Eos, the land of the dawn. A world lingering in its medieval ways. A world of myths and legends, from the Dark Knight of Ashenaura, to the Devil Queen of Scissorise. The people of Eos embrace its history and tradition, in order to look to the future. To understand what came first, before embracing what comes next. Its cultures ever advancing with each rising sun, generations able to behold their greatest achievements.

One such achievement is the creation of the "Convenience Store". Known in our world as a mere streetside store that sells cheap food, the lands of Eos would find these to be miracles of innovation. Its goods exceeding the typical general store, specialized to be rest stops for weary travelers in need of food, drink, and rest. The injured, able to purchase stocks of potions and elixirs. The famished, having access to rations and water. The wanted, having a place of respite beyond the watchful eye of civilized law, safe until trouble comes at their hand. The convenience store is recorded as one of the greatest things to ever happen to Eos.

And with great innovation comes humble beginnings. The first ever convenience store is set up in the easts of Kruyoris, a continent of budding nature and primitive villages. Located in the midst of grassland alongside a dirt path, it begins as a wooden shack built on a dream for peace and prosperity. Two single glass windows on the front, with curtains to cover them up. A wooden door crafted from shabby planks of wood, compared to the care and quality of the roof and walls. One single sign at the front calling it "Store". As one of the only buildings in the area, its lack of presentation is covered by a lack of competition, drawing all to the one building present.

And its first customer in need, long after its initial creation, found his way on its doorstep. Injured.

"..." Standing in front of the shack itself, a black haired man dressed in torn rags. Five feet and eight inches tall, with two cat ears sticking out of his head and a tail coiled around his waist, he stands with several slash wounds brutally inflicted all across his body. One noticeable scar on the corner of his lip, with the rest of his wounds deep and bloody. One could mistake his clothes for being designed to match his hair: pure black, with streaks and streams of unnatural red highlighted in the fabric.

Time passing with vision hazy, his red eyes gaze deeply at this mysterious building in the midst of the wild. This traveler spends quite a bit of time staring at it, contemplating on its presence here, and if he should even enter. If he should knock on its door for any inhabitants, utilize its walls for rest and recovery, pray to whatever listening deity for recovery. Each passing second, opportunity for his wounds to worsen.

He grits his teeth and decides to enter. Hand on the knob, turning it and pushing the door in, he is welcomed to a dimly lit space no bigger than an inn room. The wooden floors dust free, bug free, as well kept as a bedroom.

Though, not person free. The cleanliness of this shack is a key sign that someone has, at least, been in this shack recently. The traces of water on the floorboards the next sign, with one puddle taking up a corner of the floor and the rest seemingly having been swept. There had to have been someone in this shack at this very moment. Yet, his eyes narrow as he looks around the dimly lit room, not a soul to be seen.

Complete silence. Not a single sound. Yet, the traveler feels this strong tension creeping over his back as he stands in the darkness. Realizing that the windows were blocked by thick curtains, with only the crack of sunlight beneath the door to be seen, there was only enough light in the room to see the floor.

In the dark, there was an ominous feeling creeping on his back, almost as if something was staring at him from behind. Ears perked up, on high alert, he felt that chilling feeling that warned him of an incoming threat. One he was uncertain if he could even handle in his current condition...

"Uhm... hello-"

The traveler tenses up and turns himself around, staring at the voice that came from behind him. His eyes gaze into the dark, seeing the outline of a person almost towering over him. The ominous feeling overtaking his body all at once, seeing the glowing eyes that matched his very eye color. Pure, crimson red, with a hint of the unholy. Nothing to shout, except one word: threat.

In response, the traveler instinctively leaps back. Hand lunging into his pocket, grabbing a weapon to defend himself- but, immediately yelping and recoiling as he slams his back against a hard surface. His entire body overwhelmed with a tremendous, aching pain. Lightning bolts sparking all over his body, hitting him in thundering waves of pure physical agony as he falls to the floor.

"O-Oh! I- I didn't mean to scare you- I was just s-saying hi... uhm..." the voice faintly speaks up, picking up a lit candle. Coming into view, the ominous red eyes came from a dark purple haired woman, petite and dressed rather fancy. A flowing black skirt reaching down to the middle of her thighs, with a pair of thigh-high socks under two black heels. Black bows dangling from the sides of her temples and one around her neck, with a frilly white apron over her dress shirt. Long locks draped over her shoulders, with the fluffy back trimmed short.

