Addiction

Alicia had a home in Griffinburg, and she insisted on making them stay there at her place, even though they went back to Griffinburg, none of them could actually sleep, especially Edgar who was restless because four thoughts wouldn't leave his mind.

One, his hand was still hurting, because the part where Devil's claw was, it wasn't healing. Two, how could his beloved aunt betray him? Three, how is he going to find a cure within 2 days? Fourth, Is there even a cure?

But eventually, even just for a few hours they fell asleep, they were tired after all, so in the morning when Edgar woke up he couldn't find Lisa, he looked everywhere until he found her sitting on top of the stone fence built around the porch.

She had her knees cuddled up, and her chin sat on her arm and her gaze stuck at the ground.

Morning fog was covering most part of the trees in front of them, she is the kind of girl who never misses a chance to enjoy the mesmerizing scenes performed by nature, but her gaze was stuck on the ground that had nothing on it but sand bathed in the morning dew.

"Lisa?" Edgar whispered.

"What?" She was badly startled and was shaking "I'm sorry." She was ashamed of being that frightened.

"Hey, It's okay!" Edgar got close to her and held her hand.

It felt as if that experience in the Maw of Havoc killed the spark inside her, she seemed sick, her cheeks were sinking in, there were dark circles around her eyes, and her eyes seemed dull, skin of her lips was wrinkled and dry.

After a long silence, she whispered "Edgar?" She had tears in her eyes "Am I a bad person?"

Edgar nodded "No! Of course not! Why are you saying that?"

"Then why is it happening to me?" She sighed and a drop slipped down her cheek.

"You know what I believe? I believe that every one of us has a purpose! And to be worthy enough for that purpose our life tests us and breaks us to build us stronger so when the time comes, you are ready for it.

You just have to wait a little longer to find your purpose, and then…" He was interrupted by her.

"Do I have that long Edgar?" She looked into his eyes "I saw my dad ripped into pieces, I am stronger than you think Edgar, you don't have to lie to me!" She sniffed.

"I heard you all talking last night, I wasn't strong enough to wake up but I heard everything!"

Edgar couldn't look her in the eyes anymore, Lisa set his hand aside and walked back in.

Afterward, Edgar went inside to talk to Ben alone "Is there any word from your men?" He asked.

"Yes, One of my men told me that there is a person, who may be able to help us find a cure but to find that person we're gonna have to get to the underworld and it is so far away we won't be able to get there in time!" Ben said.

"Suppose, we got to the underworld in time, how sure are you that this person has the cure?" Edgar asked.

"Ed, her ancestor invented the vampire curse so I am one hundred percent sure she has a cure but, she hates our kind so there is a zero percent chance of getting help from her!" He answered, "Besides, it's impossible for us to get there in time." He added.

"I can't just let her die, Ben!" He had tears in his eyes.

"This is why I told you to keep what she wants aside and help her, Ed, sometimes we have to choose whether to see our loved ones alive while they hate us rather than letting them die when we could actually help them!" Ben rested his back on the pillar.

"You won't get it!" Like always Edgar had no answer.

"Oh, but I do Ed! I do!" Ben buried his hands in his pocket.

Edgar sat back by the fence "You and Bianca?"

Ben sniggered "I and Be, we were in love since we were little, we promised that we would get married to one another.

We grew up together, went to school together until I got admission in college, it was only just the beginning, it was my first week at the college when a car ran over me, it was a hit-and-run case, and I was severely injured.

But then the man who ran over me found me taking my last breath in the middle of the night, it was your father Edgar! I was not in my senses when he poured his blood into my mouth, I struggled until my heart stopped, and then I woke up.

I was bloodthirsty, I drained the nurse, and she died in my arms as I sipped the last of her blood.

I realized I messed up, I escaped the hospital and ran to Bianca, your father was already there before me, he had already told her everything about me.

She accepted me because she truly loved me, and with her help, I learned to control my blood thirst.

