Dark Love

I can't stop myself from looking at the spine-chilling creatures in front of me. I helplessly hugged myself when the cold wind blew and kissed my skin. Tears are streaming down from my eyes. I am horrified.

How I wish that things would go back to normal. When I was still an ordinary student, a scholar at Ruther University. A normal girl that works at night to feed herself. An ordinary woman, living in this world. But now, everything has changed. Dangers lurk around me, waiting for its perfect time. Fatal dangers personified as these monsters in front of me.

The vampires.

My heart leaped when one of the vampires smirked at me. He closed his eyes as he inhaled sharply, feasting on whatever he smelled. Then he grinned widely. I feel like I am gonna choke in fear when I saw him salivate. His now dilated eyes intensified my fear.

"What a very sweet-scented blood..." his raspy voice uttered. "It's addicting."

A shiver ran down my spine. I stepped backward, thinking of escaping. But then I remembered how impossible is that. Like a scene in a cliche movie, I am cornered with the towering wall behind and three famished vampires in front of me.

I sobbed when I realized that I could die any seconds from now.

Is this my end? Am I going to meet my death? Where is he? Why isn't he here to save me? And why am I this stupid to expect that he will always come whenever I need him?

"Don't expect him to save you again, lady. Because tonight, you are for us to devour," the vampire in the middle said.

I croaked when they move forward to me. I tightened my hug for myself as I stepped backward. I started to try accepting my coming death when my back touched the firm wall.

But it's not easy when I am still looking forward to my future. It is never easy. I still want to do a lot of things. I still want to meet my parents and maybe ask them, why did they leave me. I still want to have my own family, so I can feel how to love and to be loved.

I slowly slid down against the wall and hugged my knees when they are already a few steps away from me. I heard their blood-curdling growls.

"Goodbye..." I heard one of them said with a mocking tone and it was followed with demonic laughs.

I shut my eyes tightly as my last resort. I buried my face between my knees. I wish I could die without feeling even an ounce of pain. Please, let me die peacefully. Don't let me experience excruciating torture.

I shouted in terror when someone grabbed my neck and forced me to stand. His sharp nails pierced my skin, cutting my flesh. I felt the pain and fear in my gut. They groaned loudly as my blood gushed out. I saw their crimson eyes looking at me with so much hunger.

The vampire let me go for a second but he grabbed my neck again with his other hand.

Then he licked my blood on his nails and as he tasted it, the redness of his eyes intensified.

He insanely growled and raised his hand, ready to rip off my face with his deadly nails but he suddenly stopped midway when the other vampires cried in pain. I kicked him when his attention diverted. It is not enough to hurt him but when he saw who caused the death of the other vampires, he immediately released me.

I gasped for air and watched the vampire who held me falling to the ground because of the wobbling of his knees. I smiled weakly when I realized who saved me once again. The mere sight of him gave so much relief to me and wrecking fear to the vampire who almost killed me.

The mysterious man glanced at me for a second, and in a flash, his gray eyes turned to the darkest shade of red. He knocked the begging vampire, throwing him against the wall, causing it to collapse. In a snap, he's already near him again and he forcefully stepped on the vampire's neck. The cracking of his bone is very distinct that it made me flinch.

"Wait..." he asked with a faint voice. "I j-just want to k-know something."

Dark blood gushed out from his mouth. I looked away, unable to take the gore scene.

"I w-want to know, why are you protecting her?" He struggled just to utter his question. "Is it because she's your other half? Is she your mate?" he added.

My forehead creased, confused with his question. I want to look at them but I can't take to watch the vampire's situation.

Long silence dominated the air that I could hear my heart pounding, waiting for his answer.

But I am just even more confused when I heard his answer.

"It's more than that. Now, die..."

Sweet Aphrodite's POV

I opened my eyes from my dreamless sleep when I felt a tap on my cheek. Stella's face blocked my view, with no trace of emotion like the usual.

I blinked and covered my mouth before speaking. "Thank you for being my human alarm clock," I uttered with my still hoarse voice. After pushing the blanket away from my body, I then sat and stretched my arms.

I am not surprised anymore when she walked out of the room without saying anything. She's always like that, not fond of speaking.

I got up and did my daily routine. After taking a bath, I began fixing myself. I brushed and dried my long brown hair. I pushed the few strands out of my face and put it on the side with a hairpin. To remove the small crease on my uniform, I gently ran my palm on it. It didn't remove the crease but it helped for it to become less noticeable.

I took a last glance of myself in the mirror before walking out of the room. The apartment is not that big that's why it is a few steps from our room to get to the dining area. Stella is already sitting in front of the island countertop while Irene is in the small kitchen. I immediately helped her readying our breakfast.