This finely dressed girl's name was Mimi, one of the inhabitants of this dark shack. Having seen a customer, a man enter for the first time in a while, she felt anxious about approaching him while alone. But Mimi found the courage to approach in the dark, doing her best attempt at one on one engagement with a customer.

Mimi holds the candle as she approaches the man, the flame's light revealing the man's condition. Mimi's eyes widen in concern at the sight before her, not realizing how badly injured the man was from her greeting. But- no, it wasn't just that, she thought. The wounds over his body were severe, tears in his clothes with red oozing from his skin.

It horrified Mimi deeply to see anyone like this, left in this condition. She needed to help this traveler, to provide the best first aid she could. Starting to approach, concentrating into her hands. "U-Uhm-! I- hold on, I'll- uh...!"

"St... stay back...!" the traveler growls aggressively, pulling his knife out of his pocket and pointing the tip of it at Mimi. "D-Devil of the night...! Keep away from- from my blood!"

Mimi's eyes widen, staring down at the injured man with... a knowing look. Her black wings flapping behind her back gave her away... bat-like. The man saw her for what she was, an immortal and undead creature of the night, a vampire. Commonly known for sapping blood from mortals, turning helpless victims into enthralled monsters. Most vampires, generally being considered evil and corrupt, recognizable for their glowing red eyes in the dark, and pure pale skin devoid of flowing blood.

Regardless, Mimi... stares at the man, her compassion crying out for her to help. It should be a quick process, to give the man some potions to aid him. "Y-You're gravely injured-! I- I can't just- do nothing... I can help... p-please, allow me to-" Mimi pleads, shaking as she holds the bottles in her hands, taking one step closer.

"I said- stay back!"

The traveler lunges forward onto his feet, swinging his knife blindly and slashing into Mimi's hand. The metal of the blade cutting cleanly into Mimi's skin, causing her to suddenly drop the candle and the bottles out of pain.

"A-Ahh-!" Mimi screams and shouts, falling back now and holding her cut hand. Starting to sob and cry as the metal pierced her flesh, clenching her teeth and trembling on the floor. Even though tears could not flow from her eyes, her misery was on full display.

The traveler stands up with shaky legs, glaring at Mimi with a hostile look. Having yet to acknowledge the girl's attempts to help, he simply saw a monster before her. With one slash, he rendered the vampire prone, and one pierce to the heart would be enough to finish it...!

...

But... his wounds overtake him. Before Mimi, the traveler collapses onto the floor, falling onto his side with an aggressive thud. Feeling all life drain out of his body, a cold feeling enveloping his skin.

"... s-sir-!" Mimi exclaims, watching as the traveler lay on the ground unconscious. Blood seeping onto the floor, his wounds grave. Immediate medical attention was needed...

Mimi picked up the remaining potions in the dozen of healing. With her own hand cut, she needed to do all of this one handed, pouring the paralysis potion into the traveler's mouth first before pouring bottle after bottle of healing potions down the man's throat- taking the bottle and splashing the red fluid over his wounds themselves. Absolute fear and worry plastered on her face as she treated haphazardly.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

As she was doing this, the front door opens with a gentle knock, opening for one split second before shutting closed. Mimi's body in contact with the slightest of sunlight, the vampire girl feeling an aching pain burning away at her skin. Even under her clothes, the curse that befalls her chars away at her skin.

"M... Mimi, what happened?!" a voice exclaims, masculine and deep. Belonging to a tall, slim woman that instantaneously shut the door once inside, rushing over and looking down at the scene that unfolded. Dressed head to toe in a faded red maid outfit, with a pair of glasses, short purple hair with an extremely long ponytail dangling down to her waist, donning a matching white apron.

"S-Sera, I-" Mimi begins to speak, turning to the man with a worried look on her face. Starting to gesture to- all of the traveler's wounds. "T-The man's hurt all over! There, there- even there! A-And, and he-"

"H-He cut your hand!" the maid, Sera, shouts as she sees Mimi's hand pointing at the traveler. Noticing the gaping cut in her palm and the blade discarded on the floor, putting two and two together.

"Y-Yes, b-but that's not important right now, Sera...!" Mimi exclaims, frowning with absolute distress. "H-He's injured, we can't- throw him out like this...! P-Please, can we save him?!"

