The warm morning sunlight gently streamed onto Ethan's face, pulling him from his deep, heavy slumber.
He instinctively turned away from the light, rolling onto his stomach and burying his face into the pillow. He pulled the blanket over his head, covering his entire face and head, just like he always did.
Strange!
Ethan's nose twitched slightly. He was pressing his face into a bedding set that was incredibly soft and comfortable, with a subtle, delicate fragrance. It certainly didn't feel like the stiff mattress and rough blankets of his rented room.
Ethan flung the blanket off and opened his eyes wide. He looked around, bewildered.
Where is this place? It looks completely unfamiliar.
How did he end up here?
Ethan was in a small, charming room dominated by shades of white and touches of beige. The room was complete with a bed, wardrobe, study desk, and bookshelf. Everything was harmoniously designed with a minimalist yet slightly neo-classical touch. It gave the room a sense of elegance and coziness while still feeling delightfully vintage.
Opposite the bed where Ethan lay was a large arched window with double-layered curtains drawn fully back. The window had to be at least 1.8 meters tall, allowing sunlight to flood the entire room, even though there was only one window.
The wall with the window sloped gently upward toward the ceiling, indicating that this was an attic room.
Ethan's rented room was also on the top floor. It seemed he had a natural affinity for such rooms. But the simplicity of his attic room couldn't compare to the elegance and grace of this one.
Outside the window, the chirping of birds mingled with the soft sounds of waves crashing gently against the shore. It seemed this place was much closer to the sea than the central part of Harmony Town where Ethan lived.
Ethan swung his legs off the bed.
A wave of dizziness struck him, spreading a numbing sensation from his heels all the way to his head. His arms - now carefully bandaged - throbbed with sharp pain.
In that haze, horrific memories of what happened in the dark alley rushed back into his mind.
So, it wasn't just a nightmare!
Royce had finally managed to pry Autumn's fangs from Ethan's neck. Ethan, meanwhile, had still been holding Autumn tightly in his arms.
Amidst the torrential rain, Royce collapsed to the ground. He was utterly drained, unable to stand back up. Yet miraculously, the wounds on his body were slowly mending themselves.
Ethan recalled the sounds: the opening and closing of car doors, a gasp of shock, and the angry cries of a woman. Then came the splashing of hurried footsteps through the rain, closing in on him.
So gently, yet decisively, someone had pulled Autumn from his embrace. Her warmth was suddenly replaced with an icy emptiness in his heart.
After that…
Everything blurred and faded to darkness for Ethan.
It felt like it happened so long ago.
Autumn… and Royce too!
Where are they now?
What happened to them?
Ethan sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.
He quickly brushed aside the urge to gaze longingly at the shimmering blue ocean through the arched window.
Ethan opened the door to the attic room. He found the staircase leading down to the lower floors. Despite being overwhelmed by the long hallway with its many twists and turns that resembled a maze, Ethan quickly located Autumn's room.
This time, Ethan didn't even need to close his eyes to follow the scent of lilies that usually guided him to Autumn.
It was as if… Ethan just knew exactly where she was.
Ethan sighed in relief when he saw Autumn's slightly parted lips had regained their usual rosy hue. Her skin also looked fresh and vibrant again, with a gentle flush returning to her plump cheeks. Life seemed to have been restored to this delicate young girl.
Autumn was sleeping soundly on a beautifully ornate bed, decorated with frills and lace, like something out of a fairytale.
Sitting beside the bed was a woman with long black hair. She looked youthful and was barely taller than Autumn. Though she seemed to be no older than an older sister, the strange sapphire-blue eyes she had held the mysteries of millennia, hinting that her age couldn't be measured by mere years.
The woman smiled kindly at Ethan, a smile that only mothers seem to have. She stood up and gestured for Ethan to follow her to a small sitting room on the same floor.
Once Ethan was comfortably seated on the plush sofa and sipping warm water, the woman began to introduce herself.
