《Träumerei》 Volume 1, Chapter 1: All That Is Lost [PART I] No?l didn¡¯t know what to expect upon stumbling across a cemetery so far off from town. It was a terribly long trek, one with many detours and dead ends. Centuries had passed by in a whirlwind of faded colors and lost memories, and all was lost on him¡ªsave for a journal he inherited from his Aunt Delia. He¡¯d been traveling for so long with no one else but a dead witch and a book filled with faded writing for company. Days blended into months into years. How long has it been since he left home? Certainly, he couldn¡¯t have been any younger than he is now. He was 12 when he¡¯d do his homework in the foyer, listening as his father would play show tunes on their gramophone. They were songs from overseas, but No?l couldn¡¯t quite remember what they were. It was all above his paygrade, but No?l didn¡¯t mind. Mother hadn¡¯t liked it when he would sit right next to door¡¯s entrance. ¡°Someone could open the door and knock him over,¡± she warned him. But it was fine as there was no one else to open that door. Most of their relatives had disappeared. No?l asked what happened to them, but his parents refused to budge. ¡°You¡¯re too young to worry,¡± they said. But he had a lot to worry about. They were all worried about the threats of war looming over their heads. It was raging on for years with no end in sight, but at least they were safe. Nothing bad happened, but they had no visitors¡­not even that kind old lady who lived down the street. But with her gone, he knew their home would never receive visitors ever again. He was also 12 when he met a fellow vampire with a strange attachment to mirrors. And he also remained the same age during the plague, during the witch trials. He was certain he would not age. Could not age, as he was a vampire. Afterall, it is now October 31, 1631. Countless years were lost on him, but if he could find her and end this quest once and for all, why¡ª This entire journey would all have been worth it. Bright blue skies cloaked the cemetery. His eyes stared up at the marble ruins which were eerily perfect despite large amount of leafy vines snaking around them. No?l assumed they were old, but somehow, even time and the elements did not erase the pillars¡¯ etchings. ¡°This must be the place,¡± No?l murmured as he adjusted his cape. Throughout the last century, he retraced Aunt Delia¡¯s steps. The journey took him through many countries in Europe, but he hadn¡¯t been any closer to finding her until now. His crimson eyes trailed once more through the journal. Pages upon pages were dedicated to her travels, but most peculiarly of all, she seemed to have a fascination with birds and fish. But what captured the vampire¡¯s focus was an elaborate sketch of a mansion aptly titled, ¡®Rosewood Manor.¡¯ ¡°I mean, there are many cemeteries filled with roses, but¡­¡± The vampire glanced down and carefully studied a pure white rose. It was pretty, but he had no desire to pick it up as the stem was covered in thorns. ¡°Oh, this trek has been dreadfully dreary,¡± he sighed. If only his witch companion could speak to him, but he couldn¡¯t reach her. With nothing more to do, he trotted over to a stump and collapsed onto it in exasperation. ¡°I¡¯m sure Aunt Delia¡¯s not dead. Neither are mother and father, but it¡¯s been too long¡ªwhat more do I have left to search for?¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Where else could he search when he exhausted all of his options? There were other places in his journal¡­lands beneath the sea. Mermaids, strange golem-like creatures, but they all sounded too fanciful. It would have been wonderful to visit all of those distant lands, but he is quite certain his Aunt merely had an active imagination. He lived for over a century, so he¡¯d imagine that if they existed, he would have already met them. No?l thought back to those people he once knew long ago. Lila the witch, back when she had been someone more real. That older vampire who was obsessed with seeing his own face in a mirror. A fellow traveler who No?l is still certain must have been a werewolf. And¡­Henrietta and Adelaide, two girls who were like family to him when he couldn¡¯t find his own. But he tried to forget about all of them. He¡¯d never see those kind faces ever again, but it was alright. As long as there was that hope Aunt Delia was out here, it would be enough. He lightly tapped his shoe against the ground as his fingers dug into the mossy stump. Upon noticing a butterfly he leaned forward, obviously entranced. Its white wings were delicate and nearly translucent. ¡°How odd,¡± the vampire noted. It was the only living creature he had seen in this cemetery. Of course, he didn¡¯t count as he already died ages ago. His thoughts drifted even further, away from this land, away from this time. A memory entered his mind; a faint glimpse of that life he once lived. Summer break just started and all was well. Another record was playing in their kitchen. His memories were hazy, but No?l found himself humming along to a song he hadn¡¯t head in centuries. Slowly, the vampire closed his eyes as memories washed over him, but the rustle of fabric and the crackle of leaves interrupted his song. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± an unfamiliar voice called out. There was a woman staring down at him. She wasn¡¯t big; probably couldn¡¯t be more than five feet tall, but she was still a great deal taller than him. Auburn hair, a red dress and veil, and glasses that glinted gold in the sun. No?l knew he never met her before, but she looked familiar. Her facial features were similar to someone he knew long ago, but it was her eyes that truly captured his attention. Crimson red, the color of sunset, of blood¡­it was a color he knew to well. No?l barely knew what he looked like, but he was always met with cries of horror. ¡°Demon child,¡± was what many had taken to calling him upon seeing his so-called blood-red eyes. ¡°Cursed boy¡± was also another name, one of which he wasn¡¯t all too fond of. He never met her before, but he is certain. This woman must be Aunt Delia. She has to be, because if not, then¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve spent a century looking for you,¡± No?l said, smiling up at her. ¡°But finally, I¡¯ve found you at last.¡± It really has been too long. He left Procession¡¯s Way in the 1500s. He had been wandering for eons. The auburn-haired woman looked stunned. Her hand reached for the ruby brooch in her hair, only for her crimson eyes to fall upon his journal. Perhaps he was imagining it, but he¡¯d say Aunt Delia seemed almost fearful. ¡°Are you a devil sent to collect my soul?¡± she asked in a monotone. Aunt Delia stared down at him, her face completely devoid of any emotions. ¡°The Fall Equinox is upon us.¡± No?l shook his head, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not the devil. Why, I¡¯m your nephew.¡± He was bewildered. Why on earth did Aunt Delia think he was the devil? He would have understood her fear had it not been for the fact that she possessed red eyes as well. ¡°I¡¯m positive you have nothing to fret over. I¡¯m your nephew, No?l Rousseau. You must believe me,¡± he earnestly pleaded. ¡°Do you believe I could be saved?¡± Aunt Delia questioned out-loud. The white-haired vampire tilted his head, confusion plastered on his features. ¡°Whatever could you mean? I know we¡¯ve just met, but you¡¯re a good person. Anyone bad wouldn¡¯t have made this journal,¡± No?l exclaimed as he pointed towards a sketch of a giant owl in a cape. ¡°You¡¯re like a real life Robin Hood¡ªI want to be like you when¡­¡± he falters. ¡°If I ever grow up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no Robin Hood,¡± Aunt Delia sighed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to be me. I¡¯ve made far too many mistakes; far more than you could ever fathom.¡± She merely looked at him with distrust that day. He took to visiting that lonely old cemetery every day for months on end. Aunt Delia didn¡¯t talk much back then, but he was quite sure that little by little, he was regaining that which he had lost. He finally found his family, or what little remained of it. Their life wasn¡¯t ideal, but it was enough. He¡¯d find mother and father one day, but at least Aunt Delia was still here. Still alive. Still breathing¡­until she wasn¡¯t. When was the last time he had seen her? It couldn¡¯t have been that long ago, right? She always left on trips; why would this be any different? Aunt Delia said she¡¯d return, but it¡¯s been decades¡­¡­ What were those parting words that she said? ¡°Why, you are the worst of us all, for you killed¡ª¡± Volume 1, Chapter 1: All That Is Lost [PART 2] Groggily rubbing his fists against his eyes in a sleep induced haze, the traveler felt himself to be in a sour mood. It was as if he had been given knowledge of something dreadful. A memory of something painful. He remembered that lonely old cemetery in-which he had finally met Aunt Delia. It was a different time. He used to be so happy; they were both happy, but now¡­she was gone. Hadn¡¯t she told him something back then? He is certain it must have been important. But more than words, what else was there? No?l knew he was still missing something crucial He could feel it in his bones. ¡°Another start to a beautiful day¡±, No?l dryly murmured as he looked out of a blackened window. ¡°I do not know why, but I just know today will be positively dreadful.¡± Upon fixing a bright red bow onto his hair, he then placed his coat over a white dress shirt with golden buttons and black suspenders somewhat befitting of the calm, autumn weather. While ill-fitting as it completely engulfed his arms, he did not care. The red coat may be horrendously mismatched and haphazardly stitched, but it felt like home. Stepping over the dusty remnants of papers, candy wrappers, and cobwebs leading up to the entrance of his bedroom, he hesitantly stood by his door. ¡°Let¡¯s see, I know Aunt Delia would want me to first check up on her dolls before I get started with today¡¯s chores. Who knows what those gremlins will do if I don¡¯t let them outside to run amok?¡± the crimson-eyed vampire exasperatedly sighed. ¡°I hope she¡¯ll appreciate what I¡¯m doing for her. I truly love those dolls, but they can be a real handful.¡± Resigning himself to a stressful day, No?l slowly reached towards the doorknob only to discover the barrier could easily open. No?l noted just how barren and lifeless the hallway was as he silently passed by portrait frames. ¡°Oh, I suppose Aunt Delia must have remembered to unlock my door today! And here I thought I would have to break it down again.¡± Silently humming, a smile slowly graced his placid features. Though, it¡¯s a shame the smile did not quite match up with the dead look in his eyes. ¡°Auntie is so wise and responsible; she must not want to waste anymore money on reconstructing the house. Afterall, three times is more than enough.¡± There, at the very end of the hallway, was a sallow wax candle atop a small, decrepit table. Lying tranquilly next to the candlestick was a vase filled with bright, crisp white roses. ¡°How pretty,¡± No?l calmly observed. While nearly spent, the candle stick would still last long enough for him to reach his Aunt¡¯s beloved dolls. Wax dripped from the candle holder and onto the floor. ¡°Probably will need to clean that up later, but I still need to check up on Auntie¡¯s dolls. It¡¯s what she would want,¡± No?l asserted to himself as he swerved right and found himself at his destination. No?l¡¯s frown deepened as he drank in the sight of the eerily silent room. Dark splotches could be seen as far as the eye could see. And for some peculiar reason, they had even made it as far as the ceiling. Glass marbles were scattered all across the floor, but upon kicking one of the ¡®marbles¡¯, he was surprised to discover it shatter¡ªthe shiny sphere making an odd ¡®squelching¡¯ sound as it broke apart. Though, what truly grabbed his attention were mounds upon mounds of hair¡ªall of various shades and textures, and a threadbare sack filled with a strange leathery material ¡­¡­ Its name was at the tip of his tongue, but he just could not remember. Oh, but it looked so familiar¡­ Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. So familiar, and yet¡­so foreign. If only he could remember, then¡ª ¡°It¡¯s been ages, but has Aunt Delia¡¯s study always been this dirty?¡± he wondered as he walked towards a gangly wardrobe. Pressing an ear on it, he swore he heard faint whispers. ¡°Ah, they must be awake.¡± As he opened the wardrobe, he was greeted to the sight of a small collection of adorable, button eyed dolls. Covered from head to toe in dark, crimson thread, the dolls looked as if they could fall apart at the faintest touch. Atop their heads resided string of varied hues and textures. ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re made of the same material as those bags of leather,¡± No?l mused as he carefully inspected their rough, dry, leathery skin. ¡°Though, I wonder what kind of material Aunt Delia uses. They seem to have turned gray¡­¡± Thin, pale arms reaching towards no particular doll, No?l immediately turned around upon hearing a loud, metallic clang from beyond the confines of his home. ¡°What was that?¡± he questioned as he hastily marched out of the study and into the wide, open space of Aunt Delia¡¯s rose garden. Listlessly tilting his head towards the sky, he could see nothing more than trees. ¡°Hm, I do wonder what that sound could have been¡­maybe I just imagined it.¡± Nodding in affirmation, No?l nonchalantly took a step back into his home, until¡­ A single, weak shriek pierced the silence. ¡°What was that?¡± No?l indifferently wondered. Retreating away from his home, he followed the faint shrieks and whimpers of an unidentifiable creature until he came across a lone magpie surrounded by glass shards. ¡°How awful,¡± No?l whispered as he stared at the bloodied magpie. Weakly twitching and surrounded in a pool of its own blood, the poor bird could only utter a single wretched shriek. A sharp jagged bone jutted out of its damp feathers. Painfully moving its head, the bird opened its glazed eyes and stared up at No?l almost pleadingly. Dull, crimson orbs met the glassy, brownish-red eyes of a magpie on its deathbed. ¡°The poor dear, he must be in terrible pain,¡± No?l blandly remarked as he stared down at the pitiful creature. ¡°Those eyes, though¡­how awful.¡± Glancing once more at the injured magpie, No?l carefully picked it up. Though, the action did nothing more than to jostle the bird¡¯s already broken wing. As he did, more blood squelched out and contributed to the ever growing pool of blood sluggishly soaking into the dirt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Magpie. This will all be over for you soon.¡± Smile never quite reaching his eyes, No?l uttered a small prayer before...... Snapping the magpie¡¯s neck. A sickening crack permeated the silence as the bloodied magpie drew its last breath. ¡°There, now you¡¯re all better,¡± No?l soothingly muttered to the small bird clutched in his hands. It felt off. Broken like a rag doll, but even before that¡ªthe magpie had something peculiar marks, right? Or maybe No?l was imagining it all. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry; I¡¯ll find a perfect grave for you!¡± the vampire proclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m sure my Aunt would be delighted if you were to rest in her garden.¡± Aunt Delia really had been fond of birds back then¡­wasn¡¯t there a raven that used to trail after her? Though, he never did see those two in the same place at once. What even happened to that little raven? The vampire¡¯s gaze flickered towards the bird in his hands. He was about the same size, but this magpie could not have looked anymore different from that that crimson-eyed raven. With a slight spring in his step unbefitting of the grim and abrupt end caused to the little magpie by his hands, No?l marched over to a small patch of hydrangeas. Slowly depositing the bloodied bird to the ground, he quickly dusted his hands of any residual gore and dirt before scanning the perimeter of the garden. Humming in approval, No?l quietly reached for an old weathered shovel lying by the iron-wrought fence protecting his home from the outside world. Marching back to the magpie, ruby-red eyes gave the bird one last incomprehensible look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just the luckiest magpie?¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get a grave as nice as yours one day¡­¡± No?l apathetically pondered as he buried the magpie underneath piles of soft earth and clay. ¡°I, too, know how terrible it is to be seen as bad luck,¡± he recounted. Those years spent as an exorcist prior to Procession¡¯s Way had been rough. He donned a bird mask as he traveled from one cursed town to the next¡ªoffering to rid people of their ghosts only to be treated as a curse himself. Looking once more into the horizon and away from the macabre sight of crimson-tinged dirt, innumerable memories flashed to the forefront of his mind. ¡°But, unlike you, Mister Magpie, everything said about me is well-deserved¡­¡± ¡°If only I were not around¡­then no one else would have to suffer,¡± No?l stated to no one in-particular. ¡°It¡¯s what would make me the happiest.¡± Sighing, No?l¡¯s attention snapped back towards the patch of land in-which the magpie¡¯s bones would rest forevermore. ¡°You could even call it my greatest dream.¡± ¡°Is it really? Be careful of what you wish for; you never know who or what will hear it.¡± Utterly bewildered for perhaps the third time that morning, No?l glanced up towards the black iron fence surrounding the vicinity of his home. The sight of short strands of vivid orange hair caught his attention. There, perched daintily upon the fence was the most peculiar sight of a rosy eyed girl. Garbed in a white dress adorned with a plethora of blue ruffles, the cheery girl waved at him. It would have been adorable, what with an oversized, frilly sleeve covering her hand, was it not for the mischievous grin she shot at the crimson-eyed boy. No, perhaps not mischievous. The grin set on her otherwise pleasant features could only be described as sadistic. ¡°Sorry Miss, was this magpie yours?¡± No?l questioned. While slightly disconcerted by the strange, strange girl, his Aunt still taught him the value of manners. He would not act like a complete ruffian even if this odd girl had trespassed into his home, thank you very much! Shooting No?l a dark look, the girl could only shake her head. ¡°No, he¡¯s not mine. You can¡¯t own Mister Magpie, silly! He¡¯s not a pet.¡± Volume 1, Chapter 1: All That Is Lost [PART 2] Groggily rubbing his fists against his eyes in a sleep induced haze, the traveler felt himself to be in a sour mood. It was as if he had been given knowledge of something dreadful. A memory of something painful. He remembered that lonely old cemetery in-which he had finally met Aunt Delia. It was a different time. He used to be so happy; they were both happy, but now¡­she was gone. Hadn¡¯t she told him something back then? He is certain it must have been important. But more than words, what else was there? No?l knew he was still missing something crucial He could feel it in his bones. ¡°Another start to a beautiful day¡±, No?l dryly murmured as he looked out of a blackened window. ¡°I do not know why, but I just know today will be positively dreadful.¡± Upon fixing a bright red bow onto his hair, he then placed his coat over a white dress shirt with golden buttons and black suspenders somewhat befitting of the calm, autumn weather. While ill-fitting as it completely engulfed his arms, he did not care. The red coat may be horrendously mismatched and haphazardly stitched, but it felt like home. Stepping over the dusty remnants of papers, candy wrappers, and cobwebs leading up to the entrance of his bedroom, he hesitantly stood by his door. ¡°Let¡¯s see, I know Aunt Delia would want me to first check up on her dolls before I get started with today¡¯s chores. Who knows what those gremlins will do if I don¡¯t let them outside to run amok?¡± the crimson-eyed vampire exasperatedly sighed. ¡°I hope she¡¯ll appreciate what I¡¯m doing for her. I truly love those dolls, but they can be a real handful.¡± Resigning himself to a stressful day, No?l slowly reached towards the doorknob only to discover the barrier could easily open. No?l noted just how barren and lifeless the hallway was as he silently passed by portrait frames. ¡°Oh, I suppose Aunt Delia must have remembered to unlock my door today! And here I thought I would have to break it down again.¡± Silently humming, a smile slowly graced his placid features. Though, it¡¯s a shame the smile did not quite match up with the dead look in his eyes. ¡°Auntie is so wise and responsible; she must not want to waste anymore money on reconstructing the house. Afterall, three times is more than enough.¡± There, at the very end of the hallway, was a sallow wax candle atop a small, decrepit table. Lying tranquilly next to the candlestick was a vase filled with bright, crisp white roses. ¡°How pretty,¡± No?l calmly observed. While nearly spent, the candle stick would still last long enough for him to reach his Aunt¡¯s beloved dolls. Wax dripped from the candle holder and onto the floor. ¡°Probably will need to clean that up later, but I still need to check up on Auntie¡¯s dolls. It¡¯s what she would want,¡± No?l asserted to himself as he swerved right and found himself at his destination. No?l¡¯s frown deepened as he drank in the sight of the eerily silent room. Dark splotches could be seen as far as the eye could see. And for some peculiar reason, they had even made it as far as the ceiling. Glass marbles were scattered all across the floor, but upon kicking one of the ¡®marbles¡¯, he was surprised to discover it shatter¡ªthe shiny sphere making an odd ¡®squelching¡¯ sound as it broke apart. Though, what truly grabbed his attention were mounds upon mounds of hair¡ªall of various shades and textures, and a threadbare sack filled with a strange leathery material ¡­¡­ Its name was at the tip of his tongue, but he just could not remember. Oh, but it looked so familiar¡­ If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. So familiar, and yet¡­so foreign. If only he could remember, then¡ª ¡°It¡¯s been ages, but has Aunt Delia¡¯s study always been this dirty?¡± he wondered as he walked towards a gangly wardrobe. Pressing an ear on it, he swore he heard faint whispers. ¡°Ah, they must be awake.¡± As he opened the wardrobe, he was greeted to the sight of a small collection of adorable, button eyed dolls. Covered from head to toe in dark, crimson thread, the dolls looked as if they could fall apart at the faintest touch. Atop their heads resided string of varied hues and textures. ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re made of the same material as those bags of leather,¡± No?l mused as he carefully inspected their rough, dry, leathery skin. ¡°Though, I wonder what kind of material Aunt Delia uses. They seem to have turned gray¡­¡± Thin, pale arms reaching towards no particular doll, No?l immediately turned around upon hearing a loud, metallic clang from beyond the confines of his home. ¡°What was that?¡± he questioned as he hastily marched out of the study and into the wide, open space of Aunt Delia¡¯s rose garden. Listlessly tilting his head towards the sky, he could see nothing more than trees. ¡°Hm, I do wonder what that sound could have been¡­maybe I just imagined it.¡± Nodding in affirmation, No?l nonchalantly took a step back into his home, until¡­ A single, weak shriek pierced the silence. ¡°What was that?¡± No?l indifferently wondered. Retreating away from his home, he followed the faint shrieks and whimpers of an unidentifiable creature until he came across a lone magpie surrounded by glass shards. ¡°How awful,¡± No?l whispered as he stared at the bloodied magpie. Weakly twitching and surrounded in a pool of its own blood, the poor bird could only utter a single wretched shriek. A sharp jagged bone jutted out of its damp feathers. Painfully moving its head, the bird opened its glazed eyes and stared up at No?l almost pleadingly. Dull, crimson orbs met the glassy, brownish-red eyes of a magpie on its deathbed. ¡°The poor dear, he must be in terrible pain,¡± No?l blandly remarked as he stared down at the pitiful creature. ¡°Those eyes, though¡­how awful.¡± Glancing once more at the injured magpie, No?l carefully picked it up. Though, the action did nothing more than to jostle the bird¡¯s already broken wing. As he did, more blood squelched out and contributed to the ever growing pool of blood sluggishly soaking into the dirt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Magpie. This will all be over for you soon.¡± Smile never quite reaching his eyes, No?l uttered a small prayer before...... Snapping the magpie¡¯s neck. A sickening crack permeated the silence as the bloodied magpie drew its last breath. ¡°There, now you¡¯re all better,¡± No?l soothingly muttered to the small bird clutched in his hands. It felt off. Broken like a rag doll, but even before that¡ªthe magpie had something peculiar marks, right? Or maybe No?l was imagining it all. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry; I¡¯ll find a perfect grave for you!¡± the vampire proclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m sure my Aunt would be delighted if you were to rest in her garden.¡± Aunt Delia really had been fond of birds back then¡­wasn¡¯t there a raven that used to trail after her? Though, he never did see those two in the same place at once. What even happened to that little raven? The vampire¡¯s gaze flickered towards the bird in his hands. He was about the same size, but this magpie could not have looked anymore different from that that crimson-eyed raven. With a slight spring in his step unbefitting of the grim and abrupt end caused to the little magpie by his hands, No?l marched over to a small patch of hydrangeas. Slowly depositing the bloodied bird to the ground, he quickly dusted his hands of any residual gore and dirt before scanning the perimeter of the garden. Humming in approval, No?l quietly reached for an old weathered shovel lying by the iron-wrought fence protecting his home from the outside world. Marching back to the magpie, ruby-red eyes gave the bird one last incomprehensible look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just the luckiest magpie?¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get a grave as nice as yours one day¡­¡± No?l apathetically pondered as he buried the magpie underneath piles of soft earth and clay. ¡°I, too, know how terrible it is to be seen as bad luck,¡± he recounted. Those years spent as an exorcist prior to Procession¡¯s Way had been rough. He donned a bird mask as he traveled from one cursed town to the next¡ªoffering to rid people of their ghosts only to be treated as a curse himself. Looking once more into the horizon and away from the macabre sight of crimson-tinged dirt, innumerable memories flashed to the forefront of his mind. ¡°But, unlike you, Mister Magpie, everything said about me is well-deserved¡­¡± ¡°If only I were not around¡­then no one else would have to suffer,¡± No?l stated to no one in-particular. ¡°It¡¯s what would make me the happiest.¡± Sighing, No?l¡¯s attention snapped back towards the patch of land in-which the magpie¡¯s bones would rest forevermore. ¡°You could even call it my greatest dream.¡± ¡°Is it really? Be careful of what you wish for; you never know who or what will hear it.¡± Utterly bewildered for perhaps the third time that morning, No?l glanced up towards the black iron fence surrounding the vicinity of his home. The sight of short strands of vivid orange hair caught his attention. There, perched daintily upon the fence was the most peculiar sight of a rosy eyed girl. Garbed in a white dress adorned with a plethora of blue ruffles, the cheery girl waved at him. It would have been adorable, what with an oversized, frilly sleeve covering her hand, was it not for the mischievous grin she shot at the crimson-eyed boy. No, perhaps not mischievous. The grin set on her otherwise pleasant features could only be described as sadistic. ¡°Sorry Miss, was this magpie yours?