2 Chapters in one day? Is it Halloween or something?
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Triggers: Blood, injury, self-inflicted wound, assault (not the sexual kind).

Published: 31/10/2023

Chapter 2:
Church of Glass

For the next century, he would travel amongst the villages, never staying long enough for people to wonder why the young man wasn't aging.

After having traveled for so long, Previäir seemed safe enough to return to, people would surely have forgotten about the vampires or believed them to be massacred long ago. Except for him, of course.

Yusuke had always lived off of limited supplies, making sure not to own too much to need a carriage to travel to his next town. He'd make friends, leave after ten years, make more friends, and leave again. It was a continuous cycle but he found that gaining friends allowed him some form of immunity with the continuing manhunt of non-human creatures. Yusuke found himself to be quite human so the category his people were placed into was somewhat of an insult to him.

But he stayed quiet, the raids became lesser with each decade. He'd heard of other lairs being purged but knew his lair was long empty. Previäir was one of the biggest towns hence why his lair was situated in the bordering forest. Though much had changed since his last visit.

The biggest difference was that this town included a church. He'd lie if he'd denied being scared, he was extremely cautious at least. Ever since that night; Yusuke had watched the shadows in search of that figure, but after a few decades, he thought the figure to be long gone, burying the secret of his identity.

He settled, gaining another small house, he didn't need more. But now his priority was on something else. Hunger.

Stories of Previär's legendary priests were heard in every town he'd gone to, it was only a little while after moving into the town that he had the pleasure of meeting this priest himself. The town's current priest was loved and adored. He was a young lad with hair as red as fire, his eyes shone like emeralds. The town's townspeople had described him to be powerful, some sort of guardian to the people with unmatched skill. He had nearly bumped into him once, the first time he'd seen the priest up close. He couldn't be older than 25 and Yusuke questioned the requirements of his occupation.

Weren't priests nearing 60? Weren't they wrinkled and elderly? The red color of his hair pulled Yusuke into a trance, red was the color of life, his life. Red was the color he drank, the color he needed to survive. Red was…

"Are you okay?" The priest asked, having seen Yusuke's soulless stare.

Snapping back to reality, Yusuke nodded his head. That voice sounded strangely familiar, though it was easy to recognize voices after having heard so many during his travels.

The priest shot him a soft smile. "You're new to town, aren't you?"

Yusuke nodded again, not realizing he had lost his voice at the sight of the priest.

"Moved in a couple of weeks ago I heard. I run the church just outside the west entrance."

He stayed silent, hooked on the priest's lips, his voice and visual presentation rendering Yusuke into a near vegetative state.

"Not a believer? That's no problem." The priest laughed. "My doors are open for everyone. Why don't you join a service someday?" As he walked past him, Yusuke's nose followed him. He smelled good, too good.

It was only when he was out of view that Yusuke regained the use of his body. It was odd, he seemed completely incompetent at the sight of the priest. The weirdest part was that no one seemed to notice or care. Some had the same problem, unable to speak or move when confronted by the priest. His magnetic pull seemed immense.

In the days that followed, Yusuke was plagued with the scent and sight of the priest both in his dreams and during the day. He'd suddenly smell him, that intoxicating smell that made him want to follow the priest. Though the smell always leads to a dead end.

Everything red made his heart stop. A scarf, a hat, an apple, anything with a red hue would trigger his memory of him. Though he rarely saw the priest in person.

Most weird of all was that Yusuke didn't seem to like the blood of livestock anymore, it didn't lessen his thirst anymore, and over time, his body was screaming for a human.

It was at a moment of weakness when he had attacked a woman, she was old, slow, and wandering at night. Yet her life tasted as foul as the deer he'd feasted on the week prior. Her life didn't satisfy him and he could feel his body collapse with every passing day.

It was in the following days that the townspeople discovered the body of the woman, hidden in the brush at the beginning of the forest, just outside the city walls. Thus the chaos started once again.

"Vampires!" One young man yelled at the town square. Not only had everyone gathered there, but they were now reviving the hunt on vampires. "Your daughters and wives will be next!"

