Amores watched Alkan with a curious gaze as he stood in front of her. "You’re quick," she remarked, then reached under the desk to grab something. "Write your name here and answer the questions."

  She handed him a folder, and as he opened it, he saw the personal details he needed to fill out. His eyebrows subtly raised in surprise. He hadn't expected such a system in this town.

  After filling it out, he returned the folder to her. She then gestured for him to follow her to his first station at work. He was taken aback as he took in the full view of the place.

  There were beings lying on beds with tubes attached to their arms. At first glance, he knew they were having their blood drawn. What confused him was why these beings needed to be drained of blood. Back where he came from, it made sense if the blood was for patients in need, but this was different.

  The Tribal wasn’t like that. It was home to creatures from legends. These beings didn’t need blood unless there was an emergency, and according to Gio, the Tribal’s residents could heal their own wounds and ailments.

  "Your job now is to wait for new recruits," Amores said. "You’ll need to lay the newcomers on the beds and connect the tubes to their arms. You must collect several bags of blood before nightfall. And once it's afternoon, come find me at my station so you can leave the factory. Got it?"

  Although confused, Alkan nodded. That was his job, after all. He had thought he’d be the one lying in a bed.

  He went to the spot Amores had indicated and waited for the new recruit. It wasn’t long before a man entered the large room. Alkan’s eyes widened in recognition—it was the man he had encountered earlier on the street. He still wore the same clothes, and his eyebrows were furrowed in a frown.

  The man scanned the room and their eyes met. He walked over to Alkan and looked him over from head to toe. "Not bad," he said before lying down on the bed.

  For a moment, Alkan stood frozen. The man smirked. "What? You just gonna stand there? Hurry up!" he barked.

  Alkan’s worry grew as he feared the creatures in the beds would wake up from the man’s loud shout. But after a few moments, none of them stirred.

  The man’s frown deepened. "What’s taking so long?"

  That snapped Alkan out of his daze. He quickly moved to the man’s side and attached the tubes to his arms. He winced as the smell of blood, sour and metallic, filled the air.

  "If you can’t handle the job, get out of this town and move to the next one," the man said coldly.

  Alkan said nothing as he returned to his spot. The man didn't speak again, and after a few moments, Alkan heard his steady breathing. It seemed he had fallen asleep on the bed.

  Alkan frowned in confusion. Was there a sleeping aid in the tubes?

  More new recruits arrived, and Alkan connected tubes to their arms just like the man before. Fortunately, there were plenty of empty beds in the spacious room.

  Soon, the large clock above the door chimed. It was afternoon. He turned to look at the creatures who were now waking up. He hadn’t even gotten close to one before they ripped the tubes from their arms and left without a word. Alkan blinked in surprise.

  Only the man he had seen earlier remained in the room. He looked at Alkan and said, "Get out. Go find Amores so you can leave the factory."

  Without hesitation, Alkan left his station and headed to Amores’ spot. As he was about to leave the factory, he paused and glanced back at the room he had come from. He hadn’t seen the man leave.

  But he pushed the thought aside. Amores had been giving him a stern look earlier, and he didn’t want to risk angering her.

  Before he could step out, a voice came from behind. "What’s with that face?" It was Ambong, grinning at him.

  Alkan stopped in his tracks and turned around. "What’s going on in the factory?" he asked, his tone guarded.

  Ambong’s grin widened. "You know the price you pay for asking that question."

  Alkan’s lips pressed into a line as he glanced around, seeing only darkened houses with no lights on. Where were they supposed to spend the night?

  "It’s not safe to spend the night outside," Ambong suddenly said, his eyes gleaming. "Follow me."

  Alkan didn’t hesitate. He followed Ambong through the darkened streets, glancing nervously at their surroundings. The darkness had swallowed the area, but they kept walking, heading somewhere Alkan couldn’t yet understand.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  When the moon rose in the sky, a chilling noise came from behind them. Alkan’s thoughts immediately turned to the factory.

  "Don’t look back if you don’t want to be eaten by a night creature," Ambong warned.

