SEBASTIAN

I couldn't help but wonder—who was Rosemary to Shira and Silas? I had watched Shira drag her into the circle when we finally brought her back to their strange, mansion-that's-not-a-mansion house. Then, in an instant, they vanished in a flash of bright white light.

Behind me, I could hear Silas breathing, steady but weighted. I turned to him, concern tugging at my voice.

"Are you okay? Who was she, anyway?" I asked, watching as his brows drew together.

He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "No one," he muttered, before heading off to the kitchen without another word.

I frowned, crossing my arms. My curiosity itched like a splinter under my skin.

Who was she?

—

It's safe to say Kath was disappointed when I told her the so-called "arcade date" wasn't as successful as it was supposed to be.

"Idiot. I gave you two hours of alone time, and you came back empty-handed?" Kath clicked her tongue as I lay sprawled on the bed, a thick blanket wrapped around me like a cocoon.

"Hnn, stop bothering me and let me sleep," I groaned for what felt like the fifth time. It had been at least two hours of me trying to shoo her out of my room, my house, my life—anything to get some peace.

"Why should I? I'm so disappointed in you," Kath whined, flopping onto the bed beside me and throwing her arm over my shoulder. She started shaking me like I was some sort of rag doll.

I let out a soft huff, cracking one eye open.

"He said he wasn't interested in romance at all," I muttered, trying to keep the disappointment from seeping into my voice.

Kath lightly punched my arm. "That just means he's free to take! Don't lose this chance! You can totally change his mind. Besides, I definitely think he's queer, so do your best!" She shook her fist like I was some kind of warrior off to battle. I rolled my eyes, unimpressed.

"I don't have a romantic bone in my body," I said flatly.

"Don't worry about that. Maybe he doesn't have one either."

"Doubtful."

Kath only pinched my cheeks in response. "Just work hard, okay? It's time for you to get fruity," she giggled at her own joke, while I turned my head away to stifle a groan.

I really should've never let her into the house. I could've chosen peace. I could've had a good nap. Instead, here I was.

Eventually, I must've fallen asleep without realizing it. When I woke up, Kath was gone. But on my bedside table, there was a warm cup of milk and a note that read: Rest well, my fellow fruit man!

I let out a chuckle, feeling a warmth I hadn't expected.

I couldn't drink the milk, but I appreciated the gesture. Especially coming from Kath.

Then, my phone dinged.

It was Silas.

[Sorry for blowing you off yesterday.]

I frowned slightly as I typed back.

[It's fine, dude. No problem. You had a mission—it comes first.]

But I doubted it was the mission that made him act that way. I still wondered what Rosemary had done to make him react so strangely. Did they know each other from before?

Another message popped up.

[Thanks, man! Anyway, forgot to mention haha! Yesterday, I told my mother about you. She says I should bring you to the academy so she can check you out!]

"What?!" I yelled, loud enough for Torie to hear from her room.

"You okay?!" she shouted back.

"Fine! Sorry!" I called, sitting up abruptly.

I stared at the screen, the words sinking in.

[Check me out??? Bro, what???]

Silas replied with a stream of laughing emojis and a thumbs-up.

Oh god.

[Don't worry, it doesn't have to be today! Tell me when you're ready!]

I sighed in relief. Thank god for small mercies. This was a problem for future me.

[Let me prepare myself first. I'll let you know when I'm ready.]

I dropped my phone on the bed with a huff. Silas had a habit of deciding things so fast, I swore it was going to give me whiplash one day.

—

It was Monday the next day—a slow, uneventful day for me. I spent most of it lazing around, hidden in the library during my free time. I was sprawled on a sofa, half-asleep, while Silas sat on the floor in front of me, engrossed in a book. Beside him floated a softly glowing orb of light, illuminating the pages he was reading.

"You should find a proper spot to read, with actual lighting," I mumbled, my voice groggy as I woke to the quiet sound of Silas turning a page.

He glanced up, startled to see me awake. "Hey, you sleep like the dead," he teased, grinning.

