Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Itachi sprang from branch to branch, moving with speed and precision, the forest blurring around him as he pressed on. Each leap was measured, every landing brief before he propelled himself forward again. It had been nearly an hour since he had fled the Akatsuki mansion with the king in tow, and by now, Elfim would be in absolute turmoil.

If the rumours were true—if this person really was the life force of every blue-eyed vampire—then they would already be coming for him. Hunting. Pursuing. Closing in.

The forest was eerily silent, unnaturally so. Not a single cricket chirped, no rustling of nocturnal creatures. Even the owls, normally patrolling the lighter woodland, had vanished—choosing to hide rather than bear witness to what was about to unfold.

Still, Itachi did not falter. His legs burned , screaming for respite, and the weight of his burden grew heavier with each passing moment. But stopping wasn't an option. Not now. Not ever.

It had taken him three years to orchestrate this moment , three years of careful planning, whispered alliances, and patience bordering on torture. He had seized his chance. He would not lose it now.

He knew precisely what would happen if he failed. And failure was simply not an option.

Itachi had always known the risks. No real proof. No certainty. Only the gamble.

If this failed, he had nothing left to lose but his life, which was precisely why he hadn't involved anyone else in the plan. He couldn't afford to.

He had infiltrated Elfim the way humans did—blending in seamlessly, taking up a mundane job as a mailman. It was the perfect disguise. Through daily deliveries, he had absorbed everything: the system , the traditions , the unspoken rules that dictated every movement within its borders.

Every day, he had waited for the right moment. And every day, he had endured the visceral detest he felt towards the blue-eyed vampires he was forced to interact with.

He had perfected the art of silence , wearing an emotionless mask so convincingly that even when cracks formed, he patched them up before anyone could notice.

And now? It had all paid off.

The king was in his grasp— not even struggling , simply lying still, limp against his back. A prize won in patience and calculation.

Itachi turned slightly to check on him, ensuring he was still breathing, still there. But the king's blue eyes weren't on him. They were focused on something beyond, somewhere past the trees.

Itachi didn't bother looking. Whatever held his gaze didn't matter right now. What mattered was putting as much distance between himself and Elfim as possible.

Another hour passed, and the port emerged on the horizon.

Without ceremony, Itachi dropped his burden—the childlike figure of the king hitting the ground with a dull thud.

He reached into his coat, retrieving the iron cuffs , securing them tightly around the king's thin, delicate wrists .

Odd. Too thin for someone supposedly raised in wealth, someone who had never wanted for anything.

Itachi didn't dwell on that detail. He didn't care about the truth behind the king's past.

Only one thing mattered— escaping.

He had just tightened the cuffs when the sound reached him.

Fluttering leaves.

The trees tilted and swayed , shadows shifting unnaturally.

Damn it.

They were already close .

Itachi pulled a robe from his sack, shaking it out before swiftly throwing it over the king's small frame. The elegant, kingly attire needed to disappear— hidden, concealed, erased. He tugged the hood low over his head, shadowing those unmistakable blue eyes , then roughly pulled him forward, forcing them towards the waiting ship.

The dock was crowded, packed with men and women queuing up to board. Their murmurs filled the air, blending with the rhythmic creak of wooden planks beneath shifting feet. Yet, despite the bodies around him, Itachi couldn't relax—not until they were safely at sea.

Then, much to his chagrin , he spotted him.

The conductor.

Stationed at the entrance, inspecting IDs, his beady eyes flickering with suspicion. This would be a problem.

Itachi had his own identification tucked safely in his pocket— but the king? A different matter entirely. The child had no papers, and worse still, those eyes would be a dead giveaway.

He leaned closer, voice low and firm. " Look down, and don't say a word. "

The conductor barely glanced up before snapping, " Your ID. Be quick about it. " His breath was rank, filtering through yellowed teeth worn down by years of gritted irritation.

Itachi pulled out his card, holding it steady. The man studied it, grunted, then handed it back.

" And his? "

" He's forgotten his ID, but he's with me, " Itachi said smoothly, keeping his tone neutral, unwavering.

The conductor scoffed. " No can do. We've had pirates out at sea these past few days—coming aboard disguised as passengers, causing chaos for the lot of us. "

Damn it.

They were running out of time.

"But he's just a child," Itachi pressed, voice firm. This was taking far too long. At this rate, the vampires would be upon them.

"So they always say," the conductor muttered darkly. "But it's the child that be their weapon. Seen it happen to a mate. "

Itachi barely held back a groan. Not now. Not a story. They had no time for rambling about past tragedies—every second wasted was another step closer to being caught.

And then, before Itachi could strategise his next move, the king did the unthinkable.

He raised his head .

Pulled the hood away from his face.