The crowd howled as fists were raised. "Find it!" One yelled. "Kill it!" Another added. Yusuke watched it in silence, he had merged into the crowd. He knew that if he wouldn't join, he'd be seen as a suspect, for being an outsider and not caring.

"We should take this matter to the priest!"

'Shit' Yusuke thought. He wouldn't be able to set foot in a church. Not attending something everyone was expected to join would be a huge blow to his alibi and believability. He'd had to find a way to attend or think of an excuse.

"Are you joining us?" The woman next to him asked as she eyed him with hesitation. Yusuke hummed under his breath, noticing multiple people were looking at him for his answer.

"I'd love to but I need to make sure my livestock is safe." Yusuke bluffed, it was true that he owned some livestock for his consumption but he didn't need to check on them. In truth, he wouldn't give a damn if they escaped or get eaten by something else.

"I should probably do that too." The man in front of him said.

"Yeah me too! We can't have them kill our livestock!"

Yusuke allowed a sigh to escape, it was the most realistic excuse he could think of and he was beyond relieved it worked.

Once the gathering had concluded, the group split in two, with one half going towards the church, and the other half heading to their fields.

Playing along in this narrative, Yusuke watched his goats roam in their indoor pen after bringing them inside. He'd go to that church. He had to see that priest, he had to know what power this priest held. He eyed the sky as he knew a blood moon would rise tonight, granting him more strength, probably enough to not freeze in front of this priest.

He found the church rather fast, the instructions were very easy. 'Just outside the west entrance'. It was lined with glass, each window portraying a story, yet he didn't know which one.

Resting in one of the surrounding trees, he watched the church fill with participants, they were preaching with him, he who has banished the shadow of his people with just his presence alone. Though Yusuke was captivated beyond belief. His presence was indeed a god's send, who he preached for, who the people came to adore alongside him.

Yusuke eyed the old church from his spot on top of the nearest tree, the church was mostly vacant, sitting near a big graveyard far away from the common folk. Yusuke had never heard him pray, though if he should believe their stories combined with his own experience, his gaze was captivating enough to freeze every common vampire into submission. He was just a priest, he was the protector, savior, and above all their local god.

Yusuke waited for everyone to leave. The sky had gone dark, the sun hiding as the moon showed itself. A blood moon ensured an important church service, a lengthy prayer for safety for the blood moon was the symbol of a vampire's enhanced strength.

As all common folk had left, the door stayed loose, never fully closing but not open enough to be inviting. Jumping to the ground he made his way to the doors, he'd finally be able to face this legendary priest himself.

Swinging the doors open, he saw the inside of the building, the candles still lit as the red moon reflected its light onto the church's floor. The priest was on the altar, he looked directly at him, had he noticed him before the ceremony?

"If you aren't entering I request you take your leave. The ceremony is over, I have no more blessings to give." The red-haired priest said calmly. He looked remarkable.

Yusuke hesitated. He'd surely burst into flames if he'd ever enter the house of God but he took the chance. The journey was too risky to back down now. He held his breath as he set foot inside the church. Anticipating to burst into a living inferno, the was surprised to have made it in without any of what others had told him.

But the priest looked dangerous, other than that time he met him at the town's market. His shining emerald eyes pierced through Yusuke's as if they were wooden stakes waiting to be plunged into the heart. "What is it that I can do for you?" He asked as he continued on his task of clearing his altar.

The scent was intoxicating and Yusuke couldn't help his rising hunger. "I'm looking for a blessing." Yusuke licked his lips, the priest surely didn't see, the room was too dark.

He looked at him, those burning emeralds surely did captivate. "Didn't I just recall saying I have no more blessings?" He wasn't surprised, however, just another day at work.

"Then a curse will suffice." Yusuke didn't think about his wording, the scent was pulling him in.

The priest turned to him. "Then come, my child."

It was weird, the priest didn't look a day older than Yusuke himself. But Yusuke was a living example that age was just a concept for some, Yusuke couldn't recall the years he had lived but he saw the years and experience in the priest's eyes. "Your name, father."

"Kurama. Will I be awarded with yours in return?"

