Chapter 21: Ashford

"You've been released for the upcoming ball tomorrow, master Shade." Said one of the vampire servants and opened one of the cells.

"I thought brother has forgotten about me!" Shade said and stretched his arms and legs.

The servants lead him upstairs. But before he left, Shade looked at the first cell where there's a man with a long white hair inside.

He snickered, "You must've heard the news, Ash. Tomorrow night, our family will welcome the vampire queen's son."

Ash just stared at him as if he doesn't care.

With that, he scoffed, "Are you provoking me with some kind of rumor?"

Shade kicked the bars of the cell, "It wasn't a rumor! He's indeed alive! And I'll kill that brat for humiliating me!"

Ash laughed mockingly, "Then I would love to meet him for giving you a taste of defeat."

Shade groaned in anger, "I know what you're doing, Ash. But you can't fool me! I know you kept being ignorant about his existence but that ends now! I'll make sure to kill him, so you'd better sit tight and wait for your son's doom!"

Shade laughed as he walked away.

It was a mere hunch. But he wasn't expecting it to come true. A moment when it finally came, that he met the vampire queen's son with his very own eyes.

That very night, the fateful Red moon. He felt someone's presence coming down the stairs. It felt like a vampire, but there's more. Something that he has never felt before.

"Where am I?" He heard him mumbled. And when their eyes met, he felt for sure, the blood of the Van Helsing flows inside him.

His white hair is no doubt. His innocent eyes looking at him, is the same way how Astrid does.

"You... look familiar..." He mumbled as he kept staring at the lad, convincing himself that he is indeed her son.

'So... he truly exists...' He thought and suddenly, a pang of pain weighed heavily in his chest.

"Fa... ther?" He heard him called.

And it feels like time has stopped for him. That's when the desire for freedom suddenly came to him. He wanted to break these black chains. He wanted to break the bars between them. He wanted to be released.

"There you are!" Rin exclaimed when she finally found Damien sitting on the roof.

"What are you doing here?" He asked who seems to be not in a mood to talk.

Rin crawled towards him and handed a small bag, "I want to give this to you."

Damien glanced at it, "What's that?"

"They're big sister Ran's special cookies. Eat it. You'll gonna love it!" She proudly said.

Damien flicked his tongue, "No thanks."

"Eh? But you'll regret it! Ran cooks better than any of us." Rin insisted and opened the small bag. She took one piece and ate it.

"Try it!" She smiled and finally, Damien sighed in defeat.

He took some and ate it.

Then he blinked fast, "This is actually good!" He mumbled.

"See? I told you!" Rin chuckled.

Damien smirked, "You're right." He took some more and ate it.

"Say..." Rin began, "I hope you don't take it personally, about what Cal told you. He's always like that."

"But he's right after all..." Damien looked down, "I did put Rae's life into danger. I'm responsible for it."

Rin stared at him for a moment and blinked.

Then, she looked at the Red Moon above.

"I almost did the same. When we're new here, we always make Cal mad. We usually put the young master's life in danger. But we're still here, alive and kicking!" She chuckled just by recalling those memories.

"What I'm trying to say is... Everyone makes mistakes, Damien. Don't be too hard on yourself. I know you can prove your worth to Cal and the others." Rin glanced at him and smiled.

It was the first time someone told him it's alright to make mistakes. After all, he was always being watched back in his home.

Since Astrid was gone, the toxic and pressure of being a Tepes came back to him. And here he is, in the Van Helsing residence, feeling the exact opposite he experienced back in their manor.

And that made him smile, "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Together with Primo, Yana went to Rae's room to check on him.

"Rae?" She knocked, but heard no response.

"Can I... come in?" She asked, still, got no reply.

The lass sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I should've been by your side. I--"

"It's not your fault." She heard him say.

Rae, standing by the door, leaned his head as he closed his eyes.

"Don't blame yourself... I'll be fine... I just... need some time alone..." He added.

Even if he says that, she still can't shake the feeling of being anxious. But she has to give him space. He must be tired after all.

With that, she leaned her head on the door as well.

"Alright... I'll... visit you tomorrow. Have a good rest." She said and went downstairs with Primo.

Hearing her faint footsteps, the lad clenched his fist.

Just remembering what happened on the party makes his blood boil. So that's how cruel the vampire world is. Overwhelmed with jealousy, aiming for more power, filled with mockery, anger, hatred, and pain. They forgot about sympathy and empathy.

'Is this... what you've been fighting for, mom?' He thought and glanced at his mother's portrait on the wall.

"Is this what you wanted to change? What you wanted me to change?" He mumbled, but his question was answered by silence.

How it pains him that no one can answer his question. And then, the memory of what Orpheus told him suddenly flashed in his mind.

'Stronger... If I become stronger, will I be able to bring peace to the vampire clan?' He thought and looked at the Red moon in the dark sky.

"What... should I do?" Unconsciously, he fell asleep by having such thoughts inside his head.

And while he was in slumber, he heard a voice.

"You seek power?" It was deep and manly. But he cannot see who was talking.

"You already have that power... You just need to control it."

"How?" He asked.

"Find me... And I'll help you..."

