Nox vampire-XI

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DATE:4th of June, the 70th year after the Coronation

LOCATION: Concord Metropolis

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I ran to the nearest store to buy myselft a proper attire. I didn't know what the Jock's sister would like so I went with the classic shirt and jeans. The ones I got from John and the professor would surely repulse her.

Then I ran back to the dorms to prepare. My other clothes were dirty as I was too busy with the party, so I used this newfound ambition to take the to the dorm washing room for some cleaning.

It was a room in the basement with about 10 washing machines and 5 dryers.

While I was waiting for the machine to finish it's job, Alice came down looking for me. She said the teachers were summoned for an emergency meeting. But I couldn't care. I had a date with... What was her name again?

No, in the first place, why do I even care for some Jock's sister? No.... No matter! I must present myself well.

All this for a date huh...

I went with Alice to the Dean's office still dressed in my sweaty jogging gear. I didn't expect this "urgent meeting".

The Dean was very concerned and talk about this morning's events as if a meteor hit our city.

I suppose it was normal considering they didn't know it was me who did it.

The damage wasn't unrepairable, but she didn't want to call a team of workers. Something about the local legislation and how this could be a team building exercise... Blah blah blah. Just admit you are stingy.

Anyway, the work was divided between the teachers. Me and Alice were put in charge of investigating what needs to be repaired. Excuse me? After all the work I did for her party? I pulled Zilliam to the side and she said it was because "She thought me and Alice needed some time together". Excuse me? What exactly is this about? Did the girl put her to it? It really angered me.

Alice was the opposite. When we left the meeting she only talked about how great it was that we could search for that key's purpose. I gave it to her to shut her up. She actually cares about it?

She wanted us to look at the library for more clues, but I had the excuse that I had to pick my laundry so I left. Is what I wanted to do, but Alice just followed me. So I put the clothes in the dryer and got to her exploring.

Of course we didn't find anything.

She then came up with an idea. " Why not ask Zilliam about it?" Genius, I thought.

But when we presented her the key, our Dean went silent. She was surprised to see it and said we should give it to her to protect it. Of course I didn't care, but Alice was oddly suspicious of Zilliam's reaction. Wasn't she her motherly figure? Why would you second guess someone so close? Granted, this could also be said about my own false identity.

Alice said we should steal it back, and by we she meant me. Apparently she had been peeking at my training regime so she knew I was capable of it. How she doesn't realize I don't care about her if she managed to perceive this is a mystery to me.

The plan was that I would take a dose, go inside to take the key and possibly look at some documents and then go out. A moronic idea if I do say so, just her expertise.

I advised the girl that it would be obvious who took the key if it were to disappear just after we talked, but she kept moaning about how Zilliam could hide her somwhere else if we took too long. I offered an intermediary, that I would take it back at night, before she leaves the school grounds. She thought I was really ingenious, but I am still a little scared. The Zilliams must be a really powerful clan. Hopefully 5 hours is enough for her to forget me.

I was debating whether to go with the cocaine or caffeine, but judging from the drawbacks, the professor's mysterious substance was safer.

Of course, I wasn't too happy about drugging myself three days in a row, but Alice wouldn't leave me alone if I didn't get the key and I still had a date tonight.

After I took my clothes from the dryer and arranged them in my room we continued the survey and realized there was very few things we could, or better yet should fix. What the girl following me Didn't know was the damage to the building's foundation I observed, but I'll only stay here for a couple of months at most so why have more unpaid work?

I spent the rest of my free hours taking a nap because I didn't have anything better to do, before brushing up. I saw myself in the mirror, cleaning my teeth. I was smiling. For who?

It was then that I realized the lack of instructions. Was I just supposed to look around the old city center? I didn't even know how his sister looked like.

And why do I even care about meeting her. Me? Something was strange, but I didn't know what.

Then I looked back into the mirror. Me? Smiling? For someone I didn't know? Something was wrong, very much so. Was I under the effects of a spell? I can't explain it otherwise.

Looks like my date just got more complicated.

I barely remembered to go to the Dean's office before leaving. Alice reminded me that Zilliam was looking at some library registries so it was a good time to go inside.

