Laudis walked to Solisia, pushing through the crowd. The girl was wearing a black dress, merging into the dark-dressed mob. There were at least five hundred people. Despite the harsh sun, men gathered to celebrate the funeral of one man. The man, despised by the government. The man, who did unforgivable things. And yet, they still gathered. Only one thought troubled the youth.

  ‘Why did they come? Isn’t he ‘the bad guy’?’

  The Earth sorceress greeted him, nodding; the boy answered with the same simple gesture. Whispers started getting louder and louder until someone stepped out. From the gathering came out one hooded man. He climbed onto a wooden pedestal. He had a light red robe and head covering in the same colour. Unlike most, his clothing had long sleeves, but they weren’t rolled up.

  “My name is Byron Greenwood; or should I say, Byron Snider’

  He took a deep breath, blinking twice in nerves. He kept his hands behind his back, yet you could see his arms shaking. The figure looked around the interested crowd, but he halted his sight at one figure. A woman dressed in a light blue robe. She was smiling at him. It was his wife, Zaria.

  “I’m not a human like you; I am a vampire.”

  They gasped in fear. No sane man would gasp at someone whose kind was murdering residents of the same city just yesterday. A few took out daggers hidden beneath their clothes, pushing through the others.

  “Wait! Let him speak! From all of you, only a vampire was courageous enough to step out. You should be ashamed!” stated Dantenium, covering his face.

  “But—”

  “Let him finish.”

  “Yeah, he’s alone. If he tries anything, we’ll kill him,” the rest agreed with the crimson-haired.

  “Thank you,” said Byron, bowing slightly.

  “Yesterday, we were victims of a vampire attack. I can’t repay your loss. I’m unable to. All I can do is this."

  The undead knelt on both of his knees, touching the sand with his forehead.

  “From the bottom of my heart, I apologise for my kind. I apologise for the suffering you had to endure yesterday. I apologise for being born a vampire…”

  His voice pierced through them like an arrow. Those who wanted to kill him stood still, puzzled by his statement. Carola was a country where race didn’t matter, or so it defined itself. In reality, vampires were treated like a second sort of creature. From birth, every resident of Carola was indoctrinated to hate vampires. No one opposed the propaganda. After all, they just presented the facts: slaughters of villages, tortures, and ruthless conquest of lands. However, what they had been presented with was the Vampire Empire, and not the vampires. Like humans, not all devils were bloodthirsty and craving blood.

  “I was a general in the army. I’ve killed hundreds, if not thousands, of people. I shed innocent blood, and what for? I killed everyone, even women and children. I feel disgusted by my actions, but I can’t change the past. Fifteen years in service, I was sent to Zachiria to infiltrate it. I started working at a bakery. At first, I felt horrible. My pride didn’t let me fraternise with humans. After some time, I stumbled across Zaria. She started working in the same spot as me. She was always smiling, but I couldn’t understand her. My flesh answered with the same gesture, but my heart hated her. She was different. I felt it…”

  Byron swallowed his spit, trying to calm down. The wind howled a static melody. He slightly raised his head from the ground. The vampire was mesmerised by the view. Not even one person was angry at him or wanted to kill him. His eyes were on the verge of crying. He wiped them off, but they wouldn’t stop glazing. After a while, he stood up, keeping his head low.

  “I gradually changed because of her. I developed sympathy and empathy, virtues banished by vampires. She treated everyone nicely. It was odd, too odd. I saw her treating those with darker and lighter skin the same. She didn’t see demihumans, living there not so long ago, as less worthy. That is elves, dwarfs, and others. She didn’t care for their appearance; she was the first person I truly aspired to become. One day, I gathered courage…”

  “Can you stay with me until the closing?” asked Snider, nervously glancing at her.

  “Sure,” replied Zaria, nodding.

  Both of them started cleaning the place. The vampire wiped the breadcrumbs off the workplace, and the woman swept the floor. After fifteen minutes, they were finished.

  “So… Is there something you wanted to ask me about? she wondered, unsure about his intentions.

  “I… I am… I am a vampire,” he stated, looking into her blue eyes.

  “...”

  A loud silence echoed through the bakery. The light of a nearby lantern shone through the window. The undead lost his footing. He felt as if the floor under him collapsed into a dark abyss.

  “I knew… I've known since I saw you for the first time. You were pale in a country with harsh sun. You’ve always come before the sunrise and leave after the sunset. I was sure about your race after one month. Still, you didn’t seem to be aggressive. You know, people say horrible stuff about vampires here. You eat us, don’t you?”

  “Yes. I have to eat humans to survive. I can drink blood, but it doesn’t satisfy my hunger.”

  “I see… When was the last time that you’ve eaten a man?”

  “Seven months ago.”

  “That’s when I started working here…” muttered Greenwood, realising something.

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  “Zaria, I know I can’t be a human. All I can ask for is for you to be my acquaintance. I can survive without eating humans for five years. It’d be great to spend them with you.”

  “But I don’t understand. Why’re you so… so peaceful? Why aren’t you violent and bloodthirsty?”

  “It’s because of you. Zaria, you taught me what it means to be a human. I thank you for your company. Now, let me ask you again. Would you want to be my acquaintance?” he said, starting to get nervous.

  “...”

  ‘Why is he so… so different? I’ve seen worse humans than him. Does race really matter? Does his being a vampire matter to me? It’s hard to tell…’

  “I won’t be your acquaintance.”

  “I see. Then, I’ll leave the city tomorrow. Tell the owner I resigned,” replied Byron, walking to the door.

  “Wait! I don’t want to be your acquaintance, because I want to be your friend…”

  “What does it mean to be a ‘friend’?”

  “Oh… It’s like having a sibling.”

