Work Text:
1. The Secret of the Small Town
This is a small town, so small it's almost absurd. It's dilapidated and backward, but the people here always greet their neighbors with a smile, then after closing their doors, curse the other person, wishing them dead before themselves.
This town has a secret, it's a city of crime.
Everyone here commits crimes. From birth, everyone has started doing evil.
Neighbors who smile and chat warmly with each other will wait until the other person is asleep, then dump feces in front of their house, or pile up trash. When the other person curses in the street, they pretend to be indignant, standing there and cursing along with the "victim." But when they return home and close the door, they'll spit on the ground, muttering:
"Dare to curse your dad? Just wait until tonight."
This place is filled with the evil in human nature, a wickedness that sends shivers down one's spine.
Perhaps you'll ask: aren't there police here?
Of course there are. But what are the police here?
They are lazy people who clock in for work, arriving late and leaving early. They are those who condone and protect evil. There were also a few police officers transferred here who couldn't stand that lifestyle. But then they were isolated, ridiculed, slandered, and finally driven away.
This town has another secret.
There is a church here, and in the church, there is a priest.
To call him a priest is to say he's a useless person. That useless person's name is Thaddeus.
He is an incredibly naive person, who came here with great enthusiasm to preach and teach doctrine. He once helped many people. He once saved a little girl who was almost raped.
The girl was only thirteen or fourteen, trembling and hiding behind him, her eyes terrified as she looked at the men standing not far away. The men chased Thaddeus away, telling him to get lost and not interfere in their business. Thaddeus stood blocking the door, refusing to yield.
Then he was beaten black and blue.
In the end, they still didn't dare to kill someone in broad daylight. Passersby stopped to watch, and seeing Thaddeus beaten almost to death, the assailants panicked and fled.
The girl saw Thaddeus, covered in injuries, walking towards her. His bruised face looked incredibly disheveled. But in her eyes, it was like seeing a god.
However, in the end, she still couldn't escape. At first, Thaddeus didn't know what happened. Until one day, the police came knocking, taking him away. They said he had raped the girl. Her parents demanded compensation from him.
Thaddeus sat in the cell, his face ashen, his heart like ashes. He wasn't suffering for himself. He only grieved for the girl. Fortunately, not everyone in this city was evil.
The girl stood before the court, word by word stating that Thaddeus was innocent. Then she named the real culprit.
Thaddeus was released. The real criminal was escorted away.
Through the crowd, Thaddeus saw the criminal's eyes looking at the girl. Those eyes sent shivers down his spine.
A few days later.
A murder occurred in the town. Thaddeus stood not far away, looking at the girl's dismembered and shattered body. He saw the indifferent expressions of her parents. He heard the police gavel declaring:
"It was suicide."
That day was the beginning of winter. But the sun was very bright, the sunlight beautiful. It wasn't cold, nor hot. Yet Thaddeus looked at the pool of blood, sweat pouring all over him.
The child who once smiled and thanked him was now chopped into eight pieces, lying on the concrete floor not far away. A white sheet covered her. Thaddeus could almost see her blood-stained dress. As well as her wide-open eyes.
He wanted to vomit.
Not because the body was too terrifying. But simply because it was disgusting. Because behind him, the rapist who should have been in prison was saying:
"Serves her right. It's good she's dead. Damn it, daring to falsely accuse me."
The air in the small town was very fresh. But when Thaddeus inhaled it, it made him choke until his eyes turned red.
2. Thaddeus's Secret
Thaddeus returned to the church. He silently pushed open the secret door in front of him, took a lamp, and walked down the dark path. At the end of the path was a door.He stood in front of the door for a long time, then slowly opened it.
Unlike the darkness outside, the small room behind the door was very bright.
A beam of white light shone down on the man lying there, making his exquisite face even more pure. Pure as early winter snow. Like an angel falling to earth with the snowflakes.
But he was no angel.
Thaddeus looked down at the man's chest. A longsword was plunged into it. The sword pierced through his body, pinning him to the small bed. It should have been a fatal wound.
But Thaddeus knew...
This man was still alive. And very much so.
Sensing Thaddeus's arrival, the man opened his eyes. His crimson eyes revealed countless charms and tenderness. But his words were extremely harsh:
"Good afternoon, good priest."
"Didn't get beaten today?"
That was Thaddeus's secret. There was a vampire in his church.
But not the Western kind of vampire.
