It was said that there were things that lay dormant underneath the surface of what could be seen.
That was also the reason why Maya always liked to go beyond the surface of things. This was what kind of a person she was, and that had always been the case.
The moment the group dispersed, Maya and her friend Amelia started wandering around the city. Even though they were the seniors and she was the one responsible for the group, it wasn’t like something was going to happen anyway, right?
“It was good that Mister Jones invited us, right?”
Amelia asked, looking at the city. Even though she had her own agenda for joining the club, it wasn’t like she disliked seeing new things. Especially as a curious student, she liked seeing things out of the norm.
And Western Oxbridge was such a place. Everything about it was different from normal; it was refreshing.
“Yes. It really was.” After all, this opportunity was only possible thanks to her father’s connections, but even then, it was Mister Jones showing his favor.
As Maya and Amelia strolled down the bustling streets, they exchanged thoughts about the day’s events while also taking some notes on their new smartwatches.
This was a new model where they could send their brain waves with mana, and they could operate the watches without even moving. OF course, the technology wasn’t perfect yet. But even then, they were working with that out.
The elderly atmosphere and the difference in Awakened of the City were the main topics. Since they were both sophomores, their sensitivity to mana as an Awakened was a lot more. This was especially the case for Maya, who was a mage.
‘But, what is this feeling I am getting.’
This had been bothering her for a while. Something about this city felt off for her; it was as if, even in the middle of the nostalgic city, there was something eerie going on.
“Maya, MAYA!”
At that moment, her friend’s words brought her to reality once again.
“Why are you dozing off randomly?”
She shook off that feeling and concentrated on her friend once again. She knew it was rude not to focus on the conversation, and she didn’t want to make Amelia upset.
“I’m sorry, Amelia. My mind wandered for a moment. What were you saying?”
Amelia chuckled with a smile and moved her hand a little, touching Maya’s head as if she was caressing a child. At least, that was how Maya felt, though that wasn’t the case for Amelia.
“I was saying, look over there. Something seems to be happening at that shop.”
Amelia pointed at the small local shop, and there, Maya saw a slightly elderly woman crying while another tried to console her.
‘I wonder what happened.’
Maya thought, both her curiosity and the need to help someone in her heart growing.
Without hesitation, Maya approached the elderly woman with a gentle smile, “Excuse me, ma’am. Is everything okay? Can we help you with something?”
The elderly woman continued sobbing without answering, but her friend stepped forward, grateful for the offer. “Thank you for your kindness. You see, her daughter hasn’t come home for three days, and we couldn’t contact her. We’re really worried, and the authorities haven’t been of much help.”
“Ah…”
Maya gasped as her expression turned sympathetic. She exchanged glances with Amelia, and then she nodded her head. “We are sorry to hear that. If you don’t mind, can you tell us a little bit more about the situation? We are students from the Arcadia Hunter Academy.”
The elderly woman’s eyes widened for a moment, a mix of surprise and hope evident on her face. “Arcadia Hunter Academy? Are you serious?” After all, the reputation of the Human Federation’s best academy was all around the place; even elderly people watched the festivals organized for this purpose.
Maya nodded, her expression earnest. “Yes, we are. We might be able to assist you. Please, tell us more about her daughter and what happened.”
The woman sighed, her voice shaky with worry. “I don’t know what happened. One night, my daughter Emily went out for an outing with her friends, and she hasn’t come back since. We’ve tried reaching her, but her watch is silent. There have been rumors of people getting kidnapped all around the town, and we’re scared that something terrible might have happened to her.”
“Have you reported this to Awakened Local Security?”
“We did, but they said we need to wait for the results of the investigation to come out.”
“I-I see…..”
Hearing all those things, Maya couldn’t help but feel contradictory. After all, even though she was a very powerful mage, the situation seemed to be a little different, something that she couldn’t solve just by being powerful.
She fell silent for a second, pondering about what she could do or if there wasn’t anything missing.
Just at that moment, Maya felt a sudden chill running down her spine as an eerie feeling washed over her. Her sharp senses, honed by her training, picked up on something unnatural lurking in one of the alleys. It was as if something that shouldn’t be in this world had found its way there.
Instinctively, she tightened her grip on the sleeves of her coat, exchanging a quick glance at the location of the place.
And thanks to her unique gift, she could see nature itself rejecting the energy. And that energy was something she was very familiar with.
“Demonic energy,” she whispered, shuddering. A memory of a certain time came crushing on her. The level of energy wasn’t the same, but the core of the energy was.
She felt disgusted. The energy and the things she heard.
Amelia looked at Maya with confusion as the sudden change in her demeanor caught her off guard. “Maya, what’s going on? Why are you—”
Maya didn’t wait for Amelia to finish her sentence. Without uttering a word, she channeled her mana swiftly, creating a surge of wind beneath her feet. In an instant, she leaped into the air, gracefully navigating the urban landscape.
