Before dawn, Glo could no longer maintain her light slumber. She knew her parents had just been in her room, had just left, and she had heard their hushed conversation clearly. It was about her innate, special constitution. Ever since she could remember, Glo had been told by her mother that she possessed a unique constitution and was forbidden from approaching vampires, needing to avoid them at all costs. But Ley had only said that much; Glo didn't understand what was wrong with her body, nor what would happen if she came into contact with vampires. She only knew Ley had "sealed" something within her. And the lingering memory of that something was a terrifying night twelve years ago. The peace treaty signing ceremony...
Rrrr… zzzz… Her phone suddenly vibrated, cutting through the hazy thoughts of her lingering sleepiness. It was Grey. "What is it, so early in the morning…" "You're back at work today, right? Get going, you're late!" And with that, Grey hung up. Glo jolted upright, glancing at the clock on her phone, momentarily thinking she was dreaming.What the heck? It’s only five in the morning? …
Though bewildered by the work hours, Glo quickly prepared and arrived at the VF headquarters by five-thirty. She told herself that her work schedule must have changed during her two days off due to new urgent tasks, not that Grey had misread the time. And as expected, the VF was indeed already abuzz with activity, even before the sun had made its appearance in the cold, late-year sky.
"As previously announced, our department will be dividing personnel among various teams today, coordinating with the Vampire Investigation Unit to survey targeted areas." The Head of IT rushed in as he spoke, clutching a thick file, his eyes dark-ringed from apparent lack of sleep. "Grey, Wright, with Team One, responsible for Saderk City. Collins, coordinate with Team Two, responsible for Garland Province."
Glo, lost in thought, was startled when her name was called. Garland? That was a remote province, half a day's journey away, considerably less developed than the capital, Sarad. Could it truly be a vampire target? Why the urgent investigation? "Alright, that's the division. Everyone, to your tasks."
Only after everyone had received their assignments did Glo have a chance to speak with Grey. She intended to ask if anything significant had happened in the past two days, but Grey spoke first, her voice brimming with excitement: "Hey, your Team Two has a new recruit, did you know?" "Huh? How would I know that?" Grey clicked her tongue, feigning sympathy for Glo's lack of information. "Of course, you wouldn't. This new recruit is a 'special nomination,' you know, directly handled by 'LDC.' You'll meet her soon. A 'special nomination' out of nowhere, surprising, right?"
Glo wasn't particularly interested in the topic but nodded along. It was only when she reached Team Two's meeting point and met the new recruit in person that she realized just how surprising it truly was. "Hello everyone, I'm Ruby Brown. I'm new, and this is my first assignment. I look forward to your guidance." It was her! The new recruit, Ruby Brown, daughter of Director Brown, Glo's childhood best friend! "Ruby?" In her astonishment, Glo blurted out the name before she could stop herself. Ruby, however, showed no surprise, merely offering a faint smile in return. "Hello Glo. It's been a long time." Indeed, it had been a long time—twelve years. Twelve years since the Collins family had left Saderk to live in Sarad! Was this a coincidence?
"Ruby Brown. Born January 25, 1998. Place of Origin: Saderclark District, Saderk City, Faraway. …" Glo scrolled through Ruby's file, reading each line carefully, her mind filled with unanswerable questions. This girl, many years ago, had been her only best friend. But twelve years prior, after the peace treaty with the vampires, when everything had stabilized, her family had moved to Sarad. Since then, she had lost contact with Ruby, just as her father had lost contact with Director Brown. And now, immediately after Director Brown's funeral, just as vampires showed signs of returning, Ruby had suddenly appeared at the VF. She had traveled far, half a day's journey, willingly leaving her now-empty home to join the council, for no other reason than her vendetta against the vampires. Ruby had endured so much. Twelve years apart, and she had changed immensely. Only her blue eyes and soft, light brown hair, waist-length, were the familiar features that allowed Glo to recognize her. She hadn't spoken much during their meeting today, nothing like the vivacious girl who used to laugh and talk incessantly, trailing after Glo in their childhood. Her sorrowful eyes, however well she tried to hide them, were still easily discernible to Glo. But one thing remained: why was Ruby a "special nomination" by LDC? Everyone knew LDC was the corporation that funded the VF, a mysterious entity with the power to influence any VF operation. Yet, there was nothing in Ruby's file that would attract LDC's attention. Could there be some hidden complication behind this that no one knew?