Your father made me strong and helped me whenever I needed something but I had no idea when your sister fell in love with me." Ben looked at Edgar to see his expression.

Edgar stood up in shock "You mean Oliver?" He asked.

"No! I'm talking about Ruby!" Ben emitted a deep breath and continued "Your dad demanded me to marry her because this is what she wanted, I rejected his proposal, at first he made me count his blessings.

But then he realized it was not working so he chose to use Lunarian for his dirty work, one night when I was at my friend's birthday party I got a call from Bianca, she said she was hurt so I left everything and ran straight back to her.

When I got back home I found Lunarian sitting beside her, when I approached them she was in a trance, Lunarian dug his nail into her neck and sliced open a long wound, it is the hardest thing to keep yourself away from the blood of a person you love.

I tried Ed, I swear I did, but I have no idea when I found myself drinking her blood, what I heard was a small gasp, she had turned white, and there was only a cup of blood left in her body.

According to Lunarian's plan, he thought I must have killed her but I didn't, I made her drink my blood so she recovered.

But unfortunately, she became addicted, she used to hurt herself and I always ended up feeding on her.

I always used to heal her after feeding on her I had no idea what it was doing to her from the inside.

One day I sneaked in to surprise her only to get surprised myself, she was only wearing a lace top and was standing by the basin, and she was vomiting, I got to her and was about to ask her what happened but then my eyes fell on her lower back.

There were bite marks on her skin... everywhere! I got close to her and turned her around and realize she was puking blood, she looked like a junkie, I pulled her hair away from her neck and saw multiple bite marks around her neck.

"I am fine!" She whispered as she wiped her mouth.

No! You are not fine!" I exclaimed but she wouldn't listen.

There is a secret about me that I never told you about Ed, like every other vampire, I have a specialty too, I can replicate memories, and I can also replace a memory with a fake one.

I held her face and looked her in her eyes, I made her forget how I fed on her, and I replaced it with a memory where she saw me making out with 3-4 different girls each time, she started hating me, and totally got over her addiction by time because she didn't know about it anymore.

It was hard for me to take this step Ed, but I'd rather watch her safe and sound and hate me for the rest of her life than watch her suffer in my hands.

and before you ask, yes she does remember that I am a vampire." Ben didn't have any tears in his eyes, he seemed as if he was dried already.

"You asked me multiple times why I hated Lunarian right? This was the reason Ed!" Ben smiled.

Edgar hugged him and patted him on his shoulder "I am sorry!"

Edgar was still disturbed, so in the evening he gathered Alicia and Ben in the drawing room, but Lisa knew something was going on between them so she entered the room uninvited.

"I'm not afraid just talk in front of me, please!" She pleaded.

"Okay, Alicia I wanted to know if you can slow down her…" Edgar couldn't say it.

So Lisa decided to do it for him "Death, he wants to know if you can slow down my death… but why Edgar? To make me suffer more?" She approached him and tilted her head to look into his eyes but he was staring at the floor.

"What? No! Of course not, Ben says there is a cure and we will be able to reach it in time if you could slow the effects down!" Edgar said.

"Edgar… you and I both know that this is not possible!" Alicia stood up from the couch "Even if I did it, it would be harmful for her, she will only suffer more because it is not a poison effect we are slowing it is the death we are slowing down." She answered with disappointment.

"Isn't there any other option?" Edgar had tears in his eyes.

"Edgar! Look at me!" Lisa held his face and made him look into her eyes "You have two options, and it is totally up to you to choose what you want to do.

Tell me, Edgar? What do you want to do? Would you rather make my last two days memorable? Or you could go out in search of a cure and miss your chance to say goodbye!" She smiled with tears in her eyes.

Edgar's throat was hurting, he couldn't stop his tears.

"Please?" She whispered, her voice was shaking.

Edgar nodded as he forcefully smiled.

She wiped his tears, Ben had already turned his face away, and Alicia was shedding tears along with them.

"You need a proper farewell? We will give you a proper, a memorable one!" He smiled with tears in his eyes.