Dylan – The City of Stars

I stood in the middle of my room, waiting for Cordelia to come in. It didn't take that long until her quickened footsteps bounced off the walls in the hallway. She entered and closed the door before mustering the courage to ask:

"What is it that you wish to tell me, Lord Dylan?" The mild look of worry crossed her face.

Now that we were alone, I suddenly pulled her to my chest and threw my arms around her tight. Then, I closed my eyes. Feeling her warm body seemed to melt off the frost covering my flesh. All the pressure and uncertainty I'd been feeling were slowly disappearing.

"I'm sorry if this came out of the blue . . . but I just need a moment, and I want to tell you something important," I said, still keeping her in my arms.

"S-Something important that made Lord Dylan so suddenly sweet?"

I laughed hearing her innocent tone. "Kind of? Well, this is something that's making me hesitant to go out there . . . in the city."

Cordelia pulled away from me. She looked up and cupped my face. Just by her tender touch, I felt an electric current tingling my cheeks and ears. "What is holding you back? Lord Dylan need not to be afraid. Nothing bad will happen in the city. You can roam safely."

I took a deep breath and said, "Do you remember when Ms. Yul was yelling at me a while ago? I wanted to respond to her in the middle of the conversation and get your attention but . . ."

"But?" She ran her thumb fingers across my skin, trying to soothe me.

"It happened again."

"Again? W-What does Lord Dylan mean?"

"A demon in my head— or maybe the real Primordial me had been trying to take control of my body. I hear his voice. My voice." I leaned on her hands, and she gently squeezed my face. I could see the bothered look in her eyes, so I touched her hand. "Am I defective?"

"No!" Cordelia shook her head. "No, no. Lord Dylan is not. Is this why King Asmodeus returned to the Underworld so hastily?"

I nodded. "He mentioned about High Warlocks and not allowing me to visit the Underworld. He said to only tell you about this."

Cordelia's expression got soft. I was expecting a life-and-death explanation but instead, she pulled me down and pressed her soft lips against mine. I swear to the gods and goddesses existing in the universe, I was having a major heart attack. Why did she kiss me all of a sudden?

She broke the kiss and showed me that blinding sweet smile. "Did that help calm you down?"

I was overheating like a car's engine. That kiss on my lips affected me too much. "It . . . it did. Thank you," I said, looking away and covering my mouth. No, no more kissing!

Cordelia giggled. "You worry too much, Lord Dylan. Let us wait for King Asmodeus's return."

"Why do we need to wait?" I looked at her impatiently. "Can't you tell me anything?"

"I have my theories . . . and it involves studying history and magic. Would you like to study right now?"

"No. Not today." I frowned. "We can do that . . . tomorrow or the next day."

I felt like she was withholding information on purpose, but it could be my imagination.

"Just relax." Cordelia took my hand, patting it. "One step at a time, Lord Dylan. Do not force yourself to adjust so quickly. It is only day two. Remember, you are a late bloomer."

"Okay, okay. You're right." I sighed. "I'm just worried . . . and being careful. I don't want to hide behind the late bloomer excuse for a long time."

"King Asmodeus will bring good news. I'm positively sure!" She pumped her fists like a cheerleader holding two pom-poms. "If Lord Dylan is born to be a top superstar, then you are capable of overcoming even the most difficult challenges!"

Her sweet optimism got me smiling slowly. "Is this the part where you say I'm the best Primordial?"

"The best of the best!"

Her answer made me stare into her pretty amethyst eyes like I was deeply attracted to her. My predatory gaze fell to her plump limps, then to her vulnerable body. I was craving. My lust was telling me to feed on my adorable prey.

How could I not give this woman a kiss and a reward? I'd been hungry for another round and I don't think I can delay it much longer. She was deliciously tempting.

"Cordelia? Keep your mouth shut as long as you can. This will be quick."

She blinked. "W-What will be quick—"

I held the back of her head and reeled her in, locking our lips hard.

* * *

Somewhere inside Mount Gaiarock

Umbra City, Yamizumo

"Wow. You didn't tell us that the city is built inside a mountain range!" I marveled at the dark underground city's architecture. The houses and buildings were all made of stone and wood, built like a modern country house.