I snorted and sat up, stretching until I heard a faint pop from my back. "Did I? Must've needed it," I murmured, still half-asleep as I swung my legs off the sofa. Silas took the opportunity to rise from his spot on the floor and plopped down beside me.

"Besides," I added with a smirk, "I'm already dead."

Silas raised an eyebrow, a slight grin tugging at his lips. "You've been using that joke way too much," he said, chuckling.

I scratched my cheek awkwardly and leaned back against the sofa. "Anyway, you said you told your mom, right? What did she say?"

The mood shifted. Silas tensed, his expression faltering as he gave me a sidelong glance.

"To be honest? Not great," he admitted, sighing. "My mother's a professor at Zaudseth—you know, the Magic Academy I told you about. She specializes in teaching students about magical creatures, including mages, witches, elves, fairies, dwarves, and, of course…" He trailed off, closing his book with a soft thud. "Your kind too."

I frowned, sensing the weight of his words. "What does she want?" I asked quietly.

"She's… difficult to convince. That's why she's asked you to meet her. She wants to see for herself what kind of vampire you really are," Silas said, clasping his hands together and shooting me an apologetic look.

I flattened my lips, exhaling slowly. I supposed it couldn't be helped. Still, it always baffled me why vampires were treated like such a threat. I'd seen werewolves before—weren't they just as dangerous?

"Silas," I began, turning to him. "Why do mages hate vampires so much? Aren't we just oversized mosquitoes or something? The way you talk about my kind, it's like we've committed some heinous crime."

I laughed lightly at my own joke, but my smile faded when I noticed Silas's serious expression.

"About that…" he started, his tone grave. "It's not so much what vampires did, but what your existence represents. Technically, you're not supposed to exist."

I blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, hesitating before answering. "A long time ago, demons roamed the earth. They lived among us, spreading chaos and destruction. It wasn't until the goddess Gahena intervened that they were finally sealed away, buried beneath the ground."

"Demons… they were real?" I asked, my mind conjuring up the classic image of horned creatures wielding pitchforks.

Silas chuckled at my naivety. "Not the cartoonish ones you're imagining. Demons come in many forms—and none of them are what you'd expect."

I nodded slowly, curious. "So… what does this have to do with vampires?"

"Demonic magic exists, and only demons can wield it. But back then, there was a human mage—someone ambitious, someone desperate—who wanted to learn their magic. He sought them out and convinced them to teach him their ways."

"That's insane. Wasn't he scared?" I asked, incredulous.

"Of course he was," Silas replied. "But fear doesn't stop everyone. There are plenty of people willing to risk everything for power. He was no different."

I frowned. "What was his name?"

"Vladimir Dracul," Silas said, his voice low. "The so-called 'original vampire.' He's the one who created your kind."

The weight of his words settled heavily on me. For the first time, I understood what he meant by our existence being unnatural. We were never meant to be.

"So… we're basically demons," I murmured, tilting my head in thought.

"Not exactly," Silas corrected. "You're more like an offshoot—a byproduct of Dracul's pact with the demons. If anyone deserves the title of 'demon,' it's him and the other seven purebloods."

I let out a soft hum, processing his explanation. "I guess that explains how vampires came to be. It's… interesting. A new perspective." I paused, hesitating. "It's hard to believe demons and gods exist. But then again, I exist. I've seen you use magic. I've seen a werewolf. So, maybe it's not so far-fetched."

Silas laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. "Yeah, I get it. It's a lot to take in, especially when you've spent most of your life as a human."

I noticed his expression darken slightly. He looked almost… bitter.

"Do you think this has ruined my life?" I asked softly.

He didn't answer right away, but his silence spoke volumes. Sure, being a vampire had changed everything. I couldn't enjoy many of the simple pleasures humans took for granted. But I didn't resent it. I'd never been the type to cling to expectations or plans for the future. I'd always just gone with the flow.

"I'm fine with what I have now," I said with a small smile, watching Silas's golden eyes. "I never wanted much from life anyway. I never even planned for the future."

Silas looked startled for a moment before breaking into laughter. "And to think my mother believes you'd betray me and kill me," he said, shaking his head. "If only she could see you now."

If only she could see how amazing you are, I thought, but kept the words to myself.