Vampire's Bride: Forbidden love

Aria strolled through the bustling streets of Silvermist city, taking in the vibrant sights and sounds of the city. She paused to admire the colorful flowers on display at a street vendor's stall, inhaling the sweet fragrance of the blooms. The gentle aroma calmed her mind, a welcome respite from the stress of her daily life.

As she continued her leisurely walk, Aria's gaze drifted to a nearby alleyway. Suddenly, a young girl with a bobbed black haircut and dark purple eyes sprinted out of the alley, a thug hot on her heels. Without hesitation, Aria sprang into action.

"Hey, back off!" Aria shouted, intercepting the thug.

The thug, a burly man with a cruel grin, sneered at Aria. "Mind your own business, sweetheart," he sneered.

Aria's eyes flashed with anger. "You're not taking her anywhere," she said, her fists clenched.

The thug snarled, charging at Aria. But she was ready for him. With a swift kick, she sent him crashing to the ground.

The thug groaned, clutching his stomach. "You...you're going to pay for this," he gasped.

Aria stood over him, her eyes blazing. "You're not going to hurt anyone else tonight," she said.

As the thug slunk away, defeated, Aria turned to the girl. "Hey, it's okay," she said softly. "You're safe now."

The girl didn't respond, her eyes welling up with tears. Aria gently guided her to a nearby bench, trying to comfort her.

For what felt like hours, the girl remained silent, her eyes vacant and unresponsive. Aria tried everything to get her to talk – gentle prodding, soothing words, even offering her food and drink.

Just when Aria thought she'd never get through to the girl, she finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"T-thank you," the girl stammered, her eyes slowly focusing on Aria.

Aria smiled, relieved. "You're welcome," she said. "My name is Aria. What's yours?"

The girl hesitated, her eyes darting around nervously. "K-Kaida," she stammered.

Aria nodded encouragingly. "Nice to meet you, Kaida. Are you okay? That was a pretty scary situation."

Kaida nodded, her eyes welling up with tears again. "I'm just really scared and shocked...because no one has ever done something like that for me before."

Aria's expression softened. "Sounds like you had a rough past," she said gently. "Do you mind telling me...?"

Aria trailed off, feeling a pang of uncertainty. Had she overstepped?

But before she could finish, Kaida started talking.

"It all started when I was a kid..." Kaida began, her voice barely above a whisper.

As Kaida told her story, Aria listened with growing sympathy. She couldn't believe what Kaida had been through – the abuse, the neglect, the constant fear.

By the time Kaida finished talking, Aria felt a deep connection to her. She reached out, putting a hand on Kaida's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Kaida," Aria said, her voice filled with emotion. "No one deserves to go through that."

Kaida looked up, her eyes shining with tears. "Thank you, Aria," she whispered.

As they hugged, Aria knew that she had found a true friend in Kaida.

Over the next few weeks, Aria and Kaida grew inseparable. They spent their days exploring the city, trying new foods, and laughing together. One afternoon, they decided to visit a quaint café on the outskirts of town. As they sipped their lattes, Aria told Kaida about her friends, especially her best friend Emily.

"Emily's amazing," Aria said, smiling. "We've been friends for years, and I trust her with my life."

Kaida listened intently, her eyes sparkling with interest. "That's really cool," she said. "I'm glad you have someone like that in your life."

As they chatted, Aria noticed a faint smile on Kaida's face. "Seems like you have good friends," Kaida said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aria's expression softened. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, noticing the hint of sadness in Kaida's eyes.

Kaida looked away, her smile faltering. "Nothing," she said quickly. "I'm just happy for you."

Aria reached out, putting a comforting hand on Kaida's arm. "Hey, I'm here for you too," she said. "You can trust me."

But when Aria told Xavier and the others...about Kaida, they were less than enthusiastic.

"Aria, you're putting too much trust in a total stranger," Xavier said, his brow furrowed with concern.

Aria defended Kaida. "She's harmless, I'm telling you. She's been through so much, and she's broken."

But Xavier and the others weren't convinced. "We can't take any chances," Freya said. "Not with...the Crimson Reapers still out there. You and Emily need to stay safe until we can detect their next move."

Aria's face fell, her frustration boiling over. "I don't need your protection," she said, standing up. "And I'm not going to abandon Kaida just because you don't trust her."

With that, Aria stormed out of the room, leaving Xavier and the others staring after her in concern.

Kaida, meanwhile, watched Aria's outburst with interest. Her eyes gleamed with a calculating intensity, and a small smile played on her lips. As Aria walked away, Kaida's smile grew wider. She knew exactly what she was doing, and Aria was playing right into her hands.

Later that day, Kaida approached Aria with a mysterious smile. "Hey, I wanted to show you something," Kaida said, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Meet me at the old warehouse on 5th and Main at midnight. Come alone."

Aria raised an eyebrow, feeling a twinge of unease. "What's going on?" she asked.