¡± No?l questioned. While slightly disconcerted by the strange, strange girl, his Aunt still taught him the value of manners. He would not act like a complete ruffian even if this odd girl had trespassed into his home, thank you very much! Shooting No?l a dark look, the girl could only shake her head. ¡°No, he¡¯s not mine. You can¡¯t own Mister Magpie, silly! He¡¯s not a pet.¡± Volume 1, Chapter 1: All That Is Lost [PART 3] ¡°I apologize for my rudeness, Miss.¡± Fidgeting with the hem of his coat, No?l continued to analyze the peculiar girl. He would have almost likened her to one of the fae folk had it not been for her¡­eccentricities. Exactly what is she doing here¡­? And how did she find my home? ¡°Why, that¡¯s simple! I merely followed the scent of blood,¡± the girl casually stated as she immediately jumped down from the fence. Gracefully landing onto the ground, the rosy-eyed stranger immediately walked up to No?l. She was so quick that he could only see a blur of orange, blue, and white before he found her staring intently at him. Inches away from his face. ¡°Personal space goes a long way, Miss.¡± No?l grumpily voiced as he slowly stepped away from the excitable girl. ¡°It¡¯s about time you practiced it.¡± ¡°Who cares about that!!? Did you even give Mister Magpie a proper greeting?¡± The girl exclaimed as she hastily grabbed No?l¡¯s hands. With stars in her eyes, she brightly recited in a rehearsed tone, ¡°Good Morning Mister Magpie, I hope your family is doing well.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so simple! You may be pretty, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t greet Mister Magpie,¡± the girl factually stated as she curiously stared at her bird¡¯s grave. Her rosy eyes seemed to glow, but it could have been a mere trick of the light. ¡°Thank you¡­I think?¡± No?l hesitantly responded as he wondered on what he could do next. Would it be impolite if I threw her over the fence? ¡°Hey!! You can¡¯t throw a beautiful, stunning, intelligent girl such as myself over a fence you meanie!¡± the girl shouted as she hopped up and down, stepping on No?l¡¯s boots in the process. ¡°First you don¡¯t greet Mister Magpie, then you kill him, and now this!!?¡± ¡°Please accept my apologies again, Miss,¡± No?l rapidly stated, dull expression never quite wavering. ¡°Mister Magpie was suffering. Perhaps I should have chosen a less painful method, but¡­¡± ¡°No, not that! Mister Magpie dies every other week, anyway,¡± the girl shouted. Reaching out towards No?l, she began shaking him as she barraged the vampire with garbled words. Throughout the incoherent statements he could attain from the increasingly anxious girl, only one thought flittered through his mind. How annoying. ¡°Listen to me; I¡¯m a complete delight! How dare you call me annoying!¡± She angrily fumed, oversized sleeves now crossed. Shaking his head, the ruby-eyed boy could only meekly ask in disbelief, ¡°Can you read my mind?¡± ¡°No. I can travel into dreams, but that¡¯s not important right now,¡± the girl plainly retorted. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°That¡­sounds rather important to me.¡± ¡°Yes, well, not everything is about you.¡± Huffing impatiently, the odd girl merely shot him a look of irritation. ¡°But, minus Mister Magpie, there doesn¡¯t appear to be any flesh here¡­¡± Slowly backing away from the strange girl, No?l could only ask the first thought that came to his mind. ¡°What could you possibly want with flesh?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, dummy? I need to eat too!¡± the girl blandly stated, as if this were the most logical conclusion in the world. ¡°Too bad there¡¯s no one here except Mister Magpie and you.¡± ¡°Magpies do not actually taste like pie, and you don¡¯t seem wicked enough to eat¡­¡± she nonchalantly remarked. ¡°You¡¯re really rude, but beyond that¡­there¡¯s not much going for you.¡± Eyes widening in realization, No?l assessed the strange girl once more. ¡°¡­Oh, now I understand.¡± Lazily raising his arm towards the girl, he pointed and calmly regarded her. ¡°You¡¯re a cannibal.¡± ¡°Why you¡ª¡± ¡°I apologize, Miss. As much as I would love for nothing more than the sweet release of death, I do not wish for my face to be ripped off.¡± His original plan of tossing this strange girl over the garden¡¯s fence was starting to look a lot more desirable¡­ ¡°I wouldn¡¯t eat my own kind, you ninny! And even if I wanted to, it¡¯s taboo to consume other demons,¡± the girl testily hissed. Stealthily inching himself towards the discarded shovel by the small patch of earth, No?l merely responded, ¡°Ah, I understand. You¡¯re a cannibal and just plain crazy. Though, those two terms are interchangeable.¡± ¡°Quit it!! I¡¯m neither crazy nor a cannibal,¡± the girl whined. Paying no heed to the gore encrusted earth, the taller of the two collapsed onto the ground. ¡°This is hopeless! You¡¯re so terribly dull, I don¡¯t wanna be here anymore!¡± Tilting his head back towards the forest in a thin disguise of irritation, No?l calmly drawled a solution to the increasingly distraught girl. ¡°Then leave.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave until you wake up,¡± the off-putting girl stated, as if this were the most logical conclusion in the world. Quizzically, No?l responded to the girl¡¯s bizarre statement. ¡°I¡­am awake, Miss.¡± ¡°Why¡¯re you so hopeless!!? You¡¯re really not that good a friend.¡± ¡°What makes you think we¡¯re friends?¡± ¡°Augh! If it wasn¡¯t for Wyvn, I¡¯d take your lousy soul and stuff it into a box!¡± The girl exclaimed, before plopping facedown onto the ground. ¡°But then again, who would want your worthless soul¡­no offense.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± No?l responded in a lighthearted tone as he decided to sit down next to the girl. Company is company, even if she seemed a tad bit unhinged. ¡°With all this talk of flesh, birds, and demons, I never did catch your name.¡± Smiling sweetly, the girl turned her attention back towards No?l. ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯m Annabelle Vamir!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Annabelle. I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, I know who you are! No?l Rousseau, right?¡± Annabelle hummed as she mindlessly plucked at a few strands of grass. ¡°A vampire¡­with a really bad imagination. This world you created is so boring! There aren¡¯t even any bunnies!¡± Casually, and somewhat worriedly, the ruby-eyed boy regarded the strange girl with disdain. ¡°What do you mean, Miss?¡± Huffing in annoyance, Annabelle slightly rolled away from No?l as the previously discarded shovel grabbed her attention. ¡°Hey, can I have this?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Killjoy,¡± Annabelle muttered, slightly cursing under her breath. Shaking his head, No?l nonchalantly walked over to the shovel. ¡°What could you possibly want with a brittle old shovel?¡± Brushing off dust that accumulated on his personnel, the vampire got up as if to impose a challenge upon the eccentric girl. Glancing up at the dark horizon, the boy paid no heed to her. How he wished time could be stopped at that moment. If only it were possible for time to be frozen, and he, a spectator, to drown within the grandiose scenery with only an illusion for company. But instead, he was trapped in this endless nightmare with her¡­¡­ Volume 1, Chapter 1: All That Is Lost [PART 4] Dead eyes never wavering from Annabelle, No?l picked up the shovel¡­and threw it over the fence. ¡°Ya¡¯ do know that I can just run out there and get it?¡± The girl quipped as she stared at the forested world beyond the confines of No?l¡¯s home. ¡°Yes. Think of it as your incentive to leave.¡± ¡°Rude!!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m a demon and this is your dream! I was supposed to claim someone¡¯s soul, but¡­¡­all I found was you,¡± the girl meekly mumbled, rosy eyes now downcast. Eyes narrowing in suspicion, No?l could only retort in a completely deadpan tone belying the peculiar declaration of this strange girl. ¡°I apologize for being such a disappointment.¡± ¡°You¡­you should be!! Brother¡¯s not gonna let me hear the end of this!¡± Annabelle exclaimed in a comical display of horror. ¡°Is your brother strict?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s even worse. Brother is going to say, ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Annabelle. I¡¯m sure things will turn out better next time!¡¯ Just thinking of those words makes me sick,¡± the unhinged girl wailed as she stared daggers at No?l. ¡°Just because I¡¯m not perfect like him doesn¡¯t mean he can talk down on me!¡± ¡°Wow¡­your life must be so difficult,¡± No?l responded, gazing up at the autumn leaves slowly making their descent towards the ground. Upon catching a stray maple leaf, it immediately deteriorated in his hands. ¡°I would absolutely hate to be you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand, friend! This is why I keep you around,¡± Annabelle beamed, arms moving animatedly and nearly smacking a loose pile of crimson leaves in the process. ¡°Once again, I am not your friend.¡± ¡°Ahaha, you¡¯re so funny!¡± the baffling girl responded, grin never quite leaving her face. ¡°While I¡¯d hate to cut things so soon, it¡¯s about time for you to wake up.¡± ¡°I do not wish to be rude, Miss, but I am wide awake,¡± No?l drawled in absolute disdain and contempt. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re done, I really need to finish my morning chores.¡± ¡°Boooooooooooring!¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you find chores boring, Miss.¡± Shooting the strange girl one last look, No?l nonchalantly made his way back to his front doorstep. ¡°You are free to leave¡­I implore you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that at all! I¡¯ve been trying to tell you; I can¡¯t leave until you wake up!!¡± Annabelle screeched, small pile of leaves now knocked aside. ¡°Oops¡­I¡¯ll clean that up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Miss.¡± Sighing, No?l mentally added that to an ever-growing list of chores. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­is that all you ever do?¡± Annabelle questioned, sidling up to the front steps of No?l¡¯s home. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s so dull here! Everything¡¯s covered in dust, there¡¯s no one for miles, and don¡¯t you feel lonely?¡± No?l was at a loss. Gazing down at a collection of cobwebs plastered upon the stone and mortar bricks of the cottage, he realized there was nothing more he could say. Is he lonely? Happy? What has he been doing these last few¡­.few what? How long has it been since he¡¯d last seen his Aunt? Days¡­weeks¡­months? Could it have been years since he¡¯d last seen the gentle, smiling face of his kindly Aunt Delia? Turning away from Annabelle, No?l gazed up at the solemn exterior of what could only be described as the only home he could remember in recent memory. Delving any further into ancient memories would only produce heartbreak. ¡°I am safe. Is that not enough?¡± ¡°You may be safe, but are you alive? ¡°Alive¡­¡­? I¡­am a vampire, Miss. I died a long time ago.¡± No?l did not know what he should do. Thinking any further¡­oh dear. Livid screams emanating from a concealed crypt...and a phantom pain shooting through his chest. What was that? ¡°Silly goose! If you¡¯re dead, how can we be talking?¡± Annabelle hummed, spinning around as gentle orange and crimson leaves continued to cascade down from the sky. ¡°Miss, I am afraid you are mistaken. I am dead. Why, I possess no pulse!¡± No?l responded, frown deepening. ¡°How could you possibly believe I¡¯m still alive?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t over think this. You¡¯re alive, but dead¡­almost like a doll.¡± Sadistically, Annabelle grinned as she turned her rosy eyes back towards No?l. Within the dark haze of the orange woods, they almost appeared to be glowing. ¡°You really are pretty, like a corpse set out for burial.¡± ¡°But¡­what if I don¡¯t want to be?¡± ¡°Blame your parents for that!¡± the perpetually cheerful girl exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯d love to have eyes as red as yours!¡± Hands grappling at the hem of his coat, No?l looked everywhere just to avoid making eye contact with the odd, bewildering girl. ¡°No, I mean¡­what if I don¡¯t want to be alive?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy! If you want to die, all you have to do is wake up!¡± Annabelle beamed in an impetuous tone befitting her increasingly erratic declarations. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll have to wake up so that I can leave, anyway. Those are the rules!¡± ¡°I keep telling you, I am awake.¡± ¡°Then¡­why is it that you cannot die?¡± Annabelle responded cheerily. ¡°You¡¯ll always be safe here. If you want a shot at dying, you¡¯ll have to leave!¡± Softly, No?l briefly contemplated Annabelle¡¯s words before truly considering her proclamations. ¡°Let me just ask¡­if what you¡¯re saying is true, what will happen when I wake up?¡± ¡°Simple as pie. You wake up, and I get to go home!¡± ¡°That¡­is not the issue, I¡¯m afraid. As I have already died once, a second death will forever elude me.¡± ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d just throw myself into a bonfire!¡± Annabelle responded, eyes lighting up as if they too were filled with fire. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a Viking funeral. If you want, I can toss you into one!¡± ¡°No thank you. Death is all that I desire, but I want a quick, easy, and painless demise,¡± No?l exclaimed, slight panic etched upon his face. ¡°As I said, death truly is all that I desire, but there must be a better way.¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t know how to help you. Most vampires wouldn¡¯t mind being set on fire,¡± Annabelle mumbled. ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯m not like most vampires¡­¡± ¡°What sorta death are you looking for? From what I¡¯ve heard, vampires can¡¯t die from drowning, stabbing, getting limbs chopped off...really, you¡¯re practically immortal!¡± Annabelle cheerfully remarked, as if jealous of No?l¡¯s near impossible ability to attain death. ¡°As far as I know, only fire can kill ya¡¯!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but¡­I should not exist.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! If you were bad enough, I¡¯d have to set you on fire,¡± Annabelle happily stated in a half-hearted attempt at comfort. ¡°You¡¯re pretty okay in my book.¡± ¡°If that is the case, you are mistaken. Monsters¡­aren¡¯t meant to exist, but why am I still here?¡± Dead, dead eyes gazing blankly at the girl¡¯s terribly bright expression, No?l¡¯s frown only deepened. ¡°I want¡­to die.¡± Volume 1, Chapter 1: All That Is Lost [PART 5] ¡°I desire nothing more than death, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Nothing I tried has worked.¡± ¡°Aww, well, there¡¯s no harm in one more attempt! I hope you fulfill your dreams soon.¡± Annabelle chirped, smile still unwavering from her face. ¡°If you want, I can kill you myself, but only if you wake up.¡± ¡°I would prefer to not be charred to a crisp,¡± No?l darkly muttered as he sent a glare towards Annabelle. Oblivious to No?l¡¯s complete disdain, Annabelle cheerfully questioned, ¡°Then¡­what do you want?¡± ¡°I¡­am a monster, like from all those fairytales I¡¯ve read. I may not be a dragon or sorcerer, but¡­I should not exist.¡± ¡°I am a monster, so it is only fitting a hero kills me.¡± ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll be able to die if a knight kills me, like in those books I adored as a child¡­¡± ¡°Great, then I¡¯ll be the one to kill you when you wake up!¡± Annabelle beamed as she latched onto No?l¡¯s sleeve and dragged him away from the front door. ¡°Problem solved!¡± ¡°Please accept my apologies Miss, but I do not believe you will be able to kill me.¡± Carefully brushing off the iron-grip Annabelle had around his arm, No?l steadily walked back towards the front entrance of his home. ¡°Only a hero can kill me, and you seem neither valiant nor courageous¡­¡± Gesticulating wildly, Annabelle ran over to No?l. ¡°Hey!! I¡¯m amazing, brave, smart, pretty, courageous¡ª¡± ¡°And you said that you eat people,¡± No?l deadpanned. Slowly burying her face in her hands, Annabelle sighed. ¡°Eh, only those who deserve it¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­well, that still doesn¡¯t explain why you¡¯re here. If you want corpses, there are none to be found in my home.¡± Attention already wavering, No?l instead inspected a thin series of cracks protruding from a window¡­his reflection still nonexistent as ever. ¡°Unless¡­Mister Magpie counts?¡± ¡°Mister Magpie will be fine by tomorrow morning,¡± Annabelle muttered as her eyes turned towards the tomb the bird was subjected to. ¡°He dies all the time; think of it like his special talent or something.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what you mean by that, Miss.¡± No?l silently responded in slight disbelief. Guffawing, Annabelle laughed off No?l¡¯s inquiry with a wave of her sleeves. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I would like an explanation if possible. But, if Mister Magpie is not the reason, why else would you be here?¡± Glancing quizzically at the taller girl, No?l was at a loss for what was perhaps the hundredth time that day. Deflating a little, Annabelle exclaimed, ¡°I don¡¯t know!!! That¡¯s why I¡¯m so confused!¡± ¡°Hm, well, if what you¡¯re saying is true, how do I wake up?¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Searching his face for any answers, Annabelle could do nothing more but furrow her brows in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe we¡¯ll work something out if I follow you around?¡± ¡°May I decline?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Annabelle joyfully replied. ¡°You¡¯re stuck with me until you wake up.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± Reaching towards the plain door adorned with bright autumn leaves, No?l was irritated to be confronted with the cacophony of squeaky door hinges once again. Stepping aside, he allowed passage for Annabelle into the dark and musty entrance of the cottage. During its heyday, it could have been a pleasant old retreat from the business of the outside world. Though, instead of the sweet aroma of apples and spices, a heavy, musty aura instead permeated the air. While clearly lived in, the house appeared to emanate an aura of sadness, as if longing for the specters it once knew to return from the grave. Loud creaks followed Annabelle as she hopped from one floorboard to another. Basking in the cold, soulless visage of the dilapidated structure, the girl¡¯s eyes shined in glee. ¡°This place is a dump. Looks like you¡¯ll really have to wake up soon if you want to leave!¡± ¡°Your astuteness is much appreciated, miss.¡± Exasperated, No?l beckoned for Annabelle to follow him into his Aunt¡¯s study once more. ¡°Please follow me.¡± Upon moving aside the heavy door guarding his beloved Aunt¡¯s workplace, the duo was greeted by an onslaught of dust. Coughing, Annabelle jumped away from No?l. ¡°A warning would have been nice! When was the last time you even cleaned here; during the black plague!!?¡± ¡°My dream, my rules,¡± No?l sighed. ¡°I may simply like dust. Is that so hard to believe?¡± ¡°Why would you want to dream about a dusty old house?¡± Ignoring what could be considered vapid inquiries, No?l trekked on. The room certainly had a slight chill to it, but he¡¯d fared through worse. Afterall, a little cold could never hurt him. Footsteps coming to a halt, No?l opened the looming wardrobe and was once again confronted by the sight of numerous, button-eyed dolls. Grotesque smiles stitched into their gray faces, the dolls were dormant as they gazed unseeingly¡­ Feet frozen by the entrance of the grimy, decrepit room, realization slowly dawned on Annabelle. Excitedly, the rosy eyed girl sprinted towards No?l, hastily grabbing a doll in the process. ¡°I finally understand!! This creepy old house¡­it¡¯s filled with dolls!¡± In confusion, No?l stared at her before attempting to grab the doll she unceremoniously grabbed. The poor dear was already falling apart at the seams. Surely, being jostled and flung all over the place would only result in extra stitches for the sad little doll. ¡°I am quite aware. These are my Aunt¡¯s dolls, afterall.¡± Finally freeing the small doll from Annabelle¡¯s grip, No?l weakly smiled at it before properly introducing them. ¡°They¡¯re Auntie¡¯s familiars. Aren¡¯t they cute?¡± ¡°Familiars¡­you mean like a witch?¡± Annabelle questioned as she gazed intensely at the doll. As if sensing the terrible situation it had found itself in, the doll almost appeared to shake in terror. Or, it could merely be due to the loose grip No?l had it in. ¡°Aren¡¯t familiars usually supposed to be cats or toads?¡± ¡°My Aunt does not enjoy conforming to stereotypes,¡± No?l quickly responded, as if he were reading from a dictionary. ¡°She¡¯s had them for as far back as I can remember, though I think she had a raven.¡± ¡°Do you know how they¡¯re made?¡± Annabelle questioned, faint smile plastered onto her face. ¡°Auntie told me it¡¯s a trade secret.¡± With an almost apologetic smile, rosy eyes glanced back towards the wardrobe of dolls. ¡°That¡¯s one way to say it¡­¡± Sensing the arising tension, No?l, searching for an escape, wracked his brain for a solution to alleviate this odd girl¡¯s tentative smile. Such an expression looked so foreign on her¡­he quite found himself to be uneasy to be on the receiving end of such an eerie grin. ¡°She never approved of me messing with her dolls, but I just can¡¯t leave these poor dears alone now that Aunt Delia is away.¡± ¡°Where did she go?¡± Annabelle asked as her gaze snapped away from the assortment of tattered button-eyed dolls. Tears slowly started to well in his eyes as he recalled the hazy memories he had of his Aunt. They reminded him of endless autumn chill and crisp apple trees. As No?l desperately grasped ethereal and fleeting memories of days long past, it almost felt as if a black veil was placed atop his eyes. As he slowly lost himself in time, he was vaguely reminded of an all too dark crypt encased within lonely woods. And yet, he could not move forwards or backwards, almost¡­.as if a barrier prevented him from a momentary reprieve or escape. ¡°She went far, far away¡­but I fear that wherever she may have traveled, I cannot follow her.¡± ¡°Do you miss your Aunt?¡± ¡°Yes; every single waking moment of my life,¡± No?l dully responded, attempting to conceal his steady flow of tears. ¡°I do not know if I will ever see her again, but I cannot help but miss her every day.¡± Frowning, Annabelle carefully regarded his response¡­wary of how his appearance at that moment was uncannily similar to that of the dolls currently encased within the ancient wardrobe. ¡°So, you really do miss her¡­even though you know your Aunt is a bad person?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather we not discuss this right now, Miss.¡± Picking up a doll that had unceremoniously fallen onto the hardwood surface of the room, No?l placed it back into the wardrobe. Hinges squeaking as its weathered doors were closed, it almost appeared as if the somewhat curious dolls were waving¡­as if they knew the sole occupant of this cottage would soon disappear like their previous owner. ¡°Afterall, we have more pressing matters on our hands.¡± ¡°Anything else you need to do?¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t feel quite up to anymore tasks, Miss.¡± Hesitantly, No?l glanced back at the wardrobe. ¡°And there¡¯s not much to do here.¡± ¡°Finally; now that you¡¯re done moping around, let¡¯s go outside!¡± Annabelle ecstatically exclaimed as she marched out of the gloomy room, No?l reluctantly trailing behind her. He watched her feet as she carelessly kicked a marble out of the way. It truly felt surreal to be seen by another living creature after so long. Volume 1, Chapter 1: All That Is Lost [PART 6] The faint scent of autumn leaves gently swept through the large assortment of flowers situated upon soft earth. A light breeze gently tousled their hair as No?l continued to follow Annabelle along the ashen gray path. The two truly were a bizarre pair¡ªwhile No?l could easily meld into the hazy, lonesome woods surrounding his home, Annabelle was a picturesque form of life¡­almost eerily so¡­¡­ Lost in his own cacophonic thoughts, No?l paid no heed as the taller of the two regarded an imposing iron gate with vague interest. Nearly tripping as Annabelle¡¯s steps came to a screeching halt, the ruby-eyed boy looked up in irritation, only to realize where their feet had taken them. ¡°Why have we stopped here?¡± ¡°I dunno¡­it just feels¡­empty¡­¡­¡± ¡°That is to be expected. I rarely ever travel here, Miss. I never found the need to roam so far away from my house,¡± No?l lightly stated as he gazed at the gate separating him from the outside world. ¡°It¡¯s quite an aberration if I¡¯m being honest.¡± And yet, why was he so drawn to it? Nothing good must come from leaving his safe little hovel, but it felt as if someone or something was beckoning to the lonely iron gates the more he gazed up at them. Peering through the gates, he¡­could almost imagine the sight of ghastly figures roaming the woods, the glint of a silver knife, and then¡­nothing¡­¡­ Delicately grabbing his hand, Annabelle slowly led them closer to the gate¡ªstartling No?l¡¯s increasingly erratic sentiments with a soft smile in the process¡­no, it certainly was not kind. There was hidden malice or iciness in her words as she gently beckoned him towards the simple yet sturdy lock ensnared around the gate. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to stop you from leaving this gaudy old place.¡± Stumbling back, dead eyes stared at Annabelle in agitation. ¡°No, no¡­I cannot abandon my Aunt.¡± ¡°But¡­why? She¡¯s already kicked the bucket!¡± Annabelle sang as she twirled around. ¡°Are you just going to stay in a kingdom of decay like a damsel until someone else stumbles upon your coffin and saves you?¡± ¡°I¡­no, but¡­what more is there for me to do? If I were to leave, I¡¯d¡­¡­¡± ¡°Finally get a chance at dying?¡± Annabelle hummed, eyes narrowed and¡­glowing an ominous shade of pink. ¡°You can stay here until judgment day arrives, or you can leave this dream and have a shot at death!¡± Silently, slowly, solemnly, No?l turned back to gaze at the blurry visage of what was once his home. ¡°I¡­do wonder, Miss. What will we do with Mister Magpie? If this is a dream as you say, we cannot leave him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind him! Mister Magpie will be talking in no time. One death out of a million dreams is nothing to worry about.¡± Thinking back to the injured magpie buried within a small patch of hydrangeas as blue as the ocean, an inexplicable wave of sadness washed over him. If he were to die, who would grant him a lovely burial? Though, surely having a chance at receiving a grave is better than going through the motions of life like a clockwork doll. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Alright¡­Miss. I¡¯ll leave,¡± No?l stated sharply, voice unwavering. ¡°It is as you say. If I were to stay¡­I¡¯d be unable to die.¡± ¡°About time! What¡¯re you going to do now that you¡¯ll be rid of this place?¡± Smile never quite reaching his eyes, No?l gazed unseeingly at Annabelle. ¡°It¡¯s like I said, Miss. I will die. Nothing more, nothing less.¡± ¡°I could kill you if you want!¡± Annabelle exclaimed, a cold grin plastered over her face. ¡°You¡¯re not the type of person I¡¯m supposed to kill, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll make an exception.