“You see, I can tell the golden liquid has been mixed with some kind of blood and then carefully refined with other materials,” Lia explained, her crimson eyes glowing with a mix of fascination and caution as she leaned in closer, scrutinizing the liquid in the test tube.
Victor activated his Crimson Veil skill to examine it as well. But to his frustration, he couldn’t detect anything unusual, ‘It must be because she’s a natural vampire… I can’t see what she does,’ he thought, feeling a bit annoyed at his own limitations.
He then asked, “Can you tell me exactly what kind of materials were used? And more importantly, what’s this concoction for?”
Lia still fixated on the liquid, murmured, “I’m not entirely sure without making direct contact.” She glanced up at Victor briefly, her expression serious.
Victor hesitated, his brow furrowing as he weighed the risks. After a moment, he sighed and said, “Alright… go ahead, but just be careful. Make sure it’s not dangerous.”
Lia raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard. “You? Worried about me? Now, that’s unexpected.”
Victor’s lips twitched in mild irritation. “Don’t get the wrong idea! You’re close to Aether, and if anything happens to you, he’ll blame me. So, this is just me being practical, not sentimental,” he clarified.
A soft chuckle escaped Lia’s lips, amusement dancing in her eyes. “I see,” she said with a smirk before carefully uncorking the test tube.
With a slight motion of her hand, a few drops of the golden liquid floated up, suspended in midair as if weightless.
Victor watched with keen interest as Lia concentrated, her fingers moving deftly as she manipulated the golden liquid with ease. ‘She’s really good at this…’ he mused, impressed by her control as he observed her separating the blood from the liquid.
Three-quarters of the golden substance was revealed to be blood.
Lia nodded to herself before taking a small, almost imperceptible drop of the blood. She tasted it cautiously, her face contorting as she spit it out a moment later, “This blood is fresh, taken no more than a week or two ago… But something’s off. I’ve never encountered blood quite like this.”
Victor leaned forward, intrigued. “What do you mean by that? Is it some rare blood type or something special?”
“No, nothing like that,” Lia replied, her voice soft but thoughtful. “It’s normal blood in every sense, but… I’ve never tasted anything like it before. It doesn’t match any blood type I’m familiar with.” She trailed off, deep in thought. Lia had tasted the blood of various races and beings, yet this one puzzled her.
Victor frowned, slightly frustrated, “So, no real answers, then?” he muttered before gesturing for her to continue.
Lia’s eyes flickered back to the remaining golden liquid. She stared intently as its colour gradually dulled. Her nose scrunched in distaste. “This isn’t good… It’s turning into something dangerous. A poison.”
Victor sighed, recognizing the gravity of the situation. “Can you reverse it? Mix it back to how it was?”
Lia nodded, but as she attempted to combine the liquids again, the golden glow didn’t return. Instead, it became a dark red, almost sickly in appearance.
Her face turned awkward, clearly uncomfortable with the result, “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen—”
“It’s fine,” Victor interrupted, raising a hand to stop her apology. “I’m the one who asked you to mess with it…. sigh”
Lia blinked in surprise, her eyebrows rising slightly. Victor’s calm acceptance wasn’t what she had expected. “You know,” she began with a small, almost hesitant smile, “you’re not exactly who I thought you were.”
Victor raised an eyebrow at that, “So? What exactly happened between you and Aether?” as he changed the subject.
Lia’s smile widened, she took a deep breath, her expression turning serious. “I just… I need to know something. Do you think he’ll hate me?”
Victor shrugged casually. “That’s not for me to answer. You’re going to have to ask him yourself.”
“I know,” Lia sighed, her voice soft, almost vulnerable. “I know that… I just… I just needed to know to be–” Before she could finish she was interrupted.
Victor gave her a sideways glance, his smirk returning, “Playing it safe, huh?”
Lia’s face darkened, her mood visibly shifting, “Yeah… Aether’s my best friend. I can’t lose him, not after everything we’ve been through. I know what I did was wrong… but a part of me still hopes things could go back to how they were. That’s why I’m scared.”
Victor nodded, He leaned back slightly before asking, “First, answer my question. What are you to him?”
Lia thought about it for a moment, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I… I don’t really know. Sometimes, he calls me ‘sister.'”
Victor crossed his arms, “And what is he to you?”
“My best fri—” she began to answer reflexively, but Victor cut her off.
“Think about what you did. Do you still see him as just a friend?”
