SEBASTIAN

So, I'm a servant vampire. Not just any kind of vampire, though—one with specific, rare abilities. Abilities that only a servant vampire should have.

Cool, right?

Except, not really.

Because if I ever meet Minerva (Vampire of ????)—the one who made me this way—she could control me. Completely. Make me do things I'd never want to do.

That thought alone is terrifying.

The real problem now is finding her. Both Silas and Shira told me servant vampires share a connection with their creators. A bond that supposedly lets us sense them, like some invisible thread pulling tight.

Shira had insisted I meditate on it during our first day of training. Said it might help me locate her. But meditating is hard when your mind keeps drifting to other things. Or, well… other people.

Like Silas.

How pretty he is. How kind he is. How—

"Seb, you're staring again," Kath hissed, snapping me out of my trance by elbowing me in the ribs.

I jolted upright, realizing too late that my eyes had been locked on the back of Silas's head. He was sitting a few rows ahead, chatting animatedly with some girl who looked way too interested in whatever he was saying.

I scowled.

Kath smirked and pinched my cheek. "Stop being so jealous. Go call him over. I'm sure he'd ditch her for you in a heartbeat~"

"I'm not jealous," I muttered, glaring at her.

"You sure? Because you look like a wet cat," she teased, grinning ear to ear. "Fine. If you won't call him, I will."

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could say anything, Silas turned around, catching me mid-stare.

He waved, all bright and cheerful like he hadn't just caught me red-handed.

And, of course, the universe chose that exact moment for me to be drinking one of my blood packs—my secret stash of juice boxes, courtesy of Silas himself. The blood had started to restore my pallor, making me look more human. But now my cheeks were flushed for a completely different reason.

I looked away, cheeks burning, and glared at Kath. She burst into laughter, clearly enjoying my misery.

Class ended too quickly after that. Kath, still grinning, left with her friends. I could tell she'd been hoping I'd walk home with Silas.

Not that it mattered. I hadn't told her yet that Silas and I lived in opposite directions.

As I headed out, I barely made it down the hall before Silas caught up to me, flinging his arm casually around my shoulders.

"Deep in thought again?" he asked, his voice tinged with amusement.

I glanced at him. His hair was a mess, his face slightly flushed. It hit me then—he'd run after me.

"Why'd you leave class so fast?" he asked, tilting his head. "Even Kath stayed behind. Weren't you going to walk home with her?"

"Not really," I said with a shrug. "She's heading home with her friends."

He hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin.

"Wanna come over to my place?"

I blinked. "But… I don't have training today. Shira said she had something else to do."

"So?" He grinned, tugging me lightly in the direction of his house. "I'm still inviting you. I finally got my hands on a PS5. Took me forever, but I found one. Thought we could try it out together."

For a second, I froze. Then I smiled, letting him pull me along.

"Okay," I said, my voice softer than I intended.

A small, triumphant warmth bloomed in my chest. Somehow, walking beside him like this, I felt like I'd won something. A lottery, maybe.

Only this time, it wasn't about money.

It was about Silas.

And maybe, just maybe, he'd chosen me.

I hadn't noticed Silas was looking at me—not until I turned back and caught him staring as we walked. His gaze felt heavier than the silence between us, and I furrowed my brow.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice breaking the quiet.

Silas made a muffled sound in his throat, his eyes darting away as his hand shot up to adjust the collar of his jacket. He cleared his throat, and that's when I noticed it: the tips of his ears were red.

Was he embarrassed? Or maybe something else?

"Nothing," he replied, though the awkwardness in his voice betrayed him. He hesitated for a moment before adding, "It's just… it's pretty rare to see you smile."

His words caught me off guard. I turned my head to look at him again, and sure enough, his cheeks were flushed, though he tried to hide it by staring straight ahead.

"I smile," I said, almost defensively, though the statement came out more like a question. I lifted a hand to my cheek and rubbed it absentmindedly, as if trying to wipe away whatever expression he thought he'd seen.

Silas gave me a sidelong glance, the corners of his mouth quirking up in amusement. "Not really," he countered. "But you do make that weird angry face all the time. Are you constipated or something?"

The laugh that followed was entirely his own, a soft chuckle that bubbled up and made his shoulders shake.

"Angry?" I repeated, frowning. "I don't look angry."

But even as I said it, I could feel the heat rising to my face. Was that really how I looked to him? All this time, I thought it was obvious how I felt—how I felt around him. Instead, Silas thought I was mad or annoyed.

So this is what Kath was talking about...

"I'm not angry," I muttered weakly, but Silas only grinned wider.

