Prologue
The moon light bathed the big, pompous mansion in a ghostly grey. He stood there, heavily breathing, meters away from the front portal. It had been difficult to get here. The man had felt invisible eyes on his back ever since he got close to the mansion, watching closely every step of him.
Yet he did not care.
He had invested months of search to find this place. Nothing would stop him, now that he was here. Determined he went forward, took the marble stairs and reached out for the giant door knocker. Ignoring the slight trembling of his hand he knocked. Once. Twice. A third time. Each knock more demanding.
Hell, he wanted to get it over with.
The door opened swiftly, almost inaudibly before he could raise his hand again. A tall man dressed like a butler stared at him. He stared back, he had missed what the other man had just asked.
The butler spoke again, stoically: "What can I do for you?" Though there were no traces of mockery in his voice, the other man felt like the butler sneered at him. He straightened up.
"I would like to speak the master of this house", he spoke fast to cover up his growing nervousness.
The servant nodded and pointed to follow him. He was a little bit confused by the fact that the man who had opened the door did not seem surprised or had questioned him any further. He did not know that the domestics of this house were already informed about his arrival an hour ago. That the invisible eyes could have something to do with it did not occur to him. He was focusing too hard on the reason why he was here, his thoughts could not concentrate on anything else.
He hardly noticed the luxury surrounding him or how many rooms they had crossed until the butler stopped in front a giant white door with golden engravings.
The butler knocked, waited five seconds and entered. The room was big, gold framed mirrors on each of the walls reflected the lights of the lamps in a bizarre way. There was no furniture in the windowless room except for a wooden chair which resembled a throne and a carpet which led from the door to the chair.
Everything in the room seemed to scream: "Kneel down!"
The man fought strongly with himself to suppress the urge to do so. A movement caught his eye. In the middle of the room sat the most handsome man he had ever seen. So beautiful that painters, photographers or sculptors would have given anything to have this man pose as a model for them.
"So that's what a pureblood vampire looks like." He swallowed and wavered for a moment until his glance fell on his right hand palm full of badly healed scars.
Right! No distractions!
He was here to get revenge for them.
He had to do it!
Otherwise he would not be able to teach those hunters ,who so proudly called themselves human protectors, a lesson. "Hah, they were nothing but plain murderers. Slaughtering little children as if it were nothing! Pretending to be on the humans side."
A slight cough interrupted his thoughts.
Suddenly remembering that he was not alone, he looked up and his gaze met with one of the man sitting on the chair. A thought flashed through his mind:minutes must have passed since the butler had announced him. Hastily he stepped in front of the seemingly amused vampire lord.
"I," he started and changed his mind. "Master, I wish to become a vampire." he said, this time with no hesitation in his voice. He still fought the desire to bend his knees. Yes, he wanted that vampires help but he did not want to crawl for him. He wanted to keep what little pride was left inside of him.
"Hm is that so," the pureblood continued to stare at him through his half closed eyelids. "And why do you want to become one? "
"I must become more powerful, that's it." the man answered through gritted teeth. There was no need to tell him more the man thought.
"Hm, power is something marvellous", agreed the vampire in a bored tone, shifting his legs. "So you come here without telling me your name, without showing any respect, and yet despite all that you wish me to help you? Do you even know the conditions, human?"
"Conditions? I´m sorry...", the man was taken aback.
"Yusei tell him." interrupted the pureblood his stuttering.
The butler who stood behind his master now started smoothly: "If the master agrees to turn you, there is no guarantee you survive. You will not be allowed to stay here and don´t expect any further help from him. You will receive 5 blood drops," here the servant had to pause to conceal his utter rage about the new rules, "from my master. This will not prevent you from falling to a level E but maybe impede it for a bit. You must declare that you are doing this of your own will and no one is forcing you." the servant stopped.
"Low humans who could demand blood from a vampire lord even if they wanted to be changed by choice! What had the world turned into! His grandfather who had also been a servant in this household would have cringed at this new insulting rule!"
But Yusei did not voice his disgust to that mortal man and ended instead with: "Any further questions?" Before he could obtain an answer the door burst open and a young human girl ran into the room and fell on her knees in front of the chair.
The three men looked at her, one mildly surprised the other one disgusted and the third indifferent.
"My my and who are you?", the pureblood sat up straight, obviously more interested than before.
The girl looked up and said in an unbelievable fast talking speed: "I am Lane Carter. You and my father had a business meeting and coincidentally I was there too. The very first moment I laid my eyes on you, I fell in love with you. There can be no other man for me and I swore by my soul that I will find you. But when my father found out...", she stopped there.
"So you ran away from home? You naughty little girl." Delighted the vampire watched her turning red like a tomato. Lane Carter looked at him beseechingly but did not reply.
"Did your father tell you what I really am?" he bent down and took her face in his hands. "Daddy surely has, hasn´t he? Aren´t you scared?" The vampire´s face was centimetres away from hers.
"I just follow my heart", the girl said with a choked voice.
"Oh isn't that sweet!" the pureblood smiled a dangerous smile.
"Fine then" he said. "Yusei, bring this little lady to the blue salon. I want to deepen our acquaintance." the lord ordered loud then murmured: "My fiancé does not like it when I turn females here so make something up."
The butler nodded and disappeared with the girl who did not seem to comprehend what was happening to her in tow.
"Now back to you", said human man, who had watched the scenario with dismay, looked startled. He cursed that girl's stupidity. Did she think this vampire was a kind prince charming? Did she know what she had gotten involved in? He hardly listened to what the vampire lord was telling him.
"You are lucky today, I will grant your wish." the pureblood continued. He was ignoring the human's angry glares and suppressed a chuckle.
The pureblood categorized humans in three different types: the boring ones, no further description needed, the ignorant ones, oblivious to the power and superiority of purebloods, and his most beloved third category the charming, entertaining humans. Charming in their worshipping joy, entertaining, in their unspeakable anger and grief. How he loved those kind of people, full of thick, tasty emotions. How they refreshed his own thin and shallow soul, drained from living so many years. If he sucked their blood it was almost as if he was able to feel such emotions himself again.
Ah his noble mother had taught him to be not greedy so he would not play with both, the man and the girl. The level A was glad, he had found a much more entertaining toy than this wreck of a man but he would be useful anyway. If he sucked this man's blood he would be calmer once he saw the girl. The pureblood waved his hand at him to tell him to come nearer.
"Yes this is it, now or never", the human thought. He could not bother about some unknown woman or about the arrogance of that bloodsucker. He had a plan he had to follow. He went to the pureblood and exposed his neck to him.
He did not scream when the long, sharp teeth of the vampire broke his skin and pure poison flowed into the wound.
He did not scream when he his body reacted - no, revolted - and every cell broke apart and was rebuilt.
But he could not hold himself back from screaming when the other man mercilessly peeked in his heart and enjoyed the terrible bloody memories which pained him so much.
Soon.
Very soon he would pay back that person who had caused these memories.
Those were his last thoughts before everything went black.