Untitled

This town wasn't part of your plan. Not really. You didn't grew up dreaming of quiet roads and nameless places, of houses tucked too far apart and silence thick enough to press against your ears. You had loved the noise once—the crowds, the sounds of keyboards and soft chatter in the background when you were slaving away at your desk.

But lately, you felt…weird.

Strange, minor things started happening when you're at home. First, it was the seemingly non-existent sounds that only you were able to hear. Second, it was the back-to-back nights when you woke up with the metallic taste of copper in your mouth and blood trickling down your neck, despite you having no memory of biting your tongue or sleep-walking.

Thirdly, it was the constant, eerie and unsettling feeling of you being watched.

No matter where you went, there was always a pair of eyes observing you. Or maybe it was more than one pair. Watching you from the distance. Whenever you try to find them, they were always one step ahead of you—completely out of your sights in a blink of an eye. You told yourself that you were seeing things, that you were out of your mind but the longer this went on, you felt more unsafe.

You consulted doctors but they couldn't find anything wrong with you, merely shrugging it off as you being stressed. Therapists mentioned it was burnout, a temporary but common phase in your life.

When you were on the verge of losing your mind, you stumbled upon a house listing that was poorly taped on a random lamppost. You saw it when you were heading home. It was a listing for a small house in a town that barely existed on the map. You accepted it without hesitation.

There wasn't much information provided on the listing. All it had was the address and the landlord's number. You attempted calling them but to your dismay, the call went straight to voicemail.

You tried again the very next day and ended up getting the same result. Instead of being worried about it, you shrugged it aside, packed your things and drove off in your car.

Which brought you to your current situation.

You shook your head to get rid of your thoughts as the road curved sharply, a weathered sign emerged from the trees:

Welcome to ———

The town's name was faded with some of the letters already peeled off. It felt less like a greeting but rather, more like a warning.

When you saw the listing, it felt like luck was on your side. The rent was cheap, way too cheap for it to be true. A place where no one knew your name, where faces didn't blurred together and where the feeling of being followed might finally loosen its grip on you.

You ended up packing your things, throwing them into your luggage and left after leaving a scribbled note behind, informing your landlord that you had officially moved out. You didn't stopped to look behind, facing forward as you drove off to start anew.

Spotting the one and only gas station on the main road, you stopped. Your tank wasn't empty but the silence was starting to press in on you. And you needed quick and solid proof that the people here do exist Like what regular human beings are supposed to.

~

Ding!

The bell above the door chimed when you entered and every head turned in your direction.

Conversation died instantly—not mid-word but mid-breath. A woman froze with a coffee cup raised halfway to her lips. A man standing behind the counter—who you assumed must be staff, stopped counting change. Their eyes followed you, watching as you stood on the other end of the counter, directly in front of the man.

"Uh," you said, wincing at how hoarse and raspy your voice sound. Like even that singular word felt… wrong. "Hi."

There was a delay. Not long but just long enough for it to feel deliberate.

Their smiles bloomed in eerie synchronization.

"Welcome, you must be new. I haven't seen you before," the cashier said warmly, flashing you a smile but it doesn't reached his eyes.

"Oh, I uh, just moved in. On Birch Lane," you replied.

Another pause.

The woman with the coffee set her cup down very carefully. Someone in the back laughed—a single sharp sound that ended way too quickly.

"Ah, that house," the cashier said.

You blinked, waiting for more but he didn't continued. "Is there a problem?" You asked warily.

"No, not at all," the man answered immediately.

The smiles sharpened. They watched as you paid, as you leave and as you walked back to your car. When you glanced in the rear-view mirror, they were still standing there.

But this time, all of them were lined up, standing in a neat and orderly line behind the glass with their faces tilted in perfect unison.

They watched as you drove off, unable to tolerate another second longer.

By the time you reached Birch Lane, the sun was lower than it should've been.

The house was older than what the low-quality and singular image was shown on the listing. It wasn't abandoned but instead, it was maintained. You felt something was amiss with the way it sat, slightly off-center from the road, as if it had shifted when no one was looking.

You parked your car and got out, grabbing your suitcase out of the boot and headed to the house. You arrived at the front door and that's when you noticed it—it was unlocked.

Now, any sane and normal person would immediately do the right thing, which was to turn around, get back into the car and drive away from the town. But here's the thing: you weren't sane the moment those strange incidents started happening. In fact, you were already losing your mind.

Which was why you entered the house without hesitation. You spent the next hour unpacking in a daze. Clothes folded into drawers that don't slide smoothly, making noises when you attempted to close it by using force. Books lined up on shelves that looked like they hadn't been touched in years.

Every so often, you felt it again—that strange, prickling presence at the back of your neck, like someone was standing just out of sight.

However, there was nothing.

By the time you were done, the sun had dipped fully below the horizon, leaving the rooms washed in a shade of dusky blue. You exhaled, wiping your hands on your pants.

This is it. A fresh start. No familiar faces and no shadows following me home.

Knock Knock.

You froze, thinking you were hallucinating the knocking sound.

The sound came again—softer, polite and more deliberate.

Your heart thudded against your chest as you made your way to the door. Every instinct and muscle screamed caution. You hesitated before opening it, fingers curled around the handle. And when you do, you were met with a smile.

He was standing on your porch like he belonged here, hands tucked casually into the pockets of his jacket. But what caught your attention was his hair. It was pitch-black but that's not what you were focused on. No, it was the stark silver streak that cuts through the front, starting near the roots and breaking through the darkness, like a scar of moonlight.

"Hi, sorry to bother you this late. But I saw the lights were on and thought I'd come by," he said in a gentle tone, voice velvety smooth.

He gestured over his shoulder and pointed across the street. "I'm Riki. I live right there—directly opposite of yours."

You looked over his shoulder, eyes following the direction of where he was pointing. Only then did you noticed the house across the road. Its lights were on too and you could see a silhouette standing on the second floor, hidden behind the curtains.

When you glanced back at Riki, you swore you saw his eyes flickered red for a moment. But it was gone after you blinked, returning to its usual shade and color. You didn't think much about it, simply brushing it off as the lingering exhaustion flowing through your veins from the long drive you had.

"I just wanted to introduce myself. It's not often we get new people around here," Riki continued, his smile softening, almost putting you at ease—almost.

There's something familiar about him. A fleeing you can't placed or put your finger on, like deja vu slipping through your grip the moment you try to grasp it. Still, you found yourself relaxing as you returned the smile before you could stopped yourself.

"Welcome to town," he says, eyes lingering on you just a second longer than necessary.

~

The next day, you woke up feeling strangely at peace. For once in a long time, you were able to sleep soundly without having any nightmares. Nightmares about someone sinking their sharp teeth into your neck, drinking your blood while letting you bleed to death.

Nightmares about someone whispering into your ear but the words were inaudible. No matter how hard you tried to recall, you couldn't remember them at all.

Usually you would be doing your morning routine as you get ready for work. But here, in a small and unknown town, there was no work needed to be done. No early phone calls from people who can't differentiate personal and work lives.

You were at a state of loss, unsure of what to do to pass the time. Nonetheless, you got up and took your time getting ready. It was only when you entered the kitchen did it hit you—you have nothing to eat. The refrigerator was completely empty, with no signs of food or even drinks. You stared out of the window, deep in thought.

You were new here, unfamiliar with the surroundings or the people here. Well, everyone except Riki, that is. Which was why you pulled up your big girl pants, stepped out of your house and crossed the road, heading to the house situated opposite of yours.

