"What exactly are you?" she asked.
Of course, she already knew he wasn't human. The memory of the gruesome fight between him and Allan was still fresh in her mind, the image of Allan's transformed hand, embedded deep in his chest, still made her feel lightheaded whenever it surfaced.
"I'm a vampire," he said without hesitation.
"What?" she asked again, blinking, as though she hadn't heard him properly.
He didn't repeat himself.
"A… vampire?" she echoed slowly after a moment of silence from him, testing the word on her tongue as if it might suddenly change meaning.
For reasons she didn't fully understand, her hands moved instinctively to her neck, her fingers pressing lightly against her skin as she stared at him with widened eyes.
"What?" he asked, noticing immediately. "You think I'm going to suddenly bite you?" He scoffed at the end, clearly finding her reaction ridiculous.
"I'm just—" she hesitated, her hands still firmly at her neck. "Isn't that what you people do?" she asked cautiously.
He sighed, straightening where he stood, his expression flattening as he looked at her properly. "I'm really not here for that." There was a pause before he continued, his tone shifting slightly. "I don't hate Allan," he said. "Well… nothing personal. He's just… where he doesn't belong. More like he isn't supposed to be." His gaze drifted off into the distance as he spoke.
"I don't know," he continued after a moment. "Maybe it's just that the thought of him harming you didn't sit well with me." His jaw tightened slightly. "His existence here is nothing but harmful. Now that I think about it…" He let out a quiet breath. "I wonder how many innocent people have lost their lives because of him." A faint, not entirely sincere smile appeared on his face.
When no response came from Elaine, Kyle slowly turned to face her again. His brows furrowed as he studied her expression.
She wasn't reacting the way he expected.
She was staring at him, completely focused, yet distant at the same time. It was as though she was trying to piece together something much larger than what he had just said, her mind working through layers he couldn't see.
"You don't know… do you?" Kyle asked, his voice dropping slightly, uncertainty creeping in.
She didn't answer.
But she didn't need to.
The look on her face was enough.
"Did you consent to the mark on your wrist?" he asked carefully, his eyes still fixed on her now noticeably pale face.
"N… no," she answered, her voice faint.
Kyle's expression darkened slightly. "You mean he just—" He stopped himself mid-sentence, the rest of the thought hanging heavily in the air. He stared at her, waiting, expecting her to say something more but she didn't.
She looked dazed.
"I… I…" she stammered, struggling to find her words. "I know he isn't human… something about a Phantom Lord…" she said slowly, her voice low, filled with apprehension.
"What happened?" Kyle asked immediately, stepping closer and placing his hands firmly on her shoulders.
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head slightly. "I've been having… issues remembering things lately." She swallowed. "But I don't think Allan intends to harm me…" she added, though her tone betrayed her uncertainty.
"I… I just…" She shook her head again, more firmly this time.
Kyle leaned in slightly, concern etched clearly across his face.
"I remember something about Friday the seventh… eleven fifty…" she said, her voice trembling, fear threading through every word.
"Friday the seventh…" Kyle muttered under his breath, his mind already racing ahead, trying to connect pieces that didn't fully fit yet.
"I don't know," she continued, her breathing uneven now. "But I think I… I think I need your help." Her hands moved to his, gripping them where they rested on her shoulders, as though anchoring herself.
"You have to try and say more, Elaine," Kyle said urgently.
She closed her eyes, her brows pulling together as she forced herself to concentrate, to dig through whatever fragments remained in her mind.
"Something about… replacing a body… or something…" she said slowly.
Kyle's eyes sharpened instantly.
The Phantom Lord… he's going to do it again.
"Elaine, look at me," he said, his voice firm as he tried to ground her. She opened her eyes, meeting his. "Nothing is going to happen," he assured her, though there was a tension beneath his words. "Can you tell me more?" he asked, almost pleading now.
She closed her eyes again, trying harder this time, but after a moment, she opened them and shook her head weakly.
"No," she said. "That's all." Her voice softened, vulnerability slipping through. "I'll tell you when I remember something."
Silence lingered between them for a moment before Kyle finally stepped back. After a brief hesitation, he left her there at her own suggestion so she could have the quiet she needed to clear her head.
Elaine watched him walk away, her gaze following his retreating figure until he disappeared completely from sight.
Then she sighed.
A slow, deliberate exhale.
"This would be fun," she murmured.
A sinister smirk spread across her lips, subtle, but unmistakable.
One look at her face was enough to tell that something wasn't right.
Something had shifted.
And if Kyle had been just a little more observant… a little less distracted…
He would have noticed it.