Two days into our week-long journey to Dreadspire Academy, we come across a settlement.
At first glance, it looks inhabited.
Smoke rises from chimneys. Doors are closed. Faint movement flickers behind windows.
But something is wrong.
The air feels… tight.
Fear hangs over the village like a weight pressing down on everything.
Ignis glances at the sky.
"Night will be here soon," she says. "We should find shelter. A tavern… or an inn."
Aphrodite nods in agreement.
"That would be best."
I say nothing.
I simply follow.
As we move through the village, I notice them.
The villagers.
Watching.
Peering through cracks in shutters. Behind curtains. From darkened doorways.
No one steps outside.
No one speaks.
We stop in front of a building that resembles an inn.
Aphrodite looks around, uneasy.
"This place is strange," she says quietly. "There's no laughter… no life."
I speak.
"This village reeks of fear."
A pause.
"And blood."
Ignis and Aphrodite both turn to me.
"What do you mean?" Aphrodite asks.
I glance around.
"The homes are neglected. Crops left to rot. No one in the streets."
My voice remains flat.
"They're hiding."
A pause.
"From something."
I look toward the shuttered homes.
"…How cowardly."
The impact comes suddenly.
Aphrodite's fist connects with my jaw.
It is weak.
It does nothing.
But the intent is there.
Ignis reacts instantly, pulling her back.
"Stop—!"
I turn my head slowly back toward Aphrodite.
For a moment—
I consider it.
Violence.
The simplest answer.
Yet…
I do nothing.
Again, something holds me back.
I do not understand it.
"I won't allow you to speak about them like that," Aphrodite says, her voice shaking with anger.
"They're terrified. You don't know what they've been through."
I stare at her for a moment longer.
Then turn away.
Ignis pulls her toward the inn.
"Come. We need information."
They enter.
I remain outside.
Inside the inn—
a burly man sits behind the counter.
He looks up, clearly startled.
"…We don't get many visitors anymore," he says slowly.
His eyes move between them.
"You picked a bad time to arrive."
Aphrodite steps forward.
"What's happening here?"
The man exhales.
"…Vampires."
Both women freeze.
"They come at night," he continues. "Anyone still outside when the sun sets… doesn't come back."
He shakes his head.
"You're lucky you made it before dark."
Outside—
I walk alone.
The village feels different now.
Quieter.
Heavier.
Then—
I feel it.
A presence.
Faint.
But distinct.
Bloodlust.
Not mine.
I follow it.
Through narrow paths.
Between darkened homes.
Until—
an alley.
Shadowed.
Hidden.
There—
a figure kneels.
Feeding.
I cannot see clearly at first.
Then—
the shape becomes clear.
A body.
Lifeless.
Being consumed.
Inside the inn—
"Vampires?" Aphrodite repeats, shocked.
Ignis' expression hardens.
"…That explains it."
Aphrodite turns toward the door immediately.
"We have to warn Ares—"
Ignis grabs her arm.
"No."
Her voice is firm.
"You can't go out there."
Aphrodite struggles.
"We can't leave him—"
"If what he said is true, the sun has already set," Ignis says. "This is their territory now."
A pause.
"Vampires are fast. Strong. And nearly impossible to kill."
Her grip tightens.
"Decapitation… or direct sunlight. Nothing else is reliable."
Aphrodite hesitates.
"We still need to—"
"He can handle himself," Ignis says, though there is a trace of uncertainty beneath it.
"…We wait."
Reluctantly—
Aphrodite nods.
Back in the alley—
The creature stops.
Slowly.
Then stands.
It turns toward me.
Its face is pale.
Blood covers its mouth.
Sharp fangs glint in the dark.
It sees me.
And smiles.
Then—
it moves.
Fast.
Too fast.
It lunges, aiming straight for my neck.
I react—
barely.
My hand shoots out, gripping its throat, stopping it just inches from my skin.
Its strength is immediate.
It pushes forward.
Relentless.
Closer.
Closer.
My arm strains.
A grin forms across my face.
"…A worthy opponent."
Then—
movement.
Behind me.
The corpse it fed on—
rises.
Its body jerks unnaturally as it lunges forward.
Its arm swings wildly—
striking me across the face.
The impact lands.
Something shifts.
The pressure changes.
The vampire in my grasp—
stops advancing.
Then—
it begins to lose ground.
Its body is forced back.
The second one attacks again.
Trying to break my hold.
I take the first by the throat—
lift it with one arm—
and throw it.
It crashes into the other.
Both fall.
Then rise again.
Unharmed.
Unshaken.
Ready.
I stand still.
Watching them.
My expression darkens.
The air thickens.
Something inside me stirs.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
This—
might be entertaining.