Being cautious about her surroundings and being tracked, Skylar, being in her Rose Slayer mode, blended into the shadows, climbed up the tree before jumping like a spider monkey. She has been doing that ever since she stepped out of the window of her parents' secret rest house, and once she arrived at the nearest town, she blended in. She might be screaming, a mysterious woman stepping into a diner, but none of the locals wondered about her identity. It was typical for them to meet a mysterious guest. Rose Slayer ate a snack, pretending to have a break for a long travel while her eyes lurked around the area. In the middle of her snack time, she felt those wannabe thugs watching her from the corner booth of the diner. She sighed, ignoring their existence when she heard her husband.
'Wifey, are you on the way home?'
"Yes, taking a small detour pretending to be a normal traveler." Rose Slayer coldly replied, pretending to take a phone call.
'I see. There's something I want to discuss with you.'
"Hello, Mrs. Monsour speaking. What can I do for you?" Pretending, Rose Slayer picked up the call and asked sternly, but through telepathy, she was asking her husband, wondering, "In person or as our hunting side?"
'Change of plans. Somehow, I shake him off my tail, and I'm home already. About the topic, it'll be more convenient to talk about it here. It's more private.'
"Sound serious, but okay, go ahead." She replied on the phone while talking telepathically with her husband, "I'm listening while I'm being watched like a hawk by wannabe gangsters."
'Don't be hard on them in case you decide to play with them, and don't make me jealous.'
"Oh, please, Hubby, they're not even charming to lure me in." She whined playfully but telepathically grinned, replying, "…but I can if I want to play deadly with them."
'I hear deadly sarcasm there.'
"I mean it, Hubby." She pouted before giggling, yet pointed out telepathically to Vincencio, "They're not even close to your charm."
'Then I'm flattered.'
"You should be because I told you so." She chuckled sweetly before her gaze turned serious, wondering telepathically about her husband, insisting, "So, about what you want to talk about, spill the tea. I'm listening."
'Well, the Immortal Bloods paid me a visit, and they spoke about your fate and mine.'
"Okay, go on." She said, sounding serious and curious about what they talked about.
'Okay, it's about your vampire side's fate. They said you might be a Halfling, but you came from one of the strongest vampire families that has been serving and working with the Aspire clan.'
"That explains my cleverness and dangerous stunts whenever I'm hunting game." She grinned darkly at what she heard.
'I said the same thing. They even knew about the layering defenses, which they even told me to hurry up and be with you because once you faced Rudolf, you'll be in grave danger.'
"He's dying." She commented, but Vincencio quickly cut her off.
'He does, and the more closely that he does, the more chances that he's losing his remaining sanity, and his knowledge in medicine will fall into darkness, which could endanger you. They even told me about the promise you vowed to his deceased wife, and it has to be done before Rudolf loses himself completely.
"I see…thanks for the heads up, Hubby." She smiled softly but telepathically. It was different, sternly saying, "And that's what I'm about to do. I heard my parents' side story, particularly with my mother, and some hazy memories when I woke from being imprisoned before."
'You have to tell me about it too.'
"Later, but let's continue where we left off." She smiled gently, making Vincencio chuckle lightly.
'Alright, back to the topic, the Immortal Bloods said that your path that you must walk on is being a mediator between the living and the dead. They said it will be a thorny path, but they were clear about your vampire side's fate. Your slayer mode has two faces: first, a killer, and second, a chance giver, which you have already been doing for those people who deserve it. But they firmly said that you must always stay at the grey line.'
"Did they tell you what kind of mediator I would become?" She wondered sternly despite knowing the answer.
'No, they said it was still hazy, and the only thing they knew was that you were like them, a mediator. They also said it's rightfully yours and there's no other way around. And once it's awakened, you'll be traveling around a lot whenever your mediator task calls for it.'
"Just like them. They popped out of nowhere whenever a certain person or a place faced a drastic change in their lives." She sighed, understanding the task of being a mediator. "And what do they say about yours?"
'Aside from being at your side before it happens, and once it does, I also needed to be a strong pillar for you. I need to become your home to return to.'
"You're already there, hubby…" She said softly, smiling lovingly through the fake call, but sincerely, telepathically continued, saying, "…so don't ever think I'm going to abandon you if that time comes."
'I know that's why I'm telling you that I am here at your side, always. Come home now because they told me that your awakening is about to happen.'
"Okay, I'll be there." She chuckled sweetly before hanging up the fake call and leaving her seat after finishing her snack.
***
Rose Slayer went to the parking area, and by the time she drove her black and red Harley-Davidson's Low Rider S motorbike, she was being followed. She smirked because she knew it would be a fun ride.
"Hubby, I'll be late. Those wannabes began tailing me." She said telepathically, grinning darkly as she accelerated her drive.
Then the night race unintentionally began.
Rose Slayer showed the wannabes her driving skills on the freeway, which they were having difficulty keeping up with her speed, and how she changed her lanes smoothly. However, the wannabes didn't give up and kept their eyes on her tail.
"They're impressive at keeping my tail on lock." She laughed like a mad woman, catching Vincencio's attention through their private but open telepathy.