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss, but it doesn¡¯t work that way,¡± the emotionless boy muttered. ¡°Nor do I want to be set on fire¡­¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do that, silly,¡± she chuckled as No?l glared at her in suspicion. ¡°I wish to die, but neither by your hands nor mine,¡± No?l stated dully. Flatly. ¡°What I need is a hero. It¡¯ll almost be poetic in a way¡­a valiant knight slaying a bloodthirsty monster¡­¡­¡± With this, his words dissipated and melted into the open air. A shrill heaviness like tar permeated the crisp, autumn cold as the gloomy boy reached towards the obstructive gate. Sharp metallic rings interrupted the silent scene as metal chains clacked against iron. Offering one last blank, resolute stare at his cottage, he gripped the iron locks and snapped them. Metallic pieces of shrapnel fell to the ground like crumpled paper as he wordlessly pushed the iron gates aside. With a sharp intake of breath, No?l expectantly snapped his eyes back towards Annabelle, as if waiting for her cue to leave. Or, rather, if she too, would collapse into dust onto the earth at the slightest provocation. ¡°Neat, vampires really are as strong as they say!¡± Annabelle laughed as she picked up a particularly sharp piece of metal and drew incomprehensible patterns onto the ground. ¡°Oh boy, what if you snapped someone¡¯s spine as easily as that lock?¡± Exhaling deeply, No?l considered her words as he observed the peculiar drawings etched into dirt. ¡°What makes you say that, Miss?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­it¡¯s just that since you killed poor Mister Magpie with no hesitation, who¡¯s to say you haven¡¯t done something similar in the past?¡±, she cheerfully replied. ¡°If that were the case, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be able to kill you¡­once we find something that will do ya¡¯ in for good!¡± Almost like an arrow, the words burrowed themselves into his consciousness as he and Annabelle walked through the gates. Step by tentative step, the view of his home gradually faded from sight. As if passing through a veiled threshold, his memories of the house became blurry¡­almost as if they belonged to a different person in a different time¡­¡­ Pale leaves of various shades and hues gently fluttered to the ground as they silently trekked through the woods. Only the occasional shrill laughter of Annabelle as she recalled a joke and the snapping of leaves broke the silence. ¡°When will we get there, Miss?¡± Humming, Annabelle regarded his question with a wave of her hand. ¡°That is for you to decide!¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting awfully tired,¡± No?l lightly retorted¡­though, he was not feeling the least bit tired at all. ¡°Then¡­why don¡¯t you wake up?¡± Annabelle stated, skipping away every time an interesting tree or rock caught her fancy. ¡°Everything that has happened here is all due to you No?l!¡± An unreadable emotion flittered through No?l¡¯s mind as he blinked motionlessly at Annabelle. ¡°I have not heard my name spoken by another being in so long¡­¡­¡± ¡°How sad,¡± the rosy eyed girl sang, footsteps coming to a halt as they walked into a small clearing. Further ahead, a small, mossy cobblestone bridge could be seen surrounded by an inky substance. Murky, black water captured the essence of the ever abundant collection of trees within the dark woods. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry, No?l! I¡¯ll never forget you!¡± ¡°Really? You truly mean that, Miss?¡± Hesitantly, No?l took a step into the clearing¡­noting the all too familiar signs of life, or the lack, thereof. ¡°Of course,¡± Annabelle affirmed jubilantly. ¡°I¡¯d never forget someone as interesting as you! Your eyes really are pretty, No?l! I love how red they are!¡± ¡°¡­.Thank you¡­¡­?¡± he falteringly responded. ¡°They¡¯re so pretty. I like your eyes so much I could even pluck them out!¡± Annabelle happily chirped. ¡°But, don¡¯t you worry, I won¡¯t! You have my word, No?l.¡± Somewhat apprehensive, No?l briskly walked towards the cobblestone bridge, Annabelle following in suit. ¡°How¡­reassuring.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, I won¡¯t! No one will kill you if you already look like a corpse, No?l!¡± Leaves continued to fall from the heavens in an unrelenting barrage as the two continued to march through the seemingly unending woods. No?l walked with no destination in sight, even as the dark, spindly trees began to fill his vision with a relentless darkness. Searching, he turned his eyes left and right, but could find nothing. Neither Annabelle nor the ever present sight of foliage and stone. His vision fading, even words had soon left his tongue. Everything became dark, and then...... He woke up. Volume 1, Chapter 2: Shallow Grave [PART I] Blinking, No?l stared blankly at the wooden ceiling above his head. Having just woken up to a dull, steady pain which was incredibly difficult to pinpoint, he was¡­unnerved. He felt dazed, trying to decipher as to how and when he had ended up in such an enclosed structure. Why, were it not for his vision, he would not be able to see in such darkness. Moving his arms up, a sharp tinge of pain shot through his heart¡­realization immediately dawning upon him as dirt started to cascade down¡­¡­ The unrelenting yet expected cold seeping into his bones could only be the result of being underground in a crypt, cellar, or¡­coffin. ¡°How on earth did I end up here?¡± Coughing, No?l slightly turned to his right and was confronted with the sight of archaic cloth walls eaten by moths and various other multi-legged insects. Decayed rose petals and cobwebs were scattered throughout the wooden coffin. Grimacing, the vampire¡¯s eyes flickered downwards as another jolt of pain seeped through his heart. Mouth agape in slight disbelief, No?l fixed his gaze on a wooden stake protruding through his chest. Blood slowly welled up from the wound as he attempted to chase a spider away. Indignantly, the boy could only see red as he continued to stare at the haphazardly constructed weapon. ¡°Did Annabelle try to murder me!!?¡± ¡°How rude; I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m worth more than a stake through the heart.¡± While No?l possessed no recollections of how the strange girl managed to kill him, anyone would be hard pressed to remember the exact circumstances of their death. ¡°She could¡¯ve at least used a dagger¡­it would have been a much cooler death.¡± ¡°Nonetheless, I should find a way out of this mess.¡± Sighing, No?l glared upward towards a faded, moldering burial shroud that had been dumped none too gently on top of his head. ¡°And once I do¡­I¡¯ll be sure to berate her for doing such a shoddy job.¡± And yet¡­the perplexed vampire could not help a feeling of unease to wash over him. In his heart, he knew Annabelle was not the culprit of the strange predicament he found himself in. But, if she truly was innocent, then who could be blamed? A slight nagging at the corner of his mind pleaded with him to forget, but¡­if he were to leave the enclosed space of this coffin, where would he end up? More importantly¡­how would he feel about the ¡®outside¡¯ world? He could let the familiar chill of never-ending dreams lull him back to an eternal rest, but¡­he just had to feel the warmth of the sun, even for a singular moment. A jolt of pain through his chest diluted his gradually erratic thoughts of unease. Surely, more tragedies would not befall him. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Afterall, he was already dead. While he was certain he and Annabelle went their separate ways not too long ago, he couldn¡¯t help but view their time together through a distorted lens. It¡­felt as if he¡¯d known her for decades, but words eluded him. Ripping out the wooden stake in one swift move, No?l immediately brought his attention towards the rusted nails adorning the coffin¡¯s lid. Droplets of blood splattered the faded cloth interior of the casket as he slowly made work of hacking off the corroded nails. ¡°Finally¡­I wonder who I must have angered to warrant burying me in such a gaudy coffin.¡± Muttering a silent prayer to some unspecified god, No?l yanked open the casket lid as the last nail clattered away¡­only to be met with the unwelcome and yet highly expected sight of dirt. ¡°Oh, for fu¡ª¡± Red eyes glowering in contempt, his curse was cut short as the casket was encased once more. --- Spitting out another mouthful of dirt, the disgruntled vampire kicked the wreckage of his coffin in complete and utter disdain. ¡°Next time I¡¯m getting cremated.¡± For good measure, he picked up a small boulder and chucked it over his grave. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯d be welcome to the Day of Judgment.¡± Now that he had finally been freed from his coffin, No?l was completely lost. A faint breeze ruffled his hair as an array of orange leaves gracefully descended towards the earth. Judging from the large assortment of grave markers, he appeared to be in an abandoned cemetery. Though, were it not for the remains of the casket he escaped from, No?l would not have known it was used as a place of burial. ¡°I see¡­whoever didthis must have not wanted anyone to find me¡­¡­¡± No?l halfheartedly mused. ¡°Though, they regretfully did a terrible job if Miss Annabelle had happened upon me.¡± Quietly, No?l stepped through weathered, nameless graves and decayed vines that almost appeared to be withered hands slowly reaching for something or someone. He felt befuddled as the distant chirp of birds marred the otherwise silent atmosphere of the lonesome cemetery. Despite the apparent chill of the graveyard, No?l could feel absolutely nothing. ¡°I must look absolutely dreadful,¡± No?l darkly considered as he apprehensively made his way towards a dark, murky body of water. While he could not see his own reflection, there was a certain person he would like to greet. ¡°Though, it¡¯s definitely nothing that I would not be able to mend.¡± ¡°Miss Lila¡­yes, she would know what to do¡­¡­¡± No?l muttered to himself as he gazed at the tranquil pond. As if on cue, long strands of dark brown hair gradually began to materialize from within the murky water. A soft whisper cut through the air as hazy purple eyes stared expectantly at the dead-eyed boy. ¡°My dear, how many times have I told you to stop calling me that? ¡°I apologize, Miss Lila. Force of habit,¡± No?l apologized¡­seemingly unapologetic. ¡°Long time no see, Miss Witch. How have you been?¡± ¡°Oh, never mind me¡­I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯ve finally woken up!¡± the witch, Lila, lightheartedly exclaimed. While her image was an intangible visage, she was a much appreciated and familiar sight. Despite what one may hear about witches from tales of yore, Lila¡¯s appearance was quite unorthodox. As opposed to the typical pointy hat one might imagine, perched haphazardly upon her long, dark hair was instead a frilly, brown hat. And while her image was faded, one could still see a faint smile on her translucent face. ¡°It¡¯s been awfully lonely having no one to speak with.¡± Dressed in a simple brown dress and a plain white apron, the witch looked like a princess from an old fairy tale with how she gazed placidly from her place within the water. ¡°You¡¯ve never been great at conversations, but even you¡¯re better than nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry,¡± the white-haired vampire repeatedly apologized. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Smile slightly wavering, Lila tilted her head as she gazed unseeingly towards No?l. ¡°Yes, give or take fifty years.¡± No?l nearly stumbled into the small pond as he processed Lila¡¯s words. ¡°How¡­how could I have been asleep for nearly half a century!!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum; I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had wonderful dreams!¡± ¡°I saw the devil herself,¡± No?l dully responded. ¡°And her zombie magpie familiar.¡± ¡°Devils don¡¯t have familiars, dearie.¡± Humming, Lila carefully regarded him. ¡°Your hair will turn white if you stress too much¡­oh, wait¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡± Volume 1, Chapter 2: Shallow Grave [PART 2] ¡°Please be serious, Lila. Do you know who did this?¡± the young vampire questioned, panic apparent in his voice. ¡°As much as I adore sleep, fifty years is an awfully long time¡­I could have found a way to permanently never wake up with all that time I lost.¡± ¡°I¡¯d hate to spoil the story; would you not rather find the answer yourself?¡± Lila responded, voice barely above a whisper. ¡°What sort of protagonist would you be if I told you everything?¡± No?l stared pleadingly at Lila. Slowly shaking his head, he merely stated, ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense. Please¡­just tell me.¡± ¡°Oh, alright then, my dear. I suppose you deserve a hint at the very least.¡± Murky, ethereal image fading from view, Lila soon flickered over to a small puddle underneath a tall elm tree. As the young vampire carefully made his way over to the tree, Lila sighed as she gazed forlornly up at it. ¡°Miss Lila?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always hated trees¡­there¡¯s just something about them that I can¡¯t explain¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­¡­¡± Timidly shifting from one foot to the other, No?l hesitantly regarded Lila¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, my dear.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± No?l meekly stated once more. ¡°There¡¯s just so much I don¡¯t understand...¡± There¡¯s a faint warble in her voice, distant and almost apologetic. ¡°It¡¯s been fifty years; I¡¯d be more surprised if you weren¡¯t.¡± Eyes staring unseeingly into the distance, Lila heaves out a light sigh. ¡°Well¡­I wasn¡¯t there myself. I don¡¯t know everything, but¡­someone died, and naturally¡­ you were there¡­¡­¡± No?l¡¯s voice catches in his throat as a cold chill runs up his spine. Could I have¡­? Is that why I¡­¡­? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Did¡­I kill them?¡± ¡°Do not fret my dear; it¡¯s all in the past.¡± Lila¡¯s laugh is soft and airy as she nonchalantly dissuades the vampire¡¯s worries. ¡°You did not kill her¡­intentionally at least.¡± ¡°Miss Lila¡­please tell me¡ªwho did I kill!!?¡± ¡°Now, now, did you already forget?¡± Lila half-mockingly chastised. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of who you killed, but how they died!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand,¡± No?l blankly muttered. ¡°Tell me, what do you last remember?¡± ¡°I¡­I was waiting for my Aunt Delia,¡± No?l responds, words interlaced with an unreadable expression. Vacantly, he wonders what became of his beloved Aunt. Her face was already fading from memory, but¡­even her voice was but a distant dream. There was more to her, though¡­¡­it¡¯s been so, so long. What did she last say¡­? Is she alright? Is she¡­alive? ¡°She was out on an errand and left me alone. I got tired of waiting for her and left our cottage, but everything after that is a blur¡­¡­¡± ¡°My dear¡­do you know what you are?¡± Lila questions, slight fondness (or perhaps melancholy) apparent in her voice. Tilting his head to the side, No?l stared questioningly at her. ¡°A vampire?¡± ¡°Exactly. And what do vampires consume?¡± ¡°Blood,¡¯ he says, looking pale. No?l draws his sleeves over his hands nervously as he ponders the strange witch¡¯s words. ¡°Or¡­in other cases, they can drain a human¡¯s life.¡± ¡°Do you thirst for blood?¡± ¡°No¡ªof course not!!¡± No?l exclaims, evidently feeling quite insulted. ¡°How disgusting; there¡¯s no way I¡¯d drink blood!¡± ¡°And yet¡­you claim that you are a vampire,¡± Lila pleasantly responds, voice almost sickeningly sweet. ¡°Care to explain why, dearie?¡± ¡°Please, enough with your cryptic games,¡± No?l retorts, lamenting over faceless shadows of those long passed. ¡°I may be a vampire, but how could I have killed someone, let alone a friend?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple, my dear. Unfortunately, you are the latter,¡± Lila hums. ¡°Most vampires drink blood, but you steal that which is most precious to humans.¡± ¡°But¡­how could this happen!? I was careful. I¡­kept my distance,¡± the vampire exclaimed, distraught. ¡°I never meant to kill or hurt anyone; I just didn¡¯t want to be alone anymore¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know, dear. Whatever your intention, it¡¯s still no excuse,¡± Lila replied, hand placed sympathetically beneath the surface of the puddle. ¡°You know as much as anyone else that we could never belong with them. With humans. You¡¯ll only hurt yourself and everyone else in the long run.¡± Staring unseeingly at the plethora of warm hued autumn leaves peppering the ashen ground, the dead boy and submerged witch were met with silence¡ªwhether mourning the life of a stranger who must have meant so much to him at one point or the lives they could have had underneath different circumstances is unclear. A soft hazy halo envelops them as the sun slowly starts to descend underneath gray clouds. ¡°Your intentions are pure, but¡­you¡¯ve been cursed with a terrible lot in life,¡± the purple-eyed witch states, soft wispy voice breaking the silence that enveloped them both. ¡°It¡¯s possible for a human to survive having their blood taken¡­if the vampire were to show some restraint.¡± ¡°However, it¡¯ll have a completely different result if a vampire were to consume their life,¡± Lila is quick to interject as realization and horror dawns on No?l¡¯s otherwise expressionless face. ¡°Sucking out their life force can lead to a swift demise if you are around them too long.¡¯ ¡°But¡­I¡¯d see her for once a week at most. And I would only stay for less than an hour¡­¡­¡± No?l contemplated, voice laced with uncertainty. Volume 1, Chapter 2: Shallow Grave [PART 3] ¡°Hm, was your friend ill by any chance?¡± Lila calmly inquired. A stray leaf slowly flittered into the puddle and sent ripples through its surface as the witch¡¯s image momentarily disappeared from view. ¡°You could have exacerbated her condition without even knowing.¡± ¡°I do not remember¡­¡± No?l despondently replied. ¡°Though, if that were the case, I¡¯d probably be angry enough to kill.¡± ¡°Guess this was why you¡¯ve always be on the move,¡± the witch pondered. Smile devolving into a grim line, Lila stared unflinchingly at the world so out of her reach. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but didn¡¯t you use to go on adventures with those twins?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s been so long. I haven¡¯t seen Adelaide since 1610 and Henrietta died long before her,¡± No?l remarked. Sadly, there was little he could remember of them. How long would it be until he even forgot their names? ¡°At least I still have you, Lila.¡± ¡°Thank you dear,¡± Lila softly muttered. ¡°I must admit it would¡¯ve been nice to meet them.¡± ¡°They were lovely people,¡± No?l responded, voice intertwined with sadness. A flicker of guilt could be seen beneath his uncertain gaze as memories of two long gone souls slowly flickered to the forefront of his mind. ¡°If we were born in a different time and underneath better circumstances, I¡¯m sure they would have loved you.¡± ¡°Why do you sound so uncertain?¡± the witch asked as she carefully took note of No?l¡¯s guarded expression. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Lila. Perhaps I¡¯m feeling sentimental in my old age.¡± Gazing forlornly at Lila, No?l could have almost sworn her hazy, purple eyes morphed into¡­something else. A heavy, threadbare noose was ensnared around her neck as sorrowful, hardened brown eyes gazed impassively at everyone and nothing. Weathered brown boots barely touching the stool separating her from rough, wooden floorboards, No?l swears he saw a flash of red and wavy, chestnut hair peeking out from within the shawl of a cloaked figure. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. A cacophonic screech broke the excited chatter of the crowd as the stool was kicked aside by an impassive executioner with dull, horrendous golden eyes. ¡°Ilia!!!¡± --- ¡°No?l?¡± ¡°Oi, you¡ªdon¡¯t ignore us!¡± ¡°Sister, I saw a bakery down the street. Why don¡¯t we ditch him?¡± ¡°No can do, Adelaide. He stole my paintbrush!¡± ¡°No?l¡ª? How¡¯d you get stuck in a tree!!?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you climb up here and get them, Henrietta?¡± No?l mocked, black dress shoes kicking back and forth. He sported a wry smirk directed towards the incredibly irate girl staring daggers up at him. A bright crimson cloak billowed lightly from his place atop the tree. The rosary beads he wore around his hair made a light metallic sound as he dangled the paintbrush from Henrietta¡¯s reach. ¡°Oh right, you can¡¯t at your old age, grandma.¡± ¡°Excuse me!?¡± Henrietta huffed in anger as she stomped over to the large oak tree. Well-kept dark brown bangs covered her bright green eyes as she glared challengingly up at No?l. A bandana as vividly green as her eyes rested on top of her head. Dressed in a loose white dress shirt, the exceptionally beautiful woman was quite vexed. Rolling up her cream-colored sleeves, she unhesitatingly started her ascent¡­to both reclaim her paintbrush. And to push No?l down the tree. ¡°Oh, Henrietta, sister¡­your skirt will be ruined,¡± Adelaide yelled out to her younger twin. Clutching the green shawl wrapped around her head in nervousness, Adelaide could do nothing more than distill the anxious tremors that wracked her hands. A distraught frown marred her lovely face as she pondered a way to resolve this mad, dire situation they had all found themselves in. Her long, bright green skirt gently swayed as she tentatively walked closer to the large oak tree. ¡°Yeah, Henrietta. Why don¡¯t you listen to your elders?¡± No?l cheerfully questioned. ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯d do!¡± Eye twitching in annoyance, Henrietta continued climbing the battered and weathered oak tree. Carefully paying heed to the golden beads dangling from her sleeves, she exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re probably older than us!¡± ¡°Technically I¡¯m not!¡± the vampire laughed humorlessly. ¡°I¡¯ll stay this way forever while you two get older each day. Soon, you both won¡¯t remember me and I¡¯ll be alone¡­with Ilia, of course.¡± Hollow smile never quite reaching his eyes, No?l calmly stated, ¡°I can¡¯t wait for that day to arrive.¡± ¡°Dear me¡­¡± Adelaide remarked, arms outstretched incase Henrietta were to plummet down from a fifty foot drop. ¡°Gimme back my paintbrush, you damn brat¡ª¡± Henrietta exclaimed as she neared the branch No?l was perched on. ¡°Quality brushes aren¡¯t easy to come across, you know!¡± ¡°Alright, here you go,¡± No?l pleasantly conceded as he handed Henrietta back the paintbrush. ¡°Hurry back down, this branch isn¡¯t strong enough for two people¡ª¡± A loud cracking sound could be heard as the branch Henrietta had been standing on snapped without so much as a warning. Hastily stuffing the paintbrush back into his messenger bag, No?l quickly reached for Henrietta¡¯s outstretched hands¡­ And fell. And fell¡­ And fell¡­¡­ Volume 1, Chapter 2: Shallow Grave [PART 4] ¡°¡ªNot waking up¡­¡± ¡°So much blood¡­¡± ¡°Should we call for help?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯ll be fine¡­he¡¯s had worse¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.¡± Upon waking up, No?l was confronted by the sight of a worried Henrietta and Adelaide. Tears dripping down their faces, they latched onto the bewildered vampire. Sobbing, they expressed fear as the events replayed in their minds. If Adelaide had fallen head first, if No?l reached for her a second too late, if No?l wasn¡¯t immortal¡­ ¡°Please don¡¯t cry.¡± Wiping the blood that was slowly dripping down his face, No?l calmly stood up and reached for his disregarded bag that had landed quite a distance away. Rifling through brightly colored candy wrappers, quills, and crumpled parchment, he eventually found Henrietta¡¯s beloved paintbrush. Sauntering over to the two sisters and ensuring no blood would drip onto the brush, No?l handed it to Henrietta. ¡°This belongs to you, Henrietta. I apologize for causing so much trouble.¡± Henrietta fixed her gaze down at him. She must be angry, No?l thought to himself. With leaves and twigs caught in her hair and blood splattered all over her dress, Henrietta looked as if death had frozen over. Afterall, he did steal her prized possession and nearly caused her to fall down to her death as a result. ¡°Stop it¡­¡± Henrietta stated softly. Taking the brush from No?l, she unhesitatingly tossed it in the other direction. ¡°Henrietta, that was your favorite brush,¡± the vampire retorted, confusion etched upon his features. ¡°How stupid,¡± Henrietta responded, choking back a sob as she hugged No?l. ¡°You should be more careful,¡± Adelaide admonished as she also joined the two for a hug. ¡°You¡¯re more important than a silly old brush.¡± ¡°But¡­Henrietta loves art.¡± No?l was completely and utterly confused. Why were they so sad¡­over him? Unlike Adelaide and Henrietta, he could never die. A fall from a fifty foot tall oak tree was like a walk in the park for him¡­and yet¡­¡­ ¡°Yes, but we love you more,¡± Adelaide lightly admonished. ¡°When will you realize you¡¯re family? It¡¯s been more than ten years.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Ten years ago I was 12, and yet¡­I¡¯m still 12.¡± ¡°Nothing will change,¡± Henrietta quickly responded, wary of the iciness and contempt in No?l¡¯s voice. ¡°No¡­everything changes, but I¡¯ll always remain the same,¡± No?l softly murmured. Had it not been so eerily silent, the sisters would not have been able to catch his words. ¡°You two will grow up; have a family, die of old age¡­and I¡¯ll never get any older.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never even get my driver¡¯s license,¡± No?l mirthlessly laughed. In bewilderment, Adelaide was quick to ask, ¡°What¡¯s¡­a driver¡¯s license?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s talking about a horse drawn carriage, sister.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not tall enough to drive a carriage, Henrietta.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not referring to a carriage.¡± Shaking his head in exasperation, No?l was quick to dissuade their inquiries. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it, but¡­I¡¯ve always felt as if there¡¯s something¡­more. Perhaps I¡¯ve forgotten an important truth my parents had told me? All I know is that I would very much like to have grown up with you two.¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about being alone,¡± Adelaide said, brushing long strands of brown hair from her face. ¡°For now, at least.¡± No?l sighed and turned away from the twins. ¡°How long will you two live? Five days? Fifty years? It¡¯ll all be the same in the end¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve done a good job of not dying,¡± Henrietta piped up as she subconsciously kicked a stray twig. ¡°This was what¡ªthe third near death experience I¡¯ve had this month?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say something wants us dead,¡± Adelaide replied in suit. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can be considered lucky or not.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always meant to ask this, but¡­are you two even human?¡± Turning back towards the sisters, No?l regarded them in a thinly veiled veneer of curiosity. ¡°Most people would have run screaming into the hills after seeing my reflection, or lack thereof.¡± ¡°Not like we¡¯ve ever had experience with being normal,¡¯ Henrietta muttered angrily to herself. Upon closing her eyes, she could almost see a faded vision of an apathetic nun and contrary minister with hollow, golden eyes. ¡°After living in Procession¡¯s Way, I wouldn¡¯t even know what being normal would entail.¡± ¡°Normality is overrated,¡± Adelaide cheerfully exclaimed as she placed an arm on Henrietta¡¯s shoulder. ¡°A bore,¡± Henrietta agreed. Nodding along, Adelaide unflinchingly agreed. ¡°A drag, an absolute travesty of a life¡ª¡± Softly laughing, No?l smiled at his two taller companions. He may not remember much of his old life, but it felt as if he had known Henrietta and Adelaide for ages. And yet, there was a nagging suspicion that there was perhaps something he¡¯d been missing¡­such as the final piece in a puzzle. ¡°Alright, I get it! You two have a good point.