Prologue - Fanged and Cursed

They say the entire cosmos is an infinite space separated by vast geometrical lines, and these lines are what separates one dimension from another, in which each dimension has a different time, yet the same world, same universe, same people, and same circumstances. Perhaps only the greatest mathematicians will understand how the entire living is divided by some kind of lines, but yeah, not just ordinary geometrical lines but one in which distinct unexplored powerful forces lie. My name is Amdis Dale. I am the world's renowned mathematician and a vampire. They say that I am even smarter than Galileo. How could I not? When I have all the time to acquire all the knowledge in the world. I have lived long enough traveling from one dimension to another just to entertain this boring unending life of mine. Guess what? I was here in this world for more than a thousand years. Thousand years might even be an understatement for a vampire like me. I sometimes think I may be an antediluvian vampire for I was even older than my elders. Should I thank this gift of eternity? Or should I regard this as a curse? I have gone through many eras of man, watching every war unfold, every birth and extinction of civilizations. And amidst all this chaos, it fascinates me how humans were longing for immortality. If they only know how lonely I am perhaps they would never dream of it. What's the use of living forever without a reason for living?

Today, I was here again in the same spot, at the same time where I met Thana, the love of my life. I traveled through time, passing through those fractal lines just to get here to this time in the past. Past. Yeah, for someone like me who's been living for eternity, I get the chance to experience this day where I meet Thana, over and over again. Yet, I cannot take her out of this dimension, for she, as the other existent being in this dimension belongs to this era in the past. And I can just sit here, wait for her, over and over again like I was in a movie tape that's being rewind backward so many times. Thana, my human beloved. I could even smell her scent here on this bench we used to sit together. I already memorize what will exactly happen this day, for I have lived, and tasted this day so many times.

Year 1948.

Three minutes and it will be raining then.

I thought to myself as I glanced at my watch.

It did rain as I expected. I already know the routine of this world.

Am I just reenacting this scene? I asked myself as stood on my seat, and began walking in the park. My foot brought me to the path where I would meet Thana.

That's right! In that right-turn corner of this flower-filled alley is where I will meet her. I thought to myself as I reminisced!

And I was correct. There she is standing so beautiful, radiating as if she's a rain goddess in her white dress and transparent umbrella.

This has happened so many times already yet how can I always be captivated by your face?

I close my eyes as her scent sinks through my senses as if awakening all forbidden desires in my entire being. I remember the shock and pity on her face when our eyes met.

"Hey! Mister! It's raining hard!"

She called my attention, and she ran towards me and shared her umbrella.

"You shouldn't be sharing your umbrella that easily with a stranger!" I said.

How come I never get tired of saying these same lines over and over again?

She smiled baring her perfect teeth.

"But I think you're a good man, Mister!" she replied.

Man? That's only addressed for humans! Oh! I'm not even a human! You'll be scared if you know!

I thought to myself.

But before I could protest again, I was already under her umbrella, and perhaps under her human spell. The closer she was to me, the more I became crazy about her smell. But it's not that kind that I want to bite her or what rather I want to possess her, to hold her, to make her mine! Yet, I tried to control my vampire self lest I scare her as she was there standing so close to me, with her face, her eyes, looking straight at me, so near like she was a dream within my fingertips!

Damn! This is an eternity! I whispered to myself.

And I was drawn to her naiveness, to her innocence.

From then on, my curiosity of hers led me to fall in love with her. I guess my vampire ego just collapsed without warning, and there I was finding myself sharing my world with her, opening myself to her.

Thana Ames.

A human.

Curly blonde hair, doll eyes, sexy and innocent face with a scent that drives me crazy. She's like my elixir. My boring immortal life suddenly came alive because of her. She brought color to it.

And here I am with her. Again.

Of course, I know the next thing that would happen after our first meeting. I encircled the days in the calendar when we will have our first date.

----

The villa is an aesthetic vintage, from its interior to its elegant furniture. Its stone walls are fortified. The gas fuel that surrounds it makes the night alive. I could feel the excitement of the guests arriving, the pride in their eyes as they settled themselves in the grand function hall. They were all arrayed in their own elegance. Well, they should be for tonight is the High Lord's party. My party. There's actually nothing to celebrate. I just threw up a party because I was bored, and the particular reason actually was I wanted to see the innocent girl I met in the rain. My henchmen researched that she was working as a singer. Good thing she accepted my offer to sing at my party.

Minutes before Thana is called to sing, I smell an unusual scent. I know somebody shouldn't be here at my party.

Demons!

My eyes searched for unwanted visitors among the guests, but there were none. I signaled to my henchmen to simply search the entire area. I don't want to cause a pandemonium.

