The Vampire Wonderland Page 3

  Possessing too much strength before a child was ready could also plant deep insanity. To save children from harm, the Elderly created rules for the little vampires too, allowing them to feed only on their parents or legal guardians in limited amounts.

  “Stupid Elderly,” Demian muttered quietly, “always coming up with ridiculous rules about food!”

  The boy sat on the fountain patiently, waiting for someone important. He glanced at his reflection in the glass wall, watching other vampires stare at him, watching them avoid his eyes when they noticed him looking back at them.

  “Young master!” a sudden voice brought the boy back into reality.

  Demian looked towards the Blood Bank where a girl with a long, brown ponytail and dressed in a full-body latex suit left the building. She waved at the boy smiling and approached him without any hesitation.

  “Nora!” Demian said the girl's name.

  She was a scientist as well as a doctor for vampires who couldn’t regenerate properly. She worked at the Blood Bank and specialised in creating artificial blood for those who didn’t want to harm or feed on others.

  Demian scanned Nora’s outfit, paying attention to the many pockets she had filled with colourful bottles and strange looking tools. She wore gloves with blue lights in them, meant to activate protective shield in case if anyone tried to attack the staff members of the Blood Bank. There was a paper packet in her hands.

  “I’m sorry for being late!” Nora apologised, then placed the paper packet in Demian’s hands. She whispered, “I hope this will be able to help your… You know who. I ran so many blood tests, but it’s impossible to find out why he’s so ill. Considering his health, the Elderly has issued permission to give him human blood this early.”

  Demian glanced at the packet and squeezed it tighter in his hands. Something shuddered painfully in his chest.

  “Make sure he drinks both bottles today. If this works, I’ll supply you with some more tomorrow!” Nora said, waving her hand as she ran back into the Blood Bank.

  “Stupid rules…” Demian muttered to himself again, “It would be easier if he could just feed like adults, instead of going through the tests and other nonsense.”

  It was time for the boy to return home. He sighed heavily as he started to walk. Demian hated the pressure his family put on him, always demanding to be perfect, expecting him to be the best of the best when all he truly wanted was to have some free time at least just for a day.

  On his way home, Demian noticed an old gate with mist covering the entrance. As if calling for him, the mysterious gate seemed to glitter with dark energy. Watching it beam with puzzling energy, Demian approached the gate.

  He tried looking through the mist, but it was too thick to see anything through it. Nobody ever seemed to go there either, and the boy felt curious to find out what was on the other side of it. Thousands of times, he passed by, but each time became harder to ignore the temptation.

  “I’m sorry, Lucius,” Demian whispered into the air, stepping through the gate.

  On the other side of the gate, the daylight turned into the dark as the boy walked through the mist. It became thinner until Demian discovered a beautiful pathway. There were dark green, glittery trees on both sides of the pavement, and the boy recognised the forest from his favourite books.

  “The Sleeping Woods!” Demian whispered in surprise.

  The trees created a breathtaking alley, stretching so far, it was impossible to see where it would lead. The Sleeping Woods was an enchanted forest full of living trees resting under a spell. Despite the beauty, it was also a dangerous place because once somebody got lost, they would never walk out again.

  The trees grew with bewitching dust resting on their branches. It was enough with just a simple touch to wake a tree, and when it happened, the tree would wake it’s brothers and sisters, forcing them to move and change directions. Although there would still be hope to find a way out after the trees changed their places, their movement caused the enchanted dust to spread in the air, sending the intruders to sleep.

  “Ha, I’m not afraid of the forest!” Demian roared as if talking to the trees, “Quite the opposite, I like it here!”

  Despite the fake courage, the little vampire continued walking forwards, following the pathway only. Soon enough, it led him into a much more captivating place.

  Tall pillars shaped like stone dragons embraced a giant circle field, surrounded by ruined masonry fence. Giant balls were flying slightly above the ground, spread across the entire area. Each of them looked like a thick soap bubble and fumed with a different energy, colourful flashes of lightning swirling around them.

