For a long time, the rumors of a certain city have increased. According to the media, the place looks normal, but they say that people's behaviour is strange and that 98% of those who goes to that city never return.
— Monsters?.–
—That's how it is. Haven't you heard it? It is a fairly well known city. -
— Hmm ... No, I had never heard it.
—What world do you live in, Noelle?
The girl with violet eyes pursed her lips.
— Obviously in this one. Only you love these kinds of stories, Kahono. - She defended herself.
— Hmm… Can be. But as I was telling you, it is a pretty strange place. – Said the chestnut, going back to the main topic– Of the few people who have returned, they have said that when they arrive in the city they are warned of two things.
— What kind of warnings?
— The first is: "If you want to go back, watch out for being marked or you'll never come back " The second: "When you know the truth behind the night, it will be your end "
— Be marked... The truth of the night... What does that mean? .– Noelle asked.
— I do not know. That's all that is known about it.
— Haven't they tried to see the city from the outside at night?
— They have, but a great mist appears every night and completely surrounds the city.
— Hmm… It's too weird, what about the ones who came back?
— As I said before, they talked about the warnings, but also that the prices in the stores are quite good. Now that I remember... They also spoke that they saw familiar faces, saying that they had seen them in a report or directly from people from their family who went to the city and never returned.
— Eh? And they didn't ask to come back with them?
— In fact... Those people always replied that they were born in the city and that it was the first time they had seen the person.
— Have that place's citizens gone to other cities?
— "We don't want to die"
— Therefore, this vacation we will go with Kiato to investigate! .– Kahono had changed her expression from one completely serious to one of pure emotion.- I cannot wait anymore! I want to go there so badly!
— EH?! You are going to that city?!
— Of course! I want to see the place with my own eyes, I want to discover its secrets and see if there really are Monsters. - The Chestnut was very determined.
— D-Do you know how to get there?
— If you look for it online, it appears.– Kahono answered quickly.
-... K-Kahono
-¡Kahono!
Suddenly, the classroom door was opened. Standing there in his respective uniform, was Kiato, Kahono's older brother.
— Ah! Brother!
— I've been waiting for you outside all this time, what the hell are you doing? –. The boy said a little annoyed.
— He was only telling Noelle about the city of monsters. – The girl replied with a smile.– She didn't know of the existence of that city.
— Eh? You didn't know about it, Noelle-Chan? –. Kiato asked in surprise.
Noelle could only shrink in her seat due to embarrassment, when it came to paranormal stories/facts or rumors, she knew absolutely nothing, however, she was a good student.
— I also told him that we would go during the holidays. .–
— You are very excited, what are we going to do with you Kahono?
— Don't say it like I'm a little girl.
— Okay, okay. But big girls don't leave their brother waiting outside for an hour or two.
-Ah.
Kiato sighed.
— We'd better go home now, it's getting late. By the way, Noelle-Chan, Nozel-San is waiting for you outside. – Informed the boy.
-¡¿Eh?!
— Yep. He told me it had taken you a long time to get home, so he came looking for you. I also got a call from Acier-San, asking if you had left school, but I replied that neither you nor Kahono had left.
Noelle quickly took out her cell phone, and indeed, she had 5 missed calls from her brother Nozel, 2 from her older sister, another 3 from her brother Solid, 4 calls from her mother, and 1 from her father.
At what point had they called her?!
— Noelle, we're leaving now. – Kahono spoke, snapping Noelle out of her state of Shock. – See you after vacation.
Certain. Today was the last day of school for the semester, so she would not see her friend due to her trip.
She saw her friend walk away with her brother, for some reason she couldn't speak, she wanted to tell both of them not to go, that she had a bad feeling, not to leave her alone, since they were her only friends.
During the holidays, she had received a message from Kahono, one that caused her worries to only increase.
"I'm about to enter the city, please, if I don't come back, don't come... I would hate to know that you came here to find me and that something happened to you, but I know that even if I warned you, you would come anyway... Always remember what I told you about this city and never let your guard down.
I also wanted to tell you that I have always considered you my best friend, you are kind and very strong, although others do not see it, you have a very pure and noble heart, never forget it, okay?
Atte: Kahono."
That day she couldn't sleep, she wished with all her soul that her two friends were with her when they return to class, telling them that everything was fine and that they were able to get out without problems.
But it didn't matter how much she prayed to the gods for the sake of her friends, they never came back.
The school informed the classroom group about the disappearance of both students, even those who went in search of them never returned, so the search was canceled.
The shock Noelle suffered was immense, so much that her classmates and teachers consoled her when she burst into tears.
Her pain was too much, she even asked for a month-long break from her school. She had stated that she needed to get away from everything for a moment, to which the director accepted without reproach.
That was until four years had passed, she graduated from school and was currently in her second year of college.
During her last years of school, she fully dedicated herself to her studies, so as to be able to keep her thoughts away from her lost friends; She had also become less sociable with others, she wouldn't speak unless someone else spoke to her or if it was really necessary.
Nor is it that she had no other friendship with someone, she did, but none was like the one she had with Kahono and Kiato, that was her most valuable friendship.
Kahono, being someone very imperative and unstoppable, always being very positive about everything, no matter how bad the situation is. Kiato... Well, he was too weird, he always had her attention and took care of her just like Kahono. They were both incredibly talented, Kahono for singing and Kiato for dancing, something that she always admired about them, as she didn't have any talents, but that never bothered her.
Currently, she was determined to go looking for them, so she was learning everything about that place. She wanted to find her friends, even if it was the slightest clue.
She even thought about not telling his family, but on the day, she was running away from home, her parents and siblings were waiting in front of the door.
— ...
— We won't stop you. – His mother spoke. – We know perfectly how you have felt these last years, and that it has not been easy for you.
— Mother...
— I would have done absolutely the same if this had happened when I was young. Even if one of you disappeared, I would have searched for you until the end of my life. You now go off by your own free will, that none of us could break no matter how much we wanted, so we want to tell you that we love you with all our hearts and that we will miss you very much. Go on and make your way, Noelle.
— Mother...
— If necessary, we will go together with you. – Nozel spoke.
— Brother Nozel…
Even if there was a high chance of never seeing them again, they kept trusting her and letting her go.
I hug my family one last time before walking out the door, tears streaming down my face and eyes of complete determination.
To get to that place I needed to take a bus, and then go through the small forest that surrounded the city.
About a year ago, the government disabled the page where the address of the place was found. This was a security measure to prevent more disappearances, but she had saved the address a long time ago in a little notebook where she had all the information, obviously, had memorized it.
Walking without hesitation through that forest, she noticed that there were a lot of signs indicating the way, which she wrote down in her notebook. The purpose of that notebook was to leave it hidden in the undergrowth, in case someday someone came and found it.
In the first pages, she had written a lot of questions, to at least make the person doubt and he would return, obviously leaving the notebook where he found it.
The entrance to the city was large, there were a few people around it, but none seemed to notice her presence.
— Welcome. – A voice behind Noelle scared her.
— ...!
Behind her, there was a brown-haired boy, with a streak of light green. Finally, his eyes were purple-colored.
— It's been a long time since we had visitors, nice to meet you, miss, I'm Finral, how about you? What is your name? .– The man asked kindly.
— Noelle... Noelle Silva... –. The girl replied.
— Nice to meet you, Noelle-Chan. –. The smile of that man was kind and did not transmit any bad vibe to her.
— ...
— But before you decide where to stay, I give you two warnings.
— ...
— If you wish to return home, beware of being marked, or you will never be able to return, and also ... If you get to know the truth of the night ... It will be your end…
Noelle swallowed hard.
