Chapter 10

Josephine lay sprawled across the living room couch, her normally vibrant complexion now pale. The room seemed to grow warmer in sync with the heat radiating from her body. Sweat shined on her forehead as her chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths. One glance at her ear - a fiery red hue that stood out against her pale skin - confirmed the severity of her condition.

Kai and Scarlett stood frozen, their eyes locked on Josephine's motionless form. The weight of concern and fear pressed upon them, etching lines of worry on their faces. Their hearts pound with unease, and a knot of anxiety forms in the pit of their stomachs.

The once lively room now held an atmosphere tinged with helplessness as they grappled with the uncertainty of Josephine's unconscious state and the urgency of the situation.

"Josephine!" Scarlett and Kai call out in unison, their voices laced with worry and urgency.

A thin, crimson stream pours rapidly from Josephine's ear, staining the couch with its dark color. Scarlett, instinctively reaching out to offer comfort, accidentally pressed her right index finger against the flow, instantly becoming a temporary blockage for the seeping blood. With a mix of surprise and alarm, Scarlett studied her finger, observing the clotted droplets clinging to her skin.

But suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain pierced through her chest, as if an invisible dagger had found its mark. The intensity of the sensation overwhelmed her, and she couldn't suppress the sudden cry that escaped her lips. Gasping for breath, she clutched her chest, her hand pressing against her racing heart.

"What exactly happened?" Kai questioned, his voice tinged with concern and his eyes flickering between the distress in both Scarlett and Josephine.

"I don't know," she managed to say between panting breaths, her voice strained with a mixture of fear and confusion. Uncertainty clouded her mind as she tried to make sense of the bizarre and distressing situation that had unfolded before them.

Scarlett's voice cracked as she screamed, her fingers clenching tightly around Kai's arm. A shadow raced across the room with unnerving speed, its movement barely visible to the naked eye. The moon, once a calm glow in the night sky, transformed into a deep, foreboding shade of red.

As the moon changed color, a large group of vampires came out of their homes, their eyes gleaming with excitement at the sight of the blood-red lunar moon.

Kai's gaze shifted to the window, his heart skipping a beat as he noticed the gathering vampires. The sight filled him with a sense of hope, and he instinctively felt the need to take action.

"Let me call for help," he suggested, rising from the couch.

However, Scarlett's grip tightened as she pleaded, "Please, don't go."

Confusion etched across Kai's face as he inquired, "Why don't you want me to go?"

Fear clouded Scarlett's eyes, her words quivering: "If we involve them, they will treat Josephine as an outcast, and Sonia will start troubling us."

As Scarlett spoke, her hand weakened, allowing her to remove her grip on Kai.

"Please, don't tell anyone."

Meanwhile, in the prison, Vanessa sat down and wrapped herself in the dark part of the room. Her eyes widened with alarm as a woman appear before her.

Her white hair descended to the floor. Clutching a walking cane, the elderly lady took a seat, her presence commanding attention.

Observing the red moon, the elderly woman commented with a mix of urgency and conviction. Vanessa recoiled, her back colliding with the wall, as she cautiously questioned the stranger's identity. The woman remained silent, her eyes possessing an otherworldly whiteness that sent shivers down Vanessa's spine.

"The red moon signifies the impending awakening of the vampire goddess," the woman declared, her voice resolute as she struck her cane against the ground. "We must act swiftly to prevent the impending danger."

The woman rose and approached Vanessa.

Attempting to assert her own strength, Vanessa warned, "Don't come any closer," positioning herself defensively against the wall.

Undeterred, the woman stepped closer, extending her cane toward Vanessa. With a sense of urgency, she revealed the danger faced by Vanessa's sisters.

"Unless you come with me to save her, one of your sisters will meet a tragic fate," the woman asserted, her words striking Vanessa like a bolt of lightning.

The revelation ignited a mix of emotions within Vanessa, with her concern for her sisters overriding her initial resistance. Desperate for answers, she demanded to know what the woman had done to her sisters.

The woman looked at where the source of the red moon. She went to Josephine's house, dragging Vanessa along with her.

Upon their arrival, Scarlett remained in agony, struggling to catch her breath. Kai sat helplessly beside her, unsure of how to lessen her suffering.

Confusion filled the room as Vanessa finally arrived. She rushed to them, desperately seeking answers.

"What happened to both of you?" she asked, her voice filled with panic.

"My heart..... it hurts, Vanessa." Scarlett gasped, her grip tightening around Vanessa's hand.

Vanessa's eyes welled up with tears, a sense of helplessness washing over her.

"Someone should do something." She begged earnestly, turning her gaze toward the elderly woman. "You can save them, right? That's why you brought me here."

Kai, unable to contain his skepticism, voiced his doubts,"Who is she? How can someone who can't even walk help them?"

A warning flashed in the elderly woman's eyes as she struck her cane against the floor, causing candles to flicker and glasses to shatter.

"Mind your words, Prince of Khurus," she cautioned, her tone laced with authority.

"How do you know who I am?" Kai rose and walked up to the woman.

"Ask your father about me when you return home. See if he dares speak my name."

Undeterred by the exchange, Vanessa abruptly interrupted, urgency in her voice. "There's no time; save my sisters," she pleaded. Turning her gaze towards Kai, she added, "You can ask your questions later. Right now, our focus must be on saving them."

Kai stepped back, allowing the woman to take charge.

Moving gracefully with her cane, the woman handed Scarlett a pill, urging her to ingest it. Instantly, Scarlett was consumed by a wave of anguish, crying out in pain before losing consciousness.

Vanessa's concern turned toward the woman as she demanded answers. "What have you done to her?"

"She will be fine," the elderly woman assured her, her attention now shifting towards Josephine. Touching her forehead, a sense of worry crept into her expression.

The woman is staring at Josephine. She touches her forehead.

"Oh, no, this is bad," the woman thought, her voice filled with concern.

"Y'all must leave this place immediately," the woman urgently proclaimed.

Confusion filled the room as Vanessa stood up and sought clarification. "What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Josephine's eyes snapped open, revealing a haunting crimson gaze. Rising to her feet, she fixed her hands upon Kai's throat, choking the life out of him.