Blood Virgin

"No, you see it, don't you?" The first vampire grinned; he was barely holding himself from directly feasting upon the delicacy before him. "His blood isn't just high-quality. He's a blood virgin." 

The other vampire did not reply; he only shuddered in silence, his eyes rolled backwards as if he was experiencing euphoria. 

A primal hunger clawed at the second vampire's insides. 

"If I drink this… I could ascend." His hand twitched toward the boy's throat.

The first vampire chuckled darkly. "Oh, but I get a first taste—"

The second's expression darkened. "You always destroy the bodies when you drink. That won't happen this time."

The two of them looked at each other with a hungry look. In their eyes, they were on the verge of losing their senses.

Just then, a voice interrupted their faces.

"I'm sorry, boys…" The alley seemed to be still; the two vampires felt air poking at them like sharp knives. 

The voice was a gentle whisper, laced with amusement, "But you cannot have that boy~"

The two vampires jumped away from the boy unconsciously and jerked their heads towards the entrance of the valley. There stood the most beautiful woman they had ever seen in their lives. They could see the moonlight shining over her body; with each step she took, the sound of her wooden sandals echoed in the valley, and an ornate umbrella followed behind her, floating in the air.

"Who are you?!" The vampire clutching the container was the first one to snap out of his daze; his voice was laced with fear. His grip tightened, his instincts screaming at him to act before it was too late.

The allure from the blood and Elara's appearance made him lose his composure, but he was able to snap out of it for one sole reason.

The presence of the woman in front of him.

Just the sight of the woman sent a wave of current through his blood. He could feel the fear creeping in on his blood itself. 

Like it was telling him not to mess with the woman.

Elara did not answer. She walked forward, hands delicately clasped before her; she did not even spare a glance at the two of them as if they were nothing.

Watching her walk towards the unconscious boy without even paying attention to them changed his fear into rage. The second vampire finally reacted, hearing his words, but it was too late.

With his fingers wrapped tightly around the container, he hurled it at her with all his strength.

The container!

His brother's breath caught in his throat. Seeing his brother using the very thing they were supposed to protect with their lives as a weapon almost drained his remaining life.

"NO!" His voice tore through the valley, but the warning came too late.

Elara finally took action. Without turning her head, she lifted a single hand. 

The vampire who was jumping at her froze mid-air, paralyzed. It was not just him; even the container refused to budge from its position. It was like someone froze him in the middle of the air. 

"This power…" The vampire finally realized who he was dealing with, but there was no medicine for regret.

Boom!

Before he knew it, he felt his spine breaking, and his body collided against the stone wall with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered, painting the wall red. He was crushed to the point that not even a single organ or bone of his remained intact.

The second vampire also made a move. But instead of wasting time avenging his idiotic brother, he lunged for the floating container, desperate to reclaim it.

"Vampires do not fear decapitation. We do not fear losing limbs," Elara finally spoke, acknowledging his presence, her voice smooth, almost amused. "But do you know what we fear the most?"

Her gaze locked onto him. His entire being recoiled, his instincts were screaming at him to run away and he even followed them. But there was no escape, and he found his body frozen, not just from fear.

"We fear—" Elara's finger twitched as she spoke.

Drip.

He gasped, looking down at his hands. His once-pale skin was flushing red, veins darkening. He looked no different than a normal human, and that sent waves of alarm in his head. 

Drip. Drip.

His own blood seeped from his pores, running like rivulets down his trembling arms.

"No…no…" he despaired, watching his own blood seeping out of the pores on his skin. 

Plop!

In next to no time, he was drained of all of the blood inside his body. His once youthful face had withered; his strength left his body before he fell to the ground. 

Even though he was weaker than a human child, he did not die. Elara did not seem too surprised by it; she tilted her head, watching him with detached interest. "And another thing we fear," she added, "is electricity."

With a flick of her wrist, the vampire's weakened body flung backward—straight into an exposed power line.

"ArRGHHH!"

Sparks erupted as the current ran through his body. His agonized screams echoed for only a moment. He writhed while sticking on the line before his charred body fell to the ground.

As soon as it struck the ground, the body crumbled into ashes and vanished into the air, carried by the night wind. 

Silence returned to the alley.

Elara turned her attention to the unconscious boy on the ground, her sharp gaze analyzing him. Her lips twitched as a pair of canine teeth peeked out of her lips.

Even someone like her, who had grown accustomed to all kinds of allure of every luxurious blood there was, felt the potency of the blood.

She could feel the potency of the blood. Her instincts urged her to take a sip, just one… but she resisted.

'He can be of use for Alvin.' With a flick of her wrist, the boy and the container floated toward her. Then, in a whisper of air, she vanished.