Chapter 5: Affirmation.

The small wooden house is hidden discreetly in the dense trees; it is difficult to see it from afar. Every day, Finn teaches Uri to catch fish and catch hares. Uri learned very quickly; he could catch fish, rabbits, and even a relatively large deer in just a few days.

The venison didn't finish; Finn burned the pieces of meat with charcoal, then hung the dried meat in the kitchen.

"We don't have a refrigerator. We can only do this to preserve food."

Uri memorized everything Finn taught him; survival knowledge like this is essential.

Day after day, Clement did not come, making Uri extremely impatient. But the wooden house was the rendezvous point. He did not dare to go anywhere and could only wait patiently. Fortunately, with Finn by his side, life is less tedious and feels safer.

On the eighth night, a flashlight glimmered in the woods, approaching the wooden house. Finn was the first to notice footsteps in the distance, nervously pulling Uri out of the house and jumping onto a hidden tree branch.

"Maybe my dad came to see me." Uri, filled with hope, looked towards the distant flashlight.

Finn whispered in his ear, "No matter who comes, we'd better be careful."

They watched silently as the flashlight approached the wooden house, the light illuminating a middle-aged man carrying a heavy backpack.

As the distance drew near, Uri exclaimed, "That's my dad!"

He jumped off the tree branch, rushed towards the man, and excitedly called:

"Dad, I'm here!"

That man was Clement; he heard Uri call and replied:

"Uri, it's nice to meet you!"

Uri ran in front of Clement and took his hand. "I've been waiting for you for a long time. Why have you come now?"

"I'm sorry, some people are always watching our family, so I can only come here now." Clement pushed Uri's back towards the wooden house. "Let's go inside; it's not safe outside."

When they entered the house, they found Finn standing in the middle of the room; he reached out his hand to Clement and greeted him in a friendly manner.

"Hello, I'm Finn, who, like your son, is also being hunted by the Red Leaves."

Clement looked at Finn, a bit dumbfounded, and he hesitated for a moment before taking the hand outstretched in front of him.

"Hi, I'm Clement, Uri's father. If you're here, does that mean my son already knows everything?"

Finn looked at Uri standing behind Clement, smiled, and replied: "I told him, but he didn't believe it. He trusts you."

Clement understood what Finn meant. He put his backpack on the ground, opened the cupboard, took out a candle, lit it, and stuck it straight on the wooden table.

"I can't see anything in the dark like you." Clement sat down in a chair and spoke to Finn. "So I want to light a candle. You can rest assured that when I came here, I was careful to avoid pursuers."

"Yes, you can light the candles. I checked the area earlier; it's very safe. You and Uri keep talking. I'll go make tea."

Finn said, then went into the kitchen and boiled a pot of water to make the tea he had picked in the woods.

Uri sat down on the chair next to Clement. "Dad, I want to know the truth."

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." Clement took Uri's hand. "Do you remember the scar-faced man you once met?"

Uri nodded. "I remember I met him on my high school graduation day. But what did you mention him for?"

Clement did not answer Uri; he continued: "Do you remember the red leaf badge on his lapel?"

"I remember," Uri replied. He didn't understand what Clement wanted to talk about. "Why do you ask these things?"

"The red leaf badge is the symbol of the Red Leaves organization, and the scarred man named Richard is a member of that organization." Clement looked at Uri's face, which was slowly panicked, and continued. "You must have heard Finn talk about this organization; it is true."

Uri was so scared that he couldn't breathe; he stammered until he managed to utter a few sentences:

"The Red Leaf Organization… specializes in catching vampires. They want to kill me, so what am I?"

Clement sighed and patted Uri's shoulder. "I'm sorry! I kept it a secret from you for eighteen years. I planned to tell you this secret when you were an adult, but the Red Leaves found you soon."

He pulled out a tattered letter from his pocket and placed it in front of Uri.

Knowing this was the secret Clement had been hiding for years, Uri took the letter, opened it, and carefully read each word. The more he read, the paler his face became, and the hand holding the letter trembled.

Finn brought three cups of hot tea to the table and sat in a chair, looking worriedly at Uri.

"No problem." Clement lifted a cup of tea to his mouth, blew it lightly, and took a sip. The hot tea warmed his cold body. "Now is the time to tell my son the truth. Otherwise, he won't be able to protect himself."

"Is this house you built just in case?" Finn asked Clement.

Clement nodded. "Yes, I knew this would happen, so I needed to prepare my son a secret place to stay."

"I guess so, too, since I've been in this forest all the time and only recently discovered the house; trees cover it." Finn laughed.

Clement looked thoughtfully at Uri. "My son can't go home now. I ask you to help him."

"If you don't ask, I will help him too," Finn reassures Clement. "Please rest assured."

Uri looked away from the letter, his face white, his lips quivering, interrupting Finn and Clement's conversation:

"This letter says I am the son of a vampire. Is this true?"

"Uri, on a rainy night, mom and dad found you at the door with this letter, and you have all the traits of a vampire," Clement said. "I used to be a member of the Red Leaves, so I know how to hide you from their pursuit."

Uri was amazed at Clement's words. "You used to be a member of the Red Leaves organization, so why did you adopt me?"

"I left the organization before I adopted you. The organization is so corrupt and brutal that I can't entirely agree with them. Maybe your parents know this, so they dare to ask me to raise and protect you."

Clement answered Uri, then looked at Finn. "So you don't have to be wary of me. I don't want them harming vampires."

Finn said gratefully: "You raised and loved Uri, so I know you wouldn't hurt people like us. Thank you for understanding our plight."

Uri put his head on the table. His heart ached, and his body trembled. Before Clement came here, he hoped the group's words in the mountain cave were lies. But now that hope is lost, this letter and Clement's assertion make him fall. He is a vampire, so from now on, he can no longer live with his family like before.

Uri raised his head and asked painfully: "Dad, even though I am a vampire, I have not harmed anyone. Why would the Red Leaves want to kill me?"

Clement takes pity on Uri's downfall. He sighed, pushing the tea cup in front of Uri. "Have some tea, and I'll tell you all about it."

Uri sat up straight, taking a large sip of tea. Hot tea keeps him awake and calm. He set his teacup down on the table and stared at Clement, waiting for his answer.

"Although vampires have not harmed humans for a long time, as long as you are a vampire, the Red Leaves will find you. To know why they are always looking for and killing vampires must start with the story of three thousand years ago." Clement spoke slowly

"Three thousand years ago?" Uri exclaimed. "The Red Leaf Organization has existed for three thousand years?"

Clement nodded, sighing again. "Yes, three thousand years. It's been too long. Everything has changed; only the Red Leaf organization has always existed."

Finn frowned and angrily said: "Three thousand years, this feud should have disappeared, and yet they still want to destroy us, not giving us a way to live."

Uri looked at Finn, then back at Clement. They said things he couldn't understand; he wanted to know the source of the story.

"Dad, I'm waiting to hear from you."

Clement took another sip of tea and began to tell an ancient story.