¡± ¡°I do wonder why we¡¯ve been so lucky,¡± Adelaide mused as she recounted past experiences of encounters with stray carriages, gallows, a prone body of a familiar woman, blood-thirsty nuns with terrible smiles, and awful, horrid flames. The scent of burnt flesh and the sight of jagged, yellow bones would never leave her¡­¡­nor could she ever forget coughing until her chest ached and breath hitched. And the vision of blood drenched hands and warm, all too consuming walls would forever be entrenched in her memory. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ve got a guardian angel on our side,¡± Henrietta laughed halfheartedly. ¡°Perhaps¡­or maybe it¡¯s been dumb luck,¡± No?l mused. Uncertainty plagued his mind as he stared puzzlingly at the two sisters. After an encounter with a vampire who had a penchant for collecting mirrors and other shiny knick-knacks, he learned that certain vampires could not be around humans lest they¡¯d have mortals succumb to illness or worse, but¡­ Henrietta and Adelaide Sauer were the picture of health. Especially Adelaide, at least in-comparison to when they first met. Back in that lonely town, the poor girl was on her death bed. But, everything was fine¡­now that he had Henrietta, Adelaide, and Ilia Valli¨¨res. Or, Ilia when they were graced with a reflective surface or a solitary gray world after a rainstorm. ¡°Who knows; maybe we¡¯re witches.¡± Henrietta conspiratorially nudged Adelaide with her arm. ¡°How blasphemous.¡± No?l raised his eyes towards his companions in a mixture of fondness and admiration. They¡¯re not witches, but I¡¯ve always detected something¡­inhuman about them. I wonder......... Volume 1, Chapter 2: Shallow Grave [PART 5] ¡°Oh, how odd,¡± a transparent witch with purple eyes marveled as No?l¡¯s attention was snapped away from his reverie. ¡°I wonder what they were like; I would have loved to meet them!¡± A stray leaf carelessly fell into the small puddle reflecting a whole world that neither Lila nor No?l were part of. ¡°Have you ever met their parents?¡± Lila questioned earnestly. No?l shook his head. ¡°They had no parents or kin to speak of.¡± ¡°Hm, maybe they were of fae blood?¡± the purple eyed witch pondered, floppy brown hat moving around as it was sloppily placed atop her head. ¡°Heavily diluted, I think, if you weren¡¯t able to figure out exactly how they could remain alive with you for so long.¡± ¡°That is a possibility,¡± No?l mused. ¡°They could have had enough magic in their blood to be around me, but weak enough to be inept with spell work¡­¡± ¡°All I know is that they were terrible exorcists,¡± the ruby-eyed vampire flippantly remarked. The sun was slowly starting to set beyond the horizon as the graves peppered about the cemetery were casting long shadows along the earth. ¡°I had to kick them out of countless exorcisms!¡± ¡°Oh right, why did you stop working as an exorcist?¡± ¡°Too risky, and I met Aunt Delia a few centuries later¡­¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°But¡­how were you able to feed again?¡± No?l shifted uncertainly away from the puddle as he fiddled with oversized woolen sleeves. ¡°Aunt Delia took care of everything.¡± ¡°You¡­conducted exorcisms as a way to gain human energy without killing them,¡± Lila plainly remarked. ¡°How was Delia able to accomplish that without suspicion?¡± ¡°Aunt Delia never let me around humans.¡± ¡°Ah yes, I remember. It¡¯s a shame I could never speak with her as well¡­¡± ¡°She was really quite lovely and kind.¡± No?l sadly remarked, nostalgic once again for those long since gone from this realm. ¡°Humans were always so wary around me. Always violent and quick to lash out¡­¡± ¡°Not that I could ever blame them,¡± he offhandedly mused. ¡°They must have detected being near my general vicinity would bring them nothing but misfortune.¡± ¡°Instinctively?¡± The witch stared at the horizon, noting just how dark the world was becoming. ¡°Most certainly,¡± he morosely remarked. ¡°At the very least, they¡¯d know something was amiss as soon as a corpse was discovered. They¡¯d always be moody, but it would always be worse for them the longer I stayed. Humans become more irritable around me as their energy is depleted.¡± ¡°It¡¯s sad but unavoidable,¡± No?l blandly stated. ¡°Maybe¡­this is why I left home¡­¡­¡± ¡°That strange demon, Annabelle, she¡¯s the first one I was able to speak with in so long besides you and Auntie.¡± ¡°I truly adore you two, but¡­I must admit it was nice to meet someone my age¡­¡­even one as eccentric and excitable as her.¡± ¡°I perfectly understand,¡± Lila replied, pale reflection barely visible as night slowly descended upon the solitary graveyard. ¡°Loneliness can be a welcome friend, but everyone needs their space¡­even you.¡± ¡°Apologies, Lila. I never meant to insult you¡ª¡± ¡°Enough of that, my dear.¡± Closing her eyes and humming softly, Lila merely waved her hands in lieu of the vampire¡¯s apologies. ¡°Anyway, as much as I would love to continue this conversation, it¡¯s getting late.¡± ¡°What will you do now?¡± Lila questioned, now completely invisible. The only remnants left of the witch was her soft, light voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, Miss Lila?¡± No?l responded, a hollow smile plastered on his doll-like face. Crimson red eyes dimly glowing, he appeared otherworldly at that very moment. ¡°All I need to do is find Annabelle if time permits¡­¡± ¡°But, I will never waver from my goal.¡± ¡°I will find whoever killed and buried me in that coffin so long ago¡ª¡± An even larger grin grew on his face as No?l gazed up at the starlit sky. ¡°When I do find them, I¡¯ll demand they finish what they started.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll never refuse¡­¡± ¡°Afterall, our interests are nigh one and the same.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll march up to them, and demand that they¡ª¡± ¡°Kill me.¡± INTERLUDE I Hello~!!! Since the entirety of Chapter 2 was released earlier today, I decided now would be a good time to share one of the illustrations included in the printed version. This particular one focuses on Delia & No?l Rousseau: I originally wanted to make this into a webcomic, but due to a lack of time, I made a compromise. I enjoy writing a lot, and I still get to draw my book covers/bonus illustrations every now and then, so it works out! :) The entire story was planned out from start to end years ago, so I look forward to finally sharing No?l''s story. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. At the moment, I''m working on Volume 4! However, I''m taking a break for a few weeks to work on prints, keychains, and buttons for artist alley--Primarily for Tr?umerei and Genshin Impact. There are also other novels I''ve been developing as well, but those are still in their earliest stages. Volume 1, Chapter 3: The Whispering Grotto [PART 1] It is evening and everything is silent. Night has now enveloped the land as those still living have fallen into an eternal rest. Even the effervescent chirps of cicadas were nowhere to be heard. The previously dilapidated cemetery filled with marble gravestones, weathered bones, and vivid, crimson leaves were now submerged within inky black paint. Upon looking up at the sky, it was as if a dark burial shroud had been placed over the graveyard. The stars lighting up the otherwise blackened sky were pinpricks within the gloomy cloth. Night had fallen, and yet, No?l could not have been happier. Wishing Lila a pleasant evening, the vampire departed from the witch¡¯s gradually fading reflection within the small puddle. Despite his presence within the lonesome graveyard, the assessment of there being no signs of life in this sacred land was still unwaveringly true. Afterall, No?l had much in-common with those sleeping beneath the earth. He, too, was one of those blessed lost souls not too long ago¡­and, as he is a vampire, even he¡ª Had died. Though, unlike those resting six feet under, he did not jump for joy upon being blessed with a new chance at life. Instead, he wished to join them. I wonder who will kill me. With a slight spring in his step in juxtaposition to his morbid desires, the young vampire continued his trek further into the cemetery. --- The traveler felt a strange sense of malaise upon staring up at the wispy branches obscuring the starry night sky. He had been walking for a few mere moments, surely, but how could he even be able to tell? With no clock in sight or a person for miles, there was no way to be certain. Lost in his thoughts, No?l almost missed a pale, translucent face peeking out from underneath a large elm tree. The ethereal, almost glowing stranger had a sorrowful expression on his face as he calmly stared at the lost vampire. ¡°Excuse me, would you happen to know the name of this cemetery?¡± No?l asked as he slowly approached the ghost child. ¡°Or, what country we currently reside in? I¡¯m loathe to admit this, but I¡¯m rather lost¡­¡± The pale, silent ghost¡¯s lips twitched into a smile [or was it a grimace?] before spinning on his heels and sprinting forwards into the trees that encased the cemetery. No?l¡¯s arms subconsciously reached out in an attempt to placate the ghost. But, as the specter slowly started to meld into the dark labyrinth of trees, No?l feared it was for naught. Sighing, No?l picked up his pace and stepped foot into the woods. Not once turning his gaze back towards the cemetery, No?l resolutely followed after the ghost. This feels strangely nostalgic. He looked forward only to see a plain dirt road. Covered in brambles and cobwebs, it was apparent the forest pathway had not been used by living souls in quite some time. No?l stepped over loose gravel as he turned left and right, trying to determine as to where the mournful phantom wandered off to. Crimson red eyes squinting into the dark collection of trees, the vampire was soon alerted to a faint hazy shimmer from beyond the left side of the gravel road. In determination, No?l embarked towards the peculiar haze. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the air or the generally eerie nature of the woods, but¡­whatever it was, he had felt uneasy ever since he left the cemetery. Almost as if someone was watching him. No?l¡¯s eyes darted towards a rose bush as he quickly realized the delicate flowers had been frozen solid. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A faint chill seeped through the trees as he nearly stumbled into the ground. Much to his surprise, even the earth was encased with a light sheet of ice. His gaze slowly slid up as he heard a peculiar muffled sound¡­as if music were being played through his grandmother¡¯s old gramophone. Help me¡­¡­ Huh? No?l¡¯s eyes widened as a loud, sorrowful hum emanated from a hunched shadowy figure. The faceless creature was singing a tragic tune as it slithered across an embankment of still water. Not daring to approach the shadowy creature or willing to bring attention to himself, No?l diverted his eyes away from it and cautiously walked past the embankment¡ª Only to feel a slight tug at the end of his sleeve. His heart dropped at the sight of the unexpected face, or, well, lack thereof. Looking down, he locked eyes with another shadowy creature. It was quite short, even shorter than the already small vampire. While featureless and completely pitch black, the phantom¡¯s face (?) was pointed downwards, as if it were in mourning. It possessed a vaguely humanoid shape, but beyond that No?l could discern nothing. Hello, lost one. Why are you here?, the figure questioned the perplexed vampire. The shadow figure still had a strong grip on his sleeve. ¡°I apologize, but I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what you mean. I¡¯m not lost.¡± The featureless creature titled its head up at No?l and giggled. Of course you¡¯re lost; we all are. Why do you think we¡¯re here? No?l blinked in surprise as the shadowy figure let go of his sleeve. It did a little curtsy before laughing once more. Icicles now hung from branches as the creature leaned against the mulberry tree. Will you help us all? Or lead us astray? The shadowy figure questioned lightly, softly. You look so much like her¡­ No?l doesn¡¯t move. He doesn¡¯t answer. His voice hitches in his throat. Who¡­would that be? He wonders, but he dares not ask. Both you, and her¡­there¡¯s something dark. The shadowy figure coyly lifts its hand to where a mouth could be were it something else¡ªmore tangible or perhaps more alive. Lucky for you, I have pity on a dead boy. But, not everyone here will be as gracious as me. That woman ended us, but¡­she¡¯s ruined you too. No?l is silent. You¡¯ve been doomed to misery ever since you met her. The figure¡¯s voice is almost comforting. Or, I would say you¡¯ve been cursed to a miserable life from the moment you were brought into this world. No?l stills. ¡°Whatever could you mean?¡± You¡¯ll figure it out, dead boy. The ghostly figure melds into the looming shadows of the forest¡­and is gone. Or, it should be¡­¡­ We exist everywhere, but if you see another like me, ignore them. Pretend you cannot see them. The figure¡¯s voice is soft. No?l has to strain his ears to catch its final words. Beings like us, we¡¯re jealous of the living¡­even those who pretend, such as you. The forest is silent. Nothing can be heard¡­¡­ Until¡­¡­¡­ The faint sounds of sobbing starts to pick up from the riverbank. Nursery rhymes can be heard from within tree tops Volume 1, Chapter 3: The Whispering Grotto [PART 2] A sorrowful funeral concerto emanates from within the dirt-laden ground. As No?l remained motionless within the forest, faceless entities started to materialize from the shadows. Or, they were there all along and No?l only just began to notice them. Nonetheless, No?l took one last deep breath¡­and walked away. --- No?l was mesmerized by the fireflies. He never thought it would be possible to be so close to stars, but they proved him wrong. He followed them and was now standing in a sandy beach shore. Dark waves gently brushed against the sandy embankment. The water was so incredibly clear that the ocean, as dark and clear as glass, appeared to be filled with bright, shining stars. He was surprised to find a beach right at the edge of the woods. An unbridled sense of nostalgia wracked his heart as he gazed out into the dark sea. Though, it was odd, as he never visited the ocean. And yet¡­ As he stared out at the ocean, the vampire felt as if something was missing. Though, it would make sense to have some disorienting feelings after waking up from the brink of death. No?l tore his gaze away from the ocean and contemplated upon where the fireflies were taking him. Mother never liked fireflies. He recounted the tales his mother would tell him of the glowing insects. His shoes made indentations in the sand as he walked along the coast. She said fireflies were deceased souls, and the dead shouldn¡¯t be acknowledged, but¡­ I wonder¡­how happy they must be. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. As if sensing his thoughts, a firefly gently fell into his outstretched hand. There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t remember about mother, father, Aunt Delia, myself¡­ but, I hope I¡¯ll never forget their stories. Though, what will happen once my adventure concludes? There¡¯s no one left to remember my story¡­¡­ The vampire certainly wished for death, but was it what his heart truly desired? He recalled a saying about how everyone had three deaths. The first death was the natural death. While its causes weren¡¯t always the same, the end result was a constant for every living being. The second death occurs once every person who ever knew the deceased passes away. And the third or final death happens once everything the deceased accomplished during their life is forgotten. Whether for better or for worse, any sort of impact they had will be erased, and they too will soon fade away. Unfortunately, as No?l already cheated death once upon a time, who was he to still continue with following the natural cycle of dying? Was it what he truly desired even if there was a small part of his heart that¡­ wanted his story to be heard? Did he even deserve to be remembered after forgetting his own family? Lost in his own thoughts, he was unaware as he tripped over a piece of driftwood protruding from the sand. The firefly he was carrying flew away as its miniscule blinks of light started to decrease. In annoyance, the vampire glanced down at the ground, only to discover the object he tripped over was not driftwood, but instead, a bone. A bleached, cracked bone was peeking out from the sand. It appeared tiny, seemingly belonging to a small child. Apprehension ran down his spine as he realized this is where the ghost must have run off to. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll give you a proper burial in due time. No?l spared the bone another glance before carefully making his way towards a grotto not a stone¡¯s throw away. It was covered in ivy and moss, but the small cave looked stable enough for now. He placed a hand on the cave walls. A few pieces of limestone flaked off from the walls and lightly clattered to the ground. The air was stagnant as opposed to the cool ocean breeze of the beach. No?l saw the faint outline of a face as he traveled deeper into the grotto. Its eyes were a soft luminescent white. He smiled at the pale phantom, smile not quite¡­real. The ghost faded away and No?l merely continued to walk. --- Time continued to pass as No?l traveled deeper and deeper into the grotto. While it was small on the outside, he had been walking for what felt like hours. He saw no trace of the ghost boy or other spirits save for the occasional flicker of light at the corner of his eyes or the faint pitter patter of footsteps. It was admittedly concerning, but the vampire thought nothing of it. The deceased often had different concepts and actions¡­though; it was not like he could be one to judge. A sharp, sickening crack broke the silence as No?l hastily jumped away from the object he just stepped on. Staring back at him was a pale, smiling face. Awful, hollow eyes gazed accusingly up at him. The skull¡¯s head was gruesomely caved in from where his boot crushed the already delicate and nimble remains. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry,¡± No?l pleaded tearfully to the skull. The skull merely grinned. In horror of the unexpected role he played in the desecration of human remains, No?l¡¯s eyes darted up¡­only to be met with the sight of darkened patches of something indescribable adorning the limestone walls of the cave. These must all be blood¡­ Volume 1, Chapter 3: The Whispering Grotto [PART 3] He neared the deepest depths of the cave and was dismayed to stumble upon piles and piles of bones, all in rather alarming stages of decay. ¡­Bones¡­¡­this isn¡¯t good. No?l¡¯s voice hitched at the sight. Not good at all; I can¡¯t stay here¡ª A high-pitched, carefree giggle broke the silence. Standing atop the throne of bones was a small translucent figure. Dressed in ancient attire reminiscent of a pauper from A Christmas Carol, the child looked horrendously out of place in such a garish home for the dead. Within the pitch black walls of the grotto, the ghost child looked almost alive. Smiling pleasantly, he hopped down from the precarious bone structure¡­ Step by step, the ghost child lightly treaded upon the dirt ground. No?l remained in place. Unwavering and yet, somewhat apprehensive of the specter. As the ghost¡¯s nonexistent footsteps fell to a stop, an unmistakable emptiness and sense of longing could be seen plain as day on his face. Though, the phantom had regarded No?l with nothing but polite apathy. ¡°Excuse me, but why did you bring me here?¡± The vampire inquired curiously, fiddling with the hem of his coat. His voiced wavered nervously. ¡°Are you¡­one of those bones?¡± The translucent figure nodded. ¡°Oh¡­would you like me to bury you?¡± No?l promptly asked as he slowly walked over toward the large pile of bones. It truly was an unpleasant sight, considering how the tower of discarded remains nearly scraped the roof of the grotto. ¡°I miss my sister.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­?¡± the vampire responded¡­though his voice tapered off at the end. ¡°My older sister; it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen her.¡± The ghost pleasantly stated in a wistful tone. He continued to stare expectantly at No?l. While his mouth did not move and the declaration appeared to have bounced off the walls¡ª Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. It felt as if the voice was everywhere and nowhere all at once¡­ The sorrowful words were undoubtedly uttered by the ghost child. It¡¯s getting tedious to refer to him as ¡®ghost child¡¯¡­ The ghost paused his story and looked at No?l. His pale, lifeless, hollow eyes were marred with grief¡ªas if he had one day woken up and discovered the world to be in ruins. And, considering his current state of decomposition, that was more than likely the case. ¡°Do you have a name?¡± No?l asked. The ghost merely laughed quietly in response. While soft and faint, there was a tinge of iciness to his voice. It reminded No?l of being lost in a frigid blizzard or icicles forming from frost coated tree branches in the dead of winter. ¡°We don¡¯t get names,¡± the spirit responded callously. Indifferently. ¡°If I had a name, I wouldn¡¯t remember it now.¡± ¡°Would you like me to give you one?¡± The ghost merely threw his head back and laughed again. ¡°People like you can only take and take and take.¡± ¡°What makes you think you can help me?¡± the ghost asked cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± No?l immediately responded, voice passive and devoid of emotion. ¡°Haha¡­do you know what you¡¯re even apologizing for?¡± the ghost child chided as he gazed back at the tower of bones. ¡°Words have power, don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I truly am sorry.¡± ¡°The more you give away a word without any thought, the less power it holds,¡± the ghost lightly admonished. ¡°Like, what if you tell someone you love them? It¡¯s all fine and dandy, but¡ª¡± ¡°Does it truly count if you can¡¯t save them in the end?¡± the ghost¡¯s voice falters. ¡°Please tell me what I can do for you,¡± No?l responded, face devoid and blank of any emotion. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you alone, otherwise.¡± ¡°Funny¡­are you doing this out of guilt? Or because you value your life so little?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± The ghost looked pointedly at No?l. ¡°Can you bring the dead back to life?¡± ¡°No response.¡± ¡°Would you bring my sister back to life if you could?¡± No?l¡¯s tired eyes darted back towards the ghost child. He¡­did not like where this was going. Though, he couldn¡¯t quite blame the ghost for asking such a question. ¡°No comment.¡± ¡°Oh, of course you wouldn¡¯t do that for me.¡± The ghost¡¯s voice hitches into a strained laugh. ¡°Your aunt killed her, so why would you ruin her hard work? You¡¯re all the same.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And now, you won¡¯t even acknowledge what she¡¯s done!¡± The ghost laughed almost hysterically. No?l regarded the ghost¡¯s accusations with indifference. Or, well¡­more like¡ª Confusion. No?l was certainly aware of the rumors whispered by the townspeople whenever he was outside with his dear aunt. Such as how the scent of blood and decay would follow his aunt, how hollow her eyes were, or how frigid her voice was. Though, he never had an easy life¡ªhe could barely remember the Sauer twins or his mother and father for goodness sakes! His beloved Aunt Delia was the only constant in his cruelly long life. No one would be able to appreciate her kindness as much as him. Throughout their travels, Aunt Delia was his anchor¡ªwithout her, he would have surely been lost¡­swept away through the currents of time! Humans always feared him [for good reason]. Lila was kind, caring, and sweet, but she was as tangible as mist. However, Aunt Delia was always there to share in his fears, worries, anxieties¡­¡­ Despite what others may say, his aunt was very kind. She wasn¡¯t a murderer¡­unlike him. The poor, sad ghost was merely confused. He¡¯d prove to him that Aunt Delia was innocent even if it winds up being the last thing he¡¯d ever do. ¡°I know you¡¯re sad¡­and confused¡­and lost, but I know how you feel,¡± No?l assuaged the ghost. ¡°I¡¯ve recently lost someone close to me¡­¡± ¡°Liar.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve all ruined so many innocent lives¡­killed my sister and me¡­and yet you still claim to be innocent.¡± The ghost¡¯s previously glassy eyes gazed up towards No?l. Anger was etched into his voice as the specter¡¯s tone gradually became stronger. If looks could kill, well¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s your fault. It¡¯s always been your fault. I want my sister¡ªbring her back, bring her back, bring her back!¡± Volume 1, Chapter 3: The Whispering Grotto [PART 4] No?l quickly stumbled back as the ghost slowly stepped towards him. Despite the all-too-consuming darkness of the crumbling grotto, a faint mirthless smile could be seen stitched upon the small spirit¡¯s face. ¡°You can bring her back, I just know it!¡± ¡°And pray tell, how would I be able to achieve such a feat?¡± the vampire calmly questioned the eerily silent spirit. ¡°Take her place.¡± An inherent silence as intangible as clouds enveloped the two not quite living figures as they quietly regarded one another. ¡°You¡¯ve taken so much from me, but with this, you can pay me back! My sister will be alive and safe, I get to see her again, and you¡¯ll die. It¡¯s a win-win situation for all of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­afraid I can¡¯t do that,¡± No?l plainly stated, voice devoid of any emotion, whether it be fear, joy, sadness¡­¡­ ¡°Why do you hate us so much!!? Can¡¯t you let my sister and I be happy?¡± ¡°Please, I would love for nothing more than to grant your wish, but that is an impossible dream for you to have.¡± Sighing in resignation, No?l calmly recited a phrase, as if recalling it from a book. ¡°The living can never come back to life, I¡¯m afraid. Even if I were to die, it would do nothing for you and your sister.¡± Stomping his feet in agitation, the spirit¡¯s wispy, ethereal voice shattered the permanent coat of silence as he nearly shrieked at the words said by No?l. Small pebbles soundlessly clattered towards the ground as the walls of the grotto began to shake. ¡°My name, life, memories, everything¡­were stolen from me because you couldn¡¯t die,¡± the ghost vehemently exclaimed, voice getting louder by the second. ¡°All I remember is my sister, but nothing else¡­¡­¡± ¡°I understand your feelings and I apologize for your sister, but I cannot help you.¡± No?l passively stared at the rather unstable ceiling of the grotto as he contemplated on how exactly he could have this spirit move on into the next life. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help you in this way, at the very least.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Do you¡­even know what you¡¯re saying?¡± No?l directed his attention towards the lost spirit. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What are apologizing for?¡± the ghost questioned in a scathingly calm tone. ¡°All you¡¯ve done is say you¡¯re sorry, but do you even mean it? Do you really understand how I feel!!?¡± ¡°I¡­of course I do.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ve done a poor job of showing it,¡± the spirit coolly retorted. Though, if No?l were to be honest with himself, did he truly mean what he said? Was he actually apologetic or merely reciting words he heard endlessly throughout the decades? While he could certainly sympathize with the young ghost¡¯s plight, words of apology were always a natural response of his. He had been traveling through life [or, well, ¡®pseudo-afterlife¡¯] in such an impassive and bland daze that he just could not figure out his true feelings. Did he always possess no emotions or did he lose them over time? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Just¡ªshut up!! You¡¯re so annoying¡­just like a wind-up doll.