“No. No. You don’t understand!” Quinn reaches for my arm, but I dodge. “You have to let me explain! Please just listen to me. Snowflake, please.”

Quinn and I stand to the side of the chamber we fought the Lich in, our whispers most likely reaching the others. They are politely waiting for us to finish our ‘discussion’ before we continue our quest. Nevasca is with them and is being obedient, thankfully. I can feel her bloodlust from here. Given the chance, I’m sure she would kill Quinn for upsetting me.

“Then explain it to me Quinn. My life is on the line here,” my voices rises as I enunciate my words. Quinn flinches, her hand halfway raised to her face, as if to protect herself from me. Mindfully, my voice softens as I continue. ”I liked you Quinn. I thought we had something special. Why would you lead me on and betray me like this? I don’t understand.”

Tears well up in Quinn’s eyes. She stumbles to find the words to appease me. The last vestiges of my anger fade away. It hurt that she lied to me, but seeing her like this hurts too. My strong Angel, afraid that I would hit her. I guess feelings don’t just disappear.

“I just want to be free,” she sobs. “We were written together and the Guild backs him up. There isn’t anything I can do! It’s a fate I haven’t been able to escape!”

Unable to see her suffering without doing anything, I lay my hand on her shoulder. She leans into it, but doesn’t come closer, afraid of my rejection. With an inward sigh at my soft heartedness I pull her into my arms, allowing her to cry on my shoulder.

“I thought,” she sniffles. “That if we stayed in the Dungeon long enough. And we got powerful enough. Maybe we could escape. You know?”

“Shhhh. Shhhh. I know, Quinn. You did a good job,” I whisper my cheek nuzzling against her. “Come on, we have to go get stronger. What is a pursuit of destiny without a bit of tragic romance? We can do it.”

We stand there for a few minutes, in the comfort of each other’s embrace. I am far from fully satisfied with her explanation, but I know that pushing it won’t help. With nine more floors to clear, I have time to get some answers.

Maybe we could just stay in the Dungeon and grind levels forever? If I don’t leave I won’t get murdered. I probably can’t run, I definitely can’t fight, so hiding seems like a pretty sweet deal.

Quinn’s tears trickle to a stop. With a kiss to her forehead I urge her to join the rest of the group with me.

“Killing things will make you feel better,” I say with a cheeky grin.

‘It’ll make me feel better, for sure,’ my unspoken thoughts.

A couple of kisses reestablish our intimacy and affirm that I don’t hate her. We make our way to the waiting party. It was like an eye avoiding extravaganza. Nobody wanted to acknowledge the awkward atmosphere.

“Let’s kill some shit,” Honey takes the lead. Her eyes glare daggers at me and I get the feeling that her preferred shit to kill is me. I’m sorry for not taking your advice Honey. You were right.

We descend to the next level through a previously hidden trapdoor. A spiral staircase leads us in circles and pulls us down. Much like my emotions after finding out Quinn is married. I am so glad I got rid of most of those negative emotions, but emotions are like weeds. They keep growing back unless you pull them out by the root. A feat that I am incapable of.

The trapdoor slams shut behind us. Intruders gone, the Dungeon begins to reset itself, respawning its previously destroyed soldiers. Everything goes back to normal, except for the encroaching darkness that spreads unquenched.

***

If we were in a tunnel before, we are definitely in a series of hallways now. Down the centre of the hallways runs a rich red carpet. Pillars, torches, and art decorate the walls. Statues, suits of armor, and paintings. The theme of dim light continues, but with a different, more elegant tone.

Seeing me stare at a suit of armor with undisguised lust, Mordai claps a hand on my shoulder.

“It is part of the landscape, we can’t take it with us.” Mordai says, refusing to look into my eyes. He looks guilty, but I know he was just looking out for me so I don’t give him a hard time. I nod my understanding.

Skeleton Warriors do not roam these halls, only Death Knights and Liches. Or so I thought after our first couple battles. I was wrong. Again. Its fine. My self-esteem can handle it. I’m not breaking on the inside, I promise.

In a chamber with three doors, Honey has me decide which one and lead us forward, citing some lame reason about me practicing with my new weapon. I think she is still mad. I choose a door at random.

I push the door open and enter shield first. Nevasca prowls at my undefended side. After that whole thing with Quinn earlier she has been extra clingy. I think she can feel my emotions and is doing her best to let me know she will always be there for me. I really appreciate it.

The room behind the door is pitch black. I channel Source into my eyes, hoping to improve my vision, but there was no need. The door slams shut behind Nevasca, right in the face of Ra’hel who was slithering in behind us. Torches contained in glass, light up in pairs, opposite to each other. They start right next to me and continue, circling the chamber. Books line the walls, a desk is situated at the far end of the chamber, and through large windows I can see…. A full moon? Aren’t we underground?

Behind the desk, a human stands to greet me. He gently places a book down on his desk, placing a bookmark for later. His gaunt frame is tall and impeccably dressed. A very fine looking formal outfit, I must admit.

“Greetings Traveller!” He grins, white teeth shining next to pale skin. “Welcome to my Library! Would you like a glass of wine before we try to kill each other?”

I hesitate. It would be dangerous to fraternize with the enemy. However, if I stall my companions may be able to break in to help me. At the very least, I may be able to find some weaknesses to exploit.

“I would like that,” I ascent. He gestures towards a pair of leather arm chairs and we approach. I take a seat, shield still in hand and staff propped up beside me for easy access. Nevasca crouches at my feet, her tense muscles wound and ready to pounce.

The man gracefully snags a pair of goblets on his way to join me. His free hand hovers over a pair of bottles, indecisively. After a moment, he grabs the one on his right, the decision made. He sits down in the chair opposite me.

