No one's POV:

Angelica appeared in the school, trying to find her friends. She stumbled into the nurse's office where the two cousins were now resting. She sat on the floor resting her head on the bed where Lindo lay, her gaze locked on Ritsuka who was sitting in a chair next to the bed, carefully looking after Lindo.

„I'm so sorry," Ritsuka spokes out.

„I don't need the power of the blood gem. Everyone, I won't give up," Ritsuka stood up.

„Too much has been lost. I have to live, for Lindo and all the people I care about the most, I will remain strong. Goodbye Rem," Ritsuka walked to the window, opened it, and dropped the crown into the silvering fountain below.

„Guess that's the first thing I'm getting once I return," Angelica told herself watching Ritsuka return to her seat, her too resting her head on the bed and closing her eyes.

„Rest well," Angelica spoke closing her own eyes, just as a habit, knowing full well that the slumber won't come.

After a few hours, Ritsuka was woken up by slight grunts of pain coming from Lindo. Angelica gently placed her hand on his forehead to ease his pain as she was doing for the past few hours, trying to give Ritsuka a peaceful sleep. Lindo calmed down after a few seconds and she pulled her hand away.

„Oh, I bet you will be hungry once you wake up. I will go get something," Ritsuka remembered after making sure Lindo was alright.

„You gonna be okay, right? I promise I'm gonna be right back," Ritsuka stood up. Angelica got up walking after Ritsuka, giving Lindo one last glance before leaving the room.

They were walking down the empty hallway, all the decorations were still there but now everything felt sad and cold. The cafeteria was closed so Ritsuka bought some water bottles from the vending machine. While Ritsuka continued on to find something to eat, Angelica stopped at the entrance of the ballroom. She walked inside noticing the table full of empty glasses, then the empty chairs with musical sheets, the place where the band would sit and play for the entire evening. She walked through the dance floor to the thrones. She carefully looked over each one but stopped at one. She was thinking, then she sat where she sat that evening, now looking to her right, to the second bigger throne.

„What have you done to me that I feel this way?" she sighed, kicking back and looking toward the center of the room. Those events of the past played before her.

„Was that just a ploy or was it real?" she groaned and tugged at her hair.

„Focus!" she suddenly shook her head and ran out of the room to find Ritsuka.

She found her on the staircase in the main entrance hall, she was holding two bottles of water and about four apples. Suddenly one fell out of her arms rolling down the stairs and stopping at the boot of someone standing at the entrance. A tall man with long pink hair with some green streaks in it, crimson eyes, sharp claws, black clothing, and a blackened burned arm stood at the entrance.

„Oh, no!" Angelica gasped quickly glancing at Ritsuka.

„We meet again miss Tachibana. Daughter of man keeper of the blood gem. Won't you come with me for the sake of your sweet mother and for that brave foolish knight of yours," the vampire spoke extending his hand to her.

„Where is she? Tell me!" Ritsuka got worried.

„Some of us were once human you know. We experienced love, we were parents and children and siblings. That's why we have been keeping so much good care for her. Your mother is safe with us," the vampire vaguely answered.

„How can you say that? You kidnapped her! It was like she vanished!" Ritsuka shot back.

„Well, I suppose that is true," he shrugged.

„You're lying to me, you don't know where she is!" Ritsuka got a bit angry.

„That's right Ritsuka don't trust him," Angelica was a bit relieved by how the events were turning out.

„Honestly, why would I need to make up something like that. Oh, I see you used to associate yourself with demons. Unlike them, I don't need to trick you, if I wanted to I would get rid of you easier than this apple," he said picking up the apple off the ground and crushing it in his hand.

That startled Ritsuka. The situation was pretty much hopeless at that point.

„Fine, I will go with you," Ritsuka proclaimed.

„Wait, no! Ritsuka!" Angelica was horrified.

Ritsuka went to check on Lindo and to give him the items she found. Angelica nervously stood at the door trying to figure out something to do about the situation but all her ideas lead to nothing in the end. She could only pray to wake up soon to salvage the situation before it was too late.

„I'll be back soon, don't worry," Ritsuka said after checking if Lindo was alright.

„Thank you for everything," she said, placing a goodbye kiss on his forehead before walking out of the room.

„Done already? My, that was a very quick goodbye," the vampire commented.

„Well, sooner we're done the sooner can I return and my family will be back together," Ritsuka explained herself. He just shrugged and began to lead her outside, Angelica followed them praying to wake up.

The vampire lead Ritsuka through some back alleyways. She was visibly on edge, being in such an environment. Then suddenly someone bumped into her.

„I-I'm sorry," she quickly apologized to an older possibly drunk man.

„You should be! Better watch where you're going!" he immediately became hostile, but quickly changed his attitude once he noticed the vampire.

„O-Oh, lord Jek, is this girl with you?" he asked a bit worried.

„And if she is?" the vampire replied coldly lifting one of his brows.

„My apologies I had no idea," the man apologized drunkenly.

