From that day onwards, the kingdom that once was blessed with peace and prosperity slowly began to fall into the chaos of disaster. Its pillars were being nullified from within and they were oblivious to the destructor that was playing right under their nose.
People were being killed every other day. These incidents buried horror in people's hearts deep within and like a plague that spread through the kingdom, they would lock themselves in their houses as soon as the night fury shadowed over the kingdom.
The streets that used to bustle in the night, when people used to gather outside their houses to chitter chatter were now all indulged in eerie silence and all of that happened in just a month.
It was like a curse was eating them.
Sasha walked out of the restroom after a bath and settled down on the edge of the bed with much difficulty, staring at the wall. They were trying their best but they just couldn't find the murderer.
She almost caught him though.
She let her bathrobe slip as she hesitantly put her hand on the side of her bruised waist. A long and fresh cut was stitched together, tracing a scar behind. It happened eight days ago when she was roaming in the city at night, trying to find the killer and she was attacked from behind with a dagger.
Before she knew it, she was on the ground.
It all happened in a time span of seconds.
Faster than even her mind could process.
That made her shiver because only vampires could have that kind of speed, no normal human who was just copying the killing process could possess such power.
This situation was making her more perplexed.
Why didn't he suck her blood?
Why were his movements so hesitant that he went for the waist and not the neck or heart?
Why did he leave the dagger behind?
Her eyes moved towards the table on which the dagger was placed. It had a zig-zag shape that inflicted the pain much harsher than a normal dagger. It made a scream tear through her lips and left her numb with pain.
The moment she touched the ground with the dagger still inside her, that was the moment she realized she was failing miserably in her role.
She wasn't supposed to get injured.
This would terrify her people more and they might turn their back against her.
She put gel on her wound and once she was done, she put on her clothes and decided to check on her sister-in-law because she was having a hard time during her pregnancy.
Once she stepped out of her room, her eyes snapped to the right. Her heart almost leaped to her mouth and her pupils dilated as she abruptly stepped back upon seeing someone standing right beside her door.
But her heartbeat instantly calmed down when she saw who it was.
"Luan." She breathed.
This powerful youth beside her was now working as her guard ever since she got hurt. How did things get this far with him? He was supposed to leave once he was healed.
But he didn't.
Until now he only remembered what his name was. The only reason for still keeping him here was his inhumane strength and his great fighting skills. He didn't remember who he was. He told them that he would help them to find the killer as he also gained his memories in the process.
He was enlisted in the guards and saved a few of the guards two weeks ago from the murderer while he, himself was injured. He told them a little about what the murderer looked like and they were trying to find the person that went well with his description.
There was none.
A week later she got attacked and he proposed to guard her personally for as long as it took for her to completely heal and swung her sword around effortlessly.
The reason they began to trust him...was because he was kind. Because of all the happenings, the guards were always feeling low but due to his cheerful presence around, their moods were very much lifted up.
In the morning, he would help the elderly in the market. Leo was also keeping a close eye on him, he didn't trust Luan but eventually, he gained Leo's trust as well.
The first time she conversed with him and thought that he was a cold person but she was wrong. He was opposite to her prediction about him. He was cheerful but...his eyes...sometimes, his eyes were that of a plain dark canvas that was hiding chaos of the past deep within its darkness.
Just like right now, the blank orbs stared at her with nothing but darkness in them.
"Pardon me, I didn't mean to scare you."
"I guess, you're still not used to my presence around."
"You don't have to stand outside my door when I'm in my room."
"Understood."
Sasha walked towards her Sister in Law's chamber with him following her closely behind.
"How's your wound?" He asked.
"Almost healed." She lied.
"I will go out tonight," She said and the explanation for her lie came knocking at the door. She wanted to desperately protect her people. Her father had told her not to go out unless she was completely healed. The guards were already guarding the city, her extra presence wasn't needed.
But she just couldn't stay still knowing that people were still dying despite the heavy safety.
"I will follow you."
Luan halted outside the entrance as Sasha stepped inside her brother's chamber. She walked through the hall and took some turns in the corridor as the guards bowed at her until she finally reached the room. She knocked on it before stepping inside and found her mother, Scarlet, and old granny beside her Sister-in-law, Wynter.
She was lying on the bed with her protruding belly. A frown kissed her features but she immediately calmed her face down when she saw Sasha standing at the door.
