Heavy footfalls broke the eerie silence blanketing the chilly forest. Each step echoed like a death knell, thudding through the snow-covered undergrowth. The runner—panting and wide-eyed—glanced over his shoulder, heart pounding with the dreadful certainty that something was following.
Then he stopped. Abruptly.
He couldn't go any farther. Every breath felt like fire in his lungs, every muscle in his body screamed. With no other option, he ducked behind a birch tree, pressing his back to the trunk.
For the first time in years, he whispered a prayer—one to gods he had never believed in.
"What was that…?" he muttered, again and again, the same question chasing itself around his mind. He found no answer—none that made sense, anyway. Only one possibility stood out among the chaos.
"The rumors are true…" the white-haired elf whispered to himself, trembling. "The vampires are back."
"I have to alert the camp."
Peeking out from behind the birch, he scanned the darkness. Nothing stirred. No eyes, no shapes, no monsters in the trees. He allowed himself a breath and slid down to rest against the bark.
"I hope Sunflower's okay…" He clenched his fists and shut his eyes, offering another silent prayer—for his friend.
But not all prayers are answered.
High above, nestled in the branches of another birch, perched the very elf in question—Sunflower. His large eyes darted about, scanning the dark woods below with a restlessness born of survival.
Crack.
The sound made his heart leap.
At once, he turned, sharp ears tracing the source. He prayed it was a squirrel… maybe a deer. But deep down, he knew better.
Sunflower's senses weren't like other elves'. He'd been born different—sharper. Stronger. It was why he was one of the best trackers in all Elyria. And in the darkness, where others would stumble blind, he could see clearly.
And right now, he saw him.
A tall, pale figure standing deathly still.
"Calm down… calm down…" Sunflower whispered, patting his chest. At first, it seemed like the pale man hadn't seen him. But something felt… off.
The figure just stood there, staring at the ground like it held the secrets of the world. But Sunflower's instincts—honed over years of tracking beasts and monsters—screamed inside his skull.
He knows.
A cold sweat broke across his brow.
He's toying with me…
Like a cat with a mouse.
"Think, Sunflower. What do I do? Running is useless. Just one look and I can tell—he's way out of my league. And that feeling... that pressure… it's suffocating."
His hand reached to his side, only to grasp air.
He cursed under his breath. In his haste, he'd left his trusty knife behind.
So much for suicide.
With nothing left to lose, Sunflower made his decision.
Crunch.
He dropped to the snow below.
"Took you long enough," said the pale figure—Bat—still staring at the ground.
Sunflower didn't respond. His sharp eyes darted around, searching for a route, an opening, anything. There was none.
"What do you want?" he asked at last, his voice steady despite the fear tightening his chest.
Bat didn't answer right away. He seemed… distracted, still fixated on the earth below.
This is my chance! Sunflower shifted slightly, eyeing the trees to his right.
But before he could move, Bat's voice cut through the silence.
"It's been a long time since I've seen one of your kind," the vampire said, lifting his gaze.
The face that greeted Sunflower nearly made him vomit. Pale, twisted, sunken eyes—like something carved from death itself.
"You already killed two elves earlier," Sunflower managed, forcing calm into his voice.
Bat tilted his head, as if only now remembering. "True. But you… you're not an elf."
Sunflower blinked. "What?"
"Tis a pity," Bat continued, stepping forward until he was uncomfortably close. "That such a rare specimen would go to waste."
The fear in Sunflower's chest twisted into something else. Anger.
"Then maybe you can educate me," he said. "Tell me what I am."
Bat smiled, revealing pristine, bone-white fangs.
"You, my friend, are what we call a halfling." He looked to the sky, as if recalling an old tale. "Though I've never seen one with elven blood. Most are human."
Sunflower's breath caught.
That explained… a lot. His unnatural strength, his senses, the questions about his father—questions his mother had always dodged. She had only ever said his father was a brave, noble man.
He wanted to deny it, but the truth was written in Bat's knowing smile.
"Maybe this can work in my favor…"
"If what you say is true," Sunflower asked carefully, "then why do you want to kill me?"
Bat chuckled darkly. "Kill you?" He emphasized the word with a smirk. "Originally, I planned to do what we vampires always do to halflings."
Sunflower already knew.
"Slaughter you. Brutally." Bat's grin widened. "But… I've changed my mind."
He raised one finger. "I might have use for a halfling like you."
"And if I refuse?"
Now Bat laughed—a cold, hollow sound that echoed through the forest.
"That's a first," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Someone made me laugh."
Then his face darkened.
"If you refuse, the fate awaiting you—and your dear mother—will make death seem like a gift."
Sunflower's eyes widened.
How does he know?
He began to sweat despite the chill.
Once again… no choice.
"…Yes," Sunflower whispered, bowing his head. "What do you want from me?"
"Good." Bat clapped. "You will be my eyes and ears in the elven royal guard."
"That's… difficult. I'm part of the Winter Guard."
"Then I suggest you get redeployed. Quickly." Bat yawned. "I'm not known for patience."
"But first—insurance."
He held out a pale hand.
"Stretch out your right arm."
The command carried the weight of death. Sunflower obeyed.
Bat took the arm, and with a sudden movement, pierced it with his claw.
Sunflower gritted his teeth as blood flowed. Crimson lines swirled across his forearm, forming the shape of a hideous bat.
"That's my mark," Bat said, licking his bloody finger. "And how I'll be watching you."
"Only three races can see it. Vampires, of course… and two others. But don't worry, your little Phoenix friends made sure those two are long gone from this realm."
Bat's grin returned. "Oh, and don't think of cutting your arm off or ending your life. If you do…"
He cracked his neck.
"Make sure your pretty mother does the same."
"I understand…" Sunflower said, his head still bowed.
"One last thing," Bat added, pointing to a nearby grove.
"Your friend is hiding there."
Sunflower's breath caught.
"Kill him."
Bat smiled cruelly. "See it as your first mission." He patted Sunflower's shoulder and turned to leave.
"Failure… isn't an option."
Then he vanished into the trees.
Sunflower stood in silence, staring at the shadows where his friend hid. His fists trembled. His jaw clenched.
And with a stifled cry…
He moved.
To kill the last true friend he had left.