My Classmate， My Crimson Eternity

2

Her lifeless gray eyes stared straight at us; in them, there was nothing but the aura of death. My father stopped, stood before the woman, his face filled with sorrow, shook his head without a word, and continued walking with me. A gray wind swept past, swirling scraps of paper and withered leaves.

"Dad, I have something to do. I'll be right back," I said hurriedly as soon as we sat down at home.

"The weather outside isn't very good. Put on another layer!" My father went straight into the kitchen as soon as he got home, busily washing the vegetables and meat we had just bought. He had received a bonus today, so he was preparing a lavish dinner to celebrate.

"Okay!" I replied, entering the bedroom and taking a black cloak from the wardrobe. Cloaks are my favorite garment because they protect against both wind and rain. As for black? I feel it's the color of night, the color of Luvian, a beautiful color.

I donned the floor-length cloak, removed the gold and silver bracelets from my arms, and left the bedroom, left home.

On the gray street, a dark figure flashed by, finally stopping before the woman who was barely clinging to life. It was a girl in a night-black cloak. She bent down and said to the woman, "I can give you immortality, but in return, you must pay with your soul." The woman winked slightly at the little girl, who then brought her head close to the woman's neck, revealing a pair of sharp fangs, and bit down. But the woman's face was filled with a blissful expression. After a moment, the little girl retracted her fangs and then used her long, sharp fingernails... She slashed a deep gash in her arm, and the sinful liquid gushed out, dripping into her mouth. With each drop she inhaled, death receded. This bizarre scene was witnessed by the shadowy figure in the corner. After the woman recovered, the little girl left, and as her figure disappeared, a faint voice drifted back: "Cherish other people's lives as you would your own." Then the woman got up and left, and so he left too, leaving only the wind, still swirling fallen leaves and dust, adding a touch of color to the otherwise colorless street, though it was only gray.

"Luvian, come down for breakfast, it's getting late," Dad called from downstairs.

"Okay, I'm coming right away." I finished washing up, grabbed my schoolbag, and rushed upstairs. For me, being called for breakfast every morning was the happiest thing; you could say I looked forward to this moment almost every morning.

“Today we have fried dough sticks and soy milk, your favorites,” Dad said, glancing at the newspaper.

“Dad, why aren’t you eating?” I asked, looking at my father who was staring blankly at the newspaper.

“There’s a very strange report in here,” Dad said, still fixated on the top left corner of the paper.

“What’s strange about it?” I asked, eating between bites.

“It says a murder happened in a village called Weicun,” Dad described.

“Murders happen every day, everywhere. What’s so strange about that?” I said dismissively.

“But it says the victim seems to have been sucked blood by some animal,” Dad said, finding it increasingly unbelievable.

“Did someone see it?” I suddenly remembered something.

“No,” Dad shook his head helplessly.

“Then how do they know it was from an animal?” I asked, puzzled.

“The report says there were four neat little holes in the victim’s neck, and people suspect they were caused by some kind of animal’s teeth,” Dad repeated the words from the newspaper. “Vampires, I guess!” I said, taking a sip of my soy milk.

“Vampires? Luvian, have you been watching too many movies? Listen to your father, there are no vampires in this world.” My father adopted a parental tone, lecturing me.

“Oh, I know.” I didn’t argue, nor did I need to.

“But those creatures are truly terrifying, no different from vampires. I wonder what exactly happened back then.” My father sighed, unable to imagine what had happened, but I could. I could clearly imagine every scene that unfolded in that village, clearly hear every sound that came from there.

Night fell. In a remote village, in a brightly lit room, the decadent laughter of men and women echoed continuously. But suddenly, a piercing scream ripped through the air, and then the entire village fell silent. This was a terrifying Luvian, not of this world, like the Luvian who walks into a cemetery at midnight, but it was also the kind of Luvian I liked. It made me feel comfortable, safe, and aware of my own existence.

Villagers poured out of their houses, heading in the direction of the scream.

"Ah!" Another scream, this time emanating from the group of villagers. And it wasn't just one scream, but countless screams. What had they seen? What had terrified them so much? Some of them called the police. The police arrived, dispersed the villagers, took the body away, and sealed off the scene. As if everything was over, they left silently. Everyone was gone, leaving only the Luvian I loved, the pure, unadulterated Luvian.

"Luvian, what are you thinking about?" Alice nudged me awake from my reverie.

"Nothing," I replied coldly. I was used to this kind of daydreaming; or rather, "silence" would be a more accurate word. Perhaps it wasn't suitable for a girl my age, and Alice was a perfect example of the opposite.

"That's good. Let's go get lunch. We're having KFC today." Before I could react, she grabbed my hand and dashed towards the KFC across from the school, swooping down on her prey like a bat hunting its prey.

(Alice, a lovely junior high girl, my classmate, and my only friend. She's cheerful, innocent, and naive. She loves KFC's spicy burgers and often drags me along. She also idolizes singers and celebrities—a typical junior high girl. And another thing, she's very gentle; her gentleness is something I find irresistible.)