Monstober 2025

Never go out at night. Especially near the cemetery or deep woods. Never go alone and stay away from old back allies.

You never understood why. As a child growing up you just assumed because the place was scary and full of ghosts so you were happily in agreement of staying far, far away from the cemetery and woods. You'd never go there, and stayed very far away which pleased your family. It wasn't until your sixteenth birthday that your grandfather pulled you aside one day under the guise of coming to help him carry vegetables to sell at the nearby town square however as soon as you two were alone, he pulled you both behind the barn and had a very scary serious face.

"Y/n, listen to me. You're sixteen years old now. In two more years you're going to be all grown up and be able to make your own decisions and that's why I have to warn you before it's too late."

You blinked at him in shock. "Grandpa, what are you talking about about?"

"I'm talking about vampires!" His tone was so blunt it made you blink.

"Vampires?"

"And their hellspawn dhampirs!! Do you ever wonder why no one strays near the forest? Or why no one stays out at night?" You shook your head. You just assumed because it was creepy and haunted. He scoffed. "Of course not! No one's ever bothered to tell you the truth! Folks around here like to pretend nothing bad happens around here!"

"But...Vampires?"

He nodded. That sounds.. unbelievable. There hasn't been any cases of people going missing or being found dead with their bodies drained of blood or with bite marks on their necks. And there hasn't even been any livestock killings other than the time your uncle caught a fox in his henhouse last year..But that was just a fox.

"Let me tell you the entire truth." He looked around as if making sure you both were actually alone before leaning in to whisper in your ears. "There are things beyond this world that we're not meant to know or interact with. Things that like to hunt humankind."

"What does that have to do with Vampires?"

"Let me tell you a story that haunts our town. Long ago there was a family consisting of a couple and two brothers. One brother stayed in town while the other left to seek his fortune elsewhere but that was his first mistake. The brother who left died." His tone suddenly became very grim. "His body was found one day alongside the road as dead as roadkill. Instead of burning the cursed corpse, he was brought home to his family so he may be buried in the cemetery. However that mistake would prove to be fatal. The very next day after the funeral, the remaining brother was found dead in his bedroom! His entire body was drained of blood and a look of pure horror was etched onto his face."

Your eyes widened in shock at the words that left his mouth.

"It didn't stop there. The woman who was the lover of the first brother went missing. Disappeared from her bedroom one night as if she turned into air. A string of killings both human and livestock too place after that. Each with their throats ripped apart and their blood drained."

"That's all very sad..but how do you know that it was vampires. Couldn't the girl have just ran away from home out of grief? Or the brother have a heart attack and died? And couldn't it ha d been a wild animal responsible for the killings?"

"Because when the local priest investigated the cemetery alongside the towns men, he ordered all the recently deceased's graves to be dug up and the bodies examined." His gaze turned grave as a shudder physically shook his body as you gulped. "One by one each and EVERY recently deceased man, woman, and child's grave was dug up from the ground for the priest to examine and each one was the same with some form of destruction until they got to the final one. The brother who left the estate. "

Your skin got goosebumps and a shiver ran down your own spine at the way he was looking at you in fear. This story..Even if it was fake, sure was scary.

"When they pulled his cursed coffin from the ground and tore it open, his body was in perfect cold condition. As if he had just died within the last hour." His fearful expression became more scared. "A wooden stake was driven into the man's heart to return him to the dead and his body cremated to nothing but ash. Since then no one's dared set foot there at night."

"If the vampire was killed, then why is there still worry?"

"Because his child still roams about! The woman he took as his lover gave birth to some unholy abomination! Dhampirs are the result of the unholy unions between vampires and humans. She may have been burnt at the stake for her sins but her son is still out there. Somewhere. Seeking vengeance on any human who crosses his path. Mark my words. If you're not careful. You'll be next."

Since then you've been scared of going outside at night by yourself which your grandpa approved of until his eventually death a year later..but with you becoming older and older, you noticed that everything really wasn't as scary as your grandfather made it out to be. Your parents never before seemed to mind you going outside at night so long as you stayed away from the old cemetery they seemed perfectly happy.

