Drake sat quietly by the train window, watching the dark landscape blur past. The night was quiet, but his thoughts weren't. He didn't know what awaited them, but one thing felt certain—real danger was close.
In the same room, Selena and Mr. Finch sat across from him. Selena had drifted off to sleep, her head resting against the seat. Even in rest, her face showed the weight of exhaustion. Mr. Finch sat beside her, silent, deep in thought.
Drake glanced at her now and then, then turned his eyes back to the window. The train headed to the Oakhaven north side from the city.
After two hours of travel, they finally arrive at the train station. Though the station is old, it remains bustling with activity, as it serves as the only means of transportation to distant locations. Passengers fill the area—some seated and waiting for their departure time, others buying food from the small nearby stalls. At the same time, a steady stream of travelers disembark from arriving trains, adding to the constant movement and noise.
"Where do we go now?" Selena asked, glancing around the station.
"We need to find a place to stay," Drake replied.
"We should try asking a local for suggestions," Mr. Finch added.
Just as they were about to leave the station, a shout from different voices stopped them. When they turn around, a hundred fifty meters away, a vampire in a frenzy, attacking the crowd. In a blur of chaos and blood, he drained his victims and turned them into creatures like himself, spreading terror through the station like wildfire.
"Run!!!" a man shouted, sprinting away in panic.
Mr. Finch instinctively stepped forward, ready to help the fleeing crowd, but Drake grabbed his arm firmly. "Don't."
The one vampire quickly turned into five, and the passengers ran in all directions, trying to escape. In the chaos, a man bumped into Selena, and she fell to the ground. Drake quickly helped her up.
"We need to get out of here," Drake said firmly.
From one vampire to five, chaos erupted as passengers ran toward them. A man collided with Selena, sending her to the ground, but Drake quickly helped her up.
"We need to get out of here," Drake urged.
"What about them? You need to help them, or many people will die," Selena pleaded, her voice trembling.
"Let the authorities deal with it. We're on the run—we can't risk the slayers or vampires finding out where we are," Drake replied.
"But…" Selena started to argue, but Mr. Finch shook his head, silently telling her not to say more.
They hurried out of the station, doing their best to ignore the screams and chaos around them. Just as they stepped through the exit, the vampire slayers arrived, rushing in to handle the situation. The group kept their heads down, trying not to draw attention. Without looking back, they slipped away, hoping to leave the place unseen and unnoticed.
They wandered around the area, looking for a hotel where they could stay, but most of the places were fully booked.
"Let's get some rest," Drake said.
Selena and Mr. Finch both nodded and sat down on a bench in the park, tired from the long day.
"Where should we go now?" Selena asked.
Silence.
"Yo!!!" the familiar greetings that Drake heard.
"What are you doing here?" Lyra asked, slightly out of breath.
"It's a long story," Drake replied.
"Ehhhhh… you always say that," she groaned.
"Now that you're here, be useful. We need a place to stay."
"Okay. But—"
"But what?" Drake asked.
She pouted and pointed at the man sitting next to Selena.
"I'm Mr. Finch, Selena's butler," he said, offering his hand.
"Lyra Blaze, Drake's friend," she replied, shaking his hand. She chuckled when she saw the look on Drake's face.
They followed Lyra through the quiet streets until they stopped in front of an old three-story hotel. The building looked worn down, with faded paint and creaky windows—definitely not the kind of place you'd choose to stay in. But with nowhere else to go, they had no choice.
"Welcome to — Hotel!" Lyra said cheerfully, throwing her arms out.
There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at the place, unsure whether to laugh or worry.
"Come on, don't stare like that. Come in." Lyra said and they all entered the building.
"Mama, we have some guests!"
"Coming!" an old lady with a dress comes out.
"Mama, this is Drake the one I told you. This is Selena and Mr. Finch, her butler." Lyra introduced them and they exchanged smiles.
"Welcome to our hotel. We have two rooms available. The two boys can share one room and Selena can stay in the other room."
"That sounds good." Drake replied.
They went to their rooms to rest. Drake lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, guilt gnawing at him for not helping during the incident. His mind was filled with what-ifs.
What if I tell Shadowfang about my situation? Will they help me? he wondered. But then again, they might interrogate me relentlessly.
"I can't go back to the way I used to live, not knowing that vampires are hunting us," he muttered to himself. "But I can't just leave the fight to Selena, either. She helped me—now it's my turn to help her."
Drake turned to his side and saw Mr. Finch sleeping soundly. A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He got up and opened it.
"I couldn't sleep," Selena said quietly. "Just wanted to check on you two."
"Same here. Want to get some air?" Drake offered.
They stepped out onto the hotel balcony. The night air was cool, and the city below was quiet.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this," Selena said, avoiding his gaze.
"Stop apologizing," Drake replied gently. "If I hadn't been caught, you wouldn't have had to save me—and maybe your family wouldn't have found out about us. I played a part in this too. We'll figure it out. Together."
"I'm sorry for what my family did to you," she said again, her voice filled with regret.
Drake turned to her. "I told you—stop apologizing. We can't undo what's already happened. All we can do now is move forward and survive."
Selena's eyes welled with tears, but before they could fall, Drake gently tapped her shoulder.
"It's going to be alright," he said softly. "Get some rest. It's been a long day… and tomorrow's another one."
She nodded silently, grateful for his words. They both turned and headed back to their rooms.