The Pact: Bruno and the Crimson Veil

When I woke up, I felt Flávia's breath on my neck and the gentle weight of Selena's head on my shoulder.

Without even realizing it, we had fallen asleep right there. The cozy atmosphere and the warmth of their presence had completely erased my fatigue. To watch the movies, I had removed my weights and the chain, setting them aside — now, my body felt strangely light, almost comfortable.

But in my mind, a voice started echoing — clumsy at first, but gradually becoming clearer.

"W...where are you?

Early... training...

Hungry...

Hungry..."

The voice sounded confused, like a growing whisper. I responded mentally:

"I'm coming to you. We're going to train now."

Surprisingly, that small spark of motivation to train now felt natural. And the hunger… made sense. He had slept from 1 PM yesterday until 5:30 AM the next morning.

It seemed to have gotten a bit colder, and Flávia and Selena were snuggled close to me, as if seeking warmth. I almost gave up on training — but then I remembered something essential: consistency is the key to growth.

I thought quickly and decided to move them to my room. There was no point in waking them up, especially since I didn't even have the keys to their rooms. Fortunately, the movie room was far from Flávia's room but very close to mine — just one door away.

With all the care in the world, I picked Selena up in my arms, avoiding any sudden movement, and carried her to my room. Then I returned to get Flávia. She slept like a kitten, serene and light. I also picked her up and carried her with the same delicacy.

Ignis was already in the room. When he saw me placing the two girls on the bed, he looked confused — perhaps a bit offended that I was "invading" our space with these "intruders." Before he could start making little growling protests, I raised a finger and said firmly:

— Silence, Ignis.

He seemed to understand and simply watched.

I grabbed two blankets, joined them together, and covered Flávia and Selena, who now rested side by side.

Then I crouched down next to Ignis and said:

— Wait a bit. I'm going to take a shower. And don't even think about making noise and waking them up.

He let out a low sound, as if reluctantly accepting the mission.

I grabbed a change of clothes and took a quick shower. When I returned, I picked up Ignis, locked the door and windows, and slid the key under the door so they could unlock it when they woke up.

With Ignis in my arms, we headed to the kitchen. There, I found a maid and asked her to prepare something for this little glutton — she kindly helped me.

Now fed and full of energy, Ignis purred and flapped his wings, clearly telling me: time to train.

Seeing how excited he was, I went to the movie room to grab my chain and weights. Then, I dashed toward the training room. When Ignis saw me running, he took off and flew right after me, full of energy.

As soon as I entered the training field, he immediately began attacking me with small fireballs.

— You little rascal — I said, laughing.

I ran to a rack and grabbed a simple spear. I started dodging and cutting through Ignis's projectiles. He looked both excited and slightly annoyed. He kept attacking for around thirty minutes before flying over to the training dummies to practice his aim.

Meanwhile, I trained with the spear. I was still clumsy, but now more focused. I practiced slashes, thrusts, and throws, trying to discover the best way to wield the weapon — whether by grip or footwork.

I realized I performed better by holding the spear at the very end of the shaft. That way, I could keep more distance and maintain a better balance.

However, today's focus wasn't the spear — or the chain, even though I had used it during my sparring with Ignis. My true goal was to develop control over my Vitae and Nex.

After about an hour alternating between the spear, the chain, and short sparring sessions with Ignis, I sat down on the ground and closed my eyes, trying to reconnect with the sensation I had felt before when using the Vitae.

Time passed. My hearing — sharpened since becoming a vampire — picked up everything: the sound of Ignis's fireballs, the wind whistling, the voices of maids around the field. And then… everything went silent.

As if the outside world had been muted, leaving only my inner self.

I could hear my own organs functioning. My heart beating in a steady rhythm. My lungs calmly inflating and deflating. The stomach acids bubbling. And my Vitae… slithering through my body.

It made a subtle sound, almost imperceptible. A faint hiss, like a snake sliding through grass.

Focused on my training, I didn't even realize how much time had passed.

---

Elsewhere

POV: Flávia / Selena

My eyes slowly opened — and in front of me, the person I had fallen asleep next to was no longer there.

— Flávia?

— Selena?

— Where's Bruno? — we asked in perfect sync.

We looked around and quickly realized: we were in Bruno's bedroom.

I was on the right side of the bed, while Flávia was on the left. She stretched her arm and grabbed Bruno's phone, which had been left on a small desk nearby.

— It's already 11:48 AM — she said between yawns.

She continued in a sleepy voice:

— Looks like we fell asleep in the movie room… and at dawn, Bruno brought us here before going to train.

After saying that, she lay down again, lazy, and added:

— Well… he'll come back to us. So I'll stay here and wait — she mumbled, sinking deeper into the pillow.

I was a little surprised by Flávia's boldness. She seemed a little too comfortable in that bed. I hesitated for a moment, wondering what I should do.

Would it be embarrassing to stay here, in his bed, waiting for him...?

But today was Sunday. There was nothing urgent. No tasks, no obligations.

I sighed, filled with an unexpected lightness… and then I fell asleep again.

Before completely drifting off, both Flávia and I noticed something: his scent was all over the bed. Strong. Present.

