Chapter 13: I don't know what is happening

Lyra's response only heightened my confusion.

I wondered what could have happened during my long period of absence.

"Lyra, you need to give me clearer explanations," I insisted, trying to stay calm despite my growing frustration. "You were a child one year ago. Now you look exactly like your sister Misara."

Lyra sighed and sat down on the bed, searching for the right words.

"It's difficult to explain in just a few words, Alex," she began, looking at me with worried eyes.

"After you came here to Lungi, many things changed. There was an event... a magical event that caused some... changes."

"Changes? What kind of changes?" I asked, leaning in with curiosity.

Lyra nodded with a serious expression.

"There were experiments, studies... and in the end, something went wrong. I can't explain everything in detail, but what's certain is that time has been influenced in ways we can't fully comprehend."

Her words left me breathless. It was hard to believe, but every word she spoke seemed to make sense.

"So... what are you trying to tell me?" I asked, trying to process everything she was saying.

"I'm trying to tell you that... the world has changed, Alex. Things are no longer as you remember them," she said with a grave tone. "And you... you're at the center of it all."

"Vampires are moving way faster now and this is a clear sign of what they are capable of." She said.

Those words hit me like a lightning bolt. I was confused, scared, but above all, I was determined to uncover the truth.

"I need to understand what's happening," I thought firmly. "I need to find out what happened to me and to the world while I was in a coma."

I looked into Lyra's eyes, trying to find some answers in her words.

She didn't know what to say and she blushed, remaining silent.

She still had the mind of a twelve years old.

She's too pure and innocent for this world.

But deep down, I knew that the real answers would only come from delving deeper into this strange situation.

"Guys, we don't have time now. We gotta talk with the leader of Lungi about what just happened." Araknedis interrupted us, taking the blanket from my bed.

"Lyra, go talk with the leader of Lungi. This is an order." He said firmly.

Lyra looked at Araknedis with such a disappointed look and she had a small annoyed pout on her face.

"Fine. But later i want to spend time with big bro." She mumbled, before disappearing into a portal made from snow.

**Lyra was Misara's younger sister. She was still a child when she died and we always had a beautiful brother-sister relationship.**

Araknedis sighed and looked at me. 

"You've always been way TOO popular with girls, you know?" He said.

"Do you know how lucky you are?" He added with a jealous voice while tapping my shoulders.

The "funniest" thing about what he said is that i never done anything to flirt with girls or to interact with them in general.

I sighed playfully at Araknedis's comment.

I remember he never had much luck with women since the beginning of his career, but the fact that he's here now, smiling despite his tragic past, makes him much more than a hero.

He turned his hatred and thirst for vengeance against vampires into determination and, since childhood, he trained hard alongside his sister to master the magic of their ancestors.

Hikari has always been the more talented of the two, but despite that, nowadays they are both on the same level of power.

I was truly lucky to meet them, and I wanted to meet them again in more "friendly" circumstances but life can be full of surprises sometimes..

After taking those blankets from my bed, Araknedis went downstairs to cover the bodies of Oldrak's victims.

I remained alone in silence for a few minutes, thinking about how things would change from this moment on.

There were a lot of questions assaulting my thoughts, including why Lyra had reappeared so suddenly just now.

Being Misara's sister and therefore part of the royal family of hunters, due to her young age, she should still have been hidden away training until reaching adulthood.

But it wasn't just that.

I was much more concerned about Lucy's safety and the well-being of the inhabitants of Lungi.

As I remained there in the brutal quiet, my mind swirling with unanswered questions and uncertainties, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gripped me.

The events of the past few hours had turned my world upside down, revealing layers of complexity and danger that I had never imagined.

They were actually returned like a boomerang.

The "peaceful" year i had here in Lungi was about to transform into something more "Scary".

I just saw a glimpse of peace during this year.

The destiny wanted me to fight again.

I thought about Lucy, her safety now paramount in my mind.

She had always been a constant presence during this year in Lungi, a beacon of light in the darkness of our world.

She always cheered me up with a bright smile, every single day.

I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her, and yet, with the vampires growing bolder by the day, the threat to her life seemed more real than ever.

