The fire crackled in the clearing, casting warm orange light against the night. I had picked a spot clear of the wight corpses... no point eating next to that mess.
And the cabin itself was pretty much in ruins, the kitchen and living room reduced to nothing. Only the bedroom was left unscathed.
Triss sat across from me, watching the flames, her arms wrapped around her knees. I had already skinned the carcass and set the meat to roast, the smell of cooking filling the air.
She exhaled, breaking the silence. "So... portals,"
I glanced at her. "Yeah,"
She pulled her legs closer. "Great. So not only am I a walking power source, but now someone is teleporting undead monsters straight to me. Fantastic,"
I chuckled. "Look on the bright side. At least now you know how to fight back,"
She glanced at her hands, flexing her fingers. The purple energy had faded, but she still seemed rattled by what she had done.
"It felt... different that time," she admitted. "Controlled. Like I wasn't just exploding randomly,"
"That's the point," I said, turning the meat. "Raw power is useless if you can't control it. You have to own it, or it'll own you."
She was quiet for a moment. Then she smirked. "You sound like some ancient master giving wisdom to his reckless student."
I scoffed. "Please. If I were a teacher, I'd have given up on you by now."
She gasped in mock offense. "Excuse you, I'm an excellent student."
"Right. Because panicking, almost hyperventilating, and then finally listening to me counts as excellent."
She threw a small twig at me. "Shut up."
I smirked, then pulled the cooked meat off the fire, handing her a piece. She hesitated before taking it, then tore off a bite.
Surprisingly, she didn't complain. She must have been starving.
I ducked into the ruined cabin, found two bottles of beer still cold in the half-functioning fridge, and came back out.
"Here," I passed her one.
She took it this time. "I'm only drinking this because I need to forget the nightmare we just lived through."
"Fair enough,"
We sat in silence for a while, the fire crackling between us. The chaos from earlier felt distant now, like a storm that had passed but left destruction in its wake.
Eventually, she sighed. "So, what now?"
I gazed into the flames. "Now? We wait for dawn. Hopefully nothing tries to kill us before then,"
She didn't reply, just stared into the fire, lost in thought. After a while, she spoke.
"I wish to know how to control this energy inside me," she muttered softly, staring at me
I raised a brow. "Why are you looking at me?"
She frowned. "I'm serious, Ronald. I want to use the energy like you do with your crimson energy... to form weapons and stuff,"
I smirked. "So you're finally accepting the supernatural world, huh?"
She sighed. "It's not like I have a choice. And I've never really felt connected with the normal world anyways. It's always been so foreign to me, like as if I..."
"Didn't belong?" I finished her statement
Her gaze shifted towards me. "Yeah. It's like I'm not meant to be there, like I'm... from someplace else,"
I smiled wrly. "Yeah. I know what that's like,"
"The human realm is no place for a vampire like me, but I chose to stay anyways," I continued. "I haven't been to the vampire realm in a long time,"
Triss raised her brows, she looked curious. "What's the vampire realm? Is it like another planet?"
I shook my head. "No, it's not another planet. It's like a replicated pocket dimension created by magic to form a new world entirely. But it's still on earth, just seperate,"
Triss smiled. "Yeah, out of everything you just said, the only word I understood was magic,"
I chuckled. "Good. That's all you need to understand,"
She let out a slight chortle and put a piece of meat in her mouth. "So, what's it like? The vampire realm,"
I exhaled. "Well, it's like your typical human realm but with less sunlight and no blue skies,"
She snickered. "That's all you have to say about your home? Less sunlight and no blue skies? Really?"
I shrugged. "There's actually nothing special about Solnon, except for the vampires dwelling there of course,"
Triss furrowed her brows. "Solnon? Isn't that Greek-latin for 'No Sun'?"
I nodded. "It is. Sun is kind of a no no for vampires,"
"Hm, guess the legends were true," she muttered. "I wonder what else they were right about,"
"Stake? Garlic?" she added with amusement
I laughed at her curious expression, she looked like a child just learning about the nine planets.
"Stake, yes," I replied. "Garlic, no,"
She leaned in with a mischievous grin. "What about vervain?"
I smiled. "No. Only because my little sister had a weird allergy to it back in the 1400s. People assumed it was a vampire thing and ran with it,"
Triss chuckled, she looked amazed. "Wow, how old are you?"
