First Generation Vampires

The five of them gave her time to calm down before they asked questions. In the meantime, they all went back to assure everyone that Diego was safe. They had been gone for hours, and it was already night when they returned to the hotel. They were all greeted with gratefulness that everyone was safe.

"Guys, sorry for worrying all of you. Let's all have barbecues outside and stargaze at the same time. The sky's pretty clear, and the stars shine brightly upon us." Diego scratched his nape.

"Manager Diego, we're just so happy to know you're alright. And the barbecue sounds great." The girls clung to him happily and dragged him outside. They all prepared the ingredients for their barbecue party and enjoyed the night away with some beer.

In the morning, they all gathered in the hall for a special announcement. Li handed them envelopes and informed them of the sudden change.

"Everyone listen up! There's a change in the flow of activities. We talked about it last night and came up with something. The day after tomorrow, we're set to leave the island and get back to work the next day. So, President Slacovich wants all of us to just enjoy our stay here. You can all explore the island except the restricted area. The beach is for you to enjoy, but make sure to keep an eye on one another. Safety comes first. As for the filming, the artists can have their photo shoot in some areas where the scenery can be fully exposed. The client will pay for it as an advertisement for the opening of his hotel. Ara and Tyler will be there too."

"What's with the envelopes?"

"That's Manager Diego's way of saying sorry. He caused such a ruckus yesterday that we cancelled the game." Li teasingly chuckled.

"Hey hey, it's not my fault." He winked, and every girl fell for it. The employees opened the envelopes and were all happy to see what was inside.

"A little compensation for yesterday. There will be a yacht arriving here any moment. It's loaded with stuff that you can buy as souvenirs. Buy some and give them to your families." Slacovich put his hand in his pocket and turned his back to leave.

"Thanks a lot, bosses." They chatted happily. Some already planned their own activities for the day. Some hurried to the beach, while others went hiking. Ara and Tyler readied themselves for the photo shoot and some filming.

Diego couldn't get the girl's face out of his mind. Her face kept flashing every time he closed his eyes. Li noticed his sudden quietness and sat beside him by the shore.

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing."

"You're staring blankly at the sky. 'Nothing' is not the right answer. Come on, spit it out."

"Well, it's just that... I have this feeling that I want to see the girl badly. She keeps running inside my head, and her face seems to flash every time I close my eyes."

"It must be love at first sight. I felt that way when I met General Yang. But the thought of killing him by my hands haunts my every dream." Li's tears suddenly fell down her cheeks. Diego never thought that she loved General Yang.

"It's not your fault. Whatever we did back at the facility, the murders we committed, they were all unwanted. We didn't have control over ourselves at that time."

"I know, but I can't help it. But in your case, she's alive and well. And a human, to be exact. Will she accept the fact that you're a vampire? From the way she looked yesterday, her frightened face and shaking body, she's obviously scared."

"Yeah, she will never accept someone like me. And I'm afraid I might hurt her if I lose control."

As they talked, the vortex showed up in front of them. Li flashed to Slacovich's side and informed him about it. Both of them rushed toward it, and together the three of them entered the vortex. On the other side, the girl was waiting silently. This time, they landed safely. The girl was still scared because she was obviously trembling, but her courage to let them in was something Diego found hope in.

"Are you ready to talk now?" Slacovich broke the silence. The girl nodded.

"Please don't be afraid. We will never hurt you." Li stepped forward, trying to get close to the girl. When she was a few steps away, she sat on the floor and smiled. The girl smiled back, even though she was still afraid of them. Slacovich leaned on the wall near the girl while Diego sat beside Li.

"By the way, I am Diego, this is Li, and the grumpy guy over there is Slacovich."

"Who are you calling grumpy?" He glared at him.

"Oh scary. See, you're not the only one scared by this guy's presence." The girl giggled. "You look prettier like that." The girl blushed and looked away.

"Now, now, we're not here to see you flirt, dummy." Li chuckled.

