Istanbul at Night
Thousands of blood bats swarmed across the sky of Istanbul, staining it a dull gray. Dark clouds obscured the moonlight that once guided the night. The townspeople hid beneath their rooftops. Every light was extinguished, doors and windows tightly shut. Charms of every kind were placed in the corners of their homes, hoping to ward off the evil rampaging outside… the evil known as Tyler.
On the other side of a silent valley, a massive cave served as a hiding place for him and his followers. Tyler stepped out from the darkness. The beating wings of thousands of bats tore through the air overhead. They scattered to hunt, caring nothing for age or gender so long as blood flowed in the body.
"Go find food… I said find food!" Tyler roared. A violent windstorm raged as if fueled by his fury. Lightning flashed. Streetlights short-circuited, bursting into flames across wide areas.
"My lord… the people are more frightened now. No one dares leave their homes. Day and night, they remain inside. They're more cautious than before…" one subordinate reported fearfully.
Before he could finish, Tyler flicked his arm once. The subordinate's body was torn apart, blood spraying everywhere. Tyler's face remained indifferent—without the slightest trace of remorse.
"If anyone dares speak of 'fear' before me again… I will tear them apart with my bare hands!" he growled. Dark energy radiated from him, whipping up fierce gusts. Large trees toppled, blocking the roads. Thunder roared. Electrical wires sparked and burst into flames, as if the city were being punished by hell itself.
"Go! Find me prey! I want more food than ever tonight!" His roar shook the earth.
Inside the Lonnelland House
"It seems he's begun rampaging," Edward said, staring out the window with tense eyes.
"You're not going out until morning," Alicia replied firmly, though concern colored her voice.
"I'm not ready to face him yet… but I won't let him go," Edward said, his voice trembling with resentment. The past remained vivid in his heart.
"It won't be hard to eliminate him if we can find his true body," Lonnellwolf said as he entered the house. "Drive an enchanted dagger through his heart and burn him to ashes."
"When did you get here? Are you safe?" Alicia hurried over, checking him for wounds.
"I'm fine." He turned to Edward. "Who are you?"
"Edward, son of the Holler family…" Edward bowed slightly. "I couldn't return home in time. He came out earlier than expected."
"You haven't become a vampire yet?" Lonnellwolf wrinkled his nose, catching Edward's scent so similar to Tyler's.
"Not yet. My father told me to wait for the right time."
Alicia looked at Edward anxiously. "Are you really going to become like that?"
"I…" He avoided her gaze and moved to sit on the sofa. She followed him.
"You want it that badly?"
"Let's wait until that time comes… Maybe I'll change my mind." He met her eyes again.
High above, thousands of bats still circled wildly. Tyler strolled through a dark alley, a beautiful young woman walking beside him. She leaned against him, weakened by alcohol.
"You're taking me somewhere for another drink, right?" she asked huskily.
"We should find somewhere quiet to talk. What do you think?" Tyler replied softly his voice chilling to the bone.
"You're so cold… Are you sick?" she asked, touching his arm.
"Perhaps," he answered without looking at her.
His pale, slender hand slid into her hair as if caressing golden silk. His fingers brushed aside her soft strands, revealing the pulse beating in her white throat. She closed her eyes, lost in the icy touch unaware she was being drawn slowly into hell.
Beneath the gentleman's mask, his flawless face twisted. His eyes turned from dull gray to blood-red. His fingers transformed into black claws, sharp and gleaming in the dark. The scent of death surrounded him like a demon freed from hell's chains.
A low growl escaped his throat before he leaned down and sank his white fangs precisely into her neck. She gasped weakly, her scream swallowed by the wind. Her body convulsed helplessly, eyes wide with terror and confusion. Warm blood flowed, its metallic scent rising faintly in the air.
Tyler drank hungrily. Human blood burned down his throat like long-awaited wine. Soon, her body changed skin paling, eyes losing life. She withered like a flower drained of its last drop of dew, until she crumbled into dust and scattered into the wind… as if she had never existed.
Tyler wiped the blood from his lips, tasting the final trace of life. He closed his eyes briefly, inhaling deeply in satisfaction. Then, with a flick of his black cloak, he vanished into the mist of night. The bats dispersed back to their cave as the first light of dawn rose above the horizon, signaling the end of night and the temporary retreat of darkness.
Uncle Alfred's House
Soft morning light filtered through cream curtains, casting a gentle glow over antique furniture. Warmth lingered in the air. On a dark leather sofa, Edward slept peacefully. In sleep, he looked nothing like the mysterious figure he was while awake only a tired, fragile young man.
Alicia approached quietly and knelt beside him. Her playful eyes softened as she gazed at his face. Her heart beat strangely… again.
"Edward… your people are here to pick you up," she whispered, touching his shoulder gently.
Suddenly, his hand grasped her arm automatically, as if unwilling to let her fade from his dream. She lost balance and fell onto him. In that instant, their lips brushed accidentally.
Both froze. Shock flashed in their eyes. Her lips were soft… warmer than he expected.
She pulled away immediately, face flushed red.
"Have you lost your mind? What was that?!"
He tilted his head and smiled. With a slight movement, he pressed his lips to hers again slow and deliberate this time.
"Edward! Are you crazy? I said stop!"
"I'm not playing," he replied gently. "I like you, Alicia. You're like the moon at night cool, yet so beautiful I can't stop looking."
"Hmph…" She looked away, gripping her shirt. "You talk like that to every girl at school. Don't think I'll fall for it easily."
"But your heart's beating very fast." He leaned closer as if listening. "Even as a vampire, I can hear it."
"Idiot!" She hit his chest lightly before running to her room.
He smiled and followed, flicking the door open with a snap of his fingers.
"Don't come any closer. I have fangs too!" she warned.
"Yours are cute. I'm not afraid."
He stepped closer.
"I like you, Alicia… ever since the day you threw that water bottle at my head."
"That's not romantic at all!"
He took her hand gently and kissed her softly again. She closed her eyes briefly before whispering breathlessly, "That's enough… I can't breathe…"
He pulled away slowly. "That means you feel it too, right?"
"Get out… before my father sees."
He turned to leave but spun back quickly for one last kiss.
"Edward!"
"How many times are you going to kiss me?!"
"Until you agree to be my girlfriend."
"In your dreams…"
"I believe heaven made us for each other a vampire and a hunter's daughter. It's fate."
"And what if I turn into a wolf and scratch your face?"
"I'll let you if you kiss me again afterward."
In Front of the House
Morning sunlight shone over a sleek black car. Henry leaned against it patiently.
"Sleeping in, Young Master?" he teased.
"Quiet, Henry. Did you bring my clothes?"
"Of course." He handed over a bag. "So… did she say yes?"
"To what?"
"To being your girlfriend."
Edward smiled mischievously at the golden dawn.
"Not yet… but I kissed her many times."
"Not bad at all, Young Master," Henry teased, earning a glare in return.