I drank a dose, covered my hands with some latex gloves and breathed in after I got to a nearby dead zone. I needed to be quick so that the camera wouldn't pick up even one frame of footage.

I've been here multiple times already, but I still immediately feeling the shift in atmosphere. The air is different here—charged, almost suffocating. My footsteps sound louder than usual against the stone floor, echoing slightly in the vast space.

The light is dim, but not dark. Sunlight filters in through tall, arched windows, casting streaks of gold across the floor and walls, making the space feel both vast and intimate at once. I can see dust motes hanging in the air, caught in the shafts of light, swirling slowly like the weight of time itself. I imagine this place would be even more unbearable at night.

The walls are lined with bookshelves that stretch to the ceiling, filled with old, leather-bound volumes. Some are so ancient that the spines are cracked and the titles have long since faded. Others look newer but no less serious. I feel their weight, too, as if each one holds more than just words—like they carry the very foundation of the school and its purpose. They may interest Alice, but I have no time to read them. It would also be idiotic to leave evidence of any bad behavior out in the open.

In the middle of the room, a large desk dominates the space. It is opposed by a long desk, the one we use for meetings. They are dark, polished wood, yet worn in places from years of use. I guess not even the hard wood of Kazo is eternal. There are papers scattered across it, organized chaos, along with an array of odd objects— things confiscated from students? The chair behind the main desk is imposing, large enough to seem almost throne-like, but somehow worn with the familiarity of everyday use.

As I take another step inside, I catch sight of portraits on the walls—past Zilliams, I'm guessing. Their eyes seem to follow me as I move, like silent observers, weighing and judging. But they have no right to judge me.There's an undeniable gravity here, the sense that every decision made within these walls ripples out into the world, affecting countless lives. The thought doesn't concerne me at all.

Then there's the fireplace. It's off to the side, cleaned. It hasn't been used since winter.

Anyway, the key is probably in her desk so I start to look inside the many drawers.

There was a lot of meaningless paper I wouldn't go through, but no key. Could the Dead have taken the key on her own body? I don't think so.

So there was a secret secret deposit somewhere. I am not the best with these things, but it's also not the first time I use my power to infiltrate an office. For secret levers, what you need to look out for is deformities in the surrounding wood.

These objects are usually made symmetrical so any change is a dead give-away. On each side of the desk were small sculptures of gryphons, the Zenik logo. I could feel the left one's head sticking out slightly, but I couldn't push it inside. This must mean there was a another step I needed to take beforehand.

Then I started looking on the desk itself.

Beside the paper there was a big ornamental candle. These days, a candle? I tried to pick it up, but it was locked to the door with some kind of mechanism. It let me rotate it. I had no idea how much I needed to do that so I pressed my ear near it and started fiddling with it. Such a beginner technique wouldn't work with a mechanism of today, but the old construction and the obvious tears from use meant the metal inside was just old enough to crank and create sound. I aligned the candle to the position where it felt like it created the least resistance. Then I pressed the gryphon.

A small trapdoor opened above the gryphon with the wholepanel coming out. Inside were quite a few trinkets. Some old documents, an unsealed letter and the key. I placed the strangely shaped key in my pocket before taking out the letter. It was written in an old dialect so it was useless to me. Maybe it will preoccupy Alice enough to leave me for a few more days. I closed the secret drawer and left the office with little air to spare. In that camera dead zone, I took out my latex gloves and shoved them in my pockets before returning to the dorm. The Dean wouldn't suspect a thing.

I gave Alice the key and Letter before dressing in my night attire and leaving for my Date. I couldn't wait!

On the way to the city center I came across a jewelry store. Perhaps I should buy the lady something? Or so I thought...

There were many pieces on display, by my eyes were caught on a set of two, a sword and shield made out of silver. They were Soo pretty. I am sure the lady would like this! I bought them without a second thought even thought they costed me 500 Zols. It was all worth it, right?

By 10:30 I arrived at the old city center of Cordon. The streets are cobbled with newly placed stone, with no reminder of the old paths that covered the area. The air smells of stone, earth, and a hint of woodsmoke, yet there wasn't anything classic about this place. Everything was either new or renovated.

