Chapter Twenty-Seven

Angella wandered down the hall for what felt like an eternity. "Where did she go?" She was quiet for a minute and wondered if she should just give up. Then groaned softly and decided to continue with her search. Ella searched every room and every corner of the academy that she crossed paths with.

"AHHHHHH!"

The vibration of the timbre of that unexpected scream pierced through Ella's body like a huge shard of glass. Her eyes widened and, for a split second, she felt her heart quicken, beating inside her chest like a small stone rattling inside a box.

"Please stop--Let me go!"

The cry returned, desperate, terrified... completely in their most natural and human state, albeit a bit squeaky. Somehow, that voice struck as familiar.

"Someone... Please, help..."

It was Alyssa's voice; and she needed help desperately, no doubt. She was on the clock.

So, before she knew it, her legs were banging furiously against each other as she ran down the corridor, trying to find the origin of the scream. Her skin fell in swathes from her body as she ran. The adrenaline coursed through her veins and her breath came in short gasps. And though her calves burned with the physical effort, she continued to push forward.

"Alyssa! Can you hear me?" She was unsure what exactly went through her mind when she heard Alyssa's plea. "Where are you?" Facing a situation of imminent danger, the most rational thing for anyone to do would be trying to find some help, and preferably from an adult... with a gun, taking everything into consideration. Even so, she could not possibly turn her back on her, one minute could be the difference between someone getting out alive from a near-death experience or not. "I know you hate me and all but, if this is a prank, it's not funny, you know!"

Eventually, she did find the source of the voice; piteous, helpless, animal moans came through the door making her slow her pace.

"A... Alyssa...?" she called out, losing the breath she had been unconsciously holding.

The room fell silent, suddenly.

As she opened the door and caught a glimpse of a few dark red spots of blood dotting the carpet in front of it, reality hit her.

The stench of blood invaded her senses and nausea rose to her throat. She covered her mouth with a hand and held her breath as she tried not to retch at the sight. There was another scent there as well, a strong ammonia smell, sour, like the scent of someone having peed on the floor.

Her eyes widened in recognition; the gruesome display struck her like a frozen water balloon. She wanted to look away, needed to tear her eyes away, but she could not.

The body of a student lay on the ground, faced down, lifeless as a statue. Her long, extremely blond hair was widespread around her, stained with fresh blood and possibly other liquids. There weren't any bruises or cuts on her arms and legs, but she was skinny as a stick. And her fingernails were splintered as if she had tried to scratch something like hardwood.

Gathering all the courage she could muster; she cautiously approached the body and crunched beside it. After a moment's hesitation, she moved a few strands from its face and neck to have a better look.

And that was a sight not to be easily forgotten. Her stomach clenched in pain and that was the final straw. She cringed and tried to suppress it at first, to no avail. The girl turned around and threw her guts out on the carpet. The vomit pooled beneath her, as Angella heaved on all fours. She coughed and gagged as her breakfast forced its way up to her mouth.

When her quaking body had finished purging, she wiped the remains from her lips and glanced at the corpse over her shoulder. Her hands trembled with fear and horror at the realization that a killer was roaming the academy. And she felt... contemplative. 'Why?' She didn't look like the other victims, at all. Was this just a convenience killing, then? Had she caught the killer middle killing another student and that sealed her fate? If so, where is the other body? Ella thought and her stomach twisted once more, feeling disgusted at such an act of wrath. She covered her mouth, hoping to keep the rest of her breakfast.

Seeing Alyssa's face white bleach, it was as if there was no drop of blood in her body. Her moss-green eyes were open wide; each pupil equally contracted and held such terror that it was as if she had seen the personification of the devil himself.

Her gaze wandered on her body, and it was then that she noticed a strange marking on her neck. "What the--" She touched it lightly with her fingertips, instantly making her frown. It was no regular bite mark, it was uncannily shaped like a human bite mark, the only difference being two tiny punctures where the canines should have been. "This can't be..." The mark of elongated and unusually sharp teeth reminded her of most of the vampire bites she had read in books.

She shook her head in dismay and stood. The whole situation was downright bizarre, but vampires did not exist. There must have been some strange kink at play. And that's what she believed, or rather, she forced herself to believe.

"I-I need to find someone--!" Standing, she turned to leave the room, but a silhouette emerged from the shadows after giving the door a slight push, making her stop dead in her tracks.