I shrugged. "Old enough to tell you that Athelstan was not the actual founder of England,"
She chuckled. "Athelstan? Son of Edward the elder, grandson of Alfred the great. First king of England. Died in 939,"
"That Athelstan?"
I blinked my eyes, astonished by her vast knowledge on the topic. "I am impressed, Triss. I didn't expect you to know your history so well,"
She exhaled. "Well, I majored in Archeology so learning history was sort of a must-do,"
"Archeology, huh?" I mused. "So how'd you end up being a waitress?"
She chuckled. "It's a long story... a really long one,"
"Well," I shrugged, "I'm all ears if you ever choose to tell,"
She grinned, then leaned back. "Only if you answer some of my questions first,"
"Alright," I said, grinning. "What do you wanna know?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Besides stakes and sunlight, what else can kill a vampire?"
"Butter," I replied casually
She blinked in doubt. "Butter?"
I nodded. "Yes, butter can kill a vampire. Though salted butter would be more effective,"
She stared at me deeply. "I don't believe you,"
I feigned confusion. "You don't? Why not?"
"Because you're lying, butter can't possibly kill a vampire," she said
I frowned and acted offended. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you the vampire here?"
She shook her head. "No. But I'm not a fool, Ronald,"
"Neither am I," I leaned closer. "You really think I'll start blabbering all the many ways I can be killed to you? I've been in this world longer than you, Triss. I'm not easily fooled,"
She pouted. "I wasn't going to use them against you, Ronald. I just wanted to know in case I was attacked by another vampire,"
I paused, pretending to feel guilty. "Oh... I didn't know that's why you were asking, forgive me,"
But Triss didn't respond. she was truly offended. But believe me I wasn't guilty, not even a little bit.
"Are you offended?" I asked
"Hmph" She turned her gaze away from me. "I am,"
I sighed and stood up. "Then allow me to atone for my mistakes,"
"I shall punish myself at your command," I muttered playfully in a submissive tone, causing Triss to laugh and look at me again. Damn. She was really cute.
"Okay, sure," she waved her hand. "I order to punish yourself,"
I exhaled. "As you please, your grace,"
I disappeared into the cabin, grabbed a broken chair leg shaped vaguely like a stake, and came back out.
I walked back to her and sighed deeply, and she stared at me in confusion
"I shall now punish myself," I declared
She immediately stood up in shock. "Wait! Isn't that a wooden stake?"
I nodded. "Yes, it is, milady,"
She was stunned, staring at me like I was insane. "But... wouldn't that kill you? You said it can kill a vampire, were you lying?"
I shook my head. "No, I wasn't lying,"
She frowned. "So it can kill you. And yet you want to stake yourself with it? I don't believe you,"
"You said to punish myself, milady," I muttered. "I'm doing just that,"
She shuddered. "Yes, but I didn't say you should kill yourself,"
I shrugged and placed the tip of the stake on my chest, directly over my heart. "It's the best punishment for an Immortal,"
Her eyes widened as I placed the stake on my chest. "Ronald, don't! Have you gone mad?"
I sighed. "Maybe, but why do you care? If I die now, you'll be finally free of me.. The crazy vampire who abducted you,"
Triss shook her head. "That's not true, you didn't abduct me. You saved me,"
I smiled, she had admitted the first thing I wanted to hear. But I wasn't done with her. Not yet.
I knew she would try and stop me but she still probably thinks I'm joking.
Well I wasn't, I would stake myself if she didn't answer all my questions. And believe me, she would. Afterall, I am her best chance of survival at the moment. The only one that can protect her, she wouldn't let me die.
"Yeah, but you'll probably stake me in my sleep, right?" I muttered, pushing the stake slightly into my chest. "It's best I do it now, to save you the trouble,"
She frowned, but her tone was filled with worry. "Stop this, Ronald. This is ridiculous, I'm not going to stake the only person who has protected me so far. I need more protection from whatever else is out there,"
I placed my hand on my chin, pretending to contemplate. But then I shrugged. "Nah, you don't need me. You have a crazy amount of magical energy, you'll be fine,"
"Seriously, it's not funny anymore," she sighed in frustration and sat down, probably tired of my shenanigans.
I furrowed my brows. "Why not? You seem to despise me, so you should actually be ecstatic right now,"
Triss shook her head. "No, I'm not. And I don't despise you, Ronald. I'm just pissed at you for..."
