novelzi Chapter 48
Chapter 48
The setting sun cast long shadows across the ancient street as two girls, their school uniforms a stark contrast to the weathered stone walls that lined the narrow lane, walked hand in hand towards their destination, their journey... and their time together... drawing to a close.
They were roughly the same height, but their demeanor, their body language, spoke of a clear power dynamic. The girl with the pigtails, her eyes filled with a vulnerable longing, her grip on the other girl’s hand tight, reluctant to let go. The girl with the long, black hair, her pink eyes narrowed, her gaze... unreadable.
She reached out, her other hand gently stroking Linlang’s hair, her touch lingering on her cheek, her face inching closer, their breaths mingling, their lips almost...
Linlang, her heart pounding in her chest, her cheeks burning, instinctively leaned back, her body pressing against the cool stone wall, her escape route blocked. It was a situation she both dreaded and... craved.
But Adele, instead of fulfilling her expectations, simply leaned in closer, her lips brushing against Linlang’s ear, her voice a soft, seductive whisper.
“We’re here, Linlang,” she said. “Time for me to go back to the academy.”
She had simply been walking Linlang home.
And she had to admit... she was surprised to find such an... anachronism in this modern city. An ancient estate, its architecture a testament to a bygone era, its courtyards and gardens a hidden oasis amidst the towering skyscrapers and bustling streets.
It was a relic of the past, a place that should have been demolished, replaced by... something more... modern.
But it had survived, a testament to the stubbornness, the tenacity, of its owners: the Tang family, a long line of vampire hunters whose legacy stretched back centuries.
They were known for their unwavering principles, their refusal to compromise, their... stubbornness. Like their opposition to the truce between humans and vampires, they had likely been the biggest obstacle to the city’s modernization efforts.
But Adele didn’t mean it as an insult. In the face of progress, of change, of... temptation, there were those who yielded, who adapted, who... compromised.
And then... there were those who stood their ground, who held onto their traditions, their values, their... beliefs.
Linlang, hearing Adele’s words, her thoughts drifting to... inappropriate places, her cheeks burning with shame, nodded, her voice barely a whisper.
“You can leave me here. Thank you, Adele.”
“Don’t mention it~ Your house is... impressive!”
Adele meant it as a compliment, her appreciation for the estate’s grandeur, its history, its... stubborn refusal to conform, genuine.
But to Linlang, it sounded like... pity.
She knew Adele didn’t look down on her, but... she couldn’t help but feel... ashamed.
Perhaps... she was just... weak. Incompetent.
Her father had said that she would understand her purpose one day, that she would embrace her destiny as a vampire hunter.
But she didn’t understand. She had spent countless nights, curled up in her bed, her tears soaking her pillow, cursing her ancestors, their stubbornness, their refusal to accept the truce, their... sacrifice.
Why couldn’t they have just... gone along with it? Why had they chosen to fight a losing battle?
Why was the Tang family the only one that had suffered, that had been... broken? The other vampire hunter families... they had adapted, had thrived.
She envied the ordinary humans, those who lived in modern apartments, with their conveniences, their comforts, their... normalcy.
She had grown up in this ancient house, drawing water from a well, bathing in a wooden tub, her only source of hot water a wood-burning stove. She had never experienced the luxury of a bathtub, a shower, a... washing machine.
At night, the city sparkled with a million lights, the skyscrapers like beacons in the darkness. But during the day, those same skyscrapers cast long shadows, shrouding her courtyard in a perpetual twilight, the air damp and musty.@@@@
That was her life. A constant reminder of... hardship, of loss, of... failure.
A splash, a hollow echo, and then... the bucket, filled with water, was slowly drawn upwards.
And then... a voice, soft yet clear, called out from behind him.
“Dad...”
The man’s hand trembled, the bucket slipping from his grasp, plummeting back into the well, its rope nearly slipping through his fingers. He caught it just in time, his heart pounding in his chest, a frantic rhythm that he hadn’t felt in... years.
He hadn’t heard Linlang call him... “Dad”... in so long.
But men... they were creatures of habit, their emotions often hidden behind a mask of... stoicism.
“What is it?” he asked, his voice gruff, his gaze fixed on the well, his heart... betraying him.
Linlang, her lips trembling, her gaze unwavering, said, “Dad... I want to be strong.”
“...Strong? Were you... bullied by those vampires at school?”
His expression darkened, a mixture of anger and... helplessness, flickering across his face. He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, then released them, his shoulders slumping with defeat.
“You should... talk to your teachers...” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
“No! It’s not that!” Linlang insisted, her voice gaining strength.
“I want to... protect someone,” she said, her gaze fixed on her father’s face, her words a solemn vow.
“I want to protect her!”
“I’m willing to... do anything!”
The man’s heart ached, his own past, his own sacrifices, his own... failures, echoing in Linlang’s words. He wanted to dissuade her, to protect her from the harsh realities of this world, from the pain, the disappointment...
“The world... it’s not fair, Linlang,” he said, his voice heavy with regret. “You can’t always... get what you want, even if you’re willing to... sacrifice everything.”
“Then I’d rather die trying... than do nothing!”
In that moment, Linlang understood her ancestors, their stubbornness, their refusal to compromise, their... sacrifice.
Tears streamed down her face, but her resolve remained unbroken.
And the man, looking at his daughter, her eyes shining with a determination that mirrored his own, felt a surge of... pride? Hope? He saw his own family, his friends, their spirits, their legacy... reflected in her gaze.
His heart ached, his blood stirring, a warmth spreading through his limbs, a fire rekindled. He remembered... something. Something he had forgotten, something he had buried deep within himself.
It was a dangerous path, a path fraught with pain, with sacrifice, with... loss. Even he, in his prime, had hesitated to... embrace it.
But as he looked at his daughter, her gaze unwavering, her determination mirroring his own... he couldn’t help but feel a surge of... approval.
Yes... That’s my daughter!
“If that is your resolve, Linlang...” he said, his voice regaining its strength, his gaze meeting hers, his words a solemn vow.
“If you’re willing to pay the price... to endure the pain, the suffering... to protect what you love...”
“Then... follow me.”