He gasped as he shot his eyes open. The dark sky was gone, and now there's the bright rays of sun beaming at him. It was too bright and it irritates him. He groaned as he rubbed his eyes.

That's when he noticed, his nails are still sharp and long. He can still feel his fangs intact. With this, he immediately rushed towards the mirror. His hair is still long and in bloody red color. Same goes for his eyes. His ocean blue eyes are no more, rather, all he can see is red. His ears. They are pointed, far from how they usually looked like.

"N-no... Why am I... not transforming back?" He trembled.

How is that possible? The Red moon's over. He should be in his human form now. Could it be that he's been transforming a lot lately that he can't go back to his human form anymore?

All these thoughts bothered him until he realized another thing.

'I'm thirsty...' He thought.

And all of a sudden, he smelled something that made his heart thumped loudly.

"Rae? It's me, Yana..." The lass knocked as she was standing on the other side of the door.

Rae panted, it feels like he's palpitating. This is far different from when he was with her. And he doesn't like this feeling at all.

"Are you awake now? Did you have a good sleep? I'll be here whenever you're ready to talk to me." She said.

He rushed towards the door and was about to tilt the door knob. But his other hand stopped him from doing so.

'Something... is wrong with me!' He thought as he can feel his saliva dripping from his mouth.

Why does he feel hungry and thirsty at the same time? He wanted to go out. Her scent is way too tempting for him.

'No Rae! Get hold of yourself!' He cried and closed his eyes, wishing Yana would leave. And thank goodness, she did. He heard her footsteps fainting as she went downstairs.

He fell on his knees as he sighed in relief.

"Did I just... try to eat my best friend?" He mumbled in disbelief. For sure, something's changing inside him and he doesn't like it.

"How can I... control this?!" He held his head and suddenly remembered his dream.

'Find me... And I'll help you...'

With that, Rae stood up. He went and opened his windows. Even the sun's rays irritates him, it doesn't hurt him at all.

And then, he jumped out of the window, running from roof to roof. Even he doesn't know who that voice is, his instincts tell him where he can find this person for some unknown reason. And like the call of the wild, he has to answer it or he might regret what will happen next.

He jumped and jumped. Until the voice brought him into the woods far from town. And his feet led him in the middle where there's a man standing under the tree.

"Are you the one... who called me?" Rae panted.

"You're never wrong about that." The man stepped forward.

The sun's light illuminates his long white hair as Rae clearly recognizes his face.

"You're that vampire... from the cell..."

He smirked, "Call me Ash, your majesty."

And again, Rae felt this feeling of connection between them. It's the same feeling he had back at the vampire ball.

The lad frowned, "Are you here... to kill me as well?" He asked. He can't let his guard down now that he has shown his face to the whole vampire clan.

Ash snickered, "Kill you? Why would I do that? After all, we're connected."

Rae blinked. So he's not the only one who can feel it.

Ash stretched out his hand. The lad prepared himself. But all he did was to place his hand on the top of his head.

And that made the lad surprised. He was expecting him to attack. But here he is, gently patting his head.

"You've grown so much." He heard him say.

When he gazed at Ash, a gentle smile was drawn on his lips.

All of a sudden, tears welled up from his eyes as he hugged the vampire in front of him.

"I've been waiting... all this time..." He mumbled as his voice trembled.

"I'm sorry, I've kept you waiting." Ash said and hugged him back.

Rae gently pulled away and wiped his tears.

Ash chuckled, "Now, now. A man shouldn't cry, you know."

The lad sniffed, "I'm sorry, I can't help it!"

"Enough of crying. I'm here to fulfill my promise."

"Promise?" Rae repeated.

"I'll make you stronger." Ash smirked.

Not long ago when Rae left, Yana decided to go out and get some fresh air. After all, staying inside her house all alone is indeed lonely.

When did she feel this way? Ah, it's probably when the Van Helsings arrived and she met Rae.

'I hope he's alright.' She thought and started to get worried again.

"Oh miss Yana, good day!" A familiar voice greeted her.

"Father Stephen?" She blinked, meeting the priest in a crowded place.

Then, she noticed the paper bags he's carrying. Seems like he went to buy some food.

"Let me help you carry the other bag." She offered.

"Are you sure?" The priest blinked.

"Please, father!" She pleaded. And the priest saw the pain and trouble in her eyes. With that, he sighed in defeat.

"Alright. Just one bag." He said and handed the other one to her.

Then, they headed to the church where he's staying.

"Thank you for helping me, miss Yana." The priest said as they placed the paper bags on the table.

Yana noticed that the priest bought a lot of tea boxes.

'He must've loved tea so much.' She thought and noticed that the priest placed the other bag near the sink. Now she's curious what's inside that bag.

"Would you like some tea, miss Yana? I would like to thank you for helping me."

The lass nodded, "Sure, thank you, father." She smiled. After all, she wanted to talk to the priest as well.

After preparing, he placed their cups on the table with a slice of cake.

"One of the students gave me a whole cake. I couldn't eat it by myself. So it's better to share, right?" Father Stephen smiled.

'Looks like Rae's not the only one who got fans.' She thought and started eating.