¡± Angered, the ghost vanished from sight¡­ Only to reappear momentarily, a hair¡¯s width away from No?l. An unfamiliar cold sensation made it difficult for him to speak as he gazed down into the faded, angry eyes of the spirit. Much to his surprise, No?l noted that the specter¡¯s arms were nearly tangible, albeit ashen-gray in hue. Somewhat less surprisingly, however, were the clammy, shaking hands wrapped around his throat. ¡°Why won¡¯t you die? Please, just die,¡± the ghost sobbed hysterically as loose debris continued to rain down from the rocky ceiling. Bones scattered throughout the grotto started to warble and jump as if they were marionette dolls being controlled by an unseen puppet master. Disconcerted, No?l¡¯s frown deepened as he gently removed the spirit¡¯s hands away from his neck. ¡°I wish I could die as well, sad spirit. But, if all goes to plan, I will be able to achieve death at the end of my journey.¡± No?l was lost in contemplation for a mere moment before awkwardly placing a hand over the spirit¡¯s head. While he wasn¡¯t sure if his hand would phase through the spirit, he¡¯d like to think his action would be much appreciated. Obviously¡­it was not. Glaring daggers at No?l, the nearly corporeal spirit stepped away and vanished from sight¡­before appearing once again atop the mountain of bones. Clutched within the pauper spirit¡¯s hands was a small, cracked skull. Within the dim light emanating from the lightly glowing spirit, the skull almost appeared to be grinning. ¡­¡­Only, it really was grinning. Or grimacing. As its left eye socket was completely smashed in, it was rather difficult to tell what emotions it had been displaying. What the¡ªNo?l wondered in bewilderment as he watched the reanimated skull in astonishment. While he was accustomed to magic, necromancy was an entirely different story altogether. Perhaps I should keep a journal, the vampire mused as he smiled faintly to himself. In a somewhat dark fashion, he found the entire situation to be humorous. Afterall, no matter what happens, I won¡¯t die. INTERLUDE 2 Hello, I wanted to post Vol. 4''s cover as it features Henrietta & Adelaide. They haven''t fully appeared in canon yet, I''m just fond of their character designs. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The next part of Chapter 3 will be up on Saturday! Also, if anyone''s interested, I can give Volume 1''s e-book for free in-exchange of a review. Thank you for reading! ^-^ Volume 1, Chapter 3: The Whispering Grotto [PART 5] I can¡¯t die, but¡­¡­ There¡¯s no way in hell I can let these people run amok. What¡¯ll happen if a mortal runs across them? They may be dead, but I don¡¯t want their souls to be destroyed by murder. No?l sighed as he swiveled away from the macabre sight of skeletons reattaching themselves and the specter of a deceased child sitting on top of a throne made entirely of human bones. A sharp cracking sound broke through his reverie as he found himself face to face with a lanky skull. An earthworm was crawling around its eye socket, much to No?l¡¯s disgust. Almost abashedly, the skeleton covered its gaping socket with a skeletal hand. ¡°Well, this¡­sure is a strange turn of events,¡± the young vampire deadpanned as he stepped away from the skeleton. While it was¡­.surreal to see a skeleton display such commonplace emotions, it was nevertheless a grotesque sight. ¡°Remind me to opt for cremation if I ever die¡ª¡± ¡°¡­And somehow overcame my complete and abject disdain towards fire¡­¡­¡± Then again, such a fear wouldn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m dead. No?l¡¯s words trail off as he had a recollection of something that could assist him in this conundrum¡­ ¡°Oh, how could I have forgotten¡ªher journal will help! Grandmother always did know what to do in these situations.¡± Eyes never wavering as he held the skeleton away from him with one arm, No?l reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small journal¡­only, it was the size of a doll miniature. Muttering a quick incantation to himself, the vampire¡¯s journal became its regular size within the blink of an eye. While the leather bound book was rather worn-out and frayed at the edges, it still appeared to be quite sturdy and durable. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°I apologize for this,¡± No?l dryly remarked, albeit not quite as sorry as his words would imply. He raised the journal over his head and¡­stifling a yawn, No?l swiftly brought it down onto the reanimated skull. A loud crack echoed throughout the grotto as its skull caved in on itself and clattered onto the ground. In a panic, the skeleton raised its arms towards where its head should be. Taking advantage of its momentary confusion, No?l promptly kicked the skeleton in the ribs. A sickening crack pierced the cacophony of noise the other skeletons made as they slowly dragged themselves across the earth. No?l uttered another halfhearted apology to the decimated remnants of the skeleton before turning around to the others. ¡°As much as I detest fire, I do realize this may be the best way to save all of you,¡± the vampire casually stated as he flipped through his journal. Studying its array of spells, he attempted to find an incantation to assist lost souls. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that flames can purify spirits. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t go through something so drastic, but¡ª¡± ¡°This certainly does appear to be the most effective method.¡± Nodding to himself, No?l recalled a practice he once read about in a book. ¡°I heard that Chinese funeral traditions would involve mourners burning clothing, food, money, and other earthly possessions¡­¡± ¡°Supposedly this would assist spirits in their travels to the next realm. Of course, that has nothing to do with this, but it¡¯s a nice sentiment,¡± he stated as he still continued to flip through his grandmother¡¯s journal of spells. ¡°It would probably be easier to keep all of you intact¡­well, mostly¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you,¡± the spirit interjected, voice no higher than that of a faint whisper. Still perched upon his throne of mangled skeletons and stones, the ghost child continued to glare daggers at No?l. Frowning, the ghost tossed the cracked skull from one translucent hand to the other. ¡°Nothing about this will help any of us!¡± ¡°What makes you think attacking a perfectly innocent skeleton is okay?¡± ¡°She started it first,¡± No?l quips in disinterest. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t matter since she¡¯s dead.¡± The small specter sighed before once again descending from his macabre throne. ¡°Well, tell me¡ªwhat comes after death?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re dead, nothing will matter ever again. All your hopes, dreams, troubles¡­they¡¯ll all disappear.¡± No?l smiled sadly as he stared unseeingly at nothing. ¡°Life is so tiresome, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°But, once you die¡­¡­¡± ¡°You will no longer matter. You will never feel, nor breathe, nor live ever again. You are nothing, but to me, that sounds like happiness.¡± ¡°You know nothing!¡± the ghost angrily protested. Hands balled into fists, the spirit was shaking with an unreadable emotion on his face. ¡°How can you look at me and say I don¡¯t matter¡­merely because I¡¯m dead?¡± ¡°I can still see, hear, and feel¡­¡± Sniffling, the spirit turned away from No?l, bangs falling over his face. ¡°Why do I still feel pain even if my heart no longer beats? I really do envy you¡­¡± Tilting his head in confusion, No?l pondered the ghost¡¯s words¡­¡­ Volume 1, Chapter 3: The Whispering Grotto [PART 6] Quick to respond, No?l questioned the spirit in a monotonous tone, voice sounding really young and yet completely devoid of life. ¡°Why would you envy me? I possess no good attributes.¡± A silence consumes the two figures, one deceased and one not entirely¡­human. The cacophony of skeletons dragging themselves atop stone and solid earth does nothing to dispel the eerie tranquility of No?l and the ghost. ¡°I hate you.¡± ¡°I hate you so much.¡± Reanimated skeletons continued to trek across the grotto, but No?l merely sidestepped them as they approached. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t figure out why I envy you, then¡­there¡¯s nothing more I can say.¡± The ghost¡¯s wispy voice was shaky as he buried his face in his hands. Tears appeared to fall, only to evaporate into nothingness before they reached soft earth. ¡°Out of everyone here, why did you get to live again? What makes you so special?¡± Still and silent like a porcelain doll; No?l¡¯s gaze lingered on the spell book clutched within his hands. As he raised it up, the skeletons closest to his vicinity recoiled¡­either in fear or distrust. I really don¡¯t see why they¡¯re so scared of this silly old thing. Not like they can feel pain. They¡¯re dead, afterall. His hands brushed over the worn-out, leathery cover of the journal. If anyone was good at silencing the dead, it would be his dear old Aunt. She always did have an affinity towards the grotesque and macabre. Even though her absence left a permanent hollow within his heart, she always found a way to help him through such trifling dilemmas. Perhaps they¡¯re scared of fire¡­that could be why they seem so¡­¡­frightened of me? If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The young vampire unconsciously shifted from one foot to the other, unaware that he had wandered off to a small space in the grotto. Heavy clinking noises broke the normal sounds of wind and brittle bones clattering against each other like clockwork. Small objects scattered throughout the ground appeared to be shining with an indescribable glow despite the all-consuming darkness of the grotto. Then again, I, too, am terrified of fire. I can¡¯t blame them for shirking away at the thought of being set aflame¡­¡­ But¡­I can¡¯t just leave them. I must still lull these ghost children into an eternal rest. It¡¯s not right to leave them like this, forever young and trapped within this tomb. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I scared you.¡± Strangely enough, he now truly appeared to be apologetic, albeit for not entirely accurate reasons. ¡°Fire is the worst and I don¡¯t blame any of you for hating me over suggesting it as a means to an end.¡± No?l raised his oversized sleeves over his head in a placating gesture. The movement was uncannily similar to a red robin as he continued to flap his arms in an attempt to gain the attention of the skeletons¡­seemingly unaware that such an action was not needed. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry! I promise to set none of you on fire,¡± No?l proudly declared. ¡°In all honesty, I would have been too scared to go through with that plan.¡± Dumbfounded, the ghost child was at a loss for words. The reanimated skeletons still continued to wander across the grotto, uncaring of the vampire¡¯s proclamation. ¡°What, that wasn¡¯t what I meant¡ª¡± ¡°I never break my promises!¡± He raised his hand in a salute to the ghost child, voice still deadpan and face emotionless. Ignorant to the ghost child¡¯s conflicting emotions, No?l proceeded to flip through his spell book once more. ¡°Hm, what to do, what to do¡­I could try chopping up everyone here and burying you all, but no¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s how this whole ordeal started in the first place.¡± ¡°Oh, maybe I could toss all of you into the ocean¡­there¡¯s a lot of salt there. Though, I doubt that would accomplish much¡­¡­wait¡ªI know just the thing!¡± No?l beamed at the bewildered specter, though, on him, such an expression was rather depressing. ¡°I¡¯ll just have you all decay to the point of crumbling into dust.¡± ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t sound pleasant, but it sure beats getting stabbed and waking up in a coffin half a century later,¡± No?l offhandedly mumbled. ¡°If only I had a shovel¡­¡­¡± His words trailed off as a glimmer of silver caught his eye. Turning his gaze downward, No?l finally noticed where his shoes had led him. Scattered throughout the cold, hard ground were pots, plates, pans, and other household items in varying degrees of rust. ¡°They¡¯re all broken. What a horrible place to be murdered in,¡± No?l sighed as he picked up a cracked mirror. Due to the wet climate of the grotto as it was directly next to the ocean, the bronze mirror oxidized into a pastel green. While it was worn and not entirely usable, it still possessed a modicum of beauty and charm. Images of mermaids and sea serpents were imprinted upon its metal frame. ¡°Mirrors are rather awful, aren¡¯t they¡­?¡± He nodded at the mirror, as if expecting an inanimate object to agree with his assessment. As he was about to toss the mirror aside, No?l caught the sight of faded, purple eyes staring back at him. ¡°Lila¡­?¡± Volume 1, Chapter 3: The Whispering Grotto [PART 7] A soft gust of wind picked up throughout the grotto and tussled No?l¡¯s hair before dying down just as quickly as it appeared. Ignore the lies of the deceased, the cool ocean wind appeared to say. No?l¡¯s gaze trails back to the mirror, only to discover an absence of sad, purple eyes. Do you mean to ignore them, or¡­? Shaking his head, the vampire threw the mirror onto the ground. The mirror¡¯s impact was met with its complete and utter destruction. The shattered remains of the mirror broke off into sharp, fragmented, jagged shards. Only its ornate green frame remained in one piece¡ªlightly scratched, but still just as beautiful. Filled with a completely misplaced resolve, or perhaps, a desire to leave the grotto and continue on with his [after]life, No?l opened his spell book once more. Deciding on a particular spell called, ¡®A Testament to Good Will,¡¯ despite his¡­lack of knowledge in its intended effects, No?l recited the incantation. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. We were once immortal, as tall and resilient as a tree. Our lights burned as bright as a candle, but we, too, had been snuffed out. Bones as white as snow can be found within graveyards, rivers, and streams. My voice can lead you to salvation, or damnation¡­ But, with your cursed song, perhaps you will wander off and find a light. Rest well, and may you find where you are meant to be. No?l lightly shuts the journal. Muttering a short spell under his breath, the book regained its miniature size once more. Thank you, Aunt Delia¡­the vampire said as he placed his beloved journal back into his coat pocket. With the incantation now complete, a brilliant white light completely enveloped the grotto. His gaze fell upon the dozens of skeletons, all of whom were quelled into an eternal slumber as their bones withered away into dust. It was an odd sentiment, but the sight reminded him of the cottage he once lived in with his Aunt. What, with her assortment of lifeless, grinning dolls, skins all leathery in texture¡­they were actually quite similar to that of this journal he inherited from her. The chimes that hanged from their closed windows in that lonesome cottage were a similar shade and weight to the slowly disintegrating bones. There was something strangely comforting and yet, worrying, about the skeletons¡­¡­ Though, as usual, No?l was quick to push such thoughts to the back of his head. No use in worrying over something so trifling now. He shivered as he felt eyes directed towards him. Tearing his gaze away from the skeletons, most of which disintegrated into ashen dust, he discovered the ghost child glaring at him from a distance. No?l jumped back in surprise¡­he had momentarily forgotten about the ghost within all of this commotion. Unlike the skeletons, the ghost had instead begun to fade away. The spirit was only visible from the waist-up. Narrowing his eyes at No?l, he uttered a single phrase. In disgust, the spirit stated that, ¡®No?l is just like her¡¯, before fading away completely. The last of the bright, white glow that had enraptured the grotto faded out with the spirit¡­¡­ Everything is cold, and quiet, and dark. Now alone, No?l stands in the dark. He is surrounded by the remains of the deceased. It is evening and everything is silent. Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 1] Blood red eyes stared up at the old, rickety wooden structure. Despite the fact that it was most certainly morning, the sky was hazy and gray. While unwilling to remain outdoors when it looked as if the heavens would begin to weep once more, their tears burrowing deep into the earth as they drowned unseen creatures in their fervent downpour, No?l was reluctant to step into the questionably decorated toy store. Emblazoned within the two story structure¡¯s roof was an equally rickety sign. The words, ¡®Emerett and Co.¡¯ were written in a blindingly gaudy and colorful shade of forest green. Multicolored glass soda bottles were strung up along clothing pins and hung across the building¡¯s windows, and, even more curiously¡­one of the walls appeared to have been built solely out of buttons. A large assortment of weather worn stuffed animals were placed along the entrance of the¡­toy shoppe? Thrift store? Hoarder¡¯s paradise? A literal hell on earth? No?l did not know, but to be frank, he did not care enough to ask. He had a sinking suspicion that even the devil would not be caught dead in such an abysmal structure. Annabelle, on the other hand, would probably be delighted. He barely knew the girl, but she seemed to appreciate the stranger things in life. Afterall, she seemed to like him just fine. As it had just rained [though, with how gloomy the horizon was, he was sure the downpour would not cease anytime soon], the faint image of a long-haired woman with striking purple eyes could be seen in a puddle. I¡¯ll be leaving you now, the witch seemed to say as she slowly faded away from the small puddle of water. No?l smiled blankly back at Lila before directing his attention towards the store (?) owned by this ¡®Emerett¡¯ person. With thoughts of the grotto and ghost children still fresh in his mind and Lila¡¯s words [Ignore the lies of the deceased], he was reluctant to step foot into the store. Though, he really would prefer to not stay out in such dreary weather¡­ Perhaps if I am quick and stay to myself, no one will get hurt. Now resolved, No?l was resolute to walk into the toy store. Or, he would be, were it not for a cat-like creature seated directly in-front of the doorway. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Evil¡­¡± the vampire sighed as he approached the tiger. There was a loud, incessant, insufferable ringing in his ears not unlike that of teeth tearing through flesh¡­ He could even distinctly hear a panicked voice, urging him away from something¡­whatever it was, however, he could not remember. It was an uncomfortable feeling to have so many lapses in his memories, and yet, not an entirely unfamiliar sensation¡ªunwelcome as it may be. If he was being honest with himself, there was so much that felt unnatural and yet eerily recognizable about everything that he had seen and heard ever since he woke up from his coffin. ¡°I normally like stuffed toys, but there¡¯s¡­something weird about this¡­¡± The confused, bewildered, lost vampire merely glared at a grinning, faded orange tiger plushie before kicking it to the side. ¡°You¡¯re really cute, but¡­I don¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always the quiet ones,¡± No?l muttered as he stepped through the doorway. Multicolored glass bottles clanked noisily together as he shut the gaudy, wooden door closed. Now inside, he was quite surprised at how¡­chaotic the antiquated structure truly was. If there was a method to the sheer madness of its layout, it was a complete and utter mystery to him. For the life of him, he could not figure out exactly how someone could believe such a selection of mismatched baubles could be deemed as ¡®organized¡¯ or even fit for human settlement. He, himself, was no stranger to disorder, but even the young vampire felt a migraine developing between his eyes as he stared judgingly at a moth-eaten doll. There was no way in hell a customer would be able to peruse such a catastrophic selection of useless junk. Despite his nimble, careful footsteps as he trekked across the store¡¯s surprisingly well-kempt floor, the wooden floorboards were still creaking ever so slightly. The room itself was quite desaturated, what with the little amount of light peeking in through its large, stained glass windows. Once again, words completely eluded the vampire as he inscrutably gazed up at the glass windows, obstructing him from the torrent of rain from beyond the building. While they were all beautiful in their own right, he could not begin to fathom as to how anyone thought it a good idea to lump the eclectic selection of windows all together into one hellscape of a building. One window that caught his eye depicted the 1626 witch trial of W¨¹rzburg. The portrait was painted in harsh variations of red, yellow, and orange. A lump formed in his throat, and, choosing to quell down the memories of a cursed town once upon a time, he¡­directed his attention to the other more subdued stained glass windows. The vampire shivered as he gazed at the other windows. One depicted a smiling, pink dolphin dragging a woman to her watery grave. Another was of four boys discovering small human remains in a wych elm. No?l was reminded of a story from England he had heard about in which a couple of school children found a skeleton inside a tree. The remains could never be identified, but he couldn¡¯t help but note that¡­this depiction was highly reminiscent with the story. It seemed that whoever had propped these windows here had an uncanny investment towards the macabre, both mundane [albeit horrific] and supernatural [subjective] in origin. His head felt heavy and stuffed with cotton the more he¡¯d inspected these windows. A sharp, incessant static once again rang in his ears as he¡¯d strained his memory in an attempt to remember something, anything¡­¡­ Unfortunately, what is there to remember if you do not know what you have forgotten? Sighing, he tore away his gaze from the morose windows and instead turned his attention further into this interior designer¡¯s nightmare of a mad house. ¡°What depraved soul could be responsible for this? I¡¯m all for individuality, but this is all a bit much. It¡¯s impossible to be productive if you can¡¯t even see where you¡¯re going.¡± No?l brushed aside more glass bottles. A strong scent of peppermint and¡­dark chocolate wafted through the air as he swatted at a cobweb. ¡°How¡­pleasant. At least whoever runs this place has good taste in incense¡­even if their choices in d¨¦cor are heavily lacking.¡± No?l passed through shelves and even more shelves chocked full of random knickknacks. A broken teacup here, wooden tops covered in moss, half-sewn dolls there. He also happened upon baskets brimming with sweets, though¡­they seemed completely bereft for human consumption. Even an immortal vampire such as himself would not dare to consume the sugary, brightly wrapped treats. They¡­all appeared to be covered in mold¡ª And he could have sworn he saw a baguette move at the corner of his eye. ¡°This never happened,¡± No?l said as he hastily treaded across a faded rug. Turning a corner, he was surprised to find an elderly man seated behind a cash register. Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 2] The lost vampire realized with a start that the pleasant aroma of fresh peppermint and crisp dark chocolate was not incense, but a fancy-looking cigar the elderly gentleman had been smoking. Gray smoke blossomed around the man in an ethereal, haunting, almost ghostly way. Had No?l not noticed the steady rise and fall of his chest as he smoked his cigar, he would have figured him to be an automaton of some sort. There was an ¡®old-world¡¯ charm to the elderly man, whom he figured of which to be the toy store owner. He seemed to be as gray and washed-out as the mountains of broken toys¡­almost as if, he weren¡¯t¡­entirely in the realm of the living¡­¡­ ¡°Excuse me, sir. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but are you Mr. Emerett?¡± No?l addressed the elderly man as he walked up closer to the register. ¡°I stumbled across your store upon seeking shelter from the rain and would like to ask if I may stay here until the weather subsides? I promise to stay out of your way.¡± A flash of recognition sparked through the old man¡¯s eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly. How odd, No?l admits as he notes the emotion did not appear to be ¡®fear¡¯ as he had grown accustomed to, but something more unusual. It¡¯s almost as if he recognizes me, but¡­I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve never met this ¡®Mr. Emerett¡¯ before. Perhaps he¡¯s merely surprised someone walked into his store, considering it is in the middle of nowhere? Best not to over think this¡­not like I¡¯ll stay here long enough to encounter any problems. ¡°Now, now, sonny, you don¡¯t need to be so formal. Just ¡®Emerett¡¯ will do. ¡®Mr.¡¯ makes me feel old,¡± the elderly man said. His hair, which at one point must have been a light shade of auburn, had grayed significantly. In contrast to his lightly-colored hair, the man¡¯s attire consisted of a black shirt, black vest, and black pants. Bright, silver cufflinks adorned his sleeves. His hands were intertwined underneath his chin, giving him the appearance of a funeral director and not a toy store owner. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. There was a wispy, somewhat wistful aura to the old man. Of course, No?l was in no place to intrude nor did he care all that much. Everyone had their skeletons, and it would be cruel to dig this old man¡¯s up. As per usual, No?l would be content to pass through and disappear, as if he never existed. While not the most ideal life, it was enough for him. ¡°Apologies, Mr. Emerett, but I cannot do that. My Aunt would have a fit if I acted anything less than polite.¡± ¡°Your Aunt, huh? I knew a woman like that a long time ago,¡± Emerett forlornly sighed as he held the cigar with one hand. ¡°She was always so polite, so formal¡­actually, you remind me of her.¡± ¡°Okay¡­that¡¯s not weird at all,¡± No?l deadpanned. Weird thing to tell a stranger, much less a potential customer. ¡°It was a compliment; just been awhile since I last saw her¡­well, then you can speak however you want,¡± the store owner said as he snuffed out the cigar. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to make a lady cry, would you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I don¡¯t think my Aunt would cry over my speech patterns.¡± ¡°Well, you know what I mean.¡± ¡°No, not really. Enlighten me,¡± No?l murmured. Agitated, he couldn¡¯t help but miss his coffin. While he couldn¡¯t die, he was now certain boredom could not completely be ruled out. ¡°Not important,¡± the man drawled as he slowly got up from his seat at the cash register. ¡°Excuse me, but I have something to take care of. Just ring me up if you have any questions.¡± Hesitantly, No?l asked one of the many questions fluttering around in his head. ¡°Actually, I do. Are all of these toys your creations?¡± ¡°They sure are; glad you noticed them. Have any of my creations caught your eye?¡± the store owner proudly boasted. No?l merely looked unimpressed and a minute away from throwing himself out of one of the many stained glass windows residing within the toy store. ¡°They¡¯re¡­unlike anything I have seen before,¡± the vampire admitted. Not quite a lie nor the truth. ¡°If I may ask, why are they all¡­incomplete?¡± The store owner exhaled sharply. His grip on the register¡¯s table seemed to tighten. Gritting his teeth, Emerett¡¯s gaze briefly flickered towards a moldy, half-sewn doll placidly lying within one of his many wooden shelves before shifting his dark-hued eyes back towards No?l. ¡°Why, that¡¯s very simple. Ever since my muse passed away so many years ago, I have not been able to create anything that replicates even a minute fraction of her beauty.¡± ¡°Her soft, chestnut brown hair¡­porcelain skin, gentle smile¡­what was there to not love?¡± The harshness in Emerett¡¯s eyes deteriorates as he recounts the woman who was apparently his muse. This¡­is getting creepy, No?l snarks. In disgust, he truly was considering bashing the store owner¡¯s skull with one of his very many bookshelves. What is he; a stalker? ¡°Is¡­this woman you¡¯re referring to ¡®real¡¯ and not a construct of your own mind?