The forest went too still, even the wind was holding its breath.
From between the foggy trees, a vampire stumbled forward. His skin was ashen, veins black, crawling across his neck, and his red eyes burned, feverishly.
"P-please…" he croaked, clutching at his chest. His body shook with every breath. "It hurts…help me…save me"
Anwen gasped and took a shaky step back, but Theon's arm was already around her, pulling her close. He pressed her face into his chest, shielding her from view. His voice came calm, almost lazy.
"You're too far gone," he said. "There's no saving you now."
Shadows curled up around them like a cloak, wrapping tight as if to hide Anwen's very presence. She could feel them pressing against her skin, cool and strange, and yet the vampire still shuddered violently, his head lifting like a hound catching a scent.
"You…brat!" he snarled, his words broken between pained gasps. "Why won't you help me? I begged you—why won't you—" His body jerked, trembling with unnatural strength.
Anwen trembled harder in Theon's hold, her small hands twisting into his clothes. She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't. The man's voice filled with pain, ringed in her ears.
And then he froze. His nostrils flared, his chest heaving as he inhaled sharply. Slowly, his gaze snapped toward Anwen, even though Theon's shadows wrapped her like a shield.
"That smell of blood…" His lips peeled back, a sick smile spreading. "So pure. So sweet."
Anwen's heart leapt into her throat. He had smelled her. Theon's shadows weren't enough. Or maybe the corruption had already corroded his heart, heightening his senses.
The vampire's voice dropped into a growl. "Share her with me," he demanded, his red eyes glowing brighter. "I want a taste of her"
Anwen shook like a leaf in the storm, tears pricking her eyes. She didn't even dare to breathe. He wasn't going to give her up, right?
But Theon just looked down at her, his strange glowing eyes softening in a way that made her chest ache. His mouth curved into a faint smile, and when he spoke, his voice was steady and sharp at once.
"I can't," he said. "This one's already mine."
Anwen's breath hitched. Is he talking to me?
The vampire roared, his body surging with insane speed as he lunged at them.
Theon didn't even blink. He held Anwen's gaze, unflinching, while shadows exploded around them, wrapping them in a cocoon of darkness. Bolts of purple lightning shot from his body, fierce and wild, striking the corrupted vampire mid-charge.
The scream was cut short. In the next second, the vampire's body hit the ground at their feet, lifeless.
Smoke curled in the air. The scent of burnt flesh stung Anwen's nose. And still, Theon hadn't looked away from her.
His shadows slipped away, leaving only the quiet hum of the forest and the acrid smell of burned flesh. He tilted his head down at Anwen, his eyes still glowing faintly in the mist. "Are you alright?"
He asked, his voice gentler than she expected, brushing a few damp strands of hair from her cheek.
Anwen swallowed hard as her throat tight. "I…I think so," she whispered, though her voice trembled.
Without a word, he caught her small hand in his, his grip warm and steady, and guided her closer to the fallen vampire. The corpse was twisted and half-blackened, the corruption leaving marks that made it almost unrecognizable as someone who had once been alive.
Anwen blinked, her heartbeat slowing into a strange calm. "This isn't my first time seeing a corpse, you know" she said quietly, surprising even herself.
Theon raised a brow, turning his gaze down to her. "Not your first time? When was it, then?"
She opened her mouth, ready to answer. But the words…didn't come. Nothing came. Her lips parted, then closed again. She was certain she had seen one before—so certain her chest ached with the memory—but no image appeared in her mind. Only a hollow blankness, like a page torn out of her story.
Why can't I remember? she thought, her fingers twitching against his. I've seen this before. I know I have.
Theon studied her a moment longer, but then looked away, as though sensing her confusion. "You're probably shaken up," he said calmly. "Memories slip when fear gets in the way. It's nothing."
He stepped forward, lowering himself slightly to examine the corpse more closely, but Anwen panicked, tugging hard on their joined hands. "Don't!" she blurted, her eyes wide. "Don't go near it—it might be contagious!"
Theon froze, staring down at their clasped hands. Her grip was small, desperate, her knuckles pale. When he looked back up, her face was flushed with worry, brows knitted tight.
For a moment, he just stared at her. Then the corners of his lips curved, and the tense forest seemed to lighten with his smile. He squeezed her hand softly, almost teasing. "It's alright. This isn't my first rodeo with a corrupted," he said with an easy confidence. "And no—it's not contagious."
Anwen blinked, the heat in her cheeks only worsening under that smile. Slowly, she let her shoulders relax. "Oh…" she muttered.
Satisfied, Theon released her hand only to crouch beside the corpse. Anwen hugged her satchel to her chest but didn't look away, keeping a keen eye on the twisted remains as though it might rise again.
One more piece of the puzzle slotted into her mind. A vampire's corruption wasn't contagious. At least…that was one mystery solved.