Sera stares down at the traveler for a while, sighing. "... alright. We can. Mimi. Two bottles of water and three healing potions," she instructs, putting a glove onto her left hand.

"O-On it...!" Quickly, Mimi moves through the dark to search for the items. Heading to the shelf closest to the front door to get the water, then scurrying to a shelf of potions near the middle of the room. An alchemical lineup of bottles, lined next to each other in dozens, the girl taking three glass bottles of red fluid.

Sera nods to Mimi as she accepts the bottles, popping open one of the healing potions open. "Get the sewing kit and the bandages, next..." Pouring the healing potion into the traveler's mouth and forcibly making the man chug the contents. The potions present were of weaker quality that could not sufficiently heal this man, but... it was at least keeping him alive, as Sera begins to wash the first wound.

"R-Right!" Mimi quickly moves to throw the roll of bandages over, then goes to the back for the sewing kit.

For the entire time, Sera was administering first aid to this traveler with the best this shack had. Her attentive black-tinted eyes fixated on this, accounting for the amount of wounds. Mimi was instructed to retrieve ten more potions during the entire process, before Sera was done.

The man's wounds patched up, with healing potions chugged down, Sera stares down at the unconscious man, having removed his bloody and slashed upper clothing. All of the wounds were centralized to the upper body, with his legs only having mere bruises on them.

"... Mimi," Sera says to the vampiric girl, facing her. "Get the vial in my room, drink it down and patch up your hand. Then, set up the guest bed in the basement, and come back up here."

"G... Got it!" Mimi exclaims, starting to run to the back once again. Running down the steps as fast as she could...

In that time, Sera directs her attention back to the traveler. "..." Before reaching for the remaining contents in the second bottle and dumping all of the water out onto the traveler's face. Disrupting his recovery, spontaneously- bringing him to awaken after the treatment, Sera towers over the awakening man with an enraged, disgusted look on her face. "Wake up."

The traveler coughs and hacks as the water splashes against his face. In stable enough condition to awaken, yet- aches and pains spread throughout his body. Not enough time has passed for the pain to be subdued whatsoever, and he abruptly awakes in agony. Tensely wriggling in pain, struggling to move his legs and arms. "T-Tch...!"

"Stop," Sera instructs, glaring down and patting his face lightly. Drawing his attention to her, momentarily silencing him with the contact. "Stop struggling. You're going to make it worse for yourself, and open those wounds again."

"..." The traveler just... glares forward, looking up at the woman. A completely different woman from the vampire, one who gave off less of an unholy aura. "Y... you... you're not the-"

"I'm not the girl you saw, right," Sera interrupts. "I'm a new person. The one with hands that haven't been violently cut... by the way, what is the story behind that? Hm?"

"... she's a vampire... and-"

"A vampire, yes. Mimi. The girl that serves as the one reason you're still alive," Sera explains, narrowing her eyes down at the traveler. Interrupting him once again, disregarding his perspective altogether. "So, before I begin calling you 'stray', got a name you can give me? Anything at all that I can call you?"

"... Mamoru," the traveler reluctantly answers, staring forward at Sera with an absolutely tense face. Feeling Sera's hostility as they speak, sharing some of his own to this woman... "Call me Mamoru."

"Mamoru, hm? Got a last name?"

"None," that I can give you, thought the man. Discreetly lying to the woman in question. "None whatsoever."

"Got it... my name is- Seraphina. No last name either," Sera answers, also lying. Immediately picking up on the man's subtle hesitance behind his answer.

Mamoru's eyes widen upon hearing the name. His eyes- fluttering at this person he's never met in his life, yet... staring with disbelief at that name. "Sera... phina...?"

"Indeed. Sera for short," Sera answers, sharing the same sentiment that she's never met this man in her life. "I own this little store, the building around you right now. The walls, the shelves, what I used to tend to your wounds? All mine."

Mamoru... narrows his eyes. "... for a store, your... lighting policies... are not doing you any favors..."

"Well, it's to make it easier to hide when the door opens. You know vampires... can't handle the sunlight, hurts them dearly and incinerates their bodies with long enough exposure. And it's just- me and her here," Sera explains, glaring down at the man as her hostility flares over her fiery gaze. "And if anything ever happens to her, the vampire who - oh, I don't know, has a gaping wound on her hand after meeting you - I don't know what I'd do, really. I put that unfortunate, sweet summer child above my very own life."

