Vampire Nightlife

The reality of death hit Lukas hard.

These Vampires were not the immortal beings of night and death—but instead as mortal as anybody else. Stronger maybe, but they also died. Bravado and everything might have helped bring him this far, but Viktoria Cadis' words struck him.

Video games were easy. It was easy to die but then get back up and learn from your mistakes, but one mistake and this second life that Lukas may have would be snuffed from him.

The idea that there was another life waiting also didn't comfort him, nobody was sure about that. But there was only one thing that he was sure of.

"You're right." Lukas said. "I might die, but I don't want to stay here, ensure my survival and be left wondering if things could have turned out different–maybe easier if I came with Lily's cousin and were able to help in some way. I don't want to live with regrets."

Serena was ready to scold Viktoria once again but then paid attention to Lukas' words. A little surprised, it was incredible to hear someone have that kind of resolve.

But wasn't a life worth living that way?

Lukas could have lied and said that Lily was his other half–that he'd die himself if he lost her, but he had always been alone for the past years. He knew that at the end of the day, that even if he lost everyone… he'd eventually pick himself up again.

However, the idea of not taking his chances and entrusting Lily's survival in the hands of other people? That was something that he couldn't accept and live with.

"But yes, we're done here, aren't we?" Lukas grinned. "You don't want to talk with someone who seems like they're one foot at death's door so I'll just take the weapons and call it a day, alright?"

Viktoria Cadis stared at him intently and suddenly walked out of the vault, the heavy metal door shutting behind her.

Wordlessly, she gestured for him to follow her. Confused and yet slightly concerned, Lukas immediately walked after her and while Serena wanted to follow, she read Viktoria's expression and knew that she only meant Lukas.

The two Vampires walked down the corridor silently and ended up in the same main hall that Theodore first brought him to. It was the most impressive one and contained the things that might have attracted many people.

There was the sword with a skull that Viktoria talked about, the same huge hatchet that seemed ready to devour its next victim because Lukas could feel a strange energy emanating from it. The full set of dark armor with a bat-like design and others more similar to it.

"Do you know why these are relics?" Viktoria asked.

"There's probably none other like these, I believe." Lukas said. "Some blacksmithing techniques are lost to time, they maybe are made from materials that are not easily found–maybe from extinct species and some. I remember when I took the Hunter test, I encountered a Dark Ancient Serpent Scale–"

"No need to explain all of that to me. You're right. And some of them are even crafted with old magic–the kind that the earlier generation of Vampires were capable of. We lost many artifacts during the Great War and maybe countless other incidents, but there are few that are still here."

"And the reason why you're showing me these…" Lukas slowly started.

Viktoria Cadis looked at him, her purple eye seeming to sparkle at that moment. It looked less purple but more like a deep hue of something you'd see of a celestial galaxy.

"You probably already have a guess and you're only trying to stay humble so as to not spite me," she said.

Lukas coughed. "Well… I don't want to assume out of nowhere, but did something I say make you change your mind? Made you realize that I'd survive and that I'm worthy of wielding a relic–"

"Borrow."

"Huh?"

"You're not going to own it. The Blood Works will still have ownership of it and if you end up dying, it will return back here. If I presume correctly–Lily Tenebris's cousin is none other than Theodore, yes? I'll have him recover and pry it from your dead hands if necessary."

"How did you know–?"

"Ah, Theodore is someone who frequents Blood Works. We're acquaintances and yet if there's something that I know about him is that he cares deeply about his family," Viktoria said with a bittersweet smile. "I remember a lot."

"I see…" Lukas said. Give it to Theodore to be able to talk up a storm with someone as eccentric as the girl in front of him. Still, it couldn't shake off the fascination that he had with the relics around him.

"Eager to know which one is yours? Why don't you take a guess."

Lukas eyed the Replica of the Blood Arts Grimoire in the distance and yet knew that being able to have it in his hands was something probably hard. Still, there wasn't anything wrong with trying, right?

"What about that one?" Lukas pointed at the grimoire.

Viktoria's eyes twinkled slightly. "Ah, that one. I did not presume that you would be of the scholarly type, but I'm afraid that you won't have it."

"Why not?"

"That was written by the Vardoken House Overlord, Anastasius dis Vardoken. And Blood Arts is something that many would not like to be available to learn again–put it in the hands of his ancestors and something could go terribly wrong."

"Like what?" Lukas frowned.

"Overthrow the current parties in charge." Viktoria Cadis said. "Blood Arts does not only control your own blood but even those of other individuals, and for the Vardoken House? It might just be enough for them to take revenge."

"I really don't think–"

"Bias! There it is, but don't worry, I'll get you something good too." Viktoria Cadis smiled.

"You're not going to give me the skull sword are you?" Lukas sighed and glanced at the sword who had its hilt shaped in an actual skull.

"No! That's mine!" Viktoria Cadis gestured to something beside the display that didn't immediately catch his eye when he first came here. It was an ornate looking dagger that seemed more ceremonial than anything else.

"What does that do?"

"Honestly–we really don't know. It was found near the Sanguise House Overlord when he died, so it's important."