We are all living here together, sharing the bills for rent, electricity, food, and water. We are also responsible for different house chores and strictly follow the schedule of our tasks. We are all civil to each other and fortunately, everything is working fine.

I washed the dishes before we all left for school. We study at the same university but with different courses. Although I am the only scholar among us. From here, we ride public transportation to bring us to school.

Irene bid her goodbye when we are already inside the university. She's nice to everyone but we are not that close because she has her own circle of friends. I shrugged it off when I realized that Stella is already gone when I looked at her side. I'm used to her habits.

Unlike Irene and I, she's usually void of emotion and quiet.

"Good morning, Sweet!" A senior said with a lopsided grin.

"Boo! What a simp!" One of his friends said, followed by mocking remarks from the others.

I politely smiled at him, greeted him back, and didn't stop walking.

Some students with familiar faces smiled and greeted me. I'm surprised that there is some unfamiliar student that knows me and puts effort to greet me. I shyly gave it back to them as my appreciation.

"Hi, Sweet!" Aaron, my classmate, greeted me.

"Hi, good morning!" I greeted him as I walk towards my seat.

I smiled hesitantly when I noticed how noisy my classmates are. Our ages are ranging from 19-21 but a lot of them are still acting immaturely.

I saw Aaron who is already few steps away from me, immediately sat when our professor stormed into our room. The noise suddenly died down giving a deafening silence. My classmates went back to their original seats and fixed themselves.

"Good morning." His baritone voice filled our ears.

He stood in front of us giving an assertive vibe. His eyeglasses made him, even more intimidating together with his large physique, perfect posture, and neat uniform.

"Good morning, Sir Pablo," we answered in unison with our practiced intonation.

He just nodded and checked the attendance. Right after that, he sat at the table, facing us. He eyed us critically.

"Have you heard the news?"

I shook my head and glanced at my classmates, waiting for their answers. Sir Pablo seems serious with his question and when he noticed that we are all clueless about it, he shook his head disappointedly.

"There are dead bodies found. Ten bodies, to be exact."

Some gasped in surprise, some seem cannot understand what is the big deal about it. It's painful to think that hearing news like this isn't surprising anymore. Thousands of people are dying every day.

"What's surprising about it, Sir? I mean, with the authorities abusing their power over ordinary people, this happens a lot..."

"The dead bodies that were found lost every drop of their blood and they have those pair of small holes on their neck as if something pierced through their skin."

The class reacted loudly. Curiosity and fear took over us. Different theories about it caused the noise that was immediately silenced by Sir Pablo.

"Now, is that still not surprising?"

I am almost absent-minded while walking. After the class, all of us immediately searched about the news and it is now trending all over the country. Skin so dry and wrinkly, the victims look like their blood was drained out of their bodies. Two holes are also evident on each body's neck. I can't imagine how horrifying their deaths felt.

Who would do that? How did they do that? But thinking that humans did that kind of killing is hard. Is it possible that wild animals did that?

I massaged the side of my forehead while walking to the comfort room. Thinking hard makes my head ache. I directly went into a cubicle to pee. I washed my hand after and looked at myself through the mirror near the sink. I am about to wash my face when the light suddenly went off. I almost jump in shock but I calmed myself.

"Relax, Sweet Aphrodite..." I whispered to myself and regulated my disturbed breathing.

I am scared of darkness. Every time darkness surrounds me, my mind would begin in thinking creepy things. And the realization that I am alone here is pushing me to the edge. I just need to relax and get out of here. I would not be trapped here like what usually happens in horror movies.

I gathered my things and with big steps, I march towards the door. My eyes widened when I heard the doorknob clicked and locked before I could even reach it. My breathing becoming shallow as I twist the knob, trying to open it. I slammed the door as loud as I can to get someone's attention from the outside. Why did they lock me here? Didn't they know that someone is here?

"Open the door! I am here! Please!"

Breathing became hard for me when my heart started thumping that I could feel it in my throat. Beads of sweat are building up on my forehead. I can feel the fear in my guts.

"Open this!" I shouted. "Please open thi-" I choked with my word when I heard a thudding sound behind me.

I was stupefied for few seconds when I remembered that I was alone. Am I alone? I slowly looked where the sound originated. I held my breath when I saw a little movement in the dark. And with the help of the faint light from the small window, I confirmed that I am with someone.

I almost sighed in relief but I froze when I saw the manly built of the stranger. Can not find my voice, I reached for the knob again and twisted it, trying to open it. Tears clouded my eyes when I heard his low growls. It doesn't sound humanlike.