— If you have no more doubts, come on ahead, you are more than welcome. I suggest that you first find a place to stay, no one will hurt you, so do not be afraid when choosing a place. I also warn you that once inside the city your cell phone systems or some other technological device that is from your city will not work, so be careful.
— ... Thanks...
Noelle said goodbye to that man and went into the city, people came and went, plus many people greeted her kindly. He recognized some faces of people who had "disappeared" a long time ago because of old reports of the case.
Suddenly she stood still, she felt an incredible presence, she quickly looked for the origin and found an old building.
Without knowing when, or how, she realized she was already inside the place. The interior was quite dark and lighted with lamps.
Her senses were in alert when she heard a few steps approaching her, little by little she saw the silhouette of someone, revealing a man.
He was tall with ashen hair, red eyes, fangs, and pointed ears. He wore a white shirt, an orange-red formal vest, a red tie, brown formal pants, and brown shoes.
— Welcome, this is my inn. I am Asta, the owner of this place. –. He said while bowing slightly. –. And you, Miss?
-Noelle silva... -
— Nice to meet you, Noelle. – He smiled. – I'll show you your room, come with me.
It was only a few words, she only followed him, she didn't know the reasons for her own actions.
— Not long ago they gave me the position of owner, since the old one, my grandfather, died a few years ago, so I had to take his place after that.– Counted the boy with ashen hair— As you are my first client, I will give you a discount, is that okay?
— Yes...
— Apparently, you are not very talkative.
— ...
— I guess you got your motives so it's alright. – He seemed to be a very understandable person.
— ...
After that, there was a little silence until they reached a room located on the second floor of that inn.
He took a key out of his pocket and with that he opened the door to the room, which was beautiful; the curtains were red, like the carpet and other details, there was also black on the sheet, all in those colors, although there were small gold embroideries.
— This will be your room, if you want something do not hesitate to call me, I will come right away. – I inform you.– I also warn you not to go out at night, no matter what you hear ... Do not go out.
— … Yes... Thanks for the warning. – Thanked Noelle.
— Then I withdraw. I left you a present, I hope you like it and that you use it. – Without saying anything else, he left.
— A present?
Noelle went into the room, even to the side she could see some keys, which she assumed were the copy of the original one. She closed the door behind her and inspected the room, realizing that it was well equipped, even comfortable.
She opened the small closet that was there and inside she found a gift bag, she took it and opened it, inside the bag she found a dress; rather, a pajamas. Like the ancients who looked like you were dressed.
The color of the pajamas was white, with purple ribbons at the waist and sleeves; Separately came some slippers that were similar to those used by the ballet dancers.
She left them lying on the bed and decided to see the rest of the room. The bathroom was also large, and it was very clean. Like the room, the bathroom kept the red color combined with the typical white color.
She was very intrigued by the fact that the red color standed out so much, was it a mania of that man?
She decided that it was time to put her clothes in the closet, she would hate to do that during the night, since by that time she would be tired and wanted to start investigating as quickly as possible.
She put her clothes in the closte, then her creams and shampoo in the bathroom along with her toothbrush. Her shoes were on the little shelf by the door, and the occasional purse hanging near the door.
She looked at the time, there was still time.
She quickly grabbed what she needed and left the room.
Once outside, she ran into the owner again, who was showing her a smile.
— Are you going to get to know the city?
— Yes.
— Best of luck, but you better be here before 11... The streets here can be very dangerous for humans. – The red-eyed man advised.
— ¿…? Thanks a lot... With your permission...–. Noelle went on her way somewhat confused.– Why did he refer to people that way?
There was definitely something weird about that place.
The first thing she did when she left was to talk to some citizens, asking them questions about the city and about some rumors.
But all she got was information that she already knew, so she decided to look in a library, to her surprise, it was very easy to find some.
Once there, she took out history books and many others about myths/legends that caught her attention.
Her main objective was to find the enigma she had with the name "The city of Monsters" which was peculiar one for a city.
But nothing. It only appeared to her that the city had been there for so much time, more than 10,000 years.
Something called "The eight shadows" also caught her attention, but no matter how hard she was looking, there was no further information about it, and when she decided to ask about it, people just smiled at her and then went on their way as if she hadn't spoken to them.
It was all very strange…
She looked at her cell phone and it was 7 PM, it was about to get dark. She looked up and saw the scarlet sky with some shades of blue.
Sigh.
I felt that I wasn't getting useful information, I had to investigate further.
— Noelle. – Someone called her.
When she raised her head, she was able to see Asta standing in front of her with some bags.
— ...
He smiled at her.
— Better go back to the inn now, you must be very tired and surely, hadn't eaten anything since your arrival. – He was right.
Without saying anything, she calmly followed the man. As much as she wanted to investigate more, there was nothing she could do with an empty stomach... well, she had forgotten.
— You better take a bath first; I'll bring your food to your room. – The red-eyed man told her once they reached the inn. – Take all the time you want
— Excuse me...
— Yes?
— I just wanted to ask you something.
— Of course.
— What is "The eight shadows"?
— …Apparently, you came across with an interesting ... Legend. – Asta replied. – That is something I cannot answer you. Don't you think it would be much better to find out on your own merits?
The man placed the bags on the first table he saw, then turned to her and stood very close to her, their difference in height could be clearly appreciated.
He raised a hand and delicately took a look of her long silver hair and kissed it.
— ...
— But I must warn you something ... —. His face was totally serious. – Don't do anything you might regret later.
— ...
He took a step back.
— If you excuse me, I'll go prepare you something to eat. – Without saying anything else, he picked up the bag and went down a corridor.
For some reason, she felt very uncomfortable, and a little bit intimidated. She sighed to calm down and decided it was better to take a bath, to be able to organize her ideas and then write them in her new notebook.
She entered her room and went directly to the bathroom, there she took off her clothes and released her hair from her two long pigtails.
As she showered with the handheld shower, she let the tub fill with hot water.
Finished with her personal cleanup, she layed in the tub, thinking about everything that had happened that day.
— This city has too many mysteries… The people… Its legends… Its history… The eight shadows… And above all… The owner of this inn… So far it doesn't seem strange to me, but the previous comment…
"Don't do anything you might regret later."
— …Those words confirmed to me that there's something hidden in this city, but... Why?... I must look for Kahono and Kiato... I'm sure they're here... –. Noelle thought as she submerged her head under the water. – They must be here...
She took her head out of the water when she was short of breath, but decided to stay in the bathtub for a while.
She got out of there, dried her hair and body with a towel, and then applied some night creams.
She came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and the first thing she saw when she left was the "gift" that the owner of the inn had given her.
"Should I use it?"
She had to admit that she did like that gift, so she saw no reason in not to use it.
She grabbed clean underwear from the bedroom closet and put it on. Then she took the pajamas that were on the bed and got dressed. To keep it tight, she used the ribbons that hung on each side of the pajamas and tied them at the back.
Noelle headed back to the bathroom and saw herself in the only mirror in the room. Those pajamas fit her quite well, but she felt that they left her neck and collarbone too exposed.
It also highlighted her breasts a lot thanks to the tape that was located just below.
— ...
She decided not to think about it too much.
She walked to a small table that had the room, then took the notebook and a pencil. It was time to write down all the information she got that day.
Noelle first annotated the strange behavior of the town's residents, describing them as mysterious and a bit creepy. She also wrote about Finral and his warnings, about the "Eight Shadows" and also...She didn't know how to put it into words, what could she say about the owner of the inn? Writing that he was someone so mysterious was very short and brief?
— Hmmm… –. Her mind could only think of that last one, so she had no choice but to write it down in her notebook. – He is so mysterious...
— Who is mysterious? –. asked someone next to her
- Eh?
Noelle turned her head to the side, and there standing very close to her was Asta, looking attentively at what she had written in her notebook.
