Chapter Text
Silence reigned in the room of the Belmonts' house.
Kinger, the father of three girls, also a vampire hunter, sat on the sofa looking serious as he sharpened his favorite knife. He awaited the arrival of the girls to make an announcement.
It wasn't necessary to wait long, as the door soon opened minutes later:
— Good morning, Dad!
Ragatha's voice echoed happily, she smiled before taking off her shoes.
— Good morning, Dad.
Pomni greeted him with a slight nod, removing her hood.
Gangle simply nodded, saying nothing.
— Good morning, girls. From your expressions, I can deduce that everything went well.
Kinger's gaze swept over all of them, especially Gangle.
— Yes, yes... — Gangle timidly confirmed his hypothesis.
Having been previously informed by their father, the three promptly sat down on the sofa facing the opposite direction.
— As you probably already know, the surrounding area is becoming increasingly dangerous... And with danger, obviously, our safety is reduced to our level of defense capability. Which, unfortunately, is weak.
They all remained silent, listening attentively.
— And it is with this conclusion that I have decided, you will go on special missions.
Their eyes widened in unison.
— Special missions?
Ragatha questioned with a brief hesitation.
— Yes, but don't worry. I know you are qualified enough for the degree of responsibility that each task demands.
Kinger replied.
— Any more questions?
The quiet answered itself.
— Okay. You are dismissed.
Carefully, they said goodnight to their father and went upstairs.
Already in their room, with the door and windows locked:
— Can you believe this? It's going to be surreal to go on a hunt alone!
Ragatha said excitedly, already sitting on her bed, hugging a pillow. — It's hard to deduce that it's an exact hunt...
Pomni glanced sideways.
— Even so, the idea excites me.
She smiled, looking at the two of them.
— And you? Gangle. How are you feeling?
Ragatha asked, curious.
— I-I'm fine. Why are you asking that now...?
Gangle stared at her confused.
— Oh, it'll be your first hunt without us!
— Yeah, we wanted to know how you'd react to the news. — Pomni concluded.
— Ah... I-it'll be alright, I bet...
Gangle's tone wasn't firm, however, it was enough for her sisters to understand that she was ready.
— Great! Now we better go to sleep, Dad won't like hearing gossip from our room so late...
Ragatha turned off the bedside lamp, lying down on the bed.
— Goodnight girls!
— Goodnight.
— G-good night...
During the peaceful night, Gangle couldn't help but wonder if she really had the ability to handle such a situation. Even if she was good at the crossbow, the future held her back in a negative way.
She closed her eyes and finally fell asleep.
A few days later, the time finally came:
— Are you ready, girls?
Kinger asked, watching them organize their bags.
— Yes, father! I just don't remember where I left my dagger...
The most cheerful one replied, looking around.
— It's upstairs, in the dresser!
Pomni replied, in the kitchen.
— And you, Gangle. Is everything ready?
With his left hand on her shoulder, Kinger asked her.
— Y-yes, father. Everything's fine... — She looked away, clearly nervous, wringing her hands. His gaze softened as he noticed his daughter's nervousness.
— Gangle, don't be so hard on yourself. I'm proud to see where you've arrived and—
He paused for a second, looking at the enormous wooden portrait on the living room wall. It featured Queenie, Kinger's wife and Gangle's mother, who had sadly passed away, killed by a vampire.
—I bet your mother would have.—Kinger finished.
Before her eyes welled up with emotion, she hugged him tightly, and he immediately returned the hug.
—Wow, what's going on here?—Ragatha asked softly as she descended the stairs.
—Nothing to worry about.—They separated from the hug—I suppose everything is prepared...
—Indeed.—Pomni adjusted the strap of her bag.
—Be careful and, please, come back alive.—They all nodded, bidding farewell to their father with a warm hug and a few exchanged words.
—Remember, Gangle, the world isn't big enough for those who aspire with all their heart.