  “Wow, Life Capsules!” Demian had never seen a place like it with his own eyes and viewed the different balls with a face full of surprise, “Could this really be the Punishment Circle?”

  The boy walked through the field as if it were a museum, glancing at the prisoners floating motionlessly within the Life Capsules. He was tempted to poke the swirling bubbles, but common sense stopped him. Life Capsules were unbreakable, enchanted by the power of the gods. They couldn’t be destroyed from the outside, nor the inside.

  Demian had a look at each ball, curiously searching if he could find Abyss or Ermelinda, but no angels and no humans were in any of the Life Capsules.

  Finally, he reached the centre of the Punishment Circle. A giant capsule different from others rested in the middle. Unlike others, it was utterly black, swirling like poisonous liquid. The energies around it were much stronger than others. Bolts of Lightning, flames, water dragons and enchanted trees twisted and crawled restlessly around the capsule.

  Watching it made Demian feel uncomfortable. His skin covered in goosebumps and turned cold. His heart starting to tremble nervously as the dark ball made a dangerously drumming sound. Stepping backwards, Demian returned to the ruined fence to search for the exit.

  Suddenly, a painful howl escaped the empty space between the Life Capsules. The boy froze, his eyes widening big.

  “I-I’m not afraid of you!” he thundered, trying to see where the sound came from.

  Another howl thrummed in the air.

  “I said, I’m not afraid of you!” Demian repeated, shouting loudly, still scanning the area for any possible dangers, “My name is Demian Morteeze! Did you hear? I said, MORTEEZE! You cannot do anything to me, my family will destroy you!”

  Suddenly, another boy crawled out from under one of the Life Capsules. He was much shorter than Demian, dressed in simple jeans and an orange hoodie with plastic butterfly wings attached to it. The boy’s hair was a crimson red mess, but his eyes the brightest shade of sunset. The boy held a plush toy in his hands.

  “Don’t destroy me, Demian Morteeze!” the little boy said in his childish voice. His round cheeks burning with embarrassment.

  Seeing a boy instead of a monster, Demian’s eyes widened, but he masked his emotions behind a cold face.

  “Fine!” Demian said, faking a vain facial expression, “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today. I’ll spare your life!”

  “Thank you, Demian!” the boy with the sunset eyes replied, dancing with his toy.

  “Who are you, boy?” Demian asked, trying his best not to sound curious, “Why are you here alone?”

  “I’m not alone!” the little boy objected, glancing at this toy, “I’m here with my friend to watch him play the violin.”

  “What’s your name? Where’s your friend?” Demian scanned the stranger suspiciously.

  “My name is Nataniel Sunborn!” the boy replied, his eyes dazzling with youthful energy full of dreams, “Eden should be here… somewhere. He’s a little insane, it’s hard to predict him.”

  “YOU ARE THE PRINCE?” Demian’s jaw dropped open.

  “Yes, haven’t you ever met one?” Nataniel asked, a blush covering his soft cheeks.

  “I’m a prince myself!” Demian’s face returned to its vain expression, “Why are you here with no guards? No servants?”

>   Suddenly, another painful howl thundered through the Punishment Circle. Demian jumped in surprise, carefully scanning the area with his red eyes.

  “Don’t be afraid, it’s only Eden.” Nataniel calmed, patting Demian’s shoulder with his tiny hand, “My friend won’t harm you. I’ll protect you!”

  “I AM NOT AFRAID!” Demian yelled.

  A dark shadow crawled out of the bush behind the ruined fence. It was a taller boy, seemingly older than Demian. His black hair reached over his shoulders, different leafs sticking out of the messy strands. The boy wore an oversized black sweater, falling off one shoulder, but his black jeans were ripped and dirty, and his bare feet bled a trail behind his steps.

  There were colourful beads around the boy’s neck and a glass syringe with a toxic-pink liquid that he bit with his teeth. The boy held a golden bow in his right hand and a beautiful black violin in his left hand. Golden symbols danced on its surface.

  The boy got over the fence and sat on it, pulling pieces of broken glass out of his stabbed feet.