"I'm sorry for not introducing myself and sorry for hurting you yesterday. It was out of impulse. I know you've heard the surname Brischt." They were all dumbfounded on hearing the familiar surname.

"How are you related to Dr. Brischt?" Slacovich became more curious about the girl's identity.

"My name is Carolina Brischt. The daughter of the one who made such monsters." They could all see the hatred in her eyes.

"What happened back then? I killed your father." Slacovich stepped in front of her. She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth in anger. Slacovich expected her to punch him to relieve her anger, but what she did was unexpected. She let out a sigh before speaking again.

"He told me everything about the formula he was making. I've lived alone for the past 7 years while he devoted his life to it. Being used by the government, and now his formula's been recreated. All he wanted was to save people's lives."

"Save people's lives? Wait, I'm confused. How did you know all of this?" Li couldn't connect everything she said.

"Even when he was just a professor, he started creating a medicine that could cure cancer by devouring every cancer cell in a patient's body. But later on, as he progressed, the formula he was making accidentally got mixed with some HCG. That's the start of the BB-HCG serum. The sudden rage in the subject's body makes him unable to control himself. That lab rat is the first vampire made by dad. It already killed Dr. Verdan with just one bite."

"Why are you saying this to us? You already know what we are. Why are you bringing this up?" Diego was getting impatient with all the talk.

"What's your point?" Slacovich also couldn't get Carolina's point.

"There are seven vials of serum, right? So clearly, there are seven second-generation vampires. Six of you stick together while the other one's causing trouble."

"How do you know everything?"

"I've had you all followed since the tragic incident at the facility. Dad happily informed me of his success and said that his work was done. The last call was strange; he started saying his will. Like he knew he was going to die, or might be ready to die. He said that someone was trying to steal his formula, so he burned it to prevent that from happening."

"Wait, if he burned it, then what formula does Dr. Spencer have?"

"My dad figured that the new doctor who went to the facility had ulterior motives. He pretended to take her bait, letting her get the fake formula. But that formula is exactly my problem now."

"Get to the point."

"As you can see, that formula will create a serum which would kill someone with just one bite. If they successfully recreate it, then the whole world will be in total chaos. Humans will go extinct."

"Volton doesn't know anything about this. If he finds out, we'll be in big trouble. We're at a loss now with such an army that he has."

"What?! He already has an army of vampires?" Carolina stood up from her seat and started walking back and forth. "How can I let such information slip away?"

"This is going to be a big problem. Volton only knows they're a failure. Not knowing what they are makes it more advantageous for him. We need to make a move."

"Six of you won't be a match for them. But----" she paused for a bit and started searching for something in her messy desk.

"What are you looking for?"

"I've studied dad's formula and its weakness. There's a part where the formula devours the same type of chemical. I need your blood samples and a blood sample from those that he addresses as failures. As soon as possible."

"What do you need it for?"

"If my theory is right, we can counter the serum's effects on his army. But I need to try it out to verify it."

"Does this mean you're going to help us?"

"I'm just cleaning up my father's mess. This is his last will. And honestly, I'm angry about his death, but I get his point. None of it was intentional, and I can see how you guys tried to wipe the world clean of the serum's existence."

"By the way, there is something that's bothering me. If I heard it right, you called us second-generation vampires?"

"Yes, you're second-generation vampires. Perfectly created and able to keep your human senses and sanity."

"Then you mean the first generation are----"

"Yes, the army that Volton Hellgazer created are first-generation vampires. They don't have human thinking when they change into vampires. They rampage seeking blood but will never have any. The moment they bury their fangs in their victims, they vanish right away."

"That's why when I was chasing the escapee that time, it seemed furious. It's not able to get blood from them."

"That's right. Now it all makes sense."

Carolina packed all her stuff and shut down her laboratory. She went back with Slacovich to the hotel and will be working on her theory in St. Claire Hospital's underground lab. They have hope that they can beat Volton and his army if she successfully creates the antidote that will crush the serum. It's far more complicated than it looks. The Demonfire will be facing a fight that will decide the future of the human race.