Ding-dong! The doorbell from downstairs suddenly startled her. Tearing her eyes from the computer screen, Glo moved quietly to investigate. It was nearly eleven at night; who would be visiting at this hour?Click! The front door downstairs opened. Glo descended slowly, listening intently for voices. A few indistinct words reached her ears. Someone was outside, apparently having traveled from afar, looking flustered and rushed, seeing Dan as if he were a savior. "Director Collins. We have urgent need of your assistance."
Tick-tock-tick-tock. One in the morning. The clock hands chased each other steadily on the corner wall, emitting a faint, luminous glow that shimmered in the dark room. The space remained as quiet as ever.Click. Amidst the silence, the sound of a lock turning suddenly echoed, rotating smoothly, then clicking open. A shadow fell into the room. A sliver of red light from outside illuminated the X-rays hanging on the wall, making them glint. The white skeleton hanging near the door swayed with a passing draft. It was the familiar scene of the usual meeting room, yet somehow, it felt unfamiliar tonight. Was it due to something strange within, or because human thoughts were dwelling on strange things?Flick. The room lights switched on. Dan walked to the swivel chair, eased himself down, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh. Another sleepless night. …
"A strange epidemic is spreading throughout Garland Province, causing many people to… cease being human. This disease originates from the vampires themselves." "A vampire plague?..." "Indeed." The silver-haired professor nodded, brushing off a few dewdrops clinging to his coat. Worry and exhaustion still lined the face of the man who had just journeyed from afar. "It appeared two weeks ago, and nearly thirty people have been infected so far." "What are the symptoms?" Dan inquired. "The afflicted… die within twenty-four hours. All organs cease function, body temperature drops rapidly. And then, they… awaken." Dan couldn't believe his ears, too stunned to speak further. "After coming back to life, they have transformed into vampires. But these vampires sometimes lose control, attacking everything in sight; at other times, they are calm, aware of who they are and what they are doing." "Do these victims possess all the characteristics of vampires?" The professor nodded. "They do. Initially, before we could control it, the infection spread rapidly from person to person, which is why we call it the 'vampire plague.' Once we understood the cause, we apprehended the 'turned vampires,' and things have temporarily stabilized. But the people's morale has not." He took out a small, transparent glass box containing a test tube stoppered with a special wooden cork. "The infection is bloodborne. This is a blood sample from an infected patient. I hope it will be useful to you." He accepted the box. The red liquid inside sloshed back and forth, as if taunting him. Placing the box on the table, he turned back to the professor. "Has the Garlat Research Institute found anything?" The professor shook his head slightly. "When conducting his private research, Director Stewart seemed to have discovered something…" "So..." "He's missing, on his way from home to the laboratory. No one has seen him for several days." Dan sighed in disappointment. "Garland is no longer safe. Our only hope rests with you. We trust in SF." …
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Just as Dan was replaying the entire midnight conversation with the professor from Garland, the meeting room gradually filled. Members of the SF Research Institute, doctors from SF Hospital, had immediately responded to the urgent summons, despite the late hour. Dan surveyed the room, suppressed another sigh, and stood up. Before the twenty leading figures of SF, he spoke calmly: "Thank you all for your full attendance today. I believe everyone understands that with the return of the vampires, we will once again bear a heavy responsibility."
The news spread like wildfire, to the point where the government could no longer conceal it from the populace. The VF was also forced into immediate action. From the Council of Mages to the specialized investigation units, every section was in urgent preparation. This was especially true for Team Two – where Glo was collaborating on the Garland investigation. "Alright, Team Two, we have our mission. Brown and Lancaster, you two will go directly to Garlat village, assess the situation, and report back. Two mages from our team will also accompany you. You'll depart shortly." The team leader assigned tasks hastily. He seemed extremely anxious, unwilling to waste a single second. "You too, Collins. Due to the underdeveloped conditions in Garlat village, you will also need to go this time." Glo flinched, nearly letting out a surprised "Huh?". She had to go too? No… that couldn't be right… Her job had always been remote support, sending necessary information to team members in the field. And now they were telling her to go there… where vampires were attacking... It wasn't that she was afraid, but two days ago, when reinforcing her seal, Ley had warned her repeatedly: she was not allowed to set foot in any place with signs of vampires. Concealing Ley's reason, Glo calmly asked: "Captain. I have some personal reasons; is it possible for me not to go?" "If you don't go, there's no other way. We're sending significant forces to Garlat this time; the vampires won't dare act recklessly, don't worry." No, she wasn't worried about vampires; she was only afraid of Ley finding out. If she could go and return quickly and keep it from Ley, it would be fine. But what if... This was hopeless."I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't mean to..."