Then, a condescending laugh echoed in the empty room, giving Angella the chills.

She waited for her eyes to adjust and squinted at the person in front of her. "Who... who are you?"

The attacker appeared to be mid-young old and male, although, he had a medium-length haircut. His eyes were a crimson red that glowed in the dark and seemed to be fueled by the hunt. His skin was pale as snow, lips light pink as a rosebud, and hair black as ebony. He was appealing to the eye if not for the murderous gaze.

The man moved in the dim light, "That was quite the feast, I must say." with a slow movement, he swiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, staining it red. "I'm completely full and yet, your blood entices me."

She stared eye-wide at him, real fear now clutching at her heart.

"Ah, young Ella~ You've grown to be such a beautiful woman." He was smirking at her; his teeth quite unnatural, crooked in some places with abnormally sharp canines. "I've been looking for you for a while now."

"H-How do you know my name?" Ella's breath hitched, which caused more of the blood scent to invade her senses and leave her nauseous. She slowly stepped back and gripped onto her arms to camouflage the trembling of her hands. "W-What do you want from me?"

"Simple, really." Despite him sounding calm and controlled, something in the timbre of his voice had changed. He seemed annoyed at her. "What do all vampires want from their preys? Blood of course. And, on occasion, make a bride out of them."

Ella laughed, knowing he couldn't possibly understand why she found it funny, "You're kidding right?" but any further laughter died on her lips as she realized how serious he was. Soon a grave and prolonged silence fell between them, then the girl's face assumed a frightening cast as she added. "You're not..."

He said nothing and just kept staring at her, his expression remaining serious as ever; she was almost surprised to see that he was not to be trifled with.

"Are you the one behind all those disappearances? A-Are they... did you kill them?" asked the girl, in a voice that trembled a little. He didn't have to confirm anything because she already knew the answer. "W-Why? Why them? Why me now?"

Suddenly, his eyes flashed angrily, and he moved forward at incredible speed, reaching for her neck. "As much as I appreciate a good give-and-take, you ask too many questions." The man tightened his grip slightly around her throat as he spoke.

The young student strained to break free from his grip and he still held her in place. She even kicked and clawed, but that served her nothing. It was as if she was trying to fight a wall of steel and not a carcass of flesh. "What... are you?"

Angella did not have the time to second-guess herself because the next thing she knew, she was being forced against the wall all while he towered over her.

In one fell swoop, she felt him reach out to the knot of her tie, forcibly pulling it down and throwing it to the ground. Then, he almost tore her shirt apart while exposing the area between her jaw and shoulder.

The young woman jumped up in her skin and gasped in horror as she lost grasp of the situation. Memories from last night flowed into her mind, despite that being an entirely different situation.

The man brushed his pointy teeth against the surface of her skin then stopped at one particular spot; the very place where her shoulder reached her neck. "You know exactly who I am. Say it."

"T-That can't be," she stammered a bit, desperately trying to find another explanation. "There is no such thing as vampires. They aren't real, just fictional characters from a book. And for all I know, those could be fake."

"Skeptic, aren't we?" The man's voice sent a dreadful shiver down her spine; he fondled her skin with his tongue and whispered softly into her ear. "I feel tempted now. If I show you, will you believe me then?"

In a peak of courage, she slammed her elbow into his ribs, and he chuckled, pinning her hands above her head. "You haven't lost it, uh? Even after all these years." He sounded surprised, though his face expressed delight.

"I don't know who you think I am but, you've got the wrong person! Please, just let me go! Promise I won't tell anyone!" She fought back tears, not wanting to break in front of him.

The man rudely ignored her plea, he was blinded by his primal instincts. His fangs prodded at her skin, unable to decide whether to pierce it or not. She squirmed in his grip, but to no avail, she failed in doing anything useful. "S-Stop... help..." Her heart soared, and she almost cried out at being rescued.

"I wonder: does your virginal blood taste as good as I remember?" Seeing her on the verge of a breakdown, he hastened to reassure her though. "Oh, don't worry, I'll only drink just enough to have a taste."

The mystery man really went with the first option, he hissed and prepared himself to pierce her neck with his fangs, however, he ended up being interrupted by a third party.

He was pulled off her and thrown across the room. But like a cat, he landed on his two feet as if that did not take any effort at all. Such temporary setback on his feast meant nothing to the immortal bloodsucker, who merely smirked at the other man.