Plus LITERALLY NOTHING EVER HAPPENED!!

Nothing but the usual animals in the night. You never saw anything dangerous other than maybe a wild animal. Even IF there was a Dhampir running around, he must've been long gone by now or wasn't interested in the humans here. In fact he might not even exist at all! You came to the conclusion that he DEFINITELY didn't exist when you were out stargazing fell asleep and woke up perfectly okay on your balcony. If there was a salty dhampir then he would've taken advantage of a woman fast asleep in the night.

So you began to wonder what else might've been made up? Fairies? Ghosts? Imps? You've never seen anything like that even when you visited the cemetery and your grandparents' graves. No ghost, spirits, or spooks. So was the old cemetery and night they told you about really that bad either? Your curiosity only continued to grow and grow as you turned twenty and it was one day that you decided that you definitely didn't believe im anything like vampires, dhampirs, or whatever beasts that are said to lurk in the dark. That's why when you had the opportunity on your eighteenth birthday to either become a shrine maiden for the temple next to the cemetery or get married off you chose the one with nore freedom. For two hours now you've lived in the small village temple with nothing but an old shrine to keep you company.

It wasn't so bad but you could see why the older shrine maiden wanted to retire as soon as possible and just left you without any training. It wasn't too difficult. All you had to do was keep the place clean and place the offerings people came to deliver on the shrine. The only times the shrine was used outside of people delivering offerings was when a wedding or funeral would happen. So far in your two years of working as the village's sold shrine maiden you've got to witness one wedding and three funerals. Two for some fishermen that drowned after a boating accident and the more recent one of an elderly woman who passed away Peacefully in her sleep. It was shortly after that that you first encountered the mysterious stranger.

It was a week after the funeral that the old graves keeper also quit. Something about seeing strange things at night and being too old to deal with it. So naturally everyone thought it was only fair for the young shrine maiden to take up this burden too. You might have wouldn't have minded if they asked you first but instead they just trusted it upon you expecting you to just take care of the graves. It wasn't so bad during the daytime. Still creepy but you didn't mind doing things like trimming the weeds around the fences and graves or going to get rid of the old dead flowers and food offerings starting to rot people would leave behind or watering the bright red spider lilies often planted around the graves to ward away wild animals..In fact the red flowers made it look a bit more cherry than dreary. However nighttime was a whole different ball game.

Usually there was two rounds the caretaker would've made. One in the daytime and one at night to be sure no wild animals. The daytime as stated before wasn't too bad. Most of your work was even done during that time but you tried to get your nightly rounds done as soon as possible often just using a candle or lantern to quickly walk through the graves at night as soon as the sun went down before quickly walking back to the temple. Logically you knew that dead people weren't going to harm you and there was no such thing as ghosts but it was still incredibly creepy to be wondering our there by yourself.

You hated what your life became. So many of your friends and family didn't visit you because of the fear of the rumors had instilled in them, you were just suddenly expected to do a huge job no one even asked if you wanted to do either. Were they also expecting you to aso dig the holes for the graves? Sigh. It sure felt lonely not being able to see anyone outside of events or if you went to go see them yourself and then you were chastised for leaving the sacred temple unattended. Perhaps maybe that's why you didn't mind making a friend that night?

It was like any other. You had planned on doing your nightly patrol early but some repairs to the temple door had delayed that so you were late in doing it. The moon hung overhead like a warning beacon. And of all the nights for fog to roll in, it had to be tonight. Making the atmosphere feel heavy and creepy as you stepped through the graves lantern in hand. The light doing little to help see past the thick fog.

Each step you took looking at the graves as you passed felt like an eternity. You just had to make it to the end of the graves then you could turn back around and get out of here. Or that's what you thought when you had seen it. What looked like a large shadow in the fog. It was quick and nimble suddenly ducking between two graves and disappearing within the fog.