— Kyaaah! –. The scared girl yelled. – What are you doing here?! How did you come in?! PERVERT!
— First. Please don't yell and calm down. – Asta said with the intention of reassuring her – And please don't call me that, even if it doesn't seem like it, I'm someone young. I also inform you that I have been knocking the door and the bell of the room for 15 minutes, so I just usedmy keys, I thought that something was wrong; but apparently, you were too focused to hear me.
— …Ah… I am so sorry...–. Now she felt bad for accusing him for no reason.
— Don't apologize, please. I brought you something to eat. – He said showing the small cart with food that was behind. – As you are the only one currently in the inn, I have to serve you directly, so I hope you like the food.
— Thanks a lot... But I am also a young person, so there is no need for you to treat me so formally. – She felt very uncomfortable being treated that way.
— Really? Then... May I know how old you are, miss? –. He asked as he poured a cup of tea.
— I am 20 years old, I turned them a few months ago. – Answered.
— 20 years old? What a surprise, me too. – He said letting out a small laugh of surprise. – Well... At least in this respect.
- Eh?
— Oh. No, forget it. Here's your tea. –. Noelle just looked at him strangely as she took that cup of tea that he offered her. – I am glad to know that you liked the present that I left you.
— Eh? Ah. Yeah, thank you very much... Is very pretty…
— It is good to hear that... From what I saw, you've been writing down everything you've found out about this city, not bad for the first day. – He told her as he turned his back. – But I've already warned you: Don't do anything you might regret later.
— I don't mind.
— …Why did you come to this place?
— I've come in search of the truth of this city, and for my friends who disappeared in this place. – He quickly covered his mouth in surprise. Why had she told him about her purpose?
— I understand. So that's what you're looking for, fine. I won't stop you, but I'm telling you right now: be careful and don't go out at night, it's dangerous. – His gaze was intense, so much that a knot formed in her throat.
— ...
— If you excuse me, it's time for me to retire –. Asta, without saying anything else, took the cart and left the room.
Noelle felt how her body was freed from a great tension, from one second to another she felt relaxed and less tense; the presence of that man was incredible, not only managed to intimidate her with his eyes, but also with his presence alone.
She looked out the window and saw how a dense fog began to form outside. It was just as Kahono had told her years ago, but she had thought that it was formed outside the city, not inside it.
Before going to sleep, she decided to write down the conversation he had with Asta, she had to do it yes or yes.
Noelle took the notebook and pencil with her left hand, and the cup with the right one, she remembered the cookies and the sandwich Asta brought to her, so she came back for them.
Once everything was ready, the girl turned off the light in her room and turned on the one of her nightstand.
She wasn't writing much due to the hunger, so she put her notebook aside to be able to taste the smoky tea that had been prepared for her, as well as the cookies and the sandwich, each one was very delicious.
Without realizing it, she had eaten everything that was brought to her, she felt guilty for eating so fast.
Suddenly, feeling very sleepy, she reached over to the nightstand and turned off the light, then settled back into the big bed and promptly fell asleep.
— … –. Asta, who was still behind the door, walked away, it was time to go outside.
Inside he wondered... What would be the fate of that curious girl? Well, he didn't know that, but he really wanted to find out.
The next day, Noelle got up early, took a shower and put her clothes on to go out. She got surprised when she saw a cart with food outside her room, apparently, Asta was not there, since there was only a note next to the food that said:
"Have a nice day
P.S: Please, leave the dirty dishes in the cart."
— Will he come back? –. she asked herself.
Without saying anything, she went back into the room, took out the dirty dishes she had used last night, ate what Asta left her for today and then went out into the street.
Everything seemed normal, both the environment and the people.
She decided to explore the whole city, yesterday she had spent most of the day in the library looking for information, so she didn't know much about the place itself.
She compared where she was staying with other places and noticed that the supposed "inn" did not look like what it was, because compared to the others, where she was staying looked like a hotel.
Why did it seem like everything was upside down?
The inn where she was staying looked like a hotel, more because of its rooms. But the "hotels" in that city had the look of an inn, both inside and out, well, as far as she could see.
Well, where she was staying was big, it had three floors, and it had an incredible number of rooms.
Noelle also went into the stores, and as far as she knew, the prices were low and convenient. She found things that she had never seen, she assumed that they were exclusive things of the store or of the city.
She left the store with a bottle of juice in hand, it was still early so she wasn't hungry yet.
Noelle kept walking until she reached what seemed to be the center of the city since there was a huge circle right in the middle and shops around it.
What most caught her attention was a tube stuck in the ground, what could it be? if only her cell phone and other electronic devices worked, she would have taken a picture of it.
She observed a large number of people around it, apparently, this place was the most crowded in the city.
— Brother, over here!
Noelle suddenly stood stll, she knew that voice perfectly.
She turned quickly in search of the voice, found the person quickly behind her; She did not know when she had moved from her place, but when she came to, she was face to face with that person who looked at her with surprise.
— ...!
— K-Kahono!
— ...
Her tears came out without permission, her friend was there, right in front of her, alive, with her hair tied as always, but shorter
— E-excuse me... I-Is something wrong?
— Eh?
— D-did something happen to you? You arrived recently, right? I'm surprised you know my name.
— What are you talking about…? You and I know each other!
— E-Eh? Is it really so? It's the first time I see you. – The girl seemed a little uncomfortable.
Noelle felt as if time had stopped at that precise moment, didn't Kahono remember her? That couldn't be true...So, the rumors were correct...People who disappear in this city can't remember anything from their past, how could that be possible?!
— Kahono!
— Brother...
— ¡…! –. A tall boy with blue hair appeared, just like the girl had been surprised to see.
– Are you alright, miss?
— Kiato...
— You are...crying
— Ah! .– Noelle quickly wiped away her tears.
— You're the girl at Asta's inn, right?
— ...
— I heard that a nice girl was staying there, and apparently it's true
— ...
— Are you lost? Do you want me to help you?
— … No… I'm leaving, if you excuse me...
The Silva girl quickly turned around and ran away, leaving behind those who were her best friends in the past.
She hid behind a tree, hugged her legs, and hid her head in her knees.
She wanted to be alone.
She never knew how long she was hidden behind that tree, she was able to come back to herself when she heard footsteps near her.
— What are you doing here?
She slowly raised her head and met Asta, who was looking at her curiously. He brought with him a black umbrella that covered him as if it were raining.
— … It's none of your business...
— That's true, but... I suspect you found a painful reality... One that affected both sides equally.
— What does that mean?
— Who knows? You're the one doing the research, not me, right Noelle?
— ...
— I've already told you many times, if you want to get back to those you love, don't follow this investigation, but... I can feel a strong determination in you. And I guess my words won't be able to stop you, will them?
— ...
— You are warned. That's all I can tell you... I must admit I'm really excited, I wonder what will happen next, this is so funny.
Noelle clenched her fists tightly, she felt very helpless... Knowing that all the answers to her questions resided in one person and he wouldn't respond them to her was frustrating.
— If you think you can't continue, you can go home. No one will stop you.
— … No…
Asta smiled.
— I will not leave this place.
— That was what I wanted to hear. This wouldn't be fun if you didn't do your part. – A small laugh came out of him, you could clearly see that the situation amused him.
— ...
— By the way, I have this for you. – He told her, as he left a small backpack by her side. – I hope you enjoy it.
Without saying anything else, he walked past her and left.
— ...
Noelle looked at the backpack for a few moments before she decided to open it, inside she found food and a bottle of juice.
For a moment she found it very smelly, but her stomach didn't agree with that last thought.
She was ashamed by the sound her empty stomach made, and she wished that no one had heard it or else she would die of embarrassment right there.
