Black Cross: The Blood System

CHAPTER 3 — THE BLACK CROSS

Adrian barely opened his eyes when the sensation of bright lights and sounds hit him all at once.

Loud music boomed from speakers, and colourful lights illuminated the crowded room filled with people.

Adrian groaned as he raised his hand to shield his eyes while his brain tried to process everything that had happened up to this point.

All he could remember was that he was in an alleyway a few hours ago, and now he was in a bar?

He immediately sat up straight on the chair he was sitting on, holding his nose to avoid the smell of alcohol and cigarettes as people were everywhere, on the dance floor, at tables, and on chairs, laughing, drinking, and having the time of their lives.

Adrian was sitting at the long waiter booth area where the bartender usually mixed drinks and slid them across the table to customers.

He watched the bartender mix a drink and slide a glass cup toward his direction as the cup stopped exactly in front of him.

He looked at the amber-coloured liquid inside the cup and pushed it away before turning to the bartender.

“Excuse me, I didn’t order this.”

The bartender didn't respond. Instead, he pointed his finger across the room, making Adrian turn, and after a second, his eyes locked on her.

The woman from the alley.

All the memories of what happened came flooding in, from the fight to the gunshots to the pain in his chest. His hand immediately flew to his chest as he raised his shirt, searching for blood or bullet holes, but found nothing. His skin was fresh as if nothing had happened.

He raised his head to look at her again and saw her waving him over like they were friends meeting for drinks.

Adrian thought twice but remembered that he needed answers, so he stood up and made his way through the crowd before sitting down on the chair opposite her on the same table.

“I thought you shot me,” Adrian said as he took a sip from the drink in his hand. The liquid went down his throat and helped clear some of the fog in his head.

“I did,” she replied, completely unfazed.

“Neutralizing rounds laced with silver. Had to make sure you weren’t one of them.”

“You shot me twice.” Adrian stared at her in disbelief.

She just shrugged, raising her cup and twirling the ice inside.

“What did you expect? Only a psycho or an actual vampire would openly announce they want to join an organization that hunts vampires. So which one are you?”

“I’m none of those,” Adrian said flatly.

She leaned back, studying him. “So what’s your story?”

He calmed down and told her everything. From the car crash on the shortcut home to the pale monster that dragged Sarah out and slaughtered her in front of him.

The months of dead-end searching, the disbelief from everyone he approached, and the growing doubt that maybe he had lost his mind.

He left out the part about the strange red system screen that had revived him, as even he didn't understand how the system worked, so he figured it was better to keep quiet about it.

Lirielle listened to Adrian without interrupting as her golden eyes remained fixed on his face throughout the whole story.

She didn't blink much, and when he finished, Adrian could see real pity in her expression and something that looked dangerously close to tears.

She raised her cup and drank the rest of her drink, emptying the contents before dropping it on the table.

“I’m Lirielle,” she said finally. “What’s your name?”

“Adrian.”

“Alright, Adrian. I’ll talk to my boss about it.”

He blinked, completely caught off guard. “Just like that? That’s all it takes?”

Lirielle gave a small, tired smile as she stood up. “Getting in isn’t the hard part. Surviving the training is. Come to this address tomorrow morning at ten, and don’t be late.”

She slid a plain black card across the table. It had nothing but an address printed on it, and it was the location of a popular children’s park in the city.

Adrian watched her as she walked over to the bartender for a quick word, and then disappeared into the crowd. He turned the card over in his hands a few times, then tucked it into his pocket and left the bar.

The next morning, the sun was bright and warm, with a clear blue sky to match the mood as the children’s park buzzed with energy.

Children screamed in happiness as they raced each other and played on colourful playground equipment such as slides and swings.

Parents were also in attendance as they sat or stood, scrolling on their phones and keeping their eyes on their little ones, while vendors sold goods like popcorn, cotton candy, and balloons.

It was a sight of innocence and everyday happiness.

Adrian stood at the entrance with a frown on his face as Lirielle walked up and stopped beside him, looking completely at ease, wearing casual clothes and with a lollipop in her mouth.

“A park?” Adrian asked, turning to her.

“What? You were expecting a giant building with guards patrolling with guns and armoured tanks in the garage?” she said, turning to look at him before starting to walk deep into the park.

“I thought an organization that hunts vampires would pick someone a bit more serious,” Adrian muttered as he followed her.

Lirielle chuckled softly at his reply.

“Life's not that hard, Adrian. Try not to take everything so seriously.”

She moved through the crowds without drawing attention, and Adrian followed behind as they moved through families and excited children until they reached the public restrooms in the centre of the park.

Adrian stopped when he saw her head straight for the door.

“…You’re joking, right?”

“I’m not,” she replied with a smile as she got in, followed by Adrian, and to his surprise, the restroom was unusually clean and empty for such a busy park.

Lirielle ignored the stalls and walked directly to the last one at the end. She opened the last door to reveal an empty room that only had one massive mirror mounted on the wall, stretching from the ceiling down to the floor.

Adrian watched as she placed her palm flat against the mirror, and for a second, nothing happened until a small camera slid out from the ceiling and pointed down toward her face.

A calm mechanical voice spoke out around the small room.

“Identity verification required.”

Lirielle spoke clearly. “The Crimson Queen of Black Cross.”

A soft blue light swept over her from head to toe, and after a brief pause, the voice responded, “Identity confirmed.”

With a low noise, the entire mirror slid to the left, revealing a narrow passage behind it.

Adrian stared in shock as if Lirielle had just performed magic.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Lirielle smirked as she looked at him over her shoulder. “There are more surprises where that came from.”

She stepped into the passage without hesitation, and Adrian took a deep breath before following.

The hidden corridor stretched ahead, leading them downstairs. Another set of stairs came into view, and soon they emerged in an underground chamber that stretched far beyond what should have been possible beneath a public park.

Adrian took one final step down the stairs and into the underground building, and he unintentionally held his breath.

“What in the actual fuck…” The words slipped out of his mouth in a half-whisper, followed by a stunned laugh, and a wide grin spread across his face.

The place was huge. It was like an underground headquarters that combined high technology with ancient and mystical arts.

He also saw giant black crosses embedded into the architecture at several locations, along with silver-lined walls.

People moved everywhere, men and women dressed in various forms of combat gear, some carrying files while others cleaned their weapons.

A few people paid the newcomers a little attention but soon went back to what they were doing as they recognized Lirielle.

Adrian turned slowly, trying to take it all in. The difference between the sunny children’s park above and this hidden world below was almost too much to process.

Lirielle watched him with a quiet smile, her arms crossed.

“Welcome to the Black Cross, Adrian. Try not to get yourself killed on the first day.”

He shook his head, still grinning despite everything happening around him.

After months of dead ends and despair, he had finally found something real. A place where people like him fought back against the monsters, and where he might finally gain the tools and power to make Sarah’s killers pay.

But as he looked around at the scale of the operation, a new weight settled in his chest. Lirielle had warned him that getting in was the easy part.

Surviving what came next would be the real test.