Knock knock.

You knocked twice, loud and firm and waited. Turns out you didn't had to wait long as the door was swung opened. You managed to jerk back, not letting the door crashed against your face. You parted your lips, about to say something but you paused when the door revealed the person standing on the other end.

It was Riki. But at the same time, it wasn't him.

Whoever this boy was, he has the exact same face as Riki. The same eyes. The same nose. The same thick and plump lips. Even their heights are identical. The only difference was his hair. Unlike Riki's black and smoky gray highlights, his was different. It was a muted ash-brown base with the lower half of his hair in black. The way the two different colors blended in looked natural.

Riki lookalike blinked, unfazed to see you. "Oh, it's you. You're the new neighbor," he said, stating it like it was a fact. An observation.

But the way he looked at you, like he has the ability to read your mind, read your inner and deepest thoughts with his unwavering and piercing gaze, sent shivers down your spine. You clenched and unclenched your fingers, mentally relieved that you were still able to move your limbs.

"I uh, um—"

"Ni-ki? Who's out there?" A familiar curious voice interrupted you.

You blinked and before you could fully processed it, another figure appeared beside him and your breath caught in your throat.

Riki.

The same face you had been staring at was now standing before you again. Only this time, you could clearly see the difference. Same height. Same features. Same presence that seemed to pull the air toward them. But where the boy—Ni-ki, who stood in front of you carried something sharp and unsettling in his gaze, Riki's expression softened the moment his eyes landed on you.

For a split second, the world tilted.

They stood side by side, mirror images fractured only by the way they looked at you.

Riki arched an eyebrow—the very same eyebrow that has a slit on the left. "Oh, what brings you all the way to our porch?"

You swallowed, forcing yourself to breathe. "I—um, was hoping someone could show me around town. I just moved in and… I don't really know my way around yet."

Grrr. Grrr.

Your stomach chose that moment to make itself known by grumbling out loud, much to your utter horror and embarrassment. Ni-ki didn't even react, didn't bat an eye or blinked. Riki, on the other hand, snorted when he heard it. You chewed on your bottom lip, feeling heat creeping up the back of your neck.

Riki turned to Ni-ki, leaning in slightly. But the action doesn't looked like your typical sibling relationship. Riki was so close to Ni-ki's right ear, his lips was literally brushing against his skin with every word he spoke. You watched as Ni-ki leaned into his touch, like they were lovers. His voice dropped low, too low for you to catch. Whatever he said made Ni-ki's mouth twitched into something that wasn't quite a smile.

Your eyes darted down—seeing Riki's arm casually wrapped around Ni-ki's waist. Riki's thumb slid underneath the other's shirt, caressing the skin beneath it. Ni-ki made no move to remove his arm, seemingly enjoying it.

At the same time, it revealed a tiny sneak peak of the smooth skin. The gesture was oddly intimate and private, forcing you to tear your eyes away, not wanting to get caught looking.

And then, Ni-ki nodded once. "Don't be long," he said as he stepped back, Riki's arm easily falling and returning to his side, "it gets dark fast."

His eyes flicked to you, lingering and unreadable, before he turned and disappeared back into the house. The door closed softly behind him, the sound echoing louder than it should have.

Riki exhaled, then looked at you. His smile returned as if nothing strange had just happened. "Sorry about that, he's not great with first impressions and strangers."

You weren't sure you believed that.

"But yeah, I can show you around. It's a small town so it won't take long," he continued, stepping off the porch, skipping the last step and gestured down the street.

The eerily empty street, that is.

As you fell into step beside him, you couldn't helped but glanced back once more at the house. The curtains hadn't moved since last night. Despite that, you had the unsettling feeling that Ni-ki was watching.

~

The first place Riki brought you to was a small diner tucked between two aging storefronts, its sign flickering weakly as if it hadn't been replaced in decades. The windows glowed warmly against the street, a stark contrast to how quiet the town felt outside.

"Here's the first stop of the day, a local and my favorite diner," Riki introduced as he held the door open for you. "Their food tastes the best."

A bell chimed softly when you stepped inside. The diner was quite empty—just a couple of booths occupied, the low murmur of conversation blending in with the hum of old lights overhead. The air smelled like coffee and something fried, comforting in a way that made your shoulders relaxed despite yourself.

You slid into a booth across from Riki, the vinyl squeaking faintly beneath you. A waitress came by, greeting Riki with an easy familiarity smile. "The usual?"

He nodded. "Yeah. And whatever she wants."

You ordered something simple, then watched as the waitress walked away, leaving the two of you alone. None of you said a word—Riki looking out of the window with his chin resting on the palm of his left hand. Your fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of the table, deciding to break the silence with a question.

"So, how long have you lived here?" You began, eyes focused on his face.

You told yourself that you wanted to listen to his responses and not to stare at him.

At least, that's what you believed in.

Riki cocked his head to the side, considering. "A while."

You waited for more but that was all.

"…A while as in years or months?" You pressed gently, wanting to know more about him.

He smiled but it didn't reached his eyes. "Long enough to know my way around."

Something about the answer felt carefully measured, like he had chose his words very carefully. Still, you nodded.

"What about you and your brother? You two grew up here?" You asked another question.

"Something like that," he replied, gaze flicking briefly to the window before returning to you. "We've moved around."

Again, nothing concrete.

Your food arrived, interrupting the conversation and the flow. Although, there wasn't a flow happening in the first place. The two of you ate in relative silence for a few moments with the clink of cutlery filling the gaps. Every now and then, you caught Riki watching you, his attention steady but not intrusive.

"So what made you left?" He asked suddenly.

You paused, fork hovering mid-air. "…I needed a change of scenery. Somewhere quieter and less suffocating."

You were half-lying and half telling the truth. Unlike Riki.

Riki hummed softly, as if your response satisfied him more than it should have. "This place has a way of… pulling people in," he said. "Especially those who need to disappear for a bit."

The words sent a strange chill down your spine.

"What do you mean by that?" You asked, tightening your grip around your utensils.

Riki shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. "Just something I've noticed."

You studied his face, trying to read between the lines but he remained frustratingly unreadable. He was open enough to seem friendly but closed enough to keep you at arm's length. Every answer felt like half a truth. Every smile was a distraction from something left unsaid.

Still, despite the unease curling deep in your chest, you found yourself leaning in, listening, wanting to know more.

And that will be your downfall.

~

Once you were full from a satisfying meal, Riki led you back out into the cool morning air.

The streets were more alive now, showing the first signs of life as people stepped out from their respective homes, wandering down the streets to their destinations in mind. You nearly bumped into an old lady, mumbling an apology under your breath as you quickened your pace to catch up to Riki.

You took your time taking in the surroundings. A small convenience store with flickering lights. A closed-down bookstore with its windows bordered up, dust collecting in the cracks. A narrow alley that Riki steered you away without offering an explanation.

"Does anything ever happen around here?" You asked, trying to keep your voice light and neutral. "It feels… too quiet."

Riki glanced at you, then looked forward. "Depends on what you mean by happen."

"That's not really an answer," you replied, frowning.

He chuckled. "You'll get used to it."

The further you walked, the more the town felt like it's winding inward. Streets were looping back on themselves in ways that don't make sense. You're certain you had walked pass the same lamppost twice. But when you point it out, Riki merely smiled.

Like this was funny to him.

"The town's old. It remembers things," he said.

"Remembers what?"

"People," he replied after a deliberate pause. "Mostly."

A shiver crawled up your spine.