She couldn't turn down a good meal either, that guy cooked too well. On the other hand, she almost burned down her house a few months ago while trying to cook.
She also remembered how her older brother Solid made fun of her for a whole month, reminding her how scared her neighbors felt when they saw the smoke coming out of the house.
Her mother was the one who left her alone, but she did not deny that because of that incident they had to change the kitchen.
— … It's been a day since I left... What they might be doing? –. Noelle wondered as she took a bit of her sandwich.
She just hoped they were alright.
Two weeks passed, and Noelle felt that they passed very slowly, as well as her research regarding the city, since she had found no new information which she could add to her notebook.
Also, Asta was acting weirder and weirder. Well... Regarding what she should call him, she had insisted on calling him as she had been doing until now, "owner", but he had only looked at her with a displeased face and told her to call him by his name, just like the rest of the citizens.
She was surprised when she realized that everyone in that city knew Asta, she had quickly assimilated that the city was not that big and everyone knew each other.
Regarding Kahono... Noelle hadn't seen her anywhere again, much less Kiato. That day she was feeling very depressed, and to her surprise, Asta was by her side, he did not speak unless necessary, his silence and company was what comforted her.
Even Asta's cooking helped her regain her spirits. She started thinking that she had become addicted to the way he cooked.
Right now, she was in her room, looking at the ceiling without knowing what to do, she couldn't use any of his electronic devices with which she would have been distracted a long time ago, the only functional device was her cell phone, which was now only useful to check the time.
Lately, there was something that began to intrigue her a lot, and that was… The night. During the night of another day, she had gone down to the first floor looking for Asta to ask him some questions and see if he would deign to answer her, but what she saw was him leaving the building. That had caught her attention since, according to him, the night was dangerous for people. She had the urge to follow him, but she couldn't encourage herself to do so.
Since that day she had not taken her eyes off Asta, as she had said before... Asta was the strangest of all.
Knock, Knock.
The sound of the door brought her out of her thoughts, but she didn't respond to the knock either, she was sure that he knew that she was inside the room and, as expected, Asta opened the door.
— I see that soon you will go to sleep. – Asta told her when he saw her with those pajamas that he had left her the first day.
— Yea…
— So, I came at a good time, you better eat something. It is not good to sleep with an empty stomach.
— Yeah, thanks.
— You've gotten more talkative these last few days.
— Eh?
— Since you arrived two weeks ago, I have never heard you speak so much, with words of course. You were usually silent or answered me with monosyllables, it is a great advance from my point of view. –. He told her with a slight smile.
For some reason she felt ashamed, she knew perfectly well the reason why she had closed herself off from others, but him reminding her so made her feel a strange shame, more if he looked at her carefully in the eyes.
— Noelle?
— Eh?!
— something bad happens? You seem a bit distracted, does what happened two weeks ago still affect you?
— … Just a little... But I wasn't thinking about that right now. –. She felt her face was starting to burn, she could be almost sure that her skin now had an intense red color.
She wasn't able to tell him that she was thinking of him, no, she would never tell him, not even dead.
She must turn his attention away from him now, or her embarrassment would only increase much more.
— C-Could you answer my questions?!
— More questions? Ehh... Sure, no problem
— What secret does the night have?
— … How?
— What secret does the night have?
— ...
— Since I arrived, I have been given a lot of warnings, and I came to the conclusion that this city is definitely hiding something... But what caught my attention the most were your words.
— And those words that I said to you, what would they be?
— "Don't to go out at night, no matter what you hear... Do not go out."
— ...
— The night is linked to the name of this city, right?
— ...
— The other night I saw you leaving out of here, didn't you tell me that it was dangerous?
— ...
— What is hidden in the night?
Asta didn't look at her, his eyes were covered by the strands of his hair, for some strange reason, Noelle felt a little intimidated.
She saw how little by little Asta was raising his head, his eyes remained closed. Was he going to answer her for once and for all? No. What happened was a completely different thing, she saw Asta's eyes shine with great intensity for a few seconds, and then everything faded to black.
— Sorry. You left me with no choice. – Asta muttered while holding Noelle's unconscious body.
The lights in the room suddenly went out, leaving only his glowing red eyes as a light in the room. He was forced to use his power on her, with this she would not remember the last few minutes before being affected by it.
They had both fallen to their knees when Noelle passed out, he had grabbed her so she wouldn't hit the ground and hurt herself.
— ...–. He looked at Noelle's sleeping face, which looked serene and calm.
Two weeks ago, he had been surprised by her arrival in the city, since his bats had made a big fuss, they had predicted that she was going to the place where he was. So, he quickly prepared that gift for his new visitor and, as always, his little bats never failed in what they said.
Something that caught his attention about her was her long silver hair that was tied with two pigtails secured with ribbons on both sides of her head, also her serious and somewhat depressing face... Her pale skin color had also caught his attention, there were many people who were white in the world, but not as light as Noelle's skin.
He moved the girl's body a little in search of the knot that kept her pajamas in place. Once he found it, he pulled it, undoing it, causing it to come loose quickly and fall to her waist, leaving a large part of Noelle's body exposed. He ran his hand over Noelle's arm and felt the softness of her skin, he could also perfectly smell the scent of the creams she used.
— ...
He kept touching other parts of Noelle's body, he was captivated by every part of it, he felt that everything was perfect for the first time in his life.
He looked carefully at the area where her neck began, it was tempting, very tempting, but he shouldn't continue.
He retrieved the pajamas and straighten them as they were, tying the ribbon back on, then he took Noelle in his arms so that he can carry her to his bed and carefully tuck her in.
He watched her carefully for a few minutes while she slept, making him smile. He reached out his hand and removed one of the strands of hair that was on Noelle's cheeks, so as to prevent her hair from ending up in her mouth at some point in the night, By the way, he took advantage to lightly caress her cheek.
Everything should continue as it was, without any problem.
He slowly walked over to the cart that had the untouched food and took it with him, the best he could do now was to let the girl rest.
Once outside the room, he felt how one of his bats landed on his right shoulder, he saw how the small eyes of that animal looked at him attentively, asking him if it was okay for him to solve the previous situation like that.
— Do not worry, it's alright. I only ask that you keep an eye on her from now on. – The little animal quickly understood and flew to the darkest part of the ceiling, where it hung with both wings around its tiny body.
Asta smiled.
He slowly turned around and walked down the hall until he disappeared into the darkness.
Noelle slowly opened her eyes, she felt heavy and sleepy, as if she hadn't slept enough.
At what point had she fallen asleep?
She stretched out her arms with the intention of letting her muscles relax a little, then she sat on the bed and looked at the room, which had all the curtains closed, allowing minimal sunlight into the room.
The last thing she remembered was that he had been looking at the ceiling of the room, thinking about Asta and her surprise that so many knew him. she didn't remember getting into bed. Could it have been Asta who tucked her in there?
Noelle's face turned red.
She should apologize to Asta later.
She got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, closed the door and took off her pajamas; just like she did last week, she left the pajamas with detergent to wash them.
In the meantime, she would take a bath and then go back outside.
Currently, she already knew the city and a few people who lived in there, something that pleased her a lot, since until recently the only people she had talked to were: Finral, Asta… Kahono and Kiato.
She had looked for these last two since the last time she saw them, but wasn't able to find them anywhere.
Sigh.
To be honest, she was seriously thinking about leaving the city... Shee wasn't making any progress in her investigation, and Asta only made her questions increase.
Just one more week, just one, and if she didn't find anything for her investigation, she'd walk away and never come back.
Noelle let out another sigh.
She finished with her bath and also took the opportunity to finish washing her pajamas, and then hang them next to her bath towel.
She came out of the bathroom in a towel and started looking for clothes to put on. It was also very hot today, so Noelle looked for a skirt that reached mid-thigh and a tank top.
