The Dread of Damned

This was a lot to digest. My mind churned, hearing all this new information. It was like a twisted fantasy-horror image of my own world—far more pleasurable than it had been horror until this point which truth be told, I liked.But now the horror was starting to bear its fangs. 

"This is almost everything you need to know for now. Your only concern should be to take control of House Aestherisin before the inevitable is upon us," he said.

"You will also be paired with a sparring partner now, so you can hone your power to the point where it's actually useful for combat," he explained, concluding the previous conversation.

"My reason for telling you all this, and keeping you informed of the situation, is so you understand the end goal. Focus on getting stronger," he said. I thought I caught a hint of anticipation in his voice.

"The power you have awakened is called Manifestation. It allows you to give material form to the essence in your body. The more you refine and train, the more mastery you will gain. This power hasn't been seen for the longest time, and even when it appeared, it was in House Noctarian and House Valeroth—never in our house, or at least not one we are aware of. Both of those individuals became absolute powerhouses. They are still alive, though they've retreated into seclusion. Maybe you'll meet them someday if destiny wills it," he said, explaining the nature of my power.

"What I mean to say is that the potential of this power is unimaginable—limited only by the wielder's imagination and their essence reserves. Now, the blood you spilled has been collected and moved into your new room. Drink it—it will refine and condense the essence within you," he added.

"How did I release so much blood and remain alive?" I asked, my voice cold and curious.

"For normal vampires, or even newly awakened Nocturnals, it would've been fatal. They'd need human blood supplements to sustain their veins filled with red blood. But your body is filled with silver blood, the type that flows through the body of a Supreme One. Your heart is capable of generating enough blood to fill your entire body, which it did each time it reinforced itself. Your body fell apart, and new, more pure blood took its place after you awoke again. The blood that splattered each time was more pure than the last. Even a Nocturnal would be drawn to the amount you spilled, its purity only adding to the allure," he explained.

"I need you to set up a class for me with Yelena tomorrow before I begin my training," I told him, my eyes glinting.

"Vasen will see to it and notify you when it's done," he said before I stood up.

I walked down the corridors with Vasen until we stopped in front of my new room.

"This will be your new room. I'll show you the area where you will train with your assigned partner. I hope you'll use it when practicing, so we don't have another room to replace," he said, almost as if pleading with me not to break this one too.

I nodded before entering the room and closing the door. The room was almost identical to the last one, though a bit grander. A huge white gallon was placed in one corner, only a head shorter than I was. He hadn't been exaggerating about the amount, I thought, recalling the headmaster's words.

I walked toward the gallon and opened the lid. Pure, shining silver liquid greeted my eyes.

I picked up a glass from the table and filled it to the brim, bringing the glass to my mouth. I felt pure essence flood my body as the blood joined the silver coursing through my veins. I directed the extra essence toward my left lung, refining it. The essence surged into it, knocking the air from my lungs as I coughed hard, unprepared for the impact.

Once I regained my bearings, I inspected my lung and saw a very minute speck of white on the inner left corner—almost invisible to the eye, but I could feel it.

This was good. I could use this blood to refine my body. I wouldn't need to wait for the night to absorb essence from fireflies, though I'd still do that too.

I was so pleased with the results that I drank three more glasses of the blood, each blow easier to manage. Another white dot surfaced, faint but noticeable. What I hadn't anticipated, however, was the pressure building in my veins, making them bulge. Even my lung was slightly swollen, much like before when I had burst apart. I realized, to my horror, that this method, while seemingly faster, was just as slow—if not slower—than using the fireflies. Two or three more glasses, and the scene from my awakening would replay itself, rupturing my veins and lungs all over again.

I had to mix both methods. That would be the fastest way to refine my body—at least until the blood ran out. After that, I'd return to the usual way.

I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes, the words and information from today filling my head. This was an unexpected development that had left me reeling. I had been a programmer in my past life, creating a few popular apps and entering the corporate world. Now, the very thing that had been a part of my everyday life was an enormous threat to me, as if I were fighting an old friend—knowing only one of us would survive. The gravity of the situation finally hit me.

I had to become powerful. I would not surrender to fate like I had in my past life. I also had to seize control of the house and solidify my position.

An image flickered in my mind—Yelena. Her stern face, lean body, and perky breasts. A dark smile crept across my lips. Tomorrow would be fun. I was going to break her, slowly. Deliberately.

My thoughts twisted as white jade horns emerged from my forehead. It would be a slow, fulfilling process—one I would savor over weeks. Every moment of her fall would bring me pleasure. My silver eyes gleamed with hunger, my mouth curling into a crazed grin.

The door to the study opened as Vasen entered. "He looks normal after resting," he said. "Perhaps the pain didn't affect him much."

"He may look normal, Vasen," came the reply, "but his thoughts now have a crazed undertone. He can control it when he wants to, but he will also relish the feeling when unleashed—even look forward to it. He's no longer driven solely by violence, though that's certainly still there, and he'll enjoy it too. What he'll savor more now is slowly manipulating others, bending them to his will. A merger of both, perhaps, is what he'll crave most," he said.

"Should I still set up the class with Yelena?" Vasen asked.

"He requested it, and it will be delivered," the man said, making Vasen acknowledge with a small bow.

"This is going to be an interesting show," the ageless, calm voice murmured, before the man behind it resumed reading the document in his hands.

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