You stopped near a small park, the swings creaking gently despite the absence of wind. The clock mounted near the gazebo reads well past nine. Early morning hours. Perfect for casual walks to enjoy the cooling weather.

"Do you and Ni-ki come here often?" You asked.

Riki's eyes lingered on the empty playground. "Sometimes."

"When?"

"When we're needed."

That answer alone was enough to make your guts twist.

You crossed your arms, rubbing at the sudden chill. "You keep answering like that. Like you're dancing around something. Like…"

Like you're hiding something.

Riki turned to you, expression unreadable in the morning light. For a moment, you thought he might finally tell you the truth.

But instead, he answered. "Some things are best left unsaid."

"That's not comforting," you muttered, sulking.

His lips curved into a faint smile. "It's not meant to be."

You hesitated, then asked the question that's been sitting heavy on the tip of your tongue since the door opened earlier. "You and Ni-ki… what's your relationship like?"

Riki stilled, just slightly but enough for you to notice.

"We're brothers."

"I figured that," you replied. "But you don't act like most brothers."

He lets out a quiet breath, eyes lifting to the sky above. "We've always been… close."

"Close how?"

Another pause and it was longer this time.

"We look out for one another. That's all that matters," he replied after a few seconds of silence.

The answer felt carefully trimmed, the sharp edges filed down until it's safe to say it out loud. You could tell there was more beneath it—something far more complicated, intense and abnormal. You knew he wasn't telling the truth but with how Riki answered you in that firm tone, there was no other room left for a follow-up question.

But still, you were stubborn.

"And what happens when you disagree or argue with one another?" You inquired.

Riki's gaze flickered back to you, something unreadable passing through his eyes. "Then we find a way to agree."

The way he said it made your chest tightened. He started walking again, the conversation having reached its limit. You had no choice but to follow. After all, your safety was literally in the palm of his hand. You followed, more and more questions pilling up in your mind. each one heavier than the last.

You resumed walking, passing houses that looked untouched by time. Their windows were dark and watchful. Every so often, you swore you saw movement just beyond your sights. But whenever you turned, there was nothing and no one.

"What about the people here? They all seemed to know one another," you asked quietly.

"They do."

"And me?"

"They'll learn."

It was the way he said it—so full of certainty and finalized that it made your pulse quickened.

By the time the sky began to lighten at the horizon and it was afternoon, you realized you're back at where you started. Your house stood silently across the street, exactly where you left it a few hours ago. Riki stopped a few steps away from your porch.

"And that's pretty much everything. See? It's a small town so it didn't take long," he pointed out.

You stared at him, exhaustion blended in with unease. "You didn't really tell me anything."

He meets your gaze, eyes dark in the bright afternoon light. "Not yet. But you will soon find out."

With that he stepped back, giving you space. "Get some rest. We'll talk more soon."

As he walked away and disappearing into the quiet street, you couldn't shake off the feeling that the tour wasn't meant to show you around at all. But instead, it was to let the town learn about you.

~

You spent the next few weeks or so familiarizing yourself with the town. At first, you attempted to chat with the townspeople. Your first conversation was with one of the shopkeepers—someone who was handling a mini grocery store. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. It looked like your regular grocery store with people browsing the display of fruits, vegetables and the list goes on.

You had made your purchase and when you were done, you approached the shopkeeper. It was a man looking to be in his early forties with a pair of rectangular-frame shaped glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He glanced up when you approached him, wordlessly raising an eyebrow with an questioning look on his face.

"Yes, Miss? Is there something I can help you with?" He asked.

You flashed him in what you hoped was a friendly and approachable smile. "Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about this town? I just moved here and I'm trying to get to know the area."

The man furrowed his eyebrows, corners of his mouth twitching slightly as if he was fighting an urge to frown. He adjusted his glasses, narrowing his eyes at you with a cautious intensity.

"I don't think you should be asking questions like that," he said slowly, voice flat. "It's dangerous to think about things that aren't real."

You blinked. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

He shook his head, sighing as if explaining was exhausting. "You're imagining things. You're seeing things when there aren't anything. You must be tired."

"Hallucinating?" You repeated, the word catching uncomfortably on your tongue. "I'm just trying to learn more about the town. Is that not allowed?"

The man scowled, eyes twitching with barely restrained annoyance. He rose from his seat, placed the newspapers he was reading down on the counter. "Listen here, Miss. You need to stop asking questions. The lesser you know, the better it is for you. Understand?"

His eyes flicked down to your grocery bag you held in your left hand. "Since you're done with your groceries, you should leave."

You frowned, refusing to move. "No, I'm not leaving until you answer my question."

It seemed like your words had pushed him over the edge. The man snapped, seething with rage. He grabbed the nearest thing—which was a bottle of water and with the way he aimed it at you, you knew what he was about to do.

However, you couldn't moved. You merely stood there, watching as everything happened in slow-motion. You squeezed your eyes shut, mentally bracing yourself for the incoming impact.

But there was none.

You reopened your eyes, blinking a few times when you saw a familiar back blocking off your vision, completely hiding you from the man's view. It was Ni-ki. He had jumped in and saved you, one hand grabbing onto the man's wrist with a vice-like grip. You watched as the man attempted to free himself but his effort proved to be futile.

He let out a pained hiss when Ni-ki tightened his grip, eyes narrowed. What you didn't know was how his eyes glowed a dark shade of red, how he revealed a pair of sharp of fangs that peaked out from his upper lip.

What you do know was that the man's face turned pale, losing all colors in his face. Ni-ki finally released his grip and the man collapsed into his chair, eyes wide and frantic. His breathing was ragged and uneven, fear written all over his face. You peaked around Ni-ki, about to approach him when the boy stopped you, one hand on your shoulder.

"Let's go," he said, looking down at you.

"But—"

Ni-ki sighed, muttered something under his breath. He grabbed the grocery bag with his right hand and with his left hand, he grabbed your wrist and dragged you out of the store. You were stunned, tripping over your feet as you struggle to catch up to him. Curse his long legs and tall height.

If you glanced back, you would've caught the way the man's eyes rolled to the back of his head. You would've caught the way his body went limp as he slid off his chair and collapsed to the floor. And most importantly, you would've caught the way his skin had turned concerningly pale.

Like he no longer has any blood left.

~

After that encounter, you stopped your attempts of talking to the townspeople. To find out more about the town you lived in. You spent most of your time holed up in your home, which became your comfort space. It was ironic, really. For a house you saw put up for listing, a house that was part of a small town with questionable people to become your comfort space. The thought itself was laughable.

You were in the middle of reading, having grabbed a random book from the shelf when the lights went out, coloring the living room in pitch-black darkness. You froze, half curled up on the couch, looking like a deer in headlights. You didn't moved for the next few minutes, waiting to see if the electricity would turned back on.

Nothing.

"Great, just what I needed," you muttered, inserting the bookmark in between the two pages you last stopped at. You rose to your feet, reaching out your hands to blindly navigate your way through the dark.

You didn't know what to do in situations like this. Back in the city, you've never encountered incidents like these—where the power died on you. Your first instinct was to head over to the twins' house, hoping they were able to help you out with your problem. Strangely enough, you noticed that only your house was encountering this problem. The rest of the houses seemed to have perfect electricity, something you were jealous of.

You crossed the road, shivering as a strong and chilling gust of wind blew past, kissing your cheeks in a light and fleeing kiss. You raised your right hand, now curled into a fist, ready to knock—

Thud.

What was that?

