There was a rumor in Durham about red-eyed beings that roamed the night. They murder one or two people each night and leave their bodies mutilated when they were finished. Some say that the beings were lost souls of children who wanted to play, while some say that they were demons like vampires. There are townspeople that even go around hanging posters about the beings. Despite the warnings, incompetent nobles continue to stay in the night. They refused to believe the rumors and say that is was a regular murder case. Nobles like them tend to carry a lot of money, so it would only make sense for some to be assaulted by thieves.
    The sun was sinking under Durham as the townspeople rushed into their homes. The poor, who know better to wander at night, locked their weak doors. The rich, who were ignorant nobles, continued to enjoy themselves as the sun fades. The churches lighted their torches and monks prepared for dinner without much worry. When the sun was gone and the full moon was shining brightly, there was only the sound of noblemen laughing and drunks shouting aimlessly at each other. The wind picked up and a loud cry of pain shot through the night. The death count increased again and the people who have retreated to their home before sunset knew that they would live for another day.
    Under the flickering of a lamp, two figures loomed over a stout man. Their features were clear once they stepped into the moonlight. They were young girls, looking to be around their late teens. They were identical twins, except one was taller, who wore dark clothing. They both had bright red eyes. One was crouched over the man, ripping his flesh from bone while the other stood calmly a few feet away. The one devouring the stranger had short, raven hair with clipped bangs. The one in the corner had long, raven hair that was tied loosely back. She was looking at the poster the townspeople put up.
“Adeline, what are vampires?” The girl asked her sister, who raised her own head from the bloody corpse.
“They are mythical creatures the humans made up out of fear from what I heard. Vampires are blood-sucking creatures with amazing abilities, but they are weak to lots of things. The people here suspect we are those lower class creatures that don’t even exist.” Adeline answered and bit into a severed arm.
“What are they weak against?”
“Hm? Well, lots of things. Sunlight, crosses, stakes, and stuff.”
“Steaks? You mean a clump of meat?”
“No, no. Wooden stakes. They die if one is hammered into their heart. I find that stupid. Anyone can die from something like that hammered into his or her heart. Only a few of the creatures the humans record are real, Arlene.” Adeline explained, wiping her mouth and standing up.
“You know a lot about them, don’t you?” Arlene asked almost mockingly.
“I just happen to read a lot. That aside, come here. You need to eat too.”
“But, I don’t want to. The humans now-a-days taste bad.”
“Man, why do you have to be so picky? Fine,” Adeline said, “you can feed on me until we move to Darlington.”
“Are you sure?” Arlene asked her sister.
“Of course, it’s an older sister’s job to take care of her younger one. Besides, you haven’t eaten in a while anyways.”
    Adeline gave her younger sister a reassuring smile and unbuttoned her shirt a bit to expose her neck and shoulders. Arlene pounced on her roughly and pushed her against the alley wall. Arlene bit into the warm flesh in between her sister’s neck and shoulders. Adeline winced at the sudden pain, but relaxes shortly afterwards. The feeling was nowhere near pleasant, but she could handle it. Arlene grasped Adeline’s shirt, and the older twin felt the tears of her little sister. Adeline embraced her sister softly and patted her head with her hand.
“You crybaby, this is nothing to waste your tears over.” Adeline whispered.
    After a while, Arlene pulls back and her sister wipes the corner of her mouth for her. She had stopped crying, but sadness still lingered on her face. This was not the first time she had fed on her older sister. When she was younger, she could not control her hunger and nearly killed Adeline. Once, she was sure she had killed her since Adeline did not wake up for a three full days. She can control it now, but sometimes she still goes too far. Adeline never complained about any of the near death experiences she had. She would smile and pat Arlene’s head softly.
    Arlene got off her sister and made room for her. Adeline stood up unsteadily and she used the wall for support. The mark made by Arlene was healing and will fade soon. She extended her hand and her sister took it. They disappeared and returned to their temporary home. Adeline took a bath to get the blood off her and her clothes while Arlene locked all the doors and windows. They lived in a small abandoned castle in the middle of a hill, and they had a good view of the marketplace. Adeline came out of the bath as she dried her hair with a towel and sat on the bed with soft rustle. Her little sister came in and sat down beside her. They stared out the glass door that led to the balcony.
“I want to go to the market before we leave.” Arlene said softly.
“Sure, we can buy some snacks for the trip.” Her sister replied.
    Arlene leaned on her older sister and thanked her. Adeline had never rejected her requests, she always put her younger sister first, and she smiled at her without fail. The two continued to gaze outside, until Adeline said that they should rest for tomorrow. They lay beside each other and pulled the blankets over. Arlene hugged her sister and buried her face in Adeline’s chest. Adeline had an arm over her sister protectively.
“Hey, why do you think the townspeople believe that we are vampires?” Arlene asked.
“Humans are stupid.” Adeline answered simply, causing her sister to laugh.
