Chapter 01
In the year 1208, Feri joined the Arkride Solutions Office to help solve the cases involving Almata. She found new comrades, made many friends, and gained valuable experiences. Though she faced numerous hard battles, she always managed to prevail with her friends by her side.
One night, after Almata had been disbanded and life had finally calmed down, Feri found herself relaxing in her living room, watching TV.
Feri sat on the couch, flipping through channels with the remote. The past year had been hectic, and she relished this rare moment of peace. As she flicked through the channels, a news report caught her attention.
The report was about a young man wandering the streets of Edith, looking disheveled and homeless. The reporter announced that the man had been identified as Roger Adol. Feri's heart skipped a beat. According to the report, when the police approached Roger, he became agitated, flailing wildly and assaulting the officers. He was eventually subdued and imprisoned at the Calvard National Police Headquarters.
Feri's eyes widened as she watched the broadcast, unable to believe what she was seeing. Roger—the same man who had once betrayed her—was now in a far worse situation. A pang of sadness tugged at her heart. Despite everything, Roger had once been her comrade, and seeing him so broken and out of control shook her.
She turned off the TV, her mind racing. Part of her was still angry at Roger for what he had done, but another part of her couldn't help but feel pity. She shook her head, trying to push these conflicting emotions aside. She had moved on, found new friends and new experiences. But the image of Roger, so lost and fallen from grace, lingered in her mind even as she went to bed that night.
Days passed, and life returned to normal for Feri. But the news about Roger continued to haunt her. She considered visiting him in prison, just to see how he was doing, but each time she thought about it, she decided against it. She didn't know what she would say, or how she would feel. The last time they had spoken, he had betrayed her, and that memory still stung.
One night, as she lay in bed, unable to sleep, her thoughts kept drifting back to Roger. His current situation gnawed at her, and before she knew it, an impulse took over. She got out of bed, dressed quickly, and left her apartment.
The cool night air did little to calm her racing thoughts as she walked through the quiet streets, heading toward the police headquarters. She questioned herself with every step—why was she doing this? But she pushed those doubts aside, letting her feet carry her forward.
Finally, she arrived at the imposing police headquarters. She hesitated, a wave of doubt washing over her. But after taking a deep breath, she forced herself to enter.
The corridors inside felt cold and unwelcoming as Feri made her way toward the cells. Guards patrolled the area, and the murmurs of prisoners echoed through the halls.
When she reached Roger's cell, she saw him sitting on the bed, looking even more disheveled than on TV. His eyes were hollow, his hair greasy and unkempt. He looked up as he heard her approach.
Roger whimpered, a sound that was half a cackle. His skin was pale, and he shivered uncontrollably. He was strapped into a straitjacket, staring blankly out the window.
Feri stood outside the cell, a mix of emotions swirling inside her. He looked broken, completely different from the person she once knew. Her heart ached at the sight of him, but anger and bitterness also lingered.
She took a deep breath and spoke, her voice low and firm. "Roger... what happened to you?"
He turned to face her, his eyes vacant and sunken, as if staring through her. Feri took a cautious step closer, still wary of him.
"Roger, can you hear me?" she asked, her voice softer now.
Roger tilted his head, then giggled as he slowly approached the bars.
A chill ran down Feri's spine as he drew near. His madness was unmistakable, and it made her heart sink. But she stood her ground, meeting his gaze with determination.
Roger gripped the bars and grinned manically. "Of course I can hear you... Feri Al-Fayed..."
Hearing her name spoken in such a deranged manner made her skin crawl, but she kept her expression calm, refusing to show her fear.
"Then talk to me," she demanded. "Tell me what happened to you."
Roger cackled again before composing himself. "Do you remember the mission a year ago? When my men overwhelmed you and took the box? And the body?"
Feri's body tensed at the memory. The events of that day were still fresh in her mind. "I remember," she replied, her voice edged with anger. "You betrayed me. You and your men took the box and the mummy, leaving me to clean up the mess."
Roger's laughter grew louder. "You should be thanking me... hahahahaha..."
Feri's eyes widened in shock. Thankful? Had he lost his mind? She clenched her fists in anger. "Are you out of your mind? Why should I be thankful? You almost got me killed!"
Roger's laughter died down as he responded, "Still better than what happened to me after we left the island..."
Curiosity began to overtake Feri's anger. What could have happened to him that led to this state? "What do you mean? What happened after the mission?"
Roger's grin remained, but his eyes widened as he continued. "The treasure we found on the island... the box... it wasn't a treasure. It was a cage. And we set free what was locked inside... the mummy... it wasn't just a dead body."
Feri's heart skipped a beat as she listened to his words. A cage? A mummy that wasn't actually dead? "What are you talking about? What did you free when you opened the box?"
Roger began to cackle again. "Don't you understand? We set it free... the bird of death... conceived in the bleakest womb inside Gehenna... In our ignorance, we set it free... and it will consume us all! Zemuria is doomed!" He laughed like a man possessed.
Feri felt a chill spread through her body as she listened to his crazed rant. The "bird of death" from Gehenna—his words sounded like something out of a nightmare. She took a step back, fear creeping into her expression.
"Are you saying... you unleashed some kind of monster? A bringer of death?"
