In the dark chilly night, as the wind blew, creating whispers, two figures could be seen standing on the rooftop of a building, facing each other.
The first figure was wearing a black cloak, with a vest, tight-fitting pants, and a pair of boots. From the shape of the figure's body, it was clear that it was a female, and she had a sword strapped to her waist, which she gripped tightly, ready to strike. Her long black hair, streaked with pink and blue, fluttered in the wind.
The second figure was also wearing a black cloak, but a long one this time, unlike the lady's own. The cloak had a hood that obscured his face, but his black mask could still be seen, albeit slightly. Despite the lady's readiness to attack, he didn't even flinch. It was as if he was unbothered by her stance.
The wind made their cloaks flutter as they stared at each other.
"Start talking, Chaos. I don't have time to waste," Tessa said, gripping her sword, ready to strike at any moment. She didn't know his intentions, so she couldn't afford to let her guard down, especially after hearing him talk about hunting her down.
"You should probably let go of that sword. It won't change anything," Arin said, gazing at her.
"And why should I?" Tessa asked, her eyes fixed on him, heightening her alertness.
"Let's get straight to business," Arin said, ignoring her question, his voice firm and strict.
Tessa blinked, slightly loosening her grip on her sword, though she didn't completely let go.
"You said you know about the death of my parents," she said, her eyes fixated on Arin.
Arin didn't reply. Instead, he took a step closer to Tessa, making her grip her sword tightly. Instantly, she stepped back, her gaze never leaving him. Again, Arin took a step forward, and as expected, she stepped back.
"If you're not careful, you'll fall, and that'll be the end," Arin said.
Tessa glanced back and noticed she was already at the edge of the rooftop. She turned to look at Arin again.
"Why are you coming closer? What do you want?" she asked, her voice edged with nervousness.
Arin scoffed. "Yes, I know about the death of your parents, and I want to show you, so be a good girl and stay right there," he said.
"Huh? Show me? How? You ca—"
"I told you, I have my ways. Do you want to see it or not?" Arin cut her off.
Tessa was stunned momentarily by his abruptness. She opened her mouth, but words failed her.
'She has always been a person who can't resist her curiosity. No doubt, her curiosity will get the better of her, and she'll agree,' Arin thought, hiding his smile behind his mask.
"Can I trust you? For all I know, you could have other plans," Tessa asked.
"It wouldn't take me even a second to execute those plans. Like I mentioned, trust is earned," Arin said.
Tessa was about to say something, but Arin interrupted her again.
"And you being here is proof that you trust me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come in the first place. Or don't you want to know the person who... killed your parents?"
The words snapped something in Tessa, and she instantly looked at Arin. Calming herself, she started walking towards him, her hand still on the hilt of her sword. She continued walking steadily until she was standing directly in front of him.
"I want to trust you, so please, don't do anything funny," Tessa said.
'Ahh, this is what I like about her,' Arin thought, his smile hidden behind his mask.
"Get ready," Arin muttered.
Instantly, he raised his right hand and placed his finger on her forehead.
"Huh? What are you doing?" Tessa asked.
"Just stay quiet and wait," Arin said.
At first, nothing happened. Then...
"Ugh..." Tessa groaned in pain as she staggered a bit, though she still managed to regain her balance, and Arin's finger never left her forehead. Memories instantly flooded her brain... Foreign memories that seemed to make sense but were confusing at the same time.
"Agh..." she groaned again as the sharp pain increased.
She saw pictures of events that happened years ago. It was actually a scene from the novel that Arin was transferring to her... The scene that would change everything. This particular scene was a chapter in the novel that showed how Alex went hunting on his own in the forest and stumbled upon Tessa's parents who had somehow turned into Vampires, the enemies of Humanity.
Though they weren't fully transformed yet, they still had their original appearance. Seeing this, Alex decided it would be better to put them out of their misery while they were still in their human form. He felt it would be better if they died with their human form intact than for them to die fully transformed into Vampires.
But this was where Arin stepped in...
He cut out the part where Alex tried to talk to them and only showed her when Alex killed them mercilessly without saying anything.
And then, it ended...
Suddenly, Tessa raised her head, but her usual expression was gone. Instead, her eyes began to glow silver, and a mad look was on her face. She clenched her fists and bit her lips, trying to control herself, but...
"A... Alex... He ki... He killed my parents!!"
Mana suddenly erupted from Tessa's body, making the wind pick up pace. A devilish grin appeared on Arin's face as he stared at Tessa, who was about to lose control.
"Yes... yes... that's exactly the reaction I want. My plan is... successful..."