“No, I mean what made them think we are vampires?”
“Well, we attack the people at night so I guess that’s one reason. Vampires are supposed to come out at night since they can be burnt to a crisp in the sun. But we are completely fine in the sun.”
“That’s sad. That would mean they’re only free for half the day.”
“Yeah, guess you’re right.” Adeline agreed.
“Any other reasons?”
“Let’s see. Vampires suck blood like us, but then we can also eat the flesh and organs. They are afraid of crosses, churches, and rituals like us too. However, I think every monster is afraid of those things. In some stories, vampires aren’t allowed to enter a house if they aren’t invited.”
“That’s funny, but a bit sad too. They can’t really go anywhere like that.” Arlene said.
“Yup, we have it easy. We can walk around freely anywhere, just not as comfortably inside a holy area. We are immortal, so we don’t have to fear much.”
“Except for exorcists, they can kill us.”
“Yeah, them, but we rarely bump into one. Besides, exorcists are only threatening up to a point.” Adeline said with a short laugh.
“Do we have a name?” Arlene asked in a low whisper.
“Ah well, truthfully, those things are just labels anyways. We’re daemons. One of the things humans actually have right.” Adeline told her as she started to doze off.
“How do you know they’re right?”
“Because I’m right.” She said, half asleep.
“Good night, Adeline. I love you, sis.” Arlene said, noticing her sister falling asleep, and closed her eyes.
“Mhm…”
    The morning came, and the sunlight hit Arlene’s face softly. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. She looked down to find no one beside her. Arlene hopped off the bed and peaked into the bathroom. There was already a toothbrush ready for her and a towel in case she wanted to take a morning shower. Arlene smiled and knew that her sister was probably already downstairs making breakfast. She brushed and decided to take a quick shower before heading down. By the time she got to the kitchen, Adeline was placing their breakfast on the table. It was just eggs, bread, sausage, and milk. The younger twin sat down and her sister teased her wet hair with a smile.
“Eat up, we’ll go right when you finish.” She told her little sister.
    They ate while Arlene told Adeline about Darlington. Arlene has been wanting to see the marketplaces there, so her sister agreed that they can settle into the town until Arlene finds another town to her interest. Once they finished, they left the home without a second glance. Adeline had already packed and left their necessities in the care of the person that was going to take them the Darlington. In the market of Durham, Arlene would tug her sister’s sleeve when she saw something she wanted.
“Sis, let’s buy some fruits for the trip.” The younger twin suggested.
“Sure, get as many as you want.” Adeline told her.
    Arlene spoke to the vendor about each fruit and asked him to put them in a bag for her. There was a great variety of fruits, but she knew they could only carry and eat so much. She picked only the ones that the vendor suggested. As she watched her younger sister pick out the things she wanted, a woman tapped her shoulder.
“Adeline! I haven’t seen you here in a while, and look at all the things you’re carrying.” The woman said.
“I’ve been busy, Miss Margarett.” She answered with a waved of her hand.
“I bet. With the money you have every time you come to the market, you have to be busy. Spoiling your little sister again, I see.”
“We’re moving, so I’m only letting her buy a few parting gifts.”
“A few gifts?” The lady laughed, “And where are you two moving to?”
“Darlington.”
“My, that’s quite some distance. I guess I won’t be seeing you girls again, will I?”
“I’m afraid so.” Adeline replied with a sorry look.
“Farewell then, be safe on your journey. God knows what might happen, especially with the murders still going these days.”
“Don’t worry about us, we will be fine.”
    They parted and Adeline turned to her sister, who was handing off the money for the fruits. Arlene walked over to her sister with a large bag and a satisfied look. Adeline made sure that Arlene got everything she wanted before they left. The twins walked to the travel station and a slender old man waved them over towards him. Adeline greeted him warmly and introduced her younger sister to the man. His name was Larry and he was a smalltime peddler who would sometimes take folks to neighboring towns.
“If it wasn’t for your hair, I don’t think I would be able to determine which one that talked to me two days ago.” He said.
“Glad that is not a problem.” Adeline replied with a laugh.
    The man showed them the way to his wagon and the two hopped on the back. He said that he has already taken their belongings to the rest stop for them as the horses pulled them along the dirt path. Larry was only going to take them halfway and another person would come to get them the following day. The back of his wagon had a small stack out hay in the corner, which Arlene saw as a toy. She rolled and tossed them in the air like a child, but then she was still a child.
“Arlene, you shouldn’t mess with his things.” Her sister said.
“Don’t worry about it. My son likes to play in the hay sometimes, so I thought it’ll give one of you something to do.” Larry reassured her.
“How is your son?”
“He’s doing better. My wife is still in the same condition. Thanks to you though, I think we’ll be alright.”
“I’m simply paying you for the ride.”
“Yes, but you accepted my offer even though there were much more luxurious offers.”
    Adeline didn’t reply, but she smiled discreetly. They continued on the path for a couple of hours and the afternoon sun was quite fierce. Arlene leaned against her sister with a deep sigh and twirled some hay in her hand. Her older sister patted her head and asked her if everything was fine. Arlene let out a yawn before answering.
