Cassius’s heart started to pound out of his chest. The humid, hot weather in the totally dense tapestry of compressed humanity and tightly wedged belongings made a single bead of sweat trickle down his brow. He realized that while making a plan to escape for his own sake, he had forgotten to learn a solid mimic of the vampire’s body language and the minute details of his appearance.
The sizzle of the blue fire flambeau was clear, confirming the footsteps of the vampire, whose voice had just come approaching Cassius from behind. Before the vampire took any action, a sudden sharp metallic clatter of the falling bunch of keys echoed loudly.
It was an intentional action performed by Cassius. He slid the back of his hand across the sharp, rusty edge of a heavy iron key, leaving a deep gash. That single key was still in his hand. His blood hadn’t started to flow yet; with an intense growl and in a painful tone, he spoke, "AAGH... my hands!" He performed an act on the spot. With a sudden bend in his knees, he sat on the concrete floor. Intentionally placing his hands to hide his face beneath, he screamed, "The key’s sharp blade! It sliced my flesh, Oh! My lord... What a pain."
"One Zero Two... In the name of lord Vilucious! Are you out of your mind? Stop acting like a newbie. You are a vampire assistant general. Still, you always make these kinds of mistakes!" The vampire’s voice tore through the damp chill of the chamber. He glared at Cassius, who was currently doing his best to stifle his groans and keep his true identity buried.
"The Ceremony is literally minutes from starting, and you are having fun creating nuisances!" The vampire growled, his knuckles white as he gripped the heavy iron key ring at his hip. "Only if you were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth to rest in this position. If it weren’t for your status keeping me back, I would have ripped your throat out with my own hands."
He hissed the final words through clenched, elongated fangs, his deep voice vibrating right through the concrete floorboards. Nearby, a cage of fledgings erupted into a frenzy of panicked screeches. Cassius, meanwhile, remained collapsed on the dirty floor, clutching his wound as a low groan escaped his lips.
The vampire sneered, stepping closer. With a fluid, predatory movement, he dropped into a low kneel, his heavy dark cloak pooling over the grime-stained ground. He reached down with a rough hand, coldly prying the brass skeleton key from Cassius’s trembling fingers.
As he pulled away, a cruel, mocking smirk twitched on the vampire’s lips. His eyes flared a dangerous, glowing crimson, and wisps of dark red smoke began to bleed from his eyes. Without a word of comfort, the vampire brought the blue fire flambeau close to Cassius’s wound. He thrust the eerie blue flames directly toward Cassius’s wound, using the searing magical heat to roughly cauterize the slash.
The blistering heat seared through the raw flesh. A violent, agonizing jolt racked Cassius’s entire body. The sheer intensity of the pain broke through his restraint, making him jerk backward violently. His hands flew away from his collar in a desperate reflex, completely exposing his face- and revealing the true feature he had meticulously hidden from him for so long.
"I will handle the rest of the slaves. The general asked me to send three pretty slaves. Go have your chance", said the vampire to Cassius, while keeping one of his hands on his shoulder, giving the terrible, ruthless smirk.
What? He didn’t recognize me! How’s thatpossible? Surprisingly, thought Cassius, while looking directly into his eyes. As soon as Cassius saw the vampire, he knew the vampire was of the same rank as he was. He started to recalculate all his theories while standing up slowly when the vampire left, leaving him behind.
His primary hypothesis centered on a potential flaw in the creature’s multitasking abilities. He had immediately tested it on this vampire during their conversation. Even when Cassius intentionally didn’t utter the word ’Vilucious’ during their tense exchange, the vampire remained entirely unfazed, replying in flawless, rhythmic sync. Even more unsettling was the vampire’s focus; despite invoking Vilucious, it never stopped listening to the low, menacing growl. Cassius was forced to face a frustrating truth: this theory was either a complete dud, or it only held weight under the highly specific conditions. He needed to crack this puzzle- and fast- if he wanted to weaponize it as a distraction.
Then there was his second theory: the distinct coloration of their eyes. He had originally assumed that vampires relied on eye color as a strict hierarchy ranking factor. Yet, when the creature locked eyes with him, it didn’t show a flicker of judgment toward his human gaze. Not even Cassius’s distinct facial features could provoke the beast into an instinctive strike.
That realization changed everything. It meant an entirely different, universal ranking factor was at play- something much deeper and far more absolute. Eye color might still be a piece of the puzzle, but it was far from the definitive answer he was looking for.
Cassius kept these thoughts confined to the quiet spaces of his own mind, his boots clicking in a slow, rhythmic cadence against the floorboards of the caged-cabin corridor. He walked without urgency, entirely consumed by his own reflection. Amidst the silence, a bizarre yet remarkably grounded question surfaced.
Could clothes alone truly dictate a person’s rank?
He gave a sharp shake of his head, his brow furrowing in genuine confusion. He quickly dismissed the thought. This vampire realm was far too advanced, its societal structure built on highly modern systems- even down to precise, clinical methods used to keep slaves submissive. It was absurd to think they would be foolish enough to tie true power to mere fabric. Yet, a small part of him whispered that if things were that superficial, his quest to find a cure for this curse would be far easier than he ever anticipated.
A sharp voice shattered his train of thought, instantly halting his slow progression down the corridor. A vampire guard stepped into his path, the oppressive aura of the realm cutting through Cassius’s contemplation. Without a word of explanation, the vampire from before came in front of him and thrust a heavy, iron ring into Cassius’s hand. Trailing from the ring were thick chains binding three vampire slaves together.
"For Vilucious’s sake... take them to the general," the vampire commanded, his tone dripping with casual indifference.
Through his human memories and conscience screamed against it, Cassius knew defiance meant death or suspicion. He had no choice but to comply. Before moving, his gaze drifted to the captive women. Their eyes were entirely swallowed by a vacant, abyssal blackness- a terrifying mirror of exactly how his own eyes had looked not a long ago.
Seeking a desperate reminder of his remaining humanity, Cassius looked down at the raw wound on his own arm. Peering closely, he watched a slow trickle of vibrant, crimson-dark red blood seep from the tear. He was still a human, if only by a thread.
Gripping the cold, rusted edge of the piled chain, Cassius turned and began to pull them forward. Behind him, the three women strained against their bonds, their throats vibrating with feral, vampire-like growls and sharp hisses that echoed hollowly against the metal walls.
As soon as Cassius noticed that he was the only one left with those vampire slaves, who were piled in a queue with the chain that he had control over- to make them walk- he slowed the pace of his walking. For a long time, he slowly kept walking forward with the slaves in that long captive aisle, so that they wouldn’t get hurt through the intense pulling of their chains.
The oppressive length of the captive aisle finally gave way, the heavy rattle of the slaves’ chains echoing one last time against the stone. Cassius stepped towards the exit, a sudden, desperate warmth sparking in his chest. Ahead, the massive double doors groaned open, pulled by two vampire thralls the moment the Lord’s name left Cassius’s lips.
Beyond the threshold, the impossible glow of a dark blue moon spilled into the fortress. But as his eyes adjusted to the sudden light, his breath caught tightly in his throat. What lay waiting in the courtyard completely froze his gaze.