You blinked, right hand frozen in mid-air. Your ears perked up and before you knew it, you stepped closer, straining your ears to hear what was happening. For a moment, you thought they were in trouble. Maybe someone had broken into their home—a robber or a thief. Maybe they were arguing and whatever it was, it was getting intense.

"What are you doing? Hold him still. You're getting blood all over the furniture," Riki said.

Unlike his signature soft and friendly tone, this was different. This was more chilling, colder and downright unsettling. Your eyes widened, nearly letting out a gasp that would have gave away your presence.

Blood? Whose blood is it?

"Stop bossing me around and help me. Or I'm not letting you feed," Ni-ki retorted, letting out a groan as he dragged something heavy across the floor in their house.

And by something, you assumed it was a dead body.

"So bossy for someone who was eager to get onto his knees for me yesterday," Riki sneered.

His words made your eyes widened. You knew their relationship wasn't the typical brotherly relationship. No, this was different. Almost taboo.

"You're starting to piss me off, you know that? Walking around like you think you're all that. Did you forget how I put you in your place when you kept acting out?" Ni-ki snarled, faint hostility seeping into his tone.

Your ears flushed red. This wasn't a regular conversation anymore. It was growing more and more sexual and you knew you should do something—either walked away or knocked on the door, forcefully interrupting the conversation. But you didn't do either of that. Instead, you stepped closer, further straining your ears to listen better.

"Yea, and what are you gonna do about it?" Riki taunts him. You could perfectly visualized the taunting smirk on his face.

Silence.

Stomp stomp stomp stomp.

You heard what sounded like loud and angered stomping sounds and then it was silent. Not for long, though. Your eyes widened a notch when your ears registered the faint but obvious sound of kissing along with the rustling of fabric seamlessly blending in together. Your mind started conjuring up filthy images—images of the twins kissing, their hands greedily touching one another and sliding underneath the barricades of their clothes.

You couldn't helped but wonder: who will top? Riki or Ni-ki? How will they looked with their dazed, half-lidded eyes and bruised lips? What kind of sounds were they capable of making? Will Ni-ki made Riki eat his words by forcing him onto his knees, shoving his cock into Riki's mouth?

Fuck, this isn't right.

That was what your mind was saying but your heart, on the other hand, was actually craving to watch them. Like getting a front-row seat to a private show being performed for just your eyes only. But another part of you, wanted to be with them. You wanted to feel the touch of their hands on your body, leaving goosebumps behind.

You wanted them to kiss you breathless. Maybe they will take turns—Riki might go first. You have a feeling Riki's kisses are soft but intense, enough to leave your head spinning. Ni-ki's kisses might be rough and fierce, like he wants to devour you, to consume you from inside and outside.

You'll let them do it. You'll let them do anything.

A low but audible moan snapped you of your thoughts. With flushed cheeks and a flustered expression, you raised your trembling right hand, now curled into a fist and knocked on the door. You knocked three times, each one was firm and resolute—a huge contrast to how your legs were trembling and how heat was pooling in the depths of your stomach.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The house went silent.

A pair of footsteps made its appearance and the door opened, revealing none other than Riki himself. You plastered an innocent look on your face, pretending you hadn't been standing there for the past few minutes. Pretending you didn't heard their entire conversation. Something about blood, a dead body and… whatever the last part was.

"(Name)? What's wrong?" Riki asked, genuinely confused to see you standing on his porch.

You pretend you didn't noticed the faint bloodstains on the corner of his lips, how his clothes were messed up—collarbone revealed with his pale neck starting to turn into a light shade of reddish-purple.

You fiddled with the hem of your thin jacket. "The power went out and I'm not sure how to turn it back on," you explained.

"Oh, I can help with that," he answered, glancing over his shoulder, looking at something or someone, in this case before his eyes returned to your face.

"Come on, I'll help you out," he said, stepping out and closed the door behind him.

You nodded, leading the way to your house. Instead of heading to the main door, Riki took the lead and brought you to the back of it. Your shoulders stiffened as you slowed down, watching him moved with an ease that suggested familiarity, like he knew exactly where he was going.

"There's a generator back here," he said over his shoulder, as if he's able to sense your hesitation. "Most houses still use them. Power here cuts… often."

You hadn't known that.

Why and how would you know that when you just moved here?

The backyard was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the porch light and the thin slice of moonlight overhead. The generator sat near the fence, partially hidden behind overgrown shrubs. Riki crouched in front of it, rolling up the sleeves of his jacket. His action revealed a pair of forearms with faint muscles that budged every time he moved. You pretended you weren't staring at him, even though you kept glancing back at him every few seconds.

Fortunately for you, he didn't point it out. Either he was simply oblivious—something you doubt with how sharp he had been when he was around you, or just pretending he wasn't aware of your staring. Whatever it was, he didn't voiced it out loud and for that, you were grateful.

"Mind holding the light?" He asked, handing you a flashlight before you could respond or wonder just where did he get that from.

You obliged, angling it towards him as he opened the metal panel with practiced movements. The soft hum of the machine along with the occasional crickets of insects filled the silence between you.

"So, do you have any friends or family?" Riki asked casually, fingers working at the switches, "surely they must be worried when you left without saying anything."

You swallowed. "I'm not close with my family and I only have a few friends."

The generator sputtered as he adjusted a lever.

"And none of them thought of looking for you?" He asked, glancing at you from the corner of his eyes.

The question made your pulse jumped. "Why would they?"

He didn't answered right away. Instead, he flipped another switch and the generator let out what sounded like a weak wheeze. Like it was about to be on its deathbed.

"Do you lived alone in the city?" He asked another question.

The question made your stomach tightened. "Yeah, I live by myself. Moved out because I wanted to be independent."

"Hm." He traced a finger along one of the wires, not disconnecting it. Simply just… touching it. "And before that? You stayed with your parents?"

You shifted your weight, the gravel crunching beneath your feet—the sound loud in the silence. "I had people around."

"Had," he echoed, repeating that one singular, particular word, letting it rolled off the tip of his tongue, like he wasn't used to speaking or testing how it feel.

He flipped a switch. The generator let out a weak click, then fell silent.

"Have you ever felt like someone followed you here?" He asked casually.

Your breath stuttered. "N-No."

Riki hummed, unconvinced. "Funny. This place tends to draw people who already knew they're being watched."

His words does nothing but only made you more unease than you already were. He leaned back on his heels, watching you. Observing you. The flashlight cast harsh shadows across his face, making his eyes looked darker than they should've been.

"Anyone back there knows where you are? Someone who'd come knocking if you didn't answer your phone?" He continued, eyes now focused on you—waiting for your reaction.

"I didn't tell anyone," you said quietly, so soft that a regular person won't be able to hear it. Not Riki though. Not when his hearing was sharp.

A pause.

"That's good," he replied.

Your pulse spiked.

Riki reached into the generator again—this time loosening something you were almost completely sure had been working fine before. The machine gave a dull clank before it went dead.

"Have you been sleeping well?" He asked.

The question came out of nowhere, not related to what he had been asking before.

"…Why?"

"No reason," he said lightly—tone far too casual for how uncomfortable you felt, "just wondering if you're the type who dreams."

Shivers ran down your spine and your hair stood upright, goosebumps forming on your skin.

"…I do have had some bad nights," you admitted.

His mouth curved into a faint smile that was anything but kind. It felt like he was mocking you or you had confirmed something for him. "This town does that. It likes getting inside people's head."

He finally flipped another switch. The generator coughed, sputtered and fell silent again.

"Do you ever wake up and feel like someone's in the same room as you?" He asked, voice low. "Like the air feels… wrong?"

