* Trigger Warning - Mild gore *

"Don't worry, Erika." Johnathan scanned the width of the room. "I'll go."

Is he crazy? He'll be the only human in a vampire institute. It's a suicide mission.

From his sluggish posture and heavy-eyed stare, he needed sleep. The graveyard fiasco took its toll on him. He was a liability. "Tell him he can't go."

Samuel's amused expression fixated on me, flaunting the power he had whilst restrained. "Thanks for taking one for the team, Johno. You will be well-loved and adored. I'll make sure to write your eulogy."

Since Johnathan couldn't see or hear me, this put me in a predicament.

I jerked my thumb towards Samuel. "What are you doing? He will get killed."

"Precisely," he replied.

"You know, if you weren't such an arse to everyone, you would have friends. Me being one of them." As I tightened the ropes from behind, the cord sliced deeper through his flesh, casting an imprint. Jabbing my finger into his wound again, I grimaced at the sight of his blood dripping down my finger.

Samuel whimpered, writhing in his seat. "You're lucky I'm tied up," he said through gritted teeth. Tilting his head, he peered at me from under his damp hair that had fallen across his forehead which was traditionally slicked back with gel. "You're planning something. I can tell."

The longer I put it off, the more I didn't want to go through with it. Closing my eyes, I placed my bloodied finger into my mouth, wrinkling my nose. A sweet, metallic taste with an essence of salt dissolved on my tongue.

It tasted worse the second time around, but maybe that was because I knew what I was getting myself into. I was hoping the vampire venom would counteract the spiritual restrictions so I could cross the threshold.

There's no way I'm letting Samuel get the satisfaction of watching Johnathan go alone.

"Smart." Lifting a brow, he gave me a once-over. "If what you did works, then you will have a limited time before the effects wear off."

I glanced towards the door, grateful Johnathan had left the room. "I know the consequences."

If I didn't get back home within the time frame, I would die with vampire blood in my system. All that mattered was reaching Ethan before he turned and completing the trade.

"It's also incredibly stupid, not that I care," Samuel said.

As I ignored his pointless ramblings, I entered the hallway. Amelia knocked into me, startled by my sudden appearance. "Thank God you're alright."

"Wait, you can see me?" I said, my eyes darting to each one of them.

She pulled me in for a hug. "Yes."

My body tensed in her embrace as I hugged her back with one arm. "It worked."

"What worked?" Johnathan had packed a duffel bag with his favourite weaponry.

Stepping back from Amelia's embrace, I took hold of the duffel bag from Johnathan's grip. "You need to rest. I'll go."

He shook his head in defiance as his glasses slid down the bridge of his nose and pushed them back with his index finger. "I'm fine, really. You can't go alone."

"I'll go with her," Fiona said, resting her hand on Johnathan's shoulder. "Amelia's on Samuel duty."

Drawing in a long breath, he nodded. "Stick with the silver nitrate granules and let Fiona handle the rest."

I rolled my eyes, swinging the bag over my shoulder with ease.

Looks like the blood is already working.

He stared at me, giving me a quizzical look before letting us pass.

Does Johnathan have a hunch? Even so, he didn't stop me.

Fiona went first with keys in hand to her red Volkswagen beetle.

I mean, anything is better than Johnathan's car.

"Let me come with you." Radella jumped up, following us to the car. "The place will be crawling with vampires."

The rising sun cast a light fuchsia hue across the morning sky. They had no choice but to shelter underground or in buildings until dusk, hiding from the scorching sun.

"Okay, but you meet us there," Fiona said with no hesitation.

Radella took off before the effects of the sun's rays affected her and demolished her power.

The architecture of the town hall followed the gothic revival movement from the 19th century. From its medieval structure, decorative patterns and lancet windows, the building could have been a chapel at one point.

It made me wonder if religion had a part to play in the divide between humanity and vampires.