" Let us through. "

His words were smooth, effortless. Those damned blue eyes locked onto the conductor like a vice—chilling, unnatural. Itachi's stomach twisted at the sight.

And just like that, the man's entire demeanour shifted .

" Why, of course. "

His expression melted into something love-struck , bordering on reverence, and with no further argument, he stepped aside, granting them passage.

Itachi remained rooted , stunned. The king turned slightly, catching his gaze, and smiled —a curve of the lips that could almost be called mischievous, if it didn't make Itachi's insides freeze over .

" What are you waiting for? "

His voice—slightly hoarse but deep, rich , like something belonging to a bard spinning stories in a candlelit tavern .

Itachi blinked, pulled himself together, and shoved the king forward onto the ship. Once inside, he wasted no time—grabbing him by the collar , slamming him against the nearest wall.

The king's small frame dangled slightly off the ground, feet just shy of touching the floorboards.

" What was that? " Itachi growled, breath measured, but sharp enough to cut.

The king's hood slipped away, revealing a face deceptively youthful —one that could have easily belonged to an eleven-year-old boy. His pale skin , like everyone Itachi had ever met from Light City, was familiar enough. But those eyes —those damn blue eyes —were what held him still.

There was a light in them, a purity so unnatural it was like staring into a sapphire sunk deep in filth .

" Whatever do you mean? "

The innocence in his tone wasn't even worth entertaining. Did he take Itachi for a fool?

Jaw clenched, teeth grinding , Itachi tightened his grip around the king's throat, cutting off his air with controlled precision.

" What did you do? "

Every syllable was sharp, seething—dripping with barely contained rage.

The king winced , closing one eye as he struggled to breathe, but he did not answer.

Then, it happened— so fast Itachi barely processed it.

One moment, he had the king pinned —the next, he was flat on his back , staring up at the roof of the ship, the creaky floorboards pressing uncomfortably into his spine.

And the king— the damn king —was sitting on him , grinning .

Itachi struggled , pushing against the weight, trying to dislodge him—but to no avail.

It was absurd. Impossible.

It felt like he had six, no—seven bags of cement stacked on top of him, crushing him into the floor.

Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

His fingers twitched , reaching instinctively for his gun. But thin, swift fingers were already trailing up and down his body, searching, feeling for it .

He fought back, resisted—but the king had already found his pockets .

And then—it was over. The king had them.

" Here we go. "

The king grinned, holding the weapon aloft— as if it were nothing more than a child's plaything.

Itachi stared , his scowl deepening. That should have burned him.

Yet, he held it so effortlessly, so casually.

How?

Better yet, why had he not shown his true strength until now?

He was obviously far stronger than he appeared.

" Oh, you've stopped struggling. Does that mean you're willing to talk? "

Those damned blue eyes locked onto him again—piercing, unnerving.

Itachi clenched his teeth, body tightening with the instinct to fight back. He wanted to renew his struggle, to break free , but it was pointless .

The weight wouldn't budge . Resisting was a waste of energy.

Instead, he forced himself to still, to think , to consider how much trouble he had just landed himself in.

" Talk about what? " Itachi asked, his tone sharp, unimpressed.

The king tilted his head, watching him carefully —pistols in one hand, the other cupping his chin as though deep in thought.

" Well, first thing's first—why did you kidnap me? "

His voice was almost casual , like someone expecting a good story rather than an interrogation.

" It's not something most hunters would come up with. "

Itachi sneered , the irritation bubbling to the surface.

" No reason. "

The king scoffed, eyes flickering with blatant disbelief. " That's hard to believe. Tell me the truth. "

He said it with a certainty that irritated Itachi—like he expected obedience, as if words alone could command him.

" How about you get off me, and I will? " Itachi countered, voice sharp, measured.

" Promise you won't try to fight me? "

" Sure. "

Itachi had every intention of fighting him—tooth and nail, even for the weapon he was no longer certain could kill him. But when the king actually got off him , standing freely without hesitation, a flicker of unease crept in.

Did he genuinely trust Itachi's word , or did he simply have so much confidence that Itachi couldn't best him?

Clenching his fist, he held back . Not yet. He would find the weak spot , the opportunity . And when it came, he'd take it .

" Would you be kind enough to get this off? They're uncomfortable. "

The king whined —a childish request entirely unfitting for someone with his power.

Itachi smiled .

" They are? Then they should stay. "

The king sighed dramatically. " Alright, fine. Tell me why you kidnapped me. "

" Isn't it obvious? Because I want to kill you. "

Present tense— because the desire still burned inside him .

The king froze, small mouth forming an 'O' shape , genuine shock flickering in his expression.

" Why? Did I do something? "

Itachi almost scoffed. What kind of absurd question was that?

It left him momentarily speechless.

