The Vampire Wonderland

by Gloria Dark

  “It seems like it’s a part of this forest!” Luminor pointed at the enchanted dust no the bird’s wings. “The bird is too fat to be a victim, it doesn’t seem lost. The Sleeping Woods don’t wake up if they are touched by any creature that lives here.”

  Demian exhaled in relief and glanced at Lucius. The boy was still scared and had no traces of excitement left on his pale face.

  “It’s time to hunt!” Luminor announced proudly, opening his arms widely, “Close your eyes, boys, and inhale the air deeply. Tell me, what can you smell?”

  Both boys did as they were told, but Lucius couldn’t smell a thing.

  “I can smell life!” Demian said, sniffing the air with eyes closed, “There are different animals around us. A bigger one this way, a smaller one that way!”

  “Good, good!” said Luminor, “What about you, Lucius? What do you smell?”

  Lucius opened his eyes, unable to smell anything at all. His tiny pupils suddenly became thing and long, reminding of wild cats. His white eye became brighter, and a few dark dots appeared like stars spreading over the silver. They formed into a triangle that started moving in a circular motion.

  “I can’t smell anything, but I can see it…” Lucius replied, allowing his vision to take over the senses, “I see a white doe, it’s drinking water from a river that flows through the forest. It’s over there!”

  Luminor seemed intrigued.

  “Tell me more, son!” Luminor requested.

  “There’s a rabbit on the other side, over there!” Lucius pointed to the right side, “It has silver fur and ears longer than the ordinary rabbits from the books. A dark-green field surrounds him, and there are no trees nearby, and the winter hasn’t affected the green field.”

  Demian froze absolutely stunned. Luminor bent lower to face Lucius. He placed his hand on the boy’s chin to move his head from side to side to have a better look at his strange eyes.

  “Is that your unique ability, I wonder…” Luminor muttered quietly.

  Demian glanced at Lucius too, surprised to see the silver eye shift with the dark triangles.

  Lucius could no longer focus on his sight, his heart melted from his father’s touch. Even Demian was surprised at the kindness, but the bad intuitive feeling didn’t allow him to relax.

  “If you had a choice, which of the two animals would you hunt down?” Luminor asked both boys.

  “The rabbit!” Demian replied confidently, “The doe will run away unpredictably, we couldn’t catch it without hiding behind the trees, and there’s a high risk to wake them up. The rabbit, on the other hand, is the field. There is a bigger chance of succeeding.”

  “Brilliant answer!” Luminor approved, then glanced at the other twin.

  “I…” Lucius hesitated, “I don’t want to harm anyone!”

  “What did you think hunting was for?” Luminor laughed, “This is what we do, we hunt, then we eat!”

  Demian knew his father’s training methods, and he was ready to run. His body tensed, preparing to hunt one of the animals. Still worried about his brother, Demian glanced at him hinting that there will be running, but Lucius seemed clueless.

  “Go!” Luminor ordered in a stern voice.

  Demian ran to the rabbit immediately, but Lucius remained standing confused.

  “What are you waiting for? Go for one of the animals!” Luminor repeated, his voice irritated.

  Worried about the poor rabbit, Lucius followed Demian as fast as he could, but his knees flooded with pain. His bones ached by each step he made further into the woods.

  “I can’t give up…” Lucius cried out, trying to outrun his brother without landing into the trees. Remembering the lessons he read in the leather notebook, the boy dismissed any idea of giving up. His willpower fed his frail body with energy.

  Soon, Demian was nowhere to be seen. Lucius reached the field and noticed a rabbit from afar, but a steady hand pulled him to the ground. It was Demian who hid behind a large rock.

  The same as Lucius saw with his white eye, the green field looked precisely as he described. The rabbit was big enough to be the same size as Lucius himself.

  Suddenly, Demian’s eyes turned bright like lanterns, and he jumped over the large rock to attack the animal with speed.

  “No! Run, rabbit, run!” Lucius stood up, shouting as loud as he could to save the creature. He tried to stop his brother, but his knee went numb, forcing the boy to fall in the grass.

