The piercing wail of the ambulance siren faded into the distance, carrying the victim, whose fate hung in the balance, away into the depths of the night. Simultaneously, several unmarked black SUVs glided silently like phantoms towards the alley entrance and came to a stop. Doors opened, and a group of people in civilian clothes, radiating competence, swiftly disembarked. Their movements were efficient and professional.
Division D had arrived.
Night had fallen completely. The city's neon lights flickered to life, casting an eerie, shifting glow over the area recently stained with blood. The Division D operatives dispersed immediately. One team moved towards the scene for a more detailed forensic examination, while another began systematically questioning the disturbed onlookers who hadn't yet dispersed.
Two operatives walked directly towards Dawn Xiang, who still leaned against the wall, pale-faced and visibly shaken.
One, who appeared to be a human member of the team, took in Dawn's terrified, disoriented state and spoke in a gentle, reassuring tone: "Don't be afraid, young man. It's over now. What's your name? Take a deep breath, try to calm down. Then, slowly recall what you saw and tell us everything in detail, okay? Don't worry, we will catch the perpetrator!" He gestured towards his stern-looking companion. "This is my colleague from Division D, specializing in cases involving vampires. You don't need to worry about your safety."
However, his stern companion—Blake Baili—raised a hand to stop the introduction. Blake's sharp eyes, seeming capable of piercing through to one's soul, swept over Dawn. He stated calmly, "He's a vampire too."
"Huh?" The human operative visibly started, looking at Dawn with surprise and reassessing him. Dawn instantly flushed with embarrassment, his cheeks burning. He could clearly hear other operatives nearby taking statements from passersby, all describing his desperate, ear-splitting cries for help. A vampire, faced with danger, hadn't fought or fled, but screamed for help like a frightened human... It was utterly mortifying!
Dawn bowed his head shamefacedly, wishing the floor would swallow him whole.
"Did you see the perpetrator's face?" Blake Baili ignored Dawn's discomfort, cutting straight to the point, his voice steady and forceful.
Dawn quickly lifted his head, nodding vigorously. "Yes! I saw him!"
A flicker of surprise, almost imperceptible, crossed Blake Baili's eyes. This was an unexpected answer! In previous cases, whether the victims were human or vampire, no eyewitness had been able to clearly describe the attacker's appearance. It was as if the killer were an intangible ghost. Yet this fledgling vampire claimed he had seen him?
Just then, a tall woman with a high ponytail strode over briskly. She exuded an aura of cold power similar to Blake Baili's, unmistakably that of a formidable vampire.
"Blake, what's the situation?" Tina Chang's voice arrived before she did, laced with palpable agitation and anger. Without waiting for Blake's answer, her eyes fell on the bloodstains still visible on the ground. She spat viciously, "That beast! The girl's hurt bad. Severe blood loss, internal injuries too. Whether she pulls through is still touch and go. Scumbag! Filth worse than an animal!" Her fury felt almost tangible.
Blake Baili seemed accustomed to Tina Chang's fiery temper and didn't respond. Tina's gaze shifted to Dawn, instantly recognizing him as a young, newly adult vampire with a pure aura.
"Kid," Tina Chang said, her tone slightly softer but her eyes still sharp as knives, "did you see that bastard's face?" The "bastard" naturally referred to the attacking vampire.
Dawn nodded emphatically again. "Yeah! I saw him!"
Tina Chang also looked startled, disbelief written on her face. "You actually saw him?" She frowned, muttering almost to herself, "That doesn't make sense... I just examined the wounds; the M.O. matches the previous serial cases perfectly. But that bastard operates with extreme caution, cleans up meticulously, never leaves survivors or witnesses... How could he have been spotted so easily by you this time?" Her scrutinizing gaze returned to Dawn, filled with suspicion and confusion.
Dawn felt nervous under her stare, but he stood firm. "I really did see him..." he affirmed quietly but with certainty.
"Alright!" Tina Chang, decisive by nature, didn't dwell on it. She clapped a hand on Dawn's shoulder. "You're coming back to headquarters with us! Let's get that bastard off the streets before he hurts anyone else!"
Dawn knew arguing was futile. He nodded obediently and followed Tina Chang and Blake Baili into one of the black SUVs. The engine started, and the vehicle merged silently into the flow of traffic.
Sitting in the back seat, Dawn watched the city lights stream past the window, a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach. Division D headquarters—the mysterious agency dedicated to handling vampire crimes—was a place he'd only heard about in news reports and rumors. He'd never imagined setting foot inside it himself, especially not as a "witness."
No, wait... that wasn't entirely true. He had "imagined" it once. That time on the top floor of Twilight Tower, when he'd lost control and licked Ethan Yan's wound... He'd spent days afterward terrified that Division D agents would come knocking to arrest him.
Thinking of Ethan made Dawn's heart skip a beat, followed by an inexplicable wave of nervousness. What would this place be like? Dark and terrifying? Heavily fortified? Like a legendary vampire prison?
However, when Dawn actually stepped into the Ningqu City branch of Division D headquarters, the sight before him was surprising.
