The Storm of Humanity's Past. The First Architects. The Memory of Mankind. The Ghost Dynasty…
Out of them all, the one title used to mock Xi but, at the same time, to remember their mandate…
'The Disgraced Kings.'
The title echoed in Vesper's mind as his eyes fell upon the girl in the hospital ward, who was wrapping her knees with a pallid transparent sheet.
Synthetic Skin Silk. A special kind of fabric that when applied to skin completely replaced it and became part of the body, a new skin.
This was a sure-fire way to get rid of minor wounds and lasting scars. It was a biological invention that used a special kind of bacteria found on some of the moons across the known universe.
A few medicine bottles were lying beside her bed upon a sleek table as the girl quietly injected a syringe of Sang Sol into her veins.
She took a deep breath in and released a small whimper as she leaned back, letting the drug made out of the sun's blood take effect.
'So this is the heir to the Fallen Monarchs of Humanity… Xi Evira..'
Vesper observed the girl with his mercurial red eyes, her black hair fell upon her skin sleekly and her pale skin looked almost ghost white… he wondered who was actually the vampyre here…
'She's beautiful though…'
His eyes fell upon the black tank top that she wore, highlighting her tits that were stuck tight to them.
'…and hot.'
Vesper couldn't help but gulp. Her pale skin wrapped that tightly against that thin of a cloth… how would those cherries look… a scandalous thought couldn't help but enter his brain.
Honestly though at the same time he was more confused about why there were no guards or even nurses in the ward.
Could anyone really waltz inside?
It made a little sense though… everybody must have been paying more mind to the grand event in the arena.
'After all… the flow of time is different as well. What's a day in the Trojan Hall is barely a few hours outside.'
Time after all flowed differently in the Trojan Hall. It was a unique area with its own time zone coupled with technology… akin to a natural time chamber.
One of the main reasons why the fight between the princess and the last scion took days and no one even batted an eye. It was deemed normalcy.
'…and considering that the Xi are at the verge of insolvency, it makes much more sense. She probably can't afford to have high-level bodyguards and there isn't a point in low-level ones.'
"Why don't you step out of the shadows?" An ethereal voice followed, it was calm but there was a slight edge to it like the freezing cold.
"I didn't want to disturb you, Miss Xi." Vesper quietly spoke, still observing the last Scion.
Evira's eyebrows furrowed a little bit, her eyes were still closed and her body was immobilized as she took in the effects of her medication.
"You have been observing me keenly. I could feel your eyes since before the start of the battle."
Vesper took a step back in surprise. A look of shock slowly plastered upon his visage.
"You could sense them…? From among a million spectators?"
Xi Evira was quiet for a moment. Time flowed by silently until her groan broke it.
She brought her knees closer to her face and gently lifted her head. Placing a palm to her forehead, she groaned once again in pain.
"Yes…" Her voice was drier this time… "I could. Your presence is powerful, you need to learn to hide your gaze better."
"Hmm…" Vesper hummed softly contemplating the words of the last Xi.
Aura and Presence went hand in hand with the former being the extension of one's will and the latter being the same sense of expression in a passive format.
'So maybe I wasn't hallucinating when Amyris looked at me. This is bad… It's terrible. I can't stick up like a nail… I'll get hammered down and eventually be executed for being the wolf in disguise at this academy.'
"Thank you…" Vesper meant it. Time passed by again slowly, in the meanwhile… Xi Evira kept groaning in pain.
"I hate it when someone sees me like this. It's very impolite, your eyes even more."
"My apologies Miss Xi. I can wait outside."
"Tch…" she clicked her tongue. Slowly she raised her head as he body started to become comfortable in her own skin.
"Never mind. The effects are subsiding now." The lady opened her eyes slightly, the bright white light of the ward making it a bit harder.
Eventually, the stormy grey eyes caught sight of the mercurial blood orbs.
"You… I remember seeing you in the news. Public Enemy Number One. What do you want from me…?"
Vesper smiled wryly, how could he really even answer this question…
'I am here to spy on you?'
'I just find you fucking sexy…?'
'I just want you to sit on my fa-'
"I brought some wine with me. You'd be missing on the dance so I thought as someone who deeply enjoyed your performance, I could at the very least do this…"
A beautiful laugh resounded across the ward. It was melodious and not as cold as Vesper thought it would be. In retrospect, it was kind of warm… even a little bit amused.
"You brought wine for me? You must really be desperate outcast. You get excommunicated from your family and resources so now you come running to me? The Xi? Well, I'd be sorry to disappoint you… Vesper.. but I am more or less in the same condition… though… lot better off than you at least. However much… I must say that I do appreciate the sentiment. It's very thoughtful. Thank you. I'd love some wine."
