Welcome to Delta

A maniacal laughter echoed throughout the white room. The man seated on a lone chair placed in the middle struggled and tried desperately to break free from the ropes tying his hands. His wrists are already swollen and bleeding from all the struggling. It is not certain as to whether the ropes were really tight, so he could not free himself, or if he was just losing strength.

Streaks of tears flowed down his pale, hollow cheeks, blurring his sight. He was gritting his teeth so hard he didn't notice he had accidentally bit into his lower lip that was already blue. He tasted rust in his mouth, mixed with tears and sweat, which slowly diminished the hope he was trying to gather. Yet it was still not enough to remove the traces of the pills he was forced to swallow.

Frustrated and desperate, he flailed and stomped harder, almost toppling the steel chair.

The man basking in madness suddenly stopped laughing. He looked at him pitifully, with eyes almost believably sympathetic, but everyone present knows the true colors of this madman. He was far from sympathetic. He could lend you a hand during the day and turn you into a guinea pig the next.

"The Policy will burn you to hell!" the pale vampire spat. His chair squeaked noisily at his every move.

The man frowned at him, then suddenly grinned wide before making a fire out of nowhere. It was floating at the palm of his hand, and as he inched closer to him, the flames in his hand also bid its time engulfing his flesh into flames. The smell of burning flesh made the poor captive gag. But he had no time to panic nor puke anymore, as he felt something hot by his feet.

He had also caught fire now. His fangs grew, and he growled in pain. The fire crawled up, till the vampire's whole body was burnt, and the room was filled with the pungent smell.

On the corner of the room, a man in a suit was watching, and he flinched slightly at every agonizing shout the vampire had let out.

In reality, the victim was still shuddering in fear. His eyes were white and he had turned blue. His veins are showing, like worms creeping into his system. The vibrant skin that vampires were so proud of was gone.

"Successful?" The fellow, whose appearance seemed to be in his 50s, asked. Yet the glint visible in his eyes was cruel and gave away the decades, or possibly centuries, that he must have already lived.

One of his subordinates looked down in respect as he answered his question.

"Yes, sir. He is high, and he is hallucinating about..." He paused and thought for a moment. "...getting roasted? Since he was begging for water and to put out a fire all the while."

"Good. We don't care about what these damned creatures are seeing. Just make sure the drug's strong enough to kick into their system in the shortest time possible."

"Yes, sir."

The individual who was silently watching everything in the corner thought about how the man could talk as if he himself was not a vampire as well. And, well, maybe he should not be surprised anymore. Since this man he got involved with, regarded other beings as less than him. No matter their race or status in life.

"And you, human," the vampire called all of a sudden, and the man in the neat suit jolted in surprise. The vampire smiled and bared his fangs at him, mocking him. "Calm down. I am not the least bit thirsty right now. You can rest assured we will get out of here with you still alive today as well."

"No, sir," he replied, stammering. "I was only a bit in fright because of all the noise this vampire made seconds ago."

On the long table not far from them, a massive and detailed map was laid out. There were numerous places with some X's on them. The vampire walked to the table and pointed at the capital D, a human city that was supposed to be inside the human territory, too. But it was placed far from the other cities, almost like it was a country on its own, occupying such a vast land.

"The couple will be summoned by the aristocrats, and they will leave this city in the hands of their little boy."

The vampire scoffed, repeating what he just said in his mind. "How is a brat like him handling his own city while I am exiled in the shadows?" he thought, face ugly and full of resentment.

He tapped his fingers on the table and turned to the only human in the room again.

"Do not waste this opportunity. Let the test subjects run rogue into the city discreetly first. When that arrogant Montessori couple leaves, we will start taking over the city."

After talking, with a flip of his cape, he disappeared into the night. His followers behind him also quietly left.

His most trusted subordinate looked at the human, saying, "When all things are in place, and the executed plans are successful, only then will the master allow you to be one of us. Prove your loyalty."

The human took a deep breath as he nodded.

It was a misunderstanding. He never asked to be one of them, just that he wanted to become a fang-bearing being as well. However, with how long they have been working together, he could not back out any longer. Especially when he knows so much already.

Another map was on the table, and it showed up from under all the other papers when a helper started cleaning up. The old lady curiously inspected both maps and saw that the bigger one was more detailed. And the position of City D was placed farther than it was on the smaller map.

"Oh," she murmured, wondering at the difference in distance both the maps have when they're showing the same place. "My grandchild lives here. What did the master of the house and the strange men talk about here?"

In the dead of the night, as the group of vampires travelled hundreds of meters per minute, strong winds gushed by due to their fast movements. Leaves are rustling and branches are creaking and swaying.

They were in black capes that hugged their bodies, and they made whiny sounds in the air as they ran. The kind that is heard only when there are storms. Eerie and frightening.

Because they are indeed brewing a storm. Something that will either strengthen the foundation of the current rule, or put the whole world into chaos once again.

"Delta is good. There are rumors about it being the most populated with vampires, but the city is peaceful."

