Draven crept to the corner of the street and peeked out at the road. The beast was slowly approaching, its movements unsteady as it struggled to locate them. The burn injury Draven had inflicted was taking a toll—its nose and right eye were scorched, making it difficult for the creature to see.
"Okay, it looks, blind on the right side. If you lead it to the left, I'll sneak past it," Draven said, turning to the girl. His eyes widened. "Wait—what are you doing?"
She had removed her mask and was in the process of slipping off her black hoodie. Pausing mid-motion, she looked up with a deadpan expression. "Taking off the hoodie—it's soaked in blood. What?" she asked, then shrugged off the hoodie, revealing a black crop top with "FANGS" emblazoned across the front. Beneath, she wore cropped stockings.
"N-nothing!" Draven turned his head quickly, feeling his cheeks warm, hoping she wouldn't notice the flush.
She smirked. "What's your deal? Never seen a hot girl before?"
"Who says you're hot?" he retorted, working to keep his voice steady and refusing to meet her gaze. "Are you ready, Miss Super Strength?"
"Don't call me names!" she shot back, her tone sharp but playful. "It's Xenon—that's my name."
"Sure," Draven replied, slipping back into a focused mindset. "You remember the plan?"
Xenon crossed her arms, looking unconvinced. "I distract the beast while you run to your house and grab whatever it is you need to finish this off, right? I still don't like it."
"It's the only way. You're the only one who can dodge it long enough, and I'm the only one who knows the way around here and my place." Draven met her gaze with a steady, confident look, trying to keep his focus as her interest matched his.
She sighed. "Alright, alright. But listen—if we both die today, I'll find you in the afterlife...and...drain you dry." Her eyes narrowed, and before Draven could react, she moved closer, pressing her forearm against his neck, pinning him lightly to the wall. "Just so you know, I don't fully trust you yet. Frankly, it's a miracle you're still alive after facing that thing and setting its face on fire."
Draven didn't respond—not just because he couldn't, with her forearm pinning him against the wall, but because he truly had nothing to say. His mind felt split, torn between an inexplicable surge of confidence and the rational part of him that recognized the madness of everything happening around him. Logically, he knew he should be terrified. His instincts screamed at him to back down, yet something unidentifiable kept him steady, almost daring him forward.
Against Xenon's sharp warning, his rational side resurfaced, and fear bubbled up inside, raw and unfiltered. Just as he felt it beginning to overwhelm him, a familiar sensation washed over him, calmness flooding his mind as if something deep within him had clicked into place, grounding him and sharpening his focus.
"Let's get moving," Xenon said, finally releasing Draven and stepping back, clearly unfazed by his silence.
The beast was close now, its heavy steps echoing down the road. Without hesitation, Xenon jumped down onto the street, rolling smoothly as she landed, then straightened to face the creature head-on. Faint blue veins pulsed along the left side of her body, visible beneath her skin, adding an otherworldly edge to her appearance. Her hair, tied back in a ponytail, swayed as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small cylinder.
She pressed a button, and a glowing, retractable blade extended from the cylinder with a soft hum, casting a dim, eerie light that illuminated her face. Draven watched in awe, realizing she was far more prepared—and dangerous—than he'd anticipated.
As the beast passed his hiding spot, Draven quietly slipped out and began to run, mindful of each step to avoid making noise. The adrenaline was pounding in his ears, but he forced himself to stay calm. Glancing back to make sure everything was going according to plan, he caught sight of something he hadn't expected.
The saber-toothed beast's tail now sported a new and menacing feature—a long, sharp bone protruded from its tip, resembling a spear. Draven's heart skipped a beat as he watched it lash the tail at Xeno, each strike forcing her back as she tried to fend it off with her glowing blade. Even with her skills, she seemed to be struggling, her movements quick but pressed, her breathing labored.
Draven's mind raced. This isn't good. She's barely holding her ground.
Maybe this plan was stupid. Maybe we should have just run, Draven thought, a pang of doubt settling in his gut.
But it was too late to back out now. The plan was already in motion, and it was do or die. Draven wasn't about to give up. He sprinted toward his house, slipping through the now-broken front gate and heading straight for the small garage outside.
Opening the side door, he was greeted by darkness, dust, and cobwebs. Since he didn't own a vehicle, the garage had gone mostly unused and even less clean. But thanks to his enhanced night vision, he spotted exactly what he needed: a packet of bleach and an old container of battery acid. Clutching them tightly, he ran to the kitchen, found a thin plastic bottle, and rushed back outside.
When Draven reached the spot where Xeno and the beast were locked in combat, he quickly realized just how intense the fight had become. Xeno was visibly tiritiredr movements slowing as her energy drained. Though she had managed to carve several cuts into the beast's blind side, it was clear neither of them had the upper hand. Both were wearing down, with no clear winner in sight.