"My name is Marina, Autumn's mother. On behalf of my family, I want to thank you for saving her."
"Uh… I think I should be the one thanking Autumn for saving me first."
Ethan scratched his head, clearly flustered and awkward with the formal gratitude from an elder. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to take a risk and ask Mrs. Marina the question that had been bothering him.
"Ma'am, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Autumn… When did she become… 'like this'?"
"Like this - what do you mean by that?"
Ethan's face went blank. He didn't know how to explain it. Mrs. Marina chuckled softly, amused by Ethan's visible discomfort.
"Oh, seventeen years ago. When I gave birth to Autumn, she was already… 'like this'."
"But your eyes… they are sapphire blue…"
Before Ethan could finish his sentence, Mrs. Marina interrupted him.
"My father - Autumn's grandfather - was one of the first foreigners to set foot in Vietnam, back when the nation was still called Dai Viet."
Noticing the confusion still lingering on Ethan's face, Mrs. Marina began to explain further.
"We also love, marry, and have children just like ordinary humans. Most of us are born that way; only a very small number are created through infection from a bite."
Ethan instinctively reached for the bite mark Autumn had left on his neck. He could feel a slight bump on his skin where the mark was.
"Don't worry. You won't turn into one of us just like that - especially from just one bite. Besides, the chances of becoming a complete version of what we are through infection are very low. It's about… 0.01%, I believe."
"That means you'd have to infect 10,000 people to create one 'complete version' like you. What happens to the rest of them, then?"
"Hah… It's better if you don't know what happens to them…"
Mrs. Marina quickly diverted the topic, much like her daughter often did.
"Autumn has told me a lot about you. I suppose you've already guessed what we are, haven't you?"
"Yes," Ethan replied softly.
"We have many names. Everywhere we go, people call us by different names: Ma cà rồng in Vietnamese, Phi Phông in Thai Peoples, Vrykolakas in Greek, Strigoi in Romanian… But the name we are most often called is: Vampire."
Even though Ethan had already figured out the truth after everything that happened in that dark alley, he still shuddered at the word: Vampire.
"It seems like novels, movies, and games always portray us as noble corpses - long dead, only to be resurrected to suck human blood, right? Writers even attach to us the weirdest habits: sleeping in coffins, fearing garlic, being scared of crosses, and turning into dust under sunlight…"
Mrs. Marina's sapphire-blue eyes glimmered with a hint of sarcasm.
"True, there have been notable individuals among us with such eccentricities and vague fears. But in reality, we are much closer to humans than those stories suggest. The vast majority of us, since ancient times, have always strived to integrate into human society. We must do that if we want to coexist with humans for as long as we have."
"But… movies did get some parts right - like the strength, the speed, and the need for… blood, right?"
"The part about BLOOD is not right, my dear! BLOOD is not the main component in our nutritional pyramid. BLOOD only helps us heal injuries quickly. For a few special Vampires, it might unlock hidden abilities or boost strength. But its most common effect? It gives a euphoric high - something that can easily become addictive. We can live just fine long, healthy lives on human food prepared with a slightly different recipe."
"So… you're saying Vampires don't fear garlic, don't fear crosses, don't turn to dust in sunlight, and don't depend on BLOOD… That makes Vampires even scarier than how movies portray them."
"That's absolutely right. Listen to me carefully, Ethan! For your own safety and for your family's safety, you must PROMISE me you won't reveal any information about the Vampire community to anyone in any way."
Mrs. Marina's deep sapphire eyes locked onto Ethan's. Her pupils shimmered and vibrated ever so slightly, almost like the rapid flapping of a hummingbird's wings, making Ethan feel dizzy and lightheaded.
"I… I'm sorry… I don't promise things I can't keep…"
Mrs. Marina seemed genuinely surprised when Ethan only appeared dazed for a brief moment before regaining his sharp, alert expression.
"I told you, Mom. You can't manipulate him."
From the doorway of the small sitting room, Autumn suddenly appeared.