She was always the strongest. From the moment she was born, expectations the weight of the world were placed upon her fragile shoulders. A direct descendent of the original line of vampires, the successor of the Vancratt line – there was no doubt she would grow up to become strong.

However, when she first drew the pure longsword that was her Divine Edge… that was when the expectations shot through the roof.

Her soul was one of the purest, and with that purity came power. She didn’t enjoy killing, but she had to obey her father’s wishes. Her father told her what was right and wrong, and that wrongdoers deserved to be punished. If she refused, she herself would be punished – and despite her power, she was no match for a fully grown vampire lord who shared her ancestry.

The friends she grew up alongside with playing in the park, the sewers, at school… they slowly drifted away from her as their levels in power became apparent, or as she shut herself away from the outside world. She never lost a battle – she would always be the last one standing, her blade of pure silver the bane of her enemies. There were none stronger than her – her father wielded her like a weapon, and used her as he saw fit. She didn’t have many friends; only people who either feared or admired her, or both. The human friends she had at school eventually grew tired of standing in her perfect shadow and spurned her, envying her looks, intelligence and physical ability.

They called her the Blood Princess – the daughter of the Blood Lord who would eventually surpass her father and the title of Lord. A future queen, but not quite there yet, so a princess. There was also the matter of finding another pure-blooded descendant of Dracula’s from another clan to become her partner, but that could wait.

She was alone.

When others failed, she would be sent and she would succeed. There was never a time when she needed help, when she needed to be saved. If she was ever in trouble, she was expected to be able to escape or turn the situation around on her own – because if she was the strongest and she couldn’t do it, then no one could. No one came to her aid; every single time she had to pray to God and hope she’d be able to prevail.

Her only weakness, if any, was her desire to save people. She didn’t like lives to be meaninglessly tossed away, and she would do anything to protect them – even if it meant breaking the rules of her covern, and facing severe punishment from her father. Even if she had to charge into a mall riddled with feral vampires to save two demon hunters – two of her mortal enemies – she would do it, because they had done nothing wrong to her.

And so, when she paid for her naivety and was overpowered and captured – she knew no one was coming to save her. She was the strongest, and no one would bother coming to her aid because they knew she would prevail… even if she couldn’t.

That was why… when the shadow of that person who looked like he’d been through Hell and back appeared… when he dropped through the roof, when he mercilessly slaughtered her captors with a monstrous snarl on his face… when he turned and their eyes met…

He had saved her once, stumbling his way through a forest of broken trees to reach her despite his injuries. Now he had come for her again, doing twice what no one had ever done.

That was why her chest felt warm… as warm as the liquid that rolled down her cheeks.

***

When I finally wake up, the morning sun is streaming through the trees and onto the dirt-covered ground.

Wait… morning sun?

I look around, and come face to face with Alice. She’s in just as sorry a state as I last saw her in, except her broken arm seems to have set in place again. However, it’s far from completely healed. I finally remember what happened.

After leaping from the truck, I hoisted her onto my back and trudged as far as I could from the explosion. I had no idea where I was going – all I knew was that I had to put as much distance between her and Dracula as possible. There was no way a simple explosion and a fall would kill such a monster – he would be back, and he had already proved that he would go to extreme measures for his goals. One of them had been attained; all that remained was for him to capture Alice.

After travelling for the remainder of the day, I had somehow lost consciousness and fainted – and now here I am.

“Are you alright?” I immediately ask.

Alice nods quietly. She seems a little… different from her usual self. Her shoulders are hunched up, a change from her usual relaxed posture.

I look around, and realize that my throat is incredibly dry. It’s not thirst for blood – I won’t be feeling that for a few days at least – but rather water. I rack my brain for options, before something vibrates in my pocket.

Pulling out my phone, I’m shocked to find out that it’s still functional even after all I’ve been through. I must have the luck of a god.

There’s a total of forty-nine missed calls – a combined number from Ashley, Judith, Mum, Barry, Dennis, Shizuka… and even Leo. There are also several messages – mainly asking where I am, whether or not I’m alright. I decide to start with the one who would probably be the most understanding and listen to my requests – Ashley.

“I’m going to try and get help,” I tell Alice as I hold the phone to my ear. “Just stay here and don’t move. We’ll find a way to safety.”

She nods again, still quietly looking at me like a cornered animal. I ignore her and listen to the tone ring – a single time before Ashley answers.

“Bran! Are you alright? What happened-“

“Hold on,” I say, in an attempt to stop her onslaught. “Just relax. I’m fine, and Alice is with me.”

“Thank God! I was so worried… the ambulance and the police didn’t find you, and we were worried that you got caught up in the terrorist attacks-“

“Wait,” I interrupt. “Terrorists?”

Is that how ANGEL’s going to sweep it under the rug?

