Kill

We have decreased, but that does not mean we disappeared completely. Jel thought, sitting alone in his room as the moon started to break over the sky, returning the colour to his flesh, eyes and hair.

"It feels so nice to be able to see again." He mumbled, looking at his hands. "Then again, there was something interesting about being a well-known blind sculptor in the human world. Well, now my identity is someone else."

"Are you ready?" The red-haired woman asked, walking into his room wearing a long, black dress with a slit in the middle and another slit on the left of her leg.

"You sure are dressed up." Jel teased, pulling out a cloak with white fur at the ends from his closet. "Aren't you going to be cold?"

"The cold is nothing to me, Jel." The woman said, reaching into the closet and pulling a high necked shirt with silver linings all over the corners. "Wear this."

"You don't need to pick out my clothes anymore, Lumi." The man chuckled, taking the shirt from her and wore it. "But … thank you."

"It must have been a force of habit." The woman shrugged, grinning at him. "By the way, are you going to be able to make it there on your own?"

"Why wouldn't I?" The man asked, slightly offended. "Do you really think I am that bad at directions, Lumi?"

"Not at all." She said in a tone that was completely unconvincing. "Why don't you just come with me? I could get us there and back in no time."

"There is someone I need to pick up," Jel said, putting the cloak on. "So how do I look?"

"Dashing as always," Lumi said brightly, helping him fix his hair. "I don't understand how your original hair colour is like this. Half and half."

"Maybe one day we will know." He chuckled, staring at himself in the mirror. "Ok. I think I look presentable. I will see you in a bit, ok? Take care of yourself."

"Of course." She nodded at him, the two disappearing out of the window and into the forest behind their house.

Now. Jel thought, standing on the branch of a tree casually as he stared at his gloved hands. I wonder where my little molten lava could be.

Closing his eyes, he breathed in the air and filtered through the scents until he finally found the one he was looking for.

"Bingo."

As the darkness surrounding him, Jel disappeared, not leaving a trace that he was there in the first place.

_____________________

"Get away from me!" A pale, extremely boney creature screeched at the three in front of her as she struggled to even stand.

"Ma'am, you are dying," Roy said, bending to her. "Please allow us to give you a proper death."

The woman screeched, her laugh breaking the night and sounding like nails on a blackboard. "You? Give me a proper death? Don't make me laugh."

"It is true, madam," Alby said, looking at the woman as his caramel brown eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight. "We have been able to give peace to many of them and we can do the same for you."

"Right. You are offering to kill me." The woman said, her long black hair falling over her hollow, red eyes. "But you are not offering to allow me to live, are you?"

"That's-"

"You are all hypocrites." The woman shouted. "You get to live and I have to die?! Why? Because I am a vampire? Because I am a creature that consumes humans?!?"

"It's not because of that," Alby said, staring at the ground.

"Ha! Then what is it? Why do you all get to live, turning your back on people like us? The same type of people you are!" The woman screeched again. "I will not let you kill me. I will kill you and eat!"

Before Alby could say anything else, the woman charged at him, fangs ready to plunge.

"Alby!" Lily shouted, cutting the woman in half. "Are you ok?"

"Fine," Alby said, looking at the woman cut in half, still mumbling something under her breath. "What is she saying?"

"Probably some curses," Roy said, taking off his mask as he looked at the woman sadly, offering a prayer for her as her body disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Lily and Roy talked to each other while making their way out of the alleyway they were in while Alby stared at where the woman was before, gripping the sword in his hands tightly.

She said, 'save them.' He thought, biting his lower lip. I don't know who 'them' is. Is she asking me to save someone or is she asking someone to save someone? I can't just … ignore someone's last words.

Standing there, looking at the spot, he suddenly heard a sound behind him as hands reached out grabbing his arms and holding them behind him. Another hand clasped over his mouth before the person shoved him into the wall.

About to attack, a familiar voice came in his ears, "Hey. Hey. It's me."

Breaking free of the man's hold, Alby stared at the man behind him, instantly on guard. "Jel."

"Hey, you remember my name." The man said, grinning at him. "I am honoured, Alby."

"Don't call me that." He said, rolling his eyes at the man as he picked up his weapon. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you." The man said, grinning at Alby as his cloak flowed in the wind, the moon just behind him. "How are you? You look well."

"I am fine." He said, still staring at the place the woman was killed.

"Hmmm?" Something seems to be bothering you." Jel said, walking to Alby before pausing and smelling the air, a shadow coming over his face.

Noticing the silence, Alby looked at the man, "Je-?"

Without warning, Jel shoved Alby to the wall behind them, his eyes glowing. "You … you all really don't know when to stop, do you?"

"W-what do you mean?" Alby asked, the blade of the sword on Jel's neck, cutting it slightly.

Jel looked intently at Alby's eyes before sighing and dropping him, "I can't be too mad at you. You didn't know after all. Then again, I have taken out people for even less."

"What are you talking about?" Alby asked, coughing.

Putting his hand on the man's chin, Jel made him look up at him. "I wonder why I am softer towards you. Strange."

"Did I do something wrong?" Alby asked, looking straight at the man's eyes, not a hint of fear present.

Jel's eyes widened for a second before chuckling. "You have guts, kid, I will give you that."

"Tell me." Alby got to his feet and stared at Jel. "I won't know unless you tell me."

Before the man could say anything else, they heard voices rushing from behind them.

"Alby!" A woman's voice.

"Alby! Where are you?" A man's voice.

"If you really want to know. Meet me at the east of this town in two minutes. If you are late, I will leave you." Jel said, disappearing in the darkness.

"Alby! Why are you just standing there?" Roy asked the moment the two reached him. "Did you see something?"

Alby looked at them for a second, contemplating if he should tell them before shaking his head. "No. I was just … the woman said something, Roy. I know it."

"Alby."

"I don't think it is curses. It sounded sad." Alby insisted. "I feel very iffy about the way she died too. She … she made sense."

"I knew that would bother you," Roy said, sighing as he turned to Lily. "I told you this would bother him, didn't I?"

"Alby." Lily walked to him, putting a hand on his cheek. "You need to remember that we are able to live because we made sacrifices. We didn't get here because we were lucky."

"There was a bit of luck involved though," Roy admitted, chuckling. "No matter how scary you look like, Alby. You have such a soft heart. That was also why I wasn't sure if you would be cut out for this life."

"The decision had already been made though," Alby said, frowning under his mask. "There is no going back."

"Agreed."

"I just wondered, is there no way we can rehabilitate these people? Maybe help them live so that they don't attack the people."

"We tried that before," Roy said softly, hand gripping his left arm. "You remember what happened after that. I almost lost my arm and you … you almost lost your life."

"They are dangerous, Alby," Lily said softly. "Maybe if there is a way to quell this 'madness' then we would think of a better way to take care of them. But … for now, this is the most humane way we can do it."

I know. Alby thought, pursing his lips. But that doesn't mean it feels right, at all.