"W-Who's there?!", you shouted shining your lantern in that direction. "I-I-Its too late to be visiting the graves so get out of here!"

What was that?! A grave robber?! A wild animal?! Was one of the local kids out here causing trouble?! Nothing but silence and the distant sounds of an owl hooting answered you. You tried to strain your eyes against the fog to see anything but it was too dark and the fog was too thick. Stepping next to the graves you'd seen the shadow disappear behind also showed you nothing. Perhaps it was just a wild animal like a raccoon or wild dog you scared of or your eyes were playing tricks on you in the dark.

"You're not that old geezer."

You froze at the sudden male voice behind you. In one moment you snapped around you and froze at what you saw. A man!! He stood just some yards away from you sat upon a random gravestone and he stared at you with dark black eyes. He was hard to spot at first through the fog because he wore all black from head to toe minus the strange blue magatamas he wore as jewelry. His face bore a frown as he stared at you.

You stared at him a little longer before you shook your head making sure you weren't seeing things before frowning. "What are you doing here?" Your hand held up the lantern higher to better see this stranger's face. "The cemetery is closed at night. You shouldn't be here."

Instead of just leaving his brow rose instead. "Is that right? Who are you, Girl? Last time I checked, it's not proper for a girl to be wondering around by herself at night."

"I'm the new caretaker."

Now both his brows rose in surprise and a hand pointed to you. "You?"

You nodded frown widening. "Yes. Now if you wouldn't mind could you please get off of that grave?"

"Tch. They're dead! It's not like they're going to mind."

"Maybe not but it IS disrespectful to just sit on one's headstone. Now please."

You both stared at each other but eventually he sighed and (with a roll of his eyes) stood up off the stone much to your delight and his annoyance. He kept his arms crossed across his partially exposed chest and didn't move other than his eyes looking you up and down with a curious anf skeptical look on his face.

"So you're the new caretaker?," he asked sounded skeptical as his gaze was. You nodded and his eyes narrowed. "What happened to that old geezer?"

"He quit and no one else wanted to take his job, so they made me do it." You also looked him up and down. ..You didn't recognize him from the village and he didn't seem to be visiting any graves. "Why are you here in the middle of the night? It's dangerous with wild animals around."

"HA!" You jumped as he barked a laugh. Hands going to be placed on his hips. "As if some wolves and bobcats would scare me."

"Maybe but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I usually come out here to spend some time alone. Barely anyone comes out here anyways so who'd notice me hanging around?" His gaze looked around the cemetery without any fear before looking back to you. "..I heard there was a new shrine maiden but I didn't think you would be the caretaker too."

You only sighed once more. "Unfortunately I didn't have a say in it. However like it or not I am the caretaker so I must ask you to leave. There's no visitors allowed at night."

He looked a mix of annoyed and amused at your request. "Heh. Sure. I'll get out but in return I get to walk you back home."

You blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. If you want me out of here I'm going to need a good reason." He smirked. "Walking a pretty girl home would be a good enough reason don't you think?"

You sputtered. Was he hitting on you?! "I-...Ugh! Fine!" You side stepped around him to continue on. "But I'm finishing my rounds first. "

He made a grunt but didn't say anything else as you walked past him but you knew he was following you because you heard his footsteps behind you. He did indeed follow you your entire route around the cemetery and out of it all the while he boredly laid his hands behind his head as he walked. You looked back a few times but he hadn't done anything to harm you..Though it was strange seeing a stranger out here. You stopped outside of the small temple and turned to the man still behind you.

"Well I'm back. Thank you for walking me back," you said trying to be polite with a bow, "Now please stay out of the cemetery."

"Tch. You're not even going to invite me in?" He leaned closer smiling widely at you as you leaned back. "I've been so nice up til now."

"Sir-" He blinked as you smooshed your hand into his face and pushed him away annoyed. "I don't even know you're name. I don't know who you think I am but I'm not that kind of woman."

"Hey!" He grunted sending a scowl as you turned away to walk back inside. "Are you ungrateful or what?!"

