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The streets were empty. Not a soul in sight besides the two of them.
Lyss, the vampire, hummed cheerfully as she skipped ahead, light as if the entire world existed only to match her mood.
Her gothic black dress contrasted with the pale mist; chains and silver accessories swayed around her neck and wrists, reflecting the faint glow of the lampposts.
A little behind her, slightly taller, walked Victor.
In the end, he had somehow gotten himself a date with a vampire on his very first day in the city.
Though he saw the situation… very differently.
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"May I come in?" Lyss asked, staring at him through the window.
"You're a vampire?"
She smiled, letting her fangs peek at the corners of her mouth. "How did you know?"
"A lot of thinking. Obviously."
"Ohh, a charmer, aren't you?" she laughed brightly. "So? Can I come in?"
In that moment, Victor realized something — the vampire in front of him followed the old rules. She couldn't enter a residence without the owner's permission. That was why she stood frozen outside and called him instead of simply walking in.
And on top of that, she was floating. She gave off a strange aura. With his ability, Victor saw immediately that she was Lyss Greven. He didn't expect to meet a member of the vampire family so soon. He guessed she might be behind the disappearances or the fog — though tonight it wasn't as dense as Zeth described.
"I'm not letting you in."
"Oh come on, I just wa—" she was cut off.
"I'd rather go outside," Victor said, opening the window.
Lyss blinked, surprised. It had been centuries since she'd seen someone with such boldness.
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And so they walked: a metamorph and a vampire under the moonlight.
Victor still didn't understand what she wanted from him.
Maybe it was about the armor he fought — maybe someone from her family saw it. With some ability or artifact, it was possible.
"So… what do you want to do with your life?" Lyss asked.
"You ask difficult questions."
"Ironic. Two hundred years ago, humans used to say the exact same thing. I don't blame your kind — with such short lifespans, planning a future must be a challenge."
She spoke naturally, as if talking to an old friend. Yet avoided certain topics.
"Where do you live?" Victor asked.
"Oh, I can't tell you that."
But when the subject was her tastes, her hobbies…
She answered with shining eyes, genuinely excited.
"You like that style of clothing?"
"Oh yes! Fashion changed so much while I slept. I can't wait to try everything I missed."
It was strange… but Victor noticed that, despite everything, she was just a curious girl displaced in time.
A cruel girl, yes — but still… curious.
As they walked, Victor realized he likely wouldn't get any real information out of her. This was turning into just a normal nighttime stroll.
Until the mist grew thicker. Huge waves of it rolled between buildings and houses.
Victor began hearing synchronized, fast steps around them — like four-legged beasts.
He looked sideways and saw a blurry shape rush by.
"What's happening?"
"Oh, just my pets."
A white creature approached, a distorted humanoid body, eyeless, jaw broken. It sat politely beside the vampire, and she petted its head like an adorable dog.
"They're my ghouls. Don't worry, they won't attack you while I'm here," she said, giving him a warning glance. "As long as you don't attack me either."
"How cruel of you to assume I would."
Lyss smiled and turned into an alley.
Two ghouls immediately appeared and lunged at two sleeping homeless men.
Victor stayed silent as they were devoured. The scene disturbed him deeply, but there was nothing he could do — with the first strike, the men were already dead.
"You're doing this to feed your… dogs?"
"Fufu, of course not. They hunt better when they're hungry." She gave a look far too innocent for the scene. "I just need the blood afterward."
"Going to make some juice?"
She laughed, delighted. "You really are adorable. But no. I like my blood with a side dish, you know? The problem is… my family's facing some… financial difficulties. All my food spoiled, and worst of all… our money is worthless now!"
"So in short: you're broke."
"Is that what they call poor people these days? I love it. So dramatic."
"Today we use gold, silver and bronze. What did you use back then?"
"Crystalized mana. Blue, red and gold ones. Gold was worth the most. But now they discovered mana crystals are better for forging gear, so they switched to more 'common' materials."
"I didn't know that. So catalyst equipment used to be rare."
"Very. That's why that armor was so terrifying. It was a huge problem for us."
"You know you can sell your crystals, right?"
"Yes. But unfortunately mine weren't polished, so they're just dull crystals without real value now. They don't even shine."
"I see. Shame. But the technology must be a shock to you, right?"
"I was amazed when I saw those machines roaming Eldoria… back in my time that was fantasy."
"How did you see that? Were you there?"
"Can't answer."
Lyss stopped, turned toward him, and adjusted the collar of her blouse.
Then, unexpectedly, she knelt.
She took Victor's hand — firm, without hesitation.
He didn't pull away, but didn't react either.
"I wish to make a request."
Victor gave her a puzzled look as she continued.
"I waited a long time to meet someone like you. So…" she looked up, her green eyes glowing with a beauty and power that almost didn't feel mortal. "Would you marry me?"
Silence fell.
Normally, it was the man who would ask the woman he loved — not the other way around. Though of course, the reverse isn't impossible.
Victor was a pretty good-looking guy, so it wasn't an absurd scenario — still, he couldn't help but feel surprised, even if his expression remained calm.
It was his first marriage proposal.
And despite the strange and wicked girl asking — it was still the first woman ever to directly invite him into something serious.
Lyss Greven would forever remain in the metamorph's memory for that alone.
He took a breath. Prepared. Looked her in the eye and gave his definitive answer:
"No. My bad."
Silence again — broken only by Lyss' confused sound. "Huh?"
Her eyes widened. Her aura shifted instantly.
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