The Lost Prince's

Chapter 8 Prejudice (part 1)

My eyes red. The black eye bags were hanging in stages under both of my eyes. I stayed up all night. Even though I had eaten 3 grains of sleeping pills that I bought from the pharmacy a few days ago. Or maybe human medicine doesn't work on me anymore. I actually fell asleep for a while, maybe a few minutes. But my nightmare woke me up again. The memory of that night when vanBlood cornered us in the cave is still so vivid in my mind. Every minute of every second I can't forget. Even my body

still remembering the pain when vanBlood's hand punched me in the stomach.

I bathed and shampooed with cold water, hoping to cool my head. Just a moment ago I was pretty sure I heard vanblood. And he doesn't say as in my memory. I dismissed that thought. Horrified at the possibility that the sound was real and not part of my memory. Finished dressing I immediately went downstairs, towards the dining room where everyone gathered for breakfast. Not to eat, considering my appetite is lately disappearing. I just need a distraction. I don't know when Shine and Shane's been with me feeling calmer. I could hear their conversation as I went down the stairs.

"...I mean about vanBlood, are you sure he's not a strong pureblood? I've heard rumors that exhuman strength depends on the master" Shine asked.

My steps slowed down hearing Shine's question. I didn't even realize how much change was in me. Yesterday can be very fatal, thank God Shine has recovered.

"vanBlood is just garbage. If he was strong his family would not be finished off" Zero replied flatly without emotion.

"How about a Key that's so powerful? He's even half a vampire"

"He's been strong for a long time"

"Do you think? So...was that also the reason why he was able to survive without blood until now?"

My perfect move stopped. The dining room door stayed 3 meters in front of me.

"No. He's just too stubborn"

I swallowed spit. I can't believe Shine who looks relaxed and spontaneous turns out to think of so many things

about me who keeps losing my human side. Well, it's true that my changes are still full of mystery, I myself don't know any more about my body. But I still hope they don't think I'm any different, that I'm not a threat to them. Hah, that's right too. I was the fool for wishing that. I'm endangering them.

Karen stood in front of me, her face showing that she also heard Shine and Zero's conversation. Karen did not say anything, she rushed into the dining room.

"You can't blame him" This time Shane spoke up. "He's the one who's having a hard time"

"And it would be even harder if he lost control because he kept denying blood" Zero chimed in.

"That's not going to happen" said Karen who just joined. "Sister Zero, I will continue to be aware of that possibility. When I see something bad I'll definitely tell brother"

Tch! Since when Zero became her brother, my mind was upset. Until this second I could not understand why Karen so trusted the gloomy vampire who was the hobby of arranging it. I continued to walk into the dining room. It seems like it's okay for me to come in now. Zero doesn't chim in on Karen. Shane looked surprised to see me enter the door. Karen offered to cook an omelette for everyone. Shine immediately stood up from her chair, swiftly helping Karen.I walked into the kitchen cupboard, picked up the cup, made hot coffee.

"Ah, by the way you have to change the target board at the back, Zero" Shane said.

Zero looked at Shine not understanding. I stopped sipping my coffee, feeling like I knew the direction Shine was talking.

"Aren't you throwing all my knives on that board? I've taken the knives, but the board's broken"

"I didn't throw your knife"

"Then who else threw it so closely lined up besides you"

"I threw it" I said. "I'm sorry, I'll change it"

Shine and Shane simultaneously threw a look of disbelief at me. It took me a few seconds to understand why they were so shocked.

"My brother is a knife-throwing expert" Karen explained. His hands were busy cutting vegetables.

"Really?!", asked Shine and Shine almost in unison.

I nodded, confirming. "Well, my dad taught me"

"That's great", Shane exclaimed. "But isn't it rare for girls to throw knives?"

I told them how Dad taught me to throw knives, hunt, and ride. To be honest, I don't feel that the things you taught me were strange or unusual. The war may have ended years ago. But that does not mean this country is completely safe, according to my father. Yes, I agree to remember the riots that still occur often.

When Shine asked me why I liked Dad's unusual hobbies and Karen didn't, Karen and I sat around for a while and said the reason was because we weren't twins. The rest of the morning conversation was quite pleasant, Shane even promised to teach me to use a gun after school. And fortunately, Zero chose not to spoil the atmosphere with his cynical comments.

So as promised, that afternoon after school Shane waited in the backyard with some guns. Shine and Karen just went out for shopping to the city. It should have been my turn to shop this time, but again everyone agreed with Zero's words to not allow me to be among the human crowd. Karen volunteered to replace me. This time I did not protest, given my own increasingly chaotic condition. But maybe practicing with a hunter weapon can help me clear my mind. Just like when I was studying martial arts with Dad.

“Have you ever used a gun?”, asked Shane.