“Yeah,” Ashley replies, a little slower now that she knows we’re fine. “They sent suicide bombers and machete wielders into the shopping centre, set off a bomb on the rooftop… even on one of the roads nearby. There are still no survivors in the shopping centre after the evacuation except for Barry… so we don’t know what went on inside.”

“Is Barry alright?” I ask.

“He’s fine, I saw him getting carried into an ambulance on a stretcher. I haven’t visited him yet, but he seemed stable.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. I still feel guilty that I couldn’t haul him to safety, but him being alive makes me feel slightly better.

“You need to come back quickly,” she gushes. “The government’s locking down the city – they’re stationing people at all the exits to check cars, buses, trains for terrorists. If you don’t come back soon, they might suspect you-“

“Wait… they’re locking down the city?” I ask. “How? Why?”

“It doesn’t matter, Bran. Just come back, and it’ll be fine-“

“Ashley. Tell me, please. This is important.”

There’s a brief pause. Ashley is no fool – she suspects something.

“You’re not one of them, are you?”

I saw this coming. I guess now is the best time to do it.

“No, I’m not. Ashley, I want you to believe me when I say this, and don’t tell anyone at all. Is there anyone around you at the moment?”

“N-no. I’m the only person in the house right now. Bran, what’s happening-“

“Listen very carefully.”

Alice and I exchange a look. She seems to know where the conversation is going.

“I’m not part of the terrorists. I’m actually fighting them – I went back in and tried to stop them. It’s complicated but… to put it in simple terms, they may have framed me. I need to know the specifics of the security around Ashbrook, because Alice and I may be detained because of this.”

“Wait… Alice is involved?”

“Unfortunately… yes. Please believe me, Ashley. Don’t tell anyone at all, unless I allow you. I know I have no proof…. But-“

“It’s okay, Bran. I trust you.”

She says it with such conviction that I know she isn’t lying.

“They found DNA samples at the scene of the crime, and are searching for the culprits. They’re taking samples of hair, cheek tissue, even pupil scans everywhere – shops, houses, high schools, you name it. All those above junior high are getting checked.”

“Pupil scans?”

I reach up to my eyes before realizing my contact lenses are gone. I took them off during the massacre – they would only slow down the speed of my perception. Alice’s red eyes stare back at mine, and I understand.

ANGEL knows there were vampires involved – and now they’ve thrown a net across the whole city in an attempt to flush them out. The DNA… it’s all an excuse, just to examine people’s eyes. Little do they know that the vampires have done nothing wrong – it’s all the work of one demon, one demon who if defeated will release them all from their obligations.

The first thing we need to do is to regroup, find a place to recover, and plan it all out from there. However, returning to Ashbrook is out of the question. As much as I want to… it would be like walking into a cage after narrowly escaping it.

“Damnit… we need a place…”

I realize that I just spoke out loud.

“You need a place to stay?” Ashley’s voice responds.

I nod, before realizing she can’t see me. “We can’t come back to Ashbrook… not yet at least. We’re somewhere in the wilderness next to the highway, and we need a place to regroup and recover. Do you have any ideas?”

If this doesn’t work… I’ll have to call Dennis. If that doesn’t work, I’ll be out of options. There’s no one else I can trust. I know for sure my Mum would bring me back by force, and that Judith wouldn’t be able to keep a secret from her.

Luckily, I don’t have to do any of that.

“My grandparents live out in the country,” Ashley says slowly. “They might let you board for a while… but I’d have to do some serious begging. Not to mention you’d need to make your way to the nearest train station outside of Ashbrook to get there...”

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I almost swear, but hold back. “Leo can drive, can’t he?”

There’s another pause. “He can.”

“Then…”

“I’m not sure if he would though…”

“Tell him that he owes me a favour, and now’s his chance to prove his word. But before that, please do anything you can to get your grandparents to help us.”

“Al-alright.”

“Thanks, Ashley. I’m really sorry I had to put you through all this… but please bear with it. And don’t tell anyone – make up something convincing to Leo and your grandparents. Say your friends ran away from home and needed a place to stay or something.”

“Okay.”

“I guess that’s that then-“

“Wait,” she says.

I hesitate, listening to the quiet breathing on the other end of the line.

“When will you be back, Bran?”

And at this moment, my heart sinks a little.

“I don’t know.”

There’s a long silence between us, before she finally speaks.

“Alright then. Stay safe.”

“Bye.”

I hang up. Alice looks at me with a questioning gaze, but still remains silent.

“I guess we wait now,” I say. “Try to conserve energy – there’s no telling how long we’ll be here, and I don’t want to have to go down to the river to get water.”

“Okay.”

I’m about to move closer towards her and into the shade, when my phone rings again. It’s from Shizuka.