„You remind me why I hate humans always so fickle, never able to make up their minds," the vampire just noted, turned on his heel, and continued walking, Ritsuka was right behind him.

They could only hear the pained cries of the man as other vampires descended on him, eating, him alive.

„You promise my mother is alright?" Ritsuka asked cautiously as they stepped into the elevator in one of the buildings.

„But of course, a vampire would never tell a lie because it's beneath us. A demon is a different story," Jek assured her. Angelica frowned at that fully knowing he was feeding her lies from the start.

„What do you mean?" Ritsuka asked as they exited the elevator.

„What do I mean? Only that the demons are truly the lowest of the low," he replied opening a door for her, showing her the underground club hiding behind it. They went inside. Ritsuka was nervously looking around but then something caught her attention, something on the stage at the back of the room.

„Mom I'm here!" Ritsuka called to the figure lying there.

„Careful now, you don't wanna wake her. She is so peaceful when she's dreaming. It must be quite a happy one," Jek stopped her.

„What did you do to her?" Ritsuka asked worriedly when she saw the bite marks on her mother's neck.

„It's nothing for you to get obsessed about. She is strong enough to handle feeding. Stop worrying we wouldn't just turn anybody into a vampire," he calmed her down, but she was still worried.

They sat at one of the tables there. Jek poured both of them some tea. Ritsuka just stared at her cup.

„What's the matter do you think it's poisoned?" Jek looked at her.

„What do you want from me?" Ritsuka asked sharply.

„Let's see. Maybe a story might help," Jek sighed.

„A long time ago, even before humans walked the earth a powerful race was created. A race that was to serve the future humans, way weaker than them. That, of course, angered the race, no one wants to serve anybody so they rebelled. The big man upstairs didn't like that so he send his most trusted archangel, your little friend, to teach them a lesson. Without a moment's notice, she took out the leader's eye so precisely that only a drop of blood fell from the wound, containing the leader's power, crystalizing once it hit the ground. The archangel picked it up and like that wasn't enough she cursed the race to burn in the sun. Thankfully that wasn't fateful. After the humans were created she gave them the blood gem. To put it simply we only want back what is rightfully ours, something you possess," Jek explained. Angelica scoffed at his retailing.

„Ritsuka..." a weak and silent voice called out.

„Mom! I'm here!" Ritsuka ran up to the podium.

„I'm sorry about all of this," her mother said weakly.

„It's okay," Ritsuka shook her head.

„It's such a terrible burden for you. So unfair for a human child to hold such a superhuman power," she again said weakly before closing her eyes again.

„It's a power you didn't ask for but circumstances gave it to you anyway. You had no choice in the matter, you poor thing," Jek gave her not even attempted condolences.

„But if you trust me I can make everything better," he changed his tone to persuasive.

„Really? And how would you do that?" Ritsuka was weary.

„It's a secret one I think the vampire king himself would like to tell you the details of," Jek started.

„The vampire king? What?" Ritsuka was confused.

„The ruler of destruction and confusion, Lord Nesta. When the demons started to oppress the vampires he gave us refuge. But our oppression ends now and a new day is dawning because the time has come for lord Nesta to defeat the demons once and for all. He will release you from your burden and use its power to punish those demons for their crimes. Once he possesses it no one will be his equal even the six ruling princes will cower in fear, " Jek triumphantly said.

„Six?" Angelica was confused.

„And how would he do that?" Ritsuka cut him off.

„Beats me our lord would not divulge such information to mere underlings. But you, my dear, are running out of options and the clock is ticking," Jek walked up to the table and picked up Ritsukas cup.

„I told you all you need to know and it's up to you to decide either you choose to surrender the blood gem or it's the end of the road for you and your mother," he threatened and poured the tea onto a nearby flower scorching it in the process. Ritsuka clearly flinched at that.

„Come along now Ritsuka lord Nesta is waiting," he extended his healthy hand to her. She was of course hesitant but knew that she couldn't do anything else so she let him lead her. He uncovered a hidden door behind one of the curtains, which he opened revealing a dark passage.

„Please, ladies first," Jek smiled.

„What about my mom?" Ritsuka said.

„We will take good care of her. And I told you, a vampire would never tell a lie," he smiled again.

„Alright, I made my decision, take me to this vampire king," Ritsuka proclaimed.

He lead her down the darkened tunnels until they arrived at the underground river and on it already waited a ferryman with a prepared boat. All of them boarded it and the boat took off.

„Once lord Nesta removes the demons from this world he will claim the demon world for us vampires. When that time comes we won't care about the humans. You will be free to live your lives as you please, it will be your very own happily ever after, you know just like out of a fairytale," Jek smiled.

Angelica looked at the crimson moonlight lit castle they were slowly approaching and with one blink it was gone, now she only saw a decorated sealing.


Well, here I'm again with another chapter. This one is a bit shorter than the other ones and there is a subtle cliffhanger for the next one but believe me, it will be worth it. Hope you enjoyed it and see you at the next one. So hyped for that one! Bye!