“How may I address you?” I ask, accepting the offered glass of wine. A thick red substance, it smells sweet and intoxicating. I take a sip after watching him take a fearless gulp of his own. Rich and smooth it trickles down my throat, warming my stomach.

“Call me Charles,” the man replies his voice as rich and smooth as the wine. “You know, you’re the first person in many decades to accept my invitation. I quite like that about you.”

“Thank you, Charles,” I smile. No harm in being friendly. “My name in this world is Snowflake. It is not one I am particularly fond of, but you may address me by it.”

“Tell me, Snowflake.” Charles twirls his goblet in his fingers, looking at me with a hooded gaze. “How do you like my floor of the Dungeon? The art is exquisite, no?”

“It is,” I agree taking another sip. “I never expected such finery in the Dungeon after seeing the first floor.”

“How would you like to stay?” Charles leans forward, his eyes flicker red. “That strange black flame of yours has caught my attention. Your ingenuity makes you a formidable foe, despite how weak your life energy is.

I will provide you a squad of Death Knights to keep you safe. You can stay here as long as you like. An eternity even. You would be safe from that greedy Guildmaster I’ve heard so much about. Anyone else who may want to harm you, will be dealt with. I can guarantee that you will grow in power safely here.”

“A tempting offer,” I say slowly. Indeed, it is. Soon I would have to face Quinn’s husband and safety would not go amiss. Gathering power out of harms way until I can regain my memories? Truly something I can’t turn down carelessly. However, I have my own path I wish to follow. This deal smells of too many attachments.

“I’m afraid I can’t accept, as enticing as it is. I have too many responsibilities that I cannot push on to others.” I politely, but firmly decline. Unfortunately, Charles has other plans, as he quickly demonstrates with a wry laugh.

“I’m sorry to inform you, my dear boy, but you’ve already accepted.” His smile turns sinister. “Although I must regulate my power here on the second floor, the power of my blood remains unconstrained. As you are about to discover, drinking the blood of a Vampire Lord turns you into a vampire yourself.”

He leans back into his chair, as if settling in to watch an interesting show. Alarm bells begin to ring in my skull, warning me of danger. A tad late, perhaps. Nevasca, sensing peril, springs forward to rips his throat out. Tendrils of shadow catch her in midflight, binding her in place.

“Interesting,” Charles muses, studying her. “Your change is affecting your familiar as well. That is quite fascinating…”

The warmth in my stomach ignites. My blood feels as if it is on fire. First the fire seems to burn my blood away. Afterwards a coolness replaces the burn. Like my blood being burnt away and replaced by something cold and relaxing. The feeling courses through my veins, reaching every inch of me. I begin to change. My body feels stronger. Not strong as in stats, but strong on a level I can’t describe. I feel more alive than I have even felt before.

The fire in my veins runs rampant through my body, until it reaches my chest. Unable to move, I grip the sides of the chair. The fire reaches my pounding heart and forces it to slow down. The beats become further and further apart, as if slowly coming to a stop. Then it happens.

Like a black hole had erupted in my chest, next to my heart, my Monster Core makes a move. It absorbs the fire, ravenously. It swallows the fire like a dehydrated man in the desert given water. The pain in my veins concentrates in my chest. The burning feeling fades, replaced by wild and uncontrolled power. The power in the blood has been put through the filter that is my Monster Core, but that doesn’t stop my changing. It accelerates it.

Lesser Monster Core Upgraded. Processing…. Standard Monster Core now installed.

Rebooting Systems.

Achievement Unlocked: Not as Interesting as You Thought- Resist enthrallment by a Greater Vampire. Adaptability +1

Everything fades to black. The last thing I see is Charles smiling at me, contentment written across his face.

***

I awake to the sound of a rhythmic pounding. Charles’ face greets me. An unfamiliar affection for him boils up from within me. He feels like… family. It is almost as if my blood resonates with his.

“Quite a fascinating change,” he purrs, his voice silky smooth. “You are unique among all of my children. Not a traditional vampire at all.”

With surprising tenderness, he helps me up. He dusts me off at informs me that my companions are trying to break down the door.

‘Ah,’ I think. ‘That explains the thumping.’

“Welcome to my clan,” an intimate kiss on the cheek punctuates the greeting. “Go back to your companions. Betray them when you get a chance.”

The casualness of his declaration throws me off. I’m just supposed to betray my companions, without a reason? Seeing the confusion on my face he continues in a comforting almost… fatherly tone.

“Don’t worry about them being much stronger than you,” he continues. “As long as you are one of mine you will never die a true death in this Dungeon. Go, I’ll send some experience to your party so it seems as if you killed me after a long drawn out battle. We’ll talk more when you come back.”

I’m torn. As creepy and tricky as the blood-wine was, Charles seems like a pretty nice guy. I almost feel like I’m letting him down by not being a vampire. I’m not going to betray Quinn and them, but I don’t want to disappoint him by not doing so. I pause at the door, over my shoulder I see him smiling at me, proudly.

“Charles,” I start, unsure of myself. “I appreciate everything you’re trying to do for me, but there is something I have to tell you.”

His smile falters for an instant, before resuming.

“Tell me,” he says. “We are family now, after all. A family shares its burdens.”

“Um, the thing is,” my words falter. “I, uh. I didn’t turn into a vampire. And, uh. Well. I can’t stay. I have places to go and things I need to do, like conquering this tower and going to the next level.”

His smile falls and I turn my head away, not wanting to see his face. I reach my hand to pull open the door. The thought of him attacking my exposed back flashes through my mind, but I dismiss it. I may have not known him for long, but I don’t think he would do that. I don’t have any substantial logic to back that thought, but I trust my instincts.

“I’ll come visit, okay?” With these words, I open the door and step back into the chamber where I left my party. It has only been a few hours, but I feel like so much has changed.