Wynter knew how excited she was for the baby but at the same time worried sick for Wynter. She even came to check on Wynter the very next day she was stabbed.
Her pregnancy was eating her.
It was not easy at all.
Sasha ambled up to them and settled on the bed beside Wynter. "What's the matter?" She asked and Wynter forced a smile on her face. "Looks like your nephew is quite eager to meet you." She breathed and Sasha lowered her gaze.
"Because...he is a fig-fighter like his father."
Sasha's hands turned to a fist as she looked away.
Either the baby was dying...or she was.
"Well...t-tell him to make us proud." Sasha stammered. She felt her throat clogging up as she looked at her mother. She had a sad yet gentle look on her face as she stared at Sasha. Sasha looked at Wynter and leaned down, kissing her sweaty forehead. "You better see him rise." She whispered in her ear and Wynter raised her hand, caressing Sasha's face.
"Watch us." She whispered back.
Sasha squeezed her hand that was caressing her cheek and slowly stood. She couldn't see her in this condition so in no time she was sprinting out of the room as tears blurred her sight. She aggressively wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
Wynter was the daughter of one of the higher-ups.
She was a year older than Sasha but they have been together ever since childhood until she and Leo fell in love and he swooped her away.
While making her way out of the chamber, she passed by the hall but her steps came to an abrupt halt when she saw her brother sitting on the couch. His hands were joined together and he was staring at the floor, blankly.
Her heart throbbed.
Never have she seen him like this.
He loved his wife way too much to see her in this much pain.
Sasha swallowed thickly as she walked up to him and plopped down beside him on the couch. She quietly wrapped her hands around his huge arm and rested her head on his left shoulder.
Silence surrounded them until his sob fell on her ears and shook her whole. He was shaking, she could hear and feel how badly he was trying to suppress his emotions but a little squeeze from her side assured him that it would be no harm to let those tears out, that she was here with him.
Her eyes turned moist as she felt her heart throbbing. She couldn't bear to see them falling apart like this but there was barely anything she could do in this other than praying to god.
Was this what they can an evil eye?
They sat there for a good while. He nudged her head with his cheek in a rubbing manner as he wiped his tears away and tapped her shoulder. She slowly let him go as he stood up and smiled down at her.
"Thank you."
With that, he vanished into the depths of the corridor. She wiped her tears away and stood up. Stepping out of the gate, she found Luan standing there as stiff as ever. She began to walk and he quietly began to follow her. She realized that she had forgotten her sword so she made her way back to her room but once she reached her room, she heard a loud thud noise coming from inside.
Her eyes widened and before she knew it, Luan already leaped forward and jerked open the door. Sasha immediately followed him and found her room's window open when she clearly remembered she kept the windows closed in the winter. The cold air touched them, making her shiver. Sasha's eyes like a whiplash snapped towards the table and there was no dagger on it.
"The dagger is gone." She rasped and ran up to the window, she bent down and moved almost half of her body out of the window to check if he was still there because they just heard the thud noise but there was no one.
"There is no one in the room as well."
She flinched and banged her head up on the window. With a hiss, she moved back while rubbing her head and looked at him blankly. She was already panicked and his voice fueled her fight and flight mood.
Not like she could say anything about it.
She immediately wore her furry cloak and grabbed her sword.
"No matter how tough the safety is, he is still roaming around freely. No one is safe." She said while walking past him and both of them were striding outside the castle.
"How many are they?" He asked.
"Only one." She said.
"At this point, I've started to believe that he is not human."
"Why do you think he is only one?" He asked.
"Because he came back for his dagger. Although he doesn't kill people with his dagger but he still came for it. It must be dear to him." She said while mounting her horse as both of them rode out of the castle.
His eyes slowly traveled to her back.
'Yes, your great mind will be your disaster. I will make you use less of it.' His eyes shone in evil glint and excitement when all of a sudden Sasha's horse neighed and raised his two legs up in the air.
"Hoo, calm down, boy." Sasha rubbed his neck but he seemed to grow more frantic for some reason.
"Let me ride it," Luan said and Sasha shook her head, trying to calm her horse.
"He is quite a rogue, it took me time to tame him. He doesn't let anyone ride him."
"He must have sensed danger," Sasha said and kept trying to calm her horse down until the white Stallion finally relaxed.
It must have sensed an evil energy.
The killer must be near.