Chapter 26
“Asmo…” Cassandra's voice came through the door.
Phone still in his hand, Asmodeus bolted to unlock it, letting both the parents in.
The moment, Cassandra stepped in, she immediately hugged her son.
Vincent noticed his chair behind the desk. But right now, that wasn't his major concern.
A few seconds passed and Cassandra finally let him go.
“What were you doing, sweetie?”
“Oh, I was doomsrolling like always.” Asmodeus cracked a cheeky smile.
“I see...”
An awkward silence settled over the room. No one knew what to say.
Cassandra and Vincent had forgotten how to speak.
‘I can't gate keep being a vampire anymore. I gotta tell them.’ Asmodeus gritted.
He closed the door and turned to his parents.
“Mom, Dad, I need to tell you about something.”
Vincent placed a hand on his son's head.
“We heard from William, puffer fish. About the call and that you are to go to hospital tomorrow.”
“No, not that. It's— it's a… I don't know how to start.”
“Is it about some girl you like or something, sweetie?” Cassandra asked.
“What? No!”
Vincent and Cassandra churkled at his immidiate denial.
“I guess showing is better.”
Asmodeus brought his right hand in front of him, palm facing up. Vincent and Cassandra stared in confusion.
Red liquid seeped through the pores on his palm, levitating just above it. The blood blobs began moving, rearranging themselves, taking shape.
Petals.
Not one or two, ten petals made of blood. Asmodeus’ major achievement in blood manipulation.
The petals moved, rearranging themselves. Then in just a couple of seconds, a rose like structure levitated above his palm.
Both parents stood stunned, unable to take their eyes away.
“Did you buy some new projection device, puffer fish?” Vincent finally managed.
“No, Dad. It is blood. And I can move it around like this because—”
“Asmodeus!” Cassandra cut him off, “What do you mean blood? And who's blood is it?” Cassandra's voice shook with fear.
“Are hurting yourself, Asmodeus?” Vincent asked terrified at the new information. He tried reaching towards the rose-like structure.
Neither cared whether the blood levitated or not as much as if their son was hurting himself.
“No, no! Calm down!” The rose looking structure wobbled following his sudden change in emotions.
Asmodeus was now rather better at regaing control over the blood, even of it wobbled.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“Yes, it is my blood.” He tried to continue. “But that—”
“Asmod—” Vincent
“But!” He interrupted Vincent and tried again, “And a huge but! It doesn't hurt me and I'm not doing this because I'm mad. I'm a vampire now.”
“Asmodeus, if you are trying to show off a new device or something you bought, it's a very bad way to do so.” Cassandra glared.
“No, Mom, I'm being honest. I- I am a vampire now.”
“It's all that damn phone isn't it?”
“How? How did you even make that connection?”
“That's literally where you read those weird stuff, Asmo. Stop it, or at least reduce reading fantasy.”
“Mom, it's not because of the phone. I am a vampire now or at least that's what Crow says.”
“A Crow. You want me to believe that?”
“I mean Christopher, Dad.”
“My grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“Your great-grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“The one who was just as convinced as you that vampires existed?”
“They do exist and Crow was one.”
“You quoting my grandfather makes it even harder for me to believe you, kiddo.”
‘So, Crow is least trustworthy. Kinda makes sense.’
“But I'm literally manipulating blood, Dad.”
Asmodeus hinted towards the ten petals that he had arranged to look like a rose.
“Couldn't it also be magnets, sweetie?”
“Mom, if magnet was attracted to blood, I would be having a hard time moving away from magnetic stuff.”
“That's true…”
“Oh, also I have fangs!”
Asmodeus brought out his fangs as proof of being a vampire and pointed at them.
His parents leaned a bit closer.
‘My son had long canines…’ Vincent thought in disbelief.
Cassandra was thinking something similar.
Vincent and Cassandra exchanged a glance, confused at the sudden extention of their son's canines.
“Is it some kind of prop you're using?”
“No, Mom, it is my own fangs.”
Vincent and Cassandra stared at their son, Asmodeus stared back.
‘They won't take me to a dentist, right?’
The study entered an awkward silence.
Asmodeus diverted his attention to the rose above his palm.
He unfurled the rose to get back his petals then put it back in his body while his parents watched him in horror.
“Did you just put it back into your palm?”
“Yeah, Dad. I told you I could do that.”
Cassandra placed her palm on Asmodeus’ forehead, “are you feeling well, sweetie?”
“Yeah, Mom. I'm alright. And I'm being honest…”
“Asmodeus.” Vincent called, “say, you are a vampire. But how can one become a different species, kiddo?”
“By bleeding on this ring.” Asmodeus muttered under his breath.
“What?”
“By bleeding on this ring.” Asmodeus repeated, loud enough for his parents to hear.
He raised his right hand, showing the obsidian and ruby ring resting on his middle finger.
“Isn't it the one I gave you a few months ago?”
“Yes, Dad. It is.”