Stopping a few meters away, Draven moved on to the most critical part of his plan. He took the water bottle, carefully poured in some battery acid, then added a splash of bleach.
Mixing them with steady hands, he sealed the bottle and watched as it began to fill with gas. Draven turned toward Xenon and shouted, "It's ready!"
Both Xenon and the beast snapped their heads toward his voice. Before the beast could react, Draven threw the bottle to Xenon. She caught it quickly, then lunged at the creature, slashing its head with her blade. The beast roared in pain, its jaws opening wide in fury. In one swift motion, Xenon stuffed the bottle into its mouth and jumped back.
The beast's sharp teeth tore through the bottle, releasing the liquid and gas into its throat. It let out a guttural roar as the acid burned its insides, and the stinging smell of ammonia filled the air. The creature coughed violently, struggling for breath as it staggered back, each hack more desperate than the last.
"Do it, smarty," Xenon urged, struggling to stay upright as she leaned heavily on her blade for support. "If you don't, we're doomed. If it manages to recover…"
"She's right," Draven thought, though his heart pounded in his chest like a hammer. He had never hurt an animal before, much less killed one, but he knew that his hesitation could mean the end for both of them. Fighting against his sympathy, Draven took a steadying breath, flicked his lighter, summoned a final flame, and hurled it straight into the roaring beast's mouth.
The flames caught on the mixture of chemicals and fumes, sparking instantly as they met. In seconds, a fiery reaction ignited, filling the air with noxious fumes as the creature's insides illuminated with a burning glow. The beast froze, stunned, before letting out a piercing, guttural scream. Flames erupted from its mouth and nostrils, and its limbs shook violently as the internal reaction tore through it.
Its massive form staggered, the fur along its chest and neck smoldering, while fumes and smoke poured from its jaws. The saber-toothed beast struggled for breath, its mighty roars reduced to ragged gasps. Its legs buckled, and it collapsed heavily onto the ground with one final, piercing howl as the fire consumed it from within.
The glow from within dimmed, and the beast finally lay still, the last flickers of flame fading inside it. Draven's chest heaved as he stared at the scene, the weight of what had just happened settling in. He turned to Xenon, noticing her trembling legs as she tried to stand. Before she could collapse, he moved to her side, catching her by the arms.
"Let's get you out of here," he murmured, carrying her carefully. The street was silent, and the destruction around them seemed almost surreal as he carried her toward his house.
"To be honest, Smarty, I didn't think we'd pull it off with that little trick of yours," Xenon said, glancing at Draven.
He let out a sigh. "Me neither. But it's not like we had any other options."
She adjusted his arms, a grin playing on her face. "I could've just kept trying to slice it up, you know. In case you missed it, I was hunting that thing before it pulled off that flashy stunt."
Draven raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, well, it seemed to handle your 'slicing' just fine. Those injuries you caused were healing. I saw it when it first appeared in front of me." He paused, frowning. "And…why didn't it just finish you off with that flame attack? it had all that time." He glanced back at the beast's body, then added, "But who knows—maybe it was just waiting for you to get tired so you won't dodge it. "
Xenon tried to laugh, but her legs gave out, and she dropped to her knees, her grip on the sword slipping. Draven caught her just in time, steadying her as she swayed. She managed a faint smile.
"Don't worry...just a blood loss," she murmured, her voice weak. Her eyelids fluttered, and before Draven could respond, her eyes closed as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Draven felt lost, unsure of what to do or where to go. Taking Xenon to a hospital didn't seem like an option; some instinct warned him it would only lead to more trouble. He tried calling Leo, his only reliable support in desperate times, but his phone had no signal. Sighing deeply, As Draven lifted Xenon into his arms, he glanced back at the beast's still body. The fight was over, but the questions it left behind burned brighter than ever.
"It's strange…no one even noticed the chaos out here. Not a single person," Draven murmured as he carried Xenon through the street. The silence felt suffocating, broken only by the sound of his footsteps on the cracked pavement.
A faint, sharp sound rang out, barely audible at first. Draven paused, his head snapping upward as the sound grew louder. Cracks began to spread across the sky, shimmering like glass under pressure. As the cracks spread across the sky, Draven felt the air grow heavy, charged with a strange energy. The fragments shimmered like crystals, falling soundlessly before dissolving into nothingness. His chest tightened, a mix of awe and unease coursing through him. His breath caught in his throat, the air around him suddenly feeling too still. When the last fragment vanished, the destruction and wreckage disappeared with it. The beast, the flames—everything was gone as if it had never happened.
All that remained was the spear-shaped bone lying in the middle of the street, a chilling reminder that it wasn't just a hallucination. Draven couldn't make sense of what had just happened. His mind spun, and his thoughts felt as scattered as the shattered pieces of sky he'd just seen. Every step felt heavier as he made his way to the house, struggling to keep his balance with Xenon's weight in his arms.
