I woke up looking at a familiar painting on the ceiling, it was then I realized I'm back in my room. The memory of the dinner last night flashed in my head, and I immediately bolted out of bed, seeking the comfort of a toilet bowl. When I did, I threw up everything that I could. Hoping that the blood I drank earlier would come out of my system.

I felt a hand rubbing my back. "I'm sorry dear." I heard Divina's voice. "I forgot to tell our servants to change your drink."

I wiped my mouth. "It's okay." I managed to say, my voice was still a bit weak. I knew she was stressed, I can sense it from her voice. Also, I realized she's a bit forgetful, so it's understandable.

I heard someone sigh. "Victoria. We're really sorry." Marcus said.

I turned and smiled at both of them. "No need to apologize."

I feel like puking again, but I held it in. I don't want to make them worry over something like this. I should have expected the wine to be blood, I mean I'm dining with vampires. I should have been sharper. It was my fault for being reckless, not theirs.

Then my stomach grumbled. I realized I've only taken a few bites on my food at dinner. Marcus and Divina laughed. She patted my head and helped me stand.

"Let's get you some food, and real wine." She said as she held my arm.

"I'd prefer water." I said and she laughed.

When I walked out the bathroom, it was only then that I saw the crowd in my room. All of the people I've dine with are here, standing or sitting in any direction of this room. I didn't know that they were here, when I woke up seconds ago. Oh shit. I hope I didn't snore or talk in my sleep.

"So. Who's Veronica?" Tristan asked when he saw me, he was sitting in a sofa near the window. Will, who's sitting next to him, nudged his side and glared at him. "What?" He asked Will, as he touched the affected area.

Will shook his head. "You are so damn insensitive."

"She's my older sister." I told them, to avoid further bickering, but I'm actually curious. "Why, how, and where did you heard that name?"

"From you." Jill replied he was standing next to a bookshelf with a book in hand. "You kept calling her in your sleep."

I sighed in relief, there could be far worse things I could say. My mouth is unfiltered when I'm asleep. Like say; Jill is gay, and maybe he's jealous of Anna because he probably likes Jack – it's something I just realized at the dinner table, how he looks at the couple – or I don't want to have vampire baby yet, well something like that.

Okay... That last thought seriously, took me off balance. The image of Bella being eaten inside out by her vampire baby, scared the heaven out of me. But as always, I brushed those movie based knowledge about vampires in my head, and focused on Tristan's question.

And I seriously need to stop talking to myself.

"I just miss her, that's all." I lied again. I don't want to tell them the story of my childhood and my phobia of blood. Now that I'll be around them, considering that they live for blood. I don't want to make them feel conscious whenever they drink one because of me.

By the corner of my eye I saw Tristan as he smirked, he never fails to see through my facade. I have a hunch that he's not buying this, again.

My stomach grumbled, again, damn it's more impatient than Tristan. Divina laughed. "Well, we should feed that monster inside you." I laughed. "You can all go back to your rooms. Everything's fine." She said to all of them.

Anna and Jack went to me and hugged me. I smiled and thanked them for caring, or wasting their time here in my room.

Jill came next, he on the other hand lightly hit my head. "Kid, you should have asked next time before drinking something, and not just jump into curiosity." He said, but hugged me afterwards. "Don't make me worry, ever again." I laughed and nodded.

As Divina and I walked out my room, Tristan and Will followed. They said they wanted to eat ice cream. But Marcus went with the others and said he'll be resting in his room, he kissed my forehead when he bid goodnight.

The four of us headed for the kitchen, it was on the same place where we had dinner, but we then went to a back door that would lead to it. Their kitchen was pretty big, like the ones we see in movies. There were still people working when we've arrived, people in white clothes and lengthy hats, chefs. They smiled when they saw us. Divina said they could all rest, they bowed to her, and did what they were told.

"So what do you want to eat? The best chef in the house will cook for you." She said as she went behind the counters and put on an apron.

"I could just eat the leftovers." I suggested, which made the two boys laughed and it wasn't a joke. "What?" I glared at the two of them who's eating Ben & Jerry's cherry garcia.

"Oh no dear. I can't let the guest of honor eat that." She tapped a finger on her beautiful face. "How about your favorite dish? Tell me." She insisted.

I thought of adobo or sinigang, they were my favorite Filipino dishes, but then decided with the simplest thing to make. "Scrambled eggs." I smiled and two boys laughed again. "Seriously, is that ice cream flavored weed?"

"Mom doesn't cook something simple like that." Tristan said.

"It's okay. If that's what she wants, then that's what I'll make. But with a twist." Instantly a scrambled egg cake popped in my head.

