There’s a rumor that says; whoever that gets to cut off the head of the monster, will gain immortality. I never thought the monster that they were talking about is in the form of a teenage boy. A pretty one at that. A doll face with big bright blue eyes. Such innocence and clueless expression he has on his face that it was hard to believe that this is the monster that had massacred the whole district. Men, women, children… had all been devoured by him. I must bear that in mind. Looks can be deceiving.

“Are you the monster ‘Yuri’ they were talking about?” I shot him a simple and immediate question as I raise my sword slightly in his direction. Not an indication of provoke. Just a mere caution.

Still with such innocence expression, he smiles at me the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen. It confuses me. I was supposed to be afraid of him. I was supposed to get rid of him. But my heart that beats fast in the moment is not of fear. It’s of interest. “And you are Carly James, the monster slayer, are you not?” He questioned me back without denying the accusation in my own question that I had shot at him a few seconds before. And there, I got my answer without him even answering me. The word ‘and’ says it all. He is the monster ‘Yuri’.

But… “How did you know my name? How come you know who I am?” I asked too much if I should say so myself. One question should be enough. Or no question at all should just do it. All I had to do was to slay him. That’s all. Why am I wasting time with this Q & A session?

He didn’t answer me. All he gave me was a long hard look like he is studying me from afar. Then, just a little slowly, his innocence gaze twists into a malign one. “So I finally got your attention, CJ,” he stated with a grin that almost showcases his perfectly aligned set of razor sharp teeth.

Feeling slightly confused, I asked; “What are you talking about?” My sword is raised higher. An indication of war. He is displaying a sick smile towards me now. And I don’t like standing where I am perfectly prepared for a battle while he is standing there calmly with no weapons in his bare hands. I wonder if any parts of his body can be used as a weapon? Or is he an immortal? Is my sword useless against him?

With that very smile plastered on his face, he indicated; “I’ve been watching you.”

“So?” I quickly spat. Isn’t it obvious though? I’m just not sure as to his intention. But regardless, asking questions is futile. All I gotta do is strike him.

But he told me his intention without warning. “I desire your heart.” And just as quick as he ended his statement, he lurches forward to strike me. I skid to the left to avoid my flesh from being torn apart by him. There now I see his weapon. His nails had lengthened and that made his hands looked like that of an animal with claws instead.

It gets exciting for me. I am really going against a monster. How wonderful. I strike him back with a slash from my sword but he effortlessly avoids my attack. It was like his body is as light as a feather. I keep striking him over and over but he moves from side to side like a feather floating through air. It was as if the more energy I placed in my strike, the more he slips away. He was laughing all along which each strike. It infuriates me to the fact that he treats me like a joke.

I finally knew that this wasn’t a joke at all to him when out of a sudden, my sword had been flicked away by one of his claws. It looked so effortless and I have to admit that his strength is undeniably distinctive. I have finally met a true monster and it’s too late to turn back now. He is now on top of me. Both of my hands are pinned down to the ground. It won’t budge no matter how hard I tried to escape his grip. Then, with one of his clawed hands, he penetrated through the flesh in my chest. Blood spurts from my mouth as some had also overflowed from the hole in my chest.

My heart is ripped out by him. The sound of his laughter ringing in my ears.

He licks the blood from the organ he held in hands. There’s a tiny smile of amusement lit on his face.

With only one gulp, he devours the organ whole. There are traces of blood all over his teeth as he grins at me whom had lain wasted on the ground.

He got up quickly, thinking that it was over. And that’s when I can’t help myself from smiling. “Where do you think you’re going?” I asked as I also got up from where I had lain. Blood soaked through my shirt. The hole in my chest is prominent. The smile on my face lingers. With one finger, I dip into my wound before bringing it to my mouth and lick the blood that covered it. Yumm. I love the taste of blood. His will be next that I will taste.

“You’re alive?!” He asked in a state of shock. His indifferent attitude from before had melted away into the void. Oh. How priceless… Before he could say another word, like a flash of lightning, I pick up my sword from the ground and lurches towards him.

With only one slash, his head is cut off. It was a clean cut. His lifeless body thud in the background while his pretty little head safely tucked in my arms. Cupping the head with both of my hands, I lean forward to watch the pretty face at a closer range. “Haven’t you heard? The one who gets to cut off the monster’s head is an immortal. I was the one,” I spoke as I passionately plant a kiss on the red blooded lips of the monster’s head.

The eyes blink. A smile is displayed on the face of the beautiful doll-like head. The monster is still alive after all though his body appears to be dead enough. I am aware of the fact that the body will also be alive again once it reattached to the severed head. I will not let that happen. Obviously, Yuri is the same kind as the monster that I had slain more than a hundred years ago. The one that had turn me into an immortal.

 “You can’t die too, am I right? You are merely separated from your body. Once intact, you can move again? As long your body is separated from your head, you’ll forever be my prisoner. I’ll bury your body somewhere no one will ever find. And I’ll keep your head as my company.”

“Look who’s the real monster now,” Yuri commented with that smile that never leaves his face. “You’ve killed my kind before to gain immortality. I thought that consuming your heart could kill you. I guess I was wrong.”

Laughing loudly in a voice that sounds strangely evil even to me, I look him straight in the eyes filled with love. “Oh dear, Yuri, I don’t even have a heart to begin with,” I insinuated. As I keep the severed head into a dark leather bag, I told him my plan; “Now be a good little head, will you? I’ll kill all of your kind. I’ll keep you all with me.”