CHAPTER 63: AROUSAL OF THE VAMPIRES [5]

"Ugh, this is suffocating."

I muttered under my breath as I stepped through the hidden gate near my hut. It was a small crack in the city wall—one that no one cared about.

But now, it was my entrance.

The air smelled like smoke and blood.

Shops were broken. Stalls burned. The streets were empty, but not quiet.

Yet, after all this chaos, the city was some what silent.

No further screams could be heard, no metals clashing against each other, nothing.

I guess, it was already time for that.

Laurel will try to invade the Academy, as it happened in my past, in one of the regressions.

She must be near the Academy right now too.

Things were going as I had already planned.

However, this tragic scenery, is a first for me.

I have seen what happened in my regressions, but I didn’t see everything in detail.

Piles of corpses thrown around like dirt, spread as far as eyes could see.

Women and children only.

The vampire blood only affect male individuals, by turning them into beasts, incomplete vampires who only long for sexual intercourse.

Thus, the women I saw, their clothes torn to pieces, their private parts wide open , and bleeding, and the look of helpness in their eyes, as they died.

It was so revolting, that I felt nauseated.

But it’s not like I was obligated to save them.

I have suffered enought, trying to save someone, earlier.

So, I will not repeat that mistake again.

Yet, a part of me felt guilty of not doing anything before.

I walked and walked, encountering corpses after corpses of women, killed in the most vile way.

Then, I saw someone’s face.

A familiar face to be exact, lying around a corner of the street, leading to an inn.

A lady selling stew in her small shop.

She was not that old, her eyes and smile still held that spark of a young girl of 20s.

When, I first re-entered the city for buying some goods for my survival, this is the first shop I came across.

A sudden pang of guilt spread throughout my body, as I looked at her lifeless self lying on the ground, in the same condition as the other women.

Even though her shop was a bit remotely located, she dealt with every customer with a smile on her face.

Always.

Did she truly deserve this?

Again, was it my fault for not taking action before?

Now that I know my past events, was it my best course of action?

"Help! Someone! Please help!", A shout brokey chain of thoughts, as I turned around the corner to witness the scene I was expecting to see, when I entered the city.

Another girl a bit younger than the stew selling woman, but with a similar face, was pinned down by a thrall.

Her cry for help, reverberated louder than anything in my mind, as I lunged forward and pierced the heart of the thrall, neutralizing it in a second.

Drops of blood tickled down, as it’s body fell down right there, in front of her.

A small petite face, with silver face, indicative of foreigner, the girl was so scared to open her eyes, that she stayed that way for another minute.

"Are you okay?", I asked her, lifting her trembling body up, as she held me tightly, and started crying.

I put my hand s around her, in a comforting manner, as I realised where I had seen this girl before.

This is the sister of that stew shop owner lady, who was already dead.

An unknown sense of anger welled within me.

It was unprecedented, and imperceivable.

Was it directed towards Laurel, or towards those creatures, or perhaps, that feeling of anger was directed at myself?

I couldn’t discern it.

Yet, I needed to do something to subside it.

And someone to take my anger on.

"Things are going to get a bit messy from here on.", I muttered to myself, deciding to destroy them all, at any cost.

***

The protective barrier around the Academy pulsed weakly, its glow flickering with every hit.

The sounds of claws scraping and fists pounding echoed through the walls.

The Thralls had gathered in large numbers, surrounding the Academy like a sea of madness.

Inside the large auditorium, the rescued citizens huddled together.

Cries of children, the low murmurs of fear, and the soft rustle of makeshift blankets filled the air.

Several second-year students stood guard, weapons in hand.

City guards too, worn out and bloody, helped maintain order.

Outside, things were worse.

On the rooftop of the main Academy building, Alicia Rowan stood still, her cloak fluttering in the wind.

Beside her, Dustin Croft clenched his fists while looking at the barrier below.

"It won’t hold much longer," Dustin muttered.

"I know," Alicia replied. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were focused. "If this continues, they’ll break through in under five minutes."

Dustin turned to her, waiting for an order.

Alicia looked at the ground far below. "Dustin. It’s time."

"...You mean now?"

She nodded. "You’re the only one among us who can stall them long enough. Immobilize as many as you can. We’ll strike from behind."

Dustin closed his eyes for a moment.

Then he opened them again—sharper, darker.

"...Understood."

His body began to shift—muscles expanding, bones stretching.

His skin darkened into a hardened texture, more beast than man.

His nails turned into claws, his eyes into golden slits.

Alicia stepped back slightly.

This was the true form of the Croft family’s cursed bloodline: Beastification.

Dustin leapt off the rooftop without a sound, crashing into the center of the swarm like a meteor.

A loud boom followed.

Thralls screeched as Dustin hit the ground, a shockwave of raw force erupting outward, flinging several of them into walls and stalls.

In a single motion, his claws struck the pressure points of three beasts, freezing them mid-lunge.

His golden eyes gleamed with focused intensity—each movement swift, brutal, and calculated.

A dozen more rushed him from all sides.

He exhaled slowly.

Then vanished.

Reappearing within their midst, his fists and claws blurred—piercing nerves, locking joints, twisting muscles just enough to paralyze without killing.

His aura pulsed outward, thick and oppressive, clouding their minds.

With every immobilized Thrall, his presence grew.

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Author’s Note:

Please comment down your thoughts on this Chapter.

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