Roger nodded eagerly, his eyes wild. "Yes... and it will come for me. For you... for our friends... and our families. It will come. It will come. It WILL come. HE WILL COME! HE WILL COME!" His words grew louder and more frantic with each repetition, a terrifying chant.
Watching Roger's descent into madness was horrifying. His voice had turned into a chilling mantra of doom. Feri struggled to process what she was hearing—could it be true? Had they really unleashed a monster upon Zemuria? She clenched her fists, trying to hold back the fear that threatened to overwhelm her.
"Enough! Stop this! You're not making any sense!" Feri shouted, desperate to snap him out of it.
She took a deep breath, fighting to stay calm. "You said he will come for us... because we released him? Is that why he's after you?"
Roger stopped his chanting and grinned like a madman. "No, my dear Feri... He will come after us all because our blood gives him life. Our blood is his life. Blood is life. Blood is life. Blood is life..."
As Roger repeated the phrase, Feri felt a wave of horror wash over her. He was talking about the monster feeding on their blood—their very life force. The thought was terrifying, almost too much to bear.
"So... this monster, whatever it is, feeds on blood? Our blood?"
"Yes... Yes..." Roger nodded eagerly, his smile widening. "Nosferatu needs our blood... He craves it... and we must bring it to him... or he will take it by force." With that, Roger collapsed to the ground, laughing uncontrollably.
Feri watched in horror as Roger lay on the floor, cackling like a maniac. Nosferatu—the name of the monster. And it craved their blood. Could he be serious? Was he really saying they had to willingly give their blood to this creature?
"You can't be serious... We're supposed to give our blood to this... Nosferatu?" Feri asked, disgusted by the thought. The idea of sacrificing their blood to a monster was absurd. But deep down, she couldn't shake the fear that Roger's words might hold some truth.
"Why? Why would we do that? And how do you know so much about this... Nosferatu?" she demanded, gripping the bars of the cell, desperate for answers.
But Roger didn't respond. He just lay there, laughing to himself, his sanity seemingly shattered.
...
A few moments later, Feri left the police station, feeling frustrated and deeply disturbed. She had hoped to get answers from Roger, but all she had gotten were crazed ramblings and sinister laughter.
Sighing, she rubbed her temples, trying to clear her mind. What was she supposed to do now? Was there any truth to what Roger had said about the monster, about their blood feeding it?
As Feri walked, her mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts. Could she really believe what he'd said? Should she warn the others? And if she did, what the hell would they think? Would they take her seriously, or just write her off as another nutcase?
She shook her head, trying to clear the fog of doubt. She needed time—time to process everything. Heading back to her apartment seemed like the best move, a place where she could breathe and sort through the madness.
Once inside, Feri locked the door behind her and leaned against it, exhaling a shaky breath as she tried to calm her racing thoughts. It was late, and exhaustion clung to her like a heavy cloak.
She dragged herself to the sofa and sank down, burying her face in her hands. The image of Roger's wild eyes, his maniacal laughter, was seared into her memory. A shiver ran down her spine as she relived the moment, the terror still fresh in her veins.
Restless, Feri groaned and stood up, unable to sit still. The night's events kept replaying in her mind like a broken record. She wandered over to the window, gazing out at the empty streets. The city was quiet, with only the occasional car breaking the silence.
Pressing her forehead against the cool glass, she tried to steady herself, but her thoughts kept circling back to Roger's words—his warning about the monster, Nosferatu, and the insatiable hunger for blood.
Feri pulled away from the window, pacing the length of her apartment. The unease gnawed at her, Roger's words rooting deep in her mind, sprouting fear with every passing second. What if he was right? What if this Nosferatu was real, lurking in the shadows, waiting to drain them dry?
Running a hand through her hair, frustration and fear coiled tightly in her chest. She had to do something, anything, to stop her mind from spiraling further into paranoia.
Then, a thought struck her. She needed to talk to someone—someone who might actually listen, someone who could understand her fears.
She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts, her heart thudding in her chest. She paused on a name, hesitation gripping her for a moment. Was this really a good idea?
Finally, she took a deep breath and hit the call button.
The phone rang, each tone stretching her nerves tighter. Her heart pounded as she waited, a mixture of nervousness and desperate hope churning inside her. At last, the call connected, and a familiar voice crackled through the speaker.
"Feri? What's up? Something wrong?"
Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of that voice—exactly who she needed to hear.
"Yeah, it's me," she replied, her voice shaky. "I… I need to talk to you. It's urgent."
There was a pause on the other end, and she could sense the hesitation in the silence.
"Urgent? At this hour? What's going on?"
Feri took another deep breath, searching for the right words. How could she explain this without sounding crazy? How could she make them believe her?
"It's… hard to explain. Can we meet somewhere? I need to tell you in person, not over the phone."
Another pause, then a resigned sigh.
"Yeah, okay. But it's late—there aren't many places open."
Relief washed over her. He was willing to meet—that was a good sign.
"There's a café near my place. It's open late. Can you meet me there in half an hour?"
She could almost hear him weighing his options on the other end before he finally answered.
"Yeah, half an hour works. I'll be there."
And with that, the call ended.