Your fingers trembled around the flashlight. "Shouldn't you be focusing on fixing the generator?"

Riki laughed under his breath. That alone made it worse.

"You're scared but that's normal," he said, not unkindly, "it's how you know you're alive and still human."

For now.

Somehow you were certain Riki wanted to say the unspoken two words but for whatever reason, he chose not to. You didn't know what to feel about it.

"You say it like you're not," you said it slowly, the words unusually heavy on your tongue.

"Not what?" Riki prod further, focused on his current task.

"..Not human."

Riki stopped briefly but it was noticeable. Something unreadable glimmered in his eyes but it was gone when you blinked, making you wondered if you were seeing things.

Then, he laughed.

It wasn't loud or warm. It slipped out of him low and slow, like it had been dragged up from somewhere deep in his chest rather than from amusement. The sound lingered too long in the air, echoing faintly against the fence, the back of the house and against your spine.

Riki rose to his full height and turned to face you.

"You really shouldn't joke like that," he said at last, smile still on his lips but there was nothing human about it. It didn't reached his eyes. Those stayed sharp, reflective but dark.

You swallowed nervously, maintaining eye contact despite how every inch of your muscles was screaming for you to look away. To walk away. To turn and run. "I wasn't joking."

"People who move here tend to say strange things," he continued, stepping closer. You inched backward. "The town messes with your head. Makes you imagine things."

He reached past you then, cold fingers brushing against your wrist as he took the flashlight back. The contact was brief but cold. Too cold. Instead of walking away or stepping back to give you space, he cocked his head to the side, eyes locked onto your face, like a sniper locking in on his target from afar.

He reached out his left hand. It took all of your will to not flinched when he rested it against your cheek, thumb caressing the skin underneath your left eye. You couldn't move, couldn't budged an inch. You stood there, feet rooted to the ground as you stared at the boy—at least, that's what you think he is, in silence.

"You don't actually believe in things like that, do you?" He asked in a softer tone.

Before you could answer, his smile softened—just enough to be convincing. Human and familiar.

"Come on," he said again, chuckling again. Only this time, it was quieter and thinner. "If I wasn't human, don't you think you'd know by now?"

For a moment, you almost believed him. Then his eyes flicked, just briefly, to the side of your neck. His jaw tightened.

And that was when you understood that the laugh wasn't denial. It was restraint. After what felt like eternity, Riki finally stepped back, allowing you to breathe freely.

"You should get some rest, it's getting late," he murmured, sparing you one final glance, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants and walked away, leaving you standing there, heart beating rapidly in your chest for reasons you can't explained.

Safe to say, you didn't get much sleep that night.

~

For the next few days, you mostly kept to yourself—even more than usual. You only went out when needed—to replenish your stash of groceries or to take out the trash, leaving it by the bin outside your house. Every time you stepped out, you made it a point to avoid looking at a certain house sitting directly opposite of yours.

You pretended to ignore the way two pairs of sharp, observant and puma-like eyes tracked your movement, watching you from where they stood, side-by-side. Riki didn't knocked on your door once and you weren't sure whether you should feel happy or not. Happy that you were left alone to mind your own business.

When you're alone, your mind often drift further and further away. Your mind went to the brief conversation you overheard between the twins, to the few questions back during your mini tour with Riki as your tour guide, to your brief encounter with Ni-ki—who had saved you like a knight in shining armor.

But most importantly, your mind zeroed in on certain details that you had picked up—the way Riki's eyes turned red and how unusually cold his hands felt. And a particular sentence struck something in you—

"Come on, If I wasn't human, don't you think you'd know by now?"

No matter how much you thought about it whenever you're doing chores, reading a book or doing anything else, that sentence was imprinted in the back of your mind. Like an annoying pest that kept sticking to you, refusing to leave you alone. This mini-game of avoiding them went on until one day, someone had reached their limit.

It happened when you were returning home after choosing to take a walk late at night. It was well past midnight and the only person walking on the empty streets was you and just you. Every step you took echoed loudly in your ears—grounding you. You walked with your hands curled into fists in the pockets of your thick jacket, shivering as a cold gust of wind blew past your face.

You were so lost in your own head—thinking about the twins and everything else that you were oblivious to your surroundings. Unaware that someone was watching you from the shadows. That someone was following you home, even though they knew where you lived. Nothing happened until you reached your house. You barely managed to push the door opened when someone roughly shoved you in from behind.

"Wha—!?" You gasped out, letting out a pained cry when your back collided against the door with a loud 'thud'.

You didn't get to finish your sentence, for your lips was captured in a intense and ferocious kiss. It was all tongue and teeth, stealing your breath and the soft little noises you made at the back of your throat. You couldn't breathed, not with how you were pinned against the door, the doorknob and uneven surface uncomfortably digging into your back.

Your hands were on their shoulders, struggling to push them away but their strength easily overwhelmed yours. With one fluid and smooth movement, they grabbed both of your wrists and pinned it above your head. Your right leg shot out but they were faster. They shoved their right knee in between your legs, using their free hand to support the back of your neck as they continued kissing you.

You let out a soft, shaky whimper when you felt something sharp nipped at your bottom lip, hard enough to draw pain but not hard enough to draw blood.

Not yet, that is.

You heard a groan, the sound low, deep and guttural, sending heat straight down to your lower body. Your fingers clutched onto the fabric when they flexed their thigh, the rough surface of their jeans against your clothed pussy, drawing another whimper from you. The sound was greedily swallowed by their persistent lips.

"Fuck, you taste sweet."

Wait.

Your previously squeezed eyes (you didn't know when you closed them) reopened and you recognized the ash-brown and black hair anywhere. You made eye contact with a pair of bright, glowing crimson eyes. Ni-ki pulled back, breaking the kiss but his lips brushed against yours, tongue darting out to wet his thick and plump lips.

Your eyes darted down and that's when you saw it—the tiny but noticeable fangs peeking out of his upper lips. That alone was enough to confirm everything.

"You're…" Your voice died down in your throat, unable to finish your sentence.

Ni-ki chuckled, his hot breath grazing against your lips. "What's wrong, princess? Cat got your tongue?" He purred, voice lowering an octave.

He didn't give you time to reply, kissing you again. This time, it was slower, sweeter and more intimate, like you're lovers. Your body instinctively leaned into his touch, able to feel him grinning against your lips when he felt it. His arms moved—the hand pinning your hands above your head slid lower and lower until both of his arms were now around your waist.

"Jump," he murmured against your lips and you obliged, jumping on the spot as he carried you easily, like you weighed nothing. That made your heart fluttered. Not that you'd admit it out loud.

Ni-ki navigated his way through your house with experience, like he had been here before despite him never stepping foot in here before. You didn't think much about it. How could you when Ni-ki kept kissing you, like you're the only person in the world and like you're the one for him? Your ears registered the sound of a door opening and turns out that the boy—vampire, had carried you to your bedroom located on the second floor.

Instead of placing you on the bed, he walked towards the windows, where the curtains were pulled back, baring you to people who were unfortunate enough to walk past. You shivered when the cold and firm windows touched your warm skin through the fabric of your clothes. Ni-ki placed you down on the windowsill, letting you sit on it.

He broke the kiss, leaving a string of saliva that snapped into half when he ducked his head, gently nudging yours to the side so he can leave butterfly kisses down the expanse of your neck. His hands worked quickly, like he was on a mission as he tugged your jacket down, leaving you in your plain shirt and pants. Your jacket was discarded to the floor, not caring where it landed.