Once ready, she left the room. This time, she was surprised to see no trace of Asta or anything like that, usually, he left a cart with food outside her room, but this time there was nothing.
She walked to the entrance of the inn and didn't see Asta either, had he gone out? An emergency perhaps?
Bearing that in mind, she went out. As always, it was full of people outside, but this time they seemed more alive and more enthusiastic.
— Will another one come? Are you serious?!
— Yes! They say that she is one of the four.
— Kyaaaa! Who do you think it is?
— I have no idea, but I'm very intrigued to know! ...Hm? We better get out of here.
— Eh? Oh. I understand, come on.
That was the small talk that Noelle heard from two girls who were near her, but as soon as they saw her, they left.
— Hm?
One of the four? What did they mean by that? Who would come to the town?... Does this have something to do with Asta not being at the inn?
— … –. She shook his head vigorously, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. – Don't think about stupid things Noelle! What Asta does is none of your business!
She decidedly walked through the streets of the city, which did not last long due to the hunger she started feeling. With the money she had, she bought a juice and a sandwich at a nearby store. The owner of that store was very nice, and she had to admit that she liked her very much.
— See you, Noelle-Chan!
— Yes! Bye –. Noelle smiled as she said goodbye to the woman.
She went straight to the park, so she could eat her food in peace.
From what she could see, she could tell without a doubt that the people around her were very excited, as the shops and restaurants were being decorated on the outside, with lights and flowers, everything looked beautiful.
Now she was the one wondering who was coming to town, a celebrity maybe? Well, she wasn't sure.
— ...
She looked at the sky for a few minutes, she was already running out of activities to do.
— I think I'll end up in the library today too. –. Sigh.
During these last two weeks she had ended up in the same place, a total of 5 times, and she could be almost sure that she had already read half of the books in that place.
She calmly ate her food, and then she went to the library, greeted the librarian, and went to the back where the city's history books were.
She took all the books that interested her and began to read each one, but everything that was in them had information she already knew, information that she already had written down in her Notebook, and every time she asked about other books, the librarian replied that the books on the shelves were the only ones that had history of the city.
To entertain herself, she went into the children's area, it was never bad to reread a classic of that type. The bookcases were decorated with animals and letters, there were also many cushions on the floor and tables with cubes or toys.
She checked the shelves and found different stories that she read as a child, but there was one that caught her attention.
"The Original Monsters"
Without thinking twice, Noelle took the book and sat on some chairs outside the children's area, where she began to read the book.
The book talked about 8 monsters in total, which were named in the following order: Vampires, Zombies, catgirls, wolves, witches, mermaids, ghosts, and mummies.
It said that these eight monsters and their people lived a long time ago in a great city where all species lived in harmony, but a tragic battle arose between them and the humans, who became aware of their existence and decided it was best to eliminate them all the Monsters before they decided to launch an attack against them.
The cruel battle ended with only eight survivors, each of a different species, so they decided to leave their destroyed home and form a new one, far from human society.
The story ends by saying that those who live in that city know them as "The Eight Shadows" since very few of them show themselves to their people and that they live in the shadows of their city.
"Apparently, you came across with an interesting … Legend"
Asta's words flashed through her head.
— So, this was the legend he was referring to. – she whispered. – So... why does he hide it so much?
She decided to write a summary of the story on a piece of loose paper, and then keep it in her notebook, she was sure that this would be of great help.
She quickly put the books on their respective shelves and then she ran from the library to the inn.
— Asta!
I search the corridors and rooms on the second floor, but nothing, there was no sign of the red-eyed boy.
— Hasn't he come back yet? –. asked the air.
She turned in the direction of one of the clocks in the room where she was, the clock marked 21:56 PM.
Now it was even weirder.
She went to her room, took a quick bath, and put on her pajamas, which were now totally dry.
Asta always comes once she was ready to sleep, but this time he didn't.
She was waiting until it was 12 PM, but he didn't appear. She heard a slight knock on the door, without waiting much she went to the door and opened it, but she only found the cart with food for her next to a small note.
"I'm sorry for not being here all day, but I had to do something very important. have a good night.
Atte. Asta"
Carefully the cart entered her room, she ate, but she didn't feel satisfied, not yet, she didn't know if she would be able to sleep if she didn't ask that question directly.
Among her things, she looked for something with she could cover herself, she found a black blanket in the closet, put it on her shoulders like a cape and left the room.
— ...
She walked down the dark corridor to the entrance of the inn. From there she could clearly see the fog that was outside, she tried to see beyond it, but it was impossible.
She tried to calm down a bit, it was not the time to doubt, not now. She grabbed the knob of the front door and opened it, causing an icy blizzard to blow into the inn.
She stepped out of the place and let the front door close behind her. She supported one of his hands on the wall and began to walk through the streets of the city.
Her body felt cold as well as her cheeks and fingers, she was sure that the last ones were red due to the cold.
Noelle closed her eyes and imagined the city in broad daylight, intending to form a mental map to guide herself through the dense fog.
— Wha!
Her body fell with a crash to the ground, she had stumbled into something big, a bucket or something.
— ouch… –. she complained.
Turning to look for the object she had tripped over, she found nothing, but she did see a gigantic shadow behind her that was getting closer to where she was.
— kyaaa! –. Noelle yelled as she quickly got up from there and ran away from the place, she didn't want to know what that shadow was at all.
She ran until she saw an illuminated place even among all the fog, she went there without hesitation, once there, she realized that there was no fog in that place, it was as if all that fog protected that place in particular.
Noelle looked up when she heard many voices, also laughter and shouts.
— ...!
What she saw when she approached the origin of the sound left her in shock.
Around her there were many people, no, she didn't know if calling them that way was correct. They all had something that absolutely did not fit in them, at least not in a human being.
Some of the "people" she saw had animal ears and tails, others flew around on brooms and even others were transparent, there were also some that had gills like a fish, some had patches as if someone had sewn them with a needle and thread, as well as people who were completely bandaged with an old cloth that only left their faces exposed.
As if it were a Halloween party, but that could not be, people did not fly, much less were transparent, there were even people who carried a limb of their body in one hand as if that was normal.
Asta's silhouette came to her mind... Red eyes, pointed ears, and large fangs. Then the story that she had read in the library came to her mind.
— Vampires, Zombies, catgirls, wolves, witches, mermaids, ghosts, and mummies… –. She took a step back and hid before someone saw her.
She quickly hid in an alley and carefully observed. The "people" were having fun as if it was a festival since, just like a real festival, there was a show right in the middle.
— Ah.
She noticed the big tube that she had seen the other day in one of her walks, which now had a large sphere of water at its tip and inside that sphere there was people swimming, doing a kind of aquatic show.
— Hm? What do we have here?
Noelle quickly turned around scared, behind her were two boys she didn't know at all. They must have more or less the same age, about 20 years old each.
— Her scent is completely human.
— Human? Wow... Apparently, she has come to a place she shouldn't.
— ...
— I've seen her before, about twice, she has been in the city for two weeks.
— Seriously? And she hasn't been marked by anyone yet? I can't believe it...Although also...A little interesting.
Noelle didn't like that tone used by that young man who was in front of her.
— Apparently, it will be her turn to be marked by the wolves. – Said the brown-haired boy as he showed his fangs.
Noelle quickly walked away from them, every time she turned her head, she could see those two young men following her.
"Beware of being marked, or you can never return"
Now she was afraid, very afraid, much more than she could remember in her entire life. No one was going to help her, no matter how many people were around her or that it was a public place.
She felt how he tripped over a tile that was not placed correctly and fell to the ground, she tried to get up, but a strong pain in her ankle made her stay still, a terrible moment to step badly.