It wasn't the grim dungeon or military fortress he'd envisioned. Instead, it looked like a perfectly ordinary office space on the upper floor of a standard office building. A spacious, brightly lit open-plan area housed sleek, modern desks and chairs. City maps and case evidence boards hung on the walls. Computer screens glowed softly. The air carried the faint scent of coffee and printer ink. Apart from the subtle, lingering traces of vampire presence in the atmosphere, it was indistinguishable from any human corporate office.
Dawn suddenly remembered: the majority of Division D personnel were vampires themselves. After all, tracking down and apprehending their own kind—beings possessing superhuman speed and strength—was a task beyond ordinary humans, even with advanced gear. While humans had developed drugs and weapons capable of harming vampires, in the practicalities of pursuit, combat, and capture, vampire enforcers with equal or greater power held an undeniable advantage.
"Don't be nervous. Have a seat, get some water." Tina Chang handed Dawn a cup of warm water, gestured towards a nearby sofa, and then walked over to her own desk, immediately starting to type rapidly on her computer.
Dawn clutched the warm paper cup, carefully sitting on the edge of the sofa. He surreptitiously scanned the surroundings. The office was large, but currently, only Tina Chang and Blake Baili seemed present. Blake sat at his workstation, staring intently at his computer screen, fingers tapping unconsciously on the desk.
Just as Dawn began to relax slightly, a door at the far end of the office opened. A tall man with a stern countenance walked in. He looked to be in his thirties, dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, radiating an aura of calm authority. Dawn's heart clenched instantly! He could clearly sense this man was also a vampire, and... incredibly powerful! His power level far exceeded that of Tina Chang and Blake Baili! Dawn instinctively averted his gaze, not daring to look directly at him.
"I am Damian Mu, head of Division D's Ningqu City branch." The man walked straight up to Dawn, his voice low and resonant, devoid of pleasantries. "I understand you witnessed the perpetrator of tonight's attack and saw his face clearly?"
Dawn hastily stood up, nodding nervously. "Y-yes, sir."
"Good." A sharp glint flashed in Damian Mu's eyes. "Then, can you assist us immediately with a suspect composite sketch? Time is critical."
Dawn nodded emphatically again. "Yes!"
Before Damian Mu could direct him, Tina Chang was already on her feet. "I'll handle it!" She led Dawn to another computer equipped with professional facial composite software. "Alright, kid, relax. Start describing the face you saw. Be as detailed as possible. Don't leave anything out."
Dawn took a deep breath, forcing himself to recall the menacing face from the depths of the alley. He closed his eyes, vividly picturing those bloodshot, violent crimson eyes, the sharp fangs exposed and stained with blood, the slightly gaunt jawline, the aquiline nose, and the pale cheeks covered in sparse, stubbly beard...
"His eyes... dark red, like congealed blood. The look in them was fierce, crazy... Eyebrows thick, the arch sharp... Nose... kind of hooked... Lips thin, corners turned down... Chin a bit pointed, face lean... Beard... yes, he had a beard. Greyish-white, short, on his chin and upper lip... Face shape... roughly like this..." Dawn described as best he could, recalling each detail.
Tina Chang's fingers flew over the keyboard and digital sketchpad. The facial outline and features on the screen adjusted and refined in real-time based on Dawn's descriptions. Her experience allowed her to quickly interpret his words and translate them into visual form.
"Here, the bridge of the nose needs to be a touch higher..."
"Yes, eyebrows thicker, the tail more upturned..."
"Chin... yes, right there, a bit narrower..."
"The beard placement... yeah, that's about right..."
Dawn scrutinized the image taking shape on the screen, occasionally suggesting minor adjustments. Slowly, a clear, cold, cruel-looking face of a middle-aged man materialized—almost identical to the hooded killer from Dawn's memory!
"That's him!" Dawn pointed at the screen, his voice firm. "That's the one! I remember clearly!"
Tina Chang tapped the Enter key with satisfaction, saving the image. "Well done, kid! Anything else to add? Height, build, any distinguishing marks or scars?"
Dawn thought carefully, then shook his head. "No... I was too scared at the time. I only remember the face."
"Alright!" Tina Chang didn't press further. She turned and called out, "Blake! Take the kid home!"
Blake Baili stood up and grabbed his car keys.
Dawn instinctively started to wave his hand, wanting to say, "No need for trouble, I can get back myself," but swallowed the words. After the night's ordeal and finding himself in this unfamiliar place, he genuinely felt uneasy about walking home alone at night. He silently followed Blake Baili towards the office door.
However, as they reached the doorway, Blake Baili's steps abruptly halted! His entire body tensed instantly, muscles coiling like a spring-loaded trap. His eyes sharpened into blades, fixed with intense vigilance on the deep shadows shrouding the corridor outside!
An indescribable, icy, and overwhelmingly powerful pressure flooded the space like a tangible tide, silent yet pervasive. The temperature in the office seemed to plummet several degrees!
Tina Chang and Damian Mu sensed the anomaly simultaneously, springing to their feet, expressions grave as they looked towards the door.
Dawn's heart lurched into a frantic gallop! He followed Blake Baili's gaze—
In the deepest part of the corridor, within the impenetrable darkness, the outline of a tall, imposing figure slowly coalesced, like a sovereign emerging from the abyss.
It was Ethan Yan.