Chapter 27
Dinner was perhaps the time when the White family was most quiet this week.
Vincent and Cassandra were still processing the reveal.
Asmodeus kept staring at his plate instead of eating.
He even let Lucy steal his food. Lucy went away victorious.
But it felt strange, he usually fought. Lucy was confused and had no idea what happened.
She came back with a mouse toy and plopped it on his lap.
“Oh, Lucy.” Asmodeus laughed, “thanks, kitty.”
Lucy purred as Asmodeus scratched her chin.
William smiled bitterly at the interaction.
“Lucy must have been confused that you didn't fight back, huh?”
“Yeah, Mom.”
“Were you worried, Lucy?” Vincent asked, patting her head.
“Mreew….”
“I have no idea what you just said.”
The dining hall was filled with churkles.
Once Lucy went back, the silence returned to the table.
Asmodeus finished his dinner clutching the mouse toy.
***
After dinner, Asmodeus found himself in his study, getting interrogated by his parents.
They had asked him to explain vampires in detail.
“So, basics about vampires, they need blood or something that can transport oxygen. Velacia apparently has bloodvein plant to give them blood but it doesn't exist on Terris.”
“So, blood you want is of a plant?”
“Not really, Dad. Even if I did get that plant I don't know how to refine it. Cro- grandpa said he didn't know either.”
“Kid, you keep mentioning him, when did you even meet him? He died before you were born.”
“Well… the ring is somehow capable of taking me to a place where I can read books written by him.”
“A place? Are you transported to that location by the ring, Sweetie?”
“I won't say transported or teleported, Mom. Remember when you both saw me in the hospital not moving?”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“When you lied that you were sleeping?”
‘Damn, they knew.’
“Yeah, I was in Crow-space, reading books by him.”
“Is that what it is called?”
“No, Dad. There was no name given to it. So I called it sub-space. Then I found out that I wasn't going there physically, so now I call it Crow-space.”
“You and your naming sense.” Vincent facepalmed.
Asmodeus wisely didn't answer.
“Well, any more questions?”
“Yes, yes, kiddo. Can you show us that place?”
“I don't know.”
“You don't?”
“No, there is no manual. Most of these information I collected them from trial and error.”
Then room fell silent at that.
“Does going there hurt you?”
“Nope.”
“I see.”
‘Why are they so quiet now?’
“When you go there… are you aware of us?”
“Nope. I'm in front of two doors at first. Left is library where I find the books, then right is some empty space. I first thought it was some kind of training ground but I can't even use blood abilities there. So, now I'm not so sure what it is for.”
“You can't use blood there? Why?”
“I don't know, Mom. My theory— and this is just a theory because Crow refuses to write like a normal person— is that Crow-space might be connected to mind and since I'm not there physically, I can't use stuff that my body does.”
‘Wow, I sound smart.’
“That's a wild theory, son.”
“Dad, i guess becoming a vampire is wilder.”
“Right…”
“Sweetie, can I and your Dad, by any way see that place?”
“Maybe, maybe not. Until now I've been the only one who has gone there.
I can try asking the ring to take you guys there too… but I'm not so sure of the result.”
“Then try for now.”
“I recommend day after tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Because the time there is weird. Sometimes it's faster than the outside time, sometimes it's slower. So it's better to go there on Sunday.”
“That place is sounding more and more like a bad news.”
“I can't do anything. That's the only place where anything about vampires is written. And I need to know at least enough about my own species if I want to live as one.”
“That's true…”
The room was once again filled with silence.
‘I'm starting to hate silence.’
“Sweetie, all of that is fine, but now whatever is happening to you, is it related to this vampire thing or are you sick?”
Asmodeus remained silent for several seconds.
“That's what I don't know. It could be medical, it could be just me being a vampy or it could be both.”
“Also,” he continued, “I have no way of knowing about this because none of those books mention whether becoming a vampire is similar to getting PRCA and if I'll actually become pale and all.”
Vincent and Cassandra had nothing more to ask. There would be no more answers, their son's knowledge had ended.
The silence returned, but this time it wasn't waiting for another explanation.
There simply weren't any left.
“Alright, let's take you to the hospital tomorrow, just to be safe.”
“If anything, tests shouldn't harm you. If the treatment seems unnecessary then you can decline it.” Cassandra added, patting Asmodeus’s back.
“What if the hospital would want to investigate?” he looked down at the floor.
“I'll make sure they won't, puffer-fish.” Vincent patted his son's head, “you don't have to undergo something you don't want.”
“Okay…”
“But you are going to the hospital tomorrow.”
“Damn it!”
*churkle
“You're not getting away with it, kid.”
"Also, Mom, Dad, can you both like... um... keep it a secret. I don't want to explain this to anyone else."
"Of course, sweetie." Cassandra patted his head.
"You don't have to worry." Vincent said before opening the door to leave.
***
Asmodeus had changed into some comfortable trousers for the night.
He lay awake on his bed.
‘I still don't know much about vampires. And Crow told that he's from some place called Velacia.’
He rolled to his side.
‘Maybe it's some planet but how did he do a space travel?’
‘Do vampires have oxygen tanks and long distance rockets?’
‘If they live upto thousand years then maybe it's possible.’
‘Wait… if they are from another planet, is their thousand years our thousand years?”
He flipped over onto his other side.
‘Either Crow used magic or he used science. There cannot be a third way.’
‘If it's science, then I have questions. If it's magic, then I have even more questions.’
‘Also, if Crow came in a rocket, would it become national news? History would never let him leave it down.’
‘Magic could be more subtler, so maybe he did use magic?’
‘Damned Crow can travel between worlds but cannot make a manual for the ring and being a vampire.’
‘He didn't even explain the Crow-space. Damned ex-vampy tried to sound mysterious and omitted all the important details. What is this? Are important details locked behind a paywall or something?
‘Where am i even supposed to pay? And in which currency? Credits? Werdwers? Qualvors? Dubillins?’
He turned again to lay on his back.
‘Also, did Crow make the Crow-space or is it some vampire magic thing’
‘And what exactly is nether? And if vampires can become humans like Crow did and humans can become vampires like I did, can't humans also use nether? Why have I never even heard of it's name even in myths?’
‘I have more questions than answers, what is this? A math class?’
‘...’
There was a moment of silence before Asmodeus's brain started thinking again.
‘What if humans and vampires coexisted before? Is that why both have folklores about eachother?’
‘Then why are vampires on a different planet now?’
‘Did they meet at some point or were they coexistant?’
‘Do vampires have a plant same as ours? Is it different? Do they have sunlight there?’
‘Wait, for them to have sunlight they should be a planet in our vincity, maybe a neighbour planet of Terris.’
‘They would be having their own star I guess. Or it could be anything.’
‘Are all vampires pale or the ones humans ever met were pale?’
‘Am I pale because I'm a vampire or because I'm sick?’
Asmodeus continued with more questions, his thoughts stretching from vampire and human relationships to whether being a vampire ment he can't eat garlic now— not that he ever liked it— and even about how Christopher came to Terris.
At some point the thoughts were replaced be sleep and Asmodeus for once was not doing something stupid.