“I’m sleepy. When will we get there?” She replied.
“I am sure it’s just a short distance left. If you’re tired, sleep on the hay or something.” Adeline told her.
“I want to sleep against your chest like this. It’s always soft and warm.” The younger twin said, pressing her face against her sister’s breasts and hugging her tightly.
“That’s embarrassing, you know.”
“Yeah,” Arlene said, closing her eyes, “but it’s only for a while.”
    The younger twin fell asleep before her sister could stop her. Adeline wrapped an arm around her sister’s shoulder and looked at the sky. Larry let out a soft chuckle that made Adeline smile slightly. Her sister was such a child after all, so it would be natural for her to have immature demands.
“You two are really close, aren’t you? If I hadn’t known better, I’d think you were mother and child.” He said to her.
“I’ll never be like her mother.”
“Where are your parents, Adeline?”
“They’re gone.”
“How sad. I’m sorry I asked. It must be hard for you two, living all alone.”
“It is fine, and we’re not alone. We have each other. Her parents were never home for more than a couple of hours. Arlene would be on Mother’s lap laughing, while I study with Father. When they aren’t home, she and I are always together.”
“I see, so they were really busy, huh?”
“You could say that.”
    Larry stopped asking and they were quiet for the rest of the ride. It was late afternoon when he came to a stop. The area they stopped at was empty, but small houses can be seen around them. He told Adeline that the house they are looking for was a brown rest cabin by a pond a bit farther up the road. He also apologized for not being able to take them all the way there. Adeline told him that it was alright and carried her sleeping sister on her back. She walked quite a distance, but she didn’t mind one bit. Arlene stirred in her sleep and woke up. She looked up and yawned.
“Awake?” Adeline asked.
“Yeah, and how long have you been carrying me?” She replied and got off her sister.
“Not long, I guess.”
“Where are we going now?”
“To a cabin for tonight. Someone will get us to Darlington tomorrow.”
    They continued walking until the cabin came to view. Adeline knocked on the door and an old lady opened it. She smiled and welcomed them. She said that she has heard about them from Larry. The lady showed them their beds and where their stuff was. She also told them to rest for a bit as she gets dinner set out and to call her Susan. Adeline said she was going to take a nap so her sister sat on the opposite bed to wait. Later on, someone knocked on the door. Arlene got the door and a tall boy stood outside with a sack of grain. He was a blonde young man with a childish face, and a half smile was on his face when Arlene looked up at him. He was wearing a ragged pair of pants with a stitched shirt, and an axe was hanging from his waist. The lady waved him in and he placed the grains down in the corner.
“This is my nephew, Henry. He lives in Darlington, and he’ll be taking you there tomorrow.” Susan introduced to Arlene.
“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Arlene.” She replied shyly.
    Arlene hasn’t talked to many people, so she was a bit antisocial. Henry smiled brightly at her, which caused her to blush deeply. She went to help Susan with dinner while he took a shower in the back. Susan asked if Arlene could slice the tomatoes for her. Arlene agreed easily, since she wanted to help. While cutting the tomatoes, she accidentally grazed her finger. It was not deep, but it still bled. Adeline jumped out of bed and dashed into the kitchen at the scent of her sister’s blood. She briskly walked up to Arlene with worry.
“What happened?” She asked.
“It’s okay, sis. I just cut myself a little.” Arlene said, “See? Nothing major.”
    Adeline let out a relieved sigh and sat down on a wooden chair. She reached for an apple, but Arlene stopped her. She told her sister to wait just a little longer for dinner. After a few moments, Henry came in with a towel over his neck and his shirt on his shoulder. Arlene quickly turned away from him and Adeline caught the slight blush on her sister’s face. Adeline introduced herself briefly and helped set the table. They sat down and dug into their portions of steaming tomato soup, glazed beef, bread, and rice. The twins ate slowly, since their kind could not stomach a lot of food humans regularly eat. Once everyone had their fill, Adeline helped wash the dishes as Arlene had a small conversation with Henry. When everything was put away, Adeline and Arlene retreated to their beds for the night. Adeline said something that caught Arlene off guard before they went to sleep.
“You like him, huh?” She said.
“Wh-what? I don’t. He’s just…” Arlene replied.
“You do. I can tell.”
    Arlene buried her face into her sister’s chest to hide the redness on her face. Adeline smiled and ran her hand through Arlene’s hair. Arlene fell asleep after a while as her sister stroked her head softly. Just when Adeline was about to snooze off, she felt something outside. She got off the bed and headed outside quietly. It was raining. The soggy clouds poured heavily down onto the earth and the harsh winds carried a faint scent of blood. In the distance, she could see the heads of horses carrying wagons with around five people on them. Three of them pass, but the last one stopped in front of her. One the men from the wagon hopped off and gave her a sly smile.
“You’re pretty cute. Going to Darlington for the winter?” He asked her.
“Yeah, it’s a wonderful time to be there. But don’t you worry about the ceremonies?” She replied with a cold expression.
