Fuck!Fuck!
A vampire?! How the hell did they get in here?!
Branches whipped against my face as I tore through the woods, my breaths ragged and uneven. On my back, I carried Sebastian—his limp body weighing heavier with every step. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. Black blood dripped steadily from his shoulder, pooling onto my clothes and staining my skin. His left arm was gone, completely severed, and the wound… it wasn't healing.
Why isn't it healing?!
"Fuck, no… no no no…" I whispered, panic clawing at my chest as I pushed forward, my legs burning with each step. His head lolled weakly against my neck, his mouth slack and open. I could barely hear my own thoughts over the sound of my pounding heart, but behind me, I heard it—her.
A giggle. Soft, mocking, and far too close.
"Little werewolf is running," Mori's voice floated through the trees, her tone sing-song and taunting. I gritted my teeth, my claws twitching in frustration.
I could fight her. I wanted to fight her. But Sebastian—he needed help. His body wasn't healing, and he wasn't responding.
Why isn't he healing? He's a vampire, isn't he? Every vampire I've fought healed as fast as I could breathe. But him? His wounds were still raw, black blood oozing like tar.
Suddenly, a blur shot past me. Before I could react, something slammed into my side, sending me tumbling hard to the ground. I hit the dirt with a painful grunt, and Sebastian slipped from my grasp. His limp body slid a few feet away, leaving a streak of black blood across the forest floor.
"No!" I screamed, scrambling to my knees just as Mori lunged at me. Her mouth opened wide, fangs gleaming in the moonlight.
I barely raised my arm in time. Her teeth sank deep into my flesh, and I cried out as pain shot up my arm. Her claws dug into my neck, sharp and unrelenting.
"It's you! It's you!" she giggled, her voice manic as she tightened her grip on my throat. My vision blurred as I choked, struggling for air.
Desperation fueled me. I wrapped my legs around her waist, using all my strength to flip us over. Now on top, I shoved her off, buying myself a second to crawl toward Sebastian.
He still wasn't moving.
Why won't he wake up?! Why won't he heal?!
My arm throbbed, blood pouring from the bite wound as I pulled Sebastian back into my arms. I staggered to my feet, ready to run again—but a sharp kick to my side sent me crashing back down. I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me, scrambling to get up before I felt her presence again.
"Didn't anyone teach you not to look away from your enemy?"
The voice stopped me cold. It wasn't Mori's voice—it was mine.
I looked up, and my stomach dropped. Standing above me was… me. My own face, twisted into a cruel smirk, stared back at me. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. This wasn't just a vampire.
It was a servant of Gluttony.
Servants of Gluttony had a horrifying ability—if they tasted your blood, they could mimic your appearance perfectly. Every detail, down to the last scar and freckle.
"No…" I whispered, fear gripping me as I tried to shift into my wolf form. My body braced for the transformation, but the collar around my neck lit up, glowing red-hot as it burned into my skin. A searing pain shot through me, and I let out a howl, guttural and raw, like a dying animal.
Damn it! I can't fight her like this—not in my human form. I underestimated her. I underestimated all of this.
The creature wearing my face stepped closer, her smirk widening as she pressed her boot down on my leg, grinding it hard into the dirt. Pain flared, and I let out a strangled yell.
"I knew it," she said, her voice sickeningly sweet. Hearing my own voice coming from her mouth made my skin crawl. "Your smell was so familiar. Rosemary, wasn't it? You've been killing a few of us now, haven't you?" She tilted her head, her foot pressing harder against my leg.
I clenched my teeth, a grunt of pain escaping as I tried to push her off, but she only leaned in closer.
"I'm a servant of Gluttony," she said, almost proudly. "Though I guess the shapeshifting gave that away, didn't it?" She crouched down, her hand wrapping around my throat. "You've been such a thorn in our side," she purred, her grip tightening. "But it ends here."
"Is… Is Mori even your real name?" I rasped, my vision dimming as her fingers squeezed harder, cutting off my air
"Nope," Mori—not Mori—said with a shit-eating grin, her voice dripping with mockery. "It's probably this girl's name from when I took her identity. Who knows? I already killed her."
Her face rippled and shifted, the illusion breaking as she reverted to her original form before shifting again. This time, she took the appearance of a woman with pink hair tied into a messy braid, her smile cruel and unrelenting.
"B-Bastard! She was just a child!" I snarled, my voice cracking with rage. I tried to claw at her, but my strength was failing. My arms felt like deadweight, my body too weak to fight back.
Mori—not Mori—snorted, her grin widening. "Hah, and here I thought you didn't care about anything aside from your precious pack. Touching, really." She leaned closer, her voice dropping into a taunting whisper. "Speaking of which, how are they? They must be doing fine… after all, you're doing fine, aren't you?"
I growled, but the sound came out strained. My throat burned, and spit dripped from the corners of my mouth as I struggled against her grip. Her hand around my neck was unrelenting, and my vision was beginning to blur.
I can't breathe.
I need to… get out of her hold.
Darkness crept at the edges of my vision, the weight of her hand pressing down harder against my windpipe. My mind raced, desperate, but my body was giving out. I couldn't die here—not yet. Not when I still had to get Sebastian out of this mess. Not when I still had to—
Apologize to Silas.
"I still can't believe you're blaming our lady for killing your family," Mori—not Mori—sighed dramatically, as if this were some casual conversation over tea.
