The Creatures Series

Eighteenth Night

Eighteenth NightCreatures of the Night

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##### Eighteenth Night #####

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In this hunting game, you can’t escape the darkness. Because everywhere you go... is me.

The elevator's doors finally slide open, and the first thing that me and Artro see is Zane. Or maybe his twin. Or maybe just himself.

The giant fist that comes from behind me is dark and shadowy, strong and full of forces. His body flies across the hall like a rag doll. I get more alert. Why would he let do launch that attack? Can this be a trap? What exactly is he plotting?

"Get out of here. I'll handle him,” I mutter to Artro. If we're going to die, then at least let only one of us be dead.

"No, I'll stay,” he says. "If you can't win over him even after opening your seal, then I have to back you up.”

The vampire, who I thought named Zane, stand up quick even after the impact. And just like a shadow, he vanishes.

I turn up my shadow sense mode by closing my eyes, letting the aura tell me what's happening. I can tell by Artro's silence that he's doing the same thing, too. Now, where has the vampire gone to? I squeeze my eyes unconsciously.

The room is instantly full with shadows, roaming at every possible corner. But none ever stay at the objects, since those are non living things. The same goes for creatures. In this case, a vampire is considers death. Despite that fact, he's still able to radiate an aura. His is only... slightly different from breathing creatures.

I scan the place my moving my head, hoping to gain response from unidentified area. He's not here.

Silence.

Then I spot something from the side of a hallway intersection. It’s only part of a body, but I still manage to locate him. I signal my discovery to Artro using a hand sign, so that he can prepare to attack. I suggest that he attack first, and then let me do the counter side attack.

Still in the shadow sight mode, Artro gathers dark energy ball at his hand. Darkness are gathering on his palm like its magnet attracting metals from midair to every direction. The energy ball is small, only at the size of a baseball, but can be very fatal and weakening the one who will receive this blow.

He charges first, running as fast as he can towards Zane. The vampire dodges fast, leaving Artro’s attempt to dust. But that is the point of the counterattack. I’m already waiting behind him after I circle ran through the corridors. I hold my hand in the air, facing his back. This time, what come out are not the less damaging tentacles, but hundreds of big and keen razor blades. All made by the deep black fog I’ve gathered since I receive the sealed part of my powers.

He’s bleeding everywhere when my razors cut through his body, fall to the floor when he can’t support himself anymore. He looks like dead without moving a single muscle. His clothes got torn, slashes and dirtily soak with red. I have no compassion whatsoever even when I almost take his life. I stand with no expression, sure that his heart has already been pierced by one of my shadow blades.

I look up at Artro who look quite breathless from the run, with disgust on his face. Is he displeased of the display of Zane’s blood? Or the fact that I’m killing him? I’m not so sure.

Suddenly, I fall.

Am I out of energy? Does regaining part of my powers makes my body weak? Am I having the side effects now? I don’t think this can happen that soon. I look out from my closed eyes to see Zane in front of me, really near that his body is touching mine. Did I fail killing him? Even with all the effort I’ve put through. The inside of my stomach gets sick by the thought of that. How can a creature be so... undead?

He leans in to my neck, displaying the sign of the other him still lying on the floor behind him. My eyes widen. So Zane told me the truth....

“You have a lot of nerve,” his twin mutters at my right ear with venom.

He’s so close that his lips touch the surface of my skin. It feels cold, just his one hand which is choking me at the neck. Blood is pumping strong around my neck because of his block. So strong that I can even feel the pulse. My head gets back dizzy in no time.

“How dare you hurt my brother!” He shouts loudly with fury. My ears are deafened as the effect.

He grits his row of sharp teeth inside his jaw, as if he can’t wait to rip my neck apart.

He may gonna behead me.

And then rip the rest of my body into pieces.

Or maybe he’s going to keep my head as a souvenir. It’s what crazy murderers like to do, after all.

And he’s possibly going to drink every drop of my blood.

Or maybe he even let it spill on the wooden floor under me and on the creamy wallpaper behind me along, having a too high self worth.

Or perhaps....

Whatever he’s going to do next, he can’t continue. Because a ball of energy get to his back first. Artro.... WHAT IS HE DOING?! He should have ran away a long time ago, after he noticed that this vampire appeared. It’s obvious that we’re no match for him. Yet, he still bets his life and even attacks the twin? Is he crazy?!

Zane’s twin turns his head to him. From Artro’s reaction, it seems like he’s really pissed.

The grip around my neck loosens and his nails start to claw out at the other hand. His pale muscles start to show from the surface of some of his exposed skin. I know what the signs mean.

Before he can kill Artro, I do the only thing that I can think of. I bite his hand.