At the heart of the square, a grand fountain stands, a statue of a man in it's center. Was it the founder of Cordon? I'm sure he wouldn't be proud to have his estate swallowed by the old city he left. The water trickles down in a soothing melody, adding a serene backdrop to the bustle around it. There is no moss or age visible on this ancient structure, a testament to how well it was kept. Cordon de Mau was a rich man. Extremely rich.

Surrounding the square are buildings that tell their own stories. Tall, narrow houses and shops, with facades of stone or brick, all prime real estate in the best shape. The architecture is a blend of different eras, with Renaissance arches over windows, Gothic spires atop churches, it was nothing like the skyscrapers of Concord. The windows of the older buildings are small, with thick, wavy glass that reflects the sun in irregular patterns, no doubt the most expensive on the market.

At one corner, the reinforced clock tower rises high above the square, its ancient bell marking the hour with a deep, resonant chime that echoes through the narrow streets.

People move fast through the square, all acting foreign with each other. This isn't a small community anymore. The cafes and taverns have Crystal tables guarded inside the brick walls. Surely an eye to behold.

The atmosphere is eerie, almost silent if not for the sound of high heels and boots from the passer-bys. No musician is allowed inside Cordon, a decree of the old lord de Mau.

Everywhere you look, the city center feels dead, a passing reminder of what used to be. It was as if the recent lords have sold the heart of the city for material gain. Orrrr....-

Then I spotted her. In front of the old city Hall was a very well dressed girl, sitting at a cafe's chair outside. She stands out immediately, though not in a way that feels forced—there's an effortless grace to her. Her figure is draped in layers of black lace and velvet, the long, flowing skirt brushing the ground as she walks. The fabric seems to move with an unnatural fluidity, catching the light just enough to hint at its rich texture, but always remaining in shadow, as if the darkness clings to her.

Her skin is porcelain pale, almost translucent, but not in a sickly way—more like marble, smooth and unblemished. It contrasts sharply with her jet-black hair, which cascades down in soft waves, framing her face like a veil. A few strands fall over her high cheekbones, brushing against her lips, which are painted in a deep, blood-red shade that seems too bold for anyone else but perfect on her.

Her eyes are what draw me in the most. They're large, almond-shaped, and framed by thick, dark lashes, but there's something strange about them—something intense. The irises seem a shade too dark, almost like they absorb light rather than reflect it. When she looks at me, it's hard to look away, almost as if my attention was trapped. The spell!

She wears a black corset with intricate platinum details, cinched tightly around her small waist, accentuating her slender frame. Around her neck is an antique-looking choker, made of delicate black lace, with a small platinum pendant in the shape of an ornate cros. Platinum? What a choice of metal? Why not silver? Unless....

Long, fingerless gloves cover her arms, the lacework matching the rest of her outfit, exposing only her pale fingers, tipped with nails painted the same deep crimson as her lips.

Her presence is quiet, almost serene, as if she's part of the background despite her striking appearance. Yet she gives only me attention. She moves gracefully, with a sense of purpose, but at a slower pace, as though time itself bends to her will. Like myself?

Something about her makes me feel a chill, similar to ...Her... . She's captivating, alluring, but there's a shadow that follows her, a subtle sense of danger that lingers in the back of my mind. But for now, I shake it off—after all, she's my date for tonight, right?

"You. I remember you!" She got close and grabbed me playfully by the shirt's collar.

"Why so serious? I liked the polka shirt more..." I couldn't respond as a strange sense of timidity came over me. Me? That is not natural.

"Come. Why don't you seat with me." The lady seated herself again and pointed to her lap, but I strangely didn't mind it. This is something I would have punched her for otherwise I knew it. I surely was under some kind of ability. Yet I got on her lap and with cold hands she started caressing my cheek. Her nails were pointy, sharpened yet with masterful dexterity she didn't leave any mark on face.

"It feels like you have great burdens. Why don't you tell me what is on your mind."

