Fiona stood there, completely silent for a good few seconds. Those screams, the cries for help, and then the imminent end of the call, it made her heart sink and her skin to crawl. She didn't know why, but a sense of dread started creeping into her mind. Something very wrong has happened.

If this call was an indication of something, it indicated the possible fate of the other squads from this threat. Several squads could have been eradicated… That thought alone made her fear grow.

"What was that…?"

"Clearly some sort of attack."

"DAMMIT!!"

"What should we do now?"

"Lady Fiona?"

Fiona thought for a few moments before she turned around and looked at the group. "Get your groups, we are moving there to investigate. Alert the higher command about this. They need to know what just happened."

"Roger that!"

The group started moving quickly as they got ready to leave again. They didn't know what to expect when they get there but this was an urgent matter and they had to move quickly before it gets completely out of control.

Fiona, meanwhile, turned around and walked out of the building. As she walked out, she saw two silhouettes approaching from a distance. She squinted slightly before her eyes widened in surprise.

"Elio!" She muttered as she rushed toward him. "There you are."

"I'm sorry I didn't follow you. I saw my grandma walking around in the chaos and I had to take her with me before the vampires could attack her." He said. "We hid in a building nearby."

"Are you two ok?" Fiona asked as she inspected their bodies with her eyes.

"Yeah, we are fine… I just got a knock on my left shoulder, but I'm fully fine."

"He almost killed himself, that's what happened," Emilia said. "He's so reckless. I told him to leave me behind and run away, but he refused."

"..."

Fiona blinked, somewhat not even surprised that this was the case. After what Elio did for hr, she was not shocked that he would put his life at risk for his grandmother who is closer to him than her.

"I'm truly glad you two are fine. You can get into that building, tell them you know me, and they will welcome you warmly." Fiona said. "Elio, can you come with me for a second? I need to talk with you."

"You can go ahead first, Grandma." Elio said as he noticed the serious look on Fiona's face. He knew something bad has happened and she wanted to tell him.

"Well, you two don't do anything reckless." Emilia said as she walked ahead. After entering inside, Fiona grabbed Elio's shoulder and looked at him.

"Listen, Elio. I will get straight to the point. It is not safe here. I'm going to arrange for you and your grandmother to move to another city for the time being while the matter is being handled here."

"What?! Why?" Elio asked as he blurted out. He didn't expect Fiona to say something like this out of nowhere.

"We have just received a black message. It's the highest level of warning and there seems to be a very strong vampire killing our men. I don't know why they're doing all of this, but I cannot risk putting you near them. I fear for what could happen to you." She said. "Especially if they recognize who you are."

"..." Elio didn't know what to say for a second.

"I will arrange for a car to come and get you. You have to stay as far away as possible."

Fiona had already decided. Elio was far too precious for her to let him remain in this city when they were surrounded by threats in every direction.

However, much to her surprise, as she was about to pick her device and get him the car, Elio suddenly put his hand on her device, making her look up.

"Hm?"

"No." He said. "I don't want to leave. I want to remain here and help as much as I can. I have seen that explosion that happened earlier… I knew there was something very wrong going on. But, still, I don't want to escape."

"Elio, you don't understand. Your life could be in danger and we wouldn't know. This isn't the time to-"

"Why did I start training, Fiona?" Elio asked, his voice calm and his eyes clear. "Wasn't it so I can help you? So I can defend myself? So I can be someone you can rely on? I don't want to run anymore. I'm truly done with running."

"..."

"I want to see if I can be helpful in any way, and I believe that I can." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"..."

Fiona wanted to retort, or say anything to refute his words. But, one look into his eyes and she felt as if she was staring into a starry sky. So mesmerizing yet also so divine, she felt like saying anything against him would be extremely wrong, like her heart refused to do that.

"But…"

"Please, Fiona. I promise you, I will be fine. I will be helpful." He said.

For a second, the girl felt conflicted, lost, even hesitant. The logical thing was to naturally send Elio away. But, why did she hesitate? Why is she actually considering it?

'This isn't me.' She cursed. It wasn't her nature to take risks, or to do things based on feelings rather than cold hard logic. Elio… ironically enough, changed her.

She was now someone who used her feelings more, someone who talked about feelings, and even put them into consideration more often than not. She didn't realize it but she had been changed as much as she has changed Elio. He had brought Fiona to a new world she never knew, taught her things about herself she never learned in her entire life… And put her heart on a path she felt genuinely satisfied being on.

All because of him.

Now, that same man is telling her to give him a chance. How could she refuse? How could she say no?

"... You're unfair, Elio…" She muttered under her breath in frustration mixed with other emotions she couldn't understand. "So unfair…"