You tilted your head back, eyelids fluttering shut with breathless pants leaving your lips as Ni-ki continued kissing down your neck. You loosely wrapped one arm around his sturdy shoulders while the other grabbed a fistful of his hair, drawing a low moan from him, the sound muffled with him busy leaving hickeys on your neck—treating it like a plain new canvas with him as the painter and you as the new muse.

What you didn't know however, was how you have an audience and how you were giving a very entertaining show to a certain someone. Until Ni-ki moved up so he could whisper into your left ear.

"Look out the window for me, darling," he mumbled, allowing you to look over your shoulder and you saw him.

Riki standing near the window on the second floor of him and Ni-ki's house. You couldn't looked away, locking eyes with him, whose own eyes darkened as he watched his twin brother made quick work of your pants and shirt, leaving you in only your bra and already soaked panties. It was simple—plain white with a cute pastel blue bow in front but still, it's enough to make the vampire moaned out loud.

"Look at you, already drippin' wet. You like this, don't you? Like being watched," he cooed, sinking to his knees while forcefully spreading your legs apart.

Ni-ki threw them over his shoulders, drawing a startled squeak from you. You leaned back against the windows, hands scrambling to grab onto something. The vampire's eyes flicked up, watching as you looked down at him with a flustered and vulnerable look, like you didn't know what to do. That alone made his cock twitched.

He wanted to ruin you for eternity. Wanted to make you his. Wanted to make you screamed his name until the entire town hears it. Hears you chanting his name like a sacred prayer as he sank his teeth into your neck—

Ahem.

A pointed cough interrupted the two of you but only you raised your head. Ni-ki, on the other hand, wasn't annoyed at the interruption. He rested his large right hand on your right knee and looked over his shoulder, arching an eyebrow at the sight of Riki leaning against the doorframe, arms loosely crossed across his chest.

"Well, go on. Don't stop just because I'm here," Riki said, attention focused on his twin as he made a gesture with his hand, completely ignoring your presence.

How did he get here so fast? And how long has he been standing there?

Ni-ki rolled his eyes. "Who says I'm stopping? Just stand there and wait for your turn."

The moment he finished speaking, he tugged you towards him, eliciting a surprised noise from you when you nearly fell from the window-still but you managed to steady yourself in the nick of time. Ni-ki buried his head between your legs. You could feel the tip of his nose bumping against your clit through the thin, sticky and soaked fabric, making you whined out loud.

But then, you remembered that Riki was watching. You looked up, only to see that he had sat on the edge of your bed, leaning back with his hands supporting his body weight. He didn't looked away or blinked, eyes glowing red with nothing but desire and lust in them. Heck, he didn't even touched himself, with how painfully hard he became.

It should made you shy or wanting to be anywhere but here. But the effect it has on you was the exact opposite.

Deep down, you knew that a small part of you actually liked it. You liked the attention. Liked the way Riki looked at you, like you're putting on a special and private performance for the two of them. Seeing that you were distracted, Ni-ki clicked his tongue, displeased. He hooked two fingers and tugged your panties aside, not caring to remove it, baring your sopping wet pussy to the cool air of the bedroom.

Ni-ki dived in, alternating between slow, flat stripes up and quick kitten licks at your red, swollen clit—the difference giving you whiplash. Your head tilted back, unknowingly (or was it?) exposing your hickey-covered neck to his brother, whose eyes narrowed and hardened. Your mouth dropped open, forming a silent 'O' shape as you canted your hips forward, moaning out loud at his nose bumped against your clit in just the right angle.

Ni-ki pulled you closer until you were sitting on the edge of it. "Eyes on me, sweetheart. I want you to watch me as I made you cum," he demanded, eyes darting up to your face, lips never moving away from your clit.

You weakly nodded your head and that satisfied him. With a pleased hum at your obedience, Ni-ki opened his mouth, sliding his tongue lewdly and very loudly against your wet, puffy folds at a slow, languid and teasing pace. The sensation is enough to make your legs spasmed, nearly closing them but Ni-ki held you down, nails borderline digging into your skin, hard enough to leave crescent moon marks behind.

You panted, unable to breathe properly, eyes nearly rolling up to the back of your head when he pushed two long, slender fingers in, until he was knuckles-deep. He pumped his fingers slowly, taking his time to trace your gummy walls, savoring the angelic and sinful sounds you let out.

"I'm starting to feel a little left out."

A voice spoke up.

The next thing you knew, your chin was being tilted up and Riki was standing on your right. He spent a few seconds drinking in your current state—your flushed face and cheeks, your bruised and parted lips, your half-lidded dazed eyes, how you were very close to losing your mind. Riki caressed your right cheek with his thumb—the action almost loving, nearly making you leaned into his touch.

"You don't know how long we've waited for you to come here. How we had to hold ourselves back whenever we see you," Riki said casually, like his twin brother wasn't eating you out like his life depended on it.

A part of you was confused by his words. By the meaning behind it. But before you could asked, he leaned down and captured your lips in a kiss. Turns out you were right—Riki's kisses was indeed soft and intense.

He parted your lips, swallowing the whimper and the other sounds you let out when he sensually glided his tongue against yours. Riki's hands moved like it has a mind of its own—one supporting the back of your neck while the other pushing your shirt up and up.

He broke the kiss briefly, so he could removed the shirt, which joined the rest of your clothes on the floor. Riki paused, eyes taking in how good you looked.

"Ni-ki, stop."

"What do you wa—"

Ni-ki moved away, reluctantly detaching his moist, shiny lips from your pussy—the sight making your empty pussy throbbed, wanting to be filled. Riki reached out, tilting his twin brother's chin up with one thumb resting on his bottom lip. Riki pressed down on Ni-ki's lip, watching as the other's tongue darted out to give a tentative, teasing lick on his finger.

That seemed to unlock something in Riki, for he bent down at waist-level, crashing his lips against Ni-ki's, who let out a surprised groan but he leaned into the kiss. Your presence was temporarily forgotten, not that you were complaining.

You watched with heavy breathing and fingers curled into your palms at the intoxicating and filthy sight of the two of them devouring one another. The kiss was all tongue and teeth, like they were fighting for dominance. It went on for what felt like forever until they broke apart, leaving a visible and glimmering string of saliva that snapped into half when Riki moved back. He finally turned to you, chuckling at how flustered and aroused you were with the erotic sight.

"Think our little princess's feeling lonely, aren't you?" He cooed, tilting your chin up and you mewled, mind fuzzy as you gave kitten licks to his thumb, watching as his eyes darkened. He muttered something that sounded like a curse under his breath and moved into action.

The next thing you knew, Riki had snatched you out of his brother's grasp, ignoring the annoyed and frustrated look Ni-ki flung in his direction. The other vampire threw you onto your bed, clambering over and with his body pressed against yours, you would've fell backward into the soft, clean sheets if your back wasn't up against Ni-ki's firm chest.

With that, you were sandwiched between the twins with nowhere to run.

Your senses was on overdrive. You could feel everything—their hands mapping out every inch of skin available to them. Riki was the first to move, capturing your lips in a kiss while Ni-ki busied himself by kissing down the side of your neck, letting Riki angled your head to the side—giving him more access. You didn't know when they or one of them removed your panties, leaving you fully bare while they were still fully clothed.

You let out a surprised gasp into Riki's greedy mouth at a pair of hands—you weren't sure who's touching you now at this point, had roughly shoved your bra down, freeing your breasts as it spilled free from the constraints. Your nipples instantly hardened with you shivering at the cool air kissing your chest.