No! What is this? She wants to know what I did to UltraMan? I won't tell her. I never will! To anyone. Not even if I am killed. But, but I can't resist. Her eyes pierce my mind and it is as if the information comes out by itself, like a wooden raft deep in the ocean. Yet I knew more than she thought. Before she got her way, I decided to open my mouth myself.

"I fear... That you will kill me."

She was left in disbelief. Who would even react like that? From all she knew I was under her grasp. And that was true, but I am experienced enough to know that a special ability often means death. Heroes are not always good. With a concerned shrug, she turned my face to look better at hers. Then her eyes glowed and I lost it. She gave me a kiss with her etherial lips and all strength in my body left me. Yet I didn't go limp, just numb. Then she had me raise from her lap and follow her. My own body, moving on its own. But I was conscious! It was so painful, so unnatural, as if I was drifting between death and lucidity. Much worse than a seizure. If her goal was to control me then I don't think I was supposed to feel this.

Was it from the drugs I took beforehand. It hurt. It hurt so much. I was limp like a marionette, but at the same time I could feel my muscles being dragged forcefully by her unsightly ability. It was as if she was ripping them out with every order. She took me inside some apartment building in the city center... I couldn't even focus to see the details.

She got me on a bed and undressed me. There was no dexterity left in her movement and I could feel every pierce of her hard nails. These were the movements of a hungered beast. She she finished with me, she started putting out all that gothic outfit. I tried to get up, but I didn't have any strength. It was as if I was a passive observer over my own body. I never felt so powerless, or perhaps I did, back then...

The lady was eyeing me greedily. It was clear she wanted to get something from me but the hasty with which she undressed. Did she want to rape me? No. Long, sharp nails. An etherial presence. The cold atmosphere around her?

She felt just like ...Her... But the lady wasn't a ghost. Was she a ghoul? A vampire perhaps?

Now only remaining in broided black underwear, she got on me and bent down to my face. Droll was leaving her mouth and I could see the lines of teeth filling it. Was she a cannibal that wanted to eat me?

She got to my neck and prepared her teeth, but just then, scared for my life, my body breathed in by instinct and time stopped. She was perhaps a dozen centimeters away from ending my life.

In this slowed time her control had no way of keeping me affectedm was it based on hormones? In any case, I was too fast for her.

Even with my strength regained I couldn't push her off me. She was much more powerful than me physically and I didn't have the lawless nature of the caffeine on my side.

How could I even protect myself from a friend like her? This was a very dangerous scenario. I remembered what happened this morning, how that girl tried to warn me. Such a fool. What did she say the lady was? A vampire?

I don't have anything on my that could hurt a vampire. Anything except.... The jewelry!

I wasn't sure if silver affected this kind, as it is possibly derived from a special ability and not a contract with a demon like in folklore, but it may be precisely because of that. Why else would she choose jewelry and detailing made of something so cumbersome like Platinum?

In her hurry, she threw my clothes on the floor. I couldn't move from the bed as she was gripping my arm with her slick hand, but I forced myself to bend the best I could in the clothes's direction. The more I tried, the more her nails pushed inside my skin. It hurt, and I was having a hard time not loosing my breath, but that would mean the end of me. I couldn't afford to die here.

I pushed through the pain and managed to reach my coat. Holding it in my teeth, prompted against the vampire's face, I searched the pocket for the gift packet. It fell out of the shirt, but then I remembered that time was stopped so I just grabbed it mid air.

The box was wrapped in gift paper and I had no chance of ripping it and the packing bands. Then I remembered the vampire sitting on me. It sent chills how cold her skin was! I put the gox in her mouth and ripped it apart with her teeth. The irony.

Taking the blade shaped neckpiece I hoped it wouldn't break and dragged it inside her carotid artery. I ripped it in multiple places then I bended down and stabbed her femoral artery multiple times with the blade. Surprisingly it didn't bend at all. I guess even the jewelry is a different grade if quality in Cordon.

The best further action would be to Pierce her aorta, but the blade wasn't long enough so I gave up.

I took the pillow from under me and shoved it in her mouth and a little down her neck. Then I raised myself and I gripped her neck in a chokehold, our faces parallel and I interlaced my legs around her waist. Afterwords I let go of my breath.

