Ethan had barely parted his lips, hadn't even spoken yet, when Autumn took the lead in the conversation.
"I'm guessing you have a lot of questions right now. But can we put them off for later, Ethan?"
She glanced sideways at him while her hands worked swiftly to load a new AntiVamp vial into her injector gun.
"Okay. Then can I just ask one question?"
"Uhm!"
Autumn crept toward the staircase that led down the lower levels of the mini apartment building. She pressed her small back against the wall, her clear brown eyes scanning the dark void below.
There were plenty of things Ethan was anxious about - like the whole Bloodbound and Master thing, or some shady suspicions around Ruby. But since Autumn only allowed one question, he had to choose the one that worried him most right now.
"Will I turn into an Infected if I accidentally drink Vampire blood, Autumn?"
Ethan kept his eyes locked on the tattered body of the landlord, who was still lying unconscious on the floor.
"Yes. That's a certainty. So from now on, you should be extra careful about what you eat and drink. But… Vampire blood has a very strong, distinct smell. You'll recognize it immediately."
Ethan stared at her blankly. Autumn kept trying to reassure him.
"Don't stress too much! There's no way you'd accidentally drink 200 milliliters of Vampire blood and not notice it."
"You're not considering the possibility that someone might force me to drink it, are you, Autumn?"
"Oh… right! I totally forgot…"
Autumn covered her mouth with her hand.
Seeing Ethan's face cloud over with panic, as if doomsday had just been declared, Autumn clearly struggled to find the right words to comfort him.
"Well, there's AntiVamp treatment available now, Ethan."
"But what if I don't make it in time for the shot?"
Autumn's cheeks suddenly flushed pink.
"Who knows, maybe you'll luck out and become a Semi Vampire? The odds of a Bloodbound turning into a Semi Vampire are always higher than for a regular Infected."
"Bloodbound… what does that even mean?"
Autumn's pink cheeks deepened into full-on crimson. Her entire demeanor became awkward and flustered - an unusual sight, since Ethan was more used to seeing her blush from anger than from embarrassment.
"Shhh!"
Autumn frowned and raised a finger to her lips, signaling him to keep quiet.
"I told you, one question only. But you've asked like, four or five already…"
She started walking backward toward Ethan's apartment room, as silent as a shadow.
After that, Autumn singlehandedly lifted the door - which the landlord had badly damaged earlier - and propped it back up against the frame, even though the hinges were completely broken.
"Ethan, come here and hold the door for me."
Ethan helped Autumn hold the door upright, still unsure what exactly she intended to do.
"You can let go now."
She pushed Ethan's study desk over to brace the door. Then she dragged over his two-door wardrobe to add more weight. Finally, she threw his now-ruined mattress on top to reinforce the barricade.
Ethan couldn't help but admire Autumn's strength. All the furniture in his room - like the desk and the wardrobe - was made of solid wood, not cheap plywood. That's why he hadn't even thought about using them as a barricade earlier - they were way too heavy.
"There. For now, THAT THING downstairs won't be able to get up here so easily. This should buy us enough time for the backup team to deal with IT. Then the medics can come up and take the landlord to the hospital."
Autumn pointed at Ethan's backpack. It was now noticeably puffier than usual.
"I already packed your essentials in there. Let's go!"
Ethan didn't bother to check. He just threw the bag over his shoulder and followed Autumn out to the rooftop of the mini apartment building.
It was well past midnight. Now it was officially Sunday, the 14th of August in the lunar calendar. The moon hung high in the pitch-black sky. Its cold, pale light, along with the twinkling stars, lit up the silhouettes of the two teens standing near the rooftop railing.
"Grab onto my back. We're jumping from here."
Ethan's eyes widened.
What kind of suggestion was that?
What the heck was Autumn thinking?
A boy who was 1.78 meters tall getting piggybacked by a girl who was only 1.53 meters? That would be mortifying.
Even if they were the same height, being carried by a girl like that was just unacceptable - at least for Ethan.
"I… I don't think piggybacking is the best option here."
Ethan hesitated. He needed to find a way to refuse.
"Then how about I carry you princess-style instead, Ethan?"
Autumn replied. Her tone made it clear she was being completely serious.
"Whether it's on the back or in the arms, it's still the same. I just don't think you can carry me and make that jump from this height."
"What? I've practiced this plenty of times! I've carried Summer on my back and jumped off cliffs before! Skinny guys like you are no problem!"
Autumn's face was flushed red with anger this time. She must've thought Ethan didn't trust her abilities.
"But I'm not your big brother."
Ethan was getting a little annoyed himself. He didn't appreciate being called "skinny guys" either.
"Who's the one who kept insisting on being the big brother, huh?"
Autumn shot back immediately.
"Calm down, Autumn. That's not what I meant. I'm taller than Summer and my arms and legs are longer too. Plus…"
Ethan didn't know how to explain it to Autumn so she'd understand. To him - being carried on someone's back wasn't all that different from hugging them from behind. He didn't want to take advantage of the situation, especially not with an innocent girl like Autumn.
"You feel it too, right? That thing down there… it's dangerous. We need to get out of this building now. Before it…"
"A-Autumn…"
Ethan's voice trailed off.
Autumn also stopped speaking. Her gaze followed Ethan's.
Something long and slick, reddish-brown in color, suddenly slithered up from below and onto the rooftop. It looked like a giant tentacle - slimy, glistening, and unnaturally flexible.
"Ahhhhh!"
Autumn let out a sharp scream. Her face turned pale as a sheet.
Because right there - on the surface of the tentacle - multiple large, bulging eyeballs had sprouted. The eyes stuck out grotesquely, ringed with bloodshot veins, the black pupils staring coldly and without emotion.
The tentacle twisted and curled, first aiming its mass of eyes at Ethan, then shifting to stare at Autumn.
After a few seconds of eerie deliberation, it made its choice - going straight for the one who had just screamed the loudest. It lunged in Autumn. And she? She just stood there frozen, completely paralyzed. Her usual quick reflexes were nowhere to be seen.
Ethan sprang into action.
He threw himself at Autumn, wrapping her in his arms, shielding her from the incoming slime-covered tentacle. The two of them rolled several times across the rooftop.
Ethan's back hit the ground hard and cold. That Gen Z spine of his had taken the full brunt of the fall.
As for Autumn…
Blood rushed to Ethan's face.
His chest felt both warm and soaked.
Was that… tears?
"Sniff… sniff… A giant… earthworm!"
Autumn was quietly sobbing. She remained in Ethan's arms, trembling. Her body was featherlight and incredibly soft - almost like hugging a pillow.
So even Vampire girls were terrified of long, legless, slippery, slimy creatures like worms, snakes… and tentacles - just like normal human girls.
Ethan thought about letting her cry it out for a bit before doing anything else. But suddenly, he felt something cold and sticky wrap around his ankle.
It was that thing. Its grip was icy and wet - but incredibly strong!
It was trying to drag Ethan away.
Ethan immediately pushed Autumn off him.
There was no way he'd let that disgusting tentacle pull her down along with him.