Seamus frowned, his body shivering. Not out of fear for the monster in front of him, but because this thing knew who he was. That shouldn't be possible.
If the Velstrath House truly intended to monopolize him—as they absolutely should—they wouldn't let word of his special blood slip to anyone. Not even the Seven Great Covenants they claimed to be allied with.
And judging by their obsessive possessiveness, he was sure they wanted him for themselves.
"How... who told you about me?" he asked, his voice cold and razor-sharp.
The scavenger only laughed, a horrible, wet noise scraping out of its throat. "You're going to die, and that's your last question? What a fool."
It raised a gnarled hand, claws suddenly elongating, glinting in the mist. But before it could strike, Seamus moved—grabbing the creature's wrist and channeling the raw power he borrowed from Isolde, tearing the arm clean off.
The scavenger's scream tore through the forest as black blood splattered everywhere. Without hesitation, Seamus drove a hard kick into its stomach, sending it crashing against a nearby tree.
He advanced without pause, his presence towering, his green eyes glowing in the dark with an eerie intensity—bordering on red.
"Tell me who told you about me," he said with a commanding tone. "Or I swear I'll rip your head off next."
The creature cowered, shrinking into itself as if hoping the tree behind it could offer shelter. "The crow! The crow told me!" it cried, voice trembling with desperation.
"They said Velstrath has it... that a new member has it! The Crimson Nectar! I—I thought I could finally end this thirst!"
Its lifeless gray eyes begged him for mercy. The scavenger dropped to its knees, crawling forward to clutch at Seamus' boots.
"Please, just a drop. Let me taste it. Please… free me. I'm cursed. Just one taste."
It licked at his foot, its fangs bared, tears mixing with saliva and blood.
Disgusted, Seamus recoiled and kicked the creature again. It flew across the clearing and slammed into the underbrush.
"What the hell! The crow? What the hell do you mean by—"
He froze mid-step.
Overhead, the sky was filled with circling crows. They cried out in unison, a chorus of harsh caws echoing through the forest as if laughing at them. The air turned heavy. His breath caught as a massive pressure closed in behind him.
He couldn't see it, but he could feel it… Something with overwhelming power was ready to strike him. Red eyes, watching him, devouring him without touching him.
Seamus' body felt locked, chained down by invisible weight. The mist thickened, the chill burrowed deep into his bones, and he could barely think.
"No! Forgive me, my Lady! Forgive me!" the scavenger screamed, now prostrated before whatever force loomed behind Seamus.
But the apology meant nothing.
Without warning, the scavenger's body began to swell grotesquely, then burst. Blood and shredded flesh sprayed across the trees, painting the woods in gore. Seamus blinked through the horror, gasping for breath, his chest heaving as that suffocating pressure closed in.
"What... the hell..." he managed, barely above a whisper.
Then it happened.
[Ding!]
[An abnormal power detected!]
[Survival protocol initiated.]
[Sagacitas Wall stat has increased temporarily.]
{Host, run. Run as far and fast as you can.}
His body, finally freed, moved before his brain could catch up. He sprinted, the mist blurring into streaks of gray and black as trees whipped past him. The wind tore at his clothes, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.
There was only one safe place in this cursed town.
The Velstrath mansion.
His heart pounded, sweat trickling down his face despite the freezing air. He'd never known fear like this before, not even when facing death. Not like this.
Eventually, the system pinged again, informing him that the "abnormal presence" had vanished. Seamus slowed, gasping for breath, only to feel cold iron pressing against his throat.
"Who are you?" came a soft, menacing voice from behind him.
He stiffened. "It's me. Seamus... Isolde?"
There was a pause, and then the blade retreated.
"Oh my, I didn't realize it was you, Seamus," Isolde said, her voice suddenly sweet and composed. "What are you doing out here, in the middle of the forest?"
He didn't answer at first, debating how much to tell her. But this wasn't just some random vampire encounter. Whatever that presence was, it had nearly killed him just by existing.
"I was attacked," he said carefully. "He... knew about the Crimson Nectar."
A twitch flickered in Isolde's expression, barely noticeable, but there. Her left eye twitched before she composed herself with another gentle smile.
"Is that so?" she murmured. "Poor thing... my son." She took his hand gently in hers. "Come inside. You're freezing. I'll make you mulled wine to warm you up."
"Okay… but let's talk about this inside! And don't treat me like a child," he said firmly, annoyed by how she seemed to dismiss him.
"Oh? You want to be treated like a man?" she leaned in, so close their noses touched.
"Until you stop blushing and start visiting my chambers at night, you're still just a brat," she grinned, amused by his growing irritation.
"That's not what I meant! I'm in college now, I'm a proper adult—"
Before he could finish, Isolde kissed him, her soft, sweet lips silencing his protest. She lingered for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"See? You're a man now. Come on, let's get you warmed up," she said, taking his hand and pulling him back toward the mansion.
Seamus frowned, feeling like he had lost yet another round in this game between them.
***
"Do you think any of the Velstraths have this kind of power?" the woman asked, tucking her dark hair behind her ear as she crouched beside the pool of dark blood and scattered meat.
"No… Two of their members are out of town, and according to our intel, they won't be back until the end of the month," said the blonde man in his forties. His gaze lingered on the looming mansion as if it might hold the answers.
"This Class E vampire's hand is intact though. What the hell happened here?" she asked again, narrowing her eyes.
"Whatever it was, something terrible," the man muttered grimly.
"Sorry I'm late—professor wouldn't let me leave class," another woman called out, waving as she approached with coffee in hand.
They turned to see her, unimpressed.
"Overtime again?" the first woman sighed. "You know I have kids to take care of, Maria."
Maria laughed awkwardly. "I know, I know. I'm really sorry, Betty. I don't make the rules." She handed them their drinks.
"Well, let's wrap this up. Run a scan for any sanguine particles and compare them to the Velstrath database. If there's no match, we'll pass this case on to another team," the man said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yes, David. I'll get it done right away."