SWIRL!
Her movements were quick and decisive as she dashed towards the alley where the demonic energy resonated, and just like that, she left the place.
********
“I need more, more, more….”
It was dark. For him, who had been asleep for a very long time, the darkness was something he had been accustomed to.
However, there was something even that comfortable darkness couldn’t satisfy.
It was his thirst.
“I am thirsty, I am thirsty, I am thirsty….”
Therefore, he went out in his comfortable darkness and quenched his thirst.
The night air was heavy with an otherworldly stillness as he ventured into the shadows. The moon cast an ethereal glow on the deserted streets, but his eyes, adapted to the darkness, sought something else entirely.
In the quiet alleyways, he found what he sought — unsuspecting souls lost in the solace of the night. His predatory instincts heightened as he approached, a silent wraith in the darkness. His fangs elongated, hunger pulsating through his veins.
A soft whisper echoed in the air, “I need more, more, more….”
The first encounter was swift, a dance of shadows and silence. His prey, unaware of the impending darkness, felt a sudden chill down their spine. Before they could comprehend the danger, he struck, sinking his fangs into the warmth of their neck.
The taste of crimson liquid flowed into him, a forbidden elixir that awakened a primal ecstasy. The thirst was momentarily satiated, but the insatiable craving lingered, haunting his every step.
As he moved from one victim to another, the city became his hunting ground. The streets echoed with hushed footsteps and muted pleas. Each encounter was a macabre ballet, a dance between predator and prey on the quiet canvas of the night.
“I need more, more, more….” However, it was a curse. The more he drank, the more he felt he was less satisfied.
This unquenchable thirst was breaking his mind. None of his preys were enough for him. He wandered more and more.
However, today, he felt something different. In this place filled with strangeness, he felt something familiar.
It was an energy that he hadn’t felt for a long time.
‘Ah…This….’
As if it was his own kin that he hadn’t seen. Feeling it, he went to see his kin. And the more he approached, the more the energy became prominent. Even though it wasn’t the comfortable darkness this time, he still went out.
The familiar energy led him to a place where the air itself seemed to hum with a unique resonance. But as he neared, he realized there was more to this encounter than the simple reunion of kin. A barrier, invisible yet palpable, surrounded the source of the energy.
He could feel it, a barrier of power erected to guard something precious. It intrigued him as this was a different application of his kin’s power, but his unyielding thirst urged him to delve deeper.
With a predatory grin, he extended his hands toward the barrier, feeling the crackling energy resisting his intrusion.
“I need more, more, more….” The mantra echoed in his mind as he concentrated, channeling his dark powers. The barrier resisted, but the hunger within him was an unstoppable force.
His fangs bared; he sank them into the intangible barrier, metaphorically consuming the very essence that fortified it. The energy pulsated within him, invigorating his own essence.
And after a second, all of the energy was absorbed into his very essence.
“Ah…..”
His body ached with ecstasy, as for the first time in a while, he felt as if his thirst were satisfied a little.
‘It is not enough.’
However, that feeling soon disappeared, leaving him alone.
-SNIFF!
At that moment, his enhanced nose smelled something. Something different.
A scent wafted through the air, different from the metallic tang of blood he had become so familiar with. It was a fragrance that stirred ancient instincts within him, resonating with the deepest recesses of his nature.
The scent grew stronger, a delicate yet potent aroma that tingled his senses. He instinctively recognized it, the scent of a bloodline that transcended the ordinary.
It was not just blood; it was something he had always savored in the past, something special.
His crimson eyes widened, pupils dilating as the scent drew him closer.
The scent led him to a pool of blood. A small pool that seemed to hold the essence of celestial beings.
‘Kin of Moon.’
He realized what it was.
His heart quickened with anticipation. He knew, without a doubt, that this was the blood of the Kin of the Moon—the source of the alluring fragrance that had captivated his senses.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he dashed towards the pool of blood like a madman, driven by an insatiable thirst that only this essence could quell.
The moment he finished drinking the blood on the ground, an abrupt rustle in the air caught his attention.
Before he could even think, his instincts warned him of something approaching.
In the past, an encounter like this might have posed a threat, but the blood of the Kin of the Moon coursing through his veins had awakened dormant powers within him.
His senses were heightened, and a newfound strength surged through his limbs.
SMASH!
His claws smashed the combined spear of ice and earth elements strengthened with wind.
‘Ah…..This girl is delicious too…’
And then, he immediately dashed to the attacker, his lips widening for the first time. After all, his crimson eyes could see the immense amounts of dormant energy inside his target —a girl with flowing purple hair, her eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity.