Inside the grand but crumbling castle, Beatrice and Rookie sat surrounded by a mountain of sugary loot. Their latest adventure had left them victorious and, more importantly, well-stocked with enough sweets to last weeks. Rookie, his face smeared with chocolate truffle dust, let out a contented sigh as he sank deeper into the colorful pile of treats.
“I don’t think I can eat another bite,” he murmured, crumbs tumbling from his lips.
Beatrice smirked, her fingers sticky from unwrapping caramel after caramel. “Rookie, there’s always room for more.”
The quiet peace was interrupted when the room dimmed. A strange, reddish glow filtered through the castle’s high, arched windows, painting the walls in hues of crimson. Rookie sat upright, blinking in confusion.
“What’s that?” he asked, his voice tinged with unease. He stumbled to his feet and approached the window, his breath catching in his throat. “Bea… it’s raining. Red.”
Beatrice didn’t bother to look. Instead, she picked up a striped mint and inspected it, unimpressed. “Blood,” she said casually, tossing the mint aside and grabbing a lollipop.
Rookie froze. “B-blood?! What do you mean, blood?”
“Blood rain,” Beatrice replied, as if she were describing a summer drizzle. She leaned back against the wall, unperturbed by the crimson sheets pouring down outside. “It’s normal. Just the Bloodkillers hunting.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Bloodkillers?” Rookie asked, his voice barely a whisper. He stepped away from the window, eyes wide with fear. “What’s a Bloodkiller?”
Beatrice sighed, popping the lollipop into her mouth. “Back in the day, some necromancers thought it’d be clever to resurrect blood instead of skeletons. You know, to give their armies a more ‘visceral’ edge. Instead of obedient soldiers, they ended up with ravenous hunters made entirely of blood. Real messy business.”
“And... and they’re outside?” Rookie stammered, shrinking back into the safety of the candy pile. He could hear faint squelching sounds through the walls, like wet footsteps dragging through the mud. His hands trembled.
“They’re just hunting. Relax.” Beatrice’s tone was maddeningly calm, as if she hadn’t just described monsters that caused blood rain. “The rain stops in a few hours.”
“A few hours?” Rookie’s voice pitched higher with every word. “What if they come inside?”
“They won’t,” Beatrice said, waving a hand dismissively. “Probably.”
“Probably?!” Rookie squeaked, his back pressed against the stone wall. His heart raced, imagining a horde of blood-soaked creatures bursting through the door.
Beatrice chuckled, unwrapping another candy. “Look, they don’t care about us. We’re not exactly on their menu.” She leaned back, completely at ease. “Now, sit down and eat something. You’re making this way more dramatic than it needs to be.”
Rookie hesitated, his eyes darting to the window. The blood rain fell heavier now, streaking the glass and pooling on the ground outside. Every second felt like an eternity. But Beatrice’s unshakable confidence was oddly reassuring, like an anchor in a storm.
Swallowing hard, Rookie shuffled back to the pile of candy. His hands shook as he picked up a caramel, but Beatrice’s calm demeanor gave him the courage to stay. Maybe, just maybe, they’d make it through this.
Outside, the blood rain continued to fall.