Author's note: This is from Seraphina's point of view

- - -

After returning home, I went back to answering emails.

I was pleased to confirm that this correspondence getting easier (and faster) the more I do it.

I even found some time to read Aldus's research on eternal sleep.

In his notes, Aldus compared a body with a battery, and he said that eternal sleep is a state that a vampire enters when he runs out of energy and shuts down, like an empty battery.

It sounds simple. If the battery (aka the body) is recharged, the person will wake up.

Unfortunately, the body can run out of energy due to various reasons, and the type of energy can be different as well, so it's not straightforward.

Unless one figures out with what kind of energy to recharge the body, the procedure can backfire and cause more harm than good. Vampires in eternal sleep won't heal and their bodies are no better than human's. If the body is damaged beyond a certain point, it would push the vampire deeper into slumber and possibly kill him.

Aldus listed as the most common reason for eternal slumber to be the lack of will to live, which causes lifeforce to diminish. That usually happens to ancient vampires who fall into depression either due to boredom or because they suffered some major loss.

It sounds silly to think that powerful creatures like vampires can suffer from depression, but they are not social creatures, and even though they don't form connections easily, those few that they form, are extremely important. One such example is a spouse. Vampires don't have a mate bond, but when they decide to marry, it is for life. They even have a ceremony where spouses exchange venom (with a bite), and that creates a deep connection that is not well documented.

But that doesn't apply to Aldus, which brings me to the second reason he listed: lack of vitality which can be caused due to the strain on the soul.

I know that Aldus could feed by taking vitality from others, and based on what Krob told me, I can guess that Aldus used his vitality in order to save Duke, and he used too much.

If I find out the type of energy that is Aldus's vitality, and how to inject it inside his body, I could wake him up. Technically.

Unfortunately, I can't do any tests on Aldus without risking to make his condition worse, but there is another way.

If Aldus used his vitality on Duke, that means that part of Aldus is inside Duke, and I can do tests on Duke. When he wakes up.

That is all a big maybe because other than Krob's high-level explanations, I have no idea what Aldus actually did to keep Duke alive, or to seal the leak of my vitality.

I closed Aldus's notebook and rubbed my temples. The fatigue was weighing on me again and I glanced through the window. It was dark.

I could spend days in the lab, immersed in experiments, yet now when it counts, I need to sleep at least a few hours every day or my brain stops working. How frustrating.

When I was in the lab last time, I did a quick test on my abilities. I didn't want to mess with my vitality, but everything else was working fine.

I could manipulate air, control my pheromones, and even a bone-deep cut healed within seconds without a scar. I spend some time in the gym earlier, and my speed and strength are unchanged.

The only thing out of the ordinary was that after that exercise, I was hungry.

But meals and rest have limited results.

Since I woke up, after my three days long sleep, there was only one time when I was totally energized and not hungry, and that was after what I did to Ari. Did I really suck her vitality away?

Various theories came to my mind, but I couldn't confirm anything without actually trying it out.

I could attempt sucking the energy out of someone, but it didn't feel right.

Is it possible that when Aldus sealed my leak, he accidentally transferred part of him inside me? That would explain my ability to extract someone's vitality and my hunger.

My father told me that when his hunger strikes he needs to feed either on vitality or on blood (which is full of vitality, so it's kind of the same). Aldus said that he prefers vitality because it's less messy and it doesn't require any physical contact.

Well, I don't disagree with him, but just feeding off of someone's lifeforce felt wrong.

I thought that my ability to give vitality will allow me to become a miracle doctor, but now it seemed it will be more like a miracle killer.

No matter how reluctant I was, I needed to figure out what's going on with me.

Robotically, I stood up and moved to the dining room.

…

I couldn't believe I was about to do this.

I shook my head while looking at the wine glass filled with fresh blood that was on the table in front of me.

When I told Maria to prepare one, she didn't ask any questions.

Whenever Calista comes, the staff 'donates' about 200 ml of blood for every meal. They take turns to avoid weakness due to blood loss, so they have everything figured out.

I swallowed the bile that was rising up my throat.

I was not sure if I can actually drink this. Blood. Gross.

But this is a test and experiment, and the worst thing that can happen is that I puke my guts out.

If it turns out that my hunch is right, this glass of blood will provide me with more energy than a seven-course meal, and it will make me feel sated.

Come on, Serina. It's not going to get better the longer you stare at it. Do it! Do it, now!

I grabbed the glass and took a deep breath.

The moment the crystal touched my lips, the heavy scent wafted into my nose and I forced myself to keep going.

Thick liquid touched my tongue and slid down my throat.

Three gulps later, I kept the glass on the table and pressed my eyes tightly together, expecting to vomit, gag, anything… there was nothing.

I grimaced in disgust. How is it possible that I actually liked it?

I hung my head low as I felt energy pulsing through my body.

I was right.

Whatever Aldus did to me, impacted me to the point that I'm craving blood like him. Like a vampire.

I remembered the incident with Ari. This is not just drinking blood, but I can accidentally kill people in the vicinity if I'm not careful when the hunger strikes.

Damn it!

I let out a long breath and finished the blood from the glass before heading downstairs. My destination was the lab.

Krob was excited to see me. "Did you come to visit Master? Or are we doing something today?"

"Can you bring me a lab bunny? Make that... ten bunnies."

Krob bobbed his head and glided into the adjacent room.

I didn't want to do this, but I can't go among people and risk endangering others or exposing myself.

That means I need to practice this (whatever it is) and control it.

And I need to do it quickly.

This whole thing is a nightmare.

Ever since I found Duke in that damned garage, lying in the pool of his own blood, it's just one thing after another.

When will I catch a break?

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