For three heartbeats, Arav fell.
The wind screamed past him. Bangkok's lights blurred. The ground rushed up—concrete that would shatter even a vampire's bones from this height.
Then his divine blood activated.
Golden light exploded from his body, wrapping around him like wings. His fall slowed, becoming a controlled descent, graceful and impossible.
The hunters below stared in shock as Arav landed in the center of the street, the impact creating a crater in the asphalt but leaving him completely unharmed.
He stood slowly, his eyes blazing with all four colors—red, gold, violet, white—swirling together in a pattern that hypnotized anyone who looked directly at them.
"Commander Hayes, I presume?" Arav's voice carried supernatural weight, making the humans flinch.
A man stepped forward—tall, military bearing, gray hair, cold eyes. He wore tactical gear marked with religious symbols and carried a silver-edged blade.
"Vampire," Hayes spat the word like a curse. "You're making a mistake. Surrender now and your death will be quick. Resist and—"
"And what?" Arav interrupted. "You'll kill me? You'll try." He looked around at the assembled hunters—at least fifty of them, all armed with silver weapons, blessed bullets, holy water grenades. "All of you will try. And all of you will fail."
"Arav, wait!" Kayen's voice from above. He'd jumped as well, landing beside Arav with Jin, Preeda, and Som right behind him. "Don't do this alone—"
"I'm not alone," Arav said, reaching for Kayen's hand. "I'm never alone anymore."
Through their bond, power flowed—Kayen's thousand years of vampire strength merging with Arav's convergence abilities. They blazed brighter, two figures glowing with combined supernatural energy.
Hayes laughed, harsh and bitter. "Touching. Really. But you're outnumbered, outgunned, and—"
"Outmatched," Arav finished for him. "You're outmatched, Commander. You brought human weapons to fight something beyond human. Let me show you."
He released Kayen's hand and stepped forward.
His witch magic activated first. With a gesture, every weapon in the hunters' hands grew burning hot. Men screamed, dropping rifles, pistols, blades. The metal melted, dripping onto the pavement.
"That's for the innocents you've killed," Arav said coldly. "All the vampires, werewolves, witches—beings just trying to survive, murdered by your 'righteous' crusade."
Hayes drew a blessed blade from his boot—the metal didn't melt, protected by holy enchantments. "We protect humanity from monsters—"
"I was human three days ago," Arav interrupted. "A college student from Mumbai, studying sociology, trying to build a life in a foreign country. Then I fell in love with the wrong person." He glanced at Kayen. "Or the right person, depending on perspective. Did that make me a monster? Did choosing love over normalcy earn a death sentence?"
"You're not human anymore," Hayes said. "You're an abomination. Multiple bloodlines that should never mix. You're—"
"Powerful," Arav finished. "That's what scares you. Not that I'm dangerous, but that I'm powerful and you can't control me."
He let his shape-shifter blood rise. His body began to change—not fully transforming, but partially. Claws extended from his fingers, longer and sharper than vampire talons. His teeth became predator's fangs. Fur rippled along his arms in golden-brown waves.
"I'm not the victim you thought you'd find here," Arav said, his voice taking on an animal growl. "I'm not helpless. Not anymore."
Hayes raised his blade. "All units—open fire! Lethal force authorized!"
But before anyone could act, headlights flooded the street.
A convoy of black cars—expensive, luxury vehicles—pulled up, surrounding the hunters' vans. Doors opened and vampires emerged. Dozens of them. Jin and Preeda's coven-mates. Som's friends from the underground. Other supernatural beings—witches, shape-shifters, spirits.
And leading them, walking with ancient authority, was Seraphina.
"Commander Hayes," she said pleasantly. "How unexpected to find you here."
Hayes's face went pale. "Lady Seraphina. This doesn't concern—"
"Doesn't concern me?" Seraphina's laugh was ice. "You're hunting vampires in my territory. You've destroyed a respected witch's establishment. And you're threatening my..." she paused, looking at Arav with an unreadable expression, "...my investment."
"Investment?" Arav asked warily.
Seraphina smiled at him. "The life debt, remember? You owe me a favor. Can't collect on that if you're dead." She turned back to Hayes. "So you see, Commander, this very much concerns me."