It is walking towards me based on the loudness of its growl. My knees weakened that I fell on the ground helplessly. Hot tears cascaded down my cheeks. I am want to scream but there's no sound coming out from my mouth.

My body began to shake in fear when I saw its eyes after a faint light hit his face again. What terrifies me more is the sight of his bloody sharp fangs.

He leveled his face in front of me and growled louder after he inhaled sharply.

"What an enticing smell..."

He raised his hand in front of my face and I am frightened when I saw his long nails with a hint of blood.

"N-no, d-don't touch me," I uttered under my breath.

My brows furrowed when he's suddenly out of my sight. Then I heard his groans like he's in pain. I was confused about what's happening but I was taken aback when I saw silhouettes.

A stranger is holding my attacker on his neck that his feet are already above the ground.

Then the man squeezed the monster's neck. My lips parted when I saw his head fell to the ground.

I felt like my life went out of my body after I realized what just happened. I sobbed silently while my body began to feel numb because of the overwhelming emotions. I covered my ears when I saw the stranger threw the body away like it's nothing.

I shook my head when I saw him making his steps towards me. What is he gonna do now? Did he save me or he just wants to kill me? And what are they? I have a theory about the one who attacked me earlier. But on this man, I don't know. I just know he's not human. He's too strong to be a human. He ripped the monster's head by just squeezing it.

I froze when he kneeled in front of me then wiped away my tears with his thumb. "Hush now, my innocent Sweet..." He whispered gently. I don't know how but my system immediately calmed down, following his words.

"You're safe now."

I looked at his face but I can't see it clearly. But one thing is for sure, he's wearing a black half-mask.

"I'll always protect you. I promise."

As if hypnotized, I nodded. He touched my cheek before he slightly slanted his face and then he claimed my lips.

Sweet Aphrodite's POV

I woke up in an unfamiliar room. On my right side is the white wall and on the left is a green curtain. I helped myself to sit as things began to sink in my mind. I'm still wearing my uniform and I am in a clinic.

My lips twitched when I felt a little headache. I slowly stood and pushed the curtain in the side to get out. I saw a nurse on the table scribbling something on her notes. She looked at me when I am already in front of her then stopped writing.

"How are you feeling?" she asked while smiling.

I let out a small smile. "I am fine, thank you."

"We found you unconscious in the comfort room, sitting on the floor. What happened to you?" She stood and opened a cabinet beside her. Then she pulled out my bag from the inside. "Here are your things. Check it," she added and handed it to me.

I stared at her while accepting it. My eyes widened a bit when memories filled me after thinking the answer for her question.

Contemplating if I should tell her when I saw her waiting for my answer, I slightly looked away.

"T-thank you. W-well, s-someone attacked me..." I almost whispered.

Remembering the exact fear that I experienced disturbed me. A shiver went down my spine when I could think of almost all of the details.

"What? What do you mean? Did someone harass you?" Her furrowed brows and concerned face told me that she's ready to report it if that happened.

I bit my lower lip and stared at her. I let out a sigh and smiled hesitantly.

"It is... it is a monstrous creature, almost human-like but with red eyes, fangs, and long nails. Then suddenly, another stranger came and he killed-"

I stopped midway when I realized that the nurse is showing a weird face, confused about what I am talking about. I knew it, it is hard to believe. A story that sounds like it was made by a child.

"Nevermind..." I uttered and reached for the logbook on her table.

Her eyes widened a bit then she smiled awkwardly like she was caught. "Do you have a phobia or have you been diagnosed with something with hallucination?" she slowly asked, sounding like she's trying to understand me.

I smiled politely and grabbed a pen to fill in the needed information on the logbook of the clinic.

I understand her. No one would believe me because it seems out of this world. And maybe she's right. I am afraid of the darkness that my mind would make up things to scare me more.

That happened a lot when I was still young. I could see a figure in the darkness that shouldn't be there. Sometimes, there is some movement that drives me crazy.

But what happened earlier, it feels so real. I can still feel the terror that I felt. The stranger's touch and the way his lips touched mine. It seems surreal.

I glanced at the nurse who looks very concerned. I smiled at her again, ready to leave.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Ma'am," I said before turning my back.

"Hija, if that happens a lot, try to consult a professional."

I do not know what to believe anymore. That is the first time that it was so strong and real.

Wearing an apron and hairnet, I served the customers. I am doing a part-time job in a small BBQ store after class. I start at 6 p.m and my shift ends at midnight. It is exhausting since I cook and serve inside a hot store but I need to do this to help myself. Even I am a scholar at Ruther University, I still need money for projects, for my food, and rent.