He doesn’t wince when I do that. He just throws me across the hall with one push. Just like that.

I land on the floor with my back first, the sheet that I had tied on my body fall along. It has been a little bit loose now, barely hanging on my body. But I have to forget about it. There’s something more urgent now.

I get up from the floor, looking at the spot where I was held before. Zane’s twin is not there anymore.

No ─

My heart shrinks.

.”...No....” The word barely blur out of my lips.

My every part of my body feels numb, with veins pumping everywhere.

“ NO!!!! ” I scream deeply.

I break through the air, having only one thing in my mind.

Kill.

Kill the vampire.

My darkened eyes spot his figure and I hit him. Hard.

We stumble down. My body feels number because of the impact. So that’s how hard a vampire’s body can be.

My razor blades show everywhere in one second. They are tangling in everywhere air can reach. So many, I can even feel myself get cut. But what’s more important is to get vampire cut in half.

No, pieces.

No, that’s not even enough.

LET ME DEVOUR HIM.

“Arsëne!” a voice wakes me from that intention.

I look up and notice Artro’s still alive. Thank God.... I can feel tears fall from my body. But I don’t do anything else. I just sit there. On Zane’s twin body.

“Arsëne, honey, please don’t kill my brother,” he pleads.

What should I do? I don’t even care anymore. Artro’s alive....

“Arsëne.” I can feel his hands on my shoulders now, lifting me from his brother. I don’t resist his hands. Only blank stares.

My cousin is still alive. Doesn’t that all that matter?

“Arsene,” Artro walk to me, obviously out of breath. But still fine. I hug and sink my head on him.

After a little while, an annoying voice ring on my ear. “Hey, don’t you forget that I’m still here?” Ask Zane’s twin. He’s not on the floor anymore, that I’m sure.

“Arsëne,” I can hear Zane speak to me calmly from behind.

I don’t even lift my head until Artro call me.

“What?” I spat at Zane.

“I’m really sorry about what happened. I... I didn’t mean for this to happen. I don’t want to hurt you. Or your boyfriend. I understand that you have another life now, Arsene. A new one that doesn’t include me in it. But I can’t just get over my feelings for you. I’ve been bearing it for thousands of years. I can’t just pretend that nothing happened. And sadly, what I want is just to be with you. I can’t control my emotions as easily as in other condition when I saw you running towards him. I feel... those shattered feelings like when I found you dead in my arms. It’s that same feeling. Having you away is like as if you’re dead from my life,” he says.

I look at him.

“So that’s why you look like you wanted to hunt us down like animals, yet didn’t try to hurt me?” I ask flatly.

“I will never hurt you.”

“But your brother will,” I state.

“I’ve clear things down with Lane. He won’t hurt you anymore. I give you my word,” Zane say.

I look past him to see his brother eye to eye. Yeah, definitely will. But I just nod. I can’t risk making enemies with these vampires. Especially not with the Contigues.

Zane must have detect the tension in my expression, because he pressures once more about the truce.

At the end of the day, me and Artro have to get back to Sorcier. Zane, accompany with Lane forcefully, walk us out of the building. Turns out, I’m in one of the most luxurious that is own by the Contigue family. No one is actually in the building, though. It’s been very quiet since I walk out of that room Zane laid me in, I’ve noticed. He said that it’s for private convenience.

Zane look really sad, almost in the brink of tears, when I’m about to take my leave. And for some odd reason, I feel a little bit hard to leave him just like that, too. We’ve had the truce. Yet there’s something that still bothers me to go on.

“And one more thing,” I say before I leave, almost forget to clear the last thing out. “Artro’s not my boyfriend.”

After that incident, I’ve stop having nightmares. I’m glad of it. Finally, I can sleep peacefully. Without involving anyone to troubles. Without putting their lives on the line just to save me. Without the control fire and wind anymore. Yet, one thing still not quite right.

My friends and family have congratulate me for able to get away from the claws and fangs of Contigue. No member of Sorcier ever dared to involve themselves much with the enemies. Even if it’s for duty. Most wizards just try their best to stay out. But apparently I’ve broken the record for bracing myself. Personally I just need to end the misery. Though others might think that I’m being arrogant, I’m actually just taking care of myself. The part when Artro involved himself with the matter is his free will, although I knew that from the looks that his parents gave me last week give off their suspicion of heart.

That night, I walk to my parents’ office once again. Although it’s not too late this time, or too early, they still going to be as busy as ever.

I can't help but feeling nervous when I step into their office. "Father, Mother, we need to talk.” Taking a deep breath, I say, "I want to keep one level of my power unsealed.”