She is not an investigator.

“Listen, sir, do you have a phone here? I need to contact some people to speed up this covert search, one that I won’t even be aware of.”

Olivia's tone was not good, and given the pain her wounds were in, her expression was inevitably somewhat ferocious, which frightened many of the little witches into slightly moving away and huddling together.

“Of course, please go ahead, Miss Olivia.”

At least the police officer on duty here is pragmatic. After all, neither the guard duty nor the search mission has anything to do with him. He is just here to guard the gate. As for a young lady like Olivia, he knows what he should and shouldn't do.

He would even be happy to help if this young lady were to use her own power to resolve this sudden and inexplicable case.

After all, that meant he wouldn't have to stay here anymore, even if he was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open, he still wouldn't be able to go back to bed to rest.

Even though the little witches are certainly pleasing to the eye here, they are not as easy to talk to as most people. To avoid trouble, it's best to keep your distance from them.

After all, he just needs to collect his due salary and do his job.

…………

"Are you crazy?!"

Startled by the gunshot, the witch instantly shrank back, looking at Igris with terror.

This surprised Igris slightly; she had expected the seemingly fierce witch to retaliate the moment she launched her attack, rather than questioning her.

This probably also suggests that she is not a witch who is truly skilled in combat; at least in the face of such a sudden situation, her reaction is no different from that of an ordinary person.

"I'm sorry, Miss Witch, but if you insist on staying here, I don't know if you'll be in danger."

Igris tilted her head slightly, narrowed her eyes, and stared intently at the darkness behind her.

This is a school, not a place for fighting and violence. But clearly, some guys don't seem to care about that, and may even have come here on purpose to do something that will cause a lot of public outcry.

"I…?"

She seemed to understand something as well, and immediately turned her head to follow Igris's gaze into the darkness.

But her eyes couldn't see clearly; only faint outlines appeared in her vision, making it impossible for her to be sure if it was just her imagination.

However, as Igris raised her pistol again, the clear sound of chains being dragged echoed across the quiet clearing.

He emerged from the darkness, his sorrowful and desperate gaze falling upon Igris, without even glancing at the witch beside him.

His condition was very wrong; he was manic, yet seemingly rational. His body seemed to be doing things he didn't want to do. He watched everything unfold, but was powerless to change anything.

His mouth was open, as if he was yearning for something, unable to make a sound, yet he was wailing silently.

Igris couldn't hear what he was trying to say, but she seemed to be able to hear it faintly.

They are the same kind of people, they are the same kind of people, they are also the favorites of the gods.

The smell of blood rose again, and an indescribable hunger crept into Igris's body, causing her throat to tremble slightly and her to swallow hard.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the witch beside him.

The Gods' Folly - Regret: Chapter Twenty-Nine, Hunger

An aggressive, hungry gaze fell undisguised upon the witch, making her feel extremely uncomfortable, as if she were being stared at by a wild beast. She wanted to say something to alleviate the effect.

But the sound of chains rang out again, and several corpses being dragged along by chains appeared before the two men.

Suddenly, he knelt on the ground, crawling on his stomach, placing his hands on his forehead as if to transform into a crawling creature, tracing an indescribable, strange posture, and muttering something under his breath.

Igris couldn't hear very clearly, but the feeling was comforting. She liked the sounds, and they made her feel her tense nerves slowly easing, slowly...

melt.

"How did this thing get in?!"

The witch's scream rang out as the corpse was exposed, and green vines spread from the ground, binding the man who was crawling on the ground and binding him in place.

He stopped chanting, then raised his head and stared blankly at Igris.

The faint murmurs once again reached Igris's ears, calling her name and guiding her in the direction she was going.

The voice seemed to have no source, or perhaps it was the man in front of me recounting everything, or it came from a more distant, more elusive corner.

Anxiety, fear, hunger.

Three distinct emotions surged through her again, making her breathing heavy and her blood seem to be boiling.

"Witch...Miss, please let him go and let him continue, okay?"

Igris forced a smile, looking at the witch with an expression even more unsightly than crying. Her increasingly intense hunger even caused saliva to drip from her mouth.

Clearly, the witch hesitated for a moment. She was startled by Igris's strange appearance and didn't know whether she should do as Igris said and let go of the terrorist dragging the corpse in front of her.

No… perhaps she didn’t need to consider it. The solution was simple; she was just so frightened by Igris’ appearance that she forgot to think.

"Of course, of course."

She suddenly raised her arm, and several vines climbed up Igris's body, wrapping around her calves and tightening slightly.

