The Vampire Wonderland Page 6

  Out of all family members, grandmother Scarlet was the scariest of all. She was the oldest living members, as well as the daughter of Claudius Morteeze, the founder of the Elderly and Morteezeana.

  “Make sure you behave excellently in front of our guests,” Dorian sent his grandson a warning glare. “Go to your room, I’ll tell the servants to get you ready.”

  “But what about Lucius?” Demian asked carefully.

  “As I said, you will see him after the ball.” Dorian repeated, his voice fierce, “And don’t you dare to mention his name in front of the guests. In society, Lucius doesn’t exist.”

  “I know,” Demian replied, his emotions sinking deeper into darkness as if grabbed by a suffocating hand.

  The little vampire escaped to his room to get ready while Dorian ordered everyone to prepare one of the ballrooms for the masquerade. The entire castle got immediately bewitched.

  “We will have to seal the third floor before the guests arrive!” Dorian suggested to the servants around him.

  “Don’t worry,” Luminor’s voice appeared behind him as he floated into the room like a noble ghost, “Nobody will go to the servant bedrooms!”

  “Have you forgotten this ball is for the noble families, not just purebloods?” Dorian pointed out, “Sunborns will be here too, don’t you think their youngest member will want to be cheeky? He always puts his nose where he shouldn’t, and there’s nothing we can do about it, he’s a Sunborn after all!”

  “Nobody will ever find out Lucius exists,” Luminor reassured, “He will die before anyone hears his name. The boy is a weakling and our misfortune. We will not allow this embarrassment to taint our name! He’s worthless…”

  “I wouldn’t say that,” Dorian smirked.

  “What do you mean?” Luminor asked, his face painted by surprise.

  “Well, he is a good example of Demian of what he should fear if he doesn’t become the best of the best!” Dorian laughed, “He is the reason why Demian will never allow himself to be weak.”

  The white walls were dressed in expensive paintings reaching up from the middle of the walls towards the ceiling where thousands of chandeliers crystallised the ballroom. There was a triangle-shaped stage in one of the corners of the room where musicians with golden masks played the most incredible musical instruments. Next to the stage, there was a black piano, so shiny, it reflected the glorious beauty.

  Not far, there were long tables dressed in silver and white, each chair next to them was covered by crimson fabric, reminding of a throne. Fancy dishes and delicious fruit were served on the luxurious tables. One of them was devoted to many pyramids of glass where bartenders served extraordinary cocktails.

  On the opposite side of the room, there was a fountain of artificial blood running in the crystal pool. There was a large sofa of a crescent shape where humans volunteered to be bitten by vampires as they considered it to be the greatest honour. They sat on the couch next to each other, waiting to be picked. Their eyes glimmered with excitement as they remained silent, waiting for their turn.

  Next to their seat, there was an open balcony, large enough to be considered as a separate ballroom. A luxurious fence made of marble and stone stretched around it like a beautiful snake.

  When the sun settled down and painted the skyline orange, the ballroom flooded with noble guests drenched in wealth and power. Dorian and his wife Scarlet greeted each guest at the entrance as the oldest members of the Morteeze family. Scarlet was dressed in a glamorous black dress, her neck ornamented by the rarest gemstones. Dorian had the same gems all over his black suit, making him look like a night full of stars.

  Grandmother Ophelia almost looked like a queen, her body caged in a green corset to match her eyes while the bottom of her abundant dress stretched far behind her steps, following her like an endless river. Her dark red hair styled like a crown. Ophelia was married to her brother Julius since it was required by most purebloods to keep their bloodline clean. Julius wasn’t the most masculine among the men, but he surely overpowered them by his intelligence. He wore a dark purple cloak made of long feathers. His dark, burgundy hair was short and always covered by accessories to match his clothing. His emerald eyes seemed distant, although he usually paid attention to the tiniest details.

  Ophelia and Julius had two children, Gregorie who never seemed to have any tolerance towards anyone but his own family, and Stella, who passed away giving birth to Lucius. Since his sister’s death, Gregorie always blamed Luminor and seemed angry even when he wasn’t. His muscular body was masked under a pure white suit with silver embroideries, but his burgundy hair reached over his left shoulder. His red eyes were always hungry for power when his sister was no longer with him to calm his rage. Usually, Gregorie refused to even look at Demian but mentioning Lucius was impossible in his presence.