¡± No?l awkwardly shies away from Emerett as his proclamations of love for this mystery woman became more pronounced. ¡°Of course she¡¯s real! I understand if you¡¯re in disbelief. Her beauty was otherworldly.¡± Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 2] The lost vampire realized with a start that the pleasant aroma of fresh peppermint and crisp dark chocolate was not incense, but a fancy-looking cigar the elderly gentleman had been smoking. Gray smoke blossomed around the man in an ethereal, haunting, almost ghostly way. Had No?l not noticed the steady rise and fall of his chest as he smoked his cigar, he would have figured him to be an automaton of some sort. There was an ¡®old-world¡¯ charm to the elderly man, whom he figured of which to be the toy store owner. He seemed to be as gray and washed-out as the mountains of broken toys¡­almost as if, he weren¡¯t¡­entirely in the realm of the living¡­¡­ ¡°Excuse me, sir. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but are you Mr. Emerett?¡± No?l addressed the elderly man as he walked up closer to the register. ¡°I stumbled across your store upon seeking shelter from the rain and would like to ask if I may stay here until the weather subsides? I promise to stay out of your way.¡± A flash of recognition sparked through the old man¡¯s eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly. How odd, No?l admits as he notes the emotion did not appear to be ¡®fear¡¯ as he had grown accustomed to, but something more unusual. It¡¯s almost as if he recognizes me, but¡­I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve never met this ¡®Mr. Emerett¡¯ before. Perhaps he¡¯s merely surprised someone walked into his store, considering it is in the middle of nowhere? Best not to over think this¡­not like I¡¯ll stay here long enough to encounter any problems. ¡°Now, now, sonny, you don¡¯t need to be so formal. Just ¡®Emerett¡¯ will do. ¡®Mr.¡¯ makes me feel old,¡± the elderly man said. His hair, which at one point must have been a light shade of auburn, had grayed significantly. In contrast to his lightly-colored hair, the man¡¯s attire consisted of a black shirt, black vest, and black pants. Bright, silver cufflinks adorned his sleeves. His hands were intertwined underneath his chin, giving him the appearance of a funeral director and not a toy store owner. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. There was a wispy, somewhat wistful aura to the old man. Of course, No?l was in no place to intrude nor did he care all that much. Everyone had their skeletons, and it would be cruel to dig this old man¡¯s up. As per usual, No?l would be content to pass through and disappear, as if he never existed. While not the most ideal life, it was enough for him. ¡°Apologies, Mr. Emerett, but I cannot do that. My Aunt would have a fit if I acted anything less than polite.¡± ¡°Your Aunt, huh? I knew a woman like that a long time ago,¡± Emerett forlornly sighed as he held the cigar with one hand. ¡°She was always so polite, so formal¡­actually, you remind me of her.¡± ¡°Okay¡­that¡¯s not weird at all,¡± No?l deadpanned. Weird thing to tell a stranger, much less a potential customer. ¡°It was a compliment; just been awhile since I last saw her¡­well, then you can speak however you want,¡± the store owner said as he snuffed out the cigar. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to make a lady cry, would you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I don¡¯t think my Aunt would cry over my speech patterns.¡± ¡°Well, you know what I mean.¡± ¡°No, not really. Enlighten me,¡± No?l murmured. Agitated, he couldn¡¯t help but miss his coffin. While he couldn¡¯t die, he was now certain boredom could not completely be ruled out. ¡°Not important,¡± the man drawled as he slowly got up from his seat at the cash register. ¡°Excuse me, but I have something to take care of. Just ring me up if you have any questions.¡± Hesitantly, No?l asked one of the many questions fluttering around in his head. ¡°Actually, I do. Are all of these toys your creations?¡± ¡°They sure are; glad you noticed them. Have any of my creations caught your eye?¡± the store owner proudly boasted. No?l merely looked unimpressed and a minute away from throwing himself out of one of the many stained glass windows residing within the toy store. ¡°They¡¯re¡­unlike anything I have seen before,¡± the vampire admitted. Not quite a lie nor the truth. ¡°If I may ask, why are they all¡­incomplete?¡± The store owner exhaled sharply. His grip on the register¡¯s table seemed to tighten. Gritting his teeth, Emerett¡¯s gaze briefly flickered towards a moldy, half-sewn doll placidly lying within one of his many wooden shelves before shifting his dark-hued eyes back towards No?l. ¡°Why, that¡¯s very simple. Ever since my muse passed away so many years ago, I have not been able to create anything that replicates even a minute fraction of her beauty.¡± ¡°Her soft, chestnut brown hair¡­porcelain skin, gentle smile¡­what was there to not love?¡± The harshness in Emerett¡¯s eyes deteriorates as he recounts the woman who was apparently his muse. This¡­is getting creepy, No?l snarks. In disgust, he truly was considering bashing the store owner¡¯s skull with one of his very many bookshelves. What is he; a stalker? ¡°Is¡­this woman you¡¯re referring to ¡®real¡¯ and not a construct of your own mind?¡± No?l awkwardly shies away from Emerett as his proclamations of love for this mystery woman became more pronounced. ¡°Of course she¡¯s real! I understand if you¡¯re in disbelief. Her beauty was otherworldly.¡± Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 3] Yes, he¡¯s definitely a stalker. No?l shoots him an unimpressed look. Forget the bookshelf; I should hit him with the sentient baguette. ¡°It sounds like she was merely an object to you.¡± This man has more than a few screws loose¡­¡­ ¡°My love for her was real. I¡¯d be more offended, but I can¡¯t expect someone like you to understand.¡± The love struck tone of the store owner¡¯s voice melted away into an icy, sharp bark. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out when you¡¯re older.¡± ¡°Well¡­I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡­¡± Emerett was already faced away from No?l and gradually started walking towards the backroom. ¡°I felt the same way¡­until I met her.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I do have one more question,¡± No?l lazily called out to the toy store owner. ¡°Then say it, already.¡± ¡°You do realize building a toy store in the middle of nowhere is terrible for business, right, Mister? I¡¯d imagine that grotto not too far from here wouldn¡¯t do much for tourism, either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not always about money. I¡¯m doing it for the art.¡± Smirking, an almost happy [mocking] tone was laced through No?l¡¯s voice as he continued his barrage of statements against the store owner. ¡°Or¡­could it be that you were chased out and had to set up shop here? I doubt most customers would enjoy listening to your ramblings of a deceased woman.¡± A silence enveloped the store as Emerett paused in his trek towards the backroom. ¡°What I do is none of your concern,¡± the store owner icily retorted. ¡°Materials are much easier to find here.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± ¡°Bye-bye, Mister Store Owner,¡± No?l sing-songs in a mockingly cheery tone as Emerett slammed the door shut behind him. Glass bottles clanked together as the door was forcefully closed on its hinges. ¡°Well, this was a disturbing experience,¡± the vampire deadpanned. ¡°Better get out of here while he¡¯s preoccupied.¡± This whole ordeal was quite weird, and uncomfortable, and just¡­there was something about the way the elderly man talked about that woman. How could he claim to love her if¡­everything he described was so superficial? What did her laugh sound like? What were her likes? Dislikes? Did he ever speak to her even once, or did he spend his days building shoddy replicas that could never compare to a living, breathing person? He wasn¡¯t terribly interested in matters of the heart, but even the vampire knew obsession was a terrible foundation for a healthy relationship. Nevertheless, No?l was more than happy to get away from that obsessive stalker of a store owner and his incredibly tacky building. He faintly pondered on whether he should ¡®take care¡¯ of Emerett incase someone less fortunate came across the structure and caught his attention, but the chances of that happening were slim to none. It was highly unlikely anyone else would discover this place, and Emerett did not appear to be long for this world. No?l did not want to accuse anyone without solid evidence, but the chances of Emerett being capable of murder crossed his mind more than once. Though, if he were to be honest¡­physically, the store owner did not look the part. He seemed much too feeble and¡­not entirely of this ¡®realm¡¯. The man was inconsequential¡ªhe would die as he had lived. Alone in a sea of useless junk. Unwanted and delusional. As No?l was too preoccupied in his thoughts, he nearly missed a soft, low voice emanating from a rustic silver plate of all things. The vampire tilted his head at the plate, eyes wide in confusion. ¡°This is odd for you, Lila. Have you developed an interest in plates and cutlery since we¡¯ve last spoken half an hour ago?¡± ¡°No, no, my dear. But I must warn you¡ªthere¡¯s¡­something off about this place¡­¡­¡± the plate lamented in a quick, hushed tone. The witch¡¯s purple eyes could be seen through the common kitchen plate, which¡­certainly made for a surreal, frankly quite bizarre sight. ¡°I was looking through that man¡¯s mirrors and windows, as you¡¯d be wont to do if you had no one else to speak with for centuries, but¡­I saw something.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Lila. I¡¯m well aware and heading back outside as we speak.¡± ¡°Oh dear, that isn¡¯t want I meant. Not at all, not at all, I¡¯m afraid. He possesses a portrait¡­I do not recognize the woman, but she has soft brown hair¡ª¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t, Ms. Witch. I¡¯ve heard enough from Mister Stalker.¡± ¡°No, what I mean¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about how beautiful this poor woman was. She¡¯s dead¡­that should be the end of it.¡± ¡°Her brooch¡ª¡± A thick shadow loomed over No?l as Lila¡¯s silent voice was cut off. The silver plate clattered to the floor¡­ ¡°Wait, what did you say¡ª¡± The vampire looked up and was confronted with the sight of a young girl. Only¡­her face was empty. Her eyes, mouth, nose¡­there was nothing to be found. Where there should be a face was instead a blank slate of empty void. Dressed in a simple, floor length night gown and with a tallow candle loosely held in her hands, it was easy to mistake the faceless specter for a normal girl¡ªat least, if you were to look at her from far away. She seemed impossibly tall and yet so very small. Upon closer inspection, No?l noticed how there were small tears and bits of stone and bramble stuck in her dress, as if she stumbled down from a great height. There were blood stains on her hands, sleeves, and skin. She was shaking slightly, one small, pale arm stretched outward towards the vampire. Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 4] She appeared to be beckoning towards him. Faceless, but even then, it was tragically easy to tell how scared the specter felt even in death. ¡°Are you from the grotto?¡± No?l quickly looked behind his shoulder, but was relieved to see a certain shop keeper was not there. The pale ghost nodded, long, blonde hair falling over her featureless face in the process. ¡°Can you leave?¡± A shake of the head was all No?l needed to understand. ¡°That man¡­he murdered you.¡± Silence. The ghost slowly nodded her head. ¡°Do¡­you want me to help you? Is¡­is your corpse still here?¡± A soft light voice breaks the stillness in the air. Looking up, No?l noted how the ghost was hunched over, shoulders quaking. Not from laughter, but great, heaving sobs. Tears welled from where her eyes should have been and fell down onto the ground, staining the wooden floorboards a darker shade of brown. As she was a ghost, it was somewhat odd as to how exactly her tears could stain the floor. So much for avoiding trouble, were the words that quickly crossed No?l¡¯s mind as he leaned against one of the ubiquitous shelves which happened to be filled with the store owner¡¯s [murder¡¯s] eclectic oddities. How selfish I must be to wish I could have left before meeting her, he berated himself. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Is¡­it wrong to have wanted to depart from here without incident? None of this is her fault, and yet¡­why do I feel so¡­disappointed? The little ghost¡¯s cries roared loudly in his ears. It¡¯s almost maddening. Nothing about this made any sense. There¡¯s¡­too much death. The young vampire wanted to die more than anything, but¡­was there no respite? Was he forever doomed to listen to the silent pleas and wails of those unable to speak for themselves? No?l grabbed his arm, fingers leaving light indents from his grip. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry, Miss. I promise to never leave your side until your spirit is set free.¡± Her light sobs faded away and tears no longer fell down from her face. The silence was unsettling. --- A moth-eaten sofa was kept unturned as No?l tossed aside a striped cushion. Its brazen color scheme of pink and yellow clashed horribly with the faded blue sofa. Partially sewn dolls with a suspect leathery texture were strewn about the hardwood floor while a cookie tin containing buttons of varying quality were flung from their perch on a shoddily built shelf. Even happily grinning plush animals were beheaded in his haste to find the ghost girl¡¯s remains. The unnamed girl¡¯s hands were clasped together¡ªalmost as if she were uttering a silent prayer. ¡°No matter where I look, I can¡¯t find anything!¡± No?l pulled at his hair bow in exasperation. ¡°Would you be alright if I blow up this damn building?¡± The ghost buried her featureless face into her hands. ¡°You¡¯re right. This place is really far, but a hunter might hear the commotion and call the cops,¡± the vampire seriously nodded to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this plan on the backburner, however. You never know when you need to set off a stick of dynamite and five pounds of marmalade.¡± No?l stumbled back as he pulled out a rectangular object from the atrocious, downright criminal, ugly sofa. ¡°It¡¯s¡­.a portrait frame?¡± He sharply gasped at the all-too-familiar face staring back at him from the picture frame. She was exactly how the man had described her¡­ Chestnut hair, warm smile¡­even the brooch Lila mentioned was there¡­fashioned elegantly upon the woman¡¯s head. Why, he had seen those blood red eyes before. The woman that man was obsessing over¡­she¡­was¡­his beloved Aunt¡­¡­ ¡°Aunt Delia¡­!!?¡± The ghost girl motionlessly glided behind the vampire and peered over his shoulder. Well, Aunt Delia would never have dated him, and that¡¯s not just because of his¡­horrible tendencies and criminal hobbies. No?l spared the image of his Aunt another look before murmuring a silent spell. As the object was now small, he pocketed the portrait. You deserve to be in a better place, Aunt Delia. I¡¯ll keep you safe. ¡°She¡¯s my Aunt Delia,¡± No?l addressed the ghost as he noticed her attempts to catch a glimpse of the red-eyed woman. A silent hum rings in his ears. The spirit understands. Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 5] He found himself back at the register. The aromatic smell of peppermint and dark chocolate still hung in the air, but its fragrance was tainted by something metallic and familiar. It was a harsh scent that he had grown accustomed to. While he, himself, did not consume the substance, he was still a vampire, afterall¡­¡­ ¡°Blood¡­¡­¡± No?l brought his hand to his head and nervously twirled a lock of his hair. ¡°It must be abundant and fresh if its scent can¡¯t entirely be masked out by this smell.¡± He turned his head towards the spirit, expression simultaneously both resigned and resolute. ¡°We¡¯re getting close now,¡± is what No?l told his faceless companion. She tightly clasped her hands together in response. The creaky steps following him as he stepped across the wooden floorboards were absolutely deafening to the ear. While the ghost girl could not completely speak [if it was due to her lack of a mouth or something else entirely, he did not know], she was humming a light-hearted rendition of ¡®Ring Around the Rosie.¡¯ Truth be told, he was beginning to feel like the protagonist in a horror novel, but who was he to discourage her attempts at creating music? His loud, cacophonic, creaky footsteps abruptly came to a halt once he reached the backroom door. Time fell to a complete standstill as he reached one small, pale hand out to the scratched doorknob. He could hear absolutely nothing. Even the ghost girl ended her song. The world had gone still, but soon¡­it will end¡­for everyone except him. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and¡­yanked the wooden door open. He was taken aback by how strong the scent of blood and decay had grown. Amidst opening his eyes, he was admittedly unsurprised by just how chaotic the backroom was. If possible, it was even messier than the storefront. Stacks and stacks of wooden crates were precariously placed one on top of the other¡ªall of which reached up to the ceiling. What caught his attention, however, was a frayed gray curtain hidden behind the crates. No?l couldn¡¯t see it, but he just knew. Behind that curtain was the key to this little ghost¡¯s salvation. Afterall, that was where the awful metallic scent of blood was strongest. Coughing lightly as he pushed back cobwebs, No?l slowly made his way to the curtain. The faceless ghost followed in-suit, noiselessly and impassively. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯d like to see this,¡± No?l asked. ¡°There are other methods to ensure your transfer to the other side. To be quite honest with you, I will not promise you won¡¯t like what you see here. No, it¡¯s not a promise, but a guarantee.¡± Moving to stand in-front of the curtain, the faceless ghost beckoned towards No?l. Please¡­do this for me, is what she seemed to say. No?l blankly stared at the curtain for a final time. He grimaced at being in such close proximity to the harried veil separating them from whatever may be hidden from view and¡­pushed the grainy, ragged cloth aside. The ghost was a perfect caricature of sheer horror as she brought her hands up to where her mouth should be. Backing away from the sight of decay that had been revealed from behind the curtain, her long, light hair [still covered in blood and bramble] fluttered back. Her resemblance was uncannily similar to that of a wrathful ghost. ¡°Is¡­this you? Or¡­who you once were?¡± No?l questioned even though he knew the answer. His eyes were downcast and hollow. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve found you, I suppose the only thing left is to give you a proper burial.¡± His frown deepened as he continued to stare at the look of terror etched into the skeleton hidden away behind the curtain. Or, well, her complete lack of a face¡­ The skull¡¯s face was viciously smashed in, but he was positive that if there were traces of a face, it would have been frozen with shock. It was apparent the girl¡¯s skeleton was locked away for decades. Yellowed and cracked with age, if he could hazard a guess, he would say the poor girl had been dead for at least fifty years. Cracks were visible all over, but the worst would have to be around her ankles, as if she had taken a great fall. The skeleton¡¯s night gown was covered in dried blood and sticks¡­its resemblance was exactly similar to that of the ghost girl¡¯s own intangible copy. Most grotesquely, however, were the large amounts of dry gray hair still attached to her skull. Due to its age, clumps of hair had separated and laid about the ground in messy heaps. Blood still clung to the strands of hair. No?l turned to look at the spirit. She was completely unresponsive, but he could not blame her. The odds were that she subconsciously knew her remains were in this room. But¡­was it fear or something more that kept her away from this room for so long? While he was more used to speaking with the dead than the living, there were many things about the former that he still did not understand. Though, he doubted anyone could ever truly know the thoughts and machinations of the deceased. Even he, a boy who died once, still had little to no idea what the more permanent aspects of the afterlife would be like. Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 6] ¡°There, there,¡± No?l said. It was in times like these that he wished Lila were still around....not Lila the mirror witch, but what she was like before she had been forced to reside within mirrors, water, and other reflective surfaces. Distressingly, the faceless spirit had not been crying. He supposed referring to her as a ¡®faceless¡¯ spirit was heartless now that he knew the reasons for her appearance, but as he did not know her name, that was as much as he could do¡­¡­ I grew so accustomed to her nursery rhymes, No?l says to himself. He spared the spirit a glance as he waited for her input. Minutes passed, but still¡­nothing. The room was so incredibly silent. No?l sighed, resigned and¡­tired. ¡°We¡¯ll get you out of here.¡± And then I¡¯ll take care of that store owner. He leaned down until he was eye level with the corpse¡¯s face. No?l¡¯s eyebrows were pressed together as he brushed the skeleton¡¯s loose hair from her skull. Carefully and without a word, he picked up the girl¡¯s skeleton with ease. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be lonely anymore.¡± It was unclear whether he was saying this to the skeleton or the spirit hovering behind them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry no one heard your voice, but¡­you can rest. Leave everything to me.¡± Seconds passed by, but to him, they felt like centuries as he stepped out of the backroom. You¡¯re safe now, is what he wanted to say as he turned towards the ghost girl. Only¡­the overwhelming scent of peppermint and dark chocolate filled the air. Or perhaps not¡­¡­ ¡°What do you think of my store?¡± The store keeper, murderer, Emerett asked as he stepped out from beneath the shadow of a large shelf. ¡°It sucks,¡± No?l automatically responded. What¡¯s with the theatrics? Does he think that makes him look intimidating? If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°You suck,¡± the vampire was quick to say. ¡°Answer my question,¡± Emerett repeats. He smiles pleasantly. The ghost girl shuffled away and hid behind No?l. ¡°Well, this is a slaughter house, is it not?¡± No?l spared another glance at the skeleton in his arms. While old and cracked, it did not appear to be at risk for breaking apart. ¡°There¡¯s not much else I could say.¡± ¡°I used to get so many visitors,¡± the store owner said dreamily. ¡°My work was absolutely perfect. At least, that¡¯s what my younger self thought. Day in and day out, I would create the most wonderful toys.¡± ¡°You should have seen this store in its heyday,¡± the old man sighs. ¡°I find that hard to believe, No?l snarks. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here for miles. Sure, a hunter or a patrol office might come across this place, but willing customers?¡± ¡°There used to be a town not too far from here. They¡¯ve long since disappeared, but¡­traces still remain. Follow where the birds fly low. That is where you will find them.¡± Birds¡­? I could stab him and leave, but there¡¯s something I must know¡­¡­ How did he find out about Aunt Delia? Was¡­she a part of this ¡®town?¡¯ ¡°So many people found joy in my creations. Stuffed animals, dolls, toy furniture. I was content for a time, but¡­there was always a missing element¡­¡­¡± There was a murderous glint in the store keeper¡¯s eyes. ¡°Anyone could make toys with enough talent, practice, and resources. Nothing about my work was special. It¡¯s about as inconsequential and fleeting as a rainstorm.¡± ¡°These thoughts plagued me, but I bore with them. My business grew as my apathy for my art increased,¡± Emerett recounted, voice getting louder and louder. ¡°I thought I would be forever subjected to mediocrity, until¡­¡­¡± ¡°She stepped inside,¡± Emerett sighed once again. ¡°I still remember that day. The bells chimed, but when I looked up, I was greeted by the loveliest red eyes. They were hidden behind golden glasses, but they only enhanced her already incredible angelic beauty. At that moment, I knew nothing I would ever create would match this woman.¡± I¡¯d rather not hear this¡­¡­ No?l resisted the intense urge to throw his hands in disgust. But I must find out as much as I can about Auntie. ¡°She had the most beautiful voice. ¡®Delia¡¯, is what she said her name was,¡± Emerett sang. He walked back to his register and reached for another cigar. The scent of peppermint and dark chocolate mixed with blood still lingered heavily in the air. ¡°Delia, in all of her kindness, told me she was searching for a gift for her nephew,¡± he remarks. ¡°No?l is what she said his name was. This kid¡­you¡¯re him, aren¡¯t you?¡± No?l stared back, lips pressed in a straight line. ¡°What does it matter to you if I am?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get there soon enough,¡± the shop keeper chuckled. Gray smoke billowed around him. ¡°Well, I knew nothing could compare to her beauty, but that wouldn¡¯t be anything she did not already know. I showed her my dolls, which were my most popular item¡­¡± Emerett took another lazy drag from his cigar. ¡°Do you know what she told me?¡± That you are a talentless hack? No?l bites his tongue, lest the words spill out of his mouth. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°These¡­materials that you use. They¡¯re alright, but I could do better.¡± Emerett smiled, gazing wistfully at a stained glass window depicting a witch burning. ¡°They aren¡¯t bad by any means, but¡­there¡¯s something lacking. As a fellow artist, I can see the discontent in your eyes. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong. And¡­she was right. Absolutely right.¡± ¡°What I needed was¡­something more.¡± The ghost fidgeted her hands anxiously as she peered over No?l¡¯s head. ¡°My creations were so fake¡­so¡­lifeless¡­¡­There¡¯s no beauty in mere thread and cloth.¡± A cold shudder runs down No?l¡¯s spine. ¡°And so, that very evening, I took out a shovel and broke into the nearest cemetery. Materials were plentiful, but it was difficult to find a healthy corpse as most were already subjected to the plague. It took all night, but¡­eventually I came across the one. I don¡¯t remember what she looked like, but her beauty paled in comparison to Delia¡¯s. She wasn¡¯t perfect, but she was all that I had to work with.¡± INTERLUDE 3 Thank you so much for reading Tr?umerei! It''s been a very fun to work on these novels for the last year and a half. Currently, I''m working on a poster for most of the prominent characters introduced in the first three volumes. As of the fourth chapter, only 3 out of 11 characters included in this sketch have appeared: Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! I have a few other side projects in-mind--primarily a graphic novel, but that depends on if I have enough time in the far future. And please feel free to comment or leave your thoughts on anything! I''m always up for reader input. ^-^ Also, should I start calling these sections ''Author''s Notes'' instead of ''Interludes?'' Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 7] The room was so very silent, save for the squeaks of mice as they scurried across the floor. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, I must admit. I had no experience in butchery. I made a sloppy job of removing her organs¡­lungs, heart, brain¡­¡­there was so much material that I wasted. The eyes were simple enough, however. They decay too quickly, but merely scooping them out with a spoon did the job. I used the skin to create a doll and presented her to Delia the next time she graced my store with her presence.