The Boy Next DOOR.

A few weeks later.

"How are things?" Arthur asked as Ortho walked into the mansion.

"Everything is going well, sir. With the help of that guy named Dave, everything is going smoothly. Just wait, master, very soon… very soon, Kelvin will be bowing to you. He'll be at your feet, begging for your mercy," Ortho replied, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

"Very well, my child. I trust you with that," Arthur praised, patting his shoulder.

"I'm going to prove to every clan that we are capable of making the impossible happen," Arthur added with a gleam of confidence.

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Ortho could be seen in an underground prison. There were different rooms, the cries of prisoners echoing loudly through the dimly lit corridors, but one room stood eerily silent.

Arthur opened the door and walked in. The room was dim, the only source of light being a bulb that flickered every minute.

Looking closely, one could make out a figure, its movements restrained by chains that held it up in a way that looked almost crucifixion-like.

"Hello, Drusilla," Arthur greeted, walking further into the room. The figure turned out to be a female, her features hardened with suffering.

"It's been a long time," he said. She didn't reply. If you looked closely, you could see the marks on her body, evidence of years of torment.

"Ignore me all you want, but very soon, your son will be kneeling at my feet," Arthur sneered. The mention of her son stirred Drusilla. She pulled against her chains and snarled at him, her snarl sharp and loud, echoing through the room. Her fangs gleamed under the flickering light, her red eyes burning with fury.

"Calm down, Drusilla. You're in no position to bark at me," Arthur said calmly as he pressed a button on the wall. Waves of electricity surged through her body, making her scream in pain.

"You know what? All your efforts to keep him safe, away from prying eyes, are useless now. I've sent one of my men to lure him out and bring him to me," he boasted, watching as tears welled up in her eyes.

"D-Don't touch my son! You have me! WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT?!" she yelled, her voice thick with agony.

"What a pity, but Drusilla, you don't have what I need. What I need to become more powerful. Do you know who can give me that? Your son. Your son Kelvin is the only one who can give me what I desire, and I'll do everything it takes to have him at my feet," he said, his laughter menacing and dark.

"Please… please, just leave him alone," she begged, but her pleas only made him laugh harder.

"I never thought the great vampire, the legendary Drusilla, would ever be at my mercy. You have no hope, Drusilla. I've kept you here for the past twenty years. Everyone… everyone thinks you're dead, even your precious son, Kelvin."

"I've warned you before—if my son finds out that I'm alive and being held captive by a coward like you, he'll rip your entire clan apart," she spat, earning herself a harsh slap across the face.

"Shut your filthy mouth," Arthur hissed. "You don't know anything. You see, I'm waiting for the right moment to use you as bait to lure Kelvin in. Once he finds out that his loving mother is alive but in my custody, he'll come running—begging—for your release. And I will be waiting."

Years ago, when Drusilla and her husband Leonidas were supposedly killed, Drusilla managed to escape death, although she sustained severe injuries. But, as vampires do, she healed quickly and regained her strength.

She went to retrieve Kelvin, whom she had hidden, and fled Emberland. But before she could make her escape, she was captured.

Kelvin, at the time, was terrified. He was only five years old, far too young to comprehend the danger surrounding them. He could do nothing, as his mother had warned him not to use his powers.

Drusilla was shot with a deadly arrow, one designed to kill even the strongest of vampires. Though she narrowly escaped death, the wound would leave a scar—both physical and emotional.

After running for what felt like an eternity through the dense forest, with her enemies in close pursuit, Drusilla could go no further. She had lost too much blood.

"Mother, mother! Are you okay?" Kelvin asked, panic filling his voice as his mother collapsed to the ground, holding him tightly in her arms.

"Kelvin, my son… run. Run far… far away from here," she urged, her voice weakening as she pushed him forward with what little strength she had left. But her hand fell limp as the last of her energy drained away.

"Mother, I'm not leaving you! I'm not going anywhere!" Kelvin cried, kneeling beside her, refusing to abandon his mother.

"No, Kelvin… they'll kill you. I can't let them harm you. You have to go… go far away," she whispered, her voice growing faint. Two figures appeared in the distance, a couple, unaware of the danger surrounding them, they were just there to explore.

Kelvin saw them and ran toward them.

"Oh, look at this cute little thing. What are you doing out here?" the woman said, crouching down to meet his gaze.

"Please… please, help my mom!" he begged, breathless from the panic and fear coursing through him.

"Hey, calm down, kid. What's wrong?" the man asked, squatting to meet Kelvin's level.

"Please, come!" he pleaded, pulling them toward his mother's fallen form. When they reached Drusilla, a gasp escaped the couple's lips.

"Honey, we need to help her," the woman said, bending down beside Drusilla.

"What happened to you? Oh my God, you're bleeding so much," she said, pity filling her eyes.

"Honey, do something," she urged.

"I don't know what to do, babe," the man replied, his voice laced with concern.

"What's your name?" Drusilla rasped, her voice barely a whisper.

"I'm Rebecca. My name is Rebecca Cullen, and my husband's name is Haymen," she replied, gently holding Drusilla's hand.

"Please, can I ask you for a favor?" Drusilla asked, her words labored.

"Of course, you can."

"Please… take my son with you. Take him far away from here. There are evil people who want to kill him," she begged, tears slipping down her pale cheeks.

"What do you mean, bad people?" Rebecca asked, alarmed.

"They must be close by," a distant voice echoed through the trees.

"You see… those people are after my son. Please, take him away… take him far, far away. And please, help me take care of him," she begged, her desperation palpable.

"We can help you too," Haymen offered, kneeling beside her.

"No… I'm going to die. I'll only slow you down. Please, just take my son. If you stay, they won't spare you either," she warned, her voice filled with resignation.

"I'll put my protection over you… please, take him and go now," she said, her body going limp in Rebecca's arms.

Rebecca, Haymen, and Kelvin stared in shock, eyes wide as they realized the gravity of the situation.

"Hey, woman… open your eyes!" Haymen urged, shaking Drusilla gently, but she remained motionless.

As the distant voices and footsteps drew nearer, the Cullens had no choice. They took Kelvin and ran.

"We have to go, baby. Your mom is just having a little rest," Rebecca whispered, trying to hold back her tears as they fled through the woods.

"No! I won't leave Mom! Mom, no! I want to stay with you! Please, I don't care if I die!" Kelvin sobbed, struggling against Haymen's grip as they ran.

"We can't leave you here, baby. It's too dangerous," Rebecca said, holding his hand tightly as they wiped away their own tears.

From that moment on, Rebecca and Haymen nurtured Kelvin as their own, keeping him safe and protecting him with all their might. Even after learning his secrets, they never pushed him away. They loved him as if he were their own flesh and blood, treating him with the same care they would a child born to them. The only burden they carried was their inability to have a child of their own—a cruel consequence of the witch's curse.

The witch, angered that Kelvin couldn't kill Rebecca and Haymen whenever he transformed into a beast, cast a new spell upon them. As long as Kelvin remained with them, they would never be able to conceive a child. Yet, even with that heartbreaking curse weighing on them, Rebecca and Haymen refused to let him go. Their love for him was unconditional, stronger than the curse itself. Kelvin had become their world, and nothing—not even the witch's wrath—could change that.