Chapter 6: Vampire
As Riven waited for his fate, the dagger fell—but instead of pain, the rope binding his wrists was severed. His hands were free. He stared at them for a moment before lifting his gaze. "Why didn't you kill me?"
The charming man laughed. "You're eager to die, kid."
Riven stood, his tall frame towering over the man. "It wouldn't matter if I died or lived," he said quietly. "Either way, no one would remember me. No one would even care."
The man studied him for a moment, then scoffed. "What are you, descended from giants or something?" He shook his head. "And why do you care so much about being remembered? Live to breathe. Live to eat. Live to exist. The world doesn't owe you an explanation—so suck it up and live."
He stepped aside and pointed at the fire with his dagger. "Care to join me for a meal?"
Riven hesitated, then slowly sat beside the campfire. The warmth seeped into his bones. After a moment, he spoke. "So… what are you? How do you have the same mark as me? And how were you able to move like that?"
The man answered with his mouth full of meat. "Can't you enjoy a meal, young man? You ask way too many questions." He swallowed. "First off—my name's Magnus. I'm a vampire. And a nameless, just like you. As for the mark, I don't know where it came from. But with it came power. Unimaginable power."
Riven's eyes widened. Shock rippled through him. "How—how did you know I'm nameless?"
Magnus chuckled. "Lucky guess." He waved a hand dismissively. "Now stop talking. I need to mend that wound."
Magnus stood and stepped closer, motioning for Riven to reveal his injury. Riven hesitated, then complied. Magnus hovered his hand above the wound, crimson eyes glowing faintly. Within seconds, the torn flesh knit together as if it had never been damaged.
Riven stared, breath caught in his throat.
He didn't know what to feel.
Joy.
Fear.
Shock.
All at once.
Before Raven could open his mouth, Magnus answered, "I will tell you how it works, kid. Just calm down." A low sigh escaped his lips as he returned to his seat beside the fire where the meat was still cooking. "Listen, Raven… the S mark engraved on your hand is the Seeker's Mark. With it, you can alter the physical reality of anything—as long as your mind can truly perceive it."
Raven's confusion only grew. "What do you mean?"
Magnus sighed again, the charming vampire sounding a little tired. "When you learn how to see the lines of reality, you can begin to change them. The mark acts as a medium… a bridge connecting you to those lines."
Raven stared at Magnus, doubt swirling in his thoughts. _Is he crazy? What is he talking about?_
Magnus glanced at him and smirked. "No, I'm not crazy, kid… and yes, I can read your mind. Anyway, go back to your village now. I can't stay here any longer."
Magnus stood up after finishing his meal. Raven looked at him desperately. "Teach me."
"Huh?"
"Teach me how to control the power of the mark."
Magnus's expression softened into something almost regretful. "Sorry, kid. It took me thirty years just to master a fraction of its power—and I'm a vampire. A human would need double, maybe triple the time to reach where I am. Humans don't live that long… so I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I can't help you."
Raven's determination didn't falter—in fact, it only burned brighter. His eyes filled with passion, he puffed his chest out and said energetically,
"Still, I will try. I'll give it everything I have, even if I don't succeed. Just knowing that I tried will be enough for me. Please… teach me."
Magnus's eyes widened for a moment before a sinister yet genuine smile curved onto his face.
"Good… you've got the spirit at least." He leaned back slightly. "I've got nothing better to do right now, so why not. But I'm warning you…"
His voice suddenly turned cold and dark.
"From this point on, you might never achieve anything. And you might even die during the process. If you're not willing to go through all of that, then go back to your village and spare me the trouble of wasting more of my precious time."
Raven glittered with joy, almost jumping in the air.
"Yes! I understand the risk, and I'm willing to take it… master!"
Magnus frowned and let out a long sigh.
"You're already calling me 'master'? Kid, I've known you for like half an hour. Kids these days trust strangers way too easily."
With that, they sat beside the campfire and finished their meal, warm and satisfied. Raven began to feel sleepy, but for a hunter, one of the first rules of survival is to never sleep in a strange environment—especially if it's hostile.
"You can go to sleep, kid. I'll keep watch."
"But master, what about you?"
"Huh? What about me? I'm a vampire, kid. We don't sleep. No education as well—what is this generation doing with their kids?" Magnus let out a low sigh.
The moon hung high above the clear sky, countless stars illuminating the world with their soft light. Magnus savored the scenery. "I've always hated the sky," he muttered.
Raven heard him but didn't speak. He felt like he would be interrupting something ancient between his new master and the endless sky, like an old conflict. Closing his sleepy eyes, he let his tired body fall into Magnus's custody.
Birds sang in the distance. The sun was just waking up to shine like a deity upon the world. Streaks of fire-colored light spread through the sky, and something delicious reached Raven's nose. Waking up, rubbing his eyes, and stretching his arms, he heard—
"Ah, good morning, my young disciple. Your thoughtful master has prepared a delicious meal for you. Come, sit and enjoy."
Getting out of his leaf-made bed, Raven sat beside Magnus.
"Master, what did you cook?"
Magnus looked at him with a charming smile that would have made every woman in the village fall to their knees. "Ah, nothing special. Just a couple of Aeskarimes. Why are you asking?"
Raven took a chunk of meat hanging over a stick above the fire. "You're the one who can read minds. You tell me," he chuckled.
Magnus glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Seriously, why are you so comfortable around me? Aren't you afraid I might kill you? Or manipulate you, lead you to your village, and wipe them all out?"
Raven continued eating without looking at him. His voice turned cold—cold like a serial killer's. "If you wanted to kill me, you would've already. Secondly, I don't care about that village. In fact, if you killed them, it would bring me joy, because I myself am considering killing them all."
Magnus's eyes widened in shock. The meat in his hand froze inches from his mouth, then a wide grin stretched across his face. "So you hold that big of a grudge against them, huh? I guess it's true—human nameless get treated harshly."
"It's worse than you think," Raven growled. "They don't even see me as human—just a walking pile of bones and meat. I'm treated worse than the monsters that live here." His teeth clenched, anger taking hold. "I'll kill them all. I swear. I don't care how long it takes. I'll make them suffer just like I did."
Magnus swallowed his food. "You're dark, kid… even for a well-grounded vampire like myself. But let's say you do kill them all—what then? What's your big plan?"
"Big plan? I guess I'll move to the capital, make a name for myself as a hunter… or maybe a trader. Live with respect. That's my dream."
Magnus laughed. "Well, I guess the simplest dreams are the hardest to achieve. Nice dream, kid. Hold onto it tight."
After finishing their meal, both of them stood. Raven looked at Magnus. "So what's the plan now?"
With a low voice Magnus replied, "Now, go to the village. I have some unfinished business with a few folks here."
A big grin spread across his face—sinister and full of excitement.