I gulped, remembering the only time I used a gun. “Pernah” I shot vanBlood with Dad's gun, and it didn't hurt him. “But it doesn't seem like the gun is capable of killing vampire”

There was a change of emotion on Shane's face for a moment, but he soon regained his composure. “Indeed. But our guns are different. There's a special poison put into every hunter” bullet

“Poisons?”

Shane nodded. “The poison will make the movement of the vampire slow down and his body weaken. By then it will be easier to fight them”

“What poison in the bullet can not kill vamprire?”

“Can, just need a big dose. Depends on the power of the vampire. If only the mad-vampires were unable to control themselves 3 shots would be enough. But the other case with mad vampires, healthy-minded vampires will be very difficult to fight. It's almost impossible to hit them once Shane's shot explained. His hand grabbed one of the pistols from the bag he often carried while on duty. “Mau

try shooting”

I took Shane's extended gun. Suddenly remembered something. “Target board.”

Shane laughed softly. Pointing to the target board I broke yesterday. “I've replaced”

“Oh. sorry about that”

“No problem. I ordered a lot of target boards just in case”

I started aiming my gun at the target board across the field. My father once told me how to use a gun, but actually I've never trained him. My finger pulled the trigger and DOORR!!, a shot of bullets scraped the edge of the target board.

“Use your left hand to hold your right hand so that it does not move when shooting”, Shane said while giving an example with another gun. DORR!! Shane's bullet landed on the target.

I positioned my hand just like Shane pointed out. Shane approached and grabbed my hand, correcting the way I held the gun.

“Try to relax your hands a little, your grip is too strong”, he said. “Pull the trigger slowly but firmly, like this” Shane's finger moves my index finger to pull the trigger. DORR!!! Bullet hit the target.

Shane smiled at the shot. “Try again”

I nodded and pulled the trigger, slowly. DORR!! DORR!!! DORR!!! My first shot landed right in the middle of the target. But the second and third shots were getting closer to the edge of the target.

“Good!”, exclaim Shane. A big smile spread across his face. “Maybe because you used to shoot with a knife, so you can directly hit target”

“Maybe”, I said lie. No, this is not good. I should have hit the target better than this. But the gunshot was more shocking than I thought. No jga. When I shot vanBLood, I was sure it wasn't this loud. My ears are even ringing softly. Maybe because I'm sleep deprived. I continued shooting the target board. I need to master this shooting technique. DORR! DORR!! DORR!! DOORR!!!

“That's bad once”, comment a familiar flat voice. Zeros. He sat on the edge of the roof, watching us maybe.

“Zero, I told you to keep talking”, Shine said a little slammed. “We are training here. After all for beginners, the results of Key shots are quite good”

Shane. "Key never misses the target board"

"What do you think?", asked Zero, now a glare was fixed on me.

Well, I hate to admit it but he's right. My shots are getting longer and further away from the target circle in the center. "You're right. Her voice is disturbing"

Both of Shane's eyes widened, not expecting my answer. “Is that true?!”

I nodded, groping my right ear which continued to ring. “I don't think I can use it. What can I do" I said, returning Shane's gun. A little disappointed because I was pretty sure I could master it. But this isn't going well. I don't want to die face to face with a vampire. I have to successfully face vanBlood. I need another gun.

"Aren't you guys wearing bows?", I asked Shane.

Shane shakes. "Nobody wears a bow. His arrow's speed wasn't fast enough to fight vampires"

"What about the sword?"

Shane put down the gun he was holding, then he pulled out a large sword with a wide, almost square end. "The sword is strong and sturdy, effective for close quarters, but not so flexible. So it's only used when it's within striking range and after the vampire's been shot at least once"

I stared at the sword. Right, it won't be easy to move with such a big sword.

"Oi, Zero! Do you have another sword Key can use?", asked Shane. Makes me want to wonder if my mind can be read clearly from my face.

Zero nodded. Without saying anything he jumped down onto the 2nd floor balcony and went into his room.

While Shane grumbled softly. "Basic! Then why not tell me from before"

I followed Shane who walked into the house. We waited for Zero at the bottom of the stairs then together headed for the corridor at the back of Shine and Shane's kamae. There was a door at the end of the hall, a ladder waiting behind it, protruding into the basement. Longitudinal dim lights at the top and bottom edges of the walls automatically light up as we step through the door. The room at the base of the stairs also has lights that turn on automatically. The place was not as large as the basement of the house in general, only as large as the living room or a little wider than the room I occupied. Several cabinets lined one of the walls. Inside were various sword-like weapons. My eyes were fixed on a white bow on one of the cupboard shelves. Without thinking, my hand reached for him.

"Ohh!!" I exclaimed in shock. The fire suddenly ignited out of nowhere just as my finger touched the worn-out-looking white bow. I immediately dropped it on the floor. Strangely, the fire continued to spread in my left hand.

