Nathan and Diana were still somewhat wary as they followed Rovan's steps. The man walked casually, as if the earlier incident—where he had pointed a revolver at Nathan's head—had never happened.
The three of them arrived at a small bar in the corner of the city. Dim hanging lights illuminated the room with a golden glow, creating a warm atmosphere that contrasted with the cold night air outside. The faint aroma of alcohol and tobacco mixed with the low murmur of other patrons' conversations.
Rovan chose a table in the corner, away from prying eyes. He ordered a drink for himself, while Nathan and Diana just sat without touching anything.
"You're not ordering anything?" Rovan asked as he lit his cigarette.
"No, thanks," Nathan quickly replied.
Rovan just shrugged, then took a deep drag from his cigarette before exhaling a thin wisp of smoke into the air.
"Okay," he said, staring at Nathan seriously. "Now explain. What do you mean by 'a vampire will appear'?"
Nathan sighed. To be honest, he didn't want to explain. But after thinking it over… if there was one person he might be able to cooperate with in this situation, it was Rovan.
"…What if I told you I've been through all of this before?"
Diana turned to Nathan with a shocked expression. She hadn't expected him to speak so honestly right away.
Rovan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Nathan bit his lip, staring at the wooden table in front of him before finally looking up again. "I… I went back in time."
Silence.
Then Rovan chuckled. "Hah? Seriously?"
Nathan looked at him expressionlessly. "I'm serious."
Rovan's laughter disappeared instantly.
He stared at Nathan for a long time, as if trying to detect a lie in his face. But all he found was determination.
"…You're joking, right?"
"If I were joking, I wouldn't have gone through all that trouble persuading that noble soldier earlier to believe me," Nathan said flatly.
Rovan exhaled and leaned back in his chair. He still looked skeptical, but at least he was considering Nathan's words.
"So," Rovan finally said, "you're telling me this has happened before?"
Nathan nodded. "A vampire will appear. I don't know who it is, but one thing is certain: their emergence begins with the arrival of the nobles in this city."
Rovan fell silent for a moment. His eyes narrowed slightly, then he slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.
"…Interesting," he muttered.
Diana, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke up. "You… you believe him?"
Rovan didn't answer immediately. He just shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I do know one thing."
He looked Nathan straight in the eye.
"When it comes to vampires… I believe."
Nathan and Diana exchanged glances.
Rovan sighed before continuing, his voice lower. "I've seen a vampire before. In fact… it was a vampire who killed my brother."
Diana covered her mouth, while Nathan remained silent, letting those words sink in.
Rovan took another drag from his cigarette before flicking it into the ashtray. "That's why I tested you earlier," he said, his voice cold. "I thought you might be one of them."
Nathan kept his gaze on him, trying to understand the man sitting before him.
"…That's why you immediately brought up vampires?" he asked.
Rovan nodded. "Vampires can't be treated the same as normal humans. But there's one problem."
"What?"
"I don't know how to distinguish them," Rovan admitted, frustration lacing his voice. "The only thing I know is that their skin is paler than normal humans. That's it."
Nathan frowned. "So you don't know about the mark on their bodies?"
"The mark?"
Nathan thought for a moment. If he recalled previous events, the vampire that appeared had a hidden mark beneath their clothes—a strange symbol that could only be seen upon close inspection.
But if Rovan didn't know about that…
"…So you've been hunting vampires based on guesswork?" Nathan asked.
Rovan smirked slightly. "More or less."
Nathan let out a long sigh. "That means you could have killed the wrong person."
Rovan went silent. His faint smirk disappeared.
Diana, who had been hesitant to speak, finally asked, "So… you've killed someone before, haven't you?"
Rovan didn't answer immediately.
He just looked at them for a moment before finally saying, "All I know is, I won't let another vampire take someone I love again."
After that, the atmosphere grew heavier.
Nathan studied Rovan intently. Now, he understood a little more about why this man was so cold and burdened.
