Unspoken Shadows

Bloodlines Unveiled

It had been almost a month since Lavi stumbled upon the book detailing the long, twisted histories of the vampire families. The leather-bound tome was not the most ancient-looking, but it felt heavy with secrets, with pages whispering of power and darkness. Lavi had spent most of his nights poring over it, the lines between the past and present often blurring as he lost himself in the stories of bloodlines, betrayal, and ancient wars.

He never mentioned it outright to anyone except Allen. After all, his own history was entwined in the tales; his blood, his title, his past—all things he hadn't fully embraced until recently. He was the missing prince, a fact that both haunted and intrigued him.

Now, sitting in their dorm room, Lavi thumbed absentmindedly through the pages again. The dorm was quiet, save for the occasional creaking of the old wooden floors and the faint hum of electricity from the nearby lamp. Allen sat across from him, his expression unreadable as he busied himself with a deck of playing cards, slowly and methodically shuffling them. Their room was small but cozy, with mismatched furniture, a cluttered bookshelf, and a desk where stacks of papers, books, and an odd assortment of trinkets gathered dust.

Lavi's eyes flicked up to Allen, who was still engrossed in his cards. The silence between them was comfortable, but there was always an underlying tension. Ever since that first day they had shared this room, when Allen had addressed him as "Prince," Lavi had known there was more to Allen than what met the eye.

"Hey," Lavi said, closing the book with a soft thud and leaning back in his chair. "Something's been bugging me."

Allen didn't look up, but Lavi saw the way his hands paused for just a fraction of a second before continuing their careful shuffle. "What's on your mind, Lavi?"

Lavi leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Tyki."

That got Allen's attention. His hands stilled completely, and he set the cards down on the bed beside him. The silver-haired hunter looked up, his mismatched eyes—one gray, one cursed red—meeting Lavi's gaze.

"What about Tyki?"

"You told me a while back that both you and Tyki belonged to the Earl's family. But lately, it feels like you don't know as much about him as you should. Like... I don't know. You always seem vague whenever I ask about him." Lavi's voice was casual, but there was an edge to it. He wasn't accusing Allen, not exactly, but he wanted answers. He needed to know why Allen had danced around the topic of Tyki ever since the vampire's name had been mentioned.

Allen's expression tightened, just slightly, but Lavi caught it. The room seemed to cool with the silence that followed, the weight of Allen's thoughts hanging between them like a heavy curtain.

"I'm not being vague on purpose," Allen said softly, his tone careful. "There are... things about Tyki that I can't fully explain. Or, rather, things I don't fully understand myself."

Lavi narrowed his eyes, skeptical. "What do you mean? You two belong to the same family, right?"

Allen hesitated. It was a rare thing to see him uncertain—Allen was usually confident, or at the very least, appeared that way. But now, he seemed almost vulnerable, his fingers tracing the edge of the playing cards absentmindedly.

"The Earl's family is... complicated. And not just in the usual way families are. There are... layers to it. Tyki and I are connected, yes, but that doesn't mean I know every detail about him. He's always been... distant. He's part of the family, but it's like there's a wall between him and the rest of us."

"A wall?" Lavi raised an eyebrow, not fully convinced. "You make it sound like he's some kind of enigma."

"In some ways, he is," Allen replied, his voice low. "Tyki doesn't let people in easily. He hides behind his smiles and his charm, but there's more to him than that. A lot more."