After The Night のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

*TWO DAYS AGO* The woods of Centaurus Forest stretched out like a haunting maze of twisted trees and shadowy paths. Damien had roamed these woods countless times, always under the cover of night—the only time he felt any solace. But tonight, even the familiar darkness offered no comfort. His gaze flicked back over his shoulder every few moments, an instinctual reaction, though his undead heart lay still within his chest. Sometimes he wished he could feel its rhythmic beating once more. Tonight, however, he was grateful for his silence, for the stealth his condition provided. A single slip-up could mean death—this time, for real. The pack of wolves that hunted these woods would have him in seconds, or worse yet, another of his own kind might be lurking. Just a moment's distraction, and he could end up with a wooden stake piercing his chest. The thought sent a chill through him, colder than the forest's wind. Damien had never been one for regrets, but now they clawed at him, like

The first thing Eira discovered when she regained consciousness was the suffocating pitch blackness enveloping her. Her eyelids fluttered open, but the overwhelming scent of rancid blood and rusted iron assaulted her senses, and she instinctively squeezed them shut again. Fear spiked through her like a knife to the gut. Darkness had always been her greatest terror. It clung to her skin like a thousand crawling insects, sending shivers down her spine. Even with her eyes closed, she could sense the darkness around her, the shadowy figures her mind conjured lurking just out of sight, waiting to close in on her. A cold sweat broke out across her skin, though she could feel the chilly air pressing in from all sides. Her pulse quickened, and her fingers searched frantically for the familiar bedside lamp she always kept on. Naomi, her roommate, usually tolerated Eira’s need for the soft glow of the lamp throughout the night, though she herself preferred total darkness. But now, no switch me

Josh crossed his arms slowly and leaned against the brick wall layered with moss, allowing Eira to absorb the information he had just passed. His back pressed completely against the cool, solid, age-old bricks but didn't mind the mud or the green patches on his freshly ironed, beige shirt. In fact, they only made him feel more attached to the source of his power—nature.Eira responded with a sigh and then followed cold silence, one that sent a chill down his spine. No words escaped her plump lips but her blue eyes shot a thousand questions at him. He wanted to answer them but fear kept him at bay. It was an unspoken and ofttimes a spoken rule by the vampire council to keep the secret to them.Josh rubbed the nape of his neck lightly while managing to maintain his calm facade, perceiving well that such a reaction was not completely normal for someone had been kept in the dark for too long. But he wasn't too experienced in the matters of giving satisfying, non-surprising revelations."Lo

Damien noticed how Eira's blue eyes silently stared at him. She had put up a brave mask over her face but he could hear the frantic beating of her beat in his ears. That sound made him smirk. He strolled towards her lazily and his steps halted right in front of her. He could sense Josh's dark eyes on him."Did I scare you, little blood bag?" Damien asked with an amused tone, widening his smirk into a grin."I'm not scared of you," He heard her calm reply and his grin turn into a full-blown smile. His eyes moved to the bite marks on her neck and felt her breath hitch at the same moment.She remembers that. "You are, but if you aren't, you should be." He teased her and bared his fangs. She was trying too hard to appear brave and unaffected but silly girl didn't realise he could hear and smell the blood pumping through her veins. He craved to taste it. She somehow still managed to smell like strawberries after spending a whole night in the stinking dungeon.Unfortunately, he had no time

As Eira watched the horrific scene unfold, she screamed—or at least, attempted to. Her fingers clutched the bedsheet covering her body and she opened her mouth to scream, as loud as she could but nothing happened.Blood trickled down her mother's long neck and she could nothing but watch. After what seemed like hours, Dr Keeley let go of her and her limp body fell off the stool to the floor.With a sob, Eira closed her eyes shut.When she opened them again, a ceiling appeared in her vision. Her body was resting on something soft. She darted her eyes and realised it was a bed. But not the one at the hospital."Bad dream?" A masculine voice inquired.Eira abruptly lifted the upper half of her body to locate the source of the voice and found the blonde-haired guy leaning against a table on her right, his gaze firmly set on her body.The realisation sunk in gradually—it was just a dream. Yet, it had felt so real."No." The word had escaped her lips before she could think the question throu