Hayes gripped his blade tighter. "We have authorization from—"
"I don't care who authorized you," Seraphina interrupted, her voice dropping to a dangerous purr. "Thailand is under the Bangkok Accord. The treaty between supernatural beings and the human government. Vampire hunters are only permitted to operate against rogue vampires—those who violate the peace by killing humans indiscriminately. Has this boy killed anyone?"
Silence.
"Has he?" Seraphina pressed. "Anyone in your organization have proof he's murdered humans? Broken the Accord?"
"He's bonded to a vampire who—"
"Who won a legal challenge under the Old Law," Seraphina said. "Witnessed by hundreds of supernatural beings. All legal. All sanctioned." She stepped closer to Hayes. "You're operating outside your authority, Commander. Hunting vampires who've broken no laws. That makes you the criminal here."
"They're monsters—" Hayes started.
"We're citizens," Seraphina corrected. "Under the Accord, supernatural beings have rights. Including the right not to be murdered by vigilantes." Her eyes flashed red. "Now, I'm going to give you one chance. Leave. Take your hunters. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. And if you ever threaten anyone under my protection again..." she smiled, showing all her teeth, "I'll show you what a real monster looks like."
Hayes looked around—at the vampires surrounding his forces, at Arav still glowing with power, at the situation spiraling beyond his control.
"This isn't over," he said finally. "The Accord won't protect abominations forever. We're coming back. With proper authorization. With—"
"You're coming back, you'll die," Kayen said flatly, stepping up beside Arav. "We've been patient. We've hidden. We've tried to coexist. But if you push us—if you threaten what's mine—I'll burn your entire organization to the ground."
Hayes and Kayen locked eyes—human hatred meeting vampire fury.
Finally, Hayes stepped back. "Fall back. All units, fall back."
The hunters retreated to their vans, engines starting, vehicles pulling away. But Hayes paused at his van's door.
"We know about you now, Arav Kumar," he called out. "We know what you are. Where you came from. And we know where your human family still lives. In Mumbai. Your mother. Your sister."
Arav's blood went cold.
"Touch them and I'll—" he started.
"We don't hurt civilians," Hayes interrupted. "But they deserve to know what their son and brother has become. What he's chosen." He climbed into the van. "Enjoy your monster life, Kumar. It won't last long."
The vans drove away, leaving the supernatural beings standing in the damaged street.
As soon as they were gone, Arav's legs gave out. The power drain—using all his abilities simultaneously—hit him like a truck. Kayen caught him before he fell.
"I've got you," Kayen whispered. "Always."
Seraphina approached them, her entourage of vampires flanking her.
"Impressive display," she said, examining Arav with those ancient eyes. "You've barely been vampire for three days and you're already wielding convergence powers. Unstable, unrefined, but impressive nonetheless."
"Thank you for helping," Arav said, though he was wary. "But you didn't do it out of kindness, did you?"
"No," Seraphina agreed. "I did it to protect my investment. The life debt you owe me." She smiled. "Speaking of which, I'm calling it in. Now."
"Already?" Kayen's arm tightened around Arav protectively. "He just finished transforming—"
"Which makes this perfect timing," Seraphina said. "I need you two to retrieve something for me. Something dangerous, heavily guarded, and located in a place neither you nor I can enter without invitation."
"What place?" Arav asked.
"The Vatican," Seraphina said simply.
The gathered vampires gasped. Even Jin and Preeda looked shocked.
"You want us to break into the Vatican?" Kayen's voice rose. "The headquarters of the Catholic Church? The most heavily blessed, warded, protected place on Earth for anything supernatural?"
"Yes," Seraphina said cheerfully. "There's an artifact there. The Blood Crown of Amara. It was stolen from vampire kind five hundred years ago during the Inquisition. I want it back."
"That's suicide," Preeda said. "No vampire can even get close to Vatican City. The entire area is one massive holy ward—"
"Which is why I need him," Seraphina pointed at Arav. "His divine blood. It makes him partially immune to holy magic. He can walk on consecrated ground without burning. He can touch blessed objects without pain. He's the only vampire in existence who could possibly retrieve the Crown."