He wasn't just an ordinary vampire hunter.
He was someone who had lost everything.
And he was trapped in an endless cycle of vengeance.
The bar felt heavy with tension after Rovan's confession. No one spoke. Only the clinking of glasses and the faint murmur of other patrons filled the room.
Nathan stared blankly at the wooden surface of the table, his mind swirling with questions. But suddenly, something outside the window caught his attention.
His eyes widened.
Across the street, under the dim glow of a streetlamp, he saw a small child walking with his parents.
It was him.
Young Nathan.
Dressed simply, walking casually while holding his parents' hands.
Nathan felt his blood freeze. Without thinking, he immediately stood up. His chair scraped noisily against the floor as he moved abruptly.
Diana and Rovan were startled.
"Nathan?" Diana called, but he didn't respond.
He had already run outside.
Rovan frowned, exchanging glances with Diana before they both followed him.
Outside, Nathan ran as fast as he could. His breath was ragged, his steps urgent.
He saw young Nathan ahead, walking calmly, unaware of his older self's presence.
"Nathan!" he shouted.
The child stopped.
Young Nathan turned around, his eyes widening as he saw the strange man—someone who, to him, was unfamiliar.
Nathan also halted. His chest rose and fell rapidly, but he couldn't say a word.
He just stared at his younger self.
Young Nathan took a step back, confused and anxious. His parents, noticing him stop, turned around.
They saw the older Nathan.
Their eyes narrowed slightly, their expressions filled with confusion. There was something familiar about the man's face—something that felt close yet unexplainable.
But they said nothing. They simply ignored him and continued walking, leading young Nathan away.
Nathan stood frozen in place, his eyes following their figures until they disappeared into the city's bustle.
Rovan and Diana finally caught up.
Diana, panting, approached Nathan. "Nathan… what happened?"
Rovan also noticed Nathan's blank expression. "Hey, are you okay?"
Nathan didn't respond.
He just stood there, unmoving, his mind flooded with emotions.
Nathan remained still, staring blankly at the road where his younger self had disappeared.
Why hadn't he been able to say a single word?
Why had he only stared, as if seeing a stranger?
Why hadn't he told young Nathan everything? About what would happen? About the future he needed to change?
His hand rose to his head, gripping his hair tightly. His thoughts spiraled endlessly.
Diana bit her lip, watching him with concern.
"Nathan…?" She stepped closer, gently placing her hand on his arm. "Let's go home. You need rest."
Rovan, who had been silent, finally spoke. "I'm coming too."
Diana turned to him. "Why?"
"I want to know why he's acting like this," Rovan said seriously.
Diana didn't argue. She simply nodded and gently pulled Nathan's hand, leading him home.
---
Inside Diana's house, the atmosphere was silent.
Nathan sat in a chair near the dining table, his head bowed, resting on both hands.
Even after arriving here, his mind was still in turmoil.
What if he was too late?
What if he couldn't change anything?
What if his return to the past was meaningless?
His thoughts were constantly filled with the worst possibilities, making his chest feel even tighter.
Diana, seeing this, sighed.
She then stood up, walked to the kitchen, and began making something. Not long after, the sweet aroma of freshly baked pastries filled the room.
Rovan sat on the sofa, watching Nathan with an analytical gaze but saying nothing.
Moments later, Diana returned with a cup of warm tea and a small plate of still-steaming pastries.
"Drink this first," she said, placing the cup and plate in front of Nathan.
Nathan slowly looked up, staring at the tea and pastries.
The comforting warmth of the aroma eased some of the tension in his mind. He took a deep breath before picking up the cup and sipping the warm tea slowly.
As the warm liquid flowed down his throat, his body began to relax.
Diana smiled faintly, seeing him calm down.
Rovan, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
"Alright, now explain," he said, leaning back against the sofa. "Why were you acting so strangely earlier?"
Nathan placed his cup on the table, exhaling deeply before finally starting to speak.
