~3-His Death~

~Rhett~

The past few days would have been torture and depressing if not for Reynolds. He makes me not regret coming to college. Instead, Reynolds makes it vibrant when, oftentimes, after school, he would come and take me out.

Now, I may be wrong, but there's truly something suspicious to Reynolds' actions. I can't really place a finger on it, but he would always ask about Valois, as if I knew him through Valois. Yes, he may have opened up about his pansexuality to me, and yes, I may want to kiss him already, but I can't ignore the chills that come with my curiosity. 

Tonight is the rave party, and I wish Valois was around. Scratch that, I wish he had come home since the day he left with his boss. I really haven't seen him since then. Also strange. 

A few minutes later, I'm done bathing and cleaning my body. In front of the mirror, I sink into the rattan armchair and begin with my skincare. Reynolds will be coming to pick me up, and considering it's my first party in college, I plan to make it memorable. Every fiber of me can't wait for how it would turn out. Perhaps, I would even get romantic with Reynolds as fucked up as that sounds. 

After seasons of searching for what cloth to wear, I finally decide on a no-label crimson red polo shirt tucked into a light brown tailored pant and a dark brown boot to match it up. Then, I add a classy watch and necklace. When I'm done, I study my reflection. 

"Damn. That ass." Not to brag, but my ass is really poking out, tight and snatched like the sexy bitch I am. I love my body for its fluidity, the ability to shift between femininity and masculinity. It's my magic. My dark blonde hair and green eyes adds to my radiance. 

A honking sound, followed by a beep from my phone, trails me off of my thoughts. Grabbing my phone, I read Reynold's message. "I'm outside your door. You ready?"

"Coming..." I quickly reply to his text and grab other things I may need. 

Rushing outside the door, Reynolds' natural flirty eyes land on me, raising his brows as he compliments. "Wow, you are one strikingly hot man."

"You too, man." I wave him off and hurry to his car. I'm nervous for the party. 

Reynolds starts the engine when he hops back in. I enjoy the drive to the frat house. Reynolds played my favourite music as he encouraged me to just enjoy myself. From where we parked, I can already hear the quaking soundwaves. 

As Reynolds lead me inside, my eyes momentarily hurt from the many lights. The entire house is filled with people, grabbing each others body, grinding, drinking, and having as much fun as they can. Suddenly, my mood is lightened seeing as no one really cares. 

"Guys, meet Rhett. Rhett, this is Stephanie, Lydia, and Brendan. My friends." Introduces Reynolds when we reach a table. Stephanie, a girl with fine dark blonde hair is sitting on Brendan, a dude with burgundy hair and freckles while Lydia is the mixologist, busy with getting herself high.

Reynolds' friends seem nice, especially Lydia, making me easily bond with her. "Have you been drunk before?" She's practically yelling so I could hear her. 

I rather shake my head. Please, I cannot stress my angelic buds. 

"Well, then, let's get you drunk." She laughs and I join in. Ooh, sounds like a challenge. 

Just then, someone comes to call Reynolds. I try to call him as he leaves to pick up his phone, but the music disallowed that. I help him with safekeeping it before I focus back on Lydia. 

Before I know it, we are on the fifth shot. My head is drowsy. Something is streaming up my legs to my arms. My vision is blurry, and I know I need fresh air and to find Reynolds to give him his phone. My legs wobble as I struggle out of the frat house. 

The blasting music is a pain at this point, so I continue to walk until I get to the silent street, and I rest behind the flowerbeds.

"Goodness, I really could be killed right here." I think to myself. My drunken thoughts are currently wild. My stomach is churning when I hear a voice. 

"Stop this madness, Noir. Humans have nothing to offer us. As hunters, we are stronger than them. And your little plaything? Be done with it already. It adds nothing of importance to your search of the vampire king." Whoever is speaking is either acting or crazy, but something is clear: they are twitchy and furious. 

"Watch your words, Argon. I'm your prince. You'll refer to the human as Rhett. He has a name: not a toy." Instantly my attention is undivided. It's Reynolds, but his voice isn't exactly his own. It's authoritative and rumbling—a lethal growl.

"Forgive me, but what I speak is true. We should get back to the Kingdom." 

Wait, me? Am I the plaything? Was Reynolds using me? What do they mean by "the vampire king"? Reynolds has a kingdom? 

My brain is convincing my senses that it's my highness. Anyway, I peek through the flowerbeds to see two men in front of Reynolds, on the forestry side of the street. Their aura is genuinely vile and fretful. 

Oh, my...fuck! I swear on my life, out of the blue, from the woods, a tiger comes out. The third man, who hasn't said anything so far, goes on his knees to rub the tiger's head. A green glow emit from his eyes when he opens them, raising his gaze at Reynolds. 

"The vampire king's men approaches. What do we do?" 

