Leon Kreutz was an enigma.

His existence was an oddity among all things. A vampire who had dedicated himself to protecting humans, turning away from his own lineage. It was a path that cut against his vampiric instinct.

Perhaps, it was because Leon had lost any remnants of his past self and memories that he had felt indebted to the human who had saved him... had given him purpose.

But that was a story for another day.

Leon found himself in a damp cell; there were no sources of natural light except for the gas lamps that hung on the walls. It did not matter to him; his eyes could see better in the dark.

Boredom was the first thing he thought of as Leon hummed a soft tune, a strangely familiar melody ingrained in his brain. Yet, he didn't know where he had heard it from, but it offered him a semblance of solace.

"O-Ow..." He sucked in a painful breath as his mind snapped back to reality. Leon's humming stopped as he bit his tongue, feeling the pain burn through his skin.

The silver chains bound to both his wrists rattled at the slightest movement. They gnawed deep into his skin, causing a pain that felt like it was eating away at his flesh.

Another sharp hiss escaped his lips as the silver continued to burn his skin. It was a vampire's weakness, the only metal that could harm them.

For vampires, regenerating wounds was mere child's play. They were immortals born from the damned. Wounds from silver took longer to heal and could be fatal.

Blood coated his wrists as they continued to burn from the silver; The Order had found this to be a necessary measure to keep him restrained.

Leon thought that it was an overstretch.

"Ah, seriously, I'm bored." He mumbled to himself, trying to push down his thoughts because they were wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. His head throbbed with a dizzying pain.

Something was tugging at his insides, a sickening emotion that wasn't entirely... his.

Despite the charges against him, Leon was innocent, and he always would be. He would never betray them. Everything he did was for the sake of saving innocent people.

Not once had he thought of harming humans or succumbing to his own cruel nature.

The prison door creaked loudly, and his ears grated at the sound, echoing in his brain so intensely that it felt like his skull was being torn open. Leon's eyes moved to his unwelcome visitor, his pupils narrowing into thin slits.

"Oh! It's you!" His expression brightened despite the pain he was in. "I'm so glad to see you, Tori," he smiled.

Viktoria Kreutz, his older sister, someone who had accepted him despite them not sharing the same blood—despite her being a mortal.

The curls of his long blonde hair fell messily on her shoulders, and her sharp hazel eyes were covered by a thick pair of round glasses. Her clothes were disheveled underneath her stained lab coat; Leon knew that she had been busy.

Tori glared at him, a permanent frown plastered on her face. "Don't. I'm not in the mood for your jokes." She snapped at him. Leon's smile faded as he met her disapproving gaze; still, he knew that Tori held nothing but concern for him.

"...Ah." Was the only thing that left his lips as he avoided her glare.

Tori sighed, her eyebrows twitching in frustration. "Leon," she began, her tone softened as she spoke his name. "The higher-ups' conviction in your guilt was unwavering. They labeled you as the murderer. A traitor."

His sister's words stung like alcohol being poured onto open wounds. He had already anticipated the condemnation from those who did not trust him, but hearing it from Tori hurt more than it should.

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"I'm innocent, sister," he said, "I-I did not kill our mother."

It was such a cruel thing. Leon was accused of being his own mother's murderer—a notion he could never believe himself.

How could they accuse him of that? Of killing the person who had saved him from himself?

Tori bit her lip as she fidgeted with her hands. "I believe you, Leon..." she whispered. "But the evidence they have against you is damning. They were convinced that you were a threat."

Leon could only feel pity for his sister. Even after their mother's death, the two of them couldn't mourn properly. Now, Tori had to bear the weight of Leon's crimes too.

It was unfair to see a woman of her strength and unwavering sense of duty reduced to such a state.

"...Do they know?" he asked.

"Hm? Your friends?"

Leon nodded his head, anxiety eating away inside him. He was afraid of how they would react, if they would even see him as the same person.