Angella then fell to her knees holding onto her own neck, slightly coughing for air. Tears stung her eyes, and a sob forced its way through her constricted throat.

Things were getting complicated there and it seemed that she was in shock.

"Ella-- Ella!" Someone called her name several times and, when she finally did pay attention, her eyes widened in surprise.

"P-Prefect Nicholas--?" She blinked through her tears, waking up from her stupor. 'Where did he come from? And how was he able to shove him off just like that?' No matter how much she asked herself that question, the answer remained elusive.

In a defensive stance, he stood between the girl and the killer. "Run and don't look back. Go! What are you waiting for?! An invitation?" She jumped at the harsh words. "I'll take care of this. Now go. Go!"

She stared at him expectantly but nodded nevertheless as she picked herself from the floor. And she did as she was told. Angella ran as if her dear life depended on it, and it did depend on. Now tears were freely running down her face, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve at every opportunity so she could see where she was going.

Every door she encountered was either locked from the inside or another dead end. She began to panic, where else could she go? Then, luckily, she found the emergency door, the one which led to the staircase on the outside of the building. The girl let out a massive sigh and pushed the door open, stirring through not caring that she had set off yet another alarm and revealed her position.

When she thought things were going in her favor, she hit flat on the face on another closed door. "C'mon... really?!"

Murmurs of a one-sided conversation sounded in the distance. It was him. 'How did he catch up so fast, and where was Prefect Nicholas?' She hoped for his well-fare but, above else, she wished for herself to get out unscratched.

Desperately, she slammed a hand on the glass and tried to open the door with the other but was unsuccessful. That door had a special lock, it required a key and a code to open. "Merde." She cursed under her breath.

"Ella~" His voice coaxed in one melody after another. Judging from how close it sounded, he was right at the corner. "Where are you, Ella darling?"

'No... No...' The young woman continued trying though knowing it wouldn't take her anywhere. 'Please...' She pulled and pushed with every ounce of strength in her body, but the door did not jam, not even an inch.

He kept calling her name and telling her that everything would be fine and to its rightful place once he transformed her. He was taking his sweet time catching up, and it was all because of the thrill of the chase.

'Found you.' The words echoed through the narrow space to her ears.

Startled, she turned around and forced her back against the door. Her heart took a leap, and she stood, halfway to him before his sharp look reminded her that she was dealing with someone who was nothing but dangerous. "Where's Prefect Nicholas? What did you do to him? Is he alive?"

He didn't respond, and she thought it was best to direct her energy to: running rather than talking. With just her eye movement, she tried to find some weakness within the door structure; be it in the glass, hinges, or handle but found none. And she looked around, yet her only way out did seem to be the one door that was locked.

What should she do? Fear and panic bubbled within her. If she were not to do anything, she sure would end up like Alyssa. 'Maybe If I break the glass with something strong like an ax or something...'

Then at the corner of her eyes, she spotted a broken iron pipe on the left; bits of smoke were coming out from the loose end, where it was supposed to connect to the other pipe.

It was a few minutes before she became self-aware of him watching her with an intent stare. "So, should we finish what we started before the interruption?" His tone suggested impatience, but his expression remained playful. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It works for me either way. "

Apparently, he had convinced himself that he had corned her at last. Whatever she planned to do, she would need to do it now. She needed to go for it.

Without giving it much thought, she held her breath and pulled the pipe until every nail shot up uncontrollably, and the remaining hold of the duct onto the wall was liberated. Yielding it in the air, she aimed it to the door but, even though her right swing was strong, she wasn't able to break the glass in one go.

Unfortunately, she didn't get to swing at the door a second time. By the time she tilted her head back, he was standing right next to her. The man yanked her arm back and forced her hand open.

She groaned with pain as he squeezed her wrist with fierceness; the pipe fell to her feet with a loud thud. "N-No!"

"So, you want to escape me that bad? Then, let me help you. " And, before she knew it, he had pushed her towards the glass door. For a moment it seemed that she was doomed, and her body was going to defy gravity. But that would be the case if it were a window and not a door.

She felt the glass door shattered under the impact of her body. The shards of glass embedded into her were not painful at first, but a moment after, that became as painful as placing a hand on top of a hot stove. The moment her body hit the railing, she realized there were chunks of glass dug deep inside her right flank courtesy of Mr. 'I am a vampire' here. Still, she placed her hands on the ground in front of her and tried to get up.