"Fuck, you're driving me crazy," Ni-ki groaned from behind, resting his chin on your right shoulder, watching with half-lidded and dark eyes as he kneaded your tits like they were dough, occasionally flicking his thumb over them, smirking to himself at how your body reacted to his simple touch.

Riki shot his brother a certain look, despite having his tongue shoved down your throat. Ni-ki didn't say a thing and merely nodded, understanding him without any words being exchanged. Riki continued to kiss you until you're pliant, letting the two vampires support you from the front and back. Your ears registered the sounds of two zippers being undone—the sound seemingly loud, making your heart skipped a beat.

You knew where this was going and you weren't complaining one bit.

He and his twin brother did the same—only shoving their pants and boxers low enough to free their hardened cocks that sprung free, proudly standing upright against their stomachs. Riki moved first, with confidence and impatience. Riki fully laid down while manhandling you, hovering you over his cock, eyes fixated on the way your stretched-out pussy.

"What are you waiting for? Sit," Riki demanded and that one simple word made you gulped. You knew you shouldn't disobey him but still, you hesitated.

And Riki doesn't liked that.

He narrowed his eyes, rested his hands on your hips with a vice-like grip and forced you down on his cock, punching the air out of your lungs. Your eyes widened, mouth dropping to form a silent 'O' shape at how full you felt. Like your insides were getting squashed as your body struggled to accommodate to the sudden intrusion.

You didn't get enough time, not when you felt Ni-ki resting a hand on the back of your neck as he forced you to lean forward, causing both you and Riki to moan at how his cock was hitting places where you thought was impossible. You had to rest both of your hands on the sheets, gripping and twisting it underneath your fingers when you felt Ni-ki aligning himself against your ass.

"Wait, I don't think…" Your voice trailed off, weak and soft. You still haven't even gotten used to taking Riki and now his brother wants in too.

"Shh, just breathe with me, princess. It'll be fine," Riki assured you, cupping your face with his hands. He tucked you down, swallowing your pants and whines as he kissed you, distracting you while Ni-ki slowly pushed in, drawing a loud, muffled and high-pitched moan from the back of your throat.

You felt like you were being split apart on not one, but two large and heavy cocks. Your eyes teared up at the blinding pain as you further twisted the sheets, arms quivering like fallen leaves while you struggled to support your body weight. You weren't even aware that you started crying. Something warm and salty trickled down your cheeks, landing on the sheets and Riki's face.

"She's crying," Ni-ki commented, in awe and there was something else laced in his voice. Something twisted and darker.

Hearing this, Riki broke the kiss, wanting to see your expression and his cock twitched, buried deep inside of you until the tip was kissing the entrance to your cervix. Seeing you crying as you struggled to take them both made him growled. The sound making you clenched down on both of them, drawing moans from the twins.

They took turns thrusting into you—Riki from below while Ni-ki from behind, reshaping your insides to fit the outline and grith of their cocks. Riki couldn't tear his eyes away from the filthy sight of your pussy swallowing him from the tip to the base and how your inner thighs jiggled with every thrust.

Ni-ki was easily able to locate your prostate from behind, drawing high-pitched moans and filthy sounds—sounds that you never thought you were capable of making in the first place. The bedroom was filled with the loud, lewd and obscene sounds of skin slapping against skin and your sounds that seamlessly blended in together.

In short, it sounded like something shot straight out of a low-quality pornography video.

With how you were denied of your orgasm from earlier, thanks to certain someone, it was easy for you to reach your climax, much to your remaining shreds of embarrassment you had left. Your walls convulsed around Riki's cock as warm and transparent liquid gushed out of your pussy like a broken tap.

"Shit, she just squirted—oh fuck," Riki bemoaned, tilting his head back as he spilled deep inside you, painting your gummy walls in the shade of white. You whimpered at the feeling of him pumping you full of his cum.

Ni-ki, on the other hand, cum deep in your ass, making you mewled at the rare feeling of someone fucking you from behind.

But hey, there's a first time for everything, right?

You were exhausted, skin glowing with sweat and on the verge of collapsing. But unlike you—a human, the twins weren't tired at all. They weren't panting or wheezing to catch their breaths. No, they were perfectly fine—something you envied when it comes to a battle of stamina. You squeaked when Ni-ki pulled you up from behind, not caring that Riki's cock had slipped out of your obscenely stretched wide pussy, drawing a grimace from you.

"Riki, you know what to do," Ni-ki said, holding you firm against his chest, eyes focused on his twin as he looked at him over your shoulder.

You struggled instinctively with whatever strength you had left, panic gradually flooding into your veins.

"W-Wait—what are you guys doing?" You gasped out, but your limbs felt sluggish and heavy, like they were no longer fully yours.

Riki didn't moved right away. He pushed himself up, not bothering to tuck his cock back into his boxers as he watched you with a dark, twisted expression—triumph, satisfaction and obsession. Those were enough to make your breath hitched, invisible bells going off in your mind.

"Do it," Ni-ki repeated, firmer now. "This is what we've been waiting for."

You tried to fight again but your efforts were futile. A strange warmth was already spreading through your body. It seeped through your muscles and dulled the sharp edge of fear. You realized then—although it was too late, that it wasn't just exhaustion weighing you down.

Venom.

Ni-ki lowered his head, his breath brushing against your ear. "It's already taking effect. I won't bother fighting it. It'll only make it worse."

Riki finally inched closer as he observed your expression—wide, frantic pleading eyes. Nothing but fear written all over your face. To vampires like them, they find joy in playing with their food. Their prey. The longer they dragged this on, the more delicious their blood would taste.

And to the twins, they couldn't wait to sink their fangs into you, to suck you dry.

"Look at you, trembling while trying to free yourself. How cute," Riki cooed, lifting your chin up, forcing you to meet his faux genuine gaze through your teary eyes.

"Before you go, you should know that whatever you experienced in the city, the dreams, the feeling of being watched, that was us," he breathed out, eyes glowing red.

It was downright the most horrifying sight you had seen. Terrifying and inhumane.

Your mind blanked out, unable to process the new piece of information.

"W-What…?"

Ni-ki hummed, fangs peaking out from his upper lip. When you glanced at him, his eyes were also glowing red. "The nightmares. The shadows you see behind you. The nights you wake up shaking, convinced that someone had been in your room."

He paused, eyes flicking briefly to Ni-ki with something shared passing between them before he continued.

"It was truly a sight watching you figure it out and then doubting yourself," he chuckled; the sound low, mean and taunting.

You choked out a sob, letting it ripped free from your throat.

"You sick bastards. You enjoyed it," you whispered.

Ni-ki tightened his grip, pleased by the tremor in your voice. "Of course we did."

Riki cocked his head to the side, studying you like a piece of art slowly revealing its true colors. "Fear makes people honest. Beautifully honest."

You weakly shook your head. "No, you ruined my life."

Ni-ki barked out a laugh. But to you, there was nothing funny about your situation. "No. We shaped it."

"The landlord. The house—"

Riki's smile sharpened. Something dark glimmered in his crimson eyes. "He asked why the house had been empty for so long."

His twin finished the second part. "So we made sure it stayed that way."

Your body went limp for a moment, terror stealing whatever little strength you had left. Ni-ki easily readjusted you, forcing you to remain on your knees.

"Careful, you're not allowed to pass out yet," he murmured.

Riki moved closer, close enough that you could feel the cold radiating from him. He lifted your chin with two fingers, forcing you to look at him.

