You're Right

The sun rose over the mansion, illuminating the hallways with its morning light. Aria and María prepared for the day, following their established routine.Esmeria approached Aria with a small bell in hand."If you need me by your side, just ring this bell. No matter where I am, I'll be there in a jiffy," said Esmeria, handing over the golden object.With instructions given, Esmeria joined Elizabeth, and both departed, leaving Aria and María alone in the mansion.The two girls, accustomed to being together, headed towards the classroom as usual.However, upon arriving, they discovered that Hugo wasn't in his usual spot.Instead, Hugo was waiting for them at the entrance of a different hallway, with an expression of enthusiasm."Good morning," Hugo greeted with a smile. "There's a small change of plans today. We're switching locations."María, surprised by the change in routine, watched as Hugo guided her and Aria to a more secluded section of the mansion.As they progressed, the corridors became narrower and darker, creating an atmosphere that made María nervous.Finally, Hugo stopped in front of a door hidden behind a heavy curtain.María raised an eyebrow, surprised by the secret location, while Aria maintained her neutral expression. Hugo opened the door with a dramatic gesture, revealing a space completely hidden from the rest of the mansion."This will be our classroom for today," Hugo announced as he entered the room.The place was filled with artifacts and stacked books, and the air had an aroma of old and magic.María looked around in amazement, while Aria, unfazed, entered the room without showing any emotion."Why the change?" María asked curiously."Because today we'll be working on something a bit more... specialized," Hugo replied with an enigmatic smile. "I want to see how you adapt to a different environment."María frowned, still intrigued by the reason behind this change.Aria, for her part, was focused on the new environment, observing every detail as she prepared for her next task.Hugo approached one of the shelves and pulled out an ancient book, worn by time. He placed it on a table and began leafing through it, looking for a particular page."Tell me, what do you know about vampire regeneration?" Hugo asked as his eyes scanned the text.María, although somewhat nervous about the atmosphere of the place, responded cautiously."I know that vampire regeneration is one of the best, with almost no downsides, since only wounds caused by silver and fire are the only ones that seriously affect them."Hugo nodded, pleased with the answer."You're right, but today I want to focus on a different aspect: their immortality and lifespan. Vampires have a longevity that surpasses even that of elves or dragons. They can live for centuries, even millennia, if they don't face their most common weaknesses."María listened attentively, her curiosity growing with each of Hugo's words. Aria, on the other hand, maintained her serene expression, although her eyes betrayed a slight interest.Hugo stopped at a specific page and looked up at the girls."Do you know, María, how a vampire who has lived for a very long time dies?"María took a moment to think before answering."I suppose from the same weaknesses as always... silver, fire...""Again, you're right," Hugo conceded. "But there's something else, something much more disturbing. Some vampires, after having lived for so long and accumulated so many memories, begin to crumble mentally. They enter a state of madness due to the overload of memories in their mind."María was surprised by this revelation, her eyes widening a bit as she processed the information."They go crazy from too many memories?""Exactly. And in that state, they self-destruct, or someone else finishes them off," Hugo explained in a grave tone. "This can happen at any time, usually after five hundred years of life. It's one of the reasons why the oldest vampires are so dangerous. Their immortality is their greatest strength, but also their worst curse."Aria, who had been listening attentively, asked a question that broke the silence that had fallen over the room."If that's really one of their weaknesses, why doesn't it appear in the books?"Hugo smiled, as if he had been waiting for that question.He approached a cabinet in the corner of the room and took out a small object, which looked like an ancient artifact.It was a crystal sphere the size of an apple, with runes engraved on its surface.Inside, flashes of light could be seen moving in an almost hypnotic manner."Because a human, long ago, invented this." Hugo raised the sphere so both girls could see it better. "This object has the function of storing memories. The oldest vampires use it to deposit those memories they don't wish to keep in their minds, thus avoiding overload and, consequently, madness."María looked at the sphere in amazement, while Aria remained imperturbable, though clearly interested."So... is that why it's not mentioned in the books?" María asked."That's right," Hugo replied. "It's a very well-kept secret, known only to those who have had the fortune or misfortune of encountering a vampire old enough to need one of these. The existence of this object ensures that vampires can live much longer without falling into madness... at least, in theory.""What? Do you want to produce something similar to that because you're planning to extend your life?" Aria asked directly, to which Hugo smiled.This girl definitely wasn't going to disappoint him.