"This is a strictly confidential matter. No one else besides me and the higher-ups knows about this. They don't want to cause panic within The Order."

Leon's tense shoulders instantly sagged in relief at Tori's reply. It was a good thing that they did not know about him... yet.

Tori's glasses reflected under the dim light of his cell, and Leon could see her eyes darting constantly to his wrists. A bitter expression plastered over her face. "Those fucking bastards," she spat out.

"Do they not know how much you've done for The Order?" She looked furious as she fretted over him, her hands flailing aimlessly around his wrists.

Leon chuckled. "You seem angrier than me."

"Angrier than you?" Tori glowered. "Leon! You dedicated yourself to protecting people, and this is how they repay you? By casting you aside? Framing you for our mother's death?"

Tori's hazel eyes burned with fury as her fingers curled into a fist. "Their trust was more fragile than glass... I don't think they have ever trusted you, anyways."

Leon could only smile at Tori's concern. For a second, a gentle warmth calmed the turmoil brewing inside of him.

"Ugh. Those fools! Idiots! You never harmed a human; I know how much you value our safety." Her voice softened as she stepped closer to Leon. "I'll do anything to free you, Leon."

Tori pressed a soft kiss on Leon's forehead, her fingers brushing his hair. "...You need to feed," she said in a low whisper.

A shudder ran down his back at the thought of feeding. His instincts needed it, and Leon's stomach gnawed in hunger.

Tori took out something from her lab coat, a small vial filled with thick crimson liquid. His pupils dilated at the sight of blood as his sister uncorked it. His fangs extended in response.

"You know that I'm not allowed to—" Leon's words were cut off as Tori literally forced the vial into his lips. The cold liquid coated his tongue, as expected; it was already stale since it wasn't from a fresh source.

The taste was comparable to drinking a forgotten cup of coffee. It wasn't entirely satisfying but it was enough to suppress his hunger.

Tori pulled back, the vial already emptied. "You need to survive," she said, concern lacing her words.

Leon licked his lips, and the metallic taste stayed on his tongue. "Pig's blood," he remarked. "I prefer drinking sheep's." His smile was almost sarcastic, Leon's fangs poking through.

Tori raised an eyebrow. "Be grateful, brat."

Leon chuckled softly despite his grim situation but he gave Tori a knowing look. "...Thank you," he said, genuine affection in his tone.

His sister snorted as she placed the vial back into her pocket. "I'll clear your name, I promise," she reassured before she took a step back. Leon nodded, watching his sister leave.

The door closed with a loud click, the metal locking into place.

Once again, he was left alone. A realization that he could feel deep inside of his bones;

"O-Oh. It's cold."

Leon had never really noticed how cold it was. A reminder of his wretched existence, the lack of warmth seeped into his soul.

"Tori." He whispered his sister's name softly. For now, he would endure the isolation, the false accusations, and the pain. For her. For her effort and sacrifice.

Leon would wait for as long as he needed. He would wait for Tori.

He did not know that this would be the last time he'd ever feel her warmth again.

***

[AUTHORED BY: DR. WENTWORTH, VAMPIRE PHYSIOLOGIST]

[AFFLICTION OF SILVER UPON VAMPIRE MENACE, 18XX]

In pursuit of comprehending the nature of vampires, silver has always been well-known as their weakness. This research file aims to explain the connection between vampires and silver.

[SUBJECT 1]

Silver has the ability to weaken vampires as long as it is in close proximity. The subject has shown a severe hatred for the metal, despite it being hidden inside the confined space.

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

The wounds caused by silver take approximately 36 hours to heal completely, a stark contrast from their normal regeneration speed of 10 seconds. The subject is a common vampire, perhaps vampires of better lineage would show faster regeneration against silver.

The potency of silver against vampires stems from its intrinsic purity. It is a consecrated metal that represents god while vampires are malevolent creatures born from despair and death. Perhaps, that is why they are antithetical to vampires.

More research is needed regarding this topic.

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