Slumber

"Who is this critter?"

The woman wearing a Chanel coat over tattered jeans slid down the Dior sunglasses that she was wearing with her index finger to look at Iris up and down in a degrading manner.

Iris gulped down the saliva that had been pooling at the back of her throat. She could not believe her eyes. When Calixto asked her to prepare her things for a few days' trips, she didn't expect that they were going to see this woman who was seizing her up as though she was a lowlife creature that had no right to stand in front of her.

She was the first woman that she guessed as Calixto's relative because they had the same eye colors. She was just blind guessing but when Calixto saw her and he smirked smugly and then praised her for a job well done, she knew that this woman was indeed Calixto's relative.

Not only did they have the same eye color, they also shared the same haughtiness that Iris hated. Before meeting this woman, she religiously followed her on social media and she was called a green-eyed angel because of her sweet face. She was adored and envied by many because of her beauty.

She had agreed with the netizens that were calling her an angel because she did have an angelic beauty. But now, seeing her in person, listening to her, addressing her as a critter, she didn't think of her as an angel anymore. She was far from being angelic. This woman is a low-key bitch!

"Iris, meet my cousin, Love."

"Hello," she said in a whisper, squeezing the strapped of her backpack, avoiding the woman's eyes. She could not meet her eyes because they made her feel like she didn't belong here. As much as she wanted to get real mad at the woman, she could not. She was too regal, too beautiful, and too angelic for her to even get annoyed.

"Huh," Love scoffed. "You know my dear cousin, your palate after this many years hasn't changed. And it was because Uncle had spoiled you rotten!"

Iris, who was trying not to look directly at Love jolted by what she heard. She was openly eavesdropping on their conversation because no one asked her to step out. Thus, she stood next to Calixto's chair being quiet as a church mouse, enjoying what she was hearing from Love. She chuckled to herself, thinking how Calixto being a spoiled child was something that was easy to imagine.

With his sullen expression, sarcastic remarks, and frown that didn't seem to leave his face, he was the perfect example of a spoiled child.

"I cannot change it anymore. I don't know why but even after so many years that part of my diet hasn't changed."

"Have you tried? In this new world, there are so many blood donors that eating was no longer a problem. I'm the one being disgusted with how things are so easy to acquire nowadays."

"I tried."

Iris's ears perked up in every word exchanged between Calixto and Love and she could not help but wonder, why Calixto seemed to be submissive towards his cousin. His curt replies were something that she was not used to. She wondered where the sarcastic Calixto had gone.

"Tch, you could have tried harder. You know that crazy diet of yours would be your demise," she said, snarling at Iris who was shamelessly standing next to her masters. This new world has no idea of order and respect.

Iris's behavior would give her ten lashings if it was in the old world. Standing within the shadow of his master was disrespectful. But this new world was different. She wasn't truly complaining about the changes but she wishes that those people who were working around her would still have the same decency of her ladies in the past.

"Let's not talk about food. I came here to meet you to know about my mother," he said, crossing his leg over the other.

"Your mother got swallowed by the changes of this new world. Your father did what he must do to keep the family safe—"

"What happened?" He growled, baring his fangs.

Instead of cowering, Love snapped at Calixto. "Stop your nonsense. I may look fragile to you but I can assure you that I can take you down in hand-in-hand combat without breaking a sweat."

"What happened to my mother?" He let go of her blouse and leaned back in his chair. His blood was boiling in anger and he controlled himself because he knew that Love was telling the truth about her skills to depend on herself.

Everyone in their family needs to learn how to protect themselves despite being stronger than other humans. Their parents make sure that all the children must learn to protect themselves against the attack of the Hunters.

Their parents learned the hard way not to underestimate the capabilities of those Hunters after losing half of their family in a blood bath where for the first time, the Hunters had the upper hand.

After they mourned the family members that died in that attack, the adult made drastic changes in teaching the younger generation to fight in combat. They were taught not to rely solely on their strength but on their brain as well.

They started studying Hunters with the same vigors that the Hunters examined any vampire they could get their hands on.

"Your father is still as irrational as ever. He won't listen to anyone," she sighed and for the first time, her eyes show some emotion akin to sadness.

"What did he do? Answer me, please!"

"The same thing he did to you."

She avoided Calixto's gaze for she could not take the pain that was being mirrored in his eyes.

Calixto blinked and pulled his shoulders back. He tried to remember what it felt like to be in slumber for so many years and his heart ached. He was sleeping but a part of him still woke up every time the moon rose in the night sky. And that was too painful to bear.