  It was too late. Demian had caught the rabbit by its ears, violently daggering his fangs through its neck.

  “No, Demian… Don’t harm the rabbit!” Lucius cried out.

  It was the first time he saw a beast in his brother’s wild eyes. They fumed with merciless hunger.

  Luminor stepped over Lucius, approaching Demian proudly.

  “You’ve done well, boy!” Luminor announced, “Now end its life to finish the ritual!”

  “No!” Lucius shouted, tears flowing over his cheeks as Demian snapped the animal’s neck.

  “You!” Luminor approached Lucius and lifted him up by pulling his hair, “You’re not my son!”

  Pain daggered through Lucius like a deadly weapon. No illness was as hurtful as his father’s words. The boy’s heart crumbled into tiny pieces.

  Suddenly, everything became white before his eyes as overtaken by a thick fog. Everything dissolved into white smoke. Lucius blinked a few times. All three of the family members we back at the beginning where the forest was still covered in snow. Demian stood by Lucius same as before they started running, and Luminor glanced at them from afar.

  Lucius looked around, his pulse drumming loudly in his ears. His heart thundering with panic and confusion.

  “Lucius,” Demian elbowed him gently, “Father asked you a question!”

  “Huh?” Lucius glanced at Demian, his head feeling dizzy.

  “He asked, what can you smell?” Demian whispered.

  “Oh…” Lucius glanced at Luminor, confused if all of it were just an illusion. He blinked once more, trying to understand what was happening.

  “So?” Luminor demanded an answer, “Can you smell anything?”

  Lucius remembered his vision, it made him nauseous.

  “No, I… I think I spent too much time in my room,” Lucius said, his heart drumming wildly, “I can’t recognise these scents.”

  “That’s okay, you’ll learn to recognise them as you spend more time outside!” Luminor replied. “As Demian said, there are two animals nearby. A doe and a rabbit.”

  Suddenly, a vision of Demian murdering a rabbit reappeared in front of Lucius so vividly, it made him sick.

  “Father,” Lucius said nervously before Luminor could ask the question about hunting, “I will go for the rabbit!”

  Without waiting for an order, Lucius dashed towards the place he saw in his vision. He made his steps loud and heavy to scare away the rabbit.

  Surprised at his brother’s speed, Demian followed his steps. So did Luminor.

  When the rabbit was already visible, Lucius pretended to try to catch it, but he allowed the animal to escape. Demian watched his brother absolutely stunned, wondering how he could move as energetically when his diet consisted of water. A boy that had never seen the world outside four walls managed to orient around the most dangerous forest nearby.

  Demian scanned Lucius, waiting for his nose to bleed, but it didn’t. Everything seemed too good to be true.

  Luminor watched the boys and clapped his hands.

  “Well done!” he laughed, “I’m so pleased to see you excited hunt! Of course, you failed to catch the rabbit, but I can see your senses work well.”

  Demian watched his family members with disbelief. His fragile brother had impressed their emotionless father and managed to reach on the hunting much faster than he did.

  “However, you must learn patience. Sometimes, our prey is hard to get. We must lure it before we attack. We must wait for the right moment before we can devour them!” Luminor e
xplained, “Following our instincts is a crucial matter, but we cannot follow them blindly. We must be able to reason clearly! We must be clever and think ahead. Sometimes, hunting is like a chess game!”

  Luminor patted Lucius on his shoulder.

  “Next time, try to be quiet!” he explained, “Your steps were too heavy, too loud. If you know the location of your victim, it’s better to be slow and quiet and catch them by surprise!”

  Demian glanced at Lucius suspiciously. His body trembled, but he stood on his own feet. He walked, ran and managed to hunt without collapsing.

  “Lucius, aren’t you cold?” Demian asked, worried about his brother.

  “No, it’s warm here…” Lucius replied quietly.

  “It’s enough for today, boys!” Luminor announced.

  “But we barely started!” Demian seemed disappointed about it, “I’m still hungry!”

  Demian had skipped the dose of human blood. He was already used to drinking two bottles daily, and his hunger made him easily irritable.

