The sun was out — and not a single soul was in sight, excluding one that was.
He was walking down the dead streets, wearing a silver, expensive-looking cloak that shielded his features.
A pair of crimson eyes scooped out of the dark abyss that his hood was, skipping around in almost every direction.
Perhaps it was foolish, the conversation he had with Mariel almost 2 years ago still weighed upon his mind considerably
But he wasn't going to hide away like an insect, that simply wasn't his style.
And ever since he found an escape route from the castle he's been taking walks, always during the day.
He's accepted that he was going to be stuck here for some years to come, but staying inside all of the time? He'd probably lose his sanity.
After some time had passed, his eyes landed upon something at the edge of the road.
He crooked an eyebrow, taking a dozen more steps down the road, then his eyes gained a curious glint.
It was a girl, around 10 years old… with golden hair, his already closed lips pressed into each other tightly. Anyways, her hair was around as long as his own.
She wasn't pale, no, that wasn't it, she just wasn't as pale as the other residents of Bludhaven.
His eyes froze as an idea crawled up his mind, they quickly started up again, inspecting her whole frame,
Her nails were sharp, almost inhumanly so, but not to the degree of a vampire.
That was the common consensus for practically every about her, yes, she did carry vampiric features, but with a human twist.
His body froze once again — and a thought climbed up.
Is that so?
For a moment Naruto did nothing, but eventually, his curiosity won out, so he raised the Mysterious girl into his arms and brought her back to the castle, in the same way, he left.
Pulling his cloak off and entering his room, locked the door, and finally slid her onto his long bed.
Crossing his arms. Her fingers started to twitch, then her toes began to do the same thing until her red eyes finally opened.
Her red eyes swirled around the room for a while, eventually landing on him, they widened as she slipped off his bed.
''Who are you?'' She asked slowly.
''Cassius.'' Naruto responds after looking up at her for a while. ''And you are?''
Her eyes flicked to the door — Naruto pivoted right in front of her eyes. ''I tell you mine but you won't tell me yours?''
''Where am I?'' She chucks another question at him.
His eyes closed shut but they quickly reopened. ''My room.''
As it looked like she was going to try and run away he said one thing that made her freeze on the spot.
''Before you leave can you tell me this, why didn't you burn to a crisp?''
Her mouth widened into the shape of a ball. ''What?'' She uttered, her voice was so quiet that he barely picked it up.
''I found you while the sun was out… without protection.''
Her previous vacant mask contorted into one of horror. It didn't last for long and her mask quickly reverted, showing nothing at all.
''So, how'd you do it?'' Naruto wonders, his voice seeming a tad more cheery than before, with a finger placed onto his chin.
Still, no response.
A quiet hum escaped from his mouth. ''Hm, maybe you aren't a vampire.''
Right after he said this she threw a cold glare at him. ''I am a Vampire.'' She asserted, her voice hard as steel.
''I guess.'' He shrugged his shoulders carelessly. ''Only vampires are allowed inside.'' Naruto takes another short break. ''And there's no way you could've snuck in.''
She didn't give a response, all she did was stare at him blankly.
''You sure don't talk a lot.'' His eyes moved to the door. ''Want to meet my mother? I'm sure she'll like you!''
''Are you attempting to threaten me?''
Naruto tilts his head. ''Blackmail? No, of course not. I'm just a bit curious, that's all. If you don't want to meet my mother then you don't have to.''
''My name is Valerie.'' She revealed, her eyes stuck to him like glue.
Valerie? He thinks to himself. Where have I?
''Wait… you're Valerie Tepes?''
She zoomed right in front of him, but he merely looked up at her as if nothing had happened.
''How do you know that?'' Her eyes loomed over him.
Craning his neck upwards, looking at her with a blinking stare. ''Mother told me.''
She took a few steps backwards, careful but slow. ''And how did your mother come across such information?''
He smiled, showing off a few fangs.
''Who is your mother?''
His mouth closed, but his smile was still there. ''Shalltear Bloodfallen.''
Even if Valerie's facial expression didn't change… her complexion certainly did, she was pale as a sheet, and a lump could be spotted in her throat.
''Bloodfallen…'' A rough whisper came out of Valerie.
''That's me.''
Valerie gained the colour back into her face and the lump had all but vanished.
''Is your family here, too?'' Naruto asked after the silence stretched on for too long.
''No.'' She responded in that same robotic voice.
A picture of another robotic-like girl enters his mind, his hea felt as if it was being squashed, he quickly gets rid of that image.
''You walked all that way without anyone?''
''Yes.''
As Naruto was about to chuck another question out there, a knocking sound arrived.
