The only sounds that could be heard all around were those of swords, guns, and arrows. Human bodies lay on the ground, bloody and lifeless. Each group fought valiantly, but one prevailed—the group of vampires.
"Run!" shouted some of the few mortals nearby, quickly dashing into the forest as they abandoned their swords.
"Come on, let's get out of here!" urged one mortal, clutching his stomach where a large wound gushed with blood. He still managed to run, narrowly escaping from one of the vampire members.
"Our leader needs to know about this. We can't let those lifeless creatures succeed," he said with difficulty, his gaze fixed on the place they had left behind.
No mortal lives remained in the area, only the wounded vampires and their leader were left.
His fists were clenched, and the wounded mortal trembled with rage as he stared at his lifeless kind. Tears streamed down his face because of their defeat.
"Come on, let's go!" shouted another mortal as he ran off from the area. "Before they find out we escaped," he added before vanishing into the forest.
"Lord Salvatore, some mortals have escaped—one of them is the son of their leader," a vampire reported to their leader.
"Let them go so their leader will know of their defeat. Finish off the remaining mortals, leave no one alive, and then burn their bodies," he ordered before suddenly biting the enemy's neck and, without warning, severing it.
A smile formed on his lips, but he felt pain and regret as he saw the lifeless mortals. All he ever wanted was peace between humans and vampires. He never thought this would be the outcome of what he was fighting for.
"The battle isn't over yet," he muttered.
He knew deep down that this was not the end. The mortal leader was still alive, and some had escaped, and he was certain they would seek revenge after their defeat.
"Lord Salvatore, we've already burned the bodies. What would you like us to do next?" asked one vampire. Their leader suddenly fell deep in thought, and the first thing that came to his mind was his daughter.
"Go to the mansion, take my daughter, and ensure her safety. Our enemies might come for her since they know about her. Bring her to a secure place where none of them can find you. I'll follow after, I still have something I need to do," he replied, placing a hand on his kin's shoulder. "Take care of my daughter," he added, and in an instant, he vanished.
The vampire leader arrived at his friend's house. He didn't bother knocking because the door suddenly opened, and the couple greeted him. They knew he was coming and expected he would go to them after the battle.
"Salvatore, how are you?" the woman asked worriedly and embraced him.
"The battle isn't over yet," he replied softly, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
"What do you mean?" his friend asked, full of confusion.
"The mortal leader didn't show up to the battle, and while some of them escaped, most of their companions died," he answered. The couple was stunned by what he said, but eventually, they accepted it.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you. That was the only way to end the conflict between mortals and vampires, but I wasn't ready. I didn't help, nor did I fight for our rights," his friend said sadly.
"Don't apologize, I understand why you did it. You were only thinking about your family's safety," he said, but suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his body from the wounds he had sustained. He collapsed into a chair, clutching his chest where bloodstains remained.
"Arghh!" he groaned as an intense heat surged through his body. It felt as though his skin was burning from the arrow that had struck his chest earlier in battle.
The swords, arrows, and guns carried poison capable of taking down a vampire, and if they couldn't resist the poison coursing through their veins, it could even kill them. The mortals knew their weakness, and this could be what would ultimately bring an end to their kind.
"Your wounds haven't healed yet. It seems they've learned exactly how to exploit our weakness. I have an idea to fully heal your injuries, but I don't think you'll like it," the woman said, glancing at her husband.
They both knew what needed to be done. Only mortal blood could restore his strength and heal his wounds. But ever since his wife's death, their friend had only consumed animal blood.
"N-no, I can still endure this. I haven't drunk that in decades, and we can't be sure what it will do to me," he replied, struggling to speak.
"There's no other way. You need to try this, even if you don't want to," his friend said firmly, quickly leaving the room. When he returned, he carried a glass of blood and handed it to him. Though he didn't want to drink it, he accepted it and drank it immediately.
Slowly, the wounds on his body disappeared, and his strength gradually returned. When he opened his eyes, they were blood-red, but the color slowly returned to normal.
The couple smiled upon seeing that their friend was in good condition again, but the sadness on their faces was still evident because of what had happened to him.
"It's good that you're alright now," the woman said with a small smile.
"Thank you for your help," he replied. "I have a request for you. My daughter… she needs someone to adopt her," he added, which puzzled the couple.
"Why? Where are you going?" the woman asked in confusion.
"I need to leave her… for her safety. I know that after the battle earlier, they will retaliate against me through my daughter. They know about her, so I won't allow them to hurt her. There are other ways, but this is the only one I could think of that's right to keep her from being involved," he replied.
The couple thought deeply about what he said. Even though they disagreed with his decision, they could do nothing because they knew their friend believed it was the right thing to do.
"I know someone… who can adopt your daughter," the man said before looking at his wife. They both knew who it was, and they deeply trusted that person.
The day finally came when Salvatore would have his daughter adopted by a mortal. He had known this person for a long time and trusted him completely, as did his friend. That's why he trusted that this person would protect and take care of his daughter.
"Take care of my child," was all he said after handing over the one-month-old baby to the adoptive parent.
He felt the pain and longing as he thought about not being able to be with his child as she grew up. But he promised himself that he would return for his daughter and for his kind.
"I promise you, no one will ever hurt your child. I will take care of her," the adoptive parent replied. Salvatore approached his daughter and gently held her tiny hand. Tears suddenly streamed down his face at the thought of being separated from her.
"Papa will come back, I promise you that, my child. I hope you can forgive and understand me when you grow up. I love you so much," he said, crying, and kissed his daughter on the forehead.
"The battle isn't over yet, but I will protect you."