Huntded By Humans

The night was still young, the air crisp and cool as Kikidori prowled the streets, his sharp eyes scanning for his next target. The soft hum of the city was his soundtrack, the distant chatter of humans blissfully unaware that a predator walked among them. He had spotted a woman standing outside a dimly lit café, her phone in hand and her expression distant. Perfect.

He adjusted his coat, brushing his hair out of his face as he approached her, wearing his signature charming smile. "Hey there," he began smoothly, his voice low and inviting. "You look like you could use some company tonight."

The woman glanced up, startled at first, but quickly relaxed under Kikidori's practiced charm. "Oh, um, hi," she said, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Kikidori was about to deliver another line, but as he stepped closer, his foot caught on a crack in the sidewalk. In an instant, he tripped forward, his arms flailing as he desperately tried to catch his balance. Unfortunately, his hand landed squarely on the woman's chest.

The world seemed to freeze for a moment.

The woman's face turned a deep shade of red, but not from embarrassment—this was pure, unadulterated rage. "What the hell?!" she screamed, shoving him away.

Kikidori stumbled back, his hands raised in surrender. "Wait, wait! That wasn't—I didn't mean to—"

But it was too late. She was already pulling out her phone.

"I'm calling the police, you pervert!" she shouted.

"God damn it," Kikidori muttered under his breath as he backed away, his mind racing. He could hear her reporting his "assault" to the authorities, and within minutes, the sound of sirens filled the air.

The police cars screeched to a halt, and officers poured out, surrounding Kikidori with their guns drawn.

"Get against the wall!" one of them shouted.

Kikidori stood his ground, his hands in his pockets as he smirked at the officers. "No thanks."

"I said, GET AGAINST THE WALL!" the officer repeated, his voice rising.

Kikidori yawned dramatically, his nonchalant demeanor masking the growing panic inside him. He knew the guns were loaded with silver bullets—standard protocol for suspected vampires. And he was very much a vampire.

"Come on, guys," he said, his tone casual. "Is this really necessary? It was an accident."

But the officers weren't buying it. One of them stepped forward, his gun trained on Kikidori. "If you don't comply, we will shoot."

"Yeah, nah, I'm good," Kikidori replied, his smirk unwavering.

As the tension reached its peak, a moving truck pulled up nearby, carrying a large, ornate silver mirror. Kikidori's heart sank as the movers tilted the mirror, angling it toward him.

The officers' eyes widened as they noticed something strange.

"Wait a second," one of them said, pointing at the mirror. "Where's his reflection?"

Kikidori's smirk faltered for the first time. He could see the realization dawning on their faces, and he knew he was screwed.

"He's a vampire!" one of the officers shouted, raising his gun higher.

"Shit," Kikidori muttered before breaking into a sprint.

The officers opened fire, the sound of gunshots echoing through the streets as Kikidori weaved through alleyways, narrowly dodging the silver bullets. His heart pounded in his chest as he leapt over fences and darted through shadows, his centuries of experience keeping him one step ahead of his pursuers.

Finally, he reached the mansion, bursting through the front door and slamming it shut behind him. Ere'ana was lounging in the living room, a book in hand, but she looked up in surprise at his dramatic entrance.

"Rough night?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kikidori leaned against the door, catching his breath. "I was almost murdered by the goddamn cops."

Ere'ana set her book down, her expression shifting to one of concern. "What happened?"

Kikidori groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I was trying to hunt, but I tripped and accidentally grabbed a woman's chest. She called the police, and they surrounded me. Then, to make things worse, a freaking silver mirror showed up, and they realized I'm a vampire!"

Ere'ana stared at him, her lips twitching as if she was trying not to laugh. "You're telling me you got yourself into a conspiracy-level situation because you tripped?"

"Don't even start," Kikidori snapped, pointing a finger at her. "It was an accident!"

Ere'ana smirked, leaning back in her chair. "So now what? You're the subject of a vampire manhunt?"

"Pretty much," Kikidori said, collapsing onto the couch. "It's only a matter of time before people start talking about the 'mysterious man with no reflection.' Great. Just great."

Ere'ana chuckled softly, shaking her head. "You really are something else."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Kikidori muttered, covering his face with a pillow.

Despite the chaos of the night, Ere'ana couldn't help but smile. Life with Kikidori was never boring, that was for sure.

The End of Chapter Eighteen