"Alisa.. Promise me that you will survive." The man spoke while patting the head of the girl. The shouts of the people outside their house loudens by the second.

"It's bad.. Iliana.. please take my daughter away." The man spoke to the maid, Iliana, before turning his back on his daughter.

"Papa.. No, I will stay here with you." Then Alisa's words were cut off when the maid shushed her and took her out of the house through the back exit.

"Iliana.. Stop. My sister is still inside.. I have to get her too." Alisa spoke trying to release her hands from the maid's but to no avail.

"Alisa.. Listen to me. Your father has instructed the other maid to escape with your sister. You should listen to me and walk away.. Everyone will be fine." The maid, Iliana couldn't help but give false hope to Alisa.

"She's still young. I must get her out of here." Iliana thought to herself as she made the way to the Black Market's routes with Alisa close to her.

When they were barely halfway through the escape, Alisa got a sight of her house. Her father was being skinned alive, her mother was being stoned to death.. and her little sister, who was clearly unable to escape, was being tortured by the maid who had sold her out.

Seeing the grotesque scene, the light in Alisa's eyes died. Iliana suddenly pulled Alisa close and covered her eyes with her palm.

"Child, don't look.. Everything will be fine. You need to survive.." Iliana said but there was no hope left in Alisa's eyes.

But even after they had escaped into the Black Market's routes, the hunt didn't end. People were chasing the maid and the daughter of the man they had just tortured and killed by falsely accusing the whole family of being vampires, without any concrete evidence.

"Look out for those two swines. Burn them as you come across them.. and leave that maid to us." The men chasing them shouted at each other, while the maid was hiding in one of the smaller alleys of the Black Market.

"These people even followed us here.." Iliana thought for a second before pulling Alisa in for a hug.

"Alisa.. I'm going to act as a decoy so get away from Luminae as fast as you can.. Survive.. so one day you can bring your family justice. Give up your name until you are strong enough to reclaim it." Iliana said, trying to inspire Alisa one last time before they parted ways.

"Ili..ana.. What if I'm unable to do that.." Alisa said while weeping softly.

"That won't happen.. because I believe in you." Iliana said before putting a mask on Alisa's face and giving her an extra pair of clothes she prepared beforehand.

"Take care.. and live the life you won't regret... May the spirit of justice show you the path." Then Iliana ran out of the hiding spot, acting like she was running with Alisa still with her.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Meanwhile, Alisa ran the otherway with tears in her eyes but wiping it as she ran. As for the maid, the crowd caught her very soon and brought her back to the mansion where the other members had been killed, burning her alongside them.

"Tsk.. She didn't give any information about that little brat that escaped with her.." One of the men said, while disappointed.

"Whatever.. That little girl won't survive once we find her. With these 'saviors' now gone, our plans are successful." said a vengeful man while chuckling to himself.

For about a year, the girl who had forsaken her name stayed in the Black Market working as a waiter in a masked restaurant. After all, that's the only place she could get a job while not removing her mask. It was the only Job she could take as she refused to remove her mask.

Then one fortunate day, she met two vampires in the alleyway she lived in. They were unlike anyone she had ever met before.

"You.. look sad." The man said while looking straight into her eyes without holding back.

"Hey.. don't scare the little lady." The woman said while punching the man but he didn't bulge despite the obviously strong blow. Then the woman cleared her throat and spoke in a calm dignified manner. "Nice to meet you. Call me 'Eluya' and this man 'Abel'.. Do you live here? What's your name?"

"My name... My name is Iliana.. Yes. That's my name." Iliana spoke. This was the first time since the incident that anyone had asked her name and having already given up her name as Alisa.. She called herself, Iliana.. In honour of the maid who saved her from death by sacrificing herself.

"Well, Iliana.. As you can already see, this man and I aren't from around here.. Do you mind giving us a tour? Maybe help us get a job so we can earn enough to start a business in the main town?" Eluya spoke with a smile, which was warm and welcoming.

"No amount of work in the Black Market will earn you enough to start a business in Luminae.. Not if you are willing to commit crimes, which you two clearly don't want to do.. Follow me. I'll introduce you to the place I work. If we work together, we can at least rent a room and not sleep in the alleyway." Iliana spoke with a sigh, finding solace in their presence, even though Abel hadn't spoken much other than the first sentence.

Then a month passed by, the three of them were now sharing a rented room. For most of the time they were in the room, Eluya either was laying beside Abel or sleeping. And even though, Eluya's flirting was very enticing, Abel never really reacted to them much. In fact, even when she invited Iliana to join them in the cuddling session, Abel only asked Iliana to join if she was okay with it.

Just like this another month passed by, getting out of the constant cycle of work and rest, seemed impossible. Then one day, Eluya and Iliana were doing the normal 'listening to Abel as he bathed himself', Iliana suggested. "You two.. How about we each take out a loan to open a detective agency?"

Eluya, who was surprised by the sudden proposal, thought about it. "Well.. I'm not very good at economics and finance.." Eluya said while shrugging her shoulder, thought not against the plan entirely.

"Neither am I.." Abel admitted calmly, stepping out of the bathroom in a clean robe.

"You can handle the finance to me.. I have handled it before.." Iliana said with a reassuring smile.

"Well, if that's what you think then we trust you." Abel said calmly before scratching her chin.

Iliana purrs at the scratches, blushing softly. "You really know my weakness.. don't you, Abel.."

By next week, the three of them had taken individual loans from money lenders in the Black Market. The total money from the three of them was enough to give the test for the Detective Licence, pay for a rented office and get a license for the agency.

Thus the EIA Detective Agency came to life..