After finishing up all of the paperwork, Casper finally got Adem admitted to Professor X's school and paid his dues. The sun had already dipped low by the time they stepped out of the academy gates.
Adem stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "Finally! I thought I was going to suffocate in that office."
Casper smirked. "You should be grateful I decided to give you an education. Most people would've exploited you and made you work for free."
"Yeah, well," Adem shrugged, "most people also know their history."
Casper glanced at him. "Wise words from a guy that doesn't know what a preposition is. I might have to reconsider that admission since you're so intelligent."
Adem grinned but soon sobered, his expression tightening. "So… what now?"
Casper's smile faded. "Now we go find that doctor I mentioned," he quickly added, "first we'll have to go get your sister."
Adem nodded silently.
…
Backlund's evening fog had already begun to creep in by the time they reached the East Borough, blurring the gas lamps into pale, flickering light.
East Borough was essentially a giant slum, it was perhaps the largest slum in all of Loen. After a certain point, even coachmen refused to continue since the streets became quite narrow and thin, forcing them to travel on foot.
Adem led the way without hesitation, familiar with each twist and turn, having spent his entire life in the slums of Backlund.
"This is where we live," he said quietly, coming to a stop in front of a stooped, weather-beaten house barely visible behind a curtain of ivy and grime. The window was dimly lit, a frail glow of a single candle emanated from the window.
Casper studied the place, and sighed. "This place… it's easy to forget we're still in the capital. Feels like a world away from the Academy."
Adem nodded. Even though he was illiterate, he knew the wealth disparity between the poor and the rich.
In the East Borough, the saying "The rich get richer while the poor get poorer," was something everyone knew.
While the nobles partied, hunted and danced everyday. The ones living in East Borough had to earn, fight and survive.
To escape East Borough, one needed extreme luck or…. the pity of a rich person willing to extend a hand.
Few nobles ever ventured into these streets and fewer took notice of the lives that struggled in the hellhole that was known as the East Borough.
Adem glanced down the street, "The capital is far darker than you can imagine."
To that, Casper could only nod.
Adem took a deep breath and pushed open the battered door. Inside, the room was sparse. A thin blanket covered his beloved sister, her pale face marked by dark circles and sweat. She coughed weakly, the rasp echoing in the quiet.
Casper knelt beside Sera, gently reaching out to touch her forehead. Heat radiated from her forehead causing Casper to raise his eyebrow.
How was this young girl still alive? He wondered, astonished at her will to survive. To be honest, it impressed him slightly.
"What's been going on with her?" Casper asked Adem quietly, watching the girl's chest rise and fall.
Adem knelt down, taking her hand. "It started with a cough, then the fever came. She can barely breathe without wheezing now."
Casper nodded. He bent down, pressing his ear against her lungs. His ears caught a subtle rattling sound in her lungs.
With the limited knowledge he had, the only answer he could arrive upon was pneumonia.
"Pneumonia," he muttered, "There's an infection deep in her lungs."
Adem's eyes widened. "Is it bad?"
Casper glanced at him and gave him a reassuring smile. "It's serious, but treatable. We just need to get a doctor — and fast."
He then turned towards the long white haired girl, "What's her name?"
"Sera." Adem said quickly.
"Well Sera, in a few hours you'll be all better." Casper said slowly.
Then he rose up, scooping Sera into his arms. "Ready to meet a vampire?" He asked Adem with an amused smile.
Adem blinked, confused but curious. "A vampire?"
"Mhmm," he said as he walked into the street.
"What does that mean?!" Adem hurriedly asked, catching up to Casper who merely grinned at him.
"We're gonna meet the person who created the first blow up doll, something even that pervert Roselle never dared to do... actually, considering the shenanigans he has pulled, he probably did create one."
Casper chuckled, his chuckles resounding through the room.