"Sweet, deliver this to Nyx Salon," said by Gab who is the owner.

I nodded and accepted the two paper bags containing the roasted chicken. I remove my apron before going out of the store. The salon is just across the street. I opened the sliding door and the smell of hair products welcomed me.

"Delivery!" I said that caught the attention of the busy hairdressers.

"Hi there, pretty!" Hillary, a gay hairdresser greeted me like the usual.

They are used to me, delivering here and they are so nice. I handed them their order and accepted their payment. I can't stop smiling while hearing their happy chattering. It's already night but they are still energetic and bubbly.

I'm on my way back to the store when I suddenly felt that someone is watching me. It feels like each step that I make is being watched. I stopped for a second and looked around but everything seems normal. I think I am just being paranoid. I shrugged it off and resume walking.

I almost jumped out of shock when there are sudden shouts from the people around. With wide eyes, I looked for what just happened and I saw a guy running with a knife in his hand. He looks terrified and pale like he just saw a ghost.

A police officer caught the guy and handcuffed him.

"You just got out of the jail and here you are, looking for your new victim!" An old bystander scolded the guy.

"There is a monster there!" he cried.

I looked at the place that he's pointing to but I can't see anything because it is dark in there.

"Monster? He's probably high again!"

I froze and watched him being dragged by the police officers. Monster? Just like what I encountered earlier. Red eyes, sharp fangs, and long nails. Like a mythical creature called a vampire. Although mine is probably an imagination and that guy is just high.

I shook my head and resumed walking.

This night is exhausting because of the crowding of customers. My co-worker was absent so it's just me and the owner. I was supposedly out at 12 but was extended for an hour because of the late customers.

The light from the lamposts inside the village guided my steps. It's already late and I am alone. I walked faster, wanting to rest as soon as I can.

I am already near our apartment when I noticed something. A familiar chill ran over my body when I saw a built kneeling on the ground. The stranger's head is moving slightly. I squinted my eyes, trying to see whatever he's doing. I swallowed the lump in my throat when I heard the sound of him, sipping aggressively. My lips parted when I realized that there is a body lying in front of the stranger.

My hand flew on my mouth when I saw the body after he stood. The skin of the woman is dried out and there is a pair of hole on her neck. Just like what I saw in the news.

I stepped backward when I noticed that the man is now staring at me. My heart pounded painfully after seeing the blood on his mouth.

Breathing became hard for me and the coldness crept in my every vein.

Am I hallucinating again? But it is not dark in here. Am I being tricked by my mind again?

He grinned widely that the side of his mouth is already ripping. I feel like my color drained out of my face. My body began to feel numb and before it could even paralyze me, I turned my back to run but ended up screaming in terror.

He's in my front! He is fast!

I almost fell but I managed to step backward.

How could I escape when he's that fast? His frightening face makes me want to vomit in a mixture of fear and disgust. The cold wind made my situation worse.

"So sweet. Your blood smell so sweet," he said after inhaling deeply. He raised his hand while looking at my neck dreamily as if he's touching me there. "That would be my target. The blood would gush out from there generously."

That's what the monster from earlier said, too. They are really vampires. Creatures that are fed by blood.

I hope I'm just hallucinating and I could wake up from this nightmare. It seems helpless against them. If I run, he could easily catch me.

If I ask for help, we have no chance against a monster.

My surrounding turned into a slow-motion when he was about to grab me by my neck. But a blade of samurai passed through his stomach before he could even touch me. Blood splattered on me and the ground. The blade thrust out of his body and in a second, it cut his head effortlessly.

I tried to catch my breath while watching his head falling off from his body. I have never seen such bloody and brutal like this. His body remains standing, headless.

I couldn't even cry or move because of shock. My stomach is twisting in disgust, wanting to puke but my body is frozen.

I silently watched his body turned into ashes.

I remain standing there, too weak to move. Until two strong arms enveloped my body. I slowly looked down to see pale skin. A cold breath fanned my neck.

"Did I scare you, my Sweet Aphrodite?" he asked with his husky voice.

It's him. What's special about him? Why am I suddenly not scared even his hug surprised me?

With his hand on my arms, he slowly made me face him. I immediately looked up to see his face but it is covered with a half-mask. He is wearing a black jacket with its hood on his head. He touched my face gently with his thumb that sent small voltages of electricity on my body.

"W-who are you?" I asked that came out as a whisper.

His dark red lips curved into a small smile that affected me in a foreign way.

"You need to sleep now, my Sweet."

I shook my head, eager to know him but he just touched my lips and everything went blank.