Turning on my phone’s camera, I examined the bite marks the wraith left on my neck. To my surprise, the fangs were spaced far apart—just like the victim’s. Sliding the phone back into my coat pocket, I leaned against the car, watching as they covered the victim’s body and wheeled her away. James and Leo were deep in conversation with the witnesses, while the other officers tried to control the growing crowd of reporters.

Helion approached from behind, giving me a firm pat on the shoulder before stopping in front of me. His eyes were filled with concern as he looked over my wounds and bruises.

“They did a number on you, huh?” he said, his voice laced with worry.

“Hmm,” I replied flatly. “They did.”

“You took your antidote, right?” he asked, inspecting the bite on my neck. “You were bitten, C.”

“I did… but something’s off,” I murmured, my fingers grazing the wound.

“What do you mean, off?”

“The fangs,” I said, pointing at the bite marks. “Look at the spacing.”

Helion squinted at the marks, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Huh. The wound’s deeper than usual too. No regular wraith or vampire could leave a mark like that. Also, they’re far apart.”

“You think he was a royal vampire?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “That could explain the abnormal fangs.”

“Nah,” he shook his head, dismissing the idea. “Royals don’t hunt like this. They’d send their servants to fetch their ‘meals.’”

Just then, a taxi pulled up, and Jane stepped out. She scanned the scene before paying the cab and heading in my direction. Noticing her arrival, James and Leo made their way over as well.

“Evening, Cap,” Jane greeted with a nod.

“Evening, Jane.”

She turned her sharp gaze to me, ducking under the tape. “I heard what happened. You alright, C?”

I grumbled, “I’m fine.”

“The traffic was a nightmare,” she sighed. “Sorry I’m late. Should've been there.”

“No worries,” I said, shrugging. “We managed to save the woman. We’ll question her tomorrow morning.”

“I’m just glad you’re not worse off than you are,” she said, eyes narrowing as she looked me over.

Jane was a couple of years older than me, never one to mince words. Her pixie-cut hair blew in the breeze, the long brown coat she wore zipped up to her neck, with a scarf trailing behind her in the wind.

“Captain,” a forensic officer approached us, holding a kit. “We’ll need DNA samples from the bite. Also, Officer Cra—Crañ… uh—"

“Just call me C,” I interjected, used to people struggling with my name.

“Right, sorry. We’ll also need Officer C under observation for the next 12 hours.”

“Observation?” James asked, still making his way over with Leo. “Why? He took his antidote, right?”

Helion crossed his arms. “Just in case. C, you’ll be taking tomorrow off.”

I sighed. “Great. I should get bit more often. Free vacation.”

“Don’t joke about that,” Jane scolded, shaking her head. “If a royal bit you, no pill would save you from turning.”

The forensic officer stepped closer, carefully swabbing the bite area. He applied some pressure to the wound to extract a bit of blood, which he collected into a small vial. After checking the sample, he gave a nod to Helion and headed back to his team.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Well, looks like we’re wrapping up here,” Helion said, stretching his arms. “Jane, you came in a taxi, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Take C’s car. I’ll drive him back to the station for observation.”

I fished my keys out of my pocket and tossed them to her. “Don’t scratch it.”

She caught them mid-air, grinning. “No promises.”

Helion motioned toward his car. “Come on, let’s get going.”

“Take care, man,” Leo said, giving me a wave.

“Yeah, see you,” James added.

“Goodnight,” Jane said, pocketing my keys.

I nodded, my voice barely above a mumble. “Night.”

—

Helion and I slid into his car, with me in the passenger seat. I opened the window just slightly, leaned back, and shut my eyes as he started the engine. The car hummed to life, and with a light touch on the accelerator, he made a U-turn. The wind had died down, but the rain was picking up, pattering against the windshield harder by the second.

I glanced out the window, catching a glimpse of reporters snapping pictures at the crime scene while cops struggled to keep them at bay. It was a bitter feeling, knowing the suspects were still out there, likely hiding among the crowd in the stadium. A full-scale search was out of the question—it would have caused chaos and possibly a riot, something we weren’t equipped to handle. Too many people, too few resources.

“How’re you holding up?” Helion asked, breaking the silence. “Feel any urges to bite me yet?”

“Not yet,” I said dryly, my eyes still fixed outside. “You might want to crack open a window when you sleep tonight, though. Never know when I might drop by.”

He chuckled softly. “Noted. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The car rolled to a stop at a red light, and we both fell into a quiet lull. Neon lights from a nearby advertisement cast a glow across my face—a hologram of a happy family, a mother holding her baby while the father stood behind them, all smiles. Above them, glowing text read: Everything can happen in West Antapolis. Why not get health insurance for your family?

The light flicked to green, and Helion made a left turn, keeping one hand on the wheel. He grabbed his pack of cigarettes from his pocket with the other and offered it to me. I pulled one out, lit it, and nodded in thanks. He placed a cigarette between his lips and leaned toward me, signaling for a light. I obliged, sparking it up for him.

“West Antapolis,” he muttered, exhaling smoke through the cracked window. “What a shitshow of a city, huh?”

“it’s not the worstIt sure is,” I said, pocketing the lighter. “But hey, it’s not the worst.”

“Heh,” he smirked. “I guess if you look at everything with the mindset of ‘could be worse,’ one can just survive this place.” He took another drag before continuing. “This city… it’ll eat you alive if you let it.”

In West Antapolis, every act of cruelty came with a reward, while any kindness was met with punishment. People grew colder as time passed, caring less about others and more about survival. The higher-ups? They only focused on lining their pockets, indifferent to the crumbling society around them. Trust was a luxury no one could afford, and everyone was out for themselves.

Additionally, the near impossibility of emancipation from big corporations and their malicious practices was a significant obstacle to living a happy and stress-free life.

“You called your mom yet?” Helion asked, glancing at me. “You should let her know you won’t be visiting tonight.”

“Damn… you’re right, Cap,” I muttered, realizing I hadn’t even thought about it.

I pulled out my phone and dialed her number, holding the cigarette between my fingers as I waited for her to pick up.

“Hello?” came her voice on the other end. “Cratehalaña?”

“Hey, Mom,” I greeted, trying to sound upbeat. “Doing okay?”

“Oh, I’m good, honey,” she replied cheerfully. “The nurse just took me for a little walk. They say I’m improving every day.”

“That’s great to hear,” I said, feeling a pang of guilt. “Listen, I won’t be able to visit tonight. Something came up with a case—one of those weird Unforever group incidents.”

“Oh dear,” she said, concern lacing her voice. “Please be careful. I’ve heard terrible things about them.”

“No worries, Mom. I’ll be fine,” I reassured her, though I hated lying. “Anyway, I’ve got to go. Helion’s calling for me.”

“Ms. Vann!” Helion chimed in, leaning over so his voice carried through the phone. “Your son’s in good hands. No need to worry.”

“Oh, is that Helion?” my mom asked, her tone softening. “God bless him.”

“Yeah, Mom,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Alright, honey. Take care of yourself. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Mom.” I ended the call, letting out a long exhale.

“You sound tired.” Helion said. “Catch some shut-eye. I’ll wake you up once we’re at the station.”

I yawned, throwing the cigarette out of the window. “Hmm. I’ll do that. Thanks, Cap.”