At the port of New North, a scary yet majestic black-sailed pirate ship docked beside the old, weathered fishing boats.
The port stayed unchaotic and calm, as if the sudden appearance of the pirate ship did not faze anyone.
New North was a common location for pirate activity and sighting as there weren’t any navy bases nearby, making it an ideal spot for pirates to mingle, trade, and plan their next moves undisturbed.
As the Black Hearts Pirates crew walked down the gangplank, Mars glanced at the port’s ramshackle buildings and their residents before turning away.
Behind him followed his abducted crew members, each carrying rusty shovels over their shoulders.
Ambrose glanced at the residents, who looked rather calm while doing their daily tasks and noticed that their expression stayed same.
‘Mars didn’t steal their fate? Why?’
After leaving the port, they stepped onto a dusty road that led to the town near the port.
New North was a rather small island, with only the port, the town, and some small hills surrounding it.
After a while, they entered the town and passed by the various shops and restaurants that lined the streets.
In the alleyways, tucked behind some corners, there were also brothels and some hidden gambling dens, where pirate activity was at its highest.
These illegal establishments were thriving with secret deals and shady characters, making the town a hub for illicit activities.
However, the pirates didn’t bother the ordinary townsfolk because they all had an unspoken agreement to coexist peacefully.
With his arms crossed behind his back, Mars emotionlessly walked through the town and entered a stone road that led up a small hill.
After a while, they saw a white-painted house with a modest garden in front, which seemed to be isolated from the rest of the town.
Near the hill, there was an old, withered oak tree.
After Mars saw it, a sign of pain momentarily flashed past his eyes.
When Ambrose looked back to the town, he noticed all the townspeople and pirates refused to step onto the stone road and visit this place. It was as if this place was cursed or haunted.
“The cemetery is on the back.” Mars said and uncrossed his arms, then neatly buttoned his vest and tucked his tricorn hat under his armpit.
He then combed his black hair with his fingers and took a deep breath before stepping towards the mysterious.
This was the first time Ambrose actually felt like Mars was truly nervous.
‘Heartstoppers must be really scary.’ He thought.
“Let’s go.” Apollo took the lead and kept his gaze as far away from the house as possible. “Ambrose, do not glance towards the house, and keep your ears covered.”
After saying so, they all took out earplugs and covered their ears.
“Here.” Damian took another pair and handed them to Ambrose.
“Thanks…” Ambrose accepted them and plugged his ears with them. But, he still wondered why.
After walking to the backyard, they saw the small cemetery surrounded by a metal fence. There were only five tombstones, one of which had “Mars Ares Godfriend” engraved on it.
“Let’s start digging. Quicker we are done, more time we have to spend on the town!” Apollo shouted and handed each of them a shovel.
Without further ado, Leon stepped forward and began to dig at the spot where the tombstone with “Mars Ares Godfriend” was engraved.
Following him, the rest joined in with their shovels, and soon, a big hole began to take shape in the ground.
After a short while, Henri felt his shovel hit something solid.
“Wait, there is something!” He shouted and took a step back before taking out the napkin and wiping the sweat off his brows.
Panting, Apollo looked at the surface of some kind of brown coffin and nodded. “It’s a coffin. Let’s remove more of the dirt and open it.”
After the dirt was removed, they discovered a name engraved on the coffin lid.
“Mercury Hermes Godfriend…” Apollo whispered and then opened the lid.
As soon as the lid fell off, they all grimaced and covered their noses with disgust.
There was a rotting smell emanating from the coffin, coming from a decaying body inside.
The body still had clothes on, although they were tattered and stained with blood.
Otherwise, the corpse remained empty.
‘What did Mars want us to find?’ Ambrose wondered while looking at others who wore equally quizzical expressions.
Apollo, with a grimace, rummaged through the pockets but only found a crumpled note.
When he opened it, he noticed that it wasn’t a crumpled note but a photograph instead.
It was a photograph of Mars in his early twenties and an identical-looking man, who was most likely Mercury while he was still alive.
‘So, Mercury is his brother.’ Ambrose thought as he caught a glimpse of the photograph.
Apollo tucked the photograph inside his pocket and closed the lid.
“Maybe this is what Mars wanted us to find. There is nothing else.” Apollo said and climbed out of the hole with everyone else.
After that, they filled the hole again with dirt, and it took them fifteen minutes to fully fill it again.
“Mars will meet us back in the Black Heart; it will take him a few hours.” Apollo said while shouting with his hands cupped around his mouth.
Since they still had earplugs, it was hard to hear, but they nodded in understanding.
Ambrose rested the shovel against his shoulder and followed behind others, but he had a desire to look towards the white house—however, something inside told him that it would be a mistake.
Therefore, he hung his head low, and once they were away from the sight of the house, they removed the earplugs and were finally able to talk without shouting.
“Why did we have to use earplugs?” Ambrose asked Damian while walking beside him.
“Well, because Mars and the Heartstopper are currently having some intimate moments inside that house.” Damian laughed. “If we hear her moans, we might lose control of ourselves. Heartstoppers are dangerous devils, I am telling you. Do not underestimate them.”
“Oh, ok.” Ambrose replied, trying to hide his slight embarrassment. He then gave the earplugs back to Damian and looked towards the New North’s town, wondering where he should spend time.
“By the way, do you have anyone else waiting for you?” Damian asked. “A woman, perhaps?” 𝔬𝒱𝓛xt.𝑪𝐎𝐦
“No, I am single.” Ambrose said and glanced at him. “You?”
“Nah, even though I am 25 years old, in the eyes of other vampires, I am still a kid.” Damian wryly smiled.
“What about a human?” Ambrose inquired. “Does Mars allow any of you to have relationships?”
“He doesn’t care if we visit brothels.” Damian said. “However, none of us are looking for more attachments. They are for naught if we can’t escape Mars’ clutches.”
Ambrose nodded and then hestitantly said, “What if we kill Mars? You clearly have a desire to return to your home; so does Apollo.”
“Hah.” Damian chuckled and patted his shoulder. “Give up that thought. Trust me. We all want to kill Mars and have dreamed of it. But, even with nine of us, we don’t stand a chance.”
“There must be a way. He can’t be immortal.” Ambrose said. “At this rate, he’ll steal all of your fates. You must do something to fight it!”
“I wish there would be a way; I truly do.” Damian sighed. “But some things are impossible; killing Mars is one of them.”
Ambrose turned silent and clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.
‘I don’t believe that.’ His dull blue eyes turned a shade colder. ‘I believe there is a way, and I’ll find that.’