She hesitated, holding back whatever she had wanted to say. But I wouldn't let her get away with it.
I pushed the stake further and it finally pierced my chest, it's tip entering my ribcage. "For what?"
Her eyes widened and she immediately stood up, panicked. She approached me but I stopped her
"Don't come any closer, Triss," I warned. "If not, I'll stake myself,"
She raised her hand and tried to calm me down. "I don't know what mental issues you have, Ronald. But, please don't kill yourself,"
I chuckled. "I won't, if you tell me why you are pissed off at me,"
She frowned, looking at me with killing intent. But then she sighed. "You were right earlier, I was angry because I actually thought you were attracted to me back at the café,"
"And it sucked to find out you were actually just spying on me," she continued. "On a normal day, this would've been fine, and I'd have gotten over it. But then I had to end up being stuck with you for the night. Which made it suck even more,"
I smirked. "Thank you for saying that,"
She exhaled. "Happy now?"
I shook my head. "No,"
Her frown deepened. "What?!"
I pushed the stake even deeper into my chest. "I'm still not convinced as to why I shouldn't kill myself on your behalf,"
She sighed and rubbed her temples. "Damn it, Ronald. I'm not asking you to live on my behalf, I'm asking you to live on behalf of everyone that care about you,"
I raised a brow. "Do you care about me?"
"Wha... what?" she stammered. "I don't... know,"
I exhaled, feigning sadness. "I see,"
Then I pushed the stake halfway through my chest, it's tip already touching my heart. It tickled.
Triss was scared, I could see it in her eyes. I was close, just a little bit more and she'd break.
"Okay, so what if I don't care? What about your mum and sister, your family? They care, and they wouldn't want you dead," she said, her voice sounding desperate
I smirked inwardly. "Perfect,"
"Hmm, I don't care about them," I voiced out. "I've made up my mind to die right here, and you're the only one that can convince me not to,"
She exhaled, clearly exhausted. "You said I was your friend, right? Well, if you truly consider me your friend, you won't die and leave me all by myself,"
I shook my head. "That's more of a guilt trap, Triss. It won't work on me. Tell me specifically why you don't want me to die, and I won't. It has to be for your sake,"
She sighed and remained silent, her head hung low, she didn't seem to be willing to speak anymore. This was checkmate for me.
I placed both hands on the stake and prepared to push it all in, to stake myself. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, Triss,"
I took a deep breath and shoved the stake, but she stopped me in time
"Okay!" she cried out. "I don't want you to die because... I'd be alone. I know that even after this night, my life would still be in danger... And I'm scared, okay. I don't have anyone else to go... I don't know who else to trust, so please. Don't leave me on my own,"
I exhaled, putting on a serious expression. It's what I have wanted to hear from the beginning... That she trusts me.
I needed her to trust me so my job would be easier, I couldn't protect her if she is wary of me. And I was glad to know that she wasn't lying, her heartbeat confirmed it.
Speaking of heart. I removed the stake from my chest and looked at Triss. She was staring at me with rage, but it was for the best.
"Thank you, Triss," I muttered. "I just needed to know that you trust me and have my back just as I have yours,"
"I swear to God, I'm going to kill you one day," she said sharply, placing her hands on her head. I must have given her an headache.
She went back to sit down by the fire, chugging down the beer to ease her frustration. And then an idea popped into my head, why don't I give her an heartache as well?
"Hey, Triss," I called and she turned to face me with a frown
I smirked. "Are you offended?"
She clenched her fist and I swear I saw her eyes flicker with energy, but I wasn't scared. I was about to do something far worse than she could ever do to me.
"I'm taking that as a yes, so I shall punish myself," I said with a wry smile
She sighed. "Please, Ronald. I'm not offended. Don't..."
Thwack!
I jabbed myself with the wooden stake without warning, driving it directly into my heart. Staking and probably killing myself.
And there she sat, eyes widened with tears welling. Mouth wide open and face laced with shock, betrayal, disbelief and pain. Her expression was completely priceless.
I couldn't believe it, I actually staked myself so I could see the expression on her face as I died. And it was totally worth it.
I chuckled as I slumped to the ground, her footsteps thundered toward me, voice shaking. "RONALD?!"
God, I wanted to laugh out so hard. But I couldn't, my heart stopped beating and I slowly lost consciousness.
Then... everything went black.