Maybe i was really in love again, but i was too focused on what happened to realize it, who knows.

I've never been good when it came to romance.

And then there were the people of Lungi, the innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of our battles.

They looked to us for protection, for guidance, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility weighing heavily on my shoulders.

How could I ensure their safety in a world teetering on the brink of chaos?

The hunters have chosen me to protect them.

With a determined sigh, I pushed myself off the bed and headed downstairs, steeling myself for the tasks that lay ahead.

Whatever the future held, I would face it head-on, armed with the strength of my allies and the resolve of my own heart.

As I descended the stairs, a sense of purpose washed over me, driving away the lingering doubts and fears.

The journey ahead would be fraught with danger and uncertainty, but I was ready to face it.

As i arrived where the bodies were, i saw Araknedis on his knees, near the corpses.

He was saying something in an unknown language.

Once he noticed my presence, he turned his head towards me and showed me a sad smile.

"That was an ancient prayer from my tribe. We used to do this for the innocent people who died. It says 'May all the gods bless you with eternal peace, where thousands souls are resting peacefully.' " 

Araknedis then stood up.

"I'm done here. We just have to wait for the royal guards to come." He added.

I silently nodded at him while taking another look at the bodies who were now covered by the blankets.

Such a painful sight.

The man who always greeted me with a smile a treated me like his son was brutally murdered and there was nothing i could do.

My old self would've cried for entire days but... The new me has become really cold when it comes to death.

It's ironic. 

I was about to cry for Lucy and for the dream i had last night, but not for deaths.

While being lost into my thoughts, i heard a knock at the door.

"Open up! It's Lungi's King Royal guards!!" They shouted.

Me and Araknedis went straight to the entrance and i noticed that the door was locked again.

We looked into each other's eyes and our hunter senses awakened.

"Do you feel it too, Alex?" He said, while his eyes began to burn of an intense blue, just like the ice.

"Yes." I replied, while grabbing my Xanderyl.

"OPEN UP NOW!" The voices from outside were getting louder.

"RUN AWAY FROM HERE! THERE'S A VAMPIRE!" Another voice shouted.

"You're right... and a very strong one." Another voice said.

A girly voice. 

It was very soft, but you could feel the murderous instinct inside of it.

I already heard this voice.

"GET OUT OF HERE, GIRL! THIS IS NOT FOR Y- AAAAAH! " The guard's voice got interrupted by an immense scream of pain.

"WHO THE HELL IS THAT MONSTER?!?!?" Another guard screamed. "GET YOUR WEAPONS RE-" His voice was cut off in an istant.

Me and Araknedis could hear the sound of their flesh being cut.

"RUN AWAY FROM HERE! A VAMPIRE IN THE SUNLIGHT! IT'S IMPOS-" Another guard died.

"Mmmm~ GIVE ME MORE BLOOD, HUMANS! HAHAHA!" This time, the vampire talked.

A bloodlust voice mixed with the scream of pain coming from the guards was resonating into our ears.

It was terrifying, horrible.

We could even hear the sound of her while she was sucking the blood out from the guards.

The door was still closed, but we decided to stay inside and wait for the vampire to attack for first.

A risky move would've made us dead meat.

She killed all the Royal guards in an instant.

A vampire fighting in the sunlight.

The only vampires who could resist sunlight were the generals of Legion.

"Oh... I smell... hunters... They are... my... most... favorite... I'll kill you and eat you... Mmm～" 

The vampire finally noticed our presence and it was ready to strike.

The door magically opened itself and we saw the horrific scenario.

Mutilated corpses of the guards were lying on the ground.

Blood was everywhere.

Royal guards are the most powerful soldiers in the city of Lungi.

Me and Araknedis closed our eyes and started to control our breathing to sense the vampire.

After some seconds of silence, Araknedis screamed.

"ALEX ! FROM THE ABOVE!" 

"GOT IT!" I replied, while raising up my Xanderyl.

***DENG**

The vampire finally striked.

Its sharp claws met my Xanderyl, making a very loud metallic sound.

They were like iron.

"YOU'LL DIE!" The vampire screamed.

That fight would've been very difficult... 

She'll die.