The Dread of Damned

"Didn't know I was here for a class," I said, as if probing.

"Oh, pardon me, old habits die hard, especially when you are as old as me," he said with a chuckle. "Though you are not wrong, we are here because it is time now for you to learn a few things."

"Is that so?" I asked raining an eyebrow.

"Yes, indeed it is," he said, gesturing towards the chair. "Please, do be seated. This is going to be a long conversation." As I sat down, Vasen's figures sat beside me.

"Now, then, we should first talk about essence," he said, settling into his chair. "I thought I was taught all that there was to know about essence," I said, my brow furrowed in confusion.

"You are not wrong, you were taught everything that any normal person will be told before their awakening," he said, "but what we are going to talk about now is something only a selected few know about. So few, in fact, that they can be counted on one hand, and you, as the future of House Aestherisin, should also now become a part of that list."

"Now, you know how one becomes a supreme one," he continued, "but what you, along with the majority of others, don't know is that there is another stage beyond that."

"Another stage?" I inquired, my interest piqued.

"Yes, another stage," he said, a hint of excitement in his calm voice. "This is the stage where one's control over their power becomes so deep and connected that they can not only control it like a supreme being but actually develop it, improve it, use it in ways never been done before. This is the stage in which one stops getting their essence from anything; their being itself absorbs it, even during the day when the moon is hidden behind the blinding sun."

"How does one achieve this stage?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"The way to do that is the same as the previous two stages," he explained, "but this time, instead of using essence or fireflies, one needs to use direct rays of the moon, the most pure and condensed form of the moon's power."

"If the process is the same, how come others don't try it?" I asked the question that came to my mind. "Why do only selected few know about it?"

"It is not like none has tried it before," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice, "but only a few have succeeded throughout history, and only their descendants or close allies know about it being a successful method. While others think of it as a rumor after failing once."

"How many do you mean by a few?" I asked, looking him in the eyes.

"Only two," he said, a smile creeping its way onto his face deceiving young face.

"Two?" I echoed, my eyes wide with surprise.

"Yes, two," he said, his eyes glinting with excitement. "One of them was actually the head of House Aestherisin in the very beginning, even before me. Only a selected few know about the power he actually wielded; others only think that he was strong only due to his unique power."

"While the second one, who partially did it, was a friend of mine, an old friend," he continued. "He didn't succeed completely, only being able to refine his heart. He then lived for a long, long time, even by vampire standards, before he became bored of life and carved his heart out, giving it to me as a keepsake on the way to his final journey, as the rest of his body was that of a supreme one. "

"Now, you need to understand the fact that a person who achieves this state is a true immortal," he said, his voice ageless. "Time stands still for them; their body is indestructible.the one who achieves this is called a Sovereign."

"Then how did the first ruler of my house fall, considering that he had refined all his body?" I asked, my brow furrowed in confusion.

"That is still a mystery," he said, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Though many believe that he fell in the battle against the four houses that attacked him, stranding him alone. They say that battle took place for years straight, with no end in sight. A single man against the army of millions, composed of four houses with their own heads in lead. They say that single battle shook the world; the mountains were levelled, seas ran dry, clouds thundered, and there was rain of lightning. Lava burst forth from the belly of the earth. Hurricanes and Floods rose, leaving nothing but pure chaos in their wake. Blue, Black , Purple and Stark red blood along with Silver stained the land, flowing like river.The very continent that the battle took place on disappeared from existence, along with everyone else, That's why none know if it truly transpired or is just exaggerated tales, but what is true is that even the then four heads of the other four houses along with the enraged House Aestherisin all came to a truce, a treaty of peace. Though some believe that he still lives waiting for the right moment to come forth."

As he explained the scene, I could almost imagine the battle unfolding before my eyes. The image sent shivers down my spine, and I felt a surge of excitement.

"Are you immortal, then?" I asked, curious about his youthful appearance .

"Me? No, not at all," he said, his youthful appearance belied by his tired voice. "My youthful appearance is because of my power being related to time, though I have tried to no avail, researching for a way to absorb the pure rays of the moon. Alas, still fruitless." He said looking at the mountain of documents arranged on his table.

"Though I have heard that you absorbed the rays of the moon during your feeding ceremony," he said, his eyes fixed intently on me. "And seeing the phenomenon during your awakening has made me almost certain that you can do it."

"What happened during my awakening?" I asked, I knew something was off but I could just not put my finger on it.

"How do you think you are Alvie right now?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "With how many times you burst apart and reformed your essence should have run dry, killing you truly, but every night, the rays of the moon would envelop you within their embrace, putting you back together."

"It was also the rays that slowly reinforced your veins a little every time, making them sturdier each time." he said, his eyes glinting with excitement.

"The horns are courtesy to that, too," he continued. "It signals the awakening of a true form, one better suited to your power than this mortal body. Every part of you that will be refined completely will give rise to new pieces of your form until it all comes together when you become the supreme one.only a few through out history have awakened it, each going forth to become a power house. I think this form may become the key for you to absorb and refine the rays of the moon."

"Though you should be able to retract them much like your fangs, which became sharper than normal vampires after your blood became silver, and your nails that underwent the same phenomenon with your veins now," he said.

I tried to focus on my head, and the horns slowly merged back into my skull. 

"That's more like it," he said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

"Now that the talk about essence is over, we need to talk about something important," he said, his voice sounding solemn.

"Important," I echoed, my curiosity piqued.

"Yes, the need to talk about the danger plaguing this world, the being trying to gain control over it, even endangering us now," he said, his eyes fixed intently on me.