"What's wrong?", asked Shane who rushed to me as soon as he saw the fire. Shane was quick to help me. He took off his shirt to put out the fire in my hand.

I stared in horror at the remnants of the flame in my left hand. The heat and pain hit the part of my skin that was burning.

"Ta-so what is it?!", asked Shane gasping. Panic still covered his face.

Zero stood unmoved behind Shane. His face was paler than usual. Zero looks just as shocked as us, or even more.

"Ah, we have to treat it first"

"really. Wait here" said Zero who then rushed towards the stairs, climbing upstairs.

Shane took a chair for me. Zero returned shortly afterwards carrying a basin filled with water. He handed the basin to me. I took it with my right hand, placed it on my lap. Then dip my burned left hand in the water. The cold temperature of the water seemed to bite my skin peeling and hot. I grimaced with pain. Slowly the burn on my hand seemed to disappear. The skin cells that peeled off earlier seemed to regain the strength to regenerate and return to their original form. Within minutes, the burn was completely gone.

"What water is this?" The question immediately came out.

"The water I spat on" Zero said flatly.

Spit up? So vampire spit can really heal wounds. So when I slashed my wrist, Zero licked my blood to stop the bleeding. I still have a hard time believing it.

"Hey, Zero, do you keep any dangerous weapons or traps here? Why does the bow emit fire?!", Shane protested. "It was really dangerous" Shane tried to take the bow, probably intending to figure out how fire could come out of it. Shane's hand moved slowly touching him. Nothing happened. Then he held it. My eyes almost jumped out anticipating the appearance of fire. Niente.

"Lho..? It's not on"

"Not reacting to humans?", I guess.

"Wrong" Zero said as he took the bow from Shane's hand. No fire was ignited even though Zero held it tightly. "This rot has not reacted to anyone, at least for the last 900 years"

"Whatchu mean? Then why was there a fire that came out?” Shane asked the same question as the one

it comes to my mind.

Zero shakes. This time, he didn't know anything. Zero leaned his body towards me, then grabbed my left arm while his other hand washed it with water in the basin. I watched him ready with a myriad of swearing. But I stopped throwing it to see what Zero noticed on my left arm, a red mark.

“Zero, what are you doing?”, Shane asked, sounding furious.

“This red wound does not want to be lost”

“Hah?” Shane leaned in, to get a better look. “How can that be? Other wounds have closed kan”

I pulled my left arm from Zero's hand. Getting him to hold my body doesn't feel comfortable at all. “It's okay. It doesn't hurt”

Zero took the worn-out white bow he had placed on the floor and stood up straight again, his eyes fixed on the bow. His eyes were enlarged with a single expression that had never been seen on his flat face. A mixture of surprise, disbelief and amazement.

"Don't be so Key. How can we say 'it's okay' while there's a scar on your body"

"Can you hold this bow again?", asked Zero. His blue eyes that were usually only as wide as a line still looked huge round.

"What did you say? Are you kidding me?!", sergeant Shane growled. It seemed like he was really upset by Zero's words which clearly did not pique his worries. "Can't! The bow is dangerous. Didn't you see that?!!"

Zero throws his gaze at Shane, apparently he is quite distracted. His eyes returned to form as usual. "The wound can be healed"

"Huh? Then you mean you want him to re-injure himself how many times do you want because you can heal him like that?! Just be right! Your healing is not even perfect!!"

Zero was seen gulping slowly, glancing at the red mark on my left arm that had been burning.

I took a breath, one question from earlier rubbed my head. "Do you have any idea why the bow was just reacting to me?"

Zero nodded. "Maybe you can use it"

"By using a gun alone, it's still hard to keep up with vampire speed" Shane commented.

"This brush is different"

"Indeed right. But it could burn Key's hand again. It's better to find a safe way" Shane said. "You said you'd let him use one of your swords, so is that a long little sword okay?"

I looked in the direction Shane pointed. The third shelf to the right of the shelf where the old bow was. A slender-bodied rapier sword nearly half a meter long with a beautiful golden-colored curved handle stood with a bang behind the glass. Zero walked towards the shelf, originally thinking he would take the rapier that Shane meant. But Zero passed through it and headed for the shelf at the far right. Zero opened it and took out a long straight katana, looking thin, sharp and strong. I put a basin of water on the floor and approached Zero. Intended to see the katana closer, I think I've seen it.

"Why is that the same as your sword?", asked Shane.

Also true! The sword was the same as the one leaning next to the bookshelf in Zero's room.

"They're twins"

Shane put on a displeased look but did not comment. Maybe he was upset that his proposal was not appreciated. While my hand without waiting for the brain command had already stuck out receiving the sword from Zero. There was a wild pleasure slowly running through my entire body as I imagined dismembering the vanBlood body with a sword i