A/N: This Bonus chapter was brought to thee by yours trully. As I have taken upon thy souls, and I have thus decided to douse the flame of curiosity that sets thy hearts ablaze.
[Rest of the author note on the comments!]
[Blood Diary Entry]
"So, you're the one…"
The man spoke to me. His presence was absurdly overwhelming; one I felt was entirely on par with what I remembered Sol'Vahr once exuded.
I swallowed dryly, and every hair on my body stood up. My fangs grew without intention; my claws started to grow—but at that moment, a hand rested on my shoulder.
I didn't even see him move…
I almost drowned in the sense of danger that threatened to overwhelm me.
Every instinct in my body told me to run. But that same body refused to move a single finger.
"Be not afraid." He spoke.
'Why is he speaking like an angel?' My mind reeled. Had I not felt the darkness that emanated from him, I would've believed that he was indeed an angel.
"No harm shall be done unto you." His voice was calm, but impossibly deep.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I am Caine." He stated, offering no further comment or explanation.
My heartbeat spiked, existential dread taking root inside me. In front of me wasn't a simple vampire—no, this was something, someone else. The first murderer, the father of night, favored son of darkness. Someone that could very easily defeat the current me—even if he couldn't kill me, he could just seal me for eternity.
As a Higher Vampire, my absolute rule of existence is that I cannot be killed by anyone other than my own kind. But nothing says I can't be sealed forever.
And this man is entirely capable of doing so…
"What do you want?"
"I desire death. I seek release."
"Huh?!"
He looked at me, his eyes closing slightly. "I believe she announced my coming."
"Huh? Who did?" I asked, confused, but then I remembered that absurdly strange encounter with that entity, and my eyes widened in realization.
"It seems you know of whom I speak."
"Who is she?" I asked, seeking some overdue answers.
"That is not for me to say." Answers that didn't actually come.
He removed his hand from my shoulder and sat on the bench.
"You said you wanted to die… Why?"
His face drew closer to mine. "You understand the answer to that question. Part of you at least."
"You are tired," I said. Remembering Sol'Vahr's existence, his end, and my beginning.
"Perhaps."
"But why me?" I asked, trying to coax at least some answers from the ancient monstrosity.
"Because you are the only one capable."
"What about the one I spoke to earlier?"
He shook his head. "No."
"I see…" I looked at him. "Why should I do it?" I asked boldly, now that I knew he wanted something from me, things were different.
He narrowed his eyes. "By granting my desire, you may achieve yours."
A thought crossed my mind. "The evolutionary locks…"
Cain nodded. "And you will remain pure. There shan't be any tainting in the process."
"What about your curses?" I inquired.
"You will not be burdened by them."
"But they will still exist?"
He didn't answer. But that in itself was already an answer.
"And your own powers?"
His eyes twinkled in amusement. "You will not benefit from my experience."
Just the experience, huh?
That means I get what he has but not what he knows.
Interesting…
"How should I do this?" I asked.
"First, you must understand."
Then he grabbed an object from his coat: a round, silvery cup.
He placed the cup underneath one of his wrists and bit down on his own flesh. The blood dripped down like a fountain.
While my own blood was vibrant and lively, almost the color and brightness of ruby. His was blackened and sludgy, like liquid shadow.
Once the cup was filled, he pushed it towards me.
"Drink." He said.
"How do you know about my ability?" I asked, startled.
"Drink." He didn't exactly calm me down.
I grit my teeth and downed the sludge, which was surprisingly tasty all things considered.
Overall, it's more pleasant than biting down on a ghost's decayed flesh.
My vision darkened, and I was pulled inside a string of memories, or at least what resembled memories.
I saw a massive figure; it emanated power and beauty like no other.
By the side of the figure was a feminine form, it exuded what I could only describe as the absolute peak of what a woman was supposed to be.
By the feet of the massive figure were two brothers.
The first and older one burned with power even greater than the one from the figure; it made my mind reel from simply sensing its might.
The second and younger one had such beauty that no matter how much I tried, I could never fully take my attention away from it, as part of my mind always paid attention to it.
The memory blurred, and I understood that this 'family' was happy. They lived alongside one another and were satisfied with it.
But then it changed.
In the darkness, I saw the beautiful one eyeing the other two.
I felt a mix of emotions. Burning envy, consuming darkness, and ruthless cunning.
I heard a beautiful voice coming from it.
"If I am denied power… Then none shall have it."
I then felt burning lungs, a pounding headache that almost obscured my thoughts.
Then a colossal shadow thrashed the world. The earth trembled and shattered.
A voice—deep and sorrowful—said:
"My son… why?"
As it cried tears of blood.
Then I felt the weight of a stone in my hands, as well as the weight of ancient sorrow.
I saw that massive form collapse and fall to the ground. By its side, the elder brother—crying, shaking—taken by grief.
The massive form whispered, but I couldn't hear it all clearly. Only a single meaning managed to go through.
The name that belonged to the beautiful one was uttered.
Then the stone fell down, and I heard the sound of bone shattering.
The vision blurred, and the darkness shifted.
I saw two brothers facing each other.
One was smirking, entirely unashamed.
One was trembling, burdened by heartbreak.
There was no sound, only an arc of red blood ran through the skies.
Then the feminine form kneeled by the side of a beautiful corpse. She wailed, cried, and shrieked.
She pushed the powerful one away.
Uttering a single word.
"Monster…"
Darkness took hold again, but this time I saw nothing.
I felt something snap.
I felt my hands circling around a slender neck.
I felt myself applying pressure.
And I felt something break under them.
Then one emotion took hold.
Crushing betrayal.
After that, a presence filled the void.
Impossibly vast, but formless and shapeless.
A voice, thunderous and resonant, sounded in my skull.
"Blood to blood.
Thou shall wander.
Thou shall hunger.
Thou shall remember.
Thou will be denied the embrace of the sun.
All food shall be ashes upon your mouth.
Thou shall only be satisfied by blood.
Thy body shall be weak to the purity of flame.
But most of all, thou shall never be harmed."
Then I saw dust, empty plains, tall mountains, snow-ridden wastelands, and a vast number of ruins.
Rain fell on wounds that never truly healed.
A single word came to mind.
Eternal suffering.
Then a thousand mirrors came.
Each carrying the image of the cursed one. Each dressed and behaved differently.
They spoke in overlapping whispers.
"I'm sorry—"
"They deserved it—"
"I didn't mean to—"
"I would kill them again—"
"Forgive me."
"Forget me."
One mirror looked at me and smiled.
Then the memories shattered like glass.
I was back in the real world, gasping for breath. Drenched in cold sweat.
"You understand now…" Caine said.
"Why show me this?"
"You are trying to be different. This is a reminder. Be different. But never turn against those who care about you." He said with a deep and ancient tone. "The price for that is too high."
With those words, I saw Caine turn entirely into black blood.
Then that blood rushed to me. Drenching me in it.
I felt my skin absorbing the blood.
And just like that—Caine was no more.