The Pursuit

A thick layer of snow crunched underneath each panicked footstep– the dull sound echoed audibly through the whistling winds. A shadowy figure ran through the ice-filled forest, unaffected by the frigid temperature.

Trailing behind him were crimson droplets of blood, his fingers placed on a wound right in the middle of his stomach- trying to stop the bleeding. It was painful, his organs felt like they were being torn apart, piece by piece.

He knew it would be painful, the silver bullet had pierced him, after all.

"Shit!" The figure cursed after a sharp branch got caught on his cloak. His fear was evident as his eyes darted behind him, feeling his perpetrator's gaze piercing his back. The hunters chasing after him were relentless, they would not stop until he was nothing but ashes.

A high-pitched sound pierced through the air, the sound echoing in his ears.

A silver bullet barely missed him, hitting the tree beside him.

"Missed!" The hunter's chilling voice reverberated through the air, and an almost cruel-sounding chuckle echoed in his ears "Enough running, Leon." The hunter called out his name- he heard another clicking as the hunter prepared to shoot him once more.

Leon Kreutz had found himself in quite an ironic situation. A vampire hunter… well, former vampire hunter, now that he had an entire branch hunting after him.

"Come on!" Leon snarled as he continued to sprint through the snowy forest, his heart pounding in his chest. His thoughts raced to come up with a plan, he couldn't just hurt his former comrades. The silver bullet lodged in his stomach was not helping either. The pain that was rising in his body was almost unbearable. It wouldn't heal until he could get it out but he knew he didn't have the time to stop.

Vampires.

They were what they hunted-– what he had hunted… despite being one himself.

Vampires were brutal creatures that craved power and devoured anything that came their way. Human blood was their main source of sustenance, some vampires go further and consume human flesh. Either way, they were humanity's eternal enemy, like a never-ending game of cat and mouse.

It would be hypocritical to say that he wasn't like those vampires… because he probably was. Until he had lost his memories and was found by the hunter's organization.

"Leon!" The hunter called out from behind him "Under the jurisdiction of The Silver Cross, you are under arrest for treason!" The threat was evident in the hunter's voice, the man, Rozenberg, had always shown disdain towards Leon. Perhaps, that's why he was so motivated to capture him.

The sudden gunshot distracted him, the moment he turned his head, the hunter was gone. It was a blur of colors before he was pushed down the snow- a painful grip on his throat. The hunter's nails dug on his neck.

The crystalline snow crunched on his face as air was cut off his throat "Ahk!" a choked sound escaped his lips "R-Rozenberg…"

How could a human have such strength?

His vision blurred as Rozenberg's vice-like grip tightened around his throat. Desperation surged through his veins, his instincts screamed at him to survive, to live… to fight.

But he shouldn't fight humans. He shouldn't. He shouldn't. He shouldn't. He shouldn't harm them.

If he did, then he'd be the same as all the other vampires.

Leon had worked so hard to hide his identity as a vampire, that only his 'mother' knew about the truth but now that she was gone; the higher-ups could do anything they wanted.

"You brat! I knew there was something wrong with you!" Rozenberg growled at him "Did you like it? Parading around knowing that you were tricking all of us?" His eyes flared with anger as he continued to dig his fingers into Leon's skin.

The middle-aged hunter was strong and if Leon was human, he could have already died under his grip. Leons struggled as much as he could, his senses were still sharp, even from such a distance he could hear the footsteps of other hunters already coming close.

It had happened so quickly, just a few days ago, he was coming back from a mission and then suddenly he was being hunted. The sudden change was so difficult, tLeon didn't know anything else besides being a hunter.

Leon's silver eyes widened as Rozenberg pulled out a silver dagger, the metal shone menacingly under the moonlight. In an instant, it pierced through his chest almost like his flesh was just made of paper. Blood sputtered out of his mouth as his body seized in pain. He couldn't even describe the agony that ran through his veins.

Leon was going to die.

He knew that and he wasn't afraid of death.

What he feared would be the consequences of his death. What would happen to his team and the people he had sworn to protect?

Silver through the heart could immediately kill vampires but Leon remained conscious. His vision blurs and the pain continues to burn through his body like a constant reminder of his wicked lineage as a vampire.

"Why are you not dying?" Rozenberg panted out.

Leon wanted to reply in a sarcastic voice, to tell the older man that he didn't know either. Instead, his body once shook with pain as blood continued to pour out of his lips. Through his blurred vision and pain, he was sure he felt his own lips moving in silent prayer––

His mind lulled him to a deep rest, something he knew he wouldn't wake up from.

Before everything faded into black.

***

[YEAR 18XX]

[ORDER OF THE SILVER CROSS]

[CONFIDENTIAL FILE]

[CLASSIFIED - LEVEL 8 CLEARANCE REQUIRED]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

FULL NAME: Leon Kreutz

DATE OF BIRTH: UNKNOWN [Captured: July 6 18XX]

NATIONALITY: UNKNOWN

BLOOD TYPE: [REDACTED]

AGE: (Allegedly) 24

HEIGHT: 6'0 ft

HAIR COLOR: Pale Blonde

EYE COLOR: Silver

BACKGROUND:

Leon Kreutz joined the Order of the Silver Cross after he was found by Vice-General Adelaide Kreutz. A vampire with no memory, little is known about his past. Vice-General Adelaide had found him a great asset for The Order. His identity remains a secret, this information is only known by higher-ups.

TRAINING AND ASSIGNMENTS:

Leon underwent extensive combat training, specializing in advanced marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat. His abilities as a sharpshooter are unmatched; he has never missed a target's head. A valuable asset in critical missions.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The third member of Special Unit 2, participated in the most high-stakes missions aimed at neutralizing the vampire threats across the regions.

PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Leon is known for his exceptional politeness and impeccable manners, adhering to conventional human morality despite his lack of empathy due to his alleged vampire nature. He appears to have lost his memories and operates solely on the training he received within the Order.

Leon Kreutz has exhibited exceptional mental resilience and unwavering loyalty to the Order. He shows strong moral convictions and an unshakeable belief in the mission. However, recent events have raised concerns about his mental state, as he has been increasingly questioning the Order's methods and objectives.

SECURITY THREAT LEVEL:

Recent events and concern regarding Leon Kreutz's loyalty and mental stability, his threat level is increased to [4]. Subject is to be monitored closely and any sign of insubordination should be reported immediately.

CONCLUSION

NOVEMBER 14 18XX

Reports about suspicious behavior has been reported by [REDACTED]

DECEMBER 20 18XX

Deviated from the Order's objective. Must be captured if Leon Kreutz shows any sign of resistance, the subject must be killed on sight.

[END OF FILE]