— This is it, little princess!
She saw the two boys from the alley in front of her and tried to get away by crawling as she could on the ground in the opposite direction.
— I'm sorry, but we can't let a human know the truth of this city. –. Said one of the two.
— ...
— It's true... You must bear the consequences of your curiosity.
The boy closest to her leaned in with the intention of taking her arm, but when he tried to touch her, a strong airstream sent him away from her, causing the boy to crash into a wall.
— Agh!
Noelle who had instinctively closed her eyes opened them and saw in front of her that someone was protecting her.
— K-Kahono...
The girl looked very angry, which was strange on her. Noelle noticed that Kahono's body was covered in scales and she had gills on her neck.
— Don't you dare touch her! –. With a firm tone, Kahono faced both boys.
— A girl marked by sirens? Hey, you should know that when someone finds out the secret they must be marked! –. One of the boys yelled at him indignantly.
— I know that! But you guys are just scaring her and chasing her around like perverts!
— Why do you protect that human?
— That is none of your business. Also, are you looking to get into trouble?!
— W-what do you mean? –. Said the boy who had been sent flying a few seconds ago, now he had slight injuries in his body and it was difficult for him to speak.
— Do you know who is the person who takes care of her?
— An idiot for sure, that girl has been in this city for more than a week and no one has marked her yet.
— I don't care who takes care of her. – Said one of the boys.
— Well, they should care, since the person who takes care of her is none other than Asta and I doubt they want to have problems with him, right?
Both boys fell silent.
— well said, Miss –. It was heard even next to them.
Kahono, Noelle, and the two boys turned their heads in the direction of the voice, where they saw a red-eyed boy who had a smile on his face. They also noticed that everyone who was in the place was looking at them, apparently, they had attracted everyone's attention with that little fight.
— Apparently, some children are making a fuss on such an important day for our special guest. – Said the young man with ashen hair, who was walking slowly towards the girl with violet eyes. – And Noelle... Apparently, you did something you shouldn't if you wanted to return home with your loved ones, but I see that curiosity finally got the best of you and you left the inn.
— … –. Asta crouched down to Noelle's height and made her faint when they both looked into each other's eyes.
— Noelle! –. Kahono was alarmed when she saw the silver-haired woman faint and be carried in the ashen's arms.
— Asta. –. Someone said behind his back.
— I know, you don't need to tell me... Vanessa-San. –. Behind him stood a beautiful woman wearing a daring suit and a large hat on her head.
— Anyway, I'm not a little girl, I can take good care of myself, besides I only asked you to accompany me at the beginning. I'll take care of the rest with Finral. –. Said the woman with a smile on her lips.
— I understand. –. Asta looked away from Vanessa so he could focus his attention on the brown-haired girl. – I'm sorry, I won't be able to fulfill what you asked me.
— … I see... –. Kahono replied with her eyes lowered.
— Kahono! -.
— Brother...
Kiato suddenly appeared among all the people, apparently, he had made a great effort to get to the front of the crowd.
— Ah. Noelle-Chan! –. Kiato's expression of surprise was unavoidable. – What have they done to her?!
— Be quiet. he's just unconscious. – replied Asta. – And, if you excuse me, I must take sleeping beauty to her bed.
A large number of bats appeared around Asta, and as if by magic, the place where he had been standing next to Noelle was now completely empty.
An incredible amount of bats appeared in a dark and lonely room, little by little the small animals disappeared until leaving the silhouette of a young man carrying an unconscious girl.
Asta carefully placed the woman on the bed, then took two steps back, raised one of his hands and snapped two fingers, getting Noelle to wake up.
— ...
— Asta!
— Anything you want to say?
— E-Eh...
Noelle stayed still on the bedspread; she didn't know what to answer.
— You had been warned plenty of times, and even with all of that, you kept going... Now everyone knows you've seen the truth of the city and no one here will let you go.
— ...
— …Even that girl protected you from being marked by those two, or by me.
— … What are you trying to tell me? –. Noelle quickly got up from the bed and grabbed Asta by the collar of his shirt. – What are you trying to say with that?!
— That from now on you will never be able to leave this place again, I tried to keep my word with that girl, but that can no longer be the case, that is what I am telling you. –. Asta's eyes began to shine brightly. – Now you can't help it.
The Silva felt how her whole body suddenly turned off, none of her muscles responded, it was as if she was hypnotized.
She watched how Asta took her hands and pushed them away from her shirt, which was now wrinkled. He gently left her hands still beside her body, then raised his own hands and carefully grabbed her face.
— This is what happens to people who discover the truth of the night. –. With a light touch, he felt her body fall back onto the bed, but this time with Asta's body on top of her.
Noelle felt how Asta's hands moved over her body, touching everything he could by the surface of her clothes, she realized that he was looking for the ribbon that held his pajamas, was he going to...?
She felt how the knot of the ribbon was undone and how the pajamas were completely released, also how Asta pulled the cloth so that it would go down to her waist.
— I don't think you want this to get stained with your blood, right?
If she wasn't hypnotized or something, she was sure that now her face would be completely red.
Asta looked at her motionless body, causing a smile to appear on his face. He grabbed Noelle's wrists and positioned them on either side of her shoulders, then moved closer to her neck so he could sink his fangs into it.
— Ugh!
Noelle felt her body move again, so she desperately started moving against Asta, but unfortunately, he was far more stronger than her.
A shiver ran through her body when she felt Asta's tongue pass through her neck, licking her blood. Uselessly, she held on to his shirt, her body was betraying her by letting herself be carried away by the sensations that he caused her.
She felt how he bit again in the same place, and this time she couldn't help but let out a small cry of pain.
Asta gradually moved away from her, and sat on his calves with her body under him, letting her now see his face.
— ...!
Asta's mouth had traces of blood, which was cleaned little by little thanks to his hand and tongue. Noelle saw that Asta's eyes were shining with intense red color.
— good night, my lady. –. As soon as he had said that, Noelle began to feel her eyelids heavy and as everything around her darkened again.
When Noelle woke up the next day, she saw Asta sitting next to her on the bed, he was quietly reading his notebook.
— That's mine...
— First of all. Good morning. – Asta corrected. Asta sighed.
— ...
— How do you feel?
— My neck and ankle hurt.
— Ankle? Did you trip when those guys followed you yesterday?
— Yeah…
— let me check that.
Asta left her notebook still aside, then removed the blankets that covered her, sat back down, and took her ankle gently.
Noelle felt ashamed, she remembered perfectly how he had left her completely naked in front of him, and she wasn't able to refuse at all.
— Don't feel so embarrassed, it's not the first time I've seen you naked. – Asta confessed.
— Eh?
— Yes. I doubt you remember it, but I've done it before.
— … –. Noelle between embarrassed and anger just managed to throw at Asta her notebook that was within her reach. – PERVERTED!
— You can tell me everything you want, besides, what did you expect? I am a vampire. – Asta replied without looking at her. – Your ankle is fine, it seems you just stepped wrong, the pain should go away in a few days.
Asta carefully got up from the bed and settled her back on the bed.
— … A vampire...
— That's how it is.
— Why are you telling me that now?
— Because you were marked, so there is no problem about it. — I was reading your notebook to see what you found and what you knew. – The red-eyed boy said as he picked up the notebook that Noelle had thrown at him. – You are free to ask, I will answer everything.
— ...
Noelle remained in silence for a moment, it was the moment she had been waiting for, for him to finally answer her, but for some reason, her words got stuck for a few minutes.
— "What are "The Eight Shadows"? I remember you asked me that two weeks ago. But apparently, you already have a vague idea about that.
— Yeah… The original monsters.