The street felt eerily silent, amplifying the strange events that had unfolded. Somehow, he managed to reach his house and then took her up to the balcony outside his room. He leaned against the railing, catching his breath, the cool night air brushing over his face as he steadied himself.
The faint blue veins under Xenon's skin had spread further, now reaching up to her left eye, casting an unsettling hue on her pale complexion. Draven's chest tightened as he tried to think of what to do. His gaze fell on a half-full water bottle sitting on his desk. Without hesitation, he grabbed it and gently sprayed some water on her face.
To his surprise, her eyes fluttered open, faint but alert. "Thirsty…" she murmured, her voice weak as she tried to sit up.
Draven quickly stepped in, helping her lean against the railing for support. "Here, drink this," he said, handing her the remaining water. She took it without hesitation, sipping slowly.
Draven knelt beside her, his eyes scanning her pale face. "We need to patch up that wound and get you some blood—you've lost too much already," he said, his tone steady but concerned. He paused, meeting her gaze. "But you can't go to a hospital, can you?"
She nodded silently, confirming his suspicion. "But I can be treated right here. The question is…will you trust me for that?" Her voice was calm but laced with hesitation as her gaze locked with his deep blue eyes.
"Tell me how," Draven replied, his voice steady despite the unease tightening in his chest.
Xenon broke the stare, her voice dropping slightly. "I'll need to drink some of your blood."
Her statement caught Draven off guard, and for a moment, he froze. His mind raced, a mix of disbelief and reluctance surging within him. Could he let her do this? The thought of her drinking his blood felt unnatural, but the alternative—doing nothing while she grew weaker—was worse.
"What do you mean? How would that even help you?" he asked, his voice steady despite the unease creeping into his chest.
Xenon hesitated, taking a deep breath. Her chest rose and fell as she struggled to form the words. "This is going to sound insane, but…I'm…" She shook her head, frustration flickering across her face.
Finally, she looked him in the eye, her tone soft but unwavering. "I'm a vampire. Half-vampire, to be exact, my body regenerates with blood—it's how I heal. It's…a necessity, not a choice," Xenon admitted, her voice steady despite her unease. "I don't take more than I need. Never."
"Half-vampire," Draven thought, the word echoing in his mind. He had seen strange things tonight—things that defied reason— If creatures like her and the beast existed, what else was out there? There were many questions, But this wasn't the time for them.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort himself as much as her. He could feel the honesty of her words. Her gaze held his, both vulnerable and defiant, waiting for his response.
"So, how do I do it? Giving you blood, I mean," Draven asked, With a steadying breath, he nodded. " Let's get this over with, before you die. "
Xenon blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "You're not afraid? Or calling me a liar? A.. a freak?" she asked, her surprise evident in her tone.
"It's not that hard to believe," Draven said, his tone calm but thoughtful. "After seeing that beast—and this can also explain your supernatural strength and how you're still alive after all that damage." He paused before continuing, "But I do have my questions. But first things first—how does this blood thing work?"
Xenon looked at him evenly. "I'll have to drink from you," she said simply. "The classic way."
Draven sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not exactly an expert on vampires, so… just do it. No need for a lecture."
Xenon tried to stand, her legs trembling beneath her. Draven quickly stepped in, steadying her as she swayed. Once she was upright, she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders for support.
"Sorry," she murmured, her voice soft but strained. "I just can't stand still without something to hold on to."
Draven gave a small nod, his hands steady on her arms.
"Here I go," she whispered into his ear, her breath warm against his skin.
The next second, he felt a sharp sting under his jaw, where her lips brushed against his neck. At first, Draven felt only the warmth of her lips and the sharp sting beneath. Then, a wave of lightness washed over him, as though his body was growing weightless. A strange but oddly comforting scent wafted from Xenon, lulling him into a hazy sense of calm.
His eyelids grew heavy, the sensation almost pulling him into a peaceful oblivion. But just as he began to give in, something shifted. His senses snapped back into focus, the strange aroma fading as quickly as it had come, leaving him alert and grounded once more. Draven fought to keep his focus on Xenon, trying not to shift his position. He stole a glance at her face and, for a brief moment, lost his train of thought. Her beauty was almost unnatural. The faint blue veins beneath her skin slowly faded, and the color began to return to her cheeks. She seemed to glow, vibrant with health and strength, as she drank deeply.
She finally pulled back, stepping away just enough to meet his gaze. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft but cautious.
Draven raised a hand to the spot where she'd bitten him, his fingers brushing over the faint bite marks. "Just a little lightheaded," he replied, offering her a small, reassuring nod.
Xenon watched him for a moment, her eyes slightly wide. " You're completely fine. Don't you feel sleepy or something?! "
" you sounds like I should? " Draven asked, with a hint of confusion.
Xenon didn't answer that but Draven could guess it has something to do with how he felt when she Drank blood.
What in the world did I get tangled in to, He thought to himself with a sigh.
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