Ron watched the terrified vampire tremble on the ground, still clutching the phone Ron had tossed to him moments ago.
"I'll give you one chance," Ron said coldly. "Call every vampire you can. If they manage to save you, I'll let you go."
The vampire's fingers shook as he dialed number after number — ten, maybe more. Ron could tell from the names flashing on the screen that these were all the vampires in this city.
"What about the few you said you don't get along with?" Ron asked, his tone casual but sharp. "Try calling them too. I'd like to meet them."
The vampire hesitated, then nodded and made a few more calls.
Within minutes, shadows began to close in from all directions. More than twenty vampires surrounded Ron in the forest clearing. They didn't attack — not yet. They were cautious, watching the single human who stood calmly among them. The one vampire who had called them lay on the ground, barely conscious, his body still trembling from Ron's earlier assault.
Ron glanced around and gave a small, satisfied nod. "Looks like everyone's here?"
"Everyone except those three," the vampire croaked. "They didn't come."
"Good," Ron said, raising his voice so all could hear. "You're all wondering who I am, why I called you here. So I'll save us all some time."
He stepped forward, eyes flashing. "I've heard what you lot do — how you enjoy torturing and killing humans. So I'll give you one chance. Surrender now. Swear never to harm humans again. Kneel, hands over your head, and I'll let you live."
He paused, scanning the crowd. Not one of them moved.
Ron sighed. "Figures."
"Three."
He didn't bother with one or two. His dragon talisman ignited instantly, and blazing golden fire erupted from his hands. The flames swept outward in a devastating circle — dragon fire that clung to everything it touched. The vampires screamed as their bodies ignited, writhing for only seconds before collapsing into ash.
Three managed to flee, darting into the forest, but Ron was already on them. Enhanced by the rabbit talisman's speed, he blurred through the night, two wooden stakes in hand. Thud! Thud!
Two hearts pierced clean through.
The clock compass pulsed — one more was still alive. Ron followed the signal until he saw the last vampire stumbling ahead.
"Think you're fast?" Ron appeared beside him, voice low and mocking.
"Who—?" The vampire barely turned before Ron's stake went through his chest.
The forest fell silent. Ron burned the remains with dragon fire until nothing was left but grey dust. Satisfied, he made sure no flames remained before heading back to his car.
He wasn't in a hurry to hunt down the remaining three — the ones who refused to drink human blood. Instead, he rented a luxurious suite in the city and collapsed onto the bed.
As he lay there, he noticed his sixth talisman glowing faintly — about a quarter charged. A small smile tugged at his lips.
He picked up his phone and called home.
"Hello, Anna," he said when the line connected.
"Hello, Ron. It's Pearl," came the voice on the other end. "Anna's in the shower. Her phone's in the living room."
"Ah, Mrs. Pearl! I just got to a new city and wanted to let Anna know I arrived safely," Ron said, sounding casual but warm. It had taken him over a day of driving since he left Mystic Falls.
"Good to know you're safe," Pearl replied gently.
"Yeah, thanks. Something's come up here, so please tell Anna I'll call again later," Ron said, glancing down as the compass began to spin rapidly in his hand.
"Of course."
Ron hung up, activated both the snake and rabbit talismans, and darted out of the hotel.
In minutes, he found himself outside a hospital. A young female vampire was quietly stealing bags of blood from the storage room.
"Hey," Ron said, appearing behind her, "that doesn't look too legal."
"Shh." She moved faster than he expected, suddenly covering his mouth.
"You just walked into the wrong place," she whispered. "When you leave here, you'll forget you ever saw me."
Her eyes glowed — she was trying to compel him. When she let go, she expected him to walk away.
But Ron chuckled. "You really think I'll forget a grown woman stealing blood in the middle of the night?"
The vampire frowned. "Who are you?"
"Earlier today, one of your kind tried to call you — said someone was looking for you three. That person was me."
Her eyes widened. That call had put her on edge all evening. She'd planned to take as many blood bags as possible and hide for a while — but now the man himself was standing before her.
"I don't know what he told you," Ron said evenly. "But yes, I wanted to meet you. I'm Ron Mills."
"…Lily," she said after a pause, reluctantly shaking his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Lily. Think you could introduce me to the other two?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "Fine."
"Take your time. I'll wait downstairs," Ron said, stepping toward the exit.
A few minutes later, Lily came out carrying a small bag.
"I thought you'd run," Ron said, smiling faintly.
"I almost did," she admitted. "But when I realized every other vampire in the city was gone, I figured it had something to do with you. If I want to keep living here, I have to face you."
Ron nodded, impressed. "Smart girl. Let's go."
They walked to a nearby motel, where Lily led him into a small room. Inside were two others — a frail-looking man and an elderly woman who looked to be in her sixties.
"Carrie, Jackson," Lily said softly, "this is Ron."
"I'll get straight to the point," Ron said, taking a seat. "Every other vampire in this city is dead. You three are the only ones left."
"So you came to kill us too?" Jackson stammered.
"Don't be ridiculous," Lily interjected quickly. "If Mr. Mills wanted us dead, we'd already be ash by now. I'm guessing you want something from us?"
Ron gave a small nod. "You're right. I'm not here to kill you. I've heard you refuse to drink from humans — that you live off blood bags instead. I want to know why. And I want to know what's keeping you tied to this city."
He leaned forward, eyes calm but sharp. "Because from what I've seen, any vampire with sense would've run by now."
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