  “Well, if you catch it, it’s yours!” Luminor giggled, stepping away from the boys.

  Suddenly, Demian noticed a strange animal stepping closer behind Lucius. It was taller than his twin and covered in short blue fur. Its red ears were longer than rabbit’s, but its long tail formed a spiral. The beast flashed its angry teeth, ready to attack Lucius.

  Without any hesitation, Demian dashed towards the animal, using his vampire speed to jump on the beast’s beck unnoticed. The dog-like creature tried to shake the boy off, but fighting back was pointless. Demian wrapped his legs around its neck and pierced his fangs through the beast’s skin.

  Lucius froze in terror, watching his brother turn merciless again. Demian’s eyes glowed toxic as he drained the animal until it no longer moved. The boy’s hunger seemed insatiable.

  “Enough!” Luminor demanded, “We are purebloods. The venom in our teeth can turn other beings into our own kind if we’re not careful enough. You must finish your victim’s life as we cannot afford to create any disgusting hybrids!”

  Lucius started to cry in silence, feeling sorry for the animal.

  “Oh, don’t weep! Demian won’t allow this pathetic being to turn into a hybrid, so don’t worry! Our family honour will not be tainted!” Luminor failed to see the reason behind his son’s tears.

  Demian snapped the animal’s neck, the same as he did in the vision. This time, a bigger animal but still a living being.

  “Not all creatures can turn to our kind. Not all of the purebloods have their venom strong enough either.” Luminor explained, “Usually, small doses of venom can heal injuries, but it can also be fatal if overdosed. Most creatures die from it after being bitten. Some of them survive, some of them transform. Humans, however, are highly adaptive to many circumstances. Their bodies know how to adjust when they are exposed to dangers little by little. If a pureblood bites the same human multiple times without draining them to death, the blood will start to mutate, turning the venom into a new form of life. While the venom sustains their life and youth, they must feed the same way we do to survive.”

  “What happens to a human if multiple purebloods drain him at once?” Demian asked curiously, wiping his bloodstained mouth.

  “They die because it sounds like a feast to me!” Luminor laughed.

  “But let’s say… A pureblood bit a human and went away. What happens if a few days later another pureblood bites that human?” Demian wondered.

  “One bite doesn’t guarantee the mutation. Surely, it will make the person feel ill for a while, but humans are adaptive. Their bodies will fight the venom as a disease.” Luminor explained, “But if this human is exposed to constant biting, it doesn’t matter how many different purebloods share their venom, the result will be the same.”

  “But what will determine who becomes the master of the human after the blood mutates?” Demian asked.

  “The alpha always wins.” Luminor grinned.

  “Can they develop immunity?” Lucius asked, wiping away his tears in his expensive sleeves.

  “Not that I know. They either withstand the pain and become one of us, or die trying.” Luminor laughed, “Of course those vampires are nothing more but our submissive servants.”

  “What happens if a vampire bites another vampire?” Demian asked, remembering Eden.

  “Vampires are not or food!” Luminor made a disgusted face, “We don’t feed on our own kind.”

  “Why not?” Lucius asked, glancing at the dead body of the animal, feeling sorry for it again, “Why can’t a vampire bite another vampire if both are almost immortals?”

  “Enough for today!” Luminor clapped his hands, leading the boys out of the forest, “Your silly questions are more than I’m willing to comprehend today. We’ll talk about it another day!”

  The family returned home. Lucius became drowsy as they approached the castle. He couldn’t forget the violent images of his brother attacking the animals.

  A servant opened the carriage to welcome his masters home. Demian helped Lucius to get back onto his feet, but the boy failed to stand. His body seemed exhausted. The servant tried to help, but Demian insisted on carrying his brother upstairs by himself.

  “You were incredible today!” Demian whispered, placing Lucius back into his bed. He helped his brother to change into his pyjamas.

  “Vampires are monsters…” Lucius replied with a broken voice. His eyes could no longer focus on anything. The exhaustion made him drowsy.

  “We are, indeed,” Demian sighed.

  “I don’t want to be a vampire any longer…” Lucius whispered before falling asleep.