    The man let out a laugh that could send chills down the most fearless men, but Adeline kept her complexion. She knew who he and his band of nitwits were. They were just another herd of monsters migrating to a town where humans flock together in one place. It is their seasonal banquet. A town packed with food, a place to hide in, and the celebration to cover their deeds. Not only is it a perfect place to stay, with all the religious ceremonies going on, exorcists let their guard down. Darlington is nothing short of a winter utopia.
“Those fools won’t even know we’re there. Why don’t you join us and get away from this rain? We got food, alcohol,” He offered, “men too.”
“Lower-class ghouls like you can and will only serve as my food.” Adeline told him, her gaze emptier than the vacantness of an endless pit.
    The demon in front of her flinched at the sudden change in aura. The atmosphere around her was so overwhelming that he felt as if he was suffocating. Her eyes were the same color as the deep red of the blood she stained herself with the previous night, and a fang protruded from the corner of her mouth. He recognized her presence and stepped back, horrified. The others of his gang felt it too and fled without him. Adeline gave him a sinister smile and grabbed him by the collar.
“This is impossible! Y-Your kind are supposed to be extinct! How–” His words were cut offand his cry was mixed in with the rumble of the storming night.
    Arlene rolled in her sleep and reached for her sister, but her hand touched nothing. She opened her eyes slowly and let it focus. She was alone on the bed. The dimly candlelit room was quiet except for the faint pitter-patter of the rain hitting the window. The younger twin got out of bed and looked out the window. No one was out there. Then, the door creaked as someone opened it. Adeline walked in soaking wet and gave her sister a look. She smiled and closed the door, hiding the blood washing away in the rain outside.
“What were you doing, sis? You’re all wet. Sit by the fire, I’ll go get a towel.” Arlene said.
    Adeline did as she was told and sat in front of the fireplace. Her eyes were blank and she looked out of it. When Arlene returned, she handed her the towel and a change of clothes. Adeline dried her hair without a word and they were quiet for a while. The soft trickling of  rain outside and the rustling of her hair was amplified in the silence. Arlene shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wondering if she should speak up. Her older sister noticed it and looked at her.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“Nothing. I was just wondering,” the younger twin started, “what were you doing out there?”
“I was taking a walk. I didn’t expect rain.” Adeline replied.
“Why were you taking a walk so late, sis? No, why do you always take such late walks?”
“Sometimes I need time alone.”
“Oh,” Arlene said softly, “I didn’t do anything to upset you, did I?”
“What makes you think that’s the case?” She said with a short laugh.
“Well, whenever you leave in the middle of the night without me…it’s usually when you seem like you don’t want to talk or see me.” Her younger sister replied hesitantly.
“You’re over reacting. I would never be mad at you. Now, back to sleep. We have to leave early.”
    Adeline stood up and nudged her sister back to bed. They laid down again and Arlene looked at her sister, who was fixed on the ceiling, for a while. They only lay a foot apart, but Arlene felt the disconnection. This rarely happened, and usually after her sister’s late night walks. Her sister becomes more distant and reserved somehow. Adeline seemed like she was thinking of something deeply when she returns. It’s like she came back a different person every time. Without knowing it, Arlene began to cry. Her tears flowed steadily as she looked over to her distracted sister. Then, Adeline’s hand reached over to her. It caressed her cheek softly and wiped the tears away. Arlene realized that the warm droplets that her sister was wiping away was her own. She looked at her sister with her foggy eyes. Adeline was smiling like always, but a worried smile. Despite her smile, Arlene still saw the emptiness in her eyes. Those rose-colored eyes were dark and somewhat sad.
“Sis, are you sad about something?” Arlene asked, her voice broken.
“No, not at all.I’m quite satisfied actually. You’re the one crying, are you sad?” She replied, turning over to her to face her sister.
“N-no, I don’t know.” Arlene said, wiping her eyes.
    That was when Arlene realized that the sadness in Adeline’s eyes wasn’t actually sadness. It was pity. She inched closer to her older sister, slowly placing a hand on her cheek. She had a hard time recognizing her sister. She wasn’t even sure if this was her sister. The kind sister that smiled without fail was now like a smiling doll. The smile was bright, but obviously fake nevertheless. Her usual dazzling eyes were replaced by two obsidian-like spheres that glistened with pity and apathy. Arlene was pulled out from her thoughts when her sister’s voice broke through.
“Arlene! What are you thinking about?” She asked, alarmed.
    The little sister looked around. They were sitting up on the bed now. Adeline’s hands were grasping her shoulders tightly. This time, Arlene saw true worry on her sister’s face. Then a thought occurred to her.
“You won’t ever leave me right?” She blurted abruptly.
“Of course not, why would I? Stop worrying about these things.”
    Adeline took her sister’s head and pressed it against her. Arlene clenched her sister’s clothes tightly as they laid softly down again. The older sister patted her sister’s head soothingly, but the younger one could still feel it. She could still feel the stiffness in her older sister’s body, and she knew that her sister was staring blankly at the window. Distracted wasn’t it. However, Arlene was calmed by her sister’s heartbeat. Arlene fell asleep without realizing it after pushing her thoughts away.

