The woman

Everything still looked the same, yet the passage of years had rendered them aged and decrepit. Even the roof bore perforations, allowing beams of moonlight to filter through.

Zennosuke stood inside, reminiscing.

"The scent is becoming more pronounced," he whispered, pacing around the well placed in the middle of the cabin.

"But where is it coming from?"

He continued sniffing until the trail led him to peer down the well. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"H-How the hell did..." Zennosuke trailed off, recoiling in shock. His heart pounded in his chest. "How the hell did she get in there?!"

He cautiously leaned over again, peering inside. "What in the bloody hell of Dracula!" He nearly fainted upon confirming that there was indeed a human woman lying at the bottom.

Zennosuke bit his nails, panic setting in.

"What am I going to do?! It's the Bloody Week, for Dracula's sake! If she's discovered, she'll be killed instantly, and I can't let that happen."

He kept on fighting, almost choking in his own breath.

"Calm down, Zen. Breathe calmy," he muttered to himself, inhaling and exhaling. "That's it. Stay calm—who am I kidding? I can't."

He almost collapsed when he glanced at her again. "She's really there, my gosh! What am I going to do?"

Zennosuke held his temples in frustration. "I can't just leave her there and..." He paused, scrutinizing her clothes.

I'm certain this is a school uniform, but how? Humans don't attend school—they can't, unlike us.

Finally, after multiple attempts, he finally calmed down— barely.

He floated mid-air and slowly descended to get a closer look. He leaned forward, gently brushing aside the hair covering her face. His lips parted in shock.

"Caoimhe?!" He gasped, stepping back. "N-No! You're dead!"

"ZENNOSUKE?! SOME FOREST GUARDIAN TOLD ME YOU CAME THIS WAY. WHERE ARE YOU?! I FORGOT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!"

Zennosuke almost collapsed once again. The look of him panicking mid-air is such a hilarious scene to watch.

That was Rui, and if his calculations were correct, he's still kilometers away. He could discern his proximity by his scent and the way his voice traveled through the sound waves.

Zennosuke shook off the distraction and looked back at the girl.

He nees to hide her before Rui arrives. Then he would figure out why Caoimhe was there or if she was even Caoimhe at all.

Zennosuke retrieved a potion from his pocket and sprinkled a small amount on her and around the area to erase her scent before lifting her out of the cabin.

He took a concealed route, ensuring no one saw him, and thankfully, he made it out safely.

Zennosuke decided to take her to his secret lab for the time being until he could unravel this mystery.

The lab was situated in the western part of the kingdom, far enough to ensure her safety. This place was secret, known only to Zennosuke, Zero, and the Kingdom's head sorcerer for various reasons.

He quietly closed the door upon entering and gently placed her on a couch. He approached his cluttered desk, rifling through the scattered papers for clues. Zennosuke was certain he had read something about resurrecting the dead, but he found nothing.

He sighed, turning his gaze back to her. "Are you really Caoimhe?" he murmured, examining her face closely.

"There's no way you are, but... why do you look exactly like her?! I want to show you to Zero but—"

"Show me what?"

"HOLY FANGS!" Zennosuke gasped as the door swung open, revealing his twin brother. "A-Ah! Nothing?" He quickly positioned himself to block Zero's view, but it was too late; Zero's forehead was already creased in suspicion.

One undeniable fact about Zero was that he possessed the sharpest sense of smell across all five kingdoms, and, yeah, he likely had already detected her presence.

"You're hiding a human in this lab, aren't you?!"

Zennosuke stood there, paralyzed with shock, his mind racing for an explanation that might make sense to Zero. Words failed him, and his usual composure crumbled in the face of his brother's scrutiny.

"Why, Zen?" Zero demanded, his voice a mixture of rage and suspicion. "Why would you save a human? Do you intend to lose your title as the crowned prince? Are you really going to follow the path I once trailed?!"

Zennosuke's throat tightened. He tried to articulate his thoughts, but the words wouldn't come. All he could do was stand there, futilely attempting to shield the girl from Zero's view. Despite his best efforts, his brother caught a glimpse of her face.

Zero's eyes widened in disbelief. "Caoimhe?" he whispered, his voice breaking. It was impossible, yet here she was, wearing the face of his former lover who had died years ago.

Memories suddenly flooded Zero's mind that he flinched, the vivid recollections of the woman who had transformed his perspective on humanity—the very humans who had taken their mother from them.

Caoimhe had been the first person to pierce through his hardened heart, her kindness and love gradually dismantling his hatred.

But now, seeing her likeness in the girl Zennosuke had saved brought back the haunting memory of that tragic day. Zero's heart ached as he remembered the moment Caoimhe died in front of him, a moment seared into his memory with excruciating clarity.

She had attempted to end his life, driven by forces he never understood, and he had watched helplessly as her life slipped away.

"Zen, how...?" His voice quivered, his emotions in turmoil. "W-Why does she look like her?"

Zennosuke struggled to find the right words still, but managed to finally speak a little straight. "I-I don't know. I found her like this in the well back at the cabin, and I couldn't just leave her there."

Zero's expression hardened, his pain and confusion mingling with anger. "The c-cabin? Of all places?" He snorted. "What a cruel coincidence and you really brought her into our sanctuary? Do you realize the things you were risking here? You could lose everything, Zen!! Why the hell can't you understand that?"

"Then do you suggest to bring her back in there and what? Let her die? Can you even stand to watch such demise again?" Zen's voice was calm yet stern.

"I-I know and," Zero faltered, his own uncertainty reflected in his eyes.

"She looks exactly like Caoimhe, and even if not, I still had to do something."

Zero turned away, his shoulders slumping as the weight of his memories bore down on him.

"Saoirse is gone, Zen. She's been gone for years. This girl… this girl is not her."

Zen lowered his head, feeling the heavy burden of his brother's words. "I'm sorry, Zero. I just couldn't let her die."

Zero remained silent, the echoes of the past reverberating through the room. The sight of the girl had opened old wounds, and the pain of losing Caoimhe resurfaced, raw and unhealed.