  Demian kissed his brother’s forehead, tucked him into blankets and returned downstairs. Grandmother Scarlet sat the end of the long table, sipping some whiskey. Dorian stood by her side, pouring some more alcohol into the glass while Luminor laid on the sofa, seemingly relaxed.

  “Are you okay?” Demian asked his grandmother, unsure if he was allowed to speak at all.

  “Oh, what a tragedy!” Scarlet cried out, “Such a disaster!”

  “What happened?” Luminor sighed, absolutely uninterested.

  “Fon Vorigan family is destroyed, it’s absolutely doomed!” Scarlet took another sip, “All of their noble ladies have been killed right after our masquerade! All of them!”

  “What, do you mean women only?” Luminor asked, still unamused.

  “Yes! All of them were beheaded!” Scarlet cried, “Who could commit such a crime?”

  Demian paled, freezing like a mute statue. Could have Eden done it to free himself from the curse?

  “I don’t understand how anyone could do it! They were the strongest purebloods. No ordinary creature would be strong enough to murder them!” Dorian seemed shocked too.

  “I know only two beings capable of committing such a crime!” Luminor sat up, “Abyss and Ermelinda!”

  “Impossible!” Dorian nearly yelled, “Abyss is in a Life Capsule, and Ermelinda has been gone for hundreds of years!”

  “What if she’s back?” Scarlet paled, “She has always wanted to destroy our family!”

  Demian failed to believe in the fairytale, his heart was overwhelmed by the horror of the idea that Eden could have murdered the ladies. He feared the fact it was his idea he told Eden during the ball.

  “What about Eden? Is he still alive?” Demian asked, his eyes watering. He became nauseous.

  “This is none of your concern, boy!” Dorian hissed, “You should be studying right now!”

  “Go!” Luminor dismissed, pointing his fingertips towards the second floor.

  Demian swallowed hard, running to the library. He picked up some heavy books to distract himself from thinking about Eden, but it was impossible.

  “He wouldn’t do that!” Demian yelled, throwing the books from the table, then picking them back again, “He wouldn’t kill his family…”

  The boy tried to read a book, but he ended up hitting his head against it instead
.

  “But he’s insane…” Demian whispered, “He injected kenzomoria into his blood and begged to die. Then turned up at the ball as if nothing ever happened.”

  The boy shook his head, trying to clear his head from the disturbing thoughts. Suddenly, a flashback of Eden’s bite surfaced in front of his eyes.

  “A bite!” Demian whispered, remembering Eden’s advice when he told him to feed Lucius with his own blood.

  Hoping his family would be still busy with their discussion, Demian sneaked out of the library to return to Lucius. He froze with panic when he noticed Lucius wasn’t there.

  Only a pale flame in the fireplace and an open window bringing in the cold breeze.

  Demian ran to the window, searching the garden with his gaze. Tiny footprints left a trail in the snow, stretching far to where the Sleeping Woods bordered with the tall fence of the red roses.

  “Lucius, where are you?” Demian whispered worriedly, crawling outside the window. It was far way down, too dangerous for Lucius to be able to crawl out alone.

  Demian got back inside, it was too dangerous. He had to escape somehow else.

  The boy was about to leave his brother’s room when he noticed the same leather notebook laying on his bed again. The same notebook he burned, but it was perfectly fine.

  A shot of panic flooded Demian’s heart. Without any reasoning, he went back to the window, trying to climb down the tall pipe that reached all the way to the ground.

  After a successful landing, Demian followed the footprints in the snow. They lead to the rose fence. There was no exit, apart from a tiny hole near the roots. Demian crawled through, and it led him straight into the Sleeping Woods from another, more dangerous, side.

  Trying to avoid touching the trees, Demian followed the footprints further into the woods until he noticed silver hair.

  “Lucius!” Demian shouted, running towards his brother.

  Finally, he caught his brother by his arm.

  “What are you doing out here?” Demian yelled, angrily, “Why are you here on your own? Why? It’s dangerous!”

  “Brother!” Lucius seemed to awake from a dream, “I was just following the beautiful voice!”