We Do What We Want

So We Meet Again

Two years later...

11/1/1469

The full moon hung high in a sea of stars, casting a silver glow over the city. The night air was crisp, biting at the skin of citizens as they hurried to their homes. The streets grew quieter with each passing moment, but above the rooftops, someone moved in the shadows—Alexandra.

Dressed in her grey suit, still stained with traces of blood from her final target of the night, she leaped from one building to the next. She landed skillfully on a taller structure, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon.

"It has been a while since I have taken the time to look at the moon," she muttered under her breath. The moon, bright and solitary, bathed the world below in cold light. For once, the silence was hers—no job, no target, just a fleeting moment of peace.

The wind ruffled Alex's short, tousled brown hair. Her weapons, hidden beneath her clothing, were a reminder of the life she led. She sighed, almost bitterly, "...twenty-six years old." She whispered the number as if surprised she'd made it this far. "Who would have thought?" Her eyes made contact with her bandage hand before the moon once more.

But the quiet didn't last.

A strange noise echoed from a nearby alley, shattering the stillness. Instantly alert, Alex unsheathed her dagger and crouched low, moving silently toward the sound. Whatever it was, she was ready.

As she drew closer, she heard a soft purring. She arched an eyebrow and peeked around the corner.

Standing there, draped in a black cloak, was a familiar figure. Levon.

'What is he doing with a stray feline?' she thought. And then his voice, low and calm, confirmed her suspicions.

"Poor little creature. Just like me," Levon murmured, holding the small cat in his hands. "Both of us trying to survive in this world."

Alex's brow furrowed as she watched him, her hand gripping the hilt of her dagger tightly.

Levon continued, almost as if speaking to himself. "What would you do if you couldn't tell a soul about the monster you've become?" His voice was soft, filled with bitterness. The cat meowed in response, its small body trembling in his grasp.

"Should I listen to my mind or my heart?" He paused, as if considering the cat's answer. "Both? No... I can't afford mistakes. Not as the..."

Without warning, Levon's hand twisted violently.

SCREECH.

SQUELCH-

SPLAT.

"...Prince of Vamps," he finished coldly, holding the now headless corpse of the cat above him. Blood dripped freely from the lifeless body, staining the cobblestones beneath.

Alexandra remained hidden, though disgust twisted in her stomach. This was nothing new. Levon was always dramatic in his brutality. She sheathed her dagger and finally stepped out of the shadows, her presence deliberate.

"For such a high ranking, you speak only to yourself for such long periods," she said dryly, folding her arms as she approached him.

Levon wiped the blood from his lips and dropped the cat's body to the ground with a thud. He glanced at her, unfazed. "So now you're spying on me, Alex?" His tone was sharp, but he barely spared her a glance.

"Not spying," she shrugged. "Just finished my targets for the night and happened to be within your radius."

He eyed her with mild suspicion. "How long have you been standing there?"