¡± The spirit lightly jumped as one of the many half-sewn dolls perched upon a shelf fell to the ground. ¡°Delia laughed in my face and called her ¡®cute.¡¯ I could now see the error of my ways. My doll¡­she was imperfect. The only way to achieve perfection would be to replicate Delia¡¯s beauty,¡± Emerett happily sighs. ¡°I visited the cemetery again and again, but I would get the same response every single time.¡± ¡°Until¡­it dawned on me. I realized the missing element to truly perfect my art.¡± Emerett laughs brightly. Harshly. ¡°The plague had affected nearly every family at this point. My customers dwindled to nothing, but I never felt happier. There was a girl that visited my store one afternoon¡­I don¡¯t remember her name, but she¡¯s the one resting in your arms.¡± The skeleton¡¯s ghost is unwaveringly silent. She is as still as her decayed, yellowed corpse. ¡°She stumbled upon my store looking for a safe sanctuary away from the raging storm outside,¡± the store owner cheerfully stated. ¡°What a perfect opportunity it was. Lady luck truly was on my side. This girl¡­no one would miss her. Even if her family was alive, they had the plague to worry about. Not a single soul would dare step out for fear of contracting the illness. No one¡­except one foolish little girl.¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve been the perfect murder.¡± Emerett takes another huff out of his cigar. ¡°If only she drank the tea¡­¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. No?l¡¯s eyes flicker to the cigar. ¡°Peppermint and chocolate tea with just a drop of hemlock. I wasn¡¯t heartless. It would have been a quick and painless death,¡± Emerett flippantly stated with a wave of his hand. ¡°She seemed to have noticed something was amiss¡­that¡­girl, she did not take a single sip.¡± Emerett crushes the cigar. The acrid smell of peppermint and dark chocolate still lingers¡­¡­ ¡°And so¡­¡± No?l¡¯s hollow gaze is fixed on the girl. Not the spirit standing behind him, but the skeleton lying vacantly in his arms. He focuses on the injuries she sustained, particularly her face, or lack thereof. ¡°You found another way to kill her. Improvised, is what you did.¡± ¡°But, you weren¡¯t able to do a clean job. Is¡­that why her skeleton still remains here?¡± the vampire says. He isn¡¯t na?ve. He isn¡¯t stupid. People like this¡­selfish, cruel, entitled¡­that¡¯s what they are. This monster kept her skeleton encased within this tomb. Her soul had been barred from the afterlife; placed under lock and key. Just as he was doomed to wander the earth, this girl was forced to remain in this ironclad prison with her murderer. That¡­was a fate he would not wish on anyone. Except, perhaps, in this very moment¡­him. At the selfish man who had caused her ruin. The shop keeper slowly got up. He trailed around his desk, smiling pleasantly as he did so. A glint of silver caught No?l¡¯s eyes. Even within the gray, washed out lighting of this structure, he was able to recognize the sheathe looped around Emerett¡¯s belt. He had been so focused on the shop keeper¡¯s grim retelling of his crimes that he failed to notice an important detail¡­the man¡¯s proclivity for murder. He has a knife, No?l realizes¡­angry, frustrated, and tired. A damn knife. As he was a vampire, he was immortal by extension. While this did not necessarily mean he could live forever, there were very few things in this mortal world that could kill him. He could be stabbed, drowned, hanged, struck by lightening, or fall from a great height, but he would merely walk away from each ordeal every single time with nary a scratch. There were those who would kill to be in his place. No?l, however, would be relieved to relinquish this blessing and pass on. The shop keeper, Emerett, the murderer¡­cleared his throat. His hand was rested on top of the silvery sheathe. Unwavering and steady. It was clear he had more than his fair share of experience at slaughter. ¡°How idiotic I was¡ªI wanted to do this the easy way,¡± the elderly man clicks his tongue. He seemed unnaturally tall within the confined space of this ¡®toy¡¯ store. ¡°I had thought it to be a blessing. This girl, walking into my store like a lamb sent to slaughter.¡± Dull, sorrowful rings echo from an antique clock hanging on walls the color of aged parchment. The mournful tune of an execution, No?l mused. ¡°That girl ran¡­completely unaware of what valuable material was stored beneath her skin.¡± Emerett nods towards the broken skeleton. ¡°She would be used to create the most wonderful doll for an even more beautiful woman. I gave chase after her, until¡ª¡± The shopkeeper sighs, long and weary. ¡°She tumbled down a cliff.¡± Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 8] ¡°I had failed.¡± Another sigh. ¡°More than anything¡­I wanted to make a special work of art. One that could not be replicated by merely anyone. But instead, she fell. I did not kill her.¡± Emerett looked forlornly out of a stained-glass window. He was cast in a pale, washed out light. ¡°Or, that is what I thought¡­¡± ¡°I climbed down the cliff and discovered her to be breathing. Barely breathing, but still alive.¡± The shop keeper¡¯s tone was venomous and agitated¡­as if a great injustice had been done against him. ¡°And so, I looked for the sturdiest, strongest rock that I could find.¡± No?l placed himself in-front of the girl¡¯s spirit. He wanted to shield her not from the man¡¯s gaze [as the shop keeper could not see her], but from¡­his confession. A confession to a murder that he was proud of. ¡°And dropped it.¡± The young vampire could almost hear the sickening crack that pierced the air, smell the blood pooling around her lifeless corpse, and see her smashed and desecrated face. ¡°I¡­I wasn¡¯t thinking straight,¡± Emerett lamented. His hand tightened around the silver sheathe. ¡°Of course it wouldn¡¯t result in a clean death. This material¡­it would simply not do. That radiant woman would be disappointed, but I was running low on resources. As long as her skin was still usable, I could still create something¡­anything.¡± ¡°That doll would¡¯ve been my greatest creation, for I had made every single piece of it¡­down to the very material¡­that is what I thought.¡± Emerett¡¯s expression is that of exasperation, and¡­something else. Longing? ¡°I spent days, nights, weeks, on her, until¡­¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Tears started welling in the elderly murderer¡¯s eyes. Not of remorse, that much No?l is certain of. ¡°My goddess never visited again. News soon arrived.¡± Obsession is what No?l would describe those tears as. ¡°Delia¡­was never coming back.¡± Another shuddering breath. ¡°She¡­¡± Emerett loses his train of thought. No?l backs away. ¡°My dear, beloved Delia¡­she died.¡± Emerett removes the knife from its sheathe in a quick movement unexpected of his age. ¡°All that work that she would never see¡­¡­¡± ¡°Everything I did¡­¡± The shop keeper took a step towards No?l. ¡°Was for her.¡± ¡°Then those bones¡­¡± No?l murmured. ¡°You¡­killed them all? Merely for your bastardizations of art?¡± ¡°Some, I did kill. Others, however¡­they were always there. I do not know who killed them.¡± Emerett slowly raised his knife. ¡°Delia may have passed on, but I carried on her legacy. Her art will not die as long as I still breathe.¡± He took another step. No?l walked two steps back. ¡°It was a blessing, you know¡­I am old. It would only be a matter of time before my heart fails me,¡± Emerett confesses. He smiles warmly. ¡°Imagine my surprise when Delia¡¯s very own flesh and blood walked into my store.¡± ¡°You will never compare to her.¡± Another step. The floor creaks. It is deafening in all of this silence. ¡°To me, you are nothing. But¡­you were something to Delia. And that, in itself, is perfect.¡± ¡°I just know it. Your bones will be perfect for my final masterpiece.¡± It is instant¡­calculated, spontaneous, and malicious. With a grin, Emerett jabs the knife forward. The cut chops off a few strands of hair, but No?l jumps back just in the nick of time. Startled, but¡­otherwise unscathed. The skeleton nestled within his arms clattered together noisily. Its joints were barely connected. He spared one glance at the ghost girl standing in a corner with her hands clasped over her face. Another precise slice¡­it nearly misses his own face by a hair¡¯s width. No?l gently places the girl¡¯s skeleton by the wall. Not quite a dignified or respectful way to treat the dead, but he was running low on options. And time. Which was a funny thought, considering how much he¡¯d love for his clock to tick down to zero. No?l looked up and saw the knife aimed right at his face. He notices Emerett moving his arm back in preparation to strike. Before Emerett could react, No?l dodged the knife and tumbled across the hardwood floor and onto a cracked hand mirror. He picked himself up and threw the mirror at the deranged shop keeper. Had No?l looked clearly at the shattered object, he would have noticed a pair of faded, purple eyes staring back at him. Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 9] With a quick flick of the wrist, Emerett deflected the hand mirror away from himself. The mirror hit the wall with a sharp crack as shiny sharp bits of shrapnel embedded themselves onto the ground. And yet, No?l cannot hear this. An incessant static is ringing in his ears once more. It is strong and ever present, like viscous honey. I could kill him now, No?l thinks. But, he¡¯s my only lead. This murderer¡­he met Aunt Delia. There are so many unanswered questions I need answered. He turned his head left and right. While the toy store was very cluttered, his choices for potential hiding places were very limited. No?l vaguely thinks of his spell book, but no. It is not enough. He could¡­stab the man. That was an option. If he didn¡¯t want to sully a perfectly good dagger, one of the many mirror shards scattered throughout the store was also an equally decent option. He had to admit the idea was quite tempting. But¡­no. Murder was out of the question for now. Even if it was in self defense. He felt a sharp gust of air on his face as a knife embedded itself into the wall. Inches from his head. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. No?l sees Emerett out of the corner of his eye walking brusquely towards the knife. This is no good. I can¡¯t kill him¡­nor can I hide. And there is still that girl¡­she deserves a proper burial. He rips out the knife from the wall and snaps it in two. That should buy me some time, he thinks. No?l looked around the store and saw the ghost girl. She was frightened and sobbing into her hands, but otherwise, she was fine. Her corpse was still in one piece at the very least. With a grimace, No?l turned away from the vision of a spirit crying over her skeleton. That murderer¡­Emerett¡­has been silent, he notes to himself. His grip on his arm tightened. Still, I can¡¯t stay out here for long¡­ His pace gradually quickened as he darted across the antiquated structure. No?l passed through shelves filled with dolls and buttons. Broken furniture and mismatched pots, but it is not enough. It will never be enough. He locks eyes with a large patch of the already monochrome store completely engulfed in darkness. No?l crouches low behind a bookshelf. He feels alone, confused¡­uncertain of the steps he had taken to lead him to this very moment. ¡°What¡¯re you waiting for? Why don¡¯t you kill him, my dear?¡± Looking up, No?l sees a silver-plated mirror. It is cracked in so many places, but that soft, wispy voice is unmistakably Lila¡¯s. ¡°There is so much I must ask of him, Lila,¡± No?l says. He strains his ears for the sound of footsteps and the sharp clang of metal against wood. ¡°I cannot ¡®take care¡¯ of him until I learn everything I can.¡± ¡°You know he won¡¯t give you the answers you seek, dearie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a try¡ª¡± A sound of heavy footsteps against the hard, wooden floor. The silvery mirror clatters to the ground. No?l shuffles out of his hiding spot, but¡­Emerett is already there. It is too late. He has the edge of the knife pointed directly at the vampire once again. How many knives must this guy possess? No?l raises his arms as if in surrender, before¡­gently nudging one of the very many shelves displayed within the store. Wooden shelves topple one over the other like dominoes. Emerett¡¯s grip on the knife loosens as he stares dumbfounded at the wanton destruction. No?l uses this moment to jump over the shelves, but¡­it is too late. As he feels a heavy gaze, the lost vampire looks up and locks eyes with the faceless girl. She appeared to stare back at him for a moment before standing up. While her skeleton had remained untouched and relatively well-preserved in this commotion, there is a heavy feeling in the air. There had always been an uncomfortable aura to the store. But, there was something else interlaced within this already dire situation. Realization, is what No?l thinks. He doesn¡¯t know, but what exactly she had realized, is what he fears. No?l is so very tired. He calls out to her without thinking. He runs up to where she is, but¡­she has left. Volume 1, Chapter 4: Bone Collector [PART 10] The remaining traces of her ghostly visage disappeared through the store¡¯s archaic beige walls. And with her departure, only her skeleton remained in a heap upon the wooden floor. His blood freezes. He stares and stares and stares unseeingly at nothing. The skeleton still remains on the ground. A former ghost of herself¡­forever broken and beyond repair. Just like the spirit, her story was lost forevermore. ¡°Don¡¯t run,¡± Emerett says with a warm smile. His voice belies his true feelings, venomous and icy. Clutched in his hand is a decorative knife. It is fancier than the one he had been carrying, but its fancy appearance does not deceive No?l. The knife is what one would use in ritualistic killings. ¡°I despise everything about you, but, I¡¯m doing this for Delia.¡± He lazily assesses his blade. ¡°Soon, you will be something. And¡­I can be at peace knowing I¡¯ve dedicated all of myself to her.¡± No?l warily eyes the blade. He knows he won¡¯t die, but being stabbed is never a fun experience. ¡°Just tell me one thing,¡± No?l says. His expression is stiff and hollow, not unlike that of a doll¡¯s. ¡°What makes you think killing me will make my Aunt happy?¡± Emerett blinks. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± he slowly asks. The knife is still gripped tightly in his hands. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The shop keeper laughs harshly as he shakes his head. ¡°Is there anything you do know about her? All of this, everything, it was her idea.¡± ¡°Murder is what she lived for, and I¡ª¡± Emerett raises the knife once more and points it at No?l. ¡°Well, I lived for her.¡± No?l is tired. That much is certain. He is pale, and cold, and numb. So much of his life was filled with uncertainty, but¡­even after he awoke from his fifty year slumber, there was nothing waiting for him. How dare this murderer claim to have known his Aunt. How dare he say she was the murderer. The only murderer here is him. And¡­me, No?l tells himself. Hollow and so very tired. Aunt Delia was never a murderer. She is kind and polite and¡­dead. Never had she ever harmed anyone. There is a part of himself that truly believes this, but¡­¡­ There is never any kindness or certainty in his world. What¡­if he was wrong about this? What¡­if had been mistaken about Aunt Delia? He hears the sound of bottles slamming into each other and a door slamming shut. It sounds very far and distant. At this moment, all he can see is the face of a cold-blooded murderer and a silver knife. No?l hears the sound of a blade cutting through air before he sees it. There is a slight figure standing behind the man. He is holding a gun. The mysterious figure has a gun in his hands, and it is placed onto the back of the shop keeper¡¯s head. ¡°Bang.¡± A harsh gunshot pierces the tension. The noise is very grating on No?l¡¯s ears. It is similar to one of those¡­ Metal birds he used to see in the sky¡ªon the way to and from school. He tries to recall the curious contraptions, but to no avail. He is met with static and garbled words. Emerett screams. Blood drips sluggishly onto the ground. Bright red before fading into an earthy brown. The shop keeper topples over. Unresponsive, with his eyes glassy and unseeing. He is staring at the ceiling, but he is gone. No?l halfheartedly kicks at the corpse, but it is too late. The shop keeper is dead. He should feel happy, but No?l feels nothing. With the death of the shop keeper, his own questions had been buried. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I made it here in time. Are you alright?¡± No?l looks up. He locks eyes with a tall figure. In his hands is a gun, smoke lazily billowing out of the barrel. The figure had kneeled down until he was at eye-level with No?l. He looks shaken and frightened, but otherwise, he¡¯s fine. ¡°Are you alright?¡± the stranger says again. His one uncovered eye looks at No?l in concern. His eye¡­it¡¯s gold, No?l halfheartedly muses. It had been a long, tiring day, but he was ready to go back to sleep. There is blood pooling under Emerett¡¯s body. Blood is on the ground. At his feet. On his hands. He wants to go home. INTERLUDE 4 Hello, I finished this a few days ago! It''s [most] of the primary characters introduced in the first three volumes of Tr?umerei. Though, only four of them have appeared as of Chapter Four. The first part of Chapter Five will be released on Wednesday. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I''ve also started work on Volume 4. I finished the cover for it a few months back, so at the moment I''m going through my outline. Thank you as always for reading! Volume 1, Chapter 5: Lost Forevermore [PART 1] There is blood on his hair, on his face, and underneath his boots. A corpse of a man is lying dead at his feet, and No?l mourns. He mourns not for the man who had caused him so much trouble. Nor does he cry for the man who murdered so many children and snuffed out countless lives all for the sake of his twisted ¡®love.¡¯ He does not cry for the man who claimed to have once known his Aunt. He¡­cannot cry. But, No?l cannot help but think of the what-ifs and maybes. If Emerett had lived for but a few mere seconds, could he have found the answers he seeked? How did his Aunt die? What had become of her? Where was she buried? Countless questions ran through his head, but he could not ask a single one. Whatever words were on his tongue were washed away in the torrents of lost time. Their answers would forever rot in the dirt¡­buried underneath earthworms and entombed in a crypt of granite. Afterall, the man died underneath gunfire. And the perpetrator was none other than a peculiar stranger of a mere seventeen or eighteen years who had pointed his gun and fired at the shop keeper. ¡°Are you alright?¡± the stranger asked him in a concerned tone. His voice was similar to that of parchment¡ªit was crisp and pleasant, but underlying it was a meek expression plastered onto his face. No?l does not see him. He only sees crimson blood slowly dripping down his shaking hands, a deceased girl not much older than himself¡ª If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Aunt Delia, who he knew he¡¯d never see again. ¡°Maybe I should bring you to a doctor,¡± the stranger mumbles. He smells of gun smoke and death. Only at this does No?l acknowledge him. ¡°Oh good, you can hear me. I thought your ears were damaged in all that commotion.¡± He awkwardly laughs, but his expression is pained. ¡°You know, considering¡­gun. I should probably put this away. Sorry I had to uh, shoot him when you were right there, but, you¡¯re safe now.¡± His rambles stuttered to a halt. No?l raised an eyebrow at him. The stranger, No?l cannot help but note, is¡­rather odd. He¡¯s quite handsome and the type certain girls would fawn over, but there is something suspicious about the man. His voice is light and airy, and there is nothing outright unpleasant about his demeanor, but¡­no sane person could shoot another and laugh it off, albeit quite awkwardly. And that¡¯s not getting into the fact of how he could almost see ¡®death¡¯ following the stranger, and not a single bony step out of place. ¡°Er, can you talk?¡± the stranger asked while he waved a gloved hand over No?l¡¯s face. He looked at him in concern with one eye since a thick bandage was covering his right. His eye is a bright golden hue¡­while it is incredibly uncommon [No?l is not entirely sure if he ever met anyone with eyes as blindingly gold as this hunter¡¯s], he feels a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He never met this man before, but there was something¡­recognizable about him. He was as familiar as Annabelle, but, it was a lonely and awful thought to have. Dark brown hair fell over his bandaged eye, and nestled atop his head was a pair of leather goggles. The glass embedded in the man¡¯s headwear was as yellow as his one eye, but heavily chipped and fractured in other places. His neck was also covered in bandages, but No?l suspected there was more to it than he could tell at first glance. A maroon scarf was wrapped around his shoulders, while a gloved hand was anxiously fiddling with his tie. Overall, his attire gave him the appearance of a well-versed traveler or bard. Had No?l not seen him kill a man or detected the peculiar aura of death trailing behind the stranger, he would have thought of him as nothing more than a random teenager. But, he hadn¡¯t detected anything outright malicious about him, unlike the shop keeper. He seemed almost princely, but it was clear the stranger was not royalty. If anything, this peculiar man was something even more special. ¡°A hero.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± the stranger politely asked No?l. He was careful to not step onto the steadily growing pool of blood. ¡°A hero.¡± No?l pointed at the stranger, expression emotionless and face deadpan. ¡°You¡¯re a hero, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t call myself a hero¡ª¡± the man awkwardly laughed as he pulled at his scarf. ¡°Anyone else would have done the same thing in my shoes.¡± ¡°Nuh-uh,¡± No?l says in an impetulant manner. He stomped his feet childishly, thus proving his point in a roundabout way. ¡°You¡¯re just like those knights I¡¯ve read about in my books! You¡¯re a hero!¡± Volume 1, Chapter 5: Lost Forevermore [PART 2] For the first time since he left the confines of his home, No?l was happy. He is tired in a physical and emotional sense, but¡­there is a strange aura of cheer to this situation. Sure, his joy was misplaced, but there was an underlying satisfaction to finally having some semblance of normality in his life. This stranger was a curious one, but No?l just knew he was the key to his desired end. No?l did not remember how his journey began, but he was determined to make his death memorable. And, so¡­¡­ ¡°End me.¡± ¡°Excuse me!!?¡± He takes a few steps back in shock as No?l stares at him expectantly. The tall stranger¡¯s breath hitches and his one lone eye widens as he takes the time to ponder No?l¡¯s wish. He is unnerved and terrified, but still. He cannot leave. The stranger literally cannot leave as No?l had his wrist in an iron grip. ¡°I want to die. Is that so much to ask for?¡± No?l stated once more in a monotone, frown deepening. Finally, the death that had eluded him for so long was within his reach. Fear and concern was painted upon the stranger¡¯s face, but still¡­he remains silent. No?l¡¯s request lingers in the air. ¡°You want me to what¡ª¡± His grip on the stranger¡¯s wrist slackened as the meaning of the young vampire¡¯s words slowly dawned on him. The realization was spine chilling and bone numbing¡ªit was as if a bucket of cold water had been doused over him. In surprise [albeit a heavily delayed reaction], the older teen pushed himself away from No?l. Stumbling backwards, he fell directly onto a shelf with an indignant shriek. For his efforts, he managed to topple over a few shelves in the process as broken plates and dolls clattered noisily to the floor. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. No?l boredly watched as a rusted tin of buttons rolled towards him. Sighing, the vampire¡¯s gaze gradually shifts towards the all-encompassing wreckage that has consumed the already chaotic store. Disinterestedly, he nudged the decapitated head of a grinning, button-eyed doll. Shooting the fallen stranger a final unimpressed glance, No?l spinned on his heels and¡­walked out of the building. Some help he was, No?l muttered to himself, irate with the anticlimactic turn of events. Though, the fault is with me. I shouldn¡¯t rely on others to fulfill my wishes. He tries to not let disappointment cloud his judgment lest it cause bigger problems, but alas¡­at most, all he can do is leave¡ª And to hopefully never meet this golden-eyed stranger ever again. --- No?l heaves a long-suffering sigh for what felt like the fiftieth time that very hour. Once again, he was traversing through large, lonely woods that enveloped the strange landscape he found himself in, only this time¡­ He was not traveling with Annabelle, but with the stranger he had met in the antiquated toy store. Unfortunately, it was becoming increasingly apparent to the young vampire that they were completely and utterly lost. They had walked through the vast, colorful woods for longer than he¡¯d care to admit, but wherever their destination may be, nothing noteworthy was in sight. Neither buildings nor animals could be seen for miles. It¡­was almost concerning with how odd and surreal their surroundings were, but¡ª Nothing about this ¡®life¡¯ of his felt right, for lack of a better word. He sighs, once again. No?l¡¯s intended destination of ¡®wherever¡¯ was meant to be the grotto, but, well¡­those plans of his were quickly trampled. Now, his only goal in life was to make it out of these woods safe and sane. Well, at most, with a modicum of his sanity intact. Though, as he was currently fighting the urge to faceplant onto the ground out of boredom, those plans were not looking so good. If only the world were simple, he thinks to himself as he steps over yet another moss eaten log. No?l is tired and completely done with his life as he glares daggers at the tall stranger. The vampire gripped his leather-bound journal in annoyance as he followed, eyes unwavering from the back of the teenager¡¯s head. ¡°Rue, was it?¡± He tilted his eyes up, thinly veiled disinterest and irritation marring his voice. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m called,¡± the stranger, Rue, cheerfully responds. He keeps his one eye focused on the expanse of crimson, orange, and yellow trees that surround them. The sharp crunch of brittle autumn leaves follows the duo as they continue their descent into the woods. With how far they had traveled, their experiences in that sad little store seemed so long ago. The faceless girl with the sorrowful gait was now nonexistent in this endless expanse of oak trees. Emerett¡¯s shop was now nothing but a distant memory. Time seemed to have stopped as soon as they both left the dilapidated store. The unlikely pair had been walking silently for quite some time, but there was a certain unease that came to long droughts of silence with those you are not acquainted with. Volume 1, Chapter 5: Lost Forevermore [PART 3] It¡¯s funny just how much you know your relationship with a person can be gauged by how much you converse with them. There is a certain comfort in silence that can only be shared with those you are fond of, while with others¡ª An awkward void will fill the lull in noise. Should you speak with them? What should you say? There is no worse fate than being condemned to spend time with a person you do not know nor particularly care for. The true question here, however, is¡ª Who will be the one to break the silence? ¡°Thanks again for getting me out of there! Those dolls¡­were starting to freak me out¡­¡­¡± Rue hesitantly stated. His lips are pursed into a thin smile, but it¡¯s easy to tell he seems nervous. Agitated. Perhaps he¡¯s not fond of trees, No?l muses. Not like I can blame him, of course. ¡°Anytime, Mister,¡± the vampire halfheartedly responded as Rue turned around to thank him. ¡°Personally, I wouldn¡¯t pass up an opportunity to have such a unique death as murder by inanimate objects, but sure. Glad to be of service.