"You were always meant to be ours. We just wanted to watch you fall apart as you scramble to find yourself," he muttered.

Your fear peaked then—pure and overwhelming and both of them felt it.

Ni-ki inhaled sharply, satisfied. "There it is."

They didn't waste another second. Riki forced you to look up and both of their fangs pierced your skin, easily breaking through the different layers. You felt it—white-hot flaring pain before it melted into a dizzying warmth that flooded your senses. You were losing feeling in your limbs—your fingertips, your toes followed by the rest of your body.

Your body arched helplessly, a broken sound trapped in your throat as the venom deepened its hold. Both Riki and Ni-ki paid you no mind, getting drunk on the intoxicating taste of your blood—which tasted downright delicious, enough to keep them going. They didn't cared that with every second passed, your life was slipping past their fingers.

Why should they care, when you're nothing but food in their eyes?

Your thoughts fractured, fear blurring into darkness as your consciousness slipped away. The last thing you heard was quiet laughter and two voices overlapping. Before your eyes fluttered shut, one final thought appeared in your mind.

Would anything have changed if I turned back the moment I felt something was wrong?

You gave yourself a pat on the back for choosing a cafe that's located in your neighborhood and is within walking distance too. You ended up being the first to arrive, reaching the cafe in the next fifteen minutes, leaving you the remaining time to catch your breathe.

You chose a table situated at the back of the cafe and is near the windows as well, allowing the natural sunlight to shine down on you.

You took out your laptop, the folder every students were given that contained the necessary information and requirements of the project when the air in the cafe shifted.

You looked up, your eyes nearly popping out of its sockets as the figure entered. Everyone in the cafe—be it staff or customers, stopped what they were doing to look at him.

At first glance, one would've think Riki is a model, with his looks and not to mention, his fashion taste.

He worn a low-cut plain black shirt with a sleek, polished leather jacket donned over it, the zip unbuttoned. A pair of black cargo pants hugged him by his waist, with a belt wrapped around it and for a brief moment, you were jealous with how tiny his waist waist, as compared to a girl.

Your eyes flicked down to his hands, noting how it's covered in silver, glowing rings that glowed when it's caught under the cafe ceiling lights. Your throat dried and tightened, unable to look away as Riki's eyes drifted across the cafe, searching for someone. It took all of you to not flinched when they landed on you from a distance.

His features softened, something unreadable flickered across his face but it was gone when he blinked. At this point, you were well-aware of how everyone in the cafe was staring at you, probably wondering what's your relationship to him.

A girlfriend, perhaps?

Little do they know, we're just partners for a project… Wait, why am I feeling disappointed? Snap out of it!

"Hey, did you wait long?" Riki asked softly, in lieu of a greeting as he sat opposite of you, placing his bag on his lap while pulling out his laptop.

You blinked, snapping out of your staring trance. "Uh, no, not really. I just…" Your voice trailed off, momentarily getting distracted by the other's piercings hanging on his earlobes and holy fuck, you didn't know pieces of metal can be this attractive on someone.

"Just what?" Riki repeated, coaxing you to finish your sentence, his sharp eyes never leaving your face ever since he sat down as he placed his laptop on the table, the screen angled towards him.

Did the staff turned the temperature up or something?

You fanned yourself with one hand, unaware of how he caught it, smirking knowingly to himself, like he knew the effect he has on you.

"..Nothing, forget it. I'll order something for us, what do you want? It's my treat," you stammered out, a poor and feeble attempt to change the topic as you busied yourself in fishing for your wallet in your bag, even though it's staring right at you from the bottom of your bag.

Riki looked over his shoulder to examine the menu briefly. "Just an iced matcha will do."

You paused, having grabbed your wallet. "That's all? You're not gonna order food?"

He shook his head. "I'm not that hungry. I've eaten before coming over."

You squinted your eyes at him. "..Alright, if you say so."

He nodded and you took that as your cue to leave, heading to the counter to order for you and him. After placing your order and paying the required amount, you moved down the line to wait for your drinks and food to be made.

You crossed your arms, tapping your upper arms and aimlessly looked around your surroundings while waiting for your name to be called.

A movement from the corner of your eyes caught your interest. You turned to see a girl who's seated a few tables away from the cafe, had approached Riki. Something ugly twisted and curled itself around your heart as you observed from the sidelines.

The boy had his back facing you, preventing you from getting a full-view of his face and you're only able to see his side profile.

You watched, nails digging into your skin as the girl stepped closer, close enough to play it off as her trying to listen better to whatever Riki was telling her or close enough to convey her obvious attraction to him. You watched as she tucked a few stray strands of her hair behind her left ear, covering her mouth, laughing at something he said while making heart eyes at him.

"..or (Name)!"

You snapped your head forward when the staff called out your name and you stepped forward, taking the tray that has an iced matcha, an iced vanilla latte and a plate of pasta you before heading back to the table. To your annoyance, the girl had the audacity to sit in your seat.

"..ve a girlfriend? Such a shame. I'm sure a handsome guy like you isn't single."

That's what you heard as you finally returned to your table. You pointedly cleared your throat, enough to gain the two's attention. You sworn you saw something akin to relief in Riki's eyes at the sight of you but you were quick to look away, diverting your attention to her.

"Excuse me, you're sitting in my seat. Mind getting out of it?" You asked in a passive aggressive tone, flashing her a closed-eye smile that's anything but polite.

The girl paused, taken aback by your sheer rudeness and scoffed. "And who are you to tell me what to do?"

Your left brow twitched. The last thing you wanted was to make a scene in a public place, which was why you placed the tray down, stepping closer to the girl so you can tower over her at your full height, making you come off more intimidating than you are.

"Listen carefully, it's common sense for someone to not sit in another person's seat. You're also making him uncomfortable, so it'd be best if you could leave and stop disturbing us," you warned her in a low, stern and chilling voice.

The girl swallowed nervously, eyes flicking to Riki, like she's pleading for his help but he didn't move an inch, clearly not wanting to lend a helping hand. Humiliated, she shot up and fled from the cafe, not having the courage to be in the same space as you any longer. You sighed, plopping down into your seat, running a hand through your hair in frustration.

When you caught Riki's prolonged staring and silence, you arched an brow. "What? Is there something on my face?"

He coughed, reaching forward to remove the drinks and food from the tray. "Nothing, just thinking about something. I didn't take you as a vanilla latte type."

You shot him an offended look. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Is that judgment I hear?"

Riki raised his hands in mock surrender but the amused glint in his eyes said otherwise. "I'm not judging! I'm just saying… vanilla latte doesn't taste nice."

This time, you gasped out loud, utterly flabbergasted. "I.. I'm at a loss of words. You're the first person I've met to dislike vanilla lattes."

He chuckled, taking a sip from his respective drink through the purple straw the staff provided. "Really? Hopefully I can convince you to change your mind?"

"And what? Drink matcha instead?" You scrunched your nose in disgust, "No thanks. Matcha tastes like grass. Why would I willingly drink grass when it's everywhere?"

Riki choked on his drink, causing you to panic as you surged forward, wanting to help him but didn't know how to. He managed to calm down from his mini coughing fit, repeatedly whacking his own chest.

"Now that's something I take offense to. Matcha doesn't taste like grass!" He protested, eyes widening.

Cute. God, what the fuck is happening to me?

You nodded, a rare grim expression settling itself over your face. "Sure, whatever you say. Let's get started with the project, shall we? The sooner we finish this, the sooner we're free from this."

"Yes, mam."

"Do not."

008 | series masterlist