The Red Rose

Chapter II

"Yes, yes, let's continue." I finally decided to delete and block her; I had better things to do. Still, the mystery lingered in my head. "How the heck did she survive? I decapitated her myself with the magical sword I had, and I saw the Dutch vampire hunter take her away. I should have asked him where she was going to be taken, but I was too tormented by my emotions at that moment; it didn't cross my mind. I'll have to accept that I'll have to live with the mystery."

There seemed to be another problem in Chile. On the large island of Chiloé, there were cases of women being kidnapped, and others returned disoriented, not really knowing what happened. The police assumed it was a case of abuse and drugs, but I was sure this had supernatural undertones. I had to investigate since the cases had spread to the mainland, to home. There were also reports of mysteriously attacked livestock by some kind of creature in the north, and it was only a matter of time before it attacked a human.

We packed our bags and headed to the airport; it was time to go home. My father seemed to be taking notes in a diary, and beside him, he had another book, this time on Sumerian mythology. He continued to investigate possible "hidden meanings" behind the references to my ancestors by my mother, but I already had it clear: my grandparents were gods, and my mother their daughter, something he might never fully understand.

The flight was quite calm, unlike the one coming. The only annoying thing was the flight attendant who constantly asked if we were okay and seemed to pass by our aisle constantly.

Upon arriving in Chile, we went through baggage control, and they wanted to confiscate some souvenirs. I pleaded with the control lady not to confiscate the chocolates; I had loved them. I gave her one, and with a warm smile, she accepted.

Leaving the airport in Santiago with our suitcases, my father laughed and said:

"Having a goddess for a mother has its advantages, huh?"

And I just smiled. It seemed like he was starting to accept and acknowledge my new condition; well, it could have its advantages too.

"Just be careful, son. The path to vanity is dangerous; attention can be intoxicating, and you may forget that they are people. Our virtues are meant to help others, not to abuse them."

I listened carefully to my father and realized that the line was truly thin; I just had to reflect on my experiences with Carmilla and hear the stories of all those demigods who fell precisely due to their pride and vanity. Never forget that we are humans, and we all have feelings.

We took the bus back to Llanquihue, and I started my investigations into who was responsible for the kidnappings of women and the creature tormenting the people in the north of Chile.

Figuring out the creature wasn't difficult; I deduced that it could have been the famous Chupacabra, which started in North America and expanded to the north of Chile. It had disappeared for a while but seemed to be back.

As for the kidnappings, it took me a bit more; I had to delve deeper into Chilote mythology. Finally, my father and I concluded that it must be the 'Trauco' and that it could erase the memory of the young women it attacked; well, it was a kind of male Carmilla.

"At least the blood factor isn't there." I joked with my father.

"It's a good sign that you're taking things with humor," my father said cheerfully.

Taking notes, I found out that this creature wasn't large; it was going to be the smallest creature I would face. I began to categorize the creatures I faced as either "Monster" or "Humanoid."

The Peuchen and the Beast of Gevaudan were clearly of the monster type, with animalistic and savage features. Carmilla, a vampire, and the now-called Trauco, who could be like a kind of goblin, were humanoid types. This meant they were less imposing but more intelligent than monster-type creatures.