Pain

The clouds cried tears that flooded Mavernem, while a baker's family was ready to be executed.

"Papa! Mama! NO!" Nicole screamed as the man holding her chuckled, before blocking her screams by putting his large hands on her pink lips. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched these creatures from hell devour and play with her parents as if they are just sacks of meat.

Three months. The O'Kiere family didn't pay their taxes for three months. It was as if they were asking for a death wish. But really, Mr. O'Kiers's business has been going down hill, and that left the family much more poor than before. And as all of us may know, not paying taxes is punishable by law. But in Mavernem, there is no law, it is immediate execution.

Mrs. O'Kiere, also known as Chloe, locked eyes with Nicole for one last time. Mouthing 'Be brave' before the vampire held her by the neck and started to stab her in the chest with his knife three times, one for each month they ignored the taxes. Scarlet liquid dripped from Chloe's mouth, lidded eyes and her fair skin becoming pale. The vampire drops the knife, finding no need of it anymore.

Nicole's Father, Zane, wide eyed as he watched his lifeless wife thrown to the wall, her limp body falling on the ground. Nicole was balling her eyes now, she's only twelve. Zane screamed loudly, for all of Mavernem to hear. He looked at Nicole, his eyes that were always fiery and full of bravery were full of sorrow.

He didn't fight when the vampire held him up by his hair, nor did he do anything when the vampire traced his neck to his Adam's apple. The vampire grinned and sunk his black long nails through Zane's neck, blood spilling everywhere before Zane's body fell to the ground, while the vampire holding the corpse's head before dropping it to the ground. His head rolled until it was at the small feet of Nicole.

The man holding Nicole dropped her, palms on the wet ground. As she stared at her parents that will no longer be with her as she grows to become a woman. No longer will clap as she made her first steps to success. No longer will buy her a candy bar every time she aces a test at school.

The two vampires stare at her for a few seconds, looking at each other as they whispered vulgar words to each other. Execution is forbidden for ages eighteen and below.

"Do we just leave her here?"

"I'm not sure, but I know she won't survive on her own."

"let's leave her here and let her rotten."

"agreed,"

They grin and kick dirt at her face, before walking away as she kept mourning her parents. After a few minutes, a couple of vampires picked up her parent's bodies, and now Nicole laid on the ground in the corner of an alley, where she whimpers and shrunk herself as the cold night embraced her. Her parents were gone, now she has no one to take care of her nor love her.

But instead of sadness in her heart, there was anger flowing in her veins. She raised her head as the rain continued to fall on her petite body, spotting the knife left by the vampires. She stands up, shaking as she picked up the blade. She traces her finger on the sharp weapon, drawing blood from her finger.

She looks up in the night sky before closing her eyes. Revenge was all she could think of right now.

"I'll end them. I'll kill a royal vampire."

Her idea is to end the royal vampire family. The king and queen will be difficult, but if she ends the prince...trouble will rise. That will be no heir for the throne. That will spark a rebellion against the vampire kingdom, and that will end the vampire race and humans shall rise up again. Quiet a large plan for a twelve year old.

_ _ _

The sun rose up, shining in full glory above the the large country of Mavernem. People left their homes, carrying anxiety and fear on their shoulders as they traveled to work. Vampire children flew around town, laughing at the scarred humans while their protective necklaces were under their shirts.

The chirping of birds disturbing Nicole from her sleep. The brunette woman raised from her pillow and stretched her arms and pushed her covers away from her. She looked out of the window with her deep brown eyes, staring at the birds that flew by.

She hopped from her bed and made a beeline for the bathroom. After only a few minutes, she showered in cold water and dressed up in a long skirt reaching below her knees and a purple blouse with black shoes. She pulled her long waist-length hair into a neat ponytail after brushing it. Before grabbing her purse, hiding her small blade in there and grabbing an apple before leaving her apartment.

_ _ _

Nicole works at a library, and they name her 'Emotionless Nikky'. Ever since that 'execution' involving her parents ten years ago, she barely displayed any emotion towards anyone. She puts on her name tag and proceed to carry books back to the shelves. No matter how much her co-workers and manager greet her, she just looks at them with a blank stare and continue with her work. People think she is just shy and introvented, but really, she is not going to risk trusting someone.

Nicole pauses and her gaze fell on an interesting title of a book. 'The Blood Servant'. Nicole opens the book to the middle, flipping through the pages before looking at the back where the description is supposed to be. Nicole looks down at the authors name. 'Ami Fesori' the Author that wrote about the poor decisions and actions of the kingdom of Mavernem. The author was executed twenty four years ago, yet, her books are still widely popular and sold legally.

'The Blood Servant' is one of the most beloved book in her collection. It is based on real life events she have been part of. Ami was a blood maid, sold to a rich vampire family. She was bitten, beaten, and unfed. But the family immediately got rid of her when she spoke up; when she wrote her first story that went famous and sparked a bit of hope in the humans.

Nicole puts the book back on the shelf and sighs before making her way to the counter, reaching for another stack of books before the door bursts open, startling everyone in the library. A red-haired golden-eyed vampire almost breaks the door, he smirks before starting to pass papers in his arms to everyone in the library.

"The blood ceremony is in one day, ladies and gentlemen! Make sure to be there or else your head will be chopped off!" He laughs as he examines the terrified reactions of each one of them. Until Nicole's calm reaction tipped him off. Nicole never been to the blood auction, she is about twenty-two. Because when she was eighteen she was still at the orphanage and her nana didn't give her up, but now, nana is dead and Nicole is independent and thus, she will be forced to attend this blood ceremony.

"Why are you so calm? A beauty like you will definitely get bought! Haven't you thought of that?" He flew to her, resting his arm on her shoulders, before she pushed him away. Nicole faced the other way and tried to ignore him. But the vampire isn't going to give up easily.

"And aren't you afraid? The prince is going to join the ceremony for the first time this year!" Now, this caught Nicole's attention. She has a chance to start her plan. She looks at the grinning vampire, then looks down at the paper he handed to her. And there was a small black crown at the bottom, with small words 'The prince will join and choose a blood concubine on behalf of his parents, the king and queen' Nicole narrows her eyes at the paper before ripping it. The vampires jaw dropped.

she looked at him and handed him the ripped paper.

"Leave the library, please."

_ _ _

Nicole takes out the large bag from under her bed before unzipping it gently. She digs in through the objects in there till she finds the treasure she was looking for. She takes out a blue dress that once belonged to her mother. It was very simple, no complexity only that the bodice was decorated in small dark blue flowers.

Nicole stares at the dress before standing up and putting the dress carelessly into her washing machine for a quick clean up.

Nicole walks to her kitchen counter and stares at the blade she owned from about ten years ago. The same blade used to kill her mother. She traces the handle and smiles.

"I'll just have to make sure the prince chooses me. And then, I can end him when he comes close" she speaks to no one In particular. Well, she will get her revenge. Maybe.

_ _ _

Davis stares at his parents in awe, before looking down at the paper then at his parents.

"This has to be a joke."

"No, Davis. We are just worried about you—" The Queen was interrupted rudely by her son.

"I don't care! I'm not choosing any one and I will never do-"

"Davis, one day, your body is going to do actions you can't control. Your body will grown hungry for blood and will not only drink blood from the victim— you will devour the victim completely and you won't even notice." Davis's eyes widen, devour, in like, eat!? He thought, that is even worse than drinking someone's blood. His mother, Annebeth sighs.

"Dear— tell me, would you rather eat flesh or drink blood?"