"Are we almost there?" Chris asks Mia and Zaira.
They’ve been walking for nearly half an hour along a trail through the woods that seems to go on forever.
It’s almost sunset, and the dense canopy barely lets any light through.
Still, Chris can see the path perfectly, as if it were dayti — perfect night vision was one of the first perks he noticed after turning into a vampire.
"Shut your big mouth before I shut it for you!" Zaira snaps.
She’s clinging to Mia’s arm like a monkey to a tree branch, occasionally shooting murderous glares at Chris to keep him away.
"You two, try to get along now that we’re all in the sa boat, okay? Next ti I hear you bickering, I swear I’ll beat the hell out of both of you," Mia cuts in.
"Yes, my sweet Mia, as you wish. If that’s what you want, I’ll try to tolerate that third wheel."
Zaira talks like they’re a real couple... poor Mia — I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes, stuck with a clingy barnacle like her...
"Chris, I didn’t hear you say you’d try to get along with Zaira. Move it."
"She’s the one with the problem, not . Anyway, fine. I promise."
"Good. We’re here."
The forest trail opens into a clearing. In the middle is a massive baseball field, abandoned for decades.
Mia and Zaira take their positions on the field, while Chris stays back.
"Isabelle told to give you a basic overview of how to use your vampire powers, so keep your eyes and ears open."
Mia’s eyes glow red, and a blood-red aura radiates around her.
Chris has seen sothing like this before — from Isabelle.
The night they were attacked by goblin rcenaries, his stepmother’s was like a raging storm. Mia’s is little more than a faint glow.
"What you’re seeing is called Sanguis — it’s the mana vampires use, flowing through our blood. The stronger your Sanguis, the stronger your body and your spells."
Mia stretches one arm out to the side.
Streams of blood pour from her palm and gather around her hand, forming a long, solid crimson scythe.
"A vampire can manipulate their own blood as easily as moving a limb. Though it might be hard to picture for soone who was human until yesterday. Clear so far?"
Chris nods, fascinated by what Mia is showing him.
The thought that one day he’ll be able to do the sa excites him more than anything.
"Perfect. That’s all you need to know for now. Zaira, let’s begin!"
"Then get ready, my love!"
An aura similar to Mia’s — but deep violet — surrounds Zaira, and two large demonic wings burst from her back.
So... that’s what a succubus looks like? That’s incredible! I can’t wait to see what she’s capable of!
Suddenly, Zaira thrusts her arm toward Mia and a sphere of violet energy bursts from her palm.
Yet Mia doesn’t move to dodge it.
Just before the sphere hits, she counters with a sharp swing of her scythe and disperses it instantly.
Zaira pouts slightly.
"You’re incredible, my love! But last week you would’ve just dodged an attack like that, and now you actually deflected it. Tell the truth — you didn’t train in secret with soone else to get that strong, did you? You know I get jealous."
"I asked Isabelle to put through so brutal training so I could do exactly this. That’s all. Now stop talking and let’s keep going."
"As you command, my love!"
Jeez... that girl is annoying. Why does Mia allow it? If Alexander called "love" all day and acted that jealous, I’d have told him to screw off a long ti ago.
Could it be they’re secretly dating? I’ll have to look into it later.
Zaira fires a sphere of violet energy much larger and faster than the last one... but not at Mia.
What the hell... has that psycho lost her mind?!
Zaira’s magic is too fast for Chris to dodge, and Mia is too far away to reach it and disperse the spell with her scythe like before.
Chris is staring death in the face.
He’s already saying his last prayers when a vise of pink flas clamps around the sphere and consus it just before it reaches him.
W-What the hell just happened?
Still shaken by the close call, Chris looks toward Mia.
The blood-red aura is gone — in its place, fierce tongues of fire swirl around her, while the pendant around her neck — the Tear of Azkarith — radiates a blinding light.
But the fiery aura only lasts a mont.
The flas rapidly fade, and Mia collapses to her knees, utterly exhausted.
"Z-Zaira... w-why did you do that...?"
"Oops, how clumsy of — I must’ve misjudged my aim. Oh well, what matters is no one got hurt — unfortunately..."
"B-Because of your ’mistake,’ I had to use all my energy to draw on Azkarith’s Flas. You’ve ruined an entire evening of training — Isabelle won’t be happy about this."
"Not necessarily — I can always train with Chris, that nuisance."
"N-Not happening! There’s no way I’m training with you, you crazy psycho!"
But Zaira acts as if she doesn’t hear him at all.
"So, what do you think, sweet Mia? Can I spar with your stepbrother? I promise I won’t hurt him — not too much..."
"N-No, that’s enough for tonight... let’s head ho."
Zaira’s eyes light up.
"You look exhausted... want to carry you ho?"
"No, your house is on the other side of the city. Chris will help back if I can’t make it on my own. Besides, I need to talk to him in private."
At those words, Zaira shoots Chris an icy, murderous glare that says she’d turn him to dust on the spot if she could.
Finally, she lets out a long, resigned sigh.
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