Arav felt dizzy. "I don't even know how to use my powers properly yet—"
"You'll learn," Seraphina said dismissively. "You have one month. Retrieve the Blood Crown from the Vatican and bring it to me. Do this and your life debt is paid. Refuse and..." she let the threat hang.
"And what?" Kayen challenged. "You'll kill us? You just saved us from the hunters—"
"I saved you because you're useful," Seraphina corrected. "But if you're not useful, if you refuse the debt, then vampire law demands I take payment in blood. Yours and his. Both." She looked between them. "One month. The Vatican. The Blood Crown. That's my price."
She turned to leave, her entourage following.
"Seraphina," Arav called after her. "What does the Blood Crown do? Why is it so important?"
She paused, looking back. "It grants the wearer immunity to all weaknesses. Sunlight, holy objects, blessed weapons—none of it works. The vampire who wears it becomes truly immortal. Unkillable." Her smile was sharp. "And I've been searching for it for two thousand years. Now, thanks to you and your unique nature, I finally have a chance to get it back."
Then she was gone, vanishing into the night with her followers.
The street fell silent except for approaching sirens—police and fire trucks responding to the disturbance.
"We need to go," Jin said urgently. "Now. Before authorities arrive."
They retreated to Karan's apartment building—the wards would hide them from human investigation.
Once inside, Arav collapsed onto Karan's expensive sofa.
"The Vatican," he said numbly. "She wants us to rob the Vatican."
"We'll figure it out," Kayen said, sitting beside him. But through their bond, Arav felt his fear. This wasn't like fighting Theron or escaping hunters. This was infiltrating the heart of religious power.
Karan brought them blood—medical grade, from his family's private stock (apparently vampire-hunter families kept blood for research).
As Arav drank, trying to replenish his depleted energy, his phone rang.
Mumbai area code.
"It's my mother," Arav said, his hand shaking.
"Don't answer," Kayen advised. "Hayes might have—"
But Arav was already answering. "Mom?"
"Arav," his mother's voice—but strained, frightened. "Beta, I need you to listen carefully. Men came to the house today. Foreign men. They showed me pictures. Of you. With... with creatures. They said you're in danger. They said—" her voice broke, "—they said you're not human anymore. They said you've become a monster."
"Mom, it's not—" Arav started.
"Is it true?" His mother's voice cracked with tears. "Tell me it's not true. Tell me my son is still alive, still human, still my Arav—"
Through the phone, Arav heard another voice. His younger sister, Priya.
"Bhaiya? What's happening? Mom's crying and these men showed us these crazy photos—"
"Listen to me," Arav said, his voice breaking. "Both of you. I'm okay. I'm alive. But I've... changed. Things happened here in Thailand. Things I can't explain over the phone. But I'm still me. Still your son, still your brother—"
"But not human," his mother whispered. "They said you're bonded to a vampire. That you've become one yourself. Arav, how is this possible? How could you—"
"I fell in love, Mom," Arav said simply. "With someone extraordinary. And yes, he's a vampire. And yes, I chose to become one too rather than lose him. I know it sounds insane. I know you can't understand. But please, please believe me—I'm happy. For the first time in my life, I'm completely happy."
Silence on the other end.
Then his mother's voice, cold and formal: "I don't know who you are anymore. My son—my Arav—would never choose to become a monster. Would never abandon his humanity, his family, his faith." A pause. "Don't call this number again. Don't come home. You're not welcome here anymore."
"Mom, please—"
The line went dead.
Arav sat there, phone in hand, tears streaming down his face—blood tears now, vampire tears.
Kayen held him as he broke down, as the reality of what he'd lost crashed over him.
His family. His humanity. His old life.
All gone.
All sacrificed for love.
Through their bond, Kayen felt every ounce of Arav's pain and wept with him.
"I'm sorry," Kayen whispered. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. If I'd never—"
"Don't," Arav interrupted, looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "Don't you dare blame yourself. I chose this. I chose you. And I'd choose you again." He smiled through tears. "Even if it costs me everything else."
They held each other as dawn approached, as exhaustion finally claimed them both.
But even in sleep, Arav dreamed of his mother's voice: *You're not my son anymore.*
And he wondered if she was right.
**To be continued...**