  Dorian and Scarlet had three children. Naurencie was the oldest of them, but awfully uninterested in getting married. He was a proud pureblood, full of himself. He arrived at the ball dressed in gold as if he were a sculpture made by the finest artists. His younger sister Angeline was supposed to become either his or Gregorie’s wife to maintain their bloodline, but she was terrified of creating a bond with someone who’d be blind to her beauty. Angeline’s golden hair was her pride, she allowed it to flow freely over her white dress. The only thing she cared about more than her hair was their youngest brother, Luminor, who never seemed to notice his sister’s affection for him.

  Luminor was dressed in an indigo blue suit with embroidered dark roses on his sleeves. His eyes scanned the guests that arrived as graceful as his own family, but his heart was full of despise. He cared for his status in society but not the community itself.

  Demian was the only one sitting on the balcony alone while the ballroom filled with more guests. His gaze floated between the stars in the sky, full of worry about his little twin. Demian was dressed like a reflection of his father but not by his own choice. The servants who got him ready asked no questions, they just groomed the boy without even letting him breathe.

  Suddenly, a tiny finger poked into his ribcage, repeating the action until Demian looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened when he noticed a familiar face. Sunset eyes, crimson hair as wild as fire and a costume of a glimmering butterfly.

  “Sunborn!” Demian whispered, incredibly surprised.

  “Well, I prefer Nataniel as I’m not just a walking family name but also a person,” the little boy replied, smiling brightly, “Why are you surprised? I told you I’m a prince!”

  “I’ve seen Sunborns at the balls, but I see you here for the first time,” Demian explained calmly, although his heart was racing. He wasn’t used to having any other children around him.

  “Well, this is the first time I’m allowed to come with my family. I’m getting old now, you know? I’m 8 years old already!” Nataniel sat on the balcony fence in front of Demian, but Demian tried to stop him to ensure he stood somewhere safe instead.

  “Don’t sit there, you can fall!” he shouted out.

  “Fall?” Nataniel shouted back in return, “Why would I fall?”

  “Look,” Demian pointed at the garden, “It’s far away, and you’re tiny!”

  “I’m not tiny!” Nataniel objected, crossing his hands over his chest, “I’m stronger than I look!”

  “Sure,” Demian sighed, unable to stop worrying about his brother.

  “I heard your father is going to participate in Argona Fights this year! Congratulations!” Nataniel poked his friend once more.

  “Yeah…” Demian sighed again, avoiding Nataniel’s eyes. “My family is obsessed with power. I hate it all, I hate that I’m expected to be excellent like a god and can’t even play.”

  “I know what you mean,” Nataniel’s round cheeks flushed, “I have less free time now that I’m older. My dad wants me to participate in the Argona Fights next year, too.”

  “What?” Demian’s eyes widened in disbelief, “That’s ridiculous! Only those with
status L can participate in Argona Fights! Do they expect you to pass all levels within a year?”

  “I know, right?” Nataniel sighed, “I only just turned 8 and reached Level 2, now they expect me to pass it this soon…”

  “Wait, what?” Demian’s jaw dropped, “ARE YOU LEVEL 2 NOW? But you’re so young! It’s impossible!”

  Nataniel blushed a few shades darker as if not seeing why his friend was surprised at all.

  “Why are you saying that? What Level do you have?” the little boy asked.

  “I’m still only studying Level 5,” Demian muttered grumpily.

  “Oh, I envy you! I wish my family allowed me to slack off for that long! You’re 12 now, aren’t you?” Nataniel wondered.

  “Excuse me?” Demian was surprised at the arrogance. Usually, everyone apart from his family feared him. Most creatures wouldn’t even dare to look at him, but the little boy was surely acting freely as if they were the best friends who had known each other for centuries.

  Suddenly, a strange shiver ran through Demian’s skin as a hypnotic voice daggered through the ballroom to reach the balcony.