" What do you think? "

The king blinked. " But you can't kill me. "

" Not yet, " Itachi admitted, his tone smooth but edged with cold certainty . " But be assured—I will keep trying until I do. "

The king hesitated, expression shifting— was that alarm? Doubt? Genuine confusion?

" What could you possibly gain from killing me? " he asked, voice unguarded, utterly perplexed.

For a fraction of a second, Itachi almost— almost —believed he didn't know.

" I don't know, perhaps the complete annihilation of your kind? "

Sarcasm dripped from Itachi's words, deliberate and razor-sharp.

The king scoffed. " And you think my death would grant you that? "

Itachi didn't dignify that with a response. If he hadn't believed it, he wouldn't have risked everything to take him.

The king watched him closely before stating, in a tone that left no room for dispute, " Well, you can't kill me. "

Matter of fact. Certain. Unwavering.

For the first time, Itachi was the one asking questions .

" Why not? "

If he was lucky, maybe the king would slip up —maybe he'd spill something valuable.

The king's smile was slow, unsettling.

" Because I am the only one who knows how you can kill me. Or my kind. "

Itachi's eyes widened before he caught himself, reining in his reaction.

The king saw anyway. His smirk deepened.

" Seems you didn't factor in the possibility that I might not be so easy to kill. "

But he had. He had thought about it endlessly.

Ever since he'd devised the plan, ever since he'd risked everything to take this chance.

What if—just like the Nines —the king was also impossible to kill?

That thought had plagued him for months. But in the end, he had reasoned that if he didn't try, he would never know.

And now? Now, he knew.

He had gambled everything— and lost.

The king tilted his head slightly, examining him with an unreadable curiosity.

" Let's imagine this for a moment—what did you think would happen after you found out you couldn't kill me? "

Itachi forced a slow exhale, feigning nonchalance.

" Drag you around until I find something that will? "

It should have sounded convincing, but even he knew it was over.

If the king was right—if he truly couldn't be killed —then the moment the Nines found him, it was only a matter of time.

And they wouldn't stop until they did.

The king smiled slightly, his expression unreadable. " Well, I'm sure you now see the errors in your plan. How about we make a deal? "

Itachi stilled , staring. A deal?

He must have misheard. Did this monster honestly think he would stoop so low as to negotiate with him?

He'd rather die.

The king observed him carefully, as if reading his thoughts. " I see you don't want that. "

Itachi scoffed. " Yeah? What was your first clue? "

The king's gaze didn't waver . " You hate me… and yet, I need you. "

Itachi cocked his head slightly, as if trying to process what he had just heard.

" What? "

Unbothered, the king simply repeated himself, his tone light—too casual for the weight of his words.

" I'm not going to be your blood bag, if that's what you mean. "

" No. " The king exhaled, tilting his chin slightly. " What I need is an excuse—and you are it. I want you to continue acting like you've kidnapped me. "

Itachi barely concealed his irritation. More strange nonsense.

" What do I gain from that? "

He wasn't considering it. Not for a second. But he wanted to hear whatever messed-up plan the king was conceiving—if only to confirm how truly deranged he was.

The king's lips curled slightly. " One week is all I need. Then I will tell you how to kill me. "

Itachi froze .

The shock hit him like a bullet to the skull. His eyes widened , jaw slackened.

" What? "

This had to be a joke. The king couldn't possibly be serious.

" It's a good deal, right? "

The king didn't repeat himself—even though Itachi wished he would .

He needed a moment. A fraction more time to process the sheer audacity of this offer.

" Why would I believe something like that? " Itachi sneered, suspicion curling into every syllable.

The king barely flinched. " Because you don't have a choice. "

His voice was calm, matter-of-fact— unshaken .

" My people are already on this ship. "

Itachi stiffened, his senses finally catching up. There it was—the aura of vampires.

Coiling like snakes , wrapping around the ship's frame, circling unseen.

The king took a measured step forward, his gaze steady, unrelenting.

" So you need to decide fast. Will you do this? "

Itachi forced himself to remain composed. He wouldn't be rushed.

" I won't be pressured into making a decision. " His voice was firm, though the weight of approaching danger pressed heavily on his chest. " How do I know you'll keep your word? "

The king stepped closer, forcing Itachi to lower his head slightly—to meet those eyes .

" I will not go back on my word. "

Itachi hated it— hated that he felt compelled to believe him, simply because of the way he said it.

" Quickly, tell me—what is your decision? "

Itachi hesitated. Tried to stall. But really— there was no point.

He would die either way .

" Yes. "

The word left his lips, weighted, final.

A smile touched the king's lips—small, fleeting.

Then suddenly, his grip tightened—and the world shattered .

Wind tore through the air , ripping apart in violent currents.

They were airborne, the ship vanishing , the space around them shifting —but Itachi couldn't see anything.

Only those eyes .

Bluer than the deepest sapphire, brighter than any star.