I laughed. "I can't wait to taste it chef."

As Divina was cooking I decided to ask her what's going to happen tomorrow. I've learned that I should at least ask before jumping into conclusions or curiosity, like what Jill said.

"Uhm. Can you guys brief me on what's gonna happen tomorrow?" I asked as I played with my fingers, I'm really curious and anxious about that ritual.

"You'll just simply pledge to become a keeper." Will said with a mouth full of ice cream.

"A keeper?" I asked. Though the term sounds obvious, a keeper of their secret probably, but I have to make sure if my guess is right.

"A keeper of secrets. The secret of our world. Though you'll have to choose on what branch you're going to fit." I'm probably wearing the dumbest look when Will explained, because they're laughing.

"To be honest. You've lost me on the branch part." I bluntly said.

"Keepers have three branches dear, and you have to choose one. The first branch are the elite hunters, next are the bearers, and lastly are the turned." Divina paused, and look at me if I had something to say, but I didn't so she continued. "Five pure bloods on this trial will be your witnesses; I, Marcus, Jill, Jack, and that friend of Marcus who will be coming tomorrow. Also, what you choose to be, you'll have to stand up for it, till the end of time." She smiled at me, then continued cooking.

"Also you'll get an awesome tattoo behind your ear, with a symbol of the branch you'll choose." Will exclaimed excitedly. "Guess who's doing it."

"Ah. I have nothing in mind." I gave up guessing, because I'm the type who always cuts to the chase and goes straight to the point.

"It's Jack." Tristan answered Will's question. "You're probably wondering what's the meaning behind the terms on those branches." I nodded and he looked at Divina.

Divina smiled knowingly at me. "Do you want to know about it now? Or tomorrow?"

"Now. I guess. I need some time to think what to choose." I smiled back, the curiosity in me is at its boiling point.

"Okay." She paused and looked at her almost finish dish. "Why don't one of these boys tell you. I need to hunt some bacon." She said, and disappeared to a door behind the counter. I think it's their storage room or giant freezer.

I looked at the two boys eating ice cream. "So?"

"Let Will talk. I'm busy." Tristan said, as he puts a spoonful of ice cream on his mouth.

"It would be my pleasure. So this is how it goes." He paused. "Should I start with a once upon a time?"

"Skip that shit." I said and he laughed.

"Okay then. The hunters, are the badass keepers, they're the ones who hunts the criminals in our world. The bearers are females generally, they keep our race out and going..." I interrupted him.

"Wait aren't the pure bloods capable of bearing a child?"

"They are." Tristan said. "But female vampires, pure and turned, only gets fertile once in their life. Like mom."

I just replied with the usual prolonged Ooooh, then I asked Will to continue.

"Should I skip to the last one?" He stopped to ask me, and I just nodded. "The turned, are the dangerous ones in our world. They're pretty unstable. They are keepers who chose to be one of us. Well, unlike us half-bloods, they're immortal. The council now are pretty tight who they consider to be turned. So I think you can only choose between the hunters branch or the bearers branch. I prefer the second one." He then winked at me, and I flashed him a holy finger.

"You can still choose the third branch though, but then you'll have to wait for approval in the world council." He paused. "Anyways, I wouldn't suggest picking it too, the third branch are high threats in our society. They're the ones capable of becoming criminals."

Like Will's mother. I gulped at the thought. I don't know if Will was bothered by that. When he talked about the third branch, and how dangerous they are.

"Can't I just stay as a keeper? And not have a branch?" I asked, and hoped there's a possibility.

I am not physically capable of being a hunter. What more than having a baby? And not just once, I'll be a bearer for life! Second branch is so not an option.

"No dear." Divina's back with a pack of bacon in hand. "It's how our rules are written and must be obeyed. But..." She stopped, hesitation was on her face. Maybe contemplating whether to say the next words.

"You can always back out." Tristan simply said and shrugged when the other two glared at him. "Jill has a gift, hypnotism."

Will interrupted Tristan and continued what he started. "They're called the control group, a group of pure bloods who are capable of hypnotism. They can make the people forget a certain memory on something they accidentally see or know that they shouldn't. He can make you forget everything in a single click." He demonstrated the last word with a click of his fingers.

"I'm not backing out. That's the last thing I'd do. Well, aside from being a bearer, which is not an option." They laughed.

"And I thought you'd be my sons bearer." Divina said.

And I shivered at the thought... sons... she said it as a plural. I hope she's not thinking of me doing a threesome with her sons. Okay... wrong image.

Imagination, cannot be unseen.