Vampire Overlord's Harem In The Apocalypse-Chapter 53: Connections (IV)

Leo took a step back, his grip tightening around the gun in his hand. His knuckles turned white as he raised it, aiming directly at Simon’s head.

The look in his eyes was cold, determined, and reckless — a mixture that Simon had seen countless times in people who were far too desperate for their own good.

"Fork over all your resources," Leo demanded, his voice firm but betraying a hint of uncertainty.

Simon could see the way the young man’s hand trembled slightly around the trigger. A part of Simon wondered how he had gotten this far in the world, being so naïve, but the other part of him couldn’t blame him.

Everyone was fighting for their own survival, and when desperation ruled, people did things they normally wouldn’t.

Simon, however, was hardly intimidated. His mind, sharp and calculating, immediately took in the situation.

The gun was nothing more than an extension of Leo’s fear and frustration. Simon had faced worse. Much worse.

’Can’t he see I’m a Vampire?’ he thought silently, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

He glanced at the barrel of the gun. Even if Leo pulled the trigger. He could almost predict the trajectory of the bullet before it even left the chamber.

After all, this wasn’t the first time he’d faced a threat from a scared, armed human.

The Survivors were few and far between, each trying to carve out a place in this broken reality. Everyone was on edge. Survival was about keeping your head down, finding shelter, and hoping the chaos would pass.

Leo’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Supplies..." The word was muttered almost as an afterthought, like he wasn’t sure what else to demand but needed something more to feel in control.

Simon paused. He didn’t have any supplies on him. He didn’t need to carry things like food, water as he was a Vampire.

He had learned to survive without relying on the dwindling resources of the world. His body didn’t need the same things it once did, but Leo didn’t need to know that.

"No," Simon answered flatly. He took a single step forward, the movement swift and precise.

In one smooth motion, he reached out, slapping the rifle out of Leo’s hands with such force that it shattered upon hitting the ground.

The young man’s eyes went wide, and before he could react, Simon grabbed him by the collar, yanking him forward and dropping him to his knees.

"You were warned," Simon said, his voice low and measured. It wasn’t a threat. It was just a statement of fact.

Leo had chosen the wrong path, and now he was paying the price. But even as Simon spoke, he could feel the heat building in his chest, the creeping hunger that threatened to cloud his mind.

It would be so easy to end Leo now. So easy to let his instincts take over.

The blood in his veins seemed to call out to him. But Simon held back. He couldn’t give in to that temptation. Not yet. Every time he used his abilities — every time he fed — it only made the hunger worse, and it was a hunger that never seemed to be fully sated.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted the silence. A familiar voice.

"Stop!"

Simon’s head snapped toward the sound, his grip on Leo loosening ever so slightly. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The girl was standing there, her face hard, her body tense, her fingers wrapped around the barrel of a pistol.

The gun was aimed at Simon, but the hand holding it was shaking.

For a moment, Simon didn’t recognize her. But as his eyes focused, the details fell into place. Her blonde hair, tangled and worn from the harsh realities of the apocalypse.

The sharp lines of her face, once softer and more inviting, now hardened by the weight of survival. And the way her eyes locked onto his, a mixture of recognition and confusion.

"Rita?" Simon asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t think he had spoken her name in years. He didn’t think he’d ever see her again.

But there she was, standing in front of him, pointing a gun at his chest. He lowered his hand from Leo’s collar and let the young man fall to the ground, unconscious but alive.

The girl — Rita — blinked, her brows furrowing as she processed the situation.

Her breath came in short, shaky bursts, and her eyes darted back and forth between Simon and Leo.

It was clear she didn’t know what to do. The gun lowered, the tension in the air thickening with every passing second.

"Simon?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, as if she couldn’t believe it herself. "Is it really you?"

The world seemed to stop for a moment, and Simon felt a strange rush of emotion flood his chest.

She looked the same and yet, so different. It had been a while since they saw each other. And now, here they were, standing face to face again in a world ravaged by death and destruction.

He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t find the right words. Instead, he simply nodded, his heart pounding in his chest.

Rita’s eyes softened, and for a moment, the hardness that had come to define her faded. She took a step forward, lowering the gun to her side.

"I thought you were... you were gone," she said, her voice breaking slightly.

"I thought you were too," Simon replied quietly, his voice betraying a hint of the pain that had lingered inside him for so long.

They had been part of a group once and he hadn’t expected to see any of them again. Certainly not Rita.

She hesitated, glancing down at Leo, who was still on the ground, groaning softly as his head pounded.

"He’s not a threat?" Leo asked, his voice uncertain.

Simon shook his head. "He was, but he’s not anymore." His gaze softened, but the lingering hunger in his stomach reminded him of the secrets he still carried with him.

She raised an eyebrow... Well he did look different, that was for sure.

"What the fuck happened?"

"It’s complicated,"