Taya's hands curled up as she clearly remembered the big argument she had with Viktor many years ago about why he won't turn her other than saying she might die.
She had asked him for the reason or proof that she might die, but he never told her before. At that time, since she was young, she was too stubborn and emotional to think rationally about this matter, just as Viktor pointed out, and didn't want to accept that fact all those years ago.
But now, she had changed her thinking with the idea that she could come up with a solution herself instead of asking him.
"What is it?" Taya asked as her eyebrows drew together.
"There was this woman I once fell in love with during those times. She was quite like you in some ways, especially the part where she wanted to have my child and live with me forever. She said that she couldn't bear to die and leave me alone. I told her I was helpless about it. But she dug up records and myths of vampires and werewolves where she read how they had the ability to turn people into something like themselves. I told her that those were simply stories made by people after probably noticing my existence over these years and that the reality was different."
Viktor went on, "She then never asked me about it again. But after many years, when she was very old and got sick, she told me to grant her only wish, which was for me to make an attempt in order to turn her since she was very afraid about not seeing me anymore. She had never asked for anything else for all those years, and we lived quite a simple life in some isolated village."
"Seeing her bad health condition and the numerous times she begged me made me give in...finally biting her to inject my blood essence into her system despite the protests of my mind. I also desperately wanted her to live beside me and thought that maybe there was a fraction of a chance where a miracle might happen."
Taya felt her eyes becoming warm since she felt as if she could relate with the woman Viktor mentioned since no lover would want to leave behind their loved ones and would try everything they could to stay with them.
Of course, there could be exceptions where some would be content with the life they shared with their loved ones and accept their fate rather than try and fight it.
But Taya knew she didn't belong to the latter category and always believed that one's fate was never predetermined.
"What happened then?" Taya asked in a slightly brittle voice.
Viktor let out a heavy sigh as he looked up, "My worst fears came true when my blood essence started to burn her from inside, making her undergo excruciating pain and suffering that one can't imagine. In fact, if I had let it continue, she would have died in one of the most horrible and agonizing deaths a human could. I couldn't even bear to look at her suffering but wanted to end her pain as well. But that would mean I would have to kill her myself rather than let her die a slow and painful death."
Taya's eyes rippled as she guessed what choice he might have taken.
"While I was still feeling shocked and confused about what to do, she grabbed my hands and told me with her eyes that it was alright as she smiled and uttered the words 'I am sorry' with the last ounce of energy she had. At that moment, my hands moved on their own and put her to rest. She was once a powerful princess but gave up all her privileges to live with me since, at that time, she knew I wasn't fond of living in such an environment with constant politics and strife. But to think that someone like her had to suffer such a fate."
A drop of tear trickled down Taya's right cheek as she never expected that he had to undergo such a tragedy, especially having to kill his lover with his own hands, and couldn't imagine the pain he must have felt.
She instinctively raised her hand to caress his back but froze up as various complicated thoughts were disrupting her mind. She really wanted to do more to comfort him but at the same time she was feeling frustrated from being held back by certain worries.
She slowly put her hand down and said in a soft voice, "I am sorry. It is not your fault. I am sure she wanted you to know that. I am also sure she would have never asked you to do that if she knew how things would have ended up. She wouldn't have wanted you to undergo something like that."
Viktor cleared his throat and said, "Well, still, only when I lose people do I again realize that I am not powerful but weak. And in moments like that, I wish I was a normal human. After her death, I was depressed for so many years and wandered the earth for around 200 years before making my way back to the place I woke up in the beginning. I needed answers to know why I am made the way I am...why I can't live a normal life or at least die a normal death. But as always, I didn't find anything and decided to sleep since I was bored with everything, including the world. I didn't know if I could sleep again, but fortunately, that coffin did the job, and here I am now."
Taya couldn't understand one thing and asked in a confused tone, "Then why did you decide to love me?" She felt that someone who experienced all these saddening experiences would be against loving someone again, especially considering what he experienced.
Viktor softly chuckled as he looked at her, "Taya, we don't get to decide whom we should love. It just happens before we realize it. As I said, something about you made me unable to hold myself back, or maybe my mental scars might have healed over time. It could be for a number of other reasons but falling in love was never something meant to be rational in the first place. Sometimes it's out of our control."
He then took a deep breath as he thought about Umilia and said with a slight nod, "You are right, Taya. After telling you these things, I realized one thing. I like Umilia, and she is one of the finest women I have ever met and not someone I want to treat casually. So, I will just take a break and sort things out in my mind to see if I am ready to love someone again or that she would be better off without me. This is also the reason why after you ran away, I didn't force you to come back since at that time I felt that maybe you would lead a happier life without me without having to be sad at the end. Only after those two years you left, and you came back with a newborn baby, I realized how foolish I was to simply let you run away."
Taya was unusually silent as she felt a weight in her chest and closed her eyes.
Viktor got up and walked a few steps forward before he turned around towards her and said, "But what I am sure of is that I will still continue to love you no matter what. As you know, once I fall in love with someone, then that feeling stays forever. So no matter for what reason you push me away, I will push back with double the effort till you can't resist me."
Taya felt her heart ache and raised her head to look at him, "Viktor, I—"
"Anyways, I will also find out who Tiana's parents are. Then we can settle things for real. See you later, Little Taya," Viktor said with a wink.
"Viktor, what are you talki—" But before she could complete her sentence, Viktor vanished into thin air. Taya immediately stood up and bit her nails as she was surprised that Viktor stressed the word 'parents' instead of 'father', making her feel quite restless.
'It can't be…'