  Alkan’s muscles stiffened at the warning, but he fought his curiosity. He realized he was in a land full of legendary beings. Every corner of the Tribal was dangerous for someone like him.

  "Do you know what kind of creature lives in this town?" Ambong asked.

  Alkan didn’t answer, the words trapped in his throat. Sweat beaded on his skin as the cold wind blew. This wasn’t like the evening breeze back in San Roque; this one carried the metallic scent of blood.

  "They’re creatures that feed on flesh and indulge in blood," Ambong said, his voice light with amusement. "They’re called Vampires, the second strongest tribe in the Black Wing Tribe’s alliances."

  "Vampires?" Alkan furrowed his brow. "Is that why they’re draining blood from the creatures inside the factory?"

  Ambong laughed. "You’ve seen the vampire’s lair. The beings in those houses are escapees from the White Wing Tribe or creatures who lost their homes after the Black Wing Tribe took over the western parts of the Tribal."

  "So the ones lying in the beds aren’t vampires?"

  Ambong paused, thinking, before replying. "No. They’re the ones who moved to this town. In exchange for living in the vampires’ territory, they must give enough blood. The creatures in the factory are vampires, which is why the others have to leave before nightfall—if they stay, they’ll be eaten by the vampires if any of them are left behind."

  Ambong let out a long breath. "For someone with sawikin blood like you, don’t even think about giving blood to any vampire. Sawikin blood is special, part of the original inhabitants of the Tribal. It’s rich in magic and faith. If a vampire gets a taste of your blood, hide, because they won’t stop hunting you. Once they taste it, nothing else will satisfy their thirst."

  Alkan swallowed hard. "What do vampires look like?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

  "They look like normal people. But you’ll know they’re vampires by the color of their eyes. Vampire eyes are silver."

  Alkan’s mind raced, thinking about the silver eyes he had seen earlier—on Tayon. If he wasn’t mistaken, Tayon was a vampire.

  "There’s one…" His voice faltered as his heart raced. "One of them might’ve tasted my blood."

  Ambong stopped dead in his tracks, turning to face Alkan. His brows knitted together, but then he shook his head and laughed.

  "So that’s why the ruckus," Ambong said with a sigh. "If you weren’t so important, I wouldn’t have to babysit someone as ignorant as you."

  "W-What?" Alkan’s eyes widened. "What’s so important?"

  "Really ignorant," Ambong muttered under his breath.

  Before Alkan could process what was happening, Ambong picked him up effortlessly. Two shadowy wings sprouted from Ambong’s back, and in an instant, they soared into the dark sky, Ambong holding Alkan securely in his arms.

  "Don’t ever step foot in this town again," Ambong warned. "If you're lucky, the vampires won’t chase you. But if you were born unlucky, you’ll be hunted for the rest of your life. Your only choice is to kill the vampire who tasted your blood or join them." Ambong clicked his tongue. "Why do you always go looking for trouble?"

  Alkan had no chance to respond when he heard rustling behind them. When he looked back, his heart stopped.

  Tayon stood there, smiling at him. Their eyes met, and Alkan watched as Tayon’s eyes turned blood-red.

  "Alkan Buena," Tayon called.

  Cold dread gripped Alkan as he saw two wings sprout from Tayon’s back, with five other vampires following. Just like Tayon, their eyes glowed red, their thirst for blood unmistakable.

  The vampires sped toward them, surrounding Alkan and Ambong, and under the full moon, Alkan saw Tayon’s claws extend, black as night.

  "And who is this with you, Alkan? A shadow?" Tayon laughed. "Come with us, and you won’t have to worry about running anymore. We won’t hurt you. I just want to taste the blood of the sawikin that runs through your veins."

  Ambong narrowed his eyes, his grin widening. "Looks like the vampires are getting bold. Don’t you know that the Witch Tribe is keeping an eye on you?"

  Tayon’s smile grew. "But your precious Witch Tribe isn’t doing anything against us vampires. No matter what the witches try, they won’t change the laws of the alliance." His eyes narrowed. "Now, kid, give me the creature you’re carrying. We won’t hurt you if you do as we wish."