'Don't be harsh. Just shake them off unless they begin seeking death.'
"Don't worry, Hubby, it's my pleasure to show them death." She smirking tauntingly, making him warn her.
'Wifey, don't even think about it.'
"Only if they ask for it." She corrected, yet her dark grin stated malicious intention as she deeply maneuvered her motorbike into an airport exit before adding telepathically, "Also, I could make it an accident. I'm good at creating a scene for their deathbeds."
'Oh, I almost forgot that. Do whatever you see fit on them, but wifey, don't be harsh unless they want it.'
"Affirmative, Hubby." She grinned darkly at his reminder before checking her watch, saying, "I'll be there in thirty minutes on top."
The race was intense, but Rose Slayer was an excellent driver ever since the day she learned how to drive. Every turn she made, the wannabes began to have a hard time taking turns or reaching up with her. They were always on her tail but never got even a chance to be on her side. It was frustrating, making them reckless and attempting to pull the trigger if Rose Slayer hadn't sensed it. With one sly smirk on her lips, she pulled the brake and parked her motorbike in the parking area across from a shop. Pretending, she hopped off and entered a café shop with a very relaxed vibe before buying a sweet for Vincencio.
However, the frustrated wannabes stumbled on the street by losing control, almost hitting pedestrians, or crashed into cars, causing traffic in the street. Meanwhile, Rose Slayer was a café's customer who bought take-out, pretending not to know anything about the accident on the street.
"Stupid drivers." She laughed darkly when she saw the accident on the street before hopping on her motorbike and then heading home.
'You did not.'
"What did I do? I just stopped at the café and bought your favorite." With a smirk, she played the innocent card, defending herself to her husband's telepathic comment.
'Playing innocent is always your excuse when you're the cause of some incidents on the street.'
"I didn't…but fine, maybe I did, a little. I've sensed their frustration and attempted to shoot me while on the road, but since we're in the city proper, I have to act like an innocent driver." She confessed honestly before adding an unintentional aftereffect incident in the street. "Then I remembered your favorite sweet and decided to buy you some, which I didn't expect would lead to an accident. That's why their stupid driver."
'Fine, you win the argument because they didn't know they had happened to be lured by the infamous Rose Slayer.'
"Guilty, but it's my pleasure. So, get used to it." She grinned, winning his heart again.
'I am. Hurry up. Now, I need that sweet.'
"On the way." She smiled softly and drove peacefully back home to their old house.
***
Back in their old house, Rose Slayer was about to enter the house when something caught her attention for a second. She took a breath, and she knew she was being watched by something not Rudolf. She was skeptical for a moment, but later, a dark, malicious flicker appeared in her eyes. She knew it. It was crawling under her skin, and by the time she was about to open the door, Vincencio did and pulled her into his arms.
"I felt it." He whispered, and Rose Slayer softened, but her vampire side was kicking in.
"Take me inside. I can't feel my legs now." She whispered lowly, making Vincencio nod, and carried her inside their house.
"It's happening, isn't it?" He guessed, and barely, she smiled while he took her to their living area in front of the fireplace because Rose Slayer's temperature was dropping drastically. "You're below zero."
"I know. Let me rest here, but prepare yourself to be suck by me later." She responded softly with a mischievous smile on her lips. Vincencio chuckled and pecked her lips.
"Always." He said with assurance as he made sure his wife was comfortably lying on the carpet, covered with a mattress, and with light from the fireplace. "I'll prepare something to go along with it."
"See you later, Hubby." She said faintly, and she was out cold.
As soon as her eyes closed, her entire body released a very cold energy wrapping around her body down the entire living area where she was. Vincencio quickly stepped out before he turned into a frozen husband. He watched as his wife's body began to be covered with an ice coffin and the fireplace's light vanished. Everything froze, but luckily, it was only in the living area. As her body hibernated, preparing her body for some changes, Skylar drifted into a void, meeting her bloody reflection.
"I heard you're changing," Skylar commented as soon as she saw her bloody reflection smiling at her arrival, Rose.
'And you're here for that.'
"Care to tell what it truly means?" She insisted, making her other self, Rose, walk toward a well and sit by the edge before meeting her again.
'I know you heard their story and their bond based on how they speak to each other, and I am the product of it. I was born through the soul bond between Frances and Sophia, and called Blood Curse. Obviously, I could manipulate blood and reflect any elements according to my will, which explains your added abilities to manipulate fire and nature when you're ice.'
Rose tapped the well, and the water flowed out before forming into a water ball, and later turned into blood. She began wrapping with earthly vines before letting it ignite with flame, but not burning, and also turned the blood into a poisonous spike. Skylar raised her hand, turning the mixed elements into an ice crystal before letting it dissolve into clean water, returning straight back into the well.
'Together we're powerful at manipulating things, but we're outstanding more when it comes to blood. But being Blood Curse, your body must undergo a transition, so using it won't bring harm to you or to the people we care about and love.'
"I understand, but what about being a mediator?" Skylar nodded but wondered at the same time.
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