  “You awaken my hunger,” said the voice, dissolving into the air like a whisper.

  Demian started searching the ballroom with his nervous gaze. Trying to find the source of the enchanting voice failed when a beautiful melody filled the space. It was the same melody he had heard in the Punishment Circle, performed by the mysterious vampire and his violin.

  Demian glanced towards the piano where the sound came from. A familiar silhouette sat at it with graceful fingers running through the keys with rhythmic movements. It was Eden, but he looked opposite to what he was at the Punishment Circle. His long black hair was tied in a ponytail, his light skin glimmered with healthy energy, but his purple-pink eyes reflected a stable mind. He was dressed like a nobleman, his clothing colour of void painted with silver and gold strokes as if one of the gods had created an abstract masterpiece of the sky. There was a silhouette of a golden-silver phoenix on his luxurious jacket and a matching one on his shoes.

  As he played the piano playfully and gracefully, Eden’s eyes glanced towards the balcony a few times. Demian’s heart drowned in the melody, memorising the perfect sound.

  “What’s wrong?” Nataniel poked his friend once more, dragging his eyes towards him, “You look scared.”

  “No, don’t be ridiculous! I just heard the voice and… the melody.” Demian replied, realising there was no melody. The piano was vacant.

  “Don’t tell me you’re losing your mind too!” Nataniel flushed.

  “You make me hungry, I said!” the mysterious voice repeated, this time right behind Demian.

  “Eden!” both of the boys jumped at the same time as they noticed Eden standing near them.

  “I didn’t expect to meet you here!” Demian said nervously, remembering the insane boy from the Punishment Circle. “You… You look so different.”

  “Do you like me better this way?” Eden laughed, his voice delighted, full of joy.

  “No, I…” Demian blushed, “I just didn’t know you you’re a noble.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it! I’m not a noble, I’m just a lost soul pretending to have fun with my family, pretending to be happy!” Eden laughed as if he said the funniest joke, but his dace changed to serious in less than a second, “I didn’t want to bore you with my surname when we first met.”

  “That’s why you chose to bore him with your suicidal talks…” Nataniel muttered grumpily, “He’s from fon Vorigan clan.”

  “YOU’RE FROM THE STRONGEST PUREBLOOD VAMPIRE CLAN, AND YOU DIDN’T SAY A THING?” Demian nearly shouted, but Eden squeezed his lips between his fingers.

  Only when Demian seemed to calm, Eden released him.

  “You’re from the only family that dared to refuse the invitation to become a part of the Elderly?” Demian whispered this time.

  “Well, well, no need to be that dramatic.” Nataniel tried to persuade his vampire friends to speak quieter, “Don’t make me send you to sleep.”

  “Yes, I’m from the most boring clan ever. Does it matter?” Eden lost his playful gaze, “When you look at me, I want you to see me, not the name of the family.”

  “I thought you didn’t care about life any more. Back in the Punishment Circle, you begged to be killed, and now you want everyone to notice the real you.” Demian started to feel more comfortable around the two boys, “Why are you so full of hate? Does your family torture you or something?”

  Eden remained quiet for a while. He lanced at the ballroom towards his family, his gaze appeared distant and disconnected from reality. He was no longer the insane, confused boy.

  “You wouldn’t understand,” Eden said quietly.

  “So you give up before even trying?” Demian gave mirthless laughter.

  Eden’s eyes pierced through Demian like toxic daggers, glimmering dangerously.

  “How old do you think I am?” Eden asked, “I’d like to hear your honest opinion.”

  Demian scanned the boy from head to toe, trying to decide.

  “Fifteen?” he asked unsurely.

  Eden grinned.

  “Accurate. For a shallow eye!” Eden started laughing, but his voice filled with sadness, “My body is fifteen. However, this is not my first life, I had thousands more. I remember each one of them as if they happened just recently. It’s a heavy burden I can hardly carry. I miss every friend I lost, I miss the family members that no longer exist. I regret the billions of mistakes I made, and I’m tired of this endless cycle of torment.”

  “So… How old are you really?” Demian paled.