This vampire called himself Peter. He said that before he fell into a deep sleep, this place was still in the modern era. Some invaders, who had no sense, came here and conveniently "gifted" him a round of heads.
Those invaders seemed to have some background, as they found a very capable exorcist. That exorcist used his own life as the price to seal him here. When telling this story, Peter's voice carried a hint of regret.
He said:
"That exorcist's blood smelled so good. Not as good as yours, but it was decent."
Then he looked at Thaddeus, who had just been startled, and said:
"Little priest, let's make a deal. You release me, and I'll grant you immortality and infinite power."
At that time, Thaddeus was so scared that he held the Bible and read it for several days without putting it down.
"Nothing more to say? Looks like you got a terrible beating this time."
Peter said with a laugh, subtly revealing two sharp fangs. Thaddeus looked at him. Suddenly, he remembered the horror of first seeing Peter. It was truly unforgettable.
Just as he clearly remembered his original purpose for coming to this city.
He was an extremely devout Christian. Since he learned to walk, his parents often carried him to church for services. He considered God his lifelong belief. Therefore, after graduation, he worked in the church. His parents died early, and no one taught him how to communicate with others. But God guided him to become an upright person.
It was precisely because he was too upright that his colleagues told him about this place. He still remembered the malicious smile on his colleague's face. And he also remembered saying with certainty at the time:
"There is no one in this world who is entirely evil."
He recalled his words. Then he remembered the blood-stained white cloth. It felt like a strong slap directly to his face. It hit so hard that his eardrums ached. He looked at Peter and said:
"I don't need immortality, nor do I need power. I just want you to help me with one thing."
Peter raised an eyebrow, asking with interest:
"What do you need me to do?"
The light in Thaddeus's eyes was gone. Peter looked at his ashen face, frowning slightly. He listened carefully as Thaddeus told the whole story. Then he understood what Thaddeus wanted him to do.
He tilted his head and looked at Thaddeus. The two looked directly into each other's eyes.
Peter looked at this man, who was clearly very scared but still frequently brought him bags of animal blood bought from the slaughterhouse.
The despondency on Thaddeus's face made him feel... extremely displeased. He flashed an exquisitely beautiful smile.
"It's a deal."
Thaddeus stepped forward and pulled the longsword from his chest. Peter slowly sat up, stretched his limbs a bit, then burst into a few loud laughs. He turned to look at Thaddeus and asked:
"Do you know you're cooperating with a vampire?"
"Don't you feel like you're insulting your faith now?"
His eyes were full of scrutiny.
Thaddeus nodded, then shook his head.
"I still believe in my God."
"I will go to confession."
"But I only want to confess after that man is dead."
Peter looked at him. Suddenly, he burst out laughing.
3. The Secret of the Vampire
In the small town, a series of murders began to occur, but no one spoke of it to any outsiders, because once others knew, their own evil deeds would also be exposed.
The number of dead continued to rise, and some people, unable to bear the fear, wanted to leave the town, only to be immediately branded as heretics by the townspeople.
In reality, these "heretics" couldn't leave the town either. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the only mountain road had been completely destroyed by an earthquake a few days prior. No one could escape, and no one could enter. This meant the entire town had become the killer's playground.
If it were just an ordinary killer, they wouldn't be so afraid. But all the bodies had been drained of blood. Some said it was a vampire, so they flocked to the church, begging for protection.
Peter looked at the tightly shut church door, at the collapsing crowd outside, and smiled maliciously.
He hung himself from the highest beam of the church, narrowing his eyes as he observed Thaddeus.
This young priest was different now, but he couldn't quite pinpoint how. Lately, he had been paying special attention to the priest's every move, perhaps because the long, drawn-out years were truly too boring. He had met many people, and killed many people, and everyone feared him.
Yet, no one had ever been like Thaddeus, who, in such fear, asked him, "Are you very hungry?"
He still remembered that day. He was nailed to the ground, bored to the point of counting the birds flying outside. Someone pushed open the iron door and walked in. He turned to look at the newcomer and saw Thaddeus, so frightened that he fell to the ground, unable to get up even by crawling. He frankly stated his identity, then mocked Thaddeus's cowardice and uselessness.
Thaddeus sat on the ground, trembling as he looked at Peter, neither running away nor daring to approach.