Just by thinking about her friend, she can't help but sigh.

"Is there something troubling you, miss Yana?" The priest asked.

"I-I'm sorry for being rude!"

"No, not at all. It's fine. You can tell me anything if it's alright." The priest smiled gently.

The lass sighed once again.

"I feel useless, father..." And she told him what happened at the ball.

"Is that so?" The priest held his chin.

"I can't even help him fight his battles... I don't feel like I'm worthy to be his friend anymore." The lass sighed again.

Father Stephen took a deep breath as if he's choosing the right words to say.

"Did you tell Mr. Helsing about how you feel?"

"I... no, I just apologized to him for not being able to stay by his side that night."

"And what did he say?"

"He said... It's not my fault... I shouldn't blame myself..."

"That's the answer, miss Yana. It wasn't anyone's fault. Don't you trust his words?"

"I do, father... But, I feel like a burden to him."

The priest chuckled, "Miss Yana, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. You may not realize, but you are Rae's strength."

"I... am?" The lass blinked.

Father Stephen nodded, "Who gave him blood when he transformed for the first time?"

"It was I..." The lass replied.

"And it did save both of you. Who was always there for him whenever he transforms back to human?"

Yana blinked, "Me."

"See? You're not useless. You can do more things that no one else can. And that's what Rae needs." The priest smiled brightly.

"Father Stephen..." Tears welled up from her eyes.

"Make me stronger? But, how?" Rae asked.

"That's simple. First, you must learn how to control your transformation. Accept who you truly are. The reason why you're stuck in that form is that you refuse to be yourself." Ash explained.

"Accept who I am? How am I going to do that?" The lad seems confused.

"Have you drink blood?"

"I did.. But, only twice."

Ash sighed, "This will be harder than I thought." He rubbed the back of his head, "Then it's settled, we're going to drink blood." He said and started walking.

"Wait! You mean, right now?"

"Yes, your training has begun."

"But... I don't drink blood.. I--"

"Alright, I get it. You're not used in human blood. Fine, it's animal's blood then."

In just a blink of an eye, Ash caught a bird on his hand.

"Here, drink this." He handed the struggling bird to Rae.

The lad frowned as he looked at the poor creature.

Ash saw the hesitation in his eyes, "Looks like I've expected too much from you." He sighed.

"Of course, you've been raised as a human so this must be new to you. I understand." He patted the lad's shoulder.

Then, he leaned forward to his ear, "I won't force you. But I want to remind you, if you don't do this, you won't be able to control the beast inside you. And if that happens, you won't be able to change anything... You can't be king."

After that, he gently pulled away.

"I'll be waiting here tomorrow. If you come, that means you're ready to become stronger." Ash said and set the bird free before he disappeared.

Thinking what he said, Rae clenched his fist.

'What... should I do?' He thought anxiously.

It was already sunset when Yana came out of the church.

"Thank you so much for listening, father." She bowed politely and waved goodbye.

Father Stephen waved his hand as he watched the lass walked away.

"She's too young to experience these things. But I know she can endure it all. That makes her stronger like you, Astrid." He mumbled, remembering his beloved.

While Yana was on her way home, a girl came running and accidentally bumped into her. Good thing, she managed to catch her.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yep, I'm fine. Sorry to trouble you, miss. I'm just getting used in this form." The girl laughed awkwardly.

'This form?' Yana became confused.

She was about to ask what that means when someone came.

"There you are Frisca. I told you not to run around." That voice seems familiar to her.

When she looked up, she saw the vampire who saved her from the balcony.

"A-Alucard!" She exclaimed.

Then, Orpheus glanced at her.

"Ah," he blinked as if he recognized her, "You're Miss Suicidal, right?"

"Ha? Miss... Suicidal???" Yana echoed.

"Am I mistaken? You looked like the girl who threw herself from the balcony. Miss Suicidal." He said with a stoic expression.

"T-that's... look, I'm that girl but I'm not suicidal, okay?"

"But you almost killed yourself from that jump. So you're indeed suicidal."

"I said I'm not!"

The girl cleared her throat, "Excuse me!" She rebutted and glanced at Orpheus.

"Should we go home now? I'm starving." She pulled the hem of his jacket as she looked at him with her big rounded eyes.

Orpheus sighed, "Fine. Let's go." He turned his back and walked away.

Frisca gazed at Yana and smiled, "Thanks for catching me, miss! See you when I see you!" She said before following Orpheus.

"Alright." Yana waved her hand.

'Good thing his sister is nice, unlike him.' She thought and groaned before going home.

Rae returned to his room and found Calcifer and the others waiting for him.

"Young master, where have you been?" He asked worriedly.

"You should've told us where you're going!" Ren scolded.

"Don't make us worry like that again, young master!" Rin said.

"Everyone... I'm sorry..." Rae looked down.

They all sighed in relief.

"Well, what matters is you're already here, safe and sound." Primo said.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, guys." The lad said apologetically.

Calcifer heaved a sigh, "We'll talk about this tomorrow, young master. You need to rest now."

"Cal..." Rae called, "Can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it, young master?"

The lad took a deep breath, "Please, bring me a glass of blood!"