"Y-Yusuke…"

"I know what you are, Yusuke." Kurama smiled warmly at his visitor. "Do not be afraid, I have no intention to fight you."

Yusuke raveled at the name, it suited him, it was mysterious yet enchanting. But his words made Yusuke shiver, did the priest know that he wasn't like anyone else in town? Did he know his secret and if so, how?

Without being able to respond verbally, Kurama pulled a dagger from his belt which made Yusuke tense up. If he didn't want to fight him, why would he pull a dagger out on him?

But the dagger wasn't meant to do anything to him. With one clean motion, the priest made one tiny cut on the palm of his hand. Holding his hands, palms facing Yusuke, up to his face before smearing some of the blood on his neck.

The scent had increased to the point where all his senses were on edge and craving for it. Temptation became too much for Yusuke to handle and he darted towards him.

The priest had tilted his head, exposing the tender flesh from the collar of his robe. Yusuke slammed into him at a higher speed than he intended, the journey to here was a long and exhausting one, he was starving.

Kurama stumbled backward as he recoiled from the force. As Yusuke ripped the collar from his blouse that had latched onto his neck, he fell backward onto the organ, emitting a loud, ear-piercing tone that echoed through the establishment. Slipping from the organ, they landed on the cold stone floor.

They were on the ground, and Yusuke was holding him down though there were no harsh struggles from the priest. After a couple of seconds, Yusuke had managed to stop himself for fear he'd kill the priest, he couldn't dull those eyes for they were too pretty. He wanted to have them.

Green emeralds stared up at him as he lay underneath him, a small grin plastered on a too-white face as if he had turned into porcelain.

Looking around at the altar, Yusuke saw signs and drawings he hadn't yet seen from any other church, not to mention that the entire church was odd. He eyed the drawings before locking eyes with the priest underneath his grasp.

It was when he met with reflecting yellows that he realized, this priest wasn't completely on the people's side either.

His body started to feel weird, a sudden surge of energy made his pupils dilate, he hadn't felt this satisfied in years, and now that his hunger was starting to disappear, he needed more.

The bite wound on the priest's neck was leaking, blending perfectly with his red hair as it streamed down onto the floor. Yusuke felt his restraint waver as he eyed the thing that had now become like a drug to him.

Rays from the blood moon illuminated his face, turning the glass windows into an ominous hue as the colors shifted.

He couldn't stop himself. Using one hand to cover the Priest's eyes, holding his head down at the same time, he went in again.

This time was different. Where he usually only bit one side, he now had his teeth around the priest's entire throat. Biting down with such force that it forced a response from his victim.

Delicate hands tried to push Yusuke off, without success. It only increased Yusuke's will more as he bit down harder. The wheezing and gurgling sounds of the priest indicated to Yusuke he'd punctured his windpipe. His jaw started to hurt from the amount of power he placed on them.

Hands were still tugging on them, becoming less and less powerful as Yusuke extracted life's liquid from the seemingly helpless priest beneath him.

A hand on his chest forced Yusuke back as a powerful wave rippled through his body. He composed himself again after it faded, not experiencing the urge to continue what he was doing.

The priest lay motionless, his arm falling to the ground next to him. There was no doubt that he was responsible for this wave of energy, Yusuke's curiosity grew as he wondered how the priest managed to stop an attack even though he had no control over it.

His eyes were green again, though half-lidded, the priest didn't respond to touch or sound. His slow, raspy breathing echoed through the building as his chest was barely rising with each inhale.

"It came from the church!" Shouting was heard outside and Yusuke felt his heart plummet. The priest was alive, on one hand, he didn't want to risk him to survive and reveal his identity to the town, but on the other hand, he couldn't find the strength to finish him off.

Thus he left as fast as he could, barely avoiding the small group of villagers as they stormed inside the church. They would find the priest there behind the altar, in the process of bleeding out. He had to make sure that, if the priest survived, he'd keep his identity a secret. Even with his livelihood on the line, Yusuke prayed for him to live.

"Nice to meet you, Kurama." He whispered as he watched the villagers carry him into town.