VAMPIRE'S FAIRY

THE FIRST ATTACK

I don't know why, but while I was having dinner with Freyana and Luke, my mind kept drifting back to the dinners I used to have with Lynn. The atmosphere with the two of them was much lighter than it ever was with him, yet somehow… I still missed him.

Luke and Freyana were complete chatterboxes. Unlike Lynn, who preferred silence while eating, his brother was the exact opposite. Throughout the entire meal, Luke kept cracking jokes, making everyone laugh until our stomachs hurt. And honestly, it felt good. Apart from meals with my family, I had never experienced such a noisy, lively dinner before.

It was October, the month of Halloween, and the company had organized a Halloween party. It was going to be my very first Halloween celebration. I had never attended one before. Why? Well, I didn’t really know either. I had always assumed Halloween just wasn’t my thing. Besides, I scared way too easily. But since the party was hosted by the company and I was part of the staff, skipping it wasn’t really an option.

“Aren’t you going to be scared all alone?” Ayaan asked during dinner. Everyone in my family knew how easily frightened I was, and apparently, they were all worried about me. “Or should I go with you?” he added.

“I don’t think family members are needed at a company event,” Author replied.

“But I’m worried about her. Have you forgotten how scared she gets?”

“I know you’re worried, Ayaan,” Dad finally spoke. “But Ayl is a grown woman now. I believe she can handle this. Right, Ayl?”

The concern on Ayaan’s face was impossible to miss. All my brothers were overprotective of Ariel and me, but Ayaan was different. He worried about us constantly. Anytime we went somewhere without one of them accompanying us, he became restless.

“Don’t worry, bro. Ariel is coming with me. They said employees can bring family members too,” I assured him.

“That still won’t work. I’m going with you both,” Ayaan insisted stubbornly.

“Why are you so determined to go with them?” Adriel asked with a frown.

“I don’t know,” Ayaan admitted quietly. “I just feel uneasy… like something bad is going to happen tonight. I won’t feel at peace unless one of us”—he pointed at himself, Author, and Adriel—“goes with them.”

Arguing with Ayaan was pointless. Everyone at the table knew that. Once he became certain about something, nobody could change his mind. A collective sigh spread around the table before Mom finally spoke.

“Alright, Ayaan. You can go with her. Ariel, are you still attending?”

“Of course I am,” she answered immediately.

“Then you’ll both go with Ayaan. Happy now?”

“Mhm.”

Even then, he still looked uneasy. The worry never left his face, and I couldn’t help wondering what danger he thought was waiting for us. But eventually, it was settled—Ayaan was coming too.

“Ayl, over here!” Kimberly waved excitedly from across the hall.

The party was being held in the company’s main hall, which had been transformed into a Halloween wonderland. Everyone wore costumes inspired by mythical creatures and monsters. Ariel and I were dressed as fairies in matching costumes Adriel had designed for us himself. Ayaan, meanwhile… well, he simply wore a black suit. Nothing special.

We made our way toward Kim’s table, where Freyana was also sitting.

“Hello, Ayl!” Freyana greeted warmly before pulling Ariel into a hug.

I burst out laughing when she realized her mistake. Ariel and I were wearing identical outfits, after all.

“Umm… I’m not Ayl,” Ariel said, amused. “She is.”

“Huh?” Freyana blinked in confusion before suddenly sniffing Ariel. “Ohhh, you’re a vampire. You don’t smell human.”

“You can tell the difference between vampires and humans just by smell?” I asked in shock.

“Well, yes. Luke can too. And Lynn as well.”

I hadn’t expected her to casually refer to our terrifying bosses by their first names. Even Kimberly looked surprised by it.

The party continued smoothly, surprisingly less frightening than I had imagined. Bright lights illuminated the hall, music filled the air, and laughter echoed everywhere. Yet the entire time, my eyes kept wandering around the room, secretly searching for Lynn.

Weeks had passed since I last saw him, and somehow… I missed him terribly. I didn’t understand why, but I constantly wanted to be around him.

Missing me?

Lynn’s voice suddenly echoed inside my mind. I must have slipped into his inner vampire connection again.

No. Where are you?

Office.

You’re not coming to the party?

Hmm.

Why?

No response came afterward. Seconds passed in silence before the connection faded completely. Maybe he had cut the link himself.

“Ayaan, I’m going to the restroom,” I told him.

“Take Ariel with you.”

“I’ll be fine alone.”

“But I won’t be fine. Take her.”

“Okay…”

I frowned slightly at his strange behavior before going to get Ariel. She waited outside the restroom while I went in.

Pumpkin decorations covered almost every corner of the bathroom. Their carved smiles looked oddly unsettling, sending chills crawling down my spine. I entered one of the stalls and noticed another pumpkin decoration hanging inside.

Then suddenly—

Click.

The door locked on its own.

My heart nearly stopped. I grabbed the handle and tried opening it, but it refused to move. My hands instantly turned clammy with sweat as panic rose in my chest.

“Ariel?” I called shakily. “Ariel!”

No answer came.

“Hello, Ayl. Nice to meet you.”

A strange voice echoed through the stall.

I froze.

“Who’s there?”

Silence.

“I’m down here, princess.”

Slowly, my gaze dropped downward.

The pumpkin decoration was staring at me.

Its carved grin had stretched wider, its hollow eyes glowing unnaturally.

My entire body jerked violently in terror.

A talking pumpkin.

Without thinking, I started banging on the door frantically while screaming Ariel’s name. I screamed until my throat burned dry and sore, but nobody came. Nobody answered.

My breathing became uneven and sharp. Fear was triggering my asthma.

With trembling hands, I grabbed my phone and dialed Ariel’s number. The call wouldn’t connect.

“What the hell is happening?” I whispered shakily.

I tried calling Ayaan next, but his phone didn’t go through either.

My body was growing weaker by the second. My voice had turned hoarse, and I could barely scream anymore. Eventually, my knees gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the floor, trembling uncontrollably.

“It’s pointless, Ayl,” the pumpkin said mockingly. “No one can hear you. No one is coming to save you.”

Its laughter echoed through the tiny stall, cold and evil.

Then suddenly—

The door creaked open.

“Help…” I whispered weakly, barely able to speak.