"..." Mamoru... groans lightly as he averts his eyes. His shirtless, limp body lying against the shack's floor as he looks away, noting the... vulnerable position his injured and recovering body was in.

"And I'm going to be blunt with you, given what we both know..." Sera continues to explain, just leaning forward and staring directly into the cat-eared traveler's eyes with a look of pure malice. "... you, Mamoru, are in for a long, long recovery. One where you will be... working... to pay off your little treatment here. One where you work to have food on the table while these patched up wounds of yours get better. And one that leaves me able to put an end to the fallen Mamoru, if you... do ANYTHING else to Mimi. Do I make myself clear?"

"... crystal," the traveler answers with a growl. Mamoru feels a bubbling hatred towards this woman. He found her more despicable than the vampire, despite this woman having saved his life. There was a cadence to her voice, a deep tone that irritated his ears. Every time he hears this woman speak, his blood boils and muscles ache, despising her with all of his being.

Dread glazed over his tense face, he was trying to think of a situation where he gets out of this safely. In the chance that he overpowers Sera, the vampire may react in defense and devour him whole... and any other situation has him worn down and easily defeated. No... until he can move his body again, until he fully recovers, he needs to work for this woman. At her very mercy...

A mercy that wasn't easy for Sera to give, knowing how hostile this man was. Seeing the catboy's defeated attitude, Sera... found herself smiling. Crossing her arms and staring down at the man. Almost basking in the moment, finding joy in watching a despicable dirtbag of human filth. Silently staring at him in triumph at how much control she holds.

If not for Mimi, Sera would find it pleasing to treat this dirtbag like the filth he was. Willing to inflict any bit of revenge and cruelty onto Mamoru, hurting him as much as he deserved. Sera doesn't know anything about this guy, other than the fact that him being injured is what stopped him from slaughtering Mimi. Whatever this man did before coming into the shack, it didn't matter to her. He hurt Mimi, and she's going to make him work his injured self to the bone.

The brief, brief silence between them deep, the atmosphere heavy. The discomfort and disdain they held for each other quite obvious, almost sharing knowing looks with each other. The uncomfortably frowning Mamoru staring back at a maliciously smiling Sera.

This tension interrupted by Mimi's return, as her footsteps are heard.

Mamoru closes his eyes instinctively, to feign unconsciousness. Pretending to still be sleeping as he is carried and escorted to the basement... put onto a bed, resting now. Sera grabbing him tightly by the shoulders, while Mimi held his ankles. Lowered into a cheap mattress atop a wooden frame, with only a single pillow and no sheets.

"... alright," Sera tells Mimi. "I'm going to bring the goods into the shack. Trusting you to restock while I bring the boxes in. You know the protocol."

"O-Okay..." Mimi noises, nodding to Sera as she sits right next to Mamoru's bed. "B... But I'll- I'll just be a moment."

"... got it..." Sera reluctantly responds,  leaving the room. Taking her leave and exiting through the door.

The air between Mamoru and Mimi remain as tense as ever, as Mamoru lies in bed, feeling the vampire just staring at him. Mamoru felt... unease, his ears perking up. But he heard and counted the footsteps Sera took, knowing full well... that the maid was outside the door. He continues to be silent, to remain unconscious and alert for what may be done to him.

Mimi stares at his pretend-sleeping self, not seeing through his act as she reaches her hand out to the man's arm. Her cold fingers just gently rubbing along his skin, just... checking on the man's vitals, his blood flow.

This was the hand that Mamoru had cut. The wound completely gone, with not a scar left behind. "Uhm... I... I don't know if you can hear me," Mimi mumbles faintly, a slight sobbing tone still behind her voice. Still thinking about earlier events, yet feeling worry and concern above all else. "B... But I'm- I- uhm... uh..."

"..."

"... I- I hope you wake up soon..." Mimi says, before pulling her hand away. Taking note that the man was- shirtless, without a blanket, she takes a moment to leave the room to retrieve a blanket. Opening the door to leave and head upstairs, Sera long gone the moment Mimi got up.

With the girl a far distance away, Mamoru opens his eyes and stares at the ceiling, just... gazing up at it in the darkness of this basement room. Taking a gentle, soft breath, shivering faintly as he adjusts himself in bed. His body sore and aching, the pain from the wounds still prominent as he lay there. Yet, less than before.

This was a store... and Mamoru already anticipates the labor he will be subjected to as an injured man. "T... Tch..."