
"Focus," Dracula ordered.
A crimson magic circle began forming across Rebecca's palm.
"I've never seen a spell like this before," Rebecca said.
"Are you proficient in spells?" Diana asked.
Rebecca chuckled.
"Not quite. Back during the revolution, every member was required to have knowledge of various spells, just in case we couldn't overpower the Elders with sheer strength."
"Obviously, you don't know this spell," Dracula replied.
Rebecca looked at him.
"I created it last night."
She stared at him in surprise.
"Even spells wouldn't have been enough against them. Spell output is affected by mana, and I can tell the revolution was weak if you were wiped out by fewer than ten people."
Rebecca fell silent.
"Done."
Dracula released her hand as the magic circle shrank and disappeared into her skin.
"What does it do?" Diana asked.
"Let's wait and see."
"You guys look like a jolly bunch."
Varin's voice came from behind them.
He approached with a grin.
"What did I miss?"
"Clears throat… It's nothing."
Rebecca responded.
Varin smiled creepily.
"Are you sure?"
A chill ran down Rebecca's spine.
"Uh… yes."
"What's wrong?"
Dracula spoke up.
Varin's smile disappeared completely.
"I've been sadly informed that the Divine Visionaries have been given permission to enter Silicon Eden and search for us."
Diana and Rebecca immediately began to shiver.
This is bad. Even if we separate from them right now and run, they'll still kill us just because we're vampires.
Diana glanced at Dracula.
Why did he close his eyes? Please… we need you right now.
Dracula stood motionless.
Over fifty… I can sense over fifty of them right now. More are erasing their mana signatures.
"What should we do?" Varin asked.
Dracula slowly opened his eyes.
"Quite the predicament."
He looked at the others.
"Wear your masks and act naturally. We only act if there's no other option. Let's avoid staining these grounds with blood."
"Party pooper," Varin muttered.
"Whatever."
Varin turned toward the women.
"Compose yourselves, or you may just lose your lives today."
He smiled as he put on his mask.
Dracula followed suit.
Gulp.
Diana and Rebecca exchanged nervous glances before putting on their masks.
They walked through the streets, trying their best to blend in. Varin and Dracula walked ahead while Diana and Rebecca stayed close behind them.
Suddenly, a man grabbed Diana by the hand and violently pulled her away from Rebecca.
"AH!"
Diana screamed.
"Do I know you?" the man asked.
"No!" Diana responded frantically.
"Hmm… are you sure?"
Rebecca immediately stepped forward.
"No, she doesn't."
The man stared at them for a moment before pulling out a magic scroll.
A holographic image of Dracula and Varin appeared above it.
"Have you seen these two? They're some of the biggest threats in Eryndor. We tracked them here."
Dracula and Varin watched from a distance.
"Damn… that's a very ugly picture of me."
Varin squinted at the image.
"And Dracula looks like a supermodel."
Dracula remained silent.
"We don't know," Diana responded.
The man tightened his grip around her wrist.
"Are you sure?"
"Ahh… yes!"
Diana and Rebecca subtly moved their free hands behind their backs.
Blood began to seep from their palms.
Varin noticed.
"Sheesh… this is about to get bloody."
In an instant, Dracula vanished.
He reappeared behind Diana, gently taking hold of her hand while grabbing the man's wrist.
"That's enough," he whispered.
"Hey! Let go of me!"
The man tried to yank his arm away.
Nothing.
"What the fuck?"
He pulled again.
Nothing.
Dracula's grip didn't even move.
"I'd stop if I were you."
Dracula's voice remained calm.
"Bones aren't as strong as we like to believe."
People began gathering around them, whispering among themselves.
Varin appeared behind Diana and Rebecca.
"That's our cue to leave."
"Let me go, bro! You don't know who you're dealing with!"
"And who might you be?" Dracula asked loudly.
"I'm—"
"We allow you into our home on the strength of a wild goose chase, and you go around flaunting yourselves as enforcers of the realms while harassing our women?"
Dracula's voice carried through the crowd.
"I'm not disappointed in you."
He paused.
"Your parents failed you."
The crowd erupted in agreement.
"I'm an orphan," the man muttered.
"It shows."
The man gritted his teeth and raised his fist toward Dracula.
Before he could swing, two other Divine Visionaries grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Are you stupid?" one of them snapped. "We're supposed to be discreet about this! You're causing a riot. Do you want to lose your job?"
"It's that dipshit!" the man protested.
"Who are you pointing at?"
"That dip—"
He looked up.
The angry crowd remained.
But Dracula was gone.
"Let's get your hand treated," one of the Visionaries muttered.
The man looked down at his wrist.
A dark bruise had already formed where Dracula had held him.
Meanwhile, Dracula and the others were already making their way toward the gates of Silicon Eden.
None of the Visionaries realized the man they had just confronted was the very vampire they had entered the city to find.