Mr. Salacosa gave a sideways glance to his son, Arthur, who was in the passenger seat. The boy had his eyes closed, head leaning to the window, but he was surely awake and listening. The proof would be his fluttering eyelashes.

"Were you able to say goodbye to your friends?" Mr. Salacosa asked.

Art, his nickname, sat properly and sighed quietly upon hearing his father's question. He absentmindedly answered, "I said my goodbyes to the dean." Then shifting in his seat, he continued, "I heard that there are many social clubs in City D. I'll look to see where I can sign up. Are we not there yet?"

He knew his father was only going to keep talking about him making friends. Being a single father with an only child son, of course he would be worried about him. He feels guilty about leaving his son alone and not spending enough time with him due to work. He will be comforted to know he is not going to lock himself up at home anymore.

The father also knew how his son deliberately evaded the topic, so he did not push it. This is a usual and endless talk they always have every time they meet. They are both letting each other off easy, a truce because they did not want to ruin their first day at Delta.

Mr. Salacosa pointed a finger in front and slowed down the car as they took a turn.

"Almost there."

Art followed his father's line of sight and saw that as they made a sharp turn, a long, wide road appeared in front of them. The sunset could be seen to their left as they exited the dark forest, and hues of orange and yellow rays pierced through the car windows. They were met with a vast land of green grass. There were wildflowers as well and birds flying home to hide before dark. The view was so magical that it seemed like they entered a portal to another world. However, what caught Art's attention were the gigantic gates at the end of the road.

His eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't help glancing back at his father with questions in his stares.

"Yes, this is Delta," his father said.

Art immediately asked again, "Is it because it is teeming with vampires so they built those gates and walls?"

Mr. Salacosa laughed and shook his head. "No. Quite the opposite. In the past, it is because there were humans that the fortress was built. Anyway, that was then, but now it is much different. Humans and vampires can co-exist peacefully at present."

Art looked at the gates that were getting bigger and bigger as they drove towards it. His father saw a rare glint of excitement in his eyes that Mr. Salacosa could not stop from hoping and praying. He convinced himself that this was the best decision for both of them. There was no going back now.

Art thought that with these huge walls and gates that the security would be a little lax. However, contrary to his thoughts, the security here was even tighter. The car was scanned, his father gave their identification cards, and their recommendation and entry letters. When everything was confirmed after a full ten minutes, they were finally able to pass through the tunnel.

"What's with the security?" Art asked as he watched the bustling crowd in the streets. He lifted his chin and played alone, challenging himself to successfully count how many floors the tall buildings have before the car whooshes by. He stopped when he failed.

"The director," Mr. Salacosa started but quickly changed his words when he realized something. "I mean, the son of the director."

"What about him?" Art situated himself comfortably on his seat, attentively listening to his father.

Mr. Salacosa shrugged his shoulders. "He is the Montessori heir, an aristocrat. You know that vampire aristocrats didn't mix themselves in the human crowds, right?"

Art slowly shook his head when he failed to recall ever knowing about such a thing. His father's eyebrows raised a bit, finding himself guilty again for not even teaching this basic stuff to his son.

"The aristocrats were the most affected by the Eternal War. When the human and the vampire species reached a consensus, the vampires did so because of the common ones. But the aristocrats hid and rarely showed. Only the Montessoris of the Delta City are out in the open, but they have always been here, so the aristocrats only sent this security to be rest assured."

Mr. Salacosa's explanation did not make much sense to Art, who has never studied about vampires and only heard some rumors. But he was still able to grasp the big points. Like how an aristocrat is a noble, considered to be one of the important people, so they should not be unguarded.

Art was only curious about one thing. They were vampires. What is there to be afraid of? Humans? Heh.

"They don't teach you this at school?"

Art gave a dumbfounded look at his father. "Why would they teach about vampires at school? At most, there is gossip and some unbelievable legends."

It was his father's turn to be surprised as he slowly parked to the side of the road where a young boy was waving at them. He glanced at Art to answer him, "This is my mistake. I did not check which schools you enrolled in." Then he swiftly rolled down the window to his side and greeted the boy who was wearing a bright smile.

On second look, he did not actually look young. He was just short and skinny, but he seemed to be in his early 20s already. He waved the envelope in his hand and greeted them with a welcoming smile.

"Hello, Mr. Salacosa! Hello, Arthur!" He stared at Arthur and handed him the envelope he was holding. He said, "Arthur, don't forget to attend the welcome party later."

Arthur creased his forehead and reluctantly took the envelope from him. He came and went like air. He was quickly gone after that, and the father and son could only look at each other.

Mr. Salacosa began driving again while Arthur inspected the envelope in his hand. It was pure white, neat and smooth, with a gold plain seal. Art opened it and carefully took out a golden paper. It was just like the envelope, thin, neat, and smooth. Art felt some bulges at the back of the paper so he flipped it around.

Written on it were three golden words that were elegantly calligraphed with a black outline: Welcome to Delta.

