Through an opened window in a tall building, a figure watched as a luxurious carriage made its way through the streets of the Pulse District.
She was clad in a simple, fitting shirt and baggy trousers, each with a dull color meant to appear as inconspicuous as possible. Her sleek black hair made it apparent how much work she’d put into her disguise.
Her eyes sharpened as a figure suddenly blurred out of the carriage.
She followed the movement until her gaze settled on him.
‘It’s the Ninth Vein,’ she thought. ‘What should I do?’
She had been tasked with monitoring everyone attached to the ongoing case. This included all members of the group. Following Malakai would mean abandoning the others.
As far as she knew, the Ninth Vein was in charge of this squad. His movements could only mean a big move was about to be made.
She shut the window and prepared to leave the room when a sudden chill washed over her.
She blurred, reappearing on the other side of the room, her hand gripping the dagger strapped to her lower back.
‘Was I followed?’ she wondered, then shook her head. ‘I would have known.’
She was a Bloom. Only a few in the entire stronghold could escape her notice, and as far as she knew, none of them would ever stoop to following someone of her standing.
Still, there was an off chance she was wrong. Her instincts were never wrong.
Her eyes locked onto the door, muscles tightening around her blade. Whoever it was had escaped her senses, which meant only one thing.
Her heart began to race. She feared the worst.
Her stance lowered as the knob turned, and the door creaked open. A figure stepped inside.
‘So she was following him!’ The woman’s eyes widened.
The Red Eclipse entered the room with calm, deliberate steps. Though her frame was petite, the air shifted as if a giant had just arrived.
As Nyx turned toward her, the woman’s pulse quickened and she instinctively stepped back.
‘Has she been following me since?’
By now, it was common knowledge that the Red Eclipse served the Ninth Vein. That was precisely why she had probed earlier, to see if Malakai was being followed by Nyx. Yet after hours of surveillance, she had found nothing.
‘I can’t win. I have to think of something.’
She suddenly straightened, reluctantly loosening her grip on her blade.
“Excuse me?” she said, forcing her tone steady. “What are you doing here? This is my room.”
They were on the third floor of a small motel room. It was simple, with just a bed, table, and wardrobe for storage.
A few seconds passed, but no answer came. Only a hard, unblinking stare.
A wave of unease rippled through her chest again.
“You’re trespassing. I’ll have to call the building manager if you don’t lea—”
“He’ll be here soon,” the Red Eclipse interrupted softly. “Just shut up and wait.”
‘Him?’ The woman’s brows furrowed. Then her eyes widened as the pieces clicked together in her mind.
‘The Ninth Vein… that’s why he left the carriage. He’s coming here.’
Her head snapped toward the window just in time to see a shadow latch onto it.
With horror, she watched the lock twist open on its own. The window creaked, letting in a gust of cold air as a figure stepped through.
“Thank you, Nyx,” the figure, Malakai, said calmly, his voice carrying a heavy weight.
His eyes fixed on the woman.
“Don’t lie,” Malakai interrupted, stepping forward. His gaze was heavy. “And don’t try to pretend.”
He took another step, eyes tracing her from head to toe.
“You didn’t rent this room. I can confirm that with the owner in less than a minute. You snuck in to get a better vantage point over the carriage. And your hair…” his eyes narrowed, “…it’s too dark to be natural. Which means it’s dyed.”
His eyes dropped to her exposed arms. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ n0velfire.net
“Your body hair is cleanly shaven, but I can still see the tiny follicles beneath the skin. They’re red.”
He stared straight into her eyes.
“You’re Sanguine Bloom.”
The woman felt her pulse spike.
With a few casual words, he had stripped her disguise bare. Even if she tried to feign ignorance now, it would be useless.
‘So the rumors were true…’
The Ninth Vein of the Sanguine Clan, Malakai, was a monster in human skin. A dangerous one. Barely fourteen, yet already at the Synergy Stage.
But it was his perceptive sense that terrified her most. It was beyond anything a child should possess.
‘He’s not supposed to exist.’
“Who are you?” Malakai asked once more.
The woman straightened, suddenly composed. The fear that had rippled through her seconds ago vanished, replaced by shocking calm.
Malakai’s eyes flicked toward Nyx, and they exchanged a silent glance.
‘Her tone changed,’ he noted. ‘Since I exposed her, she’s dropped the act.’
And she was right. She was a Bloom, a full fledged one.
If she and Nyx fought, Nyx might have the upper hand, but it wouldn’t matter. The collateral damage alone would devastate the district.
They were in the heart of a crowded city, and a single misstep could cost countless lives.
Malakai’s voice turned colder.
“You mean to fight us?”
“Only if the Ninth Vein attacks me.”
“I see.” Malakai’s tone still maintained its calmness. “Then allow me to make something clear.”
“I’m investigating the disappearances within the Umbrella Group under the direct authority of the Blood Sovereign.
“You are a suspicious person who attempted to hinder that investigation by attacking me and my companions, two of whom are the Ninth and Tenth Veins of the Sanguine Clan.”
The woman’s expression hardened instantly. She saw where this was going.
“You evaded questioning,” Malakai continued evenly, “and ran.”
“You have her appearance?”