And the strangest part was… we were leaving our scent there, too.

At first, I thought it was just my imagination. But when I turned and saw Flávia blushing, I realized: we were both thinking the same thing.

Back to the Training Grounds

POV: Bruno

Panting, I stood in the center of the training field.

I had made good progress in using my Vitae and Nex — I could now channel the vitae. I wasn't yet able to expel it, but I knew that would come with time.

Having no idea what time it was, I picked up Ignis, who was also exhausted from training and could barely fly. I carried him in my arms.

After a short walk, I arrived back at my room. The door was still locked. I picked up the key I had slid under it earlier and stepped inside.

Flávia and Selena were sleeping peacefully in my bed.

Ignis was about to jump onto the bed and curl up with them, but I held him back — he stank from the training. He was definitely not sleeping without a bath. Too tired to resist, he was dragged by me and forced to clean up.

When he finally came out of the bath, Ignis wore a mildly grumpy expression... but he was clean and shining.

I chuckled at the sight of him, his wings fluttering in protest.

I was wearing only casual shorts and white slippers. After such intense training and a hot bath, it was too warm to put on a shirt.

I walked to the rack beside the bed and checked the phone. It was already 12:38 PM.

Surprised by the time, I decided to wake Flávia and Selena. I considered tickling them but opted for something gentler.

— Flávia... Selena... good morning — I called softly.

The two began to stir slowly, still drowsy.

— Come on, wake up... It's a beautiful Sunday outside. Let's do something? I'd like to get out of the castle a bit — I said lightly.

They slowly sat up in bed, eyes half-open. Ignis, who seemed ready to fly again and jump onto the bed, pulled back the moment he heard me say "leave the castle." He seemed excited, letting out a small growl beside me.

Flávia was the first to respond, still sleepy:

— Good morning... — murmured the little bat-girl.

Right after, Selena replied with a quiet voice:

— Good morning...

Flávia smiled slightly and commented:

— Looks like we gave you some trouble, huh...

— Don't worry about it — I replied casually, sitting at the edge of the bed.

Without another word, Flávia came over and hugged me like a sleepy bear. Selena, perhaps encouraged by the moment, also came closer and sat beside me, leaning lightly on my lap, resting against my chest with a shy but receptive air.

As they did this, they noticed I wasn't wearing a shirt, but I didn't let them move away. At that moment, Flávia, still timidly waking, said:

— Let me go take a shower... Don't you want to leave the castle?

Selena nodded, trying to pull away embarrassed, but I didn't let them.

— Ah, my little bats... Now you want to pull away from me all of a sudden? That hurts me — I joked.

Selena mumbled softly:

— Don't be so shameless.

I continued:

— I could let you go... but only if I get what I still haven't gotten.

Hearing that, they clearly understood.

— Not now, Bruno. Later — Flávia replied, blushing.

Selena nodded shyly.

— Then let's lie down again — I said, pulling them back as I got ready to lie down, teasing them.

Suddenly, Flávia and Selena kissed my cheeks and quickly ran off, shyly.

Before she left, I shouted:

— Pull down your shorts, Flávia! They're showing your butt!

She huffed, but still pulled them down before walking out.

At my side on the bed, Ignis asked excitedly, though clumsily:

— G-g-get out of castle?

W-where go?

I-Ignis go?

I replied mentally:

— We're going to explore, see what's out there.

I picked Ignis up and gently played with him while we waited.

After maybe an hour or more, they finally showed up — both in casual clothes. Flávia had her hair tied back, wore loose, comfortable pants, a dark blue shirt, and bat-themed slippers. Selena wore a black and white hoodie, slightly tight pants, and frog-themed slippers. They were both stunning, and I couldn't help but notice every detail.

— You look beautiful! — I said excitedly. — And those slippers are extremely cute! — I added, laughing.

They came closer, shy at my compliments. Flávia threw herself into my arms while I was lying down, and Selena, more reserved, sat on the edge of the bed beside me. So I pulled her a bit closer, keeping her in that position.

Selena, now sitting cross-legged with her hands on the bed, asked:

— Are you sure you want to go out?

I nodded.

— I've been here for about five days and only left once to buy clothes. I'd really like to explore a bit.

I sat up straighter, adjusting Flávia, and continued:

— I want to see what the vampire world is like — beyond a castle with four walls. The culture, the music, everything.

Just as I was about to say more, I noticed something. I leaned toward Flávia and then toward Selena.

— Did you change your perfumes?

They asked shyly:

— How do you know?

— It's the exact scent that's on my mattress.

They got embarrassed and responded casually.

— So... shall we go out? — I asked, a bit excited.

Flávia replied:

— That won't be possible today. You felt the cold, right? I heard the snowstorm predicted for today ended up being about 87% stronger. And since it's Sunday, most places in the barony are closed.

A little disappointed, I nodded. Ignis, hearing that, immediately fell asleep at the foot of the bed.

— So what now? — I asked.

Flávia answered:

— We just have to wait. Probably by tomorrow afternoon, everything will be back to normal.

A bit disheartened, I lifted her by the waist until her eyes met mine.

— Now that I think about it... does it even snow here?

— ???