Tantalization with the dash of charming naivety was one way to describe the woman. Her smile and wide eyes received most of his attention, much to the displeasure of other females. His ears noted the hurried steps in his direction, and he turned around to almost instinctively catch the woman; he twirled her around as a burst of laughter escaped her. And just as the twirl ended, he cradled her in his arms.
"Now, who is this, hm?" he said.
She stuck her tongue out as he placed her on the ground. The woman spun in front of the vampire, and her sable cloak fluttered. The golden patterns on the material, as well as the intricate design on the scabbard at her hip, glittered in the light. Ah, the woman was quite cute right now. He licked his lips.
"Hm, I suppose spoiling you has its benefits."
"Mm, are you saying you wouldn't have caught me? Besides, we're run-"
He smirked and leaned closer to her, and she shivered as his breath neared her neck.
"Hey...drink later. We have to go, remember?" She placed her hands on his chest, but he still lingered. He kissed her neck before he ran some of his fingers through her hair. She groaned as his lips brushed against her ear. He pulled away as he gazed at her flustered expression.
"I know. But lately, you've been denying me a drink. And I can't simply ask another girl."
"A-Ah, right...Is this bet that important?"
"For you to stay in my room more than a week? Of course! Regardless of whether I win or not, it'll be fun."
She let out an exasperated sigh. They proceeded to head out of the headquarters and exchanged banter along the way.
"What sort of suspicious activity were they talking about here?" she asked as they reached a forest.
"Didn't say. We just have to investigate. Don't get lost," he said as he pulled her hood over her head. He strolled ahead.
Trees surrounded them; however, their rotting trunks conflicted with the thick canopy above. Meanwhile, the woman's footsteps crunched against the ground, and she fidgeted with the cloak's hood. It was an inexpensive gift, and she wore it since that day. A fond memory was her wearing the cloak in the rain, as so happened a time ago. She returned late with tired eyes when he opened the door to his room. As soon as she placed the cloak somewhere to dry, he embraced her petite figure. Not a single drop touched her head.
As they walked, eerie silence continued to surround them. Only the sound of her footsteps echoed; no creature revealed itself. He stopped in his tracks, and she crashed into his back.
"Oh, sorry! Um..." She peered over his shoulder and gulped. "Should we head back...or..."
"Let's go." He grabbed her hand and almost dragged her as they retraced their steps. His grip tightened while his pace quickened.
"Ow! Why are you in such a hurry?"
"You didn't notice the fog moving closer?"
"Huh?!" The woman looked back and almost jumped.
He broke into a sprint, but the forest seemed to continue forever. They took a small break as her panting worsened.
"Ugh...Is something in the air? I don't remember being this fatigued," she said.
He sniffed the air before he adjusted his scarf to cover the lower half of his face. He gestured for her to continue moving, but her sudden, shocked expression caused him to look back. A growl escaped his throat as he grabbed the woman and pushed her ahead of him. She started to sprint, but she looked back as the fog engulfed him.
He blinked a few times and sighed when the sound of her running disappeared. A soup of misty gray covered the area. The musty air only increased his suspicion; there was a peculiar scent, yet at the same time, he smelled something else. He took out his knife. Someone...or thing was here, but he only heard his breathing. That presence still loomed as he looked around. Out of the corner of his eye, a shadowy blur moved. He turned, and soft shuffling came after...Was it moving away? A few seconds passed before the noise returned. He followed it, and the shuffling turned into hurried steps. The pursuit continued until the glimmer of a blade charged at him. He dodged the attack but grimaced...When was the sword brandished? He would have heard the motion. The vampire continued to dodge the attacks, and other times his knife clanged against the blade. He saw this style of swordsmanship before, but...
However, sometimes when the weapons clashed, no sound ringed in the air. Even the movement of feet was absent while the sword danced. This fog... He saw the glint of the blade head toward him again, but when it neared, the man sidestepped and threw a series of throwing knives at the blur. It stopped its movement; he took out another knife. The scent of blood irritated him as he approached the figure. Before it moved again, the vampire managed to lodge the weapon in its chest. He pushed it deeper, but a familiar scent overwhelmed him. He yanked the knife out, and the sword fell to the ground. The fog seemed to dissipate enough for him to see a sable cloak as he caught the individual. His other knives stuck out of the abdomen, but those objects allowed the ground to soak in fresh crimson. No, no, no, no...
"Why did you come back?!"
Silence. He repeated his words but in a more hoarse voice. A string of curses left his mouth when he picked her up and started to move. Ah, he should have tried to stop the bleeding...The musty air was stained with her scent that mingled with blood.
"...Nevra…? A-Are you...?"
"Just stay awake, all right? Please."
"...Mm..." Her head moved against his shoulder. "It's...not your fault. I'm not mad or..."
"I don't appreciate lying, if you recall," he said. Even though he traveled as fast as he could, the fog followed him like a dog. He spied a smile on her face, and it only caused him to return his gaze to ahead. He only smelled the blood that continued to drip.
"I'm...telling...the truth."
"Why did you come back then?"
No response. He gritted his teeth and quickened his pace, but it seemed as if he ran in circles in this fog.
"You're...an idiot...to think I would leave you behind to that...Nev...ra...c-can you..."
"What?"
"Just...put me...do...wn...please..."
He slowed to a stop but hesitated. His clammy hands tightened and relaxed their grip on her. And those words came out again. And again. And again. They repeated once more, and he gently set her on the ground. That woman...she grinned at him as he leaned over her. Her ragged breathing continued as she touched the wound on her chest. He flinched.
"...I don't...have...re...grets," she said.
He nodded. When her wide eyes glanced at him, he looked away.
More blood seeped onto the cloak, and the earth drank the rest. Even as she called his name over and over, only the ground got his attention. His posture stiffened when she embraced him. Her blood spilled onto him, and that cursed scent enveloped his mind as if to comfort. His arms refused to hold her once again.
"I...don't h-hate you...I...nev...er could...I-I..."
"You think forgiveness can fix this? You think...leaving me will fix everything?"
She laughed before the arms around him slackened. He forced a smile, but his hands trembled as he pulled the body off of him. And even now, that revolting scent lingered in the air.