I’m about to pick up... until I realize that it might not be the best idea. After a few long moments of vibrating, the phone finally falls quiet. There’s around 50% battery left – I’ll have to hope Ashley gets back to me before it runs dry.

In my mind, I’m already going through all the available options that remain.

***

The phone finally rings again past midday, just after the sun’s passed the halfway point. I pick up on the first ring but don’t say anything.

“Hello? Bran?”

Once I confirm it’s her, I speak up. “It’s me.”

“My grandparents agreed to let you board for a little while. I told them you and Alice decided to run away from home because your parents were disapproving of you two being together.”

I can feel my face reddening. “Wh-what? Was that really necessary?”

I turn away so Alice doesn’t see me.

“My brother also agreed to pick you up and drive you to the nearest city. You’ll have to take the train from there; it’s a long way to the countryside. Leo wants you to know that this is only because you helped him out earlier, and after this you’re both even.”

The corners of my mouth twitch. It’s almost like he’s forgotten what he’s done to me for the past few years… Well I suppose I can forgive him, since he is helping me in my time of need.

“Tell him I said thanks.”

“So where are you guys right now?”

I take a quick look around. “I’m not quite sure. If you tell Leo to just keep driving out from the highway in the direction of the Ashbrook River, you should see us. We’ll be waiting on the side of the road.”

“Okay then. I guess I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Thanks, Ashley. Oh, and one more thing.”

“Hm?”

“Bring lots of food and water, please. Vegetarian food. I’ll pay you back.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

“Nope, that should be fine. Thanks again.”

She hangs up, and I turn back to Alice.

“Come on. Leo’s coming to give us a ride to Edenheim, we should wait for them by the side of the road.”

I reach out and grab Alice’s hand – and she pulls back as if she just made contact with a red-hot poker.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

She stares as if dazed, before shaking her head. “Sorry.”

She reaches out again and, eyeing my hand as if it could disappear at any moment, grabs onto it. I haul her up and we start heading back to the side of the road.

***

Leo and Ashley arrive in his second-hand car two hours later. The moment we’re close enough to see them, we gesture and wave on the side of the road until they pull over.

“Thanks for doing this, Leo,” I say.

Leo looks away. “I just needed an excuse to skip school. Now we’re even.”

“For sure.”

Alice and I step into the back seat, where two large bags of food and water have been supplied for us.

“Ashley, you didn’t have to come too,” I say as I stuff it into my mouth. I’m ravenous and I have to make a conscious effort not to accidentally send bits of half-chewed food flying into Leo’s precious car.

“What are you talking about? Of course I did. You’re leaving, Bran… and for all we know, you could never be coming back.”

“Don’t be silly,” I say. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

There’s a brief silence in the car, only broken by the sounds of Alice and I eating in a very sloppy manner.

“Sounds like a death flag to me,” Leo jokes.

“Shut up,” Ashley shoots.

The car continues to zoom across the countryside, leaving Ashbrook and its river further and further behind. Before long, I can’t even make out the high rise buildings of the city on the horizon. It’s only then that I realize I’m leaving behind the home I’ve grown up in for the past seventeen years.

“So, just how far away do your grandparents live?” I ask, sipping on water to help the food go down. I don’t want to dwell on depressing thoughts – the more I think about this, the more I’ll be convinced that going back and turning myself in will be a better option.

“It’s a place called Port McAubourne, right on the edge of the ocean.”

“The ocean? But that’s…”

“It’s going to take several hours by train to get there,” Ashley explains. “You’ll have to switch lines as well. Needless to say, it’ll be hard to find you once you’re that far out.”

In theory, it’s almost the perfect hiding place. However, reality is hitting me hard – I’ve never had to stay this far away from home, and I’ll be breaking off contact from almost everyone I’ve ever known in this period of time.

Is this really the only way?

I glance at Alice out of the corner of my eye.

No. I won’t run for the rest of my life – it’s only long enough until things die down and we can formulate a plan.

“You look down,” Ashley says.

I don’t respond. Every second we draw further away from home is a second I’m questioning my actions.

“Hey.”

Two hands suddenly slap my cheeks. Ashley brings them away, and I’m sure there are red marks left on my skin.

“You’re thinking too much, Bran,” she scolds. “You’re doing the right thing. Always trust your gut.”

“How can you be sure of that?” I mutter. “Does it even make a difference if we run away?”

No matter who wins – ANGEL or Dracula – we’ve drawn the short end of the stick.

“Bran, remember what you told me a few days ago? It’s not about the destination, but the journey. Even if you don’t think what you’re doing is the right thing, it shouldn’t stop you from trying.”

At the sound of this I let out a light chuckle. “You interpreted it completely differently to how I did.”

“It’s a versatile concept.”

I touch my stinging cheeks. I really do think too much – I should just sit back and go with the flow for once.

“Thanks Ashley.”

And that was how I left home for the first time.