Chapter 3 : Vampire's Revelation

Austin's POV

"You should have minded your own business," Leonardo whispered. "I don't tolerate interference."

"Leonardo, please stop!" Vanessa cried. "This isn’t necessary. Let him go!"

Her words felt like my only lifesaver, only if he would listen.

Thankfully, his gaze flickered toward her, and for a brief moment, I saw hesitation in his eyes.

Slowly, his grip loosened.

I crumpled to the floor like a broken doll, sucking in as much air as I could, coughing violently.

My lungs felt like fire, but at least... at least I was alive.

I barely registered Vanessa kneeling beside me, her hands hovering over me, trembling as if she wasn’t sure what to do. Her face was etched with worry, her lips parted as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

After a long, strained moment, she stood abruptly, her gaze lingering on me before walking away with Leonardo.

Leaving me alone in my pain.

After some time, I had some energy and I stumbled out of the restaurant, my mind reeling.

Still feel Leonardo’s grip on my neck, because the way my lungs is still burning for air.

And Vanessa’s torn expression, it all haunted me.

Back at my hotel room, I flicked on the light and shut the door behind me, leaning against it as I exhaled shakily. My hands trembled as I made my way to the bathroom, gripping the sink for support.

Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I barely recognized myself.

My face was pale, my eyes shadowed with exhaustion.

Faint bruises marred my neck where Leonardo had nearly crushed the life out of me.

Had Vanessa really tried to help me, or was she bound to him in some way? I wanted to believe she cared, but the way she had left with him creeps at me.

Sleep came in restless fragments, filled with flashes of red eyes and suffocating dread.

By morning, the questions still weighed on me. Needing a distraction, I left for a nearby coffee shop, hoping caffeine would clear my mind.

I wrapped my hand around a steaming mug.

I stirred the drink absentmindedly, my mind replaying the events of the previous night in an endless loop.

It all felt like a twisted nightmare, but I know it was real.

Why on earth was she involved with someone like that?

The soft jingle of the bell above the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up, and my blood turned to ice.

It was him. Leonardo.

He strode in as if he owned the place, dressed still in his tailored black suit, a glittering stone hanging from a chain around his neck.

His eyes scanned the room until they locked onto me.

I wanted to get up, walk away, but my legs wouldn’t move. He sat down across from me, his gaze intense, cold.

"Why are you here?" I asked, trying to mask adrenaline bubbling inside me.

"I wanted to see you," Leonardo replied smoothly. "You seemed… interested in Vanessa."

I clenched my fists under the table, trying to steady myself. "That’s none of your business."

"You’re naive," he said, his voice growing serious."Vanessa’s life isn’t as simple as you think. She’s bound to a world you can’t comprehend, a world that will destroy you if you get too close."

"What are you talking about?"

Leonardo leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Vanessa and I are vampires."

I stared at him, disbelief pouring over me like ice water.

And then, I laughed; he sounded like a madman.

“You are crazy! How do you expect me to believe that? Vampires don’t exist."

"Oh, we exist." he said with a smirk that sent a chill through my bones.

"Prove it," I demanded.

Leonardo’s smile widened, like he was enjoying this. His face shifted before my eyes, his ears elongated, his skin turned ghostly pale, and his eyes darkened with an unnatural gleam. His fangs extended, sharp and deadly.

With a snap of his fingers, the room fell silent. The clatter of cups, the hum of conversation—all of it stopped.

I turned, my stomach churning as I saw people frozen in mid-motion. Fear crushed me more than the terror of his grip.

I shoved my chair back, wide-eyed and panicking. "You’re really a monster!" I shouted.

What the heck!

I collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. The edges of my vision blurred. I felt like I was spiraling.

Leonardo didn’t seem to care. He leaned back, watching me with a detached expression.

"Now you understand," he said coolly. "I don’t want to kill you, but I will if you refuse to cooperate."

My mind was racing. "What do you want from me?"

He tapped the gem on the chain around his neck. "This gem allows me to walk in the sun. It’s part of an ancient collection hidden by secret scholars. Your father was one of them. He concealed the last gem before his death, and only you can unlock it."

His words were more confusing than ancient Latin.

"My...my father never told me anything. How do you know about my father?"

Leonardo’s gaze turned icy. "Because he involved himself in something darker than you can imagine. Now that he’s gone, I’m certain only you hold the key to the artifact. You don’t have a choice."

Anger began to bubble beneath the fear. "Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m sorry about Vanessa, but I’ll leave her alone."

"That’s not what I’m talking about," he said, his voice growing colder.

“If this is a punishment, please release me, it's too much for me.”

"Silence!" he shouted, his voice a whip. Before I could speak, he walked toward me, his presence suffocating as he stared down at me.

"You’ll help me find the gem, whether you want to or not.”

I trembled, a wave of panic crashing over me. "You... you can’t possibly force me."

He yanked me upright, his iron grip pulling me from the ground as if I was weightless.

“Watch me.”

His hand shot out and gripped my shoulder, and the world around me blurred, colors smearing together as if the universe itself was unraveling.

"What’s happening? Let me go!” I screamed but Leonardo didn't listen.

Suddenly, a swirling vortex opened beneath us and swallowed us.

We disappeared.

I blinked and found myself standing at the edge of a vast mountain range.

The thin, icy air stung my skin like needles, and the scenery around me was both breathtaking and terrifying.

The sky was an unnatural shade of purple, and the mountain stretched endlessly.

I turned to see Leonardo, a few steps ahead of me, his presence commanding even in the eerie silence.

"Follow me," he said, his voice slicing through the stillness.

I hesitated, my mind racing.

Where was I? Why was I here?