The Eternal Gambit

'It all makes sense now.' Alvin thought before screaming in his mind— Like hell it does!

How the hell does her sucking someone's blood grow strong explain how Is that man behind her, floating in the air.

This made him wonder if what he knew about vampires was the truth. After all, his knowledge came from nothing but the Internet and the stories about vampires he read.

Before he could even start stressing over the absurdity of it all, his mind blanked once more—like someone poured a bucket of cold water all over him.

Alvin stood there with no visible expression on his face but deep down he felt a flicker of gratitude— if not for the timely assistance of the unnatural power, he would have had another seizure at this moment.

After some time Alvin even realized something,

It wasn't that he couldn't feel emotions.

He could.

But whenever they got high enough to affect his judgment, they would suddenly get suppressed.

Alvin exhaled slowly, "So are you going to turn me into a vampire."

"Something like that. But first—" Elara tilted her head slightly before pointing at the guy floating on the side with a curious look in her eyes. "What should I do with this guy?"

Just looking at the unconscious man dangling in the air like a corpse, Alvin could feel his emotions bubbling up.

The rage and the hatred he felt towards the man was so much that they wanted to break through whatever was suppressing them and unleash it all at the person who caused him to feel those emotions.

After staying silent for a few seconds Alvin finally opened his mind to speak up, "After everything I have been through and have seen in my life, I believe that no revenge is a selfless act."

"People do not take revenge in hopes of giving the dead a piece of mind. That is not even possible after all. People take revenge to make themselves feel better. To make them feel that they had somehow made things right and the person who wronged you was not happy."

Elara patiently listened to his words, her expression never changing before she asked, "So… are you going to let him go?"

There was no tone of judgment in her voice, only silent curiosity.

Alvin scoffed. "Let him go?" A chilling smile appeared on his face, "No, I will be selfish."

"I want him to suffer."

"I want him to feel the pain he made everyone here feel."

"The only thing I had close to my family was taken away by him so I want him to suffer the pain, to let him understand the results of his action."

Elara's wine-red eyes gleamed slightly as if she found his answer… amusing.

Alvin, however, glanced down at his battered body. "Not that I'm in any condition to do it myself," he muttered, a rare flicker of frustration slipping into his voice.

"You are in no condition to handle stress. If you let yourself get agitated, you will die faster." Elara said, nodded in agreement, "This is why I used my powers on you—one meant to calm you down."

"For the decision you have to make…I need you to be calm and listen carefully before you decide."

Hearing the solemness in her tone, Alvin nodded calmly. Elara's gaze shifted to the full moon above them as she added, "Time Is of grave importance."

Alvin narrowed his eyes slightly, from her words he pieced together a theory in his mind, "You are not going to save me by turning me into a vampire are you?" the thought simply sent waves of different emotions in his heart. 'Will I also have to drink blood to survive from now on?'

The realization that supernatural beings existed in his world should have terrified him. It should have been overwhelming. And yet… he was perfectly calm, able to analyze the situation with unsettling clarity.

His mind helped him focus on the information that he felt was more important to him at the moment.

Drinking someone's blood sounded weird but somehow he found himself not entirely against the idea if it meant his survival.

Even though it was startling news, Alvin found himself perfectly calm at the moment which allowed him to analyze several things at the same time.

Elara studied the weird look on his face, unsure of what he was thinking. "Indeed, that is the only way I have to save you at this moment and time."

She paused, taking a deep breath she asked with a serious look on her face. "So are you willing to let go of your attachment to the human world? Leave everything behind and come with me to live in the world of the supernatural."

"Attachments?" Alvin let out a wet chuckle, fresh blood oozing from the corner of his lips. "Didn't you just say everyone died here?"

Seeing the nod of confirmation Alvin inhaled sharply, raising his head, and he forced himself to look around. The place he had called home was in ruins.

"The people who worked here,

Matsuoka. Rin. The old man.

They were the only family I ever had in this world but now they are all gone." Alvin looked at the man responsible for his misery before continuing, "So Elara, no I have nothing to cling on to here."

His words ended with a long silence that stretched on until Elara finally asked "Then, shall we begin? You don't have much time left."

Alvin turned back to face her. Then with the most serious expression he could muster, he said—

"I refuse."

A beat of silence lingered before Elara blinked.

"…What?"

For a moment she even thought she had heard him incorrectly. Then, the faint gentle smile on her face turned chilling, "So I guess, I should leave you to die here, right?"

"No, god no," Alvin stared back into her eyes which felt colder than the ground beneath him, a trail of blood escaped the corner of his lips, staining the collar of his dress.

"The last thing I want is to die," he admitted with a whisper, "dying somehow scares me…"