Everyone was distracted now, caught up in the noisy quarrel between Kevin and Vesper. It didn't make sense. They were supposed to stay alert—in case of danger. But here they were, bickering and letting their guard down.
"Enough."
Just that one word, spoken in Julius's cold, commanding tone, was enough to silence the entire group. Kevin froze where he stood.
"He started it," Vesper said, nodding toward Kevin.
Kevin went completely silent. He was too scared to speak—making Julius even angrier was the last thing he wanted. The others stared at him like he'd lost his mind. Why would anyone argue with a bat they wondered.
If Julius had been standing just a bit closer, he might have smelled the faint trace of alcohol on Kevin's breath—and if that had happened, Kevin would've been double dead. Julius had made it very clear before they left the castle: No alcohol . Everyone needed to stay alert.
*Gosh… it's like watching babies,* Julius thought, pressing his fingers to his temple in frustration.
Meanwhile, Kael had already called Vesper over and was quietly scolding him. Of course, Vesper didn't take it well—and it wasn't long before Kael gave up, zipping his mouth shut.
"That wasn't cool of you," Kael said firmly.
"Wow," Vesper scoffed, "that's rich—coming from someone who I'm pretty sure doesn't even know the definition of cool."
"I know it, okay."
"Oh really? Then what is 'cool'?" Vesper challenged, his wings flicking as he hovered in place.
"…Whatever," Kael muttered, rolling his eyes.
Kevin, meanwhile, was still frozen with anxiety over Julius's outburst. Not that Julius enjoyed yelling—he didn't. But sometimes, it felt like the only way to get people to listen. That's why some of them started labeling him as the bad guy.
Truthfully, Julius just couldn't stand noise. Too much of it pushed him to the edge. But fate had dealt him an ironic hand—because there was one person he had to endure it from:
Penelope
The princess who loved teasing him. The way she played her drum—so loud, so relentless—it nearly drove him insane. At first, when she requested to bring it, he assumed it was just to get under his skin. But she genuinely enjoyed it. And to his surprise, she was good at it—very good.
Still, she did use it to mess with him. And it worked. The sound of that drum was so loud, he could swear his eardrums had burst but now she was gone.
He was supposed to be happy—no more loud noises, no more chaos. But he wasn't. Why would he be happy that the princess was missing? He just wished she would come back. He didn't care if she played that cursed instrument for ten years straight—which was impossible, of course—but if she did, he wouldn't mind.
"Just come home," he mumbled subconsciously. It wasn't loud enough for most to hear, but someone with highly sensitive ears caught it.
Kael.
Kael's expression darkened. It made him sad to see he could do nothing to help. He thought of himself as just another dumb, strong vampire. Useless when it truly mattered. He sighed, lost in thought, criticizing himself for his inability to figure out where Penelope had gone.
That's when he bumped into someone.
An old lady.
She staggered back, falling onto her rear with a soft grunt as the bundle of dry, splintered wood she had been carrying scattered across the path. The wood had been tied with coarse rope, but now it lay in disarray.
Her white dress—once bright—was dulled by time and dirt, hanging loosely over her thin frame like a faded memory. A long scarf, pale and worn, was wrapped around her head, covering most of her wiry gray hair, though a few stubborn strands fluttered in the breeze.
"Ouch!" she hissed in pain, squeezing her eyes shut. "You children should watch where you're going."
She turned to look at Kael, who was already crouching down, hand extended to help her up.
"Sorry about that," he apologized.
"Oh my, you are so handsome!" the old lady said, grabbing his hand. "And don't worry about it—I'm fine."
As he helped her, she added, "My, what a cold hand you have. It reminds me of my deep freezer... which is now broken."
She chuckled, already halfway up when Kael suddenly let go of her hand, conscious of his difference—but oblivious to how abrupt it seemed. He looked down at the hand she had touched and rubbed it lightly, as if to erase something.
"Ouch," the old woman muttered under her breath. "What the hell is wrong with you, Kael? Are you always this mean to your elders?"
