The Eternal Gambit

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

He truly felt scared at this moment.

Even now, he could feel it creeping in.

The warmth drained from his body.

His hands were growing cold.

If not for the piece of wood impaled through his abdomen, he was certain he'd already be gone.

The pain that had been numbed for so long…

It was starting to return.

Slowly but Surely.

Elara's eyes never left his face. "Then tell me," Her voice softened once more, "Why?"

For a moment, Alvin stared at her with a hesitant look, watching the flicker of curiosity cross her face. Then, with the most serious expression he could muster, Alvin gave the most ridiculous Elara could have imagined.

"Dying in sunlight, not being able to eat garlic bread… You want me to live such a deadbeat life? No thanks!"

Silence filled the air once more, this time, Elara's gentle smile faltered. She wondered if Alvin was mocking her and never really wanted to accept her offer, but seeing the serious look in his eyes, she knew no matter how ridiculous those reasons sounded to her, they genuinely bothered him.

Yet…

Even when she knew he was not joking with her, a look of annoyance fleeted past her face. 'Here I was, thinking we were having a serious conversation, and this human—'

For a fleeting second, she even thought, 'Should I just let him die here.'

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Elara felt a bitter feeling arousing in her heart. 'Tch, why?'

'Why him? What makes this human so special that he is making me feel like this?'

While Elara was deep In her thoughts, Alvin looked at her with some confusion and worry. He wondered if she would take offense to his reasoning.

Then suddenly, he felt his body freezing, Elara was not staring right at him.

"Who do you think I am?" she asked, Standing straight, her eyes flashing with pride. The air around her shifted. She no longer appeared a gentle, loving woman, but instead, she looked like a menacing vampire out for blood.

Her red eyes gleamed as her transformation grew more intimidating and defined. Alvin watched in awe and a hint of dread. He could see and feel the pressure around her body.

A true Vampire!

Not a myth! It's not a story from any second-rate novel!

She was the real thing!

Despite the suffocating pressure pressing down on him, he remained calm—not because he wanted to be, but because she allowed it.

Taking a shaky breath, he met her gaze. "What I said… it is one of the few things that I know about vampires."

Alvin admitted, "All the knowledge I have about vampires came from what others have spread throughout the world. No one knows if they are true or not, but everyone has their own beliefs… their fantasies about vampires."

Hearing those words, Elara somewhat calmed down.

Then—

She sighed.

A long, drawn-out exhale.

The next moment, she changed back to her normal appearance. The mountain-like pressure that Alvin was feeling suddenly vanished. He let out a pained moan; his injuries had worsened under her pressure.

Meaning now Alvin had even less time. A look of regret and urgency flashed through Elara's eyes, but soon it faded.

"You plan to turn me into something I have no true understanding of. " Alvin let out a rugged breath and spoke with difficulty.

Elara studied him for a while before answering, "Only vampires with a low-level bloodline need to be afraid of sunlight." Her tone was much calmer and a bit blaming, too, "Who even told you about the garlic thing? The smell is strong for us, but we can change the amount according to our preference like we do with salt."

"That's a relief…" Alvin tried to let out a chuckle, but his body was too worn out. He could already feel the strength leaving his body.

"One last thing—" Alvin spoke with all of his strength, trying to stay awake with all of his might. "What… What will happen to me? I don't want to have my freedom stripped—"

Before he could finish, a sudden feeling of weightlessness washed over Alvin.

And the—

He collapsed.

Elara remained still, his last words still ringing in her head. She watched as his head hit against the ground with an unfocused look in her eyes.

After a moment of hesitation, she bit her lower lip before making a decision.

She let go of the umbrella in her hand.

Instead of falling, it floated, defying gravity as it hovered in mid-air.

Elara stepped forward, raising her her left arm. She clenched the raised hand into a fist, turning the palm upwards, and then—

Just as she raised her right hand, a voice interrupted her.

"Lady Elara," the voice sounded from the air behind her, but no one could be seen standing there. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The voice was neither questioning nor firm— just curious.

"You only have one choice, and he seems reluctant to let go of his humanity. He values his freedom more than anything; there is a chance you might fail."

Elara closed her eyes for a moment before shaking her head.

"He is the one." She said without hesitation. "We will just have to change the ritual a bit."

Her voice was soft, but her eyes burned with something unshakable.

"I don't know what will happen in the future if I go through with this."

The first two fingers of her right hand straightened while the other curled.

"…But one thing I am sure of—"

Her gaze flickered to Alvin's unconscious face.

"I believe in my intuition."

Without another word, Elara slashed down at her left wrist.

Splash!

The blood gushed out of the wound like a small fountain before dripping down. She barely flinched. Twisting her arm slightly, she allowed the blood to fall.