"You should smile more, man," he said, jabbing me lightly in the side with his elbow. "It suits you."

His grin was so boyish, so carefree, that I found myself staring. Wasn't it strange, though, for him to say something like that?

"Really?" I replied flatly, turning my head away from him, trying to mask the sudden flutter in my chest.

"Yeah. Oh—and stop frowning so much, too."

"You're asking a bit much, don't you think?" My voice was dry, but I could feel a small tug at the corner of my lips, one I fought to suppress.

"Heh," Silas snickered behind his fist, clearly pleased with himself.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, and for a split second, I forgot how to breathe.

Cute.

—

"How are you doing that?!" Silas shouted, his voice sharp with frustration. He turned to glare at me, his controller slack in his hands. I couldn't help but smirk, twirling my own controller lazily in one hand.

"You just need a bit more practice," I said, tilting my head toward the screen. "Tekken has a lot of combos you need to learn, especially if you're serious about maining a character."

Silas groaned dramatically and flopped back against the couch, his head buried in the cushions. "I don't even understand half the stuff you're saying!" he whined, dragging out the last word like a kid throwing a tantrum.

"That explains a lot," I teased, snorting at his exaggerated misery. "Honestly, you're making this harder for yourself. It's your first time playing, so stop bouncing between every character and pick one already."

"I didn't play games like this growing up," Silas muttered, his voice muffled against the couch. Then, louder, he added, "How am I supposed to know who's good?"

With an amused shake of my head, I reached over and plucked the controller from his hands. "Here," I said, scrolling through the character roster. After a moment, I selected one and handed the controller back to him. "Try this one. Trust me."

Silas perked up immediately, sitting upright with a spark of excitement in his eyes. "Will this one be easier than the last?" he asked, his grin wide and hopeful.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe," I said, though my tone wasn't exactly reassuring.

Silas pouted again, his lower lip jutting out as he nudged my shoulder with his head. "You're so unhelpful," he mumbled as I chose my own character and pressed start.

"Just stop mashing random buttons," I advised, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. "That's your main problem right now."

"Ugh, fine," he muttered, though his tone was anything but convinced. His eyes were glued to the screen as the match began.

For the first round, I decided to go easy on him. I let him land a few hits, watching as his face lit up when he accidentally triggered a combo. When he actually managed to win the round, he let out a triumphant shout, practically bouncing in his seat.

"Nice work," I said, patting him on the back as he cheered. He got so excited that he almost flung the controller across the room. I barely managed to catch it before it hit the floor, handing it back to him with a raised brow.

"That was fun!" Silas exclaimed, his grin splitting his face.

"Because you won," I said dryly.

"Winning is fun!" he shot back, his laughter bubbling up as he spoke.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips. "Good to know," I replied, leaning back against the couch and setting my controller down. "That's my last game for tonight," I added, my voice trailing off as I stretched and sank deeper into the cushions. A wave of tiredness was already settling over me, my eyelids growing heavy.

Silas turned off the TV and chuckled. "Lazy bum as always," he teased, poking at my cheek. "I didn't think a servant vampire could be so—well—lazy."

I swatted at his hand without much effort, letting my head rest against the soft plush of a pillow. A long sigh escaped me. "You say that being a servant vampire makes me stronger than normal," I murmured, my voice quiet now.

"Hm?" Silas hummed, his attention shifting as he pulled out a notebook and flipped it open. Homework. Of course.

"I'm just saying," I continued, my gaze fixed on the ceiling, "I don't really feel stronger. It's been a while since I was told I'm a servant vampire, but... I don't feel like I've gotten stronger. Not really."

Silas paused, his pencil hesitating mid-air. He closed the book slowly and turned to look at me, his expression softening. "Is Shira going hard on you again?" he asked, his voice low and careful. "You know you can tell me, right?"

My stomach twisted at the mention of Shira, and my mind drifted back to her words. A liability. That's what she'd called me. A liability to Silas. And as much as I hated to admit it, she wasn't wrong. I'd expected to grow stronger once I found out what I was, especially with Shira's guidance.

 But instead, we'd discovered something else: my powers came at a cost. Every time I used them, it drained me, left me exhausted and struggling to recover.

"This is strange," Shira remarked, her brow furrowed. "Servant vampires are a unique breed. You shouldn't feel this exhausted after floating for just a few minutes. You've had blood; that should invigorate you."

I let out a heavy sigh, lying flat against the ground as the world around me swirled, shadows creeping into the edges of my vision. My body felt leaden, my eyelids drooping as if weighed down by the very gravity of despair. "I don't know what's wrong with me," I murmured, struggling to sit up. "I always felt like this when I attempted to tap into my other abilities. That's why I avoid using them."