"The first target has been identified: Garlat village in Garland Province. In addition to the mages already assigned to collaborate with the teams, I need ten more to go directly to Garlat with me today." As Ley finished speaking, numerous hands shot up from the Council of Mages below. Nodding with satisfaction at this enthusiasm, Ley selected ten names, then continued: "Furthermore, the rest of you will continue to reinforce the defensive lines in Sarad. This is the heart of Faraway; whatever happens, Sarad must be kept safe. During my absence, Vice-President Mage Hughes will have full authority over all matters. Alright, meeting adjourned. The ten chosen to accompany me, we depart for Garlat immediately." Before anyone could respond or react, Ley had turned and left the room, leaving the others no choice but to obey instantly. The ten selected mages followed the Archmage towards Garlat. Throughout the journey, no one dared utter a word, focusing only on preparing themselves to face whatever awaited them.
Half a day's journey passed, and Garlat appeared before them. The vehicle stopped at precisely four in the afternoon. Perhaps due to prior notification, a young man rushed out to greet them as soon as the mages' vehicle arrived, his demeanor a mixture of profound respect and fear. He bowed his head to Ley and the mages behind her: "Archmage Collins, it is an honor to receive you. Please, come to the village chief's house; everyone is waiting for you." Ley gave a slight nod and quickly proceeded into the village chief's house – Garlat's secret meeting place. Team Two of the special investigation unit had already arrived; they seemed to have a preliminary understanding of Garlat's current situation. The Council of Mages listened to a brief report and decided to act immediately. To scout the Garlat Forest. …
Garlat Forest lay isolated in the south of Garland, so vast that no resident of Garland had ever traversed its entirety. Consequently, it had always been a hiding place for the unexpected. The moment Ley and her mages set foot inside, they immediately sensed a dense, ominous aura. A sudden premonition struck Ley; she frowned, observing the black miasma swirling before her: "There's too much dark energy. There must be more than ten vampires here." She turned to give orders. "Form up. We'll try to follow their trail." The mages behind them advanced cautiously. Ley, at the forefront, considered all possible scenarios to react promptly. The dark energy was thick but stagnant, indicating the vampires were no longer nearby. Moreover, amidst these energies, there was also positive life force, intermingled. "Archmage, it seems there are humans in here. What should we do?" "Just get them out of here. To dare enter such a dangerous place, they're reckless to the extreme." With that, Ley surged forward, dispersing the dark miasma blocking their path, following the faint trace of positive life force. And as predicted, after advancing a few steps, Ley encountered two humans, startled by their sudden appearance and bewildered as to why they were suddenly surrounded by ten mages. It was also at that moment Ley recognized one of the two people before her. It was none other than Dan. "You…" "Ley... Why are you... here?" "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Dan suddenly looked flustered, as if caught red-handed doing something clandestine. He had come here personally today, hoping to find something in Professor Stewart's laboratory. But he hadn't expected the lab to be deep within Garlat Forest, nor had he expected Ley to be here as well. "You have five minutes to get out of here." "Hold on a moment. I just want to take a quick look at the lab. It's right there, in front of us." Ley followed Dan's pointing finger and noticed a small, dilapidated wooden house, barely visible ahead. Creepers clung to its walls, and long cracks snaked across its structure, threatening to bring the whole thing down. Then, for reasons unknown, Ley, without another word, suddenly moved quickly towards it, as if drawn by some unseen force. She walked ahead, Dan and the other person who had been standing silently, and the ten mages followed, all sharing the same question about Ley's unexpected behavior.
This old house could best be described by one word: "chaotic." Lab equipment was strewn across the floor, furniture smashed; it appeared the place had been ransacked multiple times. A scene of terrifying desolation, filled with a suffocating dark energy. And most importantly, someone was sitting amidst the mess, hands and feet chained tightly to an old, decaying chair. Their eyes, wide with fear and surprise, looked up at the newcomers, and a trembling voice called out: "Mom…" "GLO?!"