Reynolds looks back towards the Frat-house in the distance and turns back to his men. "We can't let these humans be attacked nor can we ask for reinforcement now. We fight here and now." With that, Reynolds dashed into the forest, inhumanely. 

Fuck—no, no, no. That's not human. That's impossible! One second, he was standing there and the next he isn't anymore. My eyes flutters, trying to understand what the fuck is going on. My heart is hammering behind my sternum. The high is fading already, not after being so frightened. 

The other two men too disappeared after—into the woods. I should be running in the opposite direction, wailing at the top of my voice for help but a sensation makes me pause. I've felt this chilly senses before. It's familiar. It's close. And I cannot reject its call.

~Kael~

(A/N: Yes, finally, we walk into Kael's head, our other main character. Ooh, the cold and dominance.)

"Is it ready?" My face turns to the side, my hands rooted into my pockets. 

"Yes, King Kael. They took the bait." My commander, Valerie, replies sharply, knowing my patience is thin. 

My lips tug to the left in a ghosty smile, my eyes slightly squinted. Inside the woods, I stand at the brink of a cliff. The entire forest is dark but my sharp senses allow me plain sight. I can hear their movement. Oh, the way they run. Naive. Without plan. Without knowing what they shall face.

My monster claws at my insides, craving for blood—the Hunter king son's blood. Here, he comes, about to fall into my trap. 

My ears pick on a broken twig. "Valois." I state without having to turn around. 

"I know that look, Kael. You plan to kill him tonight." 

"Precisely." I answer Valois, my closest adviser. It's why he's privileged to question me. 

"So, you'll really let the Northern vampire king make you fall into his trap? Marcellus knows what he's doing. If you attack the Hunter king's son, we'll raise an interspecies war. Are you ready for that?" 

I turn around to face Valois. My pupils narrow to dots as the beast inside me awaken, gnashing at the surface, longing to be unleashed. My blood boils, my rage at the top of the bar, and I speak in voices that aren't my own, growling. 

"Marcellus doesn't control me. I want this. Hunters, humans, and witches. They'll all feel my wrath. They'll always deserve it." As I say, I unbutton my shirt. Loosened, the air makes it flare around me as I raise my face heavenwards and letting my monster out, I speed into the dark, heading towards the hunters. 

My speed is inhuman, whipping through the air without resistance. Dusts are left behind me and when I'm close to the hunters, I stop. 

My chest is bare, and I roll up the sleeves of my black shirt. "My...my...what do we have here?" I'm chuckling lowly, dark and venomous. The hunters stop. I see Reynolds and two of his men. Man, this will be over quickly.

"The vampire king. Impossible." One of the men is stunned. Precisely, fear the name. Dread at the beast inside me. 

Indeed, they took the bait thinking they would meet my men instead. 

"Well, which one of you will die now?" I haven't finished saying when I cut into the air, slicing the neck of one. With his head detached from his body, I slam it into the face of the second one. Destabilised and fallen to the ground, I stand over him and keep hitting the first hunter's head against the second one until both their heads are mashed like potatoes. 

My breathing is ragged as I watch their blood fry my skin, burning me like acid. Of course, hunters are created by witches, so their blood are poisonous. We, vampire, cannot drink from them either. But guess what? That only makes me want to kill them in the most disgusting and agonising way ever. 

Reynolds is shaking, his hold to the ground feeble as if he could fall anytime. His eyes are widened, horrified, and when I close my eyes, I hear his hammering heart. Blissful. Exquisite. Luxurious. 

Gritting my fangs at him, I speed towards him, holding him by the neck. 

"No, don't. If you kill me, my father will wage war on you." Oh, the little prey has got some pride. Exciting.

"Your father, the Hunter king, really did raise a weak son. Well, he wouldn't feel your death, would he? After all, he's got more bastard sons." And with that, I snatch his heart out of his chest, not thinking twice.

Insatiated with the hole in his chest, completely enraged at how his large eyes are terrified of my actions, and his lips unable to move to even utter a word, I slam the heart into his mouth, punching a big hole at the back of his head. His brain, face, throat, and teeth are all jerked up.

A huge smile rests on my face as his dead body fall. I'm about to turn around when the breeze flows in a familiar scent. Rich cologne, cinnamon, and cedar wood. For some reason, I never forgot this scent. It's the human Rhett. 

It's easy finding him, hiding behind one of the tall tree. "How were you here since and I didn't know?" I snarl but he couldn't reply. He's pissed on himself, his heart is weakened, and his body could go into shock any moment from now. Of course, his fear is primordial and paralysing...and something about it makes me drop my guard. My monster couldn't hurt him. I couldn't hurt him.

"Sleep." I whisper and he drops to the ground. A question settles on my mind: why is he here? And most especially, why do I care?