— My grandfather was the founder of this city along with the other shadows and, as his successor, I took his place when he died. My mother died when I was 11 years old.–. Narrated Asta. – None of the founders are currently alive, those of us who belong to the current eight shadows are only successors.
— ...
— In fact, the woman from yesterday and the man who greeted you at the entrance of the city also belong to the Eight Shadows. Vanessa-San is in charge of witches and Finral-San is in charge of wolves.
— And you the one in charge of the Vampires.
— Hmmm… Yes, but I was the only one, at least until yesterday.
— Eh? Is there another Vampire?
— Yes, you are.
— ...Eh?
— Do you know how the Marks work?
Noelle shook her head.
— When a monster marks a human, either by bites or other forms, those people, during the night, transform into the monster that marked them.
— … Like a virus?
— Hmmmm… Something like that. The blood inside the human is altered and changes little by little.
— ...
— And since I am a Vampire, you will transform into one during the night. But the Vampires are the most troublesome, since they are thirsty for blood, so I will have to help you to not bite people.
— And how will you do that?
— We can talk about that later. I also remember that you asked about the secret of the night, but you already saw that the secret is the transformation and the abilities.
— I have a question...
— Go ahead, i hear you.
— You said before that your grandfather and other monsters founded this place... But, if that's true... So how old are you really? The library book said that the city is more than 10,000 years.
— Is that your question? Well, actually I'm 320 years old, for me, time passes differently than humans, well, now yours too.
— ...What? –. Noelle asked confused and impressed.
— Yes. People who are marked and who live in the city have a long life, more than 100 or even more than 1,000 years. Being marked gives you many things... The transformation, skills, more years of life, but all that based on a single price... And that's your freedom.
Noelle felt a knot in her throat.
— Why can't the citizens of here get out of here?
— What do you think would happen if a human found out that a part of you is a monster?
— … What would happen…?
— Yeah, think a little, what would humans do?
— … The humans...
— Humans attack out of fear of the unknown and try to destroy it or scientifically investigate those "unknown beings" until they kill it. Nature is a great example of this.
Noelle could not deny the words he said, that was the cruel and a certain reality.
— Everyone who lives here in the city came out of curiosity. They also live in fear that this will happen to their relatives or that they will be treated as freaks, so they reside in here, without fear of showing themselves, accepting what they are now. Nobody judges others for who they are, and they have fun with their peers despite being different.
That makes sense, the Silva thought. She remembered very well how the people of the city laughed and showed their monstrous side without fear. Something very different from human society, everyone judged you for something, like political movement, sexual orientation, skin color, social status and among other things.
— … Apparently, we have visitors. – Asta suddenly said.
— Visitors?
— Yes. Give me a moment, I'll be right back. –. Asta got up from his seat and went to the door so he could leave the room.
— ...
Noelle looked out the window in silence, today the weather was clear and the birds were flying quietly.
Sigh.
Apparently, from now on she would have to live in the city as someone with two different realities, it was as Asta had said, this was the price of her curiosity.
Noelle tried to get out of bed, but a strong pain in her neck and leg stopped her, causing her to lay down again due to the pain.
She raised her hand and directed it to her neck, now there was a gauze stuck to the area where she had been bitten, Asta must have put it on her last night.
— ...
Her mind re-projected the images from last night, making her blush again and she hugged herself instinctively. She still felt a little restless, her face and hands felt sweaty, and her heart would not stop beating fast.
She heared the door open again, so she tried to calm down. The first thing she saw was Asta, and then a girl who from one second to another was already hugging her tightly.
— Noelle! -.
The girl he saw turned out to be Kahono, who was crying as he held her tightly with a hug.
— K-Kahono?!
— Yes! It's Me!
Noelle felt confused, what happened now?! She's supposed to...
The brown-haired girl separated from her in an attempt to wipe her face that was covered with tears, but they did not stop failing. Noelle reached over to her nightstand and offered her some tissues that she always kept nearby.
— Thanks...
— Weren't you supposed to forget me...? –. Noelle asked when Kahono calmed down a bit.
— Of course, no... I could never forget my best friend...
— The people who live here are obliged to act that way when someone recognizes us. –. Spoke the voice of a man.
—... Kiato... –. Noelle whispered when she saw the blue-haired boy.
— Good morning, Noelle Chan. I hope you can excuse us, these last few days Kahono also had a pretty bad time with the issue of pretending not to know you.–. Clarified Kiato.
— Act? Why should they do that?!
— It is to protect the secret of the city, everyone must cooperate... Even if it's painful, people who live here try to protect their acquaintances and relatives, so they lie. – Asta spoke. – I'm wrong?
— … No… –. replied Kiato.
— I guess now you are happy, now you have a friend with you.
— Of course, we are happy... but we didn't want this... Noelle-Chan shouldn't be involved in this.
— I understand. Miss, Noelle is in pain so please be careful.
— Sore?
— Yeah, apparently some wolf boys followed her yesterday and she stepped badly, so now she can't get up, would you be so kind as to cure her? Those who were marked by the siren have healing powers.
— Ah. Of course. –. Kahono accepted immediately, with her friend's permission, she uncovered her and checked her ankle.
The brown-haired girl began to sing in a low tone, surprising Noelle, as little by little bubbles appeared throughout the room.
Noelle looked carefully at the bubbles, everything was magical and bright. She stretched one of her hands out to the bubbles, which had a smooth texture and didn't pop when you touched them.
Little by little she felt her muscles relax and as the pain slowly left his body, everything was so unreal before her eyes.
After a few minutes, Kahono stopped singing and all the bubbles around her disappeared.
— How do you feel now?
Noelle sat up in bed and began to move her joints in search of any pain or discomfort, but no, all the pain was gone.
— Surprising...
— Right? I like it too. –. Kahono smiled. – My ability to sing mixed with the powers of the siren, the same thing happened to Kiato, but with the dance.
— Ehhh… That sounds great. –. Noelle said surprised.
— Yes! But the powers are stronger at night, during the day people who have been marked can only use 25% of their power, while members of the eight shadows can use 50%
— I understand.
— Noelle. – Kahono called, as she took her hands in hers.–. I want you to tell me everything that happened during these years.
— …. Of course!
The Silva smiled at her friend, finally after a long time she showed a genuine smile and her closed heart opened again, she had found her dearest friends and now she would never lose them again.
Asta, who was watching the conversation without interrupting much, looked carefully at Silva's smile, which was the first he had seen from her during those two weeks, at least one of genuine happiness.
— … She has a beautiful smile... –. he thought. – ¡….!
Asta mentally scolded himself at the thought of that last, he let out a heavy sigh with the intention of calming his unbridled heartbeat.
— Asta? –. Kiato called when he saw him disturbed. – I-Is something wrong?
— N-No. I'll go prepare something for you to eat, I'll be right back. – Asta smiled slightly. – For your safety, I recommend you to leave before nightfall, Noelle will go through her first change and, as a bloodthirsty vampire, she will attack anyone who crosses her path.
— Eh? B-But that would be dangerous even for you? –. Kahono asked a little scared.
— Do not worry. The only way to calm that instinct is with another Vampire, so nothing bad will happen to me. –. Asta clarified. – Now I have to retire.
— ...?
Asta quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. He raised his hand and directed it to his tie so he could loosen it a bit.
Sigh.
— Suddenly it started to get very hot. – he thought.
He slowly pushed himself away from the door and walked down the dark hallway, a bit confused by his recent emotions.
The night was approaching, so Kahono and Kiato had to obey Asta's request. The three friends had talked all afternoon, catching up on what had happened with them over the last few years.
— See you tomorrow. – The brown-haired girl said goodbye.
— Of course! Thank you so much for curing my leg, Kahono.– Noelle waved goodbye.
— No problem. We are friends, although I could ask for payment for the treatment.
