Vampire Progenitor System

”REMUUUUU!”

The voice split through the smoke like a blade.

Remu turned slow, like a storm sensing a shift in the wind. Her red eyes flickered down across the ruined battlefield. Her hair was a whip of flame in the air, soaked in the magic pressure still coiling around her. She floated, feet inches off the shattered earth, and looked toward the newcomers.

Her grin widened.

”Well, well. Look who the cat coughed up this time.”

She cocked her head, mocking.

”Ella. Francisca. Mob. Ken. Angel.”

She counted them off with her fingers like she was naming dolls.

”But no Lucifer. No Ruka. No Temmy either. A shame. I was really hoping to see the look on their faces when I take everything from them.”

Her voice dropped, thick with venom and madness.

”I would’ve liked to rip it out of them slowly.”

”Remu, shut up,” Francisca snapped.

Mob reached out to steady her, but her fists were already glowing.

”No,” Mob muttered. ”This ain’t the time.”

Greta didn’t look at them. Her focus stayed on the rift—now sealed, but twitching with lingering pressure. Selene’s fragmented body was reforming again in the distance, crawling up with hisses and gurgles. Balgron stood still, hunched, watching everyone like a bear waiting for the next distraction.

”Kids,” Vladimir said, voice heavy. ”You shouldn’t be here. Leave. Now.”

His crimson cloak fluttered behind him as he stepped slightly in front of Ella and the others. The leaders—the old ones—moved like they were expecting war in the next breath.

”You’ve done enough,” Boris rumbled, not looking back. ”This is no place for you.”

Ken opened his mouth, but Ella stepped forward first. Her boots crunched against burnt earth.

”No.”

Her voice was firm. Loud. Honest.

She looked straight at her father.

”We’re not leaving.”

Vladimir’s jaw tightened.

”This isn’t a game.”

”I know,” Ella said. ”I know exactly what this is. But we’re staying. Because Remu isn’t a stranger. She’s our friend.”

Remu laughed from above. A wild, awful sound. Broken at the edges.

”Friend?” she said. ”Ella, sweetie, that ship sailed when I burned it down myself.”

”You’re not gone,” Ella shouted back. ”You’re still in there. Somewhere. We know you.”

Francisca nodded slowly. ”You were never good at saying sorry. But you weren’t like this. You weren’t some blood-drunk psycho.”

”You always kept to yourself,” Mob added, arms crossed. ”But you never wanted to hurt us.”

Remu’s lips twitched. Her gaze faltered for a fraction of a second. Then sharpened.

”People change,” she whispered.

”Not like this,” Ken said. ”Not without someone pushing them. You’re not just doing this for power.”

”You’re scared,” Angel said softly. ”You’re lashing out.”

Remu’s smile returned—but it was bitter now.

”You think this is fear?”

Her arms spread wide. The sky darkened again.

”You’re looking at freedom. For once, I’m not waiting for anyone’s permission. I’m not holding back. I’m not pretending to be less than I am so I can be liked.”

She snapped her fingers.

A ripple of dark red energy burst out from her feet, cracking the ground.

”You think I want your pity? You think I need it?”

She looked at Ella again.

”You should run. All of you. Before I decide it’s not worth giving Greta her little exemption anymore.”

Behind them, Fowler stepped forward slowly, dragging his blade. His face was unreadable.

”She’s not listening to reason,” Vladimir muttered.

”They’re right,” Fowler said. Quiet, but clear. ”The kids.”

Boris turned his head slightly.

”She’s too far gone.”

”Maybe,” Fowler said. ”But we’ve got a Fomorian breathing down our neck, a Skinwalker pulling herself back together, and that rift is still twitching. We can’t fight her and the monsters at the same time.”

He looked at Ella.

”Let them try.”

”Are you insane?” Greta snapped.

Fowler just looked at her. His expression didn’t change.

”I don’t have my daughter here. If I did... I’d want someone to give her the chance.”

That shut everyone up for a beat.

Ella stepped forward again.

”Remu. Look at me.”

Remu did. Her eyes gleamed red, flickering like candlelight.

”We don’t want to fight you. Even now.”

”You should.”

”We won’t.”

Remu floated a bit lower, her smile now twitching at the edges. She looked tired.

”You don’t get it, do you?” she said, quieter now. ”I’m not some poor little girl lost in the dark. I walked in there myself. I opened that rift. I brought the Fogwalkers. I made a deal with a Fomorian. This—this mess? I made it. I wanted it.”

Ella stepped closer. Close enough now that a single bolt from Remu could incinerate her.

”I believe you.”

Remu blinked.

”But you’re still our friend. And that part of you that used to protect us? The part that would show up without warning just to make sure Mob didn’t get jumped after school? That part is still in you. I don’t care what you say.”

Remu stared.

And for a flicker of a moment, something cracked.

Then her laugh returned. Loud. Long. But this time... shakier.

”Gods. You really are dumb.”

”You’re not gonna kill us,” Francisca said. ”You’ve had a dozen chances already.”

Remu didn’t reply.

She hovered there. Still. Breathing harder now. The glow around her dimming, just a bit.

Mob pointed a thumb over his shoulder.

”That thing back there? The Skinwalker? That ain’t taking hints. Neither is Balgron. So we’ve got two choices—talk now, or all die later.”

Remu’s face twisted.

”This is all so pointless,” she said. ”You think I’m going to suddenly cry and change my mind? That I’ll snap out of it?”

She reached up and touched the side of her head.

”I’ve seen what’s out there. Past the veil. What the Fogwalkers offer. What the blood can really do. You’re not pulling me out.”

”No one’s pulling you,” Angel said, walking up beside Ella. ”We just want you to stop.”

Remu said nothing.

Her breathing was sharp now.

Ken looked at her for a long second.

”...What happened to you?”

Silence.

Remu’s eyes flicked to him.

He didn’t ask again.

She finally answered, voice low.

”I got tired of being left behind.”

The wind stopped.

The battlefield went still.

”I got tired of being the one who stayed quiet. Who waited for everyone else to make the first move. Who got forgotten.”

She looked at Ella.

”You know what it’s like. You’re strong, but no one takes you seriously. They see Vladimir’s daughter. That’s all.”

Ella flinched.

”I just wanted to matter.”

Remu’s hands clenched.

”And now I do. They fear me.”

”They don’t love you,” Francisca said quietly.

”I don’t need their love.”

”Yes you do,” Mob said.

Remu’s lips trembled. But she didn’t look away.

Fowler looked up at her.

”You’ve made your point, girl,” he said. ”We see you. We hear you.”

Remu’s arms fell slowly to her sides.

The aura around her dimmed.

For just a moment, the madness faded.

But then—

A low growl.

Balgron cracked his neck.

”The chit’s softening,” he sneered. ”I warned you, girl. You don’t control me.”

His hands began to glow.

Remu’s head snapped toward him.

”Don’t touch them.”

Balgron laughed.

”Or what?”

Remu raised her hand again.

Darkness began to rise from the ground.

And just like that, she was gone again.

Eyes wild. Teeth bared.

”No one touches them but me.”

And the storm returned.