The Vampire's Bride

"Master! Master!"

Kai immediately grabbed a hold of Zorek's arm as he went down on one leg. Seeing her master got shot, Kai was petrified.

"We meet again."

Looking at the source of the voice, Kai saw five figures emerged from the dark. Kai glared at the figures only to see what seemed to be familiar faces.

W-Who are they?

Unable to think, Kai held her head with her left hand. Her head started aching the more she stared at them. At first, Zorek was confused why but when he saw the incoming group, he found the answer. He gritted his teeth as he scanned through each and every one of them until... he found her.

Mallory! She's here again!

I won't allow her to steal nor destroy my puppets!

Not breaking his focus, Zorek ordered, "My little devil, return home."

"B-But..." Kai started hesitating.

"Don't worry about me. I'll follow after I exchange a few words with them," Zorek said as he assured her.

Kai did not reply. She glanced at the group that stopped a few steps in front of them. She knew that her master was injured... but can he survive the situation?

"Kai!" Zorek called. Kai immediately looked, "I am not weak. I can handle this. Now go back home."

Kai knew Zorek would get angry if she did not follow so she lowered her head and reluctantly agreed, "Y-Yes, Master."

As soon as she turned around, Kai looked hurt. Her heart was aching. She questioned herself, "Why did I hesitate?"

It was only for a few seconds but... why? Was it because Master is injured and he might lose the battle? Or...

Was it because there's something else with the group?

Kai placed her hand in front of her. She started mumbling a spell and a circle slowly formed beneath her. Glancing behind her, she noticed the woman standing besides the famous Orpheus. For some reason, the woman seemed to be looking at her — or rather, pleading something.

[No... No! Don't go!]

Unconsciously, Kai quickly stopped. Her eyes widened as she heard a voice in her head. It sounded like what she would hear from the woman except the voice was... exactly like hers!

It was as if time had stopped as she stood there in silence. Zorek was confused and called out to her, "Kai! Little Kai!"

It wasn't until he touched her that she returned, "Kai!"

"M-Master?" Kai was surprised to see Zorek at her front. Looking straight at her eyes, Zorek knew he had his control back. He shot a piercing glare at Mallory and mumbled, "I won't let you have her!"

Not her! She's a valuable piece!

She can bring me to the top once more!

"Stop controlling her!" Mallory said. She stepped forward and tried to call the little girl who was having an internal conflict with the voice she heard.

Kai heard Mallory's voice and whispered, "Controlling... me?"

Hearing this, Zorek quickly retorted, "No! You stop controlling her!"

Mallory was angered and said, "She's not a stepping stone. I won't let you control her."

"Ha! I know she isn't," Zorek said. The way he said it sounded so genuine that Kai did not believe the woman's words but... it was sad that she could not hear what was in his mind.

She's an elevator! A shortcut to the top!

"Then why are you controlling her?" Mallory asked once more.

Zorek felt his blood boiling as he saw the confusion flashing through Kai's eyes. This insolent girl! I need to stop her before she breaks my bond with the little girl!

"I am not," Zorek stood up as he told Kai, "Hurry and return home, little devil. I will follow behind."

"Y-Yes, Master..." Kai, once again, tried casting a spell but just as she opened her mouth, the voice spoke.

[If you leave now, then you'll die forever!]

D...Die? What do you mean?

[Kai... The man whom you call your master... is not your master.]

"Liar! Master Zorek is my master!" Kai shouted.

Zorek was surprised and quickly came to her, "Little devil, what's wrong?"

"There's a voice inside my head... she's telling me that you're a bad guy..." Kai said, tearing up.

Wiping her tears, she continued, "You're not a bad guy, right Master Zorek?"

"You're wrong little Kai! He's a bad guy! He's controlling you!" Jillion shouted, not giving Zorek a chance to speak.

"No!" Kai retorted, "Master Zorek cannot be a bad guy! After all, you're the one who saved me from the fire, right?"

"Fire?" Leo and company looked at each other with a confusing gaze.

Was there a fire with Kai involved?

Surely none. Kai did not tell them anything as well. If ever the fire happened after Kai's disappearance, then Leo would have been informed but there were no such news.

That led to only one conclusion: Zorek altered her memories!

"Y-You altered her memories?" Mallory asked.

"Not really," Zorek said as he secretly cast a spell, "You see, she needed help, so I helped her. In return, she's helping me."

"Then those killings..." Mallory trailed off.

"That's right. I ordered her to do so," Zorek answered the question left unsaid.

This angered the group. Letting a child to do the killings while he kept his hands clean... he was too much! He's a whole-hearted villain!

"See you later, Little Kai!" Zorek waved his hand as he sent Kai back to their home.

Eh? See you later? Wha—?!

"M-Master? N-No! Please wait, Master! Wai—!" Kai reached out her hand as she was s.u.c.k.e.d in by a portal that appeared out of nowhere. Her eyes were wet. Slowly, she was completely s.u.c.k.e.d in. For some reason, she was hurt... she felt betrayed.

Was her Master really a bad guy? Wasn't he her savior?

"No!" Mallory tried to ran up to Kai but was suddenly pushed back by a strong force.

"Mallory!" Everyone was surprised as the force hit Mallory. Mallory just smiled slightly and said, "I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Now, now, why don't you just behave, Missy? I can't let you destroy what I've built once more," Zorek said, laughing at the miserable face Mallory had.

"Zorek! Why are you so mean to an innocent child?" Leo asked angrily.

"Innocent? Ha! You call this innocent? This child that has killed more than 5 lives? Tell me, is this considered as innocent?" Zorek shouted.

"No, you told her to kill. She's not in control," Jillion spoke.

"Not in control? Ha! What a joke!" Zorek laughed. He smirked at the obviously angry girl at his front. "You see, little human, this is my revenge."

"Revenge?"

"That's right! Revenge for that night!"

As Zorek said that, his arms were spread and he looked up at the moon. It was as if the light dimly shined on him and honored his words.

The revenge was for the loss he received when Aldo died. Aldo was his guinea pig. It was fine for him to lose Aldo but not his army! No! So when Mallory lead his army to death, he got angry. Every time he remembers it, his hands got the urge to choke Mallory. The only thing that's stopping him is her miserable face.

"Revenge? But you could just make a new army. You're the one who turned those dead to the undead. Why are you so hang up on it?" Jillion asked.

Zorek suddenly flinched as he heard Jillion's statement. That's right... He was the one who started it so why is he unable to forget what Mallory did? Why won't he just make a new army?

"Let go? Haha! It is not that easy!" Zorek exclaimed.

Why? One word: PRIDE

He would never admit the fact that a mere human led his zombie-vampire army to death! If news got out, how lame would he be?

Besides it wasn't that easy to make one. He can't even memorize the steps properly and every wrong move can destroy what he's making!

Besides... ever since that day, someone stole the process. So his only hope was to remake the process and to do that he needed the girl's blood! Either that or the creator...

"Why? 'Cause I need her to complete the process!" Zorek said. Glancing at the group of people, he continued, "No... I might not need her... I just need you, Leo!"

"Master Orpheus?" Mallory looked at Leo in confusion.

Leo averted his gaze s he noticed Mallory looking at him — probably because of guilt. But as he looked away, he suddenly realized something. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "You lost the process, didn't you?"

Zorek shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "Who knows. What do you think?"

"But what does Master Orpheus have to do with the process?" Mallory asked.

"Nothing — absolutely nothing," Leo quickly answered, not leaving anyone time to think.

"Nothing?" Zorek laughed. It was so obvious that he was hiding something. "It's not 'nothing'... it's everything! The process of turning a vampire into a zombie vampire started because of him!"