  Demian felt uncomfortable watching the stranger’s skin heal immediately.

  “Demian, this is Eden!” Nataniel pointed at the older boy, “He’s a pureblood too.”

  “N-nice to meet you!” Demian said, unsure about his words.

  Eden looked up, revealing the purple and pink mixture in his bewitching eyes. The toxic dazzle moved around his pupils like poisonous snakes. He took the syringe from his teeth and curved his lips in an insane smile, sending shivers down Demian’s spine.

  “What’s in it?” Demian asked, pointing at the syringe.

  Dropping his violin on the ground as if it had no worth, Eden approached Demian with incredible speed; so quickly as only vampires could move. His head cocked, scanning Morteeze.

  “This,” Eden said, his voice sounding like an enchanting spell as he shook the syringe in the air, “is kenzomoria.”

  Demian stepped back immediately.

  “Are you INSANE?” Demian yelled, his eyes wide and scared, “You’re carrying a deadly virus with you as if it were a toy? Didn’t you know kenzomoria is lethal to wizards and vampires, including purebloods?”

  Suddenly, Eden went down on his knees, hooking his sharp fingernails into Demian’s jacket. His lips curved into a mad smile, but his eyes filled with hysterical tears.

  “Kill me!” Eden begged, “Kill me, please!”

  “What?” Demian tried to escape the firm grip, but Eden was too strong.

  “I’m tired, I’m so damn tired!” insanity cried through Eden’s voice, “I can’t ever die no matter how hard I want to. I’ve been reborn so many lives, the past memories haunt me. Eternal life is a curse! The phoenix cursed me with life!”

  Eden released Demian from his grip and pierced his own skin with the needle, emptying the venomous syringe. Demian’s heart froze, watching the insane boy intoxicate himself with poison.

  Eden’s eyes lit up like a lantern, glowing intensely through the dark. His lips trembled, forming another crazy smile as his skin covered in hot and cold waves as the poison flowed throughout his blood.

  Demian wanted to say something, but the speechless sound left his mouth mute. He was too shocked to see a pureblood vampire inject the deadliest virus in his own veins as if it were his medicine.

  “Kill me, please!” Eden laid on the ground, tears flooding his eyes, “Why won't this poison work on me? It’s as harmless as water, why is everyone so scared of it?”

  Nataniel knelt before Eden, gently patting his shoulder.

  “There, there, calm down!” the little boy said, “You need to look at your life more positively! There are many things to feel grateful for, you know! Why don’t you throw that thing away and play the violin for us? You wanted to be a famous musician, didn’t you?”

  Eden jumped on his feet, facing Demian.

  “Please! I can’t take this any more…” he begged.

  Nataniel squeezed himself between the two vampires, placing his tiny hands on Eden’s shoulders to shake him remorselessly.

  “CAAALM DOWN!” Nataniel yelled, “Don’t make me send you to sleep! I don’t want you to scare away our new friend!”

  “I’m not scared…” Demian muttered too quietly to be heard.

  Eden dropped his head and sighed. After taking a few deep breaths, he dropped the empty syringe and picked up his violin. Nataniel smiled and sat down on the fence to have a better view.

  “Join me!” he invited Demian to sit next to him.

  Eden stood in front of the two boys, imagining himself stand before thousands of fans. He bowed to the Life Capsules, then to his friends.

  “Ladies and gentlemen!” Eden spoke loudly, “Tonight, I perform for you only!”

  After bowing once more, Eden started to play the violin. His movements shifted from insane to graceful, releasing a beautiful sound in the empty space. As if music could cure his broken soul, he played the instrument with his eyes closed. The golden symbols on the violin started to move, dancing around playfully.

  The hypnotising sound entwined around Demian’s hear like a spell, making him want to dance, laugh, cry, smile, sing and fly. Each vibration sent pleasant shivers through his body, exciting his heart and lungs, leaving him breathless.

  Suddenly, different colours floated out of the violin like silky ribbons. They moved and danced, spreading over the Punishment Circle with incredible speed, fuming with energy.