Her father's last words echoed in her mind as she walked. Already far from home, a day after her departure, she tried to find her way using a map:
— ...T-this map is just a figment of her imagination... Although not even that... — She continued walking through a dark forest with dry trees and lots of wet earth. Probably due to the intense rain.
— ...Here? — Her eyes rose to the enormous castle with its dark palette and the smell of years of existence.
— ..Take a deep breath... I-I just have to stay quiet and get Mommy's necklace... — She held the crossbow cautiously.
Her mind returned to the day before she left home; in the flashback, Kinger and Gangle were in a secluded area of the house:
— Besides... I wanted to ask you something special, daughter. — Her father said, in a tone audible only to the two of them.
— ..A-and what would that be...? — Gangle awaited him.
— Your mother's necklace, the midnight moon necklace... It's in Tepes Castle...
The memory said.
— Tepes Castle... — She murmured, putting away the map. — ...So this is it.
Gangle surveyed the area to detect any paranormal activity.
However, there was nothing.
— ...Time to honor my surname... — She said, pulling the crossbow firmly and walking under the fallen leaves on the ground, towards the back door.
Back there, Gangle could see the dead and strangely peculiar garden. Desert roses surrounded it, sending shivers down her spine.
Taking a deep breath, She removed a hair clip from her pocket and tried to open the door, which, surprisingly, opened.
— ...This is too easy for a castle full of vampires... — She thought, entering the house.
The kitchen was rustic, with wooden furniture and rusty utensils. But still, the glasses reflected the moonlight, carrying a red liquid that she didn't even dare to question what it was made of.
With a few steps she arrived in the main room, several paintings were on the wall. Some old, some new. That's when one of them caught her attention:
Her heart pounded at the appearance— Strangeness. She hurried upstairs.
Arriving in one of the rooms, Gangle searched drawers, closets, under the bed... Nothing. No sign of the necklace.
— I need to find the necklace, not disappoint my father... — She searched and searched until she found a pendant with a locket.
— I-could it be...? — Gently, she opened it and saw:
A photo of her younger mother, clearly happy, next to her father, Kinger.
Her eyes shone, and trying not to cry, she held the pendant against her chest, wiping away the tears that insisted on escaping.
That's when Gangle heard footsteps; she wasn't alone.
Hiding behind the rusty dresser, she saw her...
The same person from the picture before.
Her vision dried and her mouth locked shut, she held the pendant with one arm and gripped the crossbow tightly with the other.
The sound grew closer and gradually, the voice became audible:
— I know you're there.
The vampire appeared in front of Gangle, crouching, her fingers clinking against the bearer's weapon.
— A visitor, how intriguing.
The huntress trembled more than a tightrope, heavens, what trap had she gotten herself into?
— V-vampire...! — The expression quickly hardened, aiming and firing directly at her opponent's chest.
She hit the target, piercing through the chest, however, the blood that came from the arrow looked like strawberry jam. The vampire hadn't been wounded, in fact, it just wasn't enough to hurt her.
— As always, predictable. — Zooble pulled the arrow out as if it were nothing, seeing the reliquary in the tangled ribbons.
— I'll get ahead of myself — Her vision narrowed, making the atmosphere even more tense — You and I have opposing motivations, obviously... Even so, we have something in common, disgust for who we are.
She stood up, brushing off her black overcoat.
— That's what I propose to you... A temporary alliance.
— A-a temporary alliance...? — Gangle stammered.
— I'll help you, no questions asked, and you do the same.
— W-why would a vampire help a human...? — No questions asked. — Zooble interrupted.
— So, do we have a pact or not? — She extended her metallic hand.
Gangle had no choice; if she didn't accept, she would probably be killed.
— ...I-I... accept.
She nodded, sealing a pact with a handshake.
The breeze grew cold and the light in the room dimmed, bats screeched in the village, and doors opened and closed incessantly as the aggressive wind surged in.
Zooble's red-tinged eyes and Gangle's frail gaze met like a suicidal serenade; the deal was made, and there was nothing to be done.