"No. I just prefer to get to know someone because I make a move on them. Mister??"

"Kaigaku Inadama. Don't call me mister."

You smiled at him. "Well Mr. Inadama." He visibly bristled at the name as you smiled. "Have a nice night. And stay out of the cemetery!"

"While you li-!!"

The door closed in his face before he could finish uttering the insult. With a sigh you just turned to go blow out the lantern and go to sleep. It's already been a long night. However that was only the first you saw him. The second time was actually the next morning when you were doing your daytime rounds through the cemetery. You always tried to get these rounds done early. You were just walking around when out of nowhere a figure suddenly jumped out from behind a large stone making you shriek out jumping back to see the figure of-

"Good morning, Girly. Did you sleep well last night?"

"..YOU?!" An annoyed feeling bubbled up seeing THAT guy again. He looked very pleased with himself for scaring you. "What are you doing here?!" An accusing hand was pointed at him. "I told you to stay out of the cemetery!"

"You told me to stay out at night. As you can see-" He gestures to the early sunrise. "-its daytime, Sweetheart.~"

"You are starting to get on my nerves! What are you even doing here?"

"You're interesting and I'm bored "

"..Nice to meet you, Bored. Im going to go now."

"Hey!" To your dismay he followed you despite you walking past him. "I'm not done talking to you!"

From that day on for the next few months you'd run into Kaigaku. Sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. And days would pass by in between the times you'd see him. It started out with him annoying you but overtime you started to enjoy his presence. After all you were almost all alone most of the time so having someone around to keep you company was a nice change of pace. Kaigaku was egotistical and full of himself and stubborn and annoying sometimes...Bur he was better company than the dead people. He was interesting too to say the least. He always carried a sword on his back and once you asked him about it-

He puffed his chest muscles out proudly. "Oh, that?" A hand reached up to just touch the hilt of the katana. "I'm a trained swordsmen."

Your eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I didn't think there was anyone around here who trained."

"Of course. My master taught me everything he knew since taking me under his wing..." His eyes narrowed off in thought. "After the humans betrayed me."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!...Tell me about the village. Is there still a Waytane family living there?"

He didn't seem to mind you talking. Guess he really didn't have anything better to do. And then one night you met once more with a small surprise. He was already waiting for you by the entrance of your temple as you returned from visiting your family, a small cloth in your hands. He perked up smelling the air a few times before snapping to it.

"Are those peaches?"

You giggled but nodded. "You have a good nose." Hands held up the bag to him. "I remembered you mentioned liking them once before so I got you some at the marketplace."

He didn't question it. Immediately just grabbing the bag and in surprising strength ripped right through it before digging in. You just simply watched him devour one peach rather quickly tearing through it ...very unusually. It was hard to explain but he seemed to tilt his head sideways before biting into the plump fruit and slurping the juice up only pausing to spit the seed out before devouring the rest. An odd way to eat it but then again your baby cousin was also a messy eater so you supposed all men were like that in some way-

"What took you so long?" He paused holding a second fruit to look at you and wipe at his mouth. "I've been waiting for you all dam day to show up! I don't like to be kept waiting."

You frowned and crossed your arms. "Well it's not my fault. My parents were showing me my..'fisnce'."

He stopped completely to stare at you blankly. "... Your what?"

"My parents decided to arrange a marriage for me without telling me." Your eyes gazed off to the side. "The visit didn't exactly go well."

"... Isn't it strange for a shrine maiden to be married? Where's the priest of this town?!" He suddenly looked very angry for some reason making you look at him.

"Uh..There isn't any. The last priest was the old shrine maiden's father and he passed away thirty years ago. There hasn't been a priest in the village since so most marriages are officiated by the village elder."

Ah..That made things so much easier then.

"I see...Hey. Come take a walk with me." He offered nodding towards a forest path you liked to go hiking. "It'll take your mind off it."

"You know that doesn't sound too bad. Sure."

You hadn't suspected a thing from that day, or from the next two weeks. Not until you woke up early to someone pounding frantically on the temple doors until you answered it to find your mother heavily breathing and drenched in a cold sweat.