  “A sibling, huh? I guess it wouldn’t hurt trying…”

  “After two years, I proposed to her. I took her last name, Greenwood. Now I’m a father of two children. I don’t picture myself as a warrior. I didn’t eat human flesh or drink their blood for six years. I don’t know how long I can live like this. My body is giving up on me, but I still try. I had to hide my identity from everyone else, but not from him. Denir protected my family. He was covered in blood, giving me a bad feeling. Then, he asked my wife whether she was a virgin. I wanted to punch him, but he didn’t look lustful. His face was tired, and his eyes were empty. Something I didn’t see in a long time. He checked my ears because he wasn’t sure about my race. However, he didn’t say anything. He silently walked away. The reason I talked about myself and Mr. Moodeen is simple. Despite everything they say about him, he was a righteous man. He wanted to help in his own way. We shouldn’t judge him, because we don’t know his past. I own him, my life, and the life of my family…”

  The crowd went silent. They didn’t say or do anything. After a while, someone started clapping. Soon, the whole mob applauded his speech. Tears poured down his face like a waterfall. He couldn’t control his emotions. Byron was filled with the joy of acceptance that he had been craving. He wasn’t a vampire anymore, but a man in vampire flesh. He stepped down from the pedestal. Laudis glanced at Solisia, and two tears poured down her face. Four men transported the open coffin. Despite it, his face was covered with a cloth. Solisia put it there. No one opposed her. After all, he had seen himself as an idea, rather than a man. A government official closed the casket, marking him as dead. They slowly put it down in the hole with a rope. The vampire, no, the man poured sand first. After that, everyone else started burying him. The Earth sorceress threw the sand with closed eyes. Black-haired youth crouched, carefully putting the contents of the shovel on the pile.

  ‘Denir, I’m unable to understand you. Still, I respect you very much. Rest in peace…’ he thought, walking away.

  At last, the same government official put the final part of the sand. Two men put the tombstone in the ground. It read:

  ‘‘Denir ‘the Vampire Butcher’ Moodeen

  Born: unknown

  Died: 09.07.593 V.E.

  Let his soul rest in peace’

  The crowd started leaving the graveyard. Only four people remained: Laudis, Solisia, Dantenium, and the government official. There was no ceremony like before. The man in a suit checked something on his papers and left the sight, nodding to himself. The same tombstone, but with a different name:

  ‘Philip Lawrence

  Born: unknown

  Died: 09.07.593 V.E.

  Let his soul rest in peace’

  “It’s Sloth, isn’t it?” whispered Laudis, covering his mouth.

  “Yes. I don’t know why, but she insisted on letting him have a funeral,” replied Dante.

  The three of them stayed for a while, silently observing the scenery. Sand was flying at their feet, and the wind blew faster. Solisia glanced at them, letting them know that she was ready to leave. The Crusaders walked to the hotel; it was close to sunset. The sky filled with a blood-red colour, reminding them of yesterday. The bystanders greeted them happily. Some shook their hand, others gave them fruit or bread. After a walk, they were in front of the hotel. Laudis tried going inside, but he was quickly stopped by the girl.

  ‘What now?’

  “Can you go in front of us?” she muttered, looking at the crimson-haired.

  The man nodded and quickly went inside the building. The youth raised his left eyebrow, awaiting anything. The girl took out a black box. It was so small that she held it in one hand.

  “I didn’t know what to buy for you. I bought it some time ago; it's a token of gratitude. I’m grateful for yesterday, and for the previous times, including the time you gave me your coat in the rain.”

  ‘She really remembers that? I didn’t think much about it. To be true, I forgot about that situation. But where the hell is it going?’

  “I know my personality is on the rougher side, but I’m trying to change. Please, take it,” she continued, handing him the gift with both hands.

  The boy took the package and opened it. Inside it, there was a golden necklace with an X, the same as Aamir’s. The memory pierced through his mind, glazing his eyes on their own. He glanced at her.

  “Happy birthday, Lau,” the Earth sorceress said, smiling at him.

  The girl was almost glowing in the red sky with her smile. The sight was memorable for Laudis; it was the first time that someone remembered his birthday.

  ‘What’s happening. Why do I feel so happy? Why don’t I want her smile to fade away? I… I want to protect her smile. Whatever it takes, I’ll protect it.’

  It was hard to tell if the memory of Inceptis or her gift made him cry. At first, he didn’t realise it. Then, he quickly turned back, wiping his face.

  “Can you put it on, please?”

  “Sure.”

  Solisia carefully put the jewelry around his neck, strapping it securely. The girl noticed fresh wounds, causing her to cry. The boy looked at her, wondering about her. Before he could even say anything, she interrupted him.

  “I used to have a brother. I also bought a necklace for him. I got a little sentimental.”

  “Oh, I see. Shall we go now?”

  “Yes.”

  That was a lie; Solisia was an only child.

  “By the way, when is your birthday?” he asked, walking upstairs.

  “Mine is on the fifth of August. Why do you ask?”

  “I have to buy you something nice, don’t I?”

  “I see…”

  She put her head low, hiding her smile…

  The house stood in the suburbs of the city. It looked abandoned from the outside, but it was a host to a powerful figure. The walls were covered in moss and collapsing planks. Cobwebs, inside the building, were intact, spreading especially near the doors. No man would enter it without damaging it. The woman with pale skin, crimson hair, full, red lips, and golden eyes was sitting in a chair. She was wearing a red dress. It was rather revealing, but not in a provocative way, like the dresses of prostitutes. Her breasts were emphasised, yet it looked right. Her figure was curvy, but not exaggerated.

  “So… Sloth had lost. Now, they’ll be coming after me. Fine, I won’t oppose it. After all, he was the weakest,” stated Lust, playing with a cigar.