Peter felt utterly bored, so he began to tell his story. He said that he, too, was once from a wealthy family, though he no longer remembered which dynasty specifically, or even the emperor's surname. At that time, there were many foreigners. Among them was a very beautiful person, who seduced him, and just as they were about to kiss, bit Peter's throat. After that, he spent many years living in a daze, killing people, drinking blood, being drained of blood; everything repeated without change.
Until one day, he suddenly felt his consciousness become incredibly clear, and the power within his body began to surge. With almost no effort, he killed the one who had once enslaved him.
Then came the later story: he killed a few invaders and was nailed here for many years.
Thaddeus silently listened to Peter's entire story, then softly asked, "You've been locked up for so long... are you very hungry?"
At that moment, Peter stared blankly as Thaddeus ran out, only to return shortly after, his face covered in bruises, and handed him a bag of animal blood. Peter drank it with great relish, then asked about his injuries.
Thaddeus scratched his head and said, "It's nothing. On the way, I saw someone stealing an old woman's money, so I stopped them and got beaten."
Peter saw the light in his eyes dim a little. Curious, he probed further, "Is there anything else?"
Thaddeus pursed his lips and sadly said, "The old woman... insisted that I was the one who stole her money."
Peter raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.
After that, Thaddeus frequently visited him, bringing him blood, animal blood, and even human blood easily obtained from the hospital.
Thaddeus always had injuries on him, and a forced smile always hung on his face. Peter would always mock him with a few words, excessively harsh, but Thaddeus never got angry.
He was tolerant, gentle, righteous, and kind. He was full of faith, incredibly optimistic, and even vowed to change the current state of this city.
But in a place steeped in crime, those qualities were precisely what no one needed most.
Yet, he still didn't learn his lesson, still prayed devoutly, still hoped, still did good deeds as before.
Until that little girl died.Peter couldn't deny that his eyes always followed Thaddeus. His heart had stopped beating, and his cold body temperature seemed to have a rhythm and warmth. Perhaps... he had fallen in love with Thaddeus.
4. The Final Secret
Some said there were vampires causing trouble in the city, and that the church was the best place to avoid them.
So everyone gathered at the church door. They knelt on the ground, crying and pleading with Thaddeus. Thaddeus looked at them; each person had wounds on their body. The population of this town was not originally so small. His eyes looked into the distance, where only ruins met his gaze. Bloodstains were everywhere, and in the trash can, a foot from the corpse of an old person and a child was exposed.
All for a bite to eat.
The town had been without water and electricity for a month, with nothing left to eat. So the remaining people began to slaughter each other. They didn't hesitate to swing knives at the old and young, then dismembered and ate their bodies.
Thaddeus looked at them for a long time, then nodded and said, "Alright, come in."
The door slowly closed, and desperate screams echoed endlessly.
That useless person had gone mad. He wielded a knife, killing people one by one. Then he was restrained, beaten almost to death.
Peter coldly watched the crowd scrambling to escape but unable to. He jumped down from the beam, looking at the crowd before him like flies buzzing around a stench, gently lifting the dying Thaddeus. He asked in a voice softer than ever, "Have you given up your faith?"
Thaddeus's eyes shone brightly. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak. But Peter heard his inner voice: "Come."
Peter smiled, revealing two fangs. His eyes glowed red, then he drained Thaddeus's blood.
The wounds on Thaddeus's body immediately healed at a visible speed. He opened his eyes, which had turned red. He smiled, revealing two sharp fangs.
No one knew what exactly happened in the town. When outsiders arrived, only corpses lay scattered everywhere. The relevant authorities did not want to cause panic, so they set fire to the entire town.
Thaddeus stood on a distant mountaintop, his eyes calmly watching everything. A pair of hands wrapped around him from behind. Peter pressed his face against his back, rubbing lazily, and asked, "So you just gave up your faith like that?"
Vampires have no body temperature, but Thaddeus felt the embraced area burning hot. He tilted his head, thought for a moment, then said, "When kindness is suppressed to the point where it cannot stand up, faith is the most useless thing."
Peter heard this and chuckled softly, "Not too stupid." He turned Thaddeus around, looked him straight in the eyes, and said, "With you by my side, the days ahead probably won't be too boring."
Thaddeus lightly kissed the corner of his lips again, "With you, you are my faith."
Peter laughed loudly, and the two left that place one after another.
All secrets were buried in the ashes flying across the sky.
All stories of good and evil were ultimately burned into a handful of ashes.
END