Chapter 64: Arousal Of The Vampires [6]
Some wise man once said that the true nature of people comes out during extreme times.
Extreme times such as this.
This apocalypse of a vampire outbreak.
The auditorium of the Academy had become a crude sanctuary, not by design, but by desperation. A place meant for lectures and stage plays now served as a refuge for trembling souls. The stone floor was littered with families huddled close, eyes wide and voices low. Children whimpered beneath ragged blankets, clinging to mothers who no longer had warmth to offer.
And in that place, you could see it—the unraveling.
One noble woman, dressed in silk now stained with ash, slapped a servant who tried to take a sip from her water flask.
"This is mine, you dog," she hissed, forgetting entirely that they were both refugees now.
A merchant, once jolly and plump, now hoarded stale bread beneath his coat, bartering slices for secrets or favors.
"I have a child," someone pleaded. He turned away, eyes hollow. "So do I."
People whispered that the water was running low. That the barrier wouldn’t hold. That monsters disguised as men could already be inside. Panic began to spread like rot.
One man accused another of being infected. The accused denied it. Screamed it. Begged.
But fear doesn’t need proof. It just needs a spark.