" High Lord, It is now Ms. Thana's turn," the party host informed me.

I froze undecided for a moment. I just hope this party will be safe. Now, I'm regretful that I brought her here to my party, in my world, in the midst of these dangerous creatures she doesn't even know existed! Of course in her eyes, the guests she will be singing were humans, like her, but who knows what will unfold later in case the demons who crashed in cause a scene!

"High Lord?"

The party host called his attention again.

"Uhm..yeah, let her come up to the stage," I replied.

The party host called her name. And I'm sure my heart skipped when I saw her in her sparkling pearlescent shell-shaped scalloped-inspired ball gown. It's exposing her bare shoulders and a bit of her cleavage, while her delicate arms are covered with long lace gloves.

Damn! She looks like a goddess risen from the waters!

When she began to sing, there I was captivated. Each time she looked towards me, it was like her eyes were drawing me in. And I realize that she's more than just a beautiful piece I want to possess. Yeah, she's more than that. Now, I finally found my eternity, and I'm gonna keep her. I'm gonna protect her. I promise.

"High Lord! There are such no demons in the hall! Now, the others are searching the entire villa!" one of my henchmen came back to update me, disturbing my enchanted attention.

"Make sure they never get near to that girl!" I instructed, referring to Thana.

And he nodded as I instructed.

When she was done singing, I accompanied her to sit beside me at my table. At first, she felt shy so she refused, but I insisted she'd be insulting the party celebrant. So, she agreed in the end. All throughout the night, I was amazed at her rawness, of how she was easily impressed by small things. And the sound of her laugh? Oh god! It makes me want her more. There she was sitting beside me like we were two ordinary creatures in this mysterious world, as if we were two beings with not much complications, as if were both human lovers on their first date.

How I wish we lived in both worlds. I whispered to myself.

Oh! Wait! How could I even forget that this is just a replay of time? That I wasn't really for this world, and for this era? That I just visited this era today, for me to experience this moment again! I scolded myself.

"Mister, are you okay?"

Thana asked me. She noticed I got distracted.

"Yeah, I'm fine!"

I replied smiling at her.

Yet at the back of my mind, I was in a panic.

Damn! There shouldn't be demons in this timeline! How could I forget when I have been all through this again and again? It could be some demons from another time that had traveled here! What do they want? Why are they here?

I was not done yet figuring out when the lights suddenly turned off. the next thing I heard were screamings and gruntlings amidst the blackout. And the only thing that quickly rushed to my thoughts was to shield Thana. I grabbed her wanting to take her away from this trouble. We ran through the alley but then some demons blocked our way. I could see how terrified she was.

" You keep coming back here because of that girl huh? Traveler High Lord?" the demon mocked me.

I pushed Thana behind me, blocking my body before hers to protect her. The demons stepped forward, getting nearer to us.

Demons. They have the same physical abilities as vampires. Depending on their rank, they are generally swift and nocturnal. They can see through a dark environment. But my advantage this time is that I can smell even their souls. And right now I could tell that like me they are not from this era. They are travelers too.

"Why have you come here?"

I asked.

They just laugh.

Then a small shimmering metal caught my attention. I could never be mistaken! That's the vortex lock!

"What have you guys done?!"

I exclaimed.

But they just smirked.

My eyes glistened, shifting into crimson red as I rushed towards them at my vampire speed wanting to snatch the vortex lock. There was a struggle. They were skilled in combat too. They know they cannot kill me. I am an immortal. Yet, I did not expect their next move.

" Nooo!!!"

I screamed.

It happened fast like a blink of an eye. So fast that I wasn't able to stop it! The next thing I saw was Thana there clutching her bleeding chest.

"Will you keep on coming back to this painful past, High Lord?"

The demon asked in its raucous voice as it gripped Thana's heart.

"See? How does it feel to live forever yet without even knowing if this heart even bleeds for you?" the demon said.

I growled. My teeth grit for such cruelty. Tears just fell silently in shock and fury.

This is a new thing! This isn't the way she died before! They have interrupted this era and the circumstances here! Why?

Then the demon gets the vortex lock. He showed it before my face as if boasting his possession of it.

"You can no longer time travel, High Lord!" he said.

And he crushed it.

"Nooo!!!"

I didn't know which I would attend to first. Is it my beloved's dead body? or the broken vortex? I have lived for eternity seeing people dying, going through the same agonizing feeling of goodbyes, yet this one, just this one has a different impact!

"Death how could you be so cruel? And yet not to me? huh?!"

I scream.

Huh? The vortex lock!

I crawled to pick up its broken pieces!

I must get out of this era before the whole time dimension of the cosmos collapses!