"Mother? What are you-"

"Y/n, it's Satoro." She sobbed nearly collapsed in on you. "He-He's dead!"

Satoro, your 'fiance', was found that morning. Dead as roadkill. His throat ripped out as if some wild animal bit through it and then sucked out all the blood from his body. His corpse was found behind his house the next morning by his neighbor who screamed bloody murder and alerted the whole village to his gruesome discovery. You didn't know what to make of the discovery. It almost didn't seem real as just two weeks prior Satoro was at your family's home being introduced to over over eating a salad together. But you had to face reality when you sat there at the funeral and saw his body present. You were not expecting this to happen to you, finding yourself crying for the family and in the arms of an unexpected visitor tapping you on the shoulder.

"K-Kaigaku?"

He smiled down at you despite a funeral happening around you. "Hi. I was stopping by to see you again, but it looks like a bad time." He gazed around at the multiple people around him. ".. Doesn't look like a wedding? Someone die recently?"

"I-..Why are you-?"

He shrugged casually. "Figured I'd pay my respects to whoever's here. But you look like you knew him." His head tilted. "Was he a cousin or something?"

In the end you couldn't speak. Only crying as he hugged you smiling sharpened teeth at your head and licking away the lingering redness stained on the back of his tongue. All taken cared of. He smiled at you offering condolences to the loss of your 'friend' and stayed by your side until he was buried. Comforting you and sending any on lookers large unsettling smiles.

You were in hysterics but soon calmed down and allowed life to go on as usual. Ironically the funeral only allowed you to go closer to Kaigaku and found comfort in his hold. But as life moves on so does your family and their wants for you. And that included future grandchildren-

"Seriously?! They're trying to marry you off again?!" Kaigaku's angry voice echoed out of the outside of the temple as you stood there and looked at your feet. "It hasn't even been a month since your supposed lover died and they want to marry you off to the next bastard!"

"It's not like I have a choice in the matter. It's just what's done around here."

"Does this dam town still expect you to take care of the dam temple and cemetery on top of being a stay at home wife?! Or are they planning on letting your future children play amongst the graves?"

"Hey!" You barked at him. "It's not like I want this! I never wanted to take care of any cemeteries or get married off! The only reason I even agreed to this job was because it was supposedly a chance to give me some freedom!"

"Well look how well THAT turned out!!" You went quiet making him sigh. "Look." He gestured a hand to you. "It's obvious no one in this dam town respects you. You're left all alone in a run down temple and you're made to care for a cemetery of all things. What if you get attacked by the supernatural? Even after all of that you're still expected to get married off to someone else you don't want? ...Bullshit if you ask me. They don't care about you, they only threw the dangerous responsibilities they didn't want on the first person they could."

"Then why don't you solve it since you're such a genius!?"

He already did. "Why do you even stay here?! You could just leave!"

"And where would I go?" You finally looked at him. "It's not like I have anywhere to go."

A hand extended making you blink at the sudden gesture. "Yeah. You do." You looked from the hand to Kaigaku's face serious. "Come with me. Forget the bastards that would only keep you tied down here."

You just stared at him the hand he was offering like a lifeline. "...I don't know about this."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes bu-"

The sentence stopped on your lips as he suddenly stood over you. And then suddenly you were engulfed in an embrace as he hugged you burying his face in your shoulder near your neck. You only froze there for a moment before hugging him back tightly

"All you have to do is say you'll come with me. You'll be better off with me. Just say yes."

"....alright."

F I N A L L Y

"Do you trust me?"

"I do."

"Good." His mouth drew closer to your neck his breath cold as fangs enlarged from a maw and black nails clutched the fabric of your dress. "Then forgive me later for this."

No one will forget the day your mother cried bloody murder when she stumbled on the sight of her daughter's limp body being carried off by a monster who's eyes were as black as night with pupils bluer than the deepest depression. He left with a mouth covered in blood, a smile spread on those fangs.

And a claim to his arms.