Vesper raised an eyebrow, this was the most he had ever heard Xi Evira speak.
He grabbed the chalices and lightly poured some wine into them. One that he gave to Evira who took it softly with her pale hands… and one for himself.
*Clink…*
The two clinked glasses, neither of them in the mood to really speak. Twirling their wine and staring at the color of it was more of their forte.
"It's delicious. What's this Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1945? Wow, aren't you going all out as public enemy number one?"
Vesper scratched the back of his head sheepishly and released an awkward chuckle.
Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1945 after all was legendary and one of the most expensive wines in the world… it was priceless.
If Vesper had sold it instead, he could live lavishly for the rest of his million lives especially with a noble lifestyle.
'How did the Family even let me take this with me?? Do I really even wanna take revenge anymore..?'
Though even if Vesper sold the wine, it could barely even cover the tuition for half a semester of Troy.
So in its own unique way it wasn't worth much but for a collector… the wine was still pretty much priceless.
After all, only a few of those bottles really existed across the known universe.
Vesper revealed a toothy grin.
"Well, Miss Xi… I couldn't let a beauty like you sip on something crass now could I?"
Xi Evira raised an eyebrow, chuckling a little bit again. She twirled her glass gracefully as she took a small sip from it.
"I'm not that easy Vesper. You'll have to work for it."
The boy twirled his own glass slightly, "Well hard work is one of my few virtues."
"Pffft- You and hardworking??" Xi Evira almost choked on her wine and burst out laughing.
She wiped the corner of her eyes and looked at Vesper who was dazed by her melodious voice.
"Do you not believe it, Miss Xi?" He asked. Evira smiled in return, her face still a bit cold but her lips revealing warmth.
"Aren't you charming. I suppose that time will tell."
Vesper raised his glass to it making a small cheers.
"I'll drink to that Miss Xi."
Xi Evira raised her own, a slight smile hanging from her face… her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Please, call me Evira."
Vesper lowered his face slightly, a small smirk forming on it.
"Then I shall humbly do so… Evira."
Evira laughed again, her eyes smiling more than her lips did. She took a few sips from the wine.
Vesper raised an eyebrow. "You have a beautiful laugh… Miss Evira."
Evira rolled her eyes in question and shook her hand.
"Laaamee that one is overused. Your face saves you."
Vesper almost choked on his wine but nodded at her. There were no lies in her statement.
"You know… in the old Xi texts, they said humanity was a beast that forgot to hibernate. What do you see when you look at me, Vesper?"
Evira playfully lifted her glass staring at the reflection of her eyes in the shimmering surface of the wine.
"Do you think I am a beast?"
When Vesper heard Xi Evira speak… for a second he was stunned hearing such a direct question but then again she was under the influence.
He put a finger to his chin as he contemplated… "Hmmm… tough question-"
"Vesper."
The last Scion's commanding voice sounded cutting Vesper short in his words.
The boy glanced at Xi Evira's face in surprise. Her head tilted slightly, the faintest crease appearing between her brows as a sound only she could hear reached her ears.
Gone was the warm demeanor, her visage was cold as ice and in her eyes, a slight storm had already begun to brew.
"You should leave. I have another guest to entertain."
The silver-haired man nodded dumbly… and confused. He ruffled through his hair slightly, a little bit disappointed… staring at Evira with a bewildered expression.
'I thought it was going well…'
That's when he heard the steps of another echoing through the hallway that even his vampire senses hadn't managed to catch.
They were cold. They were silent. Without much of a pattern. There was a hushed pressure in them that warped the atmosphere of the room… as if sucking in all the air.
"Leave. Now." Xi Evira commanded and Vesper's face turned serious too.
Something major was about to happen and honestly… despite how much he liked Xi Evira and how important his mission given by Lysbelle may be… he didn't really want to get caught in the crossfire.
"Yes, Miss Evira."
The woman in question revealed a small smile as she closed her eyes.
"Do leave the wine bottle here. We'll continue this… some other time. Maybe. If I feel like."
Vesper glanced at the lady, her hair was disheveled and her pink lips were slightly pouted. Nothing could however, lessen her beauty.
The boy quietly placed the Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1945 by her table and prepared to leave quietly, his back turned to the storm-eyed lady.
As he opened the door, another stood at it.
Both glanced at each other for a moment. Golden eyes, brown hair meeting mercurial blood eyes and silver hair.
'Ullysen Pual….' The name entered Vesper's brain like a snake entering its den.
The silver-haired boy nodded lightly to which Ullysen calmly acknowledged.
Finally then… Vesper exited the clinical ward.
~
End of Introduction Arc.