Art was clad in a printed white shirt tucked in his fitted cargo pants. He slipped on his dark leather jacket and caught the keychain his father threw towards his direction. The keys clanged when he attached the ring to his belt holder.

"Drive safely." Mr. Salacosa nodded at him when he turned to speak. "Don't push yourself. I'm not asking you to be social. Just at least give chances to people who want in. Have a good night!"

Art also muttered his good nights to his father then reluctantly left. It was already eight o'clock and he was half an hour late, but he still took his time. It was fortunate that his father went to their new house first and started settling in and unpacking earlier this week. All he had to do was fix some things and furniture he was a bit unsatisfied with.

Art even took a nap in his cozy new bedroom, and if it were not for his father who had knocked on his door, he must have missed the party the guy earlier had reminded him to attend. He wished his father did not, though, but he already promised he would at least put some effort into making connections.

"You have arrived at your destination."

Art parked by the side of the dark road when he heard the mechanical voice from his phone. He surveyed his surroundings but saw nothing more than endless darkness and groves of trees. Tilting his head in wonder, he moved to get the envelope he had received this afternoon.

There was also a small slip of paper inside which contained the time and address of the party. He checked to see if he typed the right address and compared the numbers keenly. When he saw that there was no mistake, he looked outside the window again.

This time, he saw two flashes of light inside the forest. His eyes instantly alerted. When both lights directly pointed at him, he automatically raised a hand to block them and squinted his eyes. With a frown, he watched as the two headed to his car in a neither slow nor fast pace.

Once they were near enough, Art saw that it was a couple with their arms linked. Their hair resembled each other - brunette in color, similar curls, and cut to the same shoulder length. They stood to the side and the man spoke.

"New guy?" he asked, and Art immediately recognized the crispness in his tone. They should be the same age.

Art inhaled deeply before opening the door and stepping out. It was dark, and their lights were pointing to the ground, so Art could not actually see the features of their faces but he could feel their gaze. They made him uncomfortable, but he could tell that there was no malice in both of them.

Art replied, "Yes, Arthur Salacosa. Good evening. You are?"

The man reached out a hand first to shake hands with him and also introduced both himself and the girl beside him.

"Tom Clemente. This is my twin sister, Thea. Just call us by our name." After Tom spoke and shook hands with him, Thea also took his hand, moved it abruptly up and down before also speaking in a scrutinizing tone.

"What are you called?" she asked.

"Art," he instantly responded and asked a question back as well while sweeping his gaze to the dark grove of trees around them. "Did I get the wrong address?"

Tom laughed. "No. We just had a major tree planting project a year ago, and the addresses have not been updated yet."

"It was Lyle who told us you might use the shortcut and end up here at the back. Well, did you?" Thea interrupted.

"Yes. I didn't know," Art replied.

"Understandable. I heard you only arrived this afternoon?" Tom said even before Art could ask who Lyle was. He only nodded to answer while the two in front ushered him to follow them. "Don't worry about the car. We'll have someone move it to the parking lot. Can we borrow the key?"

Watching the people walking in front of him with poised and quiet steps, he assumed they were not someone who would cheat him out of his old car. So he readily handed them his car key.

After a few minutes of walking on a trail, they arrived at a bright garden decorated with antique angel statues and expensive-looking street lamps. Further ahead, Art saw a big house, only a shy away from being a mansion, which was brightly lit both in the upper and lower floors.

They entered through the backdoor and were met by some housekeepers and the kitchen staff who paused and bowed slightly before continuing what they were doing. Art could smell the delicious food, but it seemed that they were already doing the dishes. Art was late and could not eat dinner. However, he swept his gaze swiftly in the kitchen and saw snacks and liquors on a table far away, ready to be served.

"If you haven't had dinner yet, we'll have them cook for you." Art suddenly heard Tom say when they exited the kitchen.

Thea sneered and Art could almost feel her hate stabbing at his face when she turned to glance at him.

"A most important guest, I see," she muttered in a mocking tone.

Art's eyebrows raised a little upon hearing her snide remark. He had never seen this girl before nor had he done anything in their few minutes of first meeting for her to harbor these kinds of negative feelings about him. Yet he thought that she was a girl, and it wouldn't look good to pick a fight, and it was exactly their first time meeting so he was reluctant to retaliate.

By the side of his eyes, he saw Tom gently pat Thea's arm which was linked to his own arm. The twins locked eyes for a moment, then craned their necks at the same time to look at him.

"Be on time next time," Thea told him as she opened a large door.

The words "yes, I'm sorry" were already at the end of Art's mouth. Yet when Thea opened the door, a loud beat blasted through his ears. Art winced in pain and raised both his hands to cover his ears. The twins panicked as well as both of them crowded Art's kneeling body.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Thea nervously asked. His twin, Tom, wasn't any better. Tom was supporting Art by his shoulders and continuously uttering "are you okay, are you okay".

This was the scene that a certain tall, dark and handsome guy had seen when he rushed over upon hearing the commotion.