Her voice—just for a split second—shifted. It was no longer raspy and old, but youthful and sharp.
Julius rushed forward to help her. He knew exactly why Kael had pulled away. And if she started asking questions, he'd need to find a way to dodge them. No one could find out who—or what—Kael really was.
"I sincerely apologize for that, ma'am," Julius said, trying to smooth things over.
He glanced at Kael, who stood frozen, eyes wide with shock for just a moment—before narrowing into a cold, piercing stare.
That voice.
He had heard it before, but he couldn't place when or where. It echoed in his mind, familiar and distant like a fading dream.
He was also certain now—someone was following them. But who?
Could it be… her?
Judging by the murderous look Kael was now giving her, the old woman seemed to realize she had slipped up. She'd been caught.
And how could she forget the most important thing?
He wasn't human so of course he heard her.
"We should go," Kael said, his gaze fixed on the old lady.
Kevin and a few of the other guards had been helping her gather the firewood she'd dropped. They handed it back with polite smiles, but most of them ignored Kael's words. Some didn't understand why he was acting so tense; others simply thought his usual coldness didn't warrant a deeper reason.
"We would've loved to help you, ma'am, but we're not headed in your direction," Kevin said, genuinely apologetic.
"It's alright, son. Thank you—all of you," the old woman replied, gently stroking Kevin's arm.
Kael's eyes narrowed. As her sleeve shifted, a ruby ring on her index finger flashed in the sunlight. No one else seemed to notice, but he did. Again. They were letting their guard down, just because she looked like a harmless old woman.
The moment she noticed the ring was exposed, she quickly lowered her hand and covered it with the other behind her back.
"Well then, I'll be leaving. Go on," she said. But just as she turned, she paused. Something seemed to cross her mind.
"Oh! I almost forgot," she added, her voice suddenly more serious. "It's more dangerous than you think. Something terrible is behind it."
Everyone went still. Confused. Alarmed.
"Behind what?" Julius asked, voicing the question on all their minds.
She looked at them with a wide smile. "The forest. What else?" Then she chuckled.
Everyone joined her laughter—except Kael.
"If it's so dangerous, then why are you here?" Kael asked sharply. "What's an old lady doing in the middle of the forest with no weapon?"
His words turned heads. It was a fair question. How *had* she survived out here?
"Oh, that?" she laughed again, unbothered. "I know this forest better than you think. I live nearby. I know all the hideouts. Don't worry about me."
She began to walk off, humming lightly to herself. But just before disappearing into the trees, she turned back.
"Be safe," she called to the group—then looked directly at Kael. "Nice pet, by the way." She pointed to Vesper, Kael's companion.
Then, turning to Julius, she added, "Kids these days and their weird obsessions," with one last laugh before vanishing into the forest.
The group chuckled again, brushing it off. They resumed their journey, chatting about how jolly the old woman had been.
But a few of them glanced back at Kael with unease. He still looked like a monster to them, cold and unfeeling. None of them knew why he'd acted the way he did. Most didn't care to ask.
Yet underneath their laughter, a seed of fear had been planted. Some were already starting to doubt whether they should continue to a place they don't know they were scared of being killed
They had no choice—it was a show of loyalty to the royal family.
Meanwhile, Vesper was still ranting about how the old lady had called him weird. Kael barely listened. He was busy piecing things together like a puzzle: the ring, the fact that she knew his name, her cryptic warning, and most of all—the shift in her voice.
It had sounded familiar.
"Vesper," Kael said quietly, "doesn't she feel... or sound familiar to you?"
Vesper gasped, offended. "Wow, so you weren't even listening to my dramatic monologue?"
"I'm asking you something more important," Kael said, eyes still scanning the trees where the old woman had disappeared.
Vesper paused, sniffed the air. "Well... she *does* smell familiar. Like damp earth and... dried herbs, maybe?"
Kael nodded slowly. "You're right."
But who? Who smelled like that?
He thought hard, narrowing down the scent, the voice, the feeling—
And then it hit him.
Sylvia