He told them everything.
About how he had returned to the past.
About how he saw his younger self today.
About how he wanted to say everything but couldn't utter a single word.
As he listened, Rovan stared at him seriously, trying to process the seemingly impossible story.
Meanwhile, Diana looked at Nathan with sympathy.
Once Nathan finished his story, Rovan remained silent for a moment before sighing and saying, "So, you want to change the future?"
Nathan nodded slowly.
"And you're afraid it's already too late?"
Once again, Nathan nodded.
Rovan remained quiet before looking at Nathan sharply. "Then we need to move fast."
Rovan crossed his arms, leaning back on the sofa with a thoughtful expression.
"Alright," he finally said, "I'll help you solve this problem."
Nathan lifted his head, looking at Rovan with slight surprise.
"You... believe me?"
Rovan sighed. "I still find it hard to believe, but... I know you're not lying. Besides, I'm already involved. If vampires really are lurking around, then I want to take them down."
Nathan stared at him for a moment before finally nodding. "Thank you."
"But we can't involve the nobles," Rovan continued. "They won't believe you, especially if you tell them you're from the future. They'll just think you're insane or, worse—see you as a threat."
Nathan fell silent, contemplating Rovan's words. He was right.
"So, we handle this ourselves," Rovan said, lighting a cigarette. "We'll hunt the vampires on our own terms."
Nathan took a deep breath, trying to calm his still-chaotic mind.
Then Rovan turned to him.
"But before that... I want to know something."
"What?"
"In your time, could you kill a vampire?"
Nathan hesitated for a moment before shaking his head slightly. "No."
Rovan raised an eyebrow. "Then how did you survive?"
"I could only create weapons that could incapacitate mid-level to high-level vampires."
Rovan narrowed his eyes at him, then let out a small, sarcastic laugh. "You're joking, right? How the hell did you survive just by incapacitating them?"
Nathan merely stared at him seriously, causing Rovan's smile to fade.
"...Wait," Rovan leaned forward slightly. "What do you mean by mid-level and high-level vampires? Are there different ranks?"
Nathan nodded. "Yes, there are."
"How many?"
"There are four," Nathan replied. "Low-level vampires—Rippers. Mid-level vampires—Crimson. High-level vampires—Ancient. And lastly... the supreme vampire, their king. The Primordial."
Rovan froze. His eyes widened slightly, and the cigarette between his lips nearly fell.
"...A vampire king?" he muttered. "So vampires have a leader?"
Nathan nodded.
Rovan shook his head, running a hand down his face. "I always thought vampires operated alone, like wild beasts preying on humans. But if they have a leader... this is far worse than I imagined."
Nathan took a breath before explaining further.
"Low-level vampires, Rippers, are those who have just turned into vampires. They are wild, bloodthirsty, and have no control over themselves. They act purely on instinct."
Rovan nodded. "I've encountered those plenty of times."
"Then there are mid-level vampires, the Crimson. They can control themselves, no longer as wild as Rippers. But their power is still limited."
"And after them?"
Nathan continued, "High-level vampires, the Ancient. These are vampires who have reached their peak strength. They can fully control their bodies and abilities. Some Ancient vampires even become leaders of small groups."
Rovan crossed his arms, processing all the information.
"But the most dangerous ones are the last level..." Nathan's voice dropped, "The Primordial."
Rovan looked up, watching Nathan intently.
"The Primordial vampires were the first to appear," Nathan explained. "They are the ones who created all other vampires. They aren't just ordinary creatures of the night... they are true monsters."
Rovan's expression hardened.
"How strong are they?" he asked.
Nathan exhaled. "No human has ever been able to kill one."
Rovan fell silent.
"Even with weapons on the level of nuclear bombs, they could still survive. Although, at the very least, it would overwhelm them."
Rovan finally stood from his seat, walking to the window and exhaling a puff of smoke.
"...Then we're in big trouble," he said.