What made my jaw drop was the mountain's ceiling. Instead of seeing a pitch-black space, an artificial projection of the universe illuminated the whole city. I could see the moon in the distance and what seemed to be the planets and other galaxies further down the main road. I felt like I was walking through an enormous Planetarium.

Cordelia was walking in front of me. She looked over her shoulder and her eyes turned into crescent moons. "I was planning to tell Lord Dylan, but keeping it as a surprise is the best option!"

"You did surprise us," Ms. Yul agreed. She was squinting and making her eyes big while looking at the artificial universe. "I gotta admit. Being a vampire is not such a bad thing after all. I can zoom in and out like a super expensive DSLR camera." She paused. "Do cameras exist in here?"

"Oh, they exist, alright!" Rhea winked. "We're not completely foreign to Terra's latest technologies. In fact, we're three steps ahead of them!"

"We can travel to Joltunheim next time . . . with Lord Dylan, of course!" Cordelia said cheerfully. "It is a nation that manufactures all kinds of technology."

My eyes were focused on the stars, looking for any visible constellations as they chatted away. I was beginning to understand the connection to this city when I heard Ms. Yul going back to the main subject.

"So, aside from the black market, slaves, and warlocks, what else is there to know about this city?"

"Astronomy," I subconsciously said it like a confident nerd. The image of me reading an article just appeared in my head as I went on. "Umbra City is teeming with warlocks because a few of them have dedicated their erudite lives to studying celestial objects and phenomena and everything beyond our realm's atmosphere. Astrophysics, astrobiology, astrogeology, astrometry—"

"Dylan! You're doing it again!" Ms. Yul's loud manager voice cut my train of thought.

I shut my mouth and found myself staring at a flabbergasted warlock and raven. We had stopped walking.

"S-Sorry? When I saw the night sky, stars, moon, planets"—I motioned to the galaxy ceiling—"it made me think of an essay about Astronomy."

"Essay?" Cordelia and Rhea both had the same bewildered reaction.

Ms. Yul grunted. "Fact. Dylan loves reading essays in his free time. I can't even fathom how his abstract brain works sometimes."

"Hey!" I glared at her. "Is that an insult?"

"A compliment. This big brain of yours has gotten you so far." She lightly knocked on my head, and I just brushed it off.

"Oh-ho! It isn't the first time that our master has flaunted his charming intelligence!" Rhea got all giggly while touching her blushing face. "A fine young man like Lord Dylan loves doing his private research on subjects that may be of interest to him."

"A-Ahem!" Cordelia loudly faked a cough. "Let us not stray too far from the current subject, Rhea!"

I noticed that she was turning a little red as they whispered and hit each other on their shoulders. Honestly, I had no idea what Rhea could have meant. Girl code?

"So! Back to the topic then." Ms. Yul clapped her hands twice. "I'm guessing that he already helped you with articulating the science-cy part in your travel guidebook?" she told Cordelia.

"Y-Yes!" Cordelia straightened her posture, then she smiled like a professional tour guide. "Lord Dylan is correct." She whirled around and we resumed our stroll through the city. "Umbra City, also called the City of Stars, is renowned for its warlock astronomers and Astronomy tower which can be found at the highest peak of Mount Gaiarock. In order to gain access to the tower, one must use the giant lift located at the heart of the city."

"Why not portal your way up there? Warlock transportation sounds cooler in my opinion," I asked as I observed people passing by and doing their daily work routine. Their traditional clothes around here matched the galaxy aesthetics.

"Um . . . that will cost you Zia around here," Cordelia said. She turned to a corner which led us to a narrower street. "All living things do not have unlimited mana. In other words: magic power. Making a portal to travel from city to city requires a huge amount of mana, especially if the chosen designation is very far away.

"Sadly, the Mana potion supply . . . has been running low lately and the price is twice higher than the original affordable price. Therefore, we only have a slim chance of meeting a warlock who is willing to grant us free transportation."

That sounded suspicious to me. But if it involves the government, I wouldn't want to stick my nose into whatever problem or corruption they had been dealing with in this realm. I have to focus on improving myself first.