Nightfall: Last Call

Chapter 3 - Brothers

07:02 AM, April 3rd 2026 - Bleeker Park

Ren found a weathered bench in the middle of the park, a coffee cup warming his hands against the crisp morning air. It was early, the sky still washed in a soft gray as the city slowly came to life around him. Birds chirped lazily in the nearby trees, and a few joggers passed by without paying him any mind. The normalcy of it all felt almost surreal, as if the events of the past few nights at The Howler were part of a different world entirely.

But that world was creeping in, even here. Ren felt it in the pit of his stomach, a gnawing tension that hadn't left. 

He spotted Kenji coming up the path, his familiar stride carrying that same quiet confidence. Even in daylight, Kenji's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, as if he was always ready for something. He was dressed casually, hands shoved into his hoodie pockets, headphones obviously playing some loud rap music.

Kenji approached the bench, dropping into the seat next to Ren without a word, he pulled out the headphones. Ren could feel the question hanging in the air between them as Kenji sighed. After a long moment of silence, Kenji finally turned, his gaze locking onto Ren's.

"All right, man," Kenji said, his voice steady but concerned. "You wanna tell me what's going on? 'Cause you've been dodging my calls and acting weird for days."

Ren exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yeah... sorry about that. Things have been... complicated."

Kenji raised an eyebrow. "I know that look, Ren. It's the same one you had when we were teenagers and about to do something stupid."

Ren managed a small laugh, but it faded quickly. He stared down into his coffee cup, feeling the weight of the conversation pressing on him. Kenji deserved to know the truth, but Ren had been avoiding it, in hope it would protect him. He knew that Kenji would never let this go.

"Remember those late-night customers at The Howler I told you about?" Ren began, keeping his voice low despite the open space around them. "The ones that made you uneasy?"

Kenji nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah. What about them?"

"They're not... normal, Kenji." Ren glanced at him, gauging his reaction. "They're vampires."

Kenji didn't react immediately, just stared at Ren like he was waiting for the punchline to some dark joke. But when Ren didn't say anything else, Kenji's expression hardened, his body tensing.

"You serious right now?" Kenji asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Vampires?"

Ren nodded, the weight of the truth settling between them. "Yeah. And they're not just coming in for drinks, either. One of them—his name's Valen—he's making a move on The Howler. He wants to use me to gain control, and I... I didn't know how to tell you."

Kenji exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. "You've been working for vampires? And now one of them wants to... what? Use you as leverage?"

"I have no idea, but it isn't anything good," Ren muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's too complicated."

Kenji stood up abruptly, pacing a few steps away from the bench, his hands running through his hair in frustration. "Jesus, Ren. You should've told me. What the hell are we supposed to do about that? You're in deep with these guys, and now you're telling me one of them is coming after you?"

Ren stood up as well, his voice low and steady. "I didn't want to drag you into it. I've got Darius helping me—he's the owner of the bar, and he's got connections. He's teaching me how to fight them. But I couldn't keep lying to you, man."

Kenji stopped pacing, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Ren. "Fight them? Ren, you're human. These things are..." He trailed off, his frustration boiling over. "You should've come to me sooner. We're in this together. You know that."

"I know, I know," Ren said, his voice soft but insistent. "I just didn't want to put you in danger."

Kenji turned to face him fully, his expression serious. "I'm already in danger, Ren. You think just because you didn't tell me that I wasn't gonna get involved? I've been watching your back since we were kids. You're not going through this alone."

Ren let out a slow breath, relief mingling with the fear that still sat heavy in his chest. He had expected Kenji to push back, to be angry, but he hadn't expected the loyalty to come so fiercely.

"This isn't another street fight," Ren admitted, his voice quieter now. "Valen... he's dangerous, Kenji. This isn't like anything we've dealt with before."

Kenji's expression softened just slightly, but there was still a fire behind his eyes. "Yeah, well, that's too bad. I'm not leaving you to deal with this on your own."

Ren looked at him, really looked at him, and felt the weight of their friendship settle in his chest. This was Kenji—his best friend, his brother in every way that mattered. No matter what Ren tried to do, Kenji would never walk away. And now, with Valen looming over them like a storm, Ren realized that maybe he didn't have to face it alone.

"What's the plan?" Kenji asked, his voice firm.

Ren blinked, pulling himself out of his thoughts. "The plan... is to train. Darius has been helping me, but it's going to take time. Valen's not going to wait forever, but we need to be ready when he makes his next move."

Kenji nodded slowly, his jaw clenched in determination. "And I'm helping. Whether you like it or not."

Ren gave a small, reluctant smile. "I figured you'd say that."

Kenji took a step closer, lowering his voice. "Whatever this Valen guy has planned, we'll figure it out."

Ren nodded, the weight in his chest easing just slightly. "Thanks, man."

Kenji clapped him on the shoulder, the gesture as familiar and reassuring as it had always been. "Let's make sure we're ready for whatever's coming."

As they stood in the quiet of the park, the sunlight filtering through the trees, Ren knew that everything was about to change. The world of vampires had already seeped into his life, and now it had reached Kenji, too. But they were together—just like always. And with Valen's shadow looming larger every day, they would need every bit of that strength to face what was coming.