— As obsessed with money as ever, take your pay. – With a small laugh, Noelle tossed a coin to Kahono, who caught her payment with ease.
— See you Noelle-Chan. Anything you need do not hesitate to call us. – Kiato said goodbye.
— Yes, thanks Kiato.
The two brothers left the room, and in their place Asta re-entered, who had been out all afternoon, also heard how Asta gave instructions to someone.
— ... You have good friends. –. He spoke once both were left alone.
— Yeah… That's why I tried so hard to find them... They are the only ones I can call friends without hesitation.
— I see. I'm glad you achieved your purpose, Noelle.
— … Yes, thank you very much. – she smiled.
— You can stand up?
— Eh? Of course.
Noelle got out of bed without any problem and walked to stand in front of him, apparently, she didn't feel so nervous anymore when he was around.
— Good. I'll say this quick and easy, at any moment your change will start, so we must take advantage while you are still yourself –. He said in a serious tone.
— ...
— But first.
— ...?
Asta raised his hands and untied the tie from his neck, leaving it still aside and then progressing to take off his formal vest and shirt, leaving him completely naked from the waist up.
— … EHHHH?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! –. Noelle quickly covered her face, intending not to see Asta's naked torso, but it was inevitable not to see it.
— I don't want to stain a white shirt and I really like that vest, so I took it off.
— Stain?
— Yep. The key so that you are not a being thirsty for blood, is the blood of another Vampire.
— Your blood...?
— That's how it is. When you transform, you are going to bite the first one in front of you, in this case, me, I'm the only one who can do this.
— I understand, but... –. Noelle said as she looked at him through her fingers, he could even notice how her eyes lowered to his body and she didn't look him in the eye.
— Apparently, we have a perverted girl here. – Asta said letting out a small laugh.
— I-It is not true!
— Oh…
Noelle felt how her hands were taken by Asta's, moving them away from her face, so that she could now see his face, which was now very close to hers.
— But last night instead of walking away you hugged me, how do you think a man is going to take it?
— ...
— Besides, I was able to realize last night... That your actions were beginning to betray you.
Noelle widened her eyes when she felt Asta's lips on hers. Her cheeks flushed red almost immediately and she felt her body shiver slightly.
She felt one of his hands on her back and the other on her cheek. Her heart was beating so hard, so hard that for a moment she was afraid that he might hear or feel them.
— Ugh…! –. Noelle moaned in surprise when she noticed that Asta deepened the act, she felt his tongue enter her mouth, forcing her to close her eyes tighter.
The kiss lasted another long second until he separated. She desperately breathed in search of air and with one of her hands she cleaned the rest of the saliva that had remained on the corner of her lips. this was too embarrassing.
— You see it? Your body totally betrays you. Perfectly you could have pushed me away, but it has not been the case. – Asta smiled.
— I-It was a test?
— Hmmm… Who knows?
Noelle tried to say something to him, but a huge heartbeat that took her entire body made her fall to her knees on the floor.
— It seems the change is starting. – Asta muttered.
— Agh!
The Silva's changes began to be noticed seconds later, first it was the change in his pupil and then the color of her eyes, then the growth of her fangs, and finally her ears.
From how the girl acted, Asta quickly deduced that she had already completely lost control of her body.
He saw how Noelle slowly got up from the ground and how she had turned to look at him, at that moment Asta could realize that Noelle's eyes were nothing like the ones she had before.
In a single jump Noelle had cornered him and bit him without holding back, which managed to get a groan of pain from Asta, he did not try to free himself, this is the only solution, at least that he knew.
He felt how each bite she gave him was stronger, he was sure that it would leave a mark for a few days. He hugged Noelle tightly when he felt her move away from him, he couldn't allow her to leave that room, not in that state, it didn't matter if he could feel his own blood fall.
— Ugh... –. Asta let out a groan when he felt another strong bite on his left shoulder. – Noelle…
With force, Asta managed to knock Noelle to the ground holding her two wrists with his right hand above her head, he watched as she tried to free herself from his grasp with sudden movements.
Noelle's mouth was full of blood, as were her fangs and mouth. With his free hand, he tried to wipe away the traces of blood, but only managed to get Noelle to bite him again.
This would be a long night for him.
When Asta opened his eyes, it was morning, he was sitting in one of the corners of the room. It had been a long night... He noticed a weight on him, he looked down and found Noelle, who was sleeping peacefully, sitting on his lap and her head resting on his bare chest.
— Returned to normal... –. Asta thought.
Asta was surprised to realize that he had fallen asleep, apparently, his mind and body felt so tired that he fell asleep.
He looked at Noelle who was sleeping peacefully and couldn't help but let out a small laugh. He carefully raised a hand and with it wiped away the rest of the blood and saliva that was on Noelle's face.
Very slowly she got up from the ground with Noelle in her arms, the best thing he could do was to let her sleep, she needed it. They had both stayed in that situation until the first ray of light appeared, so she needed to rest and maybe he did too.
Asta carefully placed Noelle on the opposite side of the bed, where no ray of sunlight would reach her while she slept. Even if all the stories about vampires melting or dying from sunlight were false, there was some truth to the part of Vampires' skin was sensitive to sunlight.
He tucked Noelle carefully into bed and walked away, opting to get dressed, but there were still traces of blood on his body, so he would have to take a bath first, which was preferable to being half-naked in the middle of the morning.
Asta walked away with the intention of leaving the room, but a slight tug on his hand made him stop.
— ...?
He turned around and saw Noelle, who was now awake.
— You should keep resting, you must be very tired. – He spoke in a low tone.
— No… I'm fine... How are you feeling?
— I'm fine, don't worry about me.
When Noelle was a little more conscious, she looked at Asta carefully, all over his neck and shoulders it was full of bites and one or another mark that she made with her long nails.
What a shame!
It was the first thing she thought, anyone who discovered the marks that Asta had on his body would completely misunderstand. They would think that they, that they...
She quickly grabbed the blankets from the bed and tried to cover her face and create a barrier that separated him from him.
Asta looked at her for a few seconds and then laughed, that action of hers was too cute from his point of view.
— Are you afraid that someone will misunderstand these marks that I have?
— Ugh...
— Let me remind you that you also have a bite on your neck, so we are both in the same situation, but at the same time, we are not. – Said Asta showing a smile that Noelle didn't like at all. – And do you know why?
— ...
— I'm not ashamed and I dare to say that I wouldn't mind leaving you just like me right now. – His smile was one of complete mockery and malice.
Noelle frowned and without hesitation threw a pillow at him, which hit the ash-haired boy in the face, making him just laugh even harder.
— Perverted! Perverted! PERVERTED! –. She yelled at him with her face completely red.
— All men are perverts, so I can't deny it.
— Why did your personality change so suddenly?!
— Hm? I have always been like this, only that the work of daily life is divided. You now live with me here, and you can't help it, so you'll have to get used to it, little perverted princess.
— I'm not a pervert!
— Tell that to the bites I have on my shoulders and the rest of my body.
— Shut up!
Fate can be very cruel from time to time, but it always brings surprises and unexpected things, a little magical and beyond human understanding, that's how Noelle described all this. But now she was wondering what it would be like to live in a way that I never expected, and with someone like Asta, who was still a complete mystery, maybe also a bit teasing and full of energy.
What would become of them from now on? Well... That's a secret, just like the city, since everything that happens in the city must stay within the city, and never be revealed, or else you can get big consequences for being too curious. And that... It's something that should never be forgotten.
With fear, she advanced to the entrance of the city, looking carefully at the people who were walking quietly as if nothing bad happen in that city.
— Welcome.
— ...!
— My name is Noelle Silva, and you?
Story originally on Wattpad and in Spanish.