Lia’s face flushed red as the memory of their kiss rushed back to her mind. Her eyes wavered with uncertainty. “I… I… I don’t know…”
Victor’s tone grew more serious, “Then figure it out. You need to decide how you really feel about him. And make that choice carefully if you don’t want to regret it later,” he advised, his voice firm but not unkind, “But when you do talk to him, act like you usually do. Trust me, he’ll probably set it aside too. Otherwise, you’re just going to make both of you miserable.”
Lia looked at Victor, her expression one of disbelief, “You… you sound just like him.”
Victor froze for a second, mentally kicking himself. ‘Oh crap!’ he thought. Outwardly, he quickly retorted, “Get the hell out of here!”
Lia let out a soft chuckle before turning to leave, but just as she reached the door, Victor spoke up again.
“Oh, one more thing,” he said with an amused grin, “You should know… that guy’s a dangerous playboy.”
Lia paused, confused. “What do you mean by that?”
Victor’s wicked grin grew wider. “He’s not just involved with Selene, you know. There’s Aria too… and I’m pretty sure there are two more. The guy’s juggling a lot.”
Lia’s eyes widened in horror. “Wha—” She couldn’t even finish the thought, too shocked to process what she had just heard.
Victor chuckled darkly before glancing up at the sky, watching as it slowly shifted into the twilight of night. ‘Well, time for a date,’ he thought with a smirk, heading off into the shadows.
…
….
“Take a deep breath… It’s going to be fine!” Helena muttered to herself, pacing back and forth near the base of the mountain. At its peak loomed a grand castle, its towering spires barely visible through the clouds.
She had come here to avoid Finnian, who had been pestering her relentlessly for reasons she couldn’t quite understand.
Her heart raced with excitement, and she could hardly contain it. Her cheeks were flushed, her breath quickening as her eyes sparkled with happiness.
This was a big day for her. Today was her long-awaited date…. And not just any date—her date with Aether!
She stood, fidgeting with her hands, anxiously waiting for Aether to arrive, when suddenly—
“Helena!!”
She froze, her lips curling upward in anticipation, but as she turned, her smile faded, and her heart sank, “A-Aeth—Damn it!” she cursed under her breath.
It wasn’t Aether.
It was Finnian, calling out her name, shouting as he searched the area.
Panicking, Helena quickly ducked behind a bush, her heart pounding even harder now. ‘How did he find me here?’ she thought, frustration bubbling up inside her. She held her breath as Finnian walked closer, scanning the area with a determined look on his face.
“I’m sure I heard her voice around here,” Finnian muttered, frowning as he looked around, clearly annoyed. His expression darkened as his thoughts turned back to Aether. ‘Why is she so hung up on that slave?’ he thought bitterly, his fists clenching.
“I told her to stop seeing him, and yet—”
Crack!
The sudden sound of a twig snapping underfoot cut him off. His head whipped toward the bushes, eyes narrowing in suspicion. He smirked, crouching down as he prepared to catch her, “I’ve got you now—” But to his surprise…. there was nothing there!
Just empty bushes swaying gently in the breeze.
“Tsk!” Finnian clicked his tongue, frustrated, and stood back up, continuing his search elsewhere.
Meanwhile, just a few feet away from him—
“Calm down, will you?” Aether whispered as he blocked Helena’s mouth with his hand, pulling her deeper into the shadows. Helena, wide-eyed with surprise, nodded quickly.
Once Finnian was far enough away, Aether slowly removed his hand and helped Helena to her feet. “Now, my lady,” he said, offering her a charming smile and extending his arm in a refined gesture, “shall we finally go on our date?”
“Hehe..” Helena giggled, adjusting her outfit—a simple white dress that resembled a nun’s habit, its pure white fabric almost glowing under the moonless light. “Of course!” she replied, beaming with excitement.
But Aether blinked, his smile faltering for a moment as he took in her attire. Something about her outfit didn’t quite match the occasion. “Are we going for a prayer… or a date?” Aether asked, his tone laced with amusement as he raised an eyebrow.
Helena’s face instantly fell, her expression turning grim, “You don’t like it?… It’s my favourite!” she asked, her voice trembling with sudden worry.
Aether chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s not that I don’t like it. You look beautiful, as always. But… for a date, don’t you think you should wear something a little more… fitting? You know, something that shows you’re excited for it. Otherwise, the guy might think you’re not really into it.”
Helena’s face paled, and she clutched the front of her dress in a panic, “B-But I am really into this date! You know how long I’ve been waiting for this!” Her voice rose with desperation, her cheeks flushing even deeper.
Aether grinned softly, “I know, I know,” he said gently, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Let’s not worry about it too much. How about we find something more… suitable to wear? Something.. good~”
Helena flinched slightly, sensing something different in Aether’s gaze. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous edge, sending a shiver down her spine.