Jack and John remained silent as Mira spoke, her gaze sharp, as if trying to pierce through every hidden secret.
"Legends say…
Once upon a time, there was a mad Pope.
He was so obsessed with Vampires that he shattered the peace treaty between the two races. He single-handedly plunged this world into the apocalypse. Worse… he even caused the death of his own daughter. From then on, he was exiled, cursed. Over the long years, people only remembered a wandering old man, always carrying something on his back. They say… wherever he sets foot, misfortune follows. And Vampires will appear. And the proof is right here… He showed up in this city, and it was attacked immediately afterward. It's no coincidence that there's a legend about him in this world… I didn't think it was real until he drew that sword to protect those children."
She stared directly at John, her eyes devoid of any hint of jest.
Jack also turned his gaze. He wasn't one to believe in legends, but Mira wasn't the type to talk nonsense.
John remained silent for a long moment, then sighed.
Then, he chuckled.
"Ha… ha ha… ha… ha…
Legends… people still remember them?"
The old man gave a slight shrug, then sighed again.
"So… do you believe that legend, Mira?"
Mira crossed her arms. "I don't know. But I believe in coincidences. Carrying something strange on his back… I noticed you from the moment you arrived in the city with the refugees. You truly resemble the legend too much… too many coincidences for me to dismiss it as mere chance. I didn't think it was real until you drew that sword to protect those children."
Jack still said nothing. But his eyes also awaited the answer.
Silence filled the room after Mira's words. She rested her chin on her hand, looking at John with suspicion, while Jack stood with his arms crossed, his gaze cold.
John simply smiled faintly.
"Oh… rumors, stories…
They will never know the truth about me. But don't worry, one day all of humanity will have its answers. And now…"
He turned his gaze to Jack, his voice slow but filled with certainty.
"The only thing I care about… is you."
Jack still didn't react, but a shadow seemed to fall over his eyes.
Mira raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so it is you after all? A wandering old man carrying such a powerful weapon, no wonder you've managed to survive all this time."
Jack's voice was low. "If this sword is so powerful… why didn't you use it to protect humanity? Why, in the shelter, did I see you hesitate so much before drawing it? If you had drawn it sooner, perhaps I wouldn't have killed that young priest. Were you afraid of it… because it hurts you?"
Mira scoffed. "It's obvious. The legend is true. This selfish old man… didn't want to sacrifice himself."
John continued to smile. A gentle smile, as if he were all too familiar with these questions, these accusations. As if he had heard them a thousand times.
The old room of the Solar Order was filled with a tense atmosphere. Inside, the weak oil lamps cast a dim light, highlighting the dusty stacks of documents on the round table.
John quietly stood up. He placed a hand on the silver crucifix around his neck, his gaze somber but resolute.
"Hnmm… In the past, I wouldn't have felt obligated to explain myself to you."
His voice deepened, echoing in the empty room.
"But now… 'Last Light' has chosen its master.
Therefore…"
John looked directly at Jack and Mira.
"You two only need to remember this… I have a mission. A single mission. To protect this sword, and to find humanity's last hope."
Mira crossed her arms, her eyes sharp. "So… you were deliberately hiding your identity? Why? Were you afraid?"
John didn't answer immediately, only offering a faint smile, the smile of someone who had endured too much bitterness.
"The fewer people who know about me, the fewer people who know about 'Last Light'…
The greater our advantage."
Jack's voice was low. "But… we killed quite a few Vampires in the shelter, and I let one escape. That means… this secret will come out sooner or later, won't it?"
John nodded slowly. "Yes. Perhaps… we can't hide this for much longer."
Mira scoffed. "And all this time, you chose to remain silent and let everything happen?"
John closed his eyes, his breath heavy. "To protect this sword… to protect its secret… I have endured countless curses, just like you, Mira."
Mira clenched her fists, her eyes flashing with anger. "No matter how you try to justify it… many people could have had a chance to survive. But you just stood by and watched."
Jack turned to Mira, his voice low. "Enough, Mira. Perhaps… John truly had his own reasons."
Silence fell over the room once more.
John sighed softly, as if he were all too accustomed to these accusations. "This… is a long story. Perhaps we can discuss it later."
Suddenly, his stomach let out a loud GROWL. John patted his stomach lightly, chuckling softly. "But first… I really need to find something to eat. I wonder if this place has any food?"
Mira stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "WHAT?! You're just going to leave it at that? You should at least explain things properly!"
John shrugged, waving his hand as he walked towards the doorway. "There's plenty of time later, young lady. I'm really hungry."
Mira's face contorted with anger. "That damn old man!! I'm even more confused than before you opened your mouth!!"
She immediately stormed after John, muttering curses under her breath. Jack smiled faintly, but then his gaze drifted into the distance.
Inside him, so many questions remained unanswered. Why was John so indifferent? He could have used Last Light to save the priest before he killed him. And why was John even here in the first place?
But suddenly, a chilling thought flashed through his mind.
Jack stood there, his body suddenly as stiff as a stone statue.
"Eat…? Hungry…?"
John's words echoed in his head like a warning bell. Then, old memories surged forth—images he had tried to bury deep within his consciousness.
Lavish, extravagant blood feasts.
Bodies twisted in agony.
Goblets filled with fresh blood, wild laughter echoing in the darkness.
Slaves screaming in despair as they were torn limb from limb.
The dark pleasure that only a true Vampire could savor.
Jack felt his breathing become heavy. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
His body was exhausted. The battle outside the city, the confrontation with John, then the deadly fight with the Elite Vampire Mage…
He had been pushed to his limit. Now, he needed to feed to recover.
The hunger was coming.
Jack's eyes slowly began to shift to crimson. The deep, pure red of a true Vampire…
He didn't realize it.
The Vampire blood within him was stirring, urging him to hunt.
"No…!"
Jack shook his head violently, his hands clenching into fists. "I'm not like that anymore. I can't keep drinking human blood. That's not me… not anymore…"
Jack gritted his teeth, forcing himself to reject the instinct. Gradually, the red in his eyes faded, returning to a vibrant amber.
The immediate hunger pang had passed.
But…
He knew it would return.
Jack raised a hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating faster than normal. If he didn't eat… didn't replenish his energy… his Vampire strength would gradually wane.
The hungrier he became, the more his reason would fade.
Worse still, if the hunger persisted for too long, he would transform into a secondary Vampire—a mindless creature driven only by instinct to hunt. No thought. No humanity.
A crazed, bloodthirsty living corpse.
And then… certain death.
Jack tightened his fists.
He couldn't let that happen.
"I've changed." He looked down at the sword in his hand. "Hope… Last Light is changing me too."
Jack didn't want to drink another drop of blood. But was there any other way?
Images of his past victims flashed before his eyes. People who could have lived, but had died by his fangs. Jack's throat was dry, his heart ached.
He took a deep breath. There was only one way.
If he wanted to survive…
He had to find a way to exist without returning to being a monster.
( pls
Any comments or feedback on my novel would mean a lot to me. Thank you so much!)