    Arlene was awakened by her sister patting her softly on the shoulder. She sat up and the strong scent of bread and butter filled her nose. Adeline told her to wash up for breakfast and then they’ll leave once breakfast was done. Her older sister looked like her usual self now.

Emma walks around impatiently as her bedridden subjects cough violently in pain. The epidemic has spread to more than one third of her castle in just a mere day. Amelia is trying to find the cause for this, and Lucian has been tending to the infected. The strange sickness doesn't seem contagious by touch, and the infection pattern is random. The whole scenario frustrates her to no end because she can't do anything to help them if she can't figure out what the cause is. Emma steps out into the garden for air. It was sunset, and the fireflies were getting a head start on their nightly route.

"What is happening?" She asked with a heavy sigh.

"Perhaps this is what you get for murdering Arlene's parents?" A familiar voice answered.

She turns to see Leon standing a few paces behind her, glancing at the flowers with a smirk. The boy rarely spoke to her with such a tone, but it would seem that he has gained some arrogance since they have last met.

"My actions were for the best. Even if she doesn't believe it." Emma said.

"I find it funny that you have no problem killing others."

There was a pause. The sun's light was dimming, and the crickets began to chirp softly over the panic in the background.

"Mercilessly ripping them to pieces when you couldn't be muster any courage to kill you dear father." Leon said.

Emma was only half listening, but his words got caught in her head like fish in a net. She cautiously steps back from him, shocked.

"Who told you that?" She questioned.

"Oh? You haven't noticed? My, you are getting soft." He replies, stepping closer.

An abrupt change in aura brought a chill down her spine.

"How about now?" He asked, his voice changing into one she knew all too well, "Do you recognize me now?"

Emma's instincts kicked in quickly. She dashes away from him, that was no longer Leon.  He chuckles as he watched her run towards the castle. His figure vanishes and reappears in front of her, causing her to stop abruptly. She stands defensively before him.

"Not even a greeting, how rude of you. Don't you miss me, my darling child?" He asked, extending his arms as if trying to embrace her, "Come to you father, Emma!"

Her body froze once his gaze met hers. For the first time in years she felt her knees shake and her teeth clatter. The only sounds to come out of her were breaths of shock. Her father, William Philistine, was controlling Leon's body. He approached, and she inched back. His hand reaches out to caress her cheek. They were cold to the touch. The man she ran place to place to escape from has found her again. After all these year, she had forgotten the reason why she roamed. Now, it was back, haunting her like a nightmare.

"My sweet, you've grown so much." William, though Leon, said as he ran his thumb over her quivering lips, "That wasn't very nice of you, leaving me in a seal like you did. But even you are aware that it won't keep me in."

His other hand grabs hold of her waist and pulls her in, tightly against his vessel. She was like a rag doll in his arms.

"What's wrong? Has my appearance shocked you that much?"