I slowly pushed myself upright, my movements sluggish. Shira crouched beside me, her expression inscrutable, a mask of calm that belied the concern I sensed beneath.

"Do I look as pitiful as I feel?" I asked, a weak smile attempting to break through my fatigue.

"Go home, Sebastian," she advised gently. "We'll figure this out. For now, I can say you're at least above average in hand-to-hand combat. Tomorrow, let's focus on weapons. It's best not to force your abilities right now."

She patted my back in her usual awkward way, a gesture that felt oddly comforting. Shira had an uncanny ability to remain level-headed, always knowing the right course of action.

"Okay," I replied, grateful as she extended her hand to help me up.

"About your wings," she said, tilting her head in curiosity, "you still can't summon them?"

I shook my head, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "No. It's become difficult. They usually just... appear. Lately, though, they refuse to come out." I reached behind me, fingers brushing against the phantom sensation of my wings, as if trying to coax them into existence.

Shira hummed thoughtfully, her gaze steady. "No matter. You can float, and your wings will serve the same purpose. Though I must admit, I'm curious to see how they would look. I've encountered other servant vampires, but none have wings like yours."

A small smirk danced at the corners of her mouth, and I nodded in acknowledgment, a flicker of pride sparking within me despite my weariness.

"I suppose we should focus on finding Minerva," She said. 

"By the way, how has your meditation been? Have you felt any pull?"

At that, I froze, a wave of shame washing over me. "Ah—no…" I admitted, avoiding her gaze, heat creeping to my cheeks.

A moment of silence stretched between us. I dared a glance at her; she didn't seem surprised at all. "No matter," she said, her voice steady. "Silas and I are pulling our weight as well. We've been searching the state for a while now, and so far, we've found nothing. Don't feel too conflicted about it."

I bit my lower lip, the pain snapping me back to reality. I clutched the edge of my jacket, anxiety bubbling within me. It had been some time since I started trying to support them, yet I felt like a burden. It was Silas and Shira who were doing all the heavy lifting.

What could I possibly contribute?

Shira crossed her arms, her gaze piercing. "Are you worried because you feel you're not helping us?"

I nodded, shame flooding my expression. "A bit, I suppose," I mumbled, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets.

"Hm."

"…"

"It's unavoidable," she continued with a sigh. "Things are slow now. With no leads, this case risks going cold. If we can't find anything, it'll reflect poorly on Silas's first mission as the lead. It could be marked as a failure."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "What? But there's nothing happening! That can't be his fault!"

Shira chuckled softly, placing her hands on her hips. "It should be, but the academies value action over stagnation. Even if we're working hard, I fear we're merely spinning our wheels. I can't tell Silas this; I don't want to crush his hopes. It's not you causing the stagnation; it's simply that Minerva is hiding exceptionally well."

"Hey, don't think like that," Silas said, slapping my arm. I jolted in surprise, and he laughed at my reaction, earning a weak glare from me.

"Was the slap really necessary?" I grumbled, sinking back into the couch.

"Absolutely," he replied with a grin.

"Anyway, don't dwell on it. Not everything is measured by strength; the mind plays a role too," he added, tapping his forehead for emphasis.

"Besides, Shira mentioned you're doing well—just struggling a bit with your abilities. She said they leave you feeling drained," he said, concern etching his features, which made me flustered.

"Really, don't worry about me. I can handle it. I just get sleepy when I use my powers, but that's all," I reassured him, hoping to ease his mind.

"Good to hear," he said, though his brow furrowed slightly. "Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?" He gave my arm a reassuring pat, and I nodded, slightly embarrassed.

"Anyway, tomorrow's the weekend. You should join us in searching for Minerva. Consider it your field training," he suggested.

I perked up at the idea, turning to him. "Really? That sounds great!" I struggled to stifle an excited smile.

It would be nice to see Silas in action again; the last time I witnessed his skills, I was too distracted by the fact that I was standing in front of a werewolf.

"It'd be nice to find Minerva for my own reasons, too," Silas sighed, leaning back against the sofa. I glanced at him, puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I just have a few questions for her. Nothing too pressing," he said, flashing a toothy grin. I took a breath, intrigued. "I see."

"If you want answers, you'd better work hard to find her. Then I'll spill the details," he teased.

"I hope it's because you're not into her. I've heard female vampires can be quite alluring," I shot back.

"Ah, there you go again, meddling in my love life! Why are you so interested?" he retorted, mock exasperation in his voice.

I fell silent, and Silas laughed as I looked away, my cheeks burning with embarrassment at being caught in my curiosity.