  “I’m eternal.” Eden sighed, glancing at the dark sky, “I cannot die for real, I cannot be destroyed. I was born in a place where time does not exist, where all things and beings are eternal unless they choose to be no longer.”

  Demian paled even more.

  “Y-you…are…a…god?” Demian’s voice trembled in disbelief.

  No response. Eden’s eyes drowned somewhere between the stars as if he was no longer listening.

  “I don’t belong to the Heavenly Kingdom if that’s what you ask.” Eden’s gaze returned to Demian, locking with his scarlet eyes as if they could take the pain away. “And I don’t belong to the Underworld either.”

  “Then… What happened?” Demian got intrigued, his heart slamming wildly against his chest.

  “One of the most powerful gods - the phoenix - cursed me with life when I tried to end it. Since then, I keep reincarnating into the same family over and over again.” Eden explained, his eyes full of emotion as if he had never told anyone about his secret, “As soon as I die, one of the fon Vorigan ladies becomes mysteriously pregnant, and in a couple of days, not months, I’m reborn again. By the age of five, I either begin to remember who I was before or already know everything about it.”

  “So you’re an adult in a child’s body?” Demian asked nervously, scanning the insane boy, studying his voice and each movement.

  “No. I’m an ancient soul in a broken parody of an immortal.” Eden laughed with no humour in his voice, “My own family thinks I’m a curse. Countless times they’ve tried to get rid of me. They tried to kill me in different ways, they used spells and tried everything, but I just keep coming back.”

  “But doesn’t it make you the youngest and the oldest member of your family?” Demian whispered curiously.

  “You’re a clever vampire, I like it.” Eden admitted, “Of course, nobody knows about the curse apart from my family.”

  “It’s no surprise you’re absolutely insane…” Demian sighed compassionately, “Constantly wearing a mask of a child in society, when you’re actually an ancient god with memories and…”

  Suddenly, Demian’s face paled as if somebody had sucked out all of his colours. His skin covered in goosebumps just by considering which god Eden could be. One that didn’t belong to the Heavenly Kingdom, one that didn’t belong to the Underworld either. Demian ha
d read many books, heard hundreds of stories, but he had never heard of a god who had no origins in the immortal realms. Apart from one.

  “Are you Abyss?” Demian asked, his lips moving without his consent.

  Eden started laughing as if somebody had injected a cheerful drug into his heart. His eyes filled with tears as he tried to stop his hysterical laughter.

  “I like you, I really do!” Eden giggled.

  Bright colours returned to Demian’s face as his skin painted red.

  “Hey! Stop laughing!” he demanded, his face swelling with embarrassment. “It’s no that funny! Actually, it’s not funny at all, why are you laughing? If you want to get rid of the curse and stop being reborn, maybe you need to wait until all the women in your family die out. Then you’ll be free!”

  Demian’s mouth moved without his consent. Anger spoke instead of him as the boy didn’t realise the cruel idea he had planted. Eden’s laughter stopped, his eyes shifted towards his family.

  “See, Nataniel?” Eden smirked, “I told you Demian is a genius, didn’t I?”

  “I-it was just a joke!” Demian panicked, “You wouldn’t do anything to them, would you?”

  “Don’t worry, he’s not serious!” Nataniel puffed his cheeks, glaring at Eden. “He just loves attention and enjoys looking like Mr Evil.”

  Eden ignored the boy’s attempts to dismiss the awkward moment. His eyes pierced through the ballroom, scanning the guests. Demian watched him, still considering why he hadn’t replied to the question. The boy never believed in legends about the worldly enemies, but his heart trembled thinking about the possibility - what if Eden was the reincarnation of Abyss?

  “Why were you both at the Punishment Circle the other day?” Demian asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing on both new friends.

  “I’m just a child!” Nataniel pointed at himself, “Despite my family insisting on me obtaining the L status, I’m allowed to have some days for myself.”

  “And you?” Demian poked Eden’s elbow gently.

  “My family knows not to mess with me. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.” Eden replied, his voice dangerous, “During my past lives, I’ve learned many things, mastered many skills. I’m the strongest member of my clan, there’s no need for me to go to school. Nobody could force me anyway. They fear me.”