As Dina is holding the crystal, the pointy ends of it, are piercing through her skin. A drop of blood is lingering on the crystal. She looks through the crystal that shines in the sun, but doesn't feel anything, nor sees that her blood is dripping.
The girl is too focused on the crystal.
Crack!
She flinches, confusion falling over her as the crystal opens. She covers her eyes, curling on the floor. A red light flashes and as it fades a person is present in the room.
Dina is having her eyes close from the light but feels that someone is moving towards her.
'Is this my last day …..?' She hears her heart beating and her palms sweating. This mistake will cost her life and not only hers but all the humans she has to protect after she will be the Queen.
"What the heck are you doing there? Weren't you supposed to confront me, Queen?" The man looks down at the girl who is curled having her eyes closed.
She flinches and glances at the person. The light from behind him made her cover her eyes so she could see him well.
Her jaw drops.
"You are then the kid from the picture!" She looks on the ground and snatches the picture showing him.
"Girl, be careful who you call a kid!" The boy around the same height as her is squatting down flicking her forehead." I'm you, Grandpa!" His frown settles on his pale forehead.
His body is slim and his hair is caught in a high ponytail. Each side of his face is shadowed by a few strands of hair; his bangs. The suit is looking too imposing for his small frame. However, the vibe he gives off matches his style and mature personality.
"Grandpa ?!" Dina snaps out of shock, yelling at the man in miniature. Athanase Stefan was standing in the flesh in front of her. She never dreamed this not even in her wildest dreams.
"Shit …. don't yell! "The man puts his hand over her mouth." My presence must be a secret. Do you understand?" His frown has a hint of worry.
The girl nods and he takes his hand off her mouth." Good."
He stands up and takes from the ground a book." I see you have been reading a lot. Did you train your blood yet?" He glances at her.
Dina frowns." Time out! I have to ask some questions." She forms a T with her hands and stands up. He grabs the man and puts him on the bed as she takes a sit on the chair in front of the man." Can't I stay on the chair ?..." The man mumbles.
"No." Dina crosses her arms and stares at him. Stefan gives up." I will answer your questions.
"Firstly …how do you know I am your granddaughter?" She looks at him suspiciously.
"Stupid question. "Stefan looks absently at the girl, already bored." Next one." He waves with his hand.
"…..I see the resemblance …." Dina mumbles convinced that he was her grandfather. The bluntness was a family trait, she would recognize easily.
"How did you know I am a vampire?" The girl continues with her questions.
"The crystal cracked because of your blood. Is called diffusion. Of course, I know you are a vampire. "He answers, continuing," Only a dumb person hurts herself without feeling it …..sigh …How are you going to lead those people?" He puts his hand at his temple, stress accumulating.
"I put the questions here!" Dina feels her eyebrow twitch, her voice resembling her annoyance. She was already done with the so-called grandpa. The girl was holding back from arguing with him, given the fact that she still needed his answers.
"You have two more questions left. We have to talk about more important things. "Stefan looks at her seriously. She growls defeated," Fine be me …."
The man smiles and raises his eyebrows, waiting for the girl to answer her questions. He understands her confusion, but they can't lose time over discussing things she will understand later.
"Why were you in a crystal? I heard from Sebastian you were the most powerful vampire back then."
Dina leans on the handle of the chair looking curious at the man that doesn't have "any reaction. She expected him to be having at least a small frown or a smile or whatever. Sebastian was his student after all.
"Sebastian told you?" His voice is hiding no emotion." Yea …." The girl nods.
"Hmmm…It was the time when all three of them were powerful enough to lead. I wanted to exclude myself, but after hundreds of years of living without my wife, I no longer found any goal in keeping myself alive. In secret, I put Sebastian to seal me." Stefan closes his eyes for a moment and then continues, "Guess it wasn't the best decision …" The man stands up from the bed.
"You were sealed …how do you know it was a bad decision?" Dina asks him calmly. She feels what he wants to convey.
"My blood is strong enough to feel like I am still alive in that crystal …. Sebastian used to carry me around with him. I heard everything and I saw everything that happened in these past years." A deep sigh is escaping his mouth.
"...I let the world take its course …..Now I wonder if that was a good thing to be done. I could have stopped my daughter's death ….." Stefan is with his back to the girl, looking in the distance at the window.
Dina feels her heart sink when her mother is mentioned. Of course, Stefan could have stopped that from happening. Should she hate the man who excluded himself?
"AHHHHH! "The girl screams muffled.
Stefan turns towards her confused. All his life he never saw a wilder person. He smiles.
"Wrap it up, old man. I have other things to take care of now. Don't kill my spirit with our tragic past … "Dina sprouts as her body loosely hangs on the chair. She felt tired from all the emotional talk.
"Hahahaha! …. That's my granddaughter … "Stefan points at her and lets out a laugh as Dina joins him.
He strides in front of her chair holding his arms behind. Looking down at her, he frowns.
"What?" Dina looks at him confused. She is still melted in that chair.
"Who chooses those dresses you wear?" His eyes point at the slit that reveals her leg as she has her legs crossed.
"…..What's with it ?… I chose them." She frowns as her hand pulls the material over her leg, covering it.
"A Queen doesn't show her legs …like that!" He seems very displeased with her dress; he still frowns not giving up.
Dina slaps her face. "Give me a break, Grandpa. Let me wear what I want at least till the wedding. "She makes a pout.
After a second thought, he says, "...Still, If we are going to train, you can't wear this sort of dress. I missed drilling people …" His smile is evil, and a sinister glow appears in his dark-colored eyes as if he were ready to make Dina go through hell.
"…. I think I should learn how to seal a vampire, as a first spell …" Her mumble makes Stefan laugh, knowing the meaning behind her words. Her words were directed to him, in the hope that maybe she could escape the training he seemed very excited about.
"You will, but not for now." He laughs and continues," I see you like this form." Stefan points at her red ring.
Dian looks at the ring that she almost forgot about. That's exactly why she put it on her finger, do not lose it. Her lip twitches remembering what she went through the other night.
"It was the only form I liked …indeed." She smiles as she remembers the good parts from last night.
The man is gazing at the girl with love. She sees that but chooses to ignore the young eyes watching her, hiding behind his old age.
"Your mom used to like this form too. Once I made my blood a ring like this and she stole it …haha…. good times …. she was younger than you …" His voice carries his grief but also happiness.
Dina feels this and for a moment her curiosity is spiked. "Did she ever want to be a vampire?"
Her lips were bitten for asking such a question, but what could she do …. she wanted to know that. Dina wonders what her mom used to be when she was young. Her mom never told her many stories about her childhood.
"Never. Her hate towards vampires was the same as yours …. your granny died by the hand of a vampire." Stefan breathes deeply and glances at Dina, who is straightening her position." Sorry ….."
Her voice makes the man pat her head." Don't worry …is good to know the past, while you can. History is always the root of the future."
His voice lowers and his eyes stare at the girl who raises her eyes at him.
"Your right …. the more I find out …the more I understand that everyone had a reason behind his actions. Sometimes I don't even know who the enemy is …." Dina lets her head fall on her palms as she looks down. The heaviness of her problems is weighing on her.
"No one is your enemy, Dina. "Stefan's words make the girl finch ....
She felt the same ….