Kaida just smiled and walked away, leaving Aria with more questions than answers.

Meanwhile, Nova, a skilled hacker and informant that worked for the ' Phoenix Initiative ', had been tracking Kaida's movements. Nova had managed to infiltrate Kaida's communication channels, and had intercepted a message from Kaida to an unknown recipient, detailing the meeting location and time.

Nova's voice came through the satellite phone, clear and urgent. "Lieutenant General Hunter, we have a situation."

Hunter's expression turned serious. "What is it, Nova?"

"We've been tracking a girl with short black hair and purple eyes," Nova said. "She's a member of the Crimson Reapers, a deadly assassin who's made contact with Aria."

The room fell silent, with gasps and shocked expressions from the others.

"An assassin?" Emily whispered.

Scarlet's eyes widened. "Don't tell me her name is Kaida."

Nova's voice confirmed their worst fears. "That's correct. Kaida is her name, and she's a natural-born killer who kills people ruthlessly."

The room erupted into a mixture of shock, fear, and determination. Hunter's expression turned grim. "We need to find Aria and warn her about Kaida. Now."

Freya nodded. "Agreed. We can't let Aria walk into a trap."

Hunter turned to Nova. "Thanks for the information, Nova. Keep digging and keep us updated. We'll get to work on finding Aria and taking down Kaida."

Nova's voice came back through the phone. "My pleasure, Lieutenant General. I'll keep you posted on any developments."

As the night wore on, Aria made her way to the old warehouse, her heart pounding with anticipation. What did Kaida have planned?

When Aria arrived at the warehouse, Kaida was waiting for her. "So, you came," Kaida said, her voice low and husky.

Aria's eyes narrowed. "I did. But what's going on here, Kaida? Why did you ask me to come here?"

Kaida's smile was like a thin crack in her mask. Silence stretched out for what felt like an eternity – 10 long seconds that seemed to drag on forever.

"Hey, Aria," Kaida said finally, her voice dripping with malice. "Do you know the meaning of death? How it feels like?"

Aria's brow furrowed. "Death?"

Kaida's eyes gleamed with a cold intensity. "Yes, but it doesn't matter whether you answer the question or not. I'm about to make you experience it."

Aria's eyes widened as Kaida lunged at her, a blade flashing in the dim light. "Kaida, what are you—"

Before Aria could finish, Kaida's blade bit deep into her side, and she felt a wave of agony wash over her. Her vision began to blur as she stumbled backwards, her eyes fixed on Kaida's twisted grin.

"K-Kaida..." Aria's voice was barely a whisper as she felt her consciousness slipping away.

Kaida's eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire as she stood over Aria, her chest heaving with exertion. "Hey, Aria. Do you know who I am?"

Aria's gaze was fixed on Kaida's, her eyes filled with a mixture of pain and shock.

Kaida's smile grew wider. "My name is Kaida ...Katsurugi. And I'm an elite assassin, one of the founding members of the Crimson Reapers."

Aria's eyes widened in horror as the truth dawned on her. She tried to speak but couldn't, until Kaida completely read her thoughts and gave Aria a little advise. "Be careful...who you trust..."

As Aria's eyes closed, her body went limp, and she felt her life slipping away, bathing in the warm pool of her own blood. The last thing she saw was Kaida's twisted grin, forever etched into her mind.

Just then, Hunter and the others burst into the warehouse, but they were too late. Aria's lifeless body lay on the floor, surrounded by a sea of blood. Hunter's eyes widened in horror as he took in the scene, his heart heavy with grief.

"Aria, no...!" Xavier screamed, his voice cracking with emotion.

Kaida's gaze shifted to Xavier and the others. Her eyes intense with bloodlust, making all 5 of them whimper. "Oh, so you're her friends," Kaida said, her voice dripping with malice.

"Seriously, how useless could you guys get. If you couldn't even protect your own friend, especially in this heated period, then you all are just idiots," Kaida said, remaining her intense glare and bloodlust.

"Why you....." Xavier was prone to anger and wanted to attack her, to kill her on the spot, but Hunter stopped him.

"Xavier, don't do it. She's not worth it, even if you attacked, do you think you can win against a member of the Crimson Reapers?" Hunter said, and Xavier groaned.

"You, of all people, should know just how strong they are," Hunter said, cooling Xavier down.

"Sorry, and thanks for that," Xavier said, smiling, and Hunter smiled back.

"Well, I'm off," Kaida said, leaving the open warehouse and jumping off the roof, hopping through the trees until you could no longer see her.

"Let's take Aria to Phoenix Hospital. She should have the best treatment there," Hunter said.

"Okay," Freya said. "But for now, we should act on protecting you, Emily. They will surely get to you."

"The Crimson Reapers, huh," Scarlet said, looking at the sky as the rest joined her.

"Something tells me that this is just the beginning," Scarlet said, her eyes fixed on the horizon.