The attacker set foot on her back and pushed her down again, then he made her roll to the side and down a flight of metal stairs at once; she nearly broke her neck with the fall, fortunately, she was uninjured from the landing. The scent of blood was subtle, but strong enough to be noticeable by anyone a feet away from that spot. "Ups, that was incredibly irresponsible of me. Are you hurt, darling?"

His words almost missed her. She couldn't see the man through her blurry eyes, just the red of blood, dirt, and small pieces of the glass on the palms of her hands. She surrounded the shard and applied pressure to slow down the bleeding all while, at the same time, trying to control her breathing. Her heart was racing, and she instinctively wished to be dead.

"Your blood smells really good." He wasn't able to think of anything else but biting her neck as he climbed on top of her injured body and whipped his thumb across a small cut on her cheek, then licking it and tasting the blood. "Hm~ heavenly, I must say."

When there was only silence, her face warmed at how desperate she was to get rid of him but couldn't. She felt her instincts go into high gear, stopping her from only 'focusing' on the pain but also to 'thinking' of a way of defending herself.

"Ah, what a beautiful rainy day," He let out a long sigh and tilted his head back, looking up at the sky; he closed his eyes as if he were enjoying the raindrops dripping onto his face. "Does it not feel great on your face? The rain? Comforting and yet cold?"

She took the opportunity; her hand began to blindly search the surrounding ground looking for anything that could serve as a weapon. Soon, her fingertips touched a glass sharp that fell along with her while she tumbled down the stairs.

Then his expression tensed, lips held firmly shut over clenched teeth, with the sudden realization of his condition. "But a dead man doesn't feel."

'C'mon', Ella stretched her hand as much as she could, but it was proving to be an impossible task.

"Anyway, don't mind any of that." He bowed his head and established eye contact with her yet again, smirking. "Does that hurt? I bet it does... allow me to ease your pain," He leaned down; kissing the soft part of her neck that pulsed with turmoil, which excited him. As he spoke, his fangs lengthened, and he relinquished what was underneath her skin, "It will only take a minute, I promise."

Angella stared at the sky, the raindrops on her eyelashes made her brown eyes darken. The reality of her situation began to sink in, it was now or never. She closed her eyes and used all her strength left in her to grab the piece of glass and stab him.

His eyes settled on the glass pierced through the fabric and onto his skin. It was not long until the stillness of the space was perturbed. His laugh grew louder, echoing in the open space and growing in intensity as a dark liquid speedily tainted his shirt. He then grasped her hand, which was still holding onto the glass, and slowly removed the shard from his body until it was completely out.

What truly surprised her was what happened next. Her mouth gaped open seeing his wound healing itself in just mere seconds. "What--?"

"What were you seriously hoping to accomplish with it? Kill me? You can't kill me, I'm immortal." He said, lifting her chin to meet his gaze, eyes glowing red in hunger, "Well, I do love my meals squirming but," then gripped her cheeks firmly and forced her face aside. "I'm done playing games, silly girl." The devil on top of her whispered a moment before his fangs finally sank into her neck.

She jerked, feeling her skin and muscle tear, a pain that felt like her body was being shredded to bits, slammed into her all at once. She dug her nails onto his shoulders to bear with the burning sensation numbing her limbs.

He sucked in long gulps of her blood; the bright red liquid trailed from the corner of his lips to his chin while he drank gallons after gallons of her sweet blood. He moaned softly with pleasure. The passion and savagery of the bite had him moving his hands down to her waist as well as to her back and arching her body up to get better access to her neck.

She squirmed and kicked until there was no more strength left in her, not even to scream or to move from underneath him. Her hands slipped off and fell beside her body, and it wasn't long before her breathing slowed.

She felt hopeless in the end, her eyes held only sadness, but her hands no longer shook. She was no longer afraid. One moment she was fighting and in the next, it was as if she had lost all will to live.

Before her eyes could roll to the back of her head, she distinctively caught the silhouette of someone forcing the vampire off of her. With the rash motion of teeth being pulled out, her flesh was forcibly ripped apart and left her with nothing but a sense of tingling. Strangely, there was no pain. She felt the cold circulating her body but, nothing else.

It was when she felt a slight pressure being applied to her neck but saw only outlines and faint colors; whoever was towering over her was trying to reach out to her but, she could only hear static. A long, weary sigh escaped her lips and she lost consciousness, at last.

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