She immediately started screaming in pain like some hurt lamb, but I only found that to be ironic. I started to laugh while she was bleeding in my hands. And how much she bled! Even her blood was cold.

I was shivering, just recovering from the traumatic experience I had, yet I still laughed. I choked on my own breath, the vampire tried hopelessly to get me away, to scratch my back, but I still laughed. I howled like a manic with a person turning into a cadavre in my hands.

At some point she went limp, but I still held her tightly. I was in a bath of blood. I didn't stop until I counted ten minutes. By that point the blood started to dry on me so I pushed her to the side.

She cut my hand quite a bit, it was pulsating from the pain, but I was numb.

Not like how she got me, I was numb internally.

I looked at the naked vampire with an empty expression.

What was this terrible choice of action? Why did she try to pull this off in Cordon? By how that girl talked in the morning this was a scheme started before the death of UltraMan.

Did she think she wil get away with it?

With so many heroes around?

Thinking about it, that fact she got away for so long stands clear that she would have escaped with her crimes.

Yet she met me. Ironic.

An assassin did what the heroes couldn't.

I went to take a shower in her own bathroom. Took me quite a while to get rid of the blood.

I was careful not to touch anything and put my latex gloves on. Then I looked around for some bandages and found them in an emergency kit in the kitchen. I don't think the lady would need them so this must have been the residence of one of her victims.

I bandaged my bleeding left arm and desinfected the scratches on my back. Afterwords, I got dressed in my luckily mostly untouched shirt and jeans and returned with the jewelry to the dorm. I left the door open as I needed to return here tomorrow.

I just caught a villain.

I've just killed a villain...

I returned to the dorm and went to the nurse's office to replace my bandages. Being on the school grounds, my phone received signal again and started crying horribly. Who put this ringtone? It was some kind of pop. Looking at the screen, Alice was calling. Obviously.

"Will. Will! Are you alright? I didn't find you anywhere. Where are you? Nevermind, I saw. I am coming!" What did she mean, she "saw"? Did this device have a gps when I specifically asked not to receive one with it?

No, otherwise she would have seen me at the lady's lair. It was something about the Academy Wi-fi.

Alice saw me bandaging myself and jumped closer in a fit of worry.

"Will! What happened?"

I debated how much I should tell this emotional girl, but I was starting to lose conscience from the drug overuse, so I spilled the beans regarding having been attacked. I left the stripping part out as this girl would overthink the matter. She wanted to immediately go find the villain, but I explained that it was gone. That wasn't a lie.

She was still concerned and looking around, I have no idea at what, so I took the bloody, scratched box and handed it to her. The shield jewelry was left untouched.

" You... You got attacked while buying me this?

Will, I don't know what to say!" I also don't. Where did she get this idea? The jewel may just be something I found at the villain's place for all she knew.

"Will.... Thank you!" She net to my seat and gave me a peck on the cheek. After all that happened, I felt like puking from such a gesture, but I kept it in.

"Can you... Help me put it?" She's really testing my patience, isn't she? Alice turned around and raised her hair a little. I don't know why as her frills were barely covering her neck. I secured it and let go of the jewelry.

"T-hank you so much." Alice had a strong blush on her face yet I felt empty.

With a tired voice, I decide to stop staying silent.

"Could you... Help me get to the dorms?"

"Y-yes! Of course. Give me your shoulder." Prompted on the strangely powerful girl I arrived at my room where a still broken door decorated my entrance.

"You k-know, you can sleep in my room... if you- want of course!" She glanced at me and got even red-er before looking away.

"I'll take the guest room, that is the least I can do."

"Shouldn't I take the guest room if we were to think about it?" Seriously, in what reality does this girl think herself in?

"But there's no need for that. I'll just sleep with the broken door tonight."

"No, how could you? It would be a crime against your intimacy." You are a crime against my intimacy.

"I'm too tired to argue, let me on my bed please."

"O...ok..." Almost disappointed, Alice helped me get on my bed before saying our goodnights.

Just as she got around the corner, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

That night I was back in the void.