  Demian had heard all sorts of musical performances before, but Eden’s violin made him fall in love with the sound. As if a powerful enchantment had wrapped around his heart, the melody rooted deep into his soul. It made him lose a sense of reality.

  When the performance was over, Eden bowed again. His smile appeared peaceful as if he never wished to die.

  “Wow!” Demian shouted out with excitement, clapping his hands and cheering, “I never knew music could be this delightful! Where did you learn to play like this?”

  “I’ve always known how to play it.” Eden looked down at the magical instrument, smiling proudly, “It’s just like the rhythm of our hearts, you don’t learn to play it - you surrender to it and let it play you!”

  “I’ve never seen a violin like yours. Is it enchanted?” Demian asked, watching the golden symbols move around the surface slowly.

  “Oh, that’s because this is not an ordinary violin. It’s actually one of the five Hiopesia weapons.” Eden replied calmly.

  “A weapon?” Demian asked.

  “You don’t know about Hiopesia?” Nataniel seemed surprised.

  “Hio-what?” Demian murmured.

  “Hiopesia was one of the ancient goddesses, as well as the first one to step on the mortal land,” Eden explained, moving his fingertips over the golden symbols that froze motionlessly. “She was the goddess of Harmony, as well as one of the rare gods who possessed the power to travel through different worlds without paying any price for it. It was her special ability to maintain Harmony among all worlds, but it was also the most desired force among other gods, even demons.”

  “If she was a goddess of Harmony, why did she create weapons?” Demian asked, his face painting confusion.

  “She didn’t.” Nataniel replied, glancing at Eden, “Her son did.”

  “There’s a legend…” Eden’s eyes became distant, slowly losing the toxic glimmer from the poisonous injection.

  “The legend is older than this world!” Nataniel added, his sunset eyes turning a few shades brighter, “It says that Hiopesia fell in love with one of the Lords of the Underworld - Zephirant. When she returned home to the Heavenly Kingdom, she gave birth to Zephirant’s son, who inherited the powers of both parents.”

  “Unfortunately, Zephirant wanted nothing but Hiopesia’s power!” Eden explained, his voice grave, “He tricked her, ensuring Hiopesia got banished from the Heavenly Kingdom. However, Zephirant found out about the boy and tricked him, threatening that he would kill his mother if the boy didn't give him the powers.”

&n
bsp; “How did he trick her?” Demian was eager to hear the legend.

  “By the time it happened, their son was already a young man, but Zephirant had found a way to travel to the mortal land by making deals with the mortals through their dreams. He offered them strength in return for them to summon the demons, inviting them to their homeland.” Eden continued, “Zephirant fooled Hiopesia with the help of a mortal who begged the goddess to save him. As a kind woman, Hiopesia arrived and got into Zephirant’s trap. He threatened her to take her powers forcefully, but the goddess could not allow anyone from the Underworld to gain access to the Heavenly Kingdom.”

  “Did he kill the goddess?” Demian asked curiously.

  “No, she was immortal.” Nataniel reminded.

  “To keep her duty, Hiopesia sacrificed herself so that her powers could never be tamed by the wrong person. She gave tiny pieces of her Harmony to all creatures, ensuring everyone could find their own inner peace without a goddess.” Eden continued with the legend.

  “So… She did the same as Demetra…” Demian said to nobody in particular.

  “Yes, but long before Demetra!” Nataniel agreed, “Some believe that the great wars began because of her Harmony being scattered across the different worlds.”

  “Her sacrifice made Zephirant angry, and he started planting evil in mortal hearts.” Eden added, “However, Hiopesia’s son, who had powers of both parents, decided to avenge his mother’s death. He came to the mortal world to hunt down his father, but he failed when they met face to face. Zephirant made his son believe it was his fault that Hiopesia died.”

  “Don’t forget to mention that Zephirant couldn’t take his son’s powers as he planned!” Nataniel reminded, “Zephirant’s blood in his son’s veins made him immune to any demonic spell!”

  “Yes, it did!” Eden seemed lost in thoughts, “However, the son couldn’t kill his father for the exact same reasons.”