"I'll call the police. Once they get here, what they do with you two is no longer my concern. I just need to..."

"Please...don't do this..."

Her words were interrupted by Igris's voice, which became extremely hoarse, painful, and indistinct, even tinged with a sob.

Regardless of whether Igris was ill or not, she was not prepared to put herself in danger, nor was she prepared to expose the little witches here to any possible peril.

As her fingertips slid, several vines spread out again, climbing up Igris's arms and binding her entire body tightly together.

"Ugh..."

As the vines tightened abruptly, Igris's low moan echoed through the darkness, sending shivers down one's spine and filling one with worry for her.

She didn't know that even though she didn't know Igris and it was the first time she had met Igris, she felt that she should never dislike Igris, and that Igris even seemed kind and likable.

But... she had to do it, and this torment wouldn't last long.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, but... I'll apologize to you properly after everything is over. Can you tell me your name?"

Perhaps this is a good opportunity. She has never made any friends with humans, but at least she feels that Igris is indeed someone worth befriending.

"Name...name..."

Igris's arms were suspended in the air by vines. Her head was lowered, and her body was positioned in a posture that had nothing to do with comfort. She was slightly bent over, so that her face was looking at the ground and hidden under her long hair, making it impossible to see her expression.

"I…"

Igris's voice became even stranger, and the swallowing motion almost outpaced her breathing, silencing her words.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"what?"

Igris suddenly began apologizing, and a liquid that was indistinguishable as sweat, tears, or saliva dripped down, causing the witch to instinctively take a step back.

She was indeed terrified, faced with this disturbing scene, with several corpses lying around her and a man who appeared to be the murderer.

Perhaps she should find someone to help her... at least she shouldn't be standing here alone, facing Igris.

"This was not my intention..."

Igris's mutterings suddenly stopped. She abruptly raised her head, her heterochromatic eyes looking at the witch in front of her, faintly revealing a hint of crimson.

boom!

The darkness was suddenly dispelled, and a burst of firelight, which made the witch squint, instantly shone before her, burning away the vines on Igris's body completely.

A sense of danger suddenly arose within her, and almost instinctively, she stepped back, summoning vines in front of her to try and create distance between herself and Igris.

The firelight appeared for only a moment before disappearing, and Igris's figure was completely absorbed into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.

"They...they left...?"

The witch dared not be careless. Vines wrapped tightly around her body, protecting her in a small circle, and she warily watched the surrounding darkness.

In the next instant, clear footsteps appeared out of nowhere beside her, and countless vines, as if they had discovered something, wrapped around the darkness, trying to grab the running figure.

But the moment the witch turned her gaze, an indescribable chill appeared behind her.

Behind?

Her fingers directed the vines to pull rapidly toward her, but a cold embrace had already climbed onto her body and locked around her neck.

"Wait...wait...! What are you doing?!"

The panicked witch grabbed the slender yet cold arm, and the rapidly approaching vines instantly wrapped around it, trying to pull Igris's body away.

I'm so sorry...

The indistinct voice resurfaced, and a sharp pain shot through the witch's shoulder, accompanied by a strange, damp sensation. Her body suddenly went limp.

"What...what are you doing?!"

Despite her attempts to resist, the witch's body grew increasingly limp, and the tingling sensation even caused her brain to tremble slightly.

The vines were tearing at her with decreasing force, and her resistance was becoming less and less intense.

She couldn't help but turn her head slightly to look at the figure that was resting on her shoulder, as if kissing her, and sipping her blood.

She thought of vampires, not those hideous beasts, but those ancient and beautiful nobles who drank blood and appeared in novels and plays.

Mysterious, dangerous, yet full of charm.

The Gods' Folly - Regret: Chapter Thirty, Temptation

Slowly, a ray of light shone on her, accompanied by countless shouts, and more and more people gathered around.

The witch turned her head, trying to find the slender figure that had once leaned on her shoulder, but there was only a shallow wound there, and she could not see anyone.

Her expression was somewhat dazed, perhaps due to dizziness caused by excessive blood loss, or perhaps because the wonderful feeling had brought her to some forbidden peak.

But in any case... it was indeed a wonderful night.

A wonderful time that she could never forget, and even one filled with hope.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

[You... uh, you drank the blood of a witch for your own appetite. Unfortunately, their blood does not contain magic.]

Title Obtained: Bloodlust

—Your thirst for blood is extraordinary. When faced with anything that might bleed, you can always find the best way to make it bleed.

Note: Someone once asked me, "Does God bleed?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.