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡­¡± Rue appeared to ponder over how to respond to such a statement, only for his words to instantly die before they left his mouth. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright, kid? I¡¯ll be here if you want to talk.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m quite fine,¡± No?l quickly responded, waving his sleeved hands at Rue in a small effort to change the conversation. Reluctantly relenting, Rue turned away. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. As soon as No?l is certain Rue cannot see him, he sticks his tongue out in exasperation. Please, I hope you never require my assistance ever again. We¡­have been walking for hours, No?l grumbles to himself. He feels a growing headache as he fervently laments over the time they had lost in their exploration of the vast and empty woods. Perhaps it¡¯s time that I ditch him. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Mister Rue, I¡¯d like to get there before you die of old age.¡± ¡°Sure, sure¡­wait, what do you mean by that!!?¡± Rue retorted, irritation laced in his voice. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be you?¡± Chuckling, No?l casually shakes his head. ¡°Oh, if only. Don¡¯t get my hopes up.¡± ¡°Where do you even want to go?¡± Rue bites back a frown. It would do no good to display any negativity. Between the two of them, he should be the mature, cool, wise one. But, it does not help that he has no idea where exactly this short kid¡¯s intended destination is. ¡°The grotto,¡± No?l says, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. I would have gotten there much sooner if only I didn¡¯t have babysitting duty. ¡°I think we¡¯re lost,¡± Rue muttered, timidly shuffling from one foot to the other. ¡°Maybe I should lead.¡± And that is precisely why we got lost in the first place. Eyes twitching, No?l was tempted to reach for the dagger concealed in his coat pocket but stopped himself. As¡­annoyed as he may be with this incompetent teenager, he has not exactly done anything wrong. But more importantly, he has a feeling Lila would not appreciate any additional attempts at murder. Still, the idea is more than a little tempting¡­it would be an easy job. Only a single hit and he¡¯d be down. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± A single golden eye peers curiously at him. Ah, he noticed. So much for that plan, No?l blandly realized much to his consternation. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking of murdering you.¡± Rue laughs awkwardly as he averts his gaze from the clearly annoyed, clearly irate vampire. He shifts his focus onto the plethora of crimson and orange foliage that adorns the area they were traversing in. While the sight was beautiful to behold, even he must admit that their travels had become rather tedious. ¡°Thank you¡­I think. I don¡¯t plan on murdering you either.¡± No?l stopped dead in his tracks. With the most serious expression he could muster, which¡­is really saying something considering his nigh perpetual state of boredom and sheer love of drama, he spins on his heels and stares directly up at Rue. His ruby-eyed gaze is icy, hollow, but, in that moment, Rue is all too aware of the horrors that he has potentially inflicted upon himself. ¡°Is that supposed to be your idea of a compliment?¡± Resisting the temptation to back away, Rue utters a distressed laugh. The situation is excruciating, and not how he expected this little excursion of his to go, but he can handle this. ¡°Anyway, what exactly is it that you¡¯re looking for at this grotto?¡± For a brief moment, No?l contemplates the highly tempting thought of ditching Rue. But, in the end, such an action would be more trouble than it¡¯s worth. The hunter had also helped him in his own unique way, so it would only be right to at least humor his question. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s fair that you know of what has happened there as well,¡± No?l concedes apathetically. ¡°You¡¯ve already involved yourself, so please, listen carefully.¡± At hearing the ominous set of words, Rue grimaces. The red eyed boy sounded as if he was part of some grand conspiracy. Rue knows whatever words that may leave his tongue will most certainly not be good, but he cannot admit that he, himself, is not even the least bit curious. Volume 1, Chapter 5: Lost Forevermore [PART 4] No?l frowns, face set in a deadpan expression. ¡°I do not know how to phrase this delicately, so I¡¯ll just say it at once.¡± He thinks back to the grotto, to those lost souls and cremated skeletons. The faint glow of fireflies flicker strongly in his mind. He can still see the faceless girl in old fashioned garb, unable to depart from the dwelling that caused her so much misery in life. Blood, metallic, pungent blood, its smell is overwhelming, and as he closes his eyes he can still see the horrific view of blood, blood, blood pooling around the corpse of a man he hated. There is a flash of red, and for a moment he sees short, wavy chestnut brown hair and kind, bespectacled crimson eyes. No?l¡¯s breath hitches, but Rue¡¯s voice grounds him. In a sense, it might be nice to have the hunter accompany him on this trip. He knows that he is not a kind soul, but being around Rue¡ª For once, No?l can pretend that he isn¡¯t quite so hollow. His heart, which stopped beating long ago, might not be as dark as he knows it to be. At least, in this here and now, he can pretend to be the better person that he knows he is most certainly not. ¡°The store we were in¡­Emerett, he¡ª¡± a sharp intake of breath, and then an exhale. ¡°He was stealing bones from a grotto. That man was murdering children, all for the sake of his dolls.¡± ¡°Rue, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Tears prick at the corners of No?l¡¯s eyes, but his mouth is knit in a straight line. ¡°I want to help them, but¡­they¡¯re dead.¡± And it¡¯s all my fault. If I had been better, if I had known more about Aunt Delia, could I have prevented their deaths? The vampire lets his words linger in the air, reluctant and unwilling to admit his role in this tragedy. Or, rather, the unwitting role his beloved Aunt Delia played in this sadistic business. ¡°I don¡¯t want to let this happen again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He smiles, but it is shaky. Wavering¡­and not entirely sincere. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Who or what he is apologizing to, No?l does not know. Rue reaches out towards the red-eyed boy. There¡¯s something¡­ almost recognizable in his actions. He¡¯d wrack his brain for some sort of memory, but he knows whatever they may be, the answers will elude him. Still, with this proclamation, he cannot leave this heartbroken child to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart. No matter what he says or does, he is well aware it will never be enough¡­not until they find the source of his woes. Only then, will his heart be able to mend itself. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Still, still, Rue can relate. There is not much that he remembers about himself, but this apology? It is familiar. ¡°I know how you feel.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t, kid.¡± How old am I? No?l is twelve. He¡¯s been this age for longer than the kind hunter has been alive. Eons and eons. All he has known is loss. This loneliness and helplessness is all that his life has ever amounted to. Will ever amount to. He should be used to it. He is used to countless lifetimes filled with untold tragedies, but even he cannot help but desire some sort of reassurance. No?l told himself that he does not deserve kindness or hope, but he has always been a selfish creature at heart. ¡°Losing someone is a terrible, indescribable experience.¡± No?l stares at his hands. He doesn¡¯t know what to think. ¡°The feeling of one day waking up to realize your loved one is not there and you¡¯ll never see them again¡­it¡¯s maddening. It¡¯s like walking in a forest. Whichever way you go, all you see are trees. Light peeks out from the treetops, but it¡¯s only a slight sliver. The forest is not quite bright, but not dark, either.¡± He buries his face in his hands. Rue¡­even he is still. Only the gentle flutter of crimson leaves breaks the tranquil peace of these autumn woods. Distantly, you are aware that there is kindness, and light, and laughter somewhere, far, far away¡­you know that your life is not over, even if you may want it to be. But¡­even if some part of you does realize this, it¡¯s no use. What if you don¡¯t want to leave that forest? To leave is to forget. You¡¯ll always have their memories with you, but what good is that? Would reveling in a fantasy from the past be more preferable to missing them every single moment¡­even though you know they will never come back? Their world is so very dark and silent. Trees loom overhead and nothing can be seen from the heavens above. Sure, he remembers these lost souls now. They say the second death is when everyone that has ever known you passes on, and the third death is when all of your achievements and valued works disappear¡­only then, will you die once they too are forgotten. But¡­unlike those wretched souls from that grotto, he will live on. His life is eternal, but his memories are not. What will happen when he forgets them? He does know that his ties to them are completely negligible in scope, and not connected to their perceived sense of reality and presence. However, he cannot help but tell himself that it is a betrayal to forget. They, whose lives were snuffed out due to matters involving him, his family¡­they have been lost forevermore. He cannot grant them life or rewind the clock to happier days, but the least he can do is remember them¡­alas, as he has lived for far too long, he knows after a decade... perhaps even two or three, they too, will be forgotten. How many friends had he lost along the way? ¡°You may have memories, but they pale in-comparison to seeing them everyday¡ªto know that they still breathe.¡± No?l did not mean to speak this much. Goodness knows, he did not desire to divulge this much information. Nor did he want to discuss his innermost thoughts and musings out loud, but¡­he had always been a poet at heart. Or, maybe a tiny bit sentimental, if he were to be honest. Rue, he is¡­rather easy to talk to. Though, maybe ¡®easy¡¯ is not the right word to use. It¡¯s been so long since he¡¯s had real human contact; maybe the vampire missed the presence of another in some inane sort of sense? He glances back at the hunter, only to see his head is downcast. The emotions whirling in his one visible golden eye is indescribable, though¡­ No?l had never been one for reading the moods of others. Shoot, have I made things awkward? Is he mad? Does he no longer want to be around me¡­not that I can blame him¡­¡­ ¡°C¡¯mon, Mister Rue.¡± No?l heaves a sighs. He is not entirely sure what time of day it is, but judging from how long they¡¯d been walking, it is most likely quite late. ¡°I¡¯d rather we reach the grotto by nightfall.¡± Rue is fiddling with his scarf. He looks up, but his voice is light and timid. The red-eyed boy has to strain his ears just to catch his words¡ªthey are so very small and barely above a whisper. ¡°Of course, No?l.¡± The two are silent as their footsteps quietly carry them across the forest. It is a bone chilling stillness that surrounds them, and yet, it is only in the absence of sound that No?l finds the silence to be unbearably loud. He wishes their destination would arrive sooner, but wherever that final blessed place would be¡­he does not know. The two lost travelers continue their descent down this path of crimson and orange-tinged trees. Wherever the road may take them, No?l only hopes that he will not regret its outcome in the very end. Volume 1, Chapter 5: Lost Forevermore [PART 5] ¡°We¡¯re here, Mister.¡± The sun had long since set; the last remnants of dusk are now nothing more than a distant memory. The reds and purples of the sky had been replaced with an inky blackness. Stars pepper the horizon, as if an artist found the lack of color to be bland and splattered droplets of white paint across a black canvas. The scent of salt from gentle ocean waves is soft, but not entirely unwelcome. At the very least, it is a huge contrast from the never-ending current of maple and pine trees from the woods they had finally managed to escape. It is still a quiet world here, in this ocean outcropping, but it is admittedly pleasant. Waves crash gently atop the jagged rocks of the shore. They do not possess the strength to bring forth droplets of water onto the earth, but neither are they as weak enough to not erode away at the rocks. In this time and ¡®now,¡¯ the waves will do no damage, but perhaps in the next million or so years¡ª If this beach does not disappear before that time arrives, only then will these gentle waves truly dislodge the placid stone structures from where they currently reside. ¡°What exactly are you looking for, No?l?¡± The golden-eyed hunter chuckles, but it sounds strained. He is smiling, but the look is an indicator of his worry, or perhaps, how little he can trust the vampire. Not that I blame him, No?l muses once again. His eyes wander towards a firefly, and as much as he¡¯d always been fond of the tiny glowing insects, now is not the moment or place to admire them. ¡°We are searching for something very important that was stolen away from me, a long time ago.¡± ¡°Could you be less vague?¡± the hunter questions, stumbling across the shiny gray rocks lodged into the sandy beach in his efforts to follow No?l¡¯s lead as they continued on their descent towards the grotto. Fireflies lit up in a dazzling array of yellow light were swirling around the two travelers, but they proved to be nothing more than a mere distraction and deterrence towards where they were supposed to be. ¡°No,¡± No?l blandly responded in an abrupt fashion. Rue shoots him an annoyed glance, but relents easily enough. There is something that he, too, has been searching for throughout all of these years. It¡¯s best not to pry into the matters of another if he could help it. The fireflies had thankfully departed, but they seem to be wary of the grotto. Not a single glowing insect resides anywhere within its proximity, now that the hunter thinks about it. ¡°Okay then¡­.how can you be so sure it¡¯s even here?¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Because it¡¯s not something that you can see.¡± No?l is peering into the grotto, carefully avoiding the remnants of those burned skeletons to the best of his ability. Hope¡­it is what he had lost, long ago. Perhaps here, he will be able to reclaim it¡­if there is anything here that remains, his view could be restored. But, as the vampire continued his search within the confines of this lonely grotto, there was nothing to be seen. There was not a single thing that had not disappeared over time, save for sand and the cremated remains of those lives snuffed out by Emerett all those years ago. And¡­it was No?l who destroyed their bodies. Somehow, these poor, lost souls¡­they had no physical tether to this realm, and it was all because he once again ruined the lives of those around him. No?l frowns. He¡¯s always known he was a harbinger of misfortune, but even so¡­¡­ ¡°Mister, try not stepping on the remains,¡± No?l says, eyes redirected towards the ground. The ashes¡­they are too numerous. Even within the blanket of darkness, he can see just how the blackened ashes of those he had cremated have mixed into the sandy floor of the grotto. ¡°Wait, wha¡ª¡± Rue¡¯s eyes comically widened to the size of saucers as he stumbled back, tripping across the sandy floor in the process. His scream of surprise echoed across the grotto, to which No?l halfheartedly covered his ears. ¡°Please don¡¯t yell,¡± No?l deadpans. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have to if you didn¡¯t tell me this from the start,¡± Rue seethes. He has carefully recollected himself, one hand placed against the cold hard wall of the grotto. It seems that he has frozen in place, judging from how little he moved from his position despite the amount of room this grotto provides. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to come closer?¡± the vampire asks, head tilted to the side in curiosity. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± Rue mutters. ¡°Don¡¯t want to step on anymore dead people. How can you even tell where they are with all of this sand?¡± ¡°Simple. Just look at the ground, Mister,¡± No?l replies. ¡°It¡¯s dark.¡± No?l stares at Rue impassively, tilting his head in confusion. It is not until the hunter dramatically waves his arms over the vast emptiness of the grotto that the vampire realizes¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s dark,¡± No?l mutters, blandly raising a pointer finger at Rue. ¡°I know¡ª¡± The hunter pauses mid-sentence, only to stop when a droplet of water falls on his face. Looking up, he can hear the pitter-patter of rain as it hits the rocky exterior of the grotto. While it is nothing but a mere drizzle, its abrupt appearance and increasing voracity is an indicator of just how likely its intensity will escalate in the upcoming moments. Rue¡¯s gaze darkens for a moment as he assesses rain. It is a melancholy look, one of great longing and regret, but it vanishes as he grimaces at how the water is slowly starting to cling to the dirt and sand of the grotto. He steps back, wary of the mud that has begun to form as a result of the rain. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to stay here until the rain lets up,¡± Rue says, mouth curved in a thin line as he looks for a patch of dry earth. Alas, if it weren¡¯t so dark, he¡¯d have an easier time¡­¡­ Turning his head, No?l¡¯s eyes land on a spot of the grotto that had previously escaped his attention. An accumulation of cobwebs accrued along the sand and walls of that particular corner, but they were nothing more than a testament of how dry the patch of earth was. It was completely safe from the elements. Sure, it would be mildly unpleasant, but at least they wouldn¡¯t have to risk the storm brewing outside. Volume 1, Chapter 5: Lost Forevermore [PART 6] Silently, the vampire walked over to Rue, paying heed to the cremated remains that had been strewn throughout the grotto floor. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, kid?¡± Rue says, perturbed by the unblinking crimson stare. ¡°Please follow me, Mister Rue.¡± He tugged at the hunter¡¯s black sleeve gently, slowly guiding him to the safe and absolutely dry portion of the grotto. There was nothing that could be done about the ashes, and as much as the vampire would desire to not cross their paths¡ªto let them enjoy the rest of their afterlives in peace, he must stay¡­for now, at least. Until the rain relents. Only then, can they both leave. Rue shoots an incredulous look at the patch of earth. While the moon is visible to a certain extent, its light was obstructed by dark rain clouds. Light still spills forth into the grotto, but the sight is weak. Despite its efforts, the grotto is still rather dark from its plain, rocky interior. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Rue. It¡¯s perfectly safe here,¡± No?l stated as he took note of the hunter¡¯s worried expression. He looked left and right, paying particular attention to the ashes spread across the sandy and muddied floor. ¡°If it¡¯s about the spirits, don¡¯t worry. They probably won¡¯t attack us.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Rue says with a smile¡­only for realization to dawn on his face in a matter of seconds. ¡°Wait, what do you mean by probably!!?¡± ¡°Exactly that.¡± He waves his hands in a dismissive manner, uncaring or merely oblivious to the plight of his elder. Calmly, No?l reached into his pocket and retrieved a small parcel of cookies, one of which he handed over to Rue. ¡°Please stop crying, Mister Rue,¡± No?l says, casually waving the cookie a bit too close to the hunter¡¯s face. ¡°This is for you.¡± Rue eyes the cookie, frowning at its close proximity. ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Neither am I, but you don¡¯t see me denying food.¡± The vampire takes a bite out of the cookie, impassively staring at the golden-eyed man the entire time. ¡°Food is literally all I have left to live for.¡± ¡°Can you stop staring at me like that?¡± Rue says, attempting to back away from the shorter boy. ¡°It¡¯s¡­kind of creepy.¡± ¡°Good,¡± No?l responds, making a point to continue staring at the hunter, completely motionless and unblinking. ¡°You¡¯re¡­you¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sighing at the lack of response, Rue plops down on the ground, gazing up at the starry night sky. While it is partially obscured by the rocky ceiling of the grotto, he can still make out various constellations that dot the horizon. ¡°I wish I were at home right now.¡± ¡°Ah, must be nice. I don¡¯t have a home, at least¡­not anymore.¡± No?l tears his gaze away from the hunter, instead focusing his eyes onto the shadows of the grotto. Large and looming, they almost appear to be moving of their own volition¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kid.¡± Rue blinks, suddenly sitting back up and staring at the vampire in remorse. ¡°Then¡­why are you all the way out here? What do you want?¡± ¡°I want to go back to my coffin.¡± The sky¡­.it is insurmountable in its bleakness, and No?l¡­he almost wishes he could return to the home he had resided in for fifty years. It was rather dull, but there is a comfort in that hazy dream¡¯s never-ending sky and how his routine was always a constant. Almost, he wishes he never met this strange, golden-eyed hunter or¡­.that so-called demon. If he could, would he return to the life he¡¯d known before? Completely and utterly ignorant to the plight of the outside world? If he could, would he have chosen to not pursue this adventure? ¡°You¡¯re joking, right!!?¡± The hunter¡¯s voice resonates along the grotto, grating in its unexpected volume. Only one quick glance at No?l¡¯s deadpan expression and lack of a laugh is an indicator of how he is clearly not kidding. Allowing for the question to remain unanswered, No?l merely gazes unseeingly at the gloomy, darkened sky. Everything has changed, and yet, it is only he who remains the same. There is so much that he realizes has faded into obscurity during the last fifty years, but¡­how would he ever adjust? He knows he should be thankful¡­most would kill for a chance at immortality. But here, listening to the rhythmic chatter of rain as it descends from the heavens, only to crash onto the earth, he cannot help but make a wish. No matter how selfish he may be, if possible, he wishes for a shred of happiness, no matter how undeserved it may be. Just one, tiny moment of joy¡­ Only then, will the vampire begin to feel complete. --- Somehow, he fell asleep. Perhaps the gentle lull of rain coaxed him into a dreamless slumber, but upon waking up, he¡­while he had not necessarily felt at peace, for the first time in a while¡ª No?l almost felt hopeful. While it was still dark, upon glancing upwards, No?l could tell there was a promise of light in the not so distant horizon. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake.¡± He looks forward, and sees that Rue has moved towards the edge of the grotto. There is a book placed on top of the hunter¡¯s lap. It is well-worn and looks as if it has seen better days. Volume 1, Chapter 5: Lost Forevermore [PART 7] Smiling brightly, Rue places the book back into his satchel before walking over towards No?l. ¡°Good morning, Mister.¡± No?l collected what little belongings he has brought along on this journey, brushing off dirt from his coat as he stands up. The sun is slowly descending, and if he strains his ears, he can hear the vibrant chatter of seagulls against the crash of ocean waves. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡± Rue squints upwards at the sky, nodding to himself when he sees just how clear the day will most likely be. ¡°No?l, I know you¡¯d most likely prefer to travel alone, but¡ª¡± The hunter raises a hand towards the vampire, as if waiting for him to shake it. ¡°Until you figure out what you want to do, would you like to travel with me?¡± ¡°Only if you want to, of course,¡± Rue stammers. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to wander around alone, but it might¡ª¡± ¡°Alright.¡± No?l is not certain of what the future may bring, but even he must admit that he¡¯s missed this. They are not friends, nor enemies, but maybe¡­for even a small while, No?l could pretend that he is not alone. ¡°We¡¯ll travel together, at least, for now,¡± No?l says as he shakes Rue¡¯s hand. Even quieter, the crimson-eyed vampire says, ¡°Thank you.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Listening to the rhythmic pattern of ocean waves as they crash against rocks, No?l feels content. As Rue is gathering the rest of his belongings, No?l looks back at the grotto. In the daytime, it seems less ominous. The eerie quality of the landscape still remains [and probably will, forevermore], but there is a brightness to the stone outcropping. Here, it seems almost airy and light. With the warmth of the sun, the grotto is welcoming in an odd sense. It is a view that could invoke nostalgia of kinder days, of loved ones who have long since passed on, of hope and tranquility¡­¡­ As he looks back at the grotto for one final time, there is a slight glimmer that flickers in his peripheral vision. Turning his head, he sees once again a bright flash of red against the sandy backdrop. In the darkness that had loomed over the grotto, he did not see any indicators of misplaced objects. Despite his heightened sense of vision even within the perpetual gloom of night, he missed it. But now, the object¡ª What could it be, he wonders. The flash of red emitted by the unknown item is oh so familiar¡­¡­ ¡°You okay, No?l?¡± Rue is looking at him in concern, to which the short vampire merely dissuades his worries. Insisting that he would like a moment alone to say his final farewells, Rue relents. Now alone, the vampire hurriedly moves towards the peculiar sheen of crimson red. Shifting the sandy dirt with his boot, his eyes widen in surprise as the loose earth parts ways to uncover a peculiar artifact. It seemed old and valuable, yet oddly¡­it had remained here. Buried, forgotten, but easily found if one possessed a keen eye¡­or dumb luck, in his case. Underneath ashes and sand is a brooch. Embedded within the accessory is a ruby¡ªperfectly round and bright in hue. Despite the huge crack within the jewel, it has done little to mar the beauty of the object. Golden beads, slightly dull in sheen due to the amount of dirt they¡¯d accrued, are attached to the brooch by a delicate thread. Frills adorn the jewel. While the delicately-spun cloth must have been pure white in their past, now, they are dirty and ragged. Crouching down, No?l gingerly picks up the jewel. He stares at it, wracking his brain for memories of where he could have possibly seen the item. There is a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that¡­this ruby¡­it is something dear and important to him. There is a flash of wavy, auburn hair and a kind bespectacled gaze tinged with red, but¡­ It is not enough. Nothing is ever enough. He wishes he could remember, but the answers, this brooch¡ª It eludes him. Sighing, No?l pockets the brooch as he gets up. Perhaps, he will find the answers that he seeks one day. Eventually, the mysteries of his past and second death will come to light. But, for now, all he can do is follow Rue down an uncertain path. Distantly, there is an emotion that he cannot comprehend. One of deep nostalgia and terrible sorrow. It is a feeling that he does not like, but here¡ª This sense of melancholy will follow him to his grave.