I let out a choked, bitter laugh, my chest heaving painfully. What the fuck was she talking about now?
"It was the Vampire of Sloth (Minerva), wasn't it?" she continued, her tone almost pitying. "You should give up on that whole revenge fantasy of yours. She's been gone for almost a year now."
Her words hit like a hammer. What?
No. That wasn't right. It was Gluttony. It was her.
But… Sebastian. He wasn't a servant of Gluttony, was he? He was—
The weight on my chest vanished suddenly, and the crushing grip on my neck disappeared. I gasped, sucking in air like it was the sweetest thing in the world, my lungs burning. A sharp yelp rang out, and I forced my eyes open—when had I closed them?—only to see him.
Sebastian.
He stood above me, his body trembling but upright. A thin, glistening string of blood trailed from his shoulder, stretching off into the shadows of the forest. My gaze followed it, wide-eyed, just in time to see the severed arm I'd left behind fly through the trees. It twisted midair before slamming back into Sebastian's shoulder, reattaching itself as if it had never been gone.
"Get… away from her," Sebastian growled, his voice low and guttural. His fangs were fully bared, and his eyes—slitted and blazing—locked onto Mori—not Mori.
Mori—not Mori froze, her expression shifting from smugness to shock. For a moment, she seemed unsure what to do, her gaze darting to Sebastian's right hand—his claws were elongated, and blood dripped from his fingers. Then my eyes caught it, too—the gaping hole in her chest. Her ribcage was caved in, flesh torn apart where Sebastian had driven his hand straight through her torso.
I coughed harshly, forcing myself to sit up despite the ache that radiated through my entire body. Blood still trickled sluggishly from the bite on my arm, and my neck throbbed like hell, but I couldn't take my eyes off Sebastian. He stood protectively in front of me, his legs unsteady but still holding firm. His growl deepened as he glared at Mori—not Mori, who stared back with shock and disbelief.
"You—You must be the servant of the Vampire of Sloth!" she sputtered, her voice breaking into a hysterical laugh. "Lady Minerva never had any servants, but to think she actually has one now—she's been busy," she added with a sneer.
Sebastian didn't respond, his gaze cold and unwavering, but his body trembled slightly. There was a terrifying wildness in his expression, his bloodied claws twitching at his sides.
I forced myself to my feet, my legs shaking as I glared at the pink-haired monster before us. "Hey, fucker," I growled, my voice hoarse, "get out of here before Sebastian makes another fucking hole in your chest."
I nearly collapsed again, but Sebastian caught my shoulder, steadying me before I could hit the ground. His touch was firm but oddly gentle. I muttered a quiet, breathless, "Thanks."
My body ached, my head swam, and my neck throbbed like a bitch. But I wasn't going to let this monster see me falter.
Mori—not Mori—finally seemed to snap out of her shock. Her lips curled into a smug grin as she stepped back, the hole in her chest already beginning to heal. "Your family was killed by the Vampire of Sloth," she said, her tone dripping with mockery. "And yet here you are, working with her servant. Oh, the irony."
I stiffened at her words, but before I could respond, she giggled, brushing the dirt off her clothes. "Fine. I'll leave. But don't think for a second that this is over. I'll be back." She gave us a final smirk before disappearing into the shadows, her laughter echoing through the trees.
Fuck. She's gone. And I didn't even get the chance to ask her about who killed my family.
The silence of the forest pressed down on me, heavy and suffocating. My body ached, my arm throbbed, and my lungs still burned from the fight. Everything felt like it was falling apart.
"Are… you okay?"
Sebastian's voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. I turned to look at him. His face was pale, far paler than usual, and his tired eyes barely stayed open. He placed a hand on my arm, his touch light but grounding.
"I'm fine," I winced, though the bite on my arm pulsed painfully. "Fuck, I can handle that. Are you okay? Your arm was sliced off… but it looks fine now." My voice trailed off as my gaze fell to his arm. It didn't even look like it had been severed. There wasn't a scar, not a single mark to suggest it had been ripped clean off earlier.
"We should… probably get help," Sebastian said, his voice soft and unsteady. He swayed slightly on his feet, his balance clearly shot. "And tell them what happened."
Before he could collapse, I grabbed his shoulders and slung one of his arms around my neck to steady him. His weight leaned heavily against me, and I let out a grunt.
"Don't go kissing the ground on me now, man," I muttered, shifting to keep him upright.
Sebastian let out a shaky breath, his voice distant. "I think I ripped her heart out earlier."
I snorted as we hobbled toward the academy, the two of us stumbling like some three-legged monster. "Yeah? Serves that bitch right."
Sebastian fell quiet, and for a moment, the only sounds were our shuffling steps and the faint rustle of the trees around us.
"I thought you died," I said, the words slipping out before I even realized I'd said them.
Sebastian's response was dry, his tone completely deadpan. "Vampires can't die."
"They can," I shot back with a half-hearted growl. "Just not that easy."
Another silence fell between us, heavier this time.
"How the fuck are we supposed to explain what just happened?" I said, mostly to myself, though I didn't expect an answer.
When I felt a sudden weight on my shoulder, I turned my head to see Sebastian. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and steady.
"Are you serious?" I muttered, glaring at him.
The asshole had completely, deeply fallen asleep.