“What do you mean bleed on it, Asmo?” Cassandra asked.
“...” Asmodeus remained silent.
“Asmodeus?” She questioned again.
Asmodeus remained silent, looking anywhere except his parents.
“Asmodeus White! Explain!” Vincent said sternly.
Asmodeus flinched. His crimson eyes darted anywhere other than his parents’ faces.
‘I screwed up. I somehow managed to make Dad angry. A record.’
“Um… I…” Asmodeus fiddled with the ring, “Like, maybe a few days ago, I happened to have put a drop of my blood on it…”
Vincent raised an eyebrow.
“and… then I became pale…”
Cassandra had an expression somewhere between shock and fear.
“I- it's a long story… but in summary, I bled on the ring, i had a bit of fainting and all that, entered Crow-space—but it was useless most of the time—learnt that I had became a vampire, then I learnt how to control my blood and… and now I can make ten petals out of it.”
The room was once again filled with silence.
Before Asmodeus could say something else, Cassandra stepped towards him, cupped his cheek with her hands.
“Asmo, did you go through it all alone?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Y-yes…” Asmodeus looked confused.
“I see…” she lowered her eyes, still holding his cheek.
“Were you scared?”
“At first? Kinda. But not now. Now I'm just trying to understand how vampires work. And I've figured out a bit. So, you don't have to worry.” Asmodeus desprately tried to reassure his mother.
“That doesn't make me any less worried about you, sweetie.” Cassandra's eyes were moist now.
‘Arr… I made Mom cry again.’
“I'm sorry, Mom… I-”
Cassandra shook her head.
“No.” She pulled him into another hug. “You don't apologize for being scared.”
“Okay…”
“Asmodeus,” Vincent had been staring at the ring, “you said something about the ring did that vampire thing and all, right?”
Asmodeus got out of his mother's embrace.
“Yep.”
“And I was told that that ring was passed down from my grandfather.”
“Oh.”
“Was my grandfather one with a lot of stories or were some of them true?” Vincent questioned, his gaze fixed on the ring.
He hadn't expe an anwer, he was merly speculating.
“...” Asmodeus hesitated for a moment.
“Maybe- Maybe they are true.” He blurted, “Crow said or maybe I should say wrote that he was a vampire before. And also wrote about blood and nether and- oh, that reminds me that I need to go to black market.”
“What?” Cassandra blurted.
“I need to get blood. I can't make my own.”
“And that is literally what the doctor wants to treat you for. Why do you need a black market, sweetie?”
“Because Mom, I… I don't know anymore…
I mean, vampires can't make their own blood so… I need to get it from somewhere.
And I'm not sure if I'm sick or just being a normal vampire.”
‘This is so annoying, it's like I'm giving a thesis presentation for a topic I only started learning yesterday.’
“Alright,” Vincent rubbed his forehead, “so the entire thing is, you decided to bleed on that ring on a whim and now you can somehow extend your canines… and move your blood around… is that it?”
“Mostly. But there's more to it actually…”
Vincent's jaw dropped, “There's more?”
“Well, I can see UV patterns when I'm not wearing glasses… my pupils sometimes look like Lucy’s and… I can smell and hear more clearly—which is the only good thing being a vampire has brought me…”
Vincent and Cassandra stared at Asmodeus and Asmodeus stared at the floor.
“Wait, I did see your eyes with slit pupils and we searched about it too, I completely forgot about that.” Vincent facepalmed himself.
“Vincent! How could you forget something like that‽”
“I have no idea… I did say that we'll speak to a doctor later but I guess it slipped out of my mind.”
“Thank God.” Asmodeus muttered.
“Asmo… I heard that.”
“I don't mind.”
“Of course you don't.” Cassandra pulled his ear.
“Ow, Ow. Mama, no.”
“What no? You did do a lot of stupid stuff but this is not remotely close to fooling around, Asmodeus!”
“I know.”
Cassandra finally let him go, and Asmodeus rubbed his now red ear.
“Do you?” Vincent asked. “Then can you explain me why you went with your great idea of bleeding on a ring?” His tone carried disappointment.
“Cause I thought trying costs nothing.”
*bonk
“Daaad…” Asmodeus looked pitifully at Vincent, “why are you bonking me?”
“Because this time this isn't a joke but something wrong happening to you!”
“Asmodeus White, I don't want to tell you this again, but yet here we are, so remember, trying costs a lot. Don't ever do something like this again.”
“Okay, Dad…” Asmodeus muttered lowering his head.
*grumble
Asmodeus’s stomach decided to express its opinions.
Both the parents sighed at the sound.
“Sweetie, for now, let's go have dinner. And you also have to go to doctor tomorrow.”
“But he's gonna poke me with needles again.”
“Yes, and that's precisely why I'll be coming along, to ensure you won't run away.”
“Moomm, noo…”
“Cassy, thank you.”
“You're very welcome, Vince.”
“Come on…, I really hate needles.”
“We know.” “We know.”