Ignoring the sigh that wanted to leave him. His eyes spun to the door and when they returned to Valerie she was already walking towards his bed, eventually rolling under it.
Removing the lock and pulling the dark door open.
''You're awake.''
He had to crook his neck to its limit just to meet her eyes.
''Yeah, I just woke up a few minutes ago.'' He lied as if it was second nature for him.
After a lapse of silence, she finally spoke.
''Would you like breakfast?''
He didn't really need to think, the answer came to him instantaneously.
''Sure.''
Naruto and Shaltear made their way down the castle, until eventually, they arrived in the dining hall that was large enough to store fifty people, if not more.
Shalltear sat upon the edge of the table, he took the seat right next to her.
Not too long afterwards a single maid came in, crimson meat, or it at least looked like that held on top of two plates, one in each hand.
And when the dark plate was placed in front of him, he didn't eat, not straight away.
After he found out what it truly was, a heavyweight dropped into his gut every time his eyes laid upon it, for weeks, maybe even a few months.
Now though, his gut just grumbled at the sight.
After taking a few bites to eat he finally asked a question that had been dwelling on his mind for over an hour now.
''Mother… are all vampires weak to the sun?''
Her eyes slammed into him and they narrowed like a hawk. ''Why do you ask?''
His shoulders shrug. ''Just curious.''
Her narrowed stare stays on him, she sighs gently, giving him an answer afterwards.
''Not all, most, yes, but not all.'' She admits. ''All Full Blooded vampires hold a single quality in common, their weakness to sunlight, this stands without question.''
He sinks into his chair as a lightbulb appears, levitating just above him. ''Hybrids?''
She gazes at him oddly. ''Unfortunately.''
He blinks at her. ''Hybrids are a bad thing?''
''Most definitely.'' She said, seemingly without a second thought. ''Not only is their blood polluted, but they possess a negative stigma.''
''Why?'' Even if he asks this a couple of ideas run at him.
She puts her fork down onto her plate. ''Cassius, you must understand that even the worst of us are superior to anyone outside, especially yourself, it's like comparing a river to a puddle.''
Was that an insult or a compliment?
''Do you understand?''
His lips curved, his cheeks ached as if someone had punched him, a hard punch at that.
''I do, I understand.''
After Naruto ate his breakfast he returned back to his room, locking it just like last time.
There were also little cracks on the wall, cracks that certainly weren't there before.
That was odd, his walls, the walls in the castle were tough enough that it made steel seem like glass, and that was probably downplaying it.
''Don't try and leave yet, you'll be caught, wait till the sun's out.''
Valerie throws him an odd look that he couldn't decipher. ''I am aware.''
His hands slide into his pockets. ''So… you came here alone, right?''
She nodded her head slowly. ''I did.''
''So, you're a runaway?'' She throws a chilly look at him. ''Maybe you ran away because of your blood.''
The air suddenly became icy cold. ''What?'' Her voice was shaking with icy anger, certainly the most emotion he's heard out of her.
Not like that was very difficult.
''You're a hybrid, you've gotta be one, that's the only way a vampire could stay out in the sun.''
And just like that, a wild, unrefined fist smashed towards him, it would've landed on his nose if he didn't tilt his head to the side.
''You missed.'' He said after vanishing from sight before reappearing behind her.
She twisted her body, meeting his eyes, her face void of any anger that might've been there before.
''I apologise for my outburst.'' Her voice, too. The final remnants of anger from her voice had already departed.
His shoulders shrugged. ''It's fine.''
Her eyes momentarily redirected to his bed, under to it be specific, but they travelled back down onto him.
''Am I allowed to stay here?'' She questions without any traces of shame apparent.
He raised an eyebrow.
''You really are a runaway.''
Unexpectedly, her face remained as expressive as stone.
''Isn't there somebody else you could go to?''
Her head shook slowly. ''I do not.''
His back rested on the door and his arms folded just under his chest. ''Nowhere? I find it hard to believe that someone of your status has nowhere else to go.''
She offers him no response so he throws another question out there. ''Or is it that you're trying to hide?''
The only indicator that she heard what he said was the momentary tense of her muscles that lasted for a split second.
''So, that's why.'' He muses to himself, sounding almost certain in his words.
Pushing himself off of the door, pulling his arms down to his sides.
She looked at him, probably expecting some sort of answer.
His eyes flicked upwards, closing when they met the ceiling. After a minute or so had stretched past his eyes reopened and they moved downwards
''Fine.''
Author Notes
This arc will probably have some of the ideas as last time, but there will be some pretty big changes, which have already been shown this chapter.