We drove to the underground car park beside the building. There were only a few spaces left among the black tinted-out windows of the other cars.

"Where's Radella?"  I asked, scanning the car park for a vampire with brightly coloured hair.

Fiona turned off the engine and tied her hair into a loose bun with a scrunchie. "Probably inside waiting for us. She wouldn't be a fool to wait for us outside."

Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, she glanced through the rearview mirror and checked the view from the wing mirror. "We will take the less congested route because it's," she checked the time on her phone, "it's seven thirty-five. They should be in morning practice. Then we can—"

A chorus of shrieks sounded from the elevator as they pounded on the metallic doors, wishing for them to open. Once the doors opened, a group of vampires scuffled to their cars, and one vampire kept glaring behind them, afraid of something in the elevator. Being preoccupied with the unknown, the vampire ran straight into the sunlight, combusting upon impact.

I adverted my gaze, digging my nails into the seat and lowered myself further down. The other vampires hurried to get in their cars, pressing the accelerator as the tires screeched against the concrete.

The elevator doors closed before I had a chance to look, but whatever it was, it had scared the vampires. If it scared them, you knew it was something beyond dangerous.

Gesturing for us to go, we both jogged to the grey metal doors and pressed the button.

Streaks of blood decorated the interior with a dent on the back wall. The fusty odour of sweat and fear filled the confined air. Horrific thoughts escalated in my mind from the sheer terror and destruction. Ethan was in the building, probably in a confused state, and alone.

"Do you think this could be the same vampires that attacked the hospital?" Consumed by paranoia, I couldn't help but wonder if somehow this was a trap to lure us in, like a replica of the hospital ambush. "Nadine has power over the vampires. She could have–"

"She wouldn't do that. This place is neutral ground, a place where vampires from any clan can come together, whether you're a rogue or an elder," said Fiona.

A siren wailed in the distance, getting louder as we approached the third floor. I wasn't mentally prepared for what was on the other side of the door, but it was too late to turn back.

"When the coast is clear, make a run for the end of the hallway and turn left." Fiona kept her finger on the hold button.

Exposed to the outside world, all I wanted was to run and hide. I was vulnerable in more ways than one. If I died, I would become a vampire, and if I didn't make it back on time, I would also die and become a ghost.

I have a lot more enemies if I become a vampire. Akrsna, for one.

Sparks flew from one of the broken light beams, and the other one had fallen, hanging from the ceiling.

As I gathered myself, I listened to my heightened senses and collected the strength I needed to sprint down the corridor. Gliding across the marble floor, I dodged the puddle of water and shattered glass that crunched beneath my feet. It was like I was running on air.

Lost within my vampiric second-handed abilities, I was caught off guard by the speedy vampire that hurtled into me. They grabbed my t-shirt from the back of my neck, adding pressure against my larynx. I caught a glimpse of her disfigured and rotten reflection in one of the pieces of glass.

Fiona fired, and the bullet ricocheted off the vampire's deformed body as the casing echoed on the floor. Her sharp claws pierced through my shirt, drawing blood.

Struggling to reach the silver nitrate powder in my left pocket, Fiona kept firing. Casings fell around us, one after the other, annoying the vampire.

It gave me enough time to get a pinch of granules between my fingers and clutched at her hands, crushing my throat. The powder did little damage, unlike the result with the other vampires.

In a final attempt, Fiona pulled out the silver-plated knife from her military boot and struck the vampire through the tendons in the back of its knees.

The female vampire faltered, losing its grip around my neck and stumbled backwards. She vocalised high-pitched, staccato giggles like a hyena; it was a sound to let others know there was a threat.

Its yellow irises and naked form were unlike any other vampire we had seen.

They aren't like the other vampires. Far from it.

A/N

Word Count: 1,547

There's a new strain of vampires, but how are they different from the others? And most importantly, who created them?

Why do you think the vampires are afraid of this new strain and a new improved vampire?

Have a fantastic day!

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