"Next time, watch where you're going, alright?"
The two of them lay there for a moment, caught in silence, their faces so close they could see every flicker in each other's eyes. Behind the fence, the basketball players waited quietly, all of them staring, waiting for Kaelith to throw the ball back.
"Um… could you maybe get off me now?" Kaelith whispered, her cheeks flushed.
"O–Oh… s-sorry."
Kaelith scrambled up, picking up the ball. His eyes lit with excitement as he spun it in his hands, then tossed it into the air. It dropped onto his head, spinning perfectly without falling.
"Wait—you actually play basketball?"
one of the players blurted.
Kaelith shook his head, grinning faintly.
"Not really. I just… sort of imagine how things are done. Then I try it out."
The players' jaws dropped. None of them had ever seen anyone pull off a trick like that so effortlessly. The captain stepped forward, interest sparking in his eyes.
"Hey, man. Wanna hang out with us? You'd be a great fit for the team."
Kaelith scratched the back of his head, forcing a sheepish smile. "Ah… thanks, but I've got some stuff to take care of. Maybe next time. Bye."
He walked off quickly, leaving the players stunned.
Seraphina followed, her face still burning. She bit her lip, unable to meet his gaze, her head lowered as she hurried beside him.
"Kaelith…"
"Mhm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
Kaelith slowed, uncertain. He wasn't sure what she was about to bring up.
"…Go on," he said at last.
She hesitated, turning her face away so she wouldn't have to meet his eyes.
"If you were walking down the street… and a van suddenly stopped in front of you… three men stepped out with their faces covered… what would you do?"
Kaelith blinked, startled by the strange question. He tilted his head slightly, confused.
"That's… kinda specific. Honestly, I don't know. But if it ever happened, I'd figure something out."
Kaelith didn't understand why she asked that, but it was clear Seraphina had her reasons. He chose not to press further. The two of them continued walking down campus, their footsteps echoing softly against the quiet path until they reached class.
-------
[Lab 47 – Helix Core Research Division.]
Inside, Mr. Thiago stood before a table covered in scattered notes, glass tubes, and glowing vials. His brows were furrowed as he scribbled something in his old journal.
"Hm… I've been testing this Aurelius blood," he muttered to himself, almost in a whisper. "They say it sharpens the mind… even grants glimpses of the future."
For weeks, he had run experiment after experiment, yet no true breakthrough had come. The strain was etched across his face. Thiago, a man of fifty-eight, was infamous in the scientific world revered for creating the impossible, feared for attempting things others dared not even imagine.
Grumbling, he realized he had forgotten his microscope in the office. With a sigh, he went to retrieve it.
When he returned and stepped back into the lab, a figure stood at the workstation. Its back was turned to him, but the way it lingered over the vials of blood sent an uneasy chill crawling down Thiago's spine.
"Hey! Who are you?" His voice shook slightly.
The figure didn't move, only continued staring at the blood with a cruel smile.
Thiago swallowed hard, then forced himself to step closer. He reached out, gripping the stranger's shoulder and twisting him around.
The sight made Thiago's heart nearly stop. His breath hitched. His trembling hands knocked over a tray of glass.
"Y-You…"
The figure grinned, sharp teeth gleaming, long black hair falling over his face. His nails were unnaturally long, curling like claws.
"Surprised, Mr. Thiago?" His voice was mocking, yet calm.
Thiago stumbled back, trying to gather himself, though fear shook his body.
"Don't be afraid," the man continued with a chilling bow. "I'm not here to kill you. You already know what I've come for."
Thiago's voice cracked. "How… how did you survive, Bryce?"
Bryce's smile widened. He flexed his arms, veins bulging grotesquely as his muscles swelled beneath his skin.
"Did you really think I died from that little experiment of yours?" he hissed. "It nearly ended me, yes… but it also worked."
"You see, I became something else. I generated a new version of myself." His eyes gleamed, wild with hunger. "And now, I'm here for the Crimson Vitae Injection, the blood that carries the essence of the sovereign king."
Thiago's body locked in terror, his eyes widening so much they almost looked ready to burst. His throat tightened as if words refused to leave, because deep down… he already knew what kind of monster he was facing.
Bryce took a step forward, his eyes widening in a sharp, threatening glare at Thiago.
"Answer me. Where is the Crimson Vitae!?"
Thiago swallowed hard but forced himself to move closer, his voice unsteady yet bold.
"You see… humanity has always chased after the idea of becoming more than human. They crave strength, power, anything beyond the ordinary. That's why I injected it into my grandson, back on October 19th, 2009. But… he died in the car crash with his parents, my son included."
Bryce didn't blink. His stare was fixed, cold. The weight of Thiago's words hit like steel.
'He… gave it to his grandson? Damn it. That means I'll never wield that much power. I'm not the only villain after all…'
His jaw clenched, teeth grinding. Veins bulged across his swelling muscles, pulsing purple under his skin.
"You gave that blood to your grandson, knowing full well what it meant to me!?"
Thiago panicked as Bryce's form loomed larger, monstrous.
'This man… this thing… how can I defeat someone born from my own experiment? I need a way out fast.'
Bryce's body kept growing, rage twisting him further out of control. He seized Thiago by the collar, lifting him like a ragdoll.
"I want the Crimson Vitae—NOW!"
Thiago thrashed in his grip, gasping for air, his voice breaking.
"I… I can't just give it to you! That blood is sacred, it appears only once in a hundred years, in a single person's lifetime!"
But Bryce's grip only tightened, cutting his breath short.
"Wait—wait!" Thiago croaked desperately. "I think I know how to find it… and only I can. If you kill me, you'll never have it."
That made Bryce pause. His rage simmered down just enough. Slowly, he set Thiago back on the ground. The old man coughed and clutched his neck, pain written across his face.
Bryce's cruel smile returned as he shrank back to his normal size. He crossed his arms, watching Thiago closely.
"…Then tell me how."
Thiago's mind raced. He had his own agenda. He needed the blood that healed, to cure the sickness he'd kept hidden for years. If he could trick Bryce into doing his work for him, it was the perfect chance.
"I know where you can find the Crimson Vitae," he said carefully, forcing a smile. "But first, we make a deal."
Bryce hesitated. His instinct screamed to reject whatever this old man was plotting. But the allure of the Crimson Vitae… it was too much.
"…Fine. Deal."
A cold laugh echoed inside Thiago's mind. Outwardly, he kept his expression calm.
"Good. At Veydra Street, there's an underground factory. A man named Fenris, a scientist lost to his own darkness, conducts forbidden research there. He has something that belongs to me. Retrieve it. And while you're there, his lab stores countless supernatural blood samples including the one you seek. Take the Crimson Vitae… but you must also bring me back the healer's blood from his freezer."