The Lengths a Father Shall Endure

An afternoon breeze slithered through the mass of tree trunks, gently brushing the grass blades in its path. The lurking crickets chirped, and the nightly crawlers traversed across the cold soil and the wooden walls of a small cabin as they watched two individuals stepping inside.

“What is this place?” asked Cherry. She looked around: a plain, green rug beneath her feet, a stone fireplace on the left side of the room, and two wooden chairs in front of it. Across the fireplace was a worn, brown couch leaning against the wall, and directly above it was a wide, rectangular window, framing the sky outside. In front of the couch was a wide wooden crate holding two silver mugs.

“This is but a mere cabin I built. That is all,” the man said as he opened a wooden cupboard, pulling out a large red jar. He poured the contents of the red jar into a black pot. “This base is where Charlie and I have been occupying for a few months now. If we didn’t have to go through this whole situation, I would most definitely have prepared something better.”

The man carried the pot inside the fireplace. With a snap of his fingers, a flashing spark ignited in his palm. He tossed the spark into the hearth, and in no time, the flames wrapped around the iron pot. “Please take a seat,” he said. “Feel free to relax, especially after you’ve learned so many new things.”

Cherry widened her eyes in bewilderment. “Did you just light a fire with your bare hands?”

“Ah, I did indeed.”

“Woah, that’s amazing! How did you do that?”

“By magic, of course.” He chuckled.

“...So, magic really exists, huh?”

“Indeed. Though I wouldn’t say it’s the same type of magic you’d read in fairytales and fantasy stories, I’m afraid,” said Solomon as he sat on the couch, staring at the burning pot. “This magic... has a more sinister system: It is fueled by consuming human blood.”

“Consuming... human blood?” She blinked. “Like... what vampires do?”

“Correct. This magic can only be used by these so-called vampires.” Solomon clenched his fist and opened it, revealing a ball of red liquid levitating above his palm.

“Crimoire. That is the name of the ability that you’ve just witnessed. We... are a special race who can manifest miracles by using blood, the essence of life and energy that flows in our veins. To maintain such power... requires us to frequently consume human blood.”

“You’re a... vampire?” Cherry widened her eyes. “Vampires are actually real?! And they have magical blood?!”

“You’re a vampire too, you know," he said, meeting her gaze.

“What?!” She glanced down at her hands and back at the man. “I am?!”

“Indeed you are,” he said with a sigh, facing the pot enshrouded in flames. “You and your twin brother are vampires. In fact, I had trained him to hone his power.”

Solomon leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs, maintaining his watch on the dancing flames. “Crimoire, you see, is also quite diverse. It can grant powers to objects and offer many of the passive, ‘behind-the-scenes’ talents, such as accelerated healing, super strength and speed, enhanced senses, and so on. Perhaps you might’ve witnessed that.”

“Kind of,” she said, taking a seat on a wooden chair. “So, if my brother can use it, can I too?”

“Certainly.”

“Woah.” She closed and opened her palms. “How can I use it?”

“Well, you start by drinking plenty of human blood.”

Cherry frowned. “Do you guys even have that much blood available?”

“Sure we do,” said Solomon as he stood up. He approached the fireplace and kneeled before it. “It’s our basic necessity. Drinking it every once in a while does significant wonders for the body. Not only does it help restore our vitality, but it can also even speed up any healing processes, including your condition.”

He removed the black pot from the fireplace, unfazed by its scorching heat. He returned to the couch and poured the red, steaming substance into the silver mugs.

“Blood, to us pure vampires, is like water to humans,” he said as he set the pot aside. “If we drink plenty, we stay healthy, and if we don’t... we perish.”

“Huh, then what if we drink water instead?”

“Nothing happens most of the time. The worst thing it does is that it may cancel whatever Crimoire spell you were currently casting. As a matter of fact, water is a purifying agent. Any contact with it may or may not hinder Crimoire, depending on some few factors that we can discuss more of on another day,” he said, handing the mug over.

“I see,” she murmured, accepting it. “Then, where did you get all this blood from?”

“My former patients had donated their blood for us.”

“Oh, you’re a doctor?”

“I am indeed. I was the one who treated you for the past eight months.”

“Oh, you’ve helped both my brother and me?” She hesitantly accepted it, and her hands stopped shivering as soon as they came into contact with the mug’s warm surface. “Thank you for looking after us…”

“No need to thank me.”

She inched the drink closer and took a few whiffs. “This… surprisingly smells pretty good.”

“I suppose I should remind you that a vampire’s palate is far different than a human's. It’s natural for vampires to find blood appealing.”

With a puff on the steaming surface, Cherry took a sip. She widened her eyes as the headache that tormented her moments ago quickly eased its burning sensation. She couldn’t help but sigh in relief and leaned back on the chair. “Guess you’re right,” she said. “It does taste good, and I feel way better now!”

Solomon nodded. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Cherry glanced down at her cup, gazing at her rippling red reflection. “So, can I finally start asking questions?”

“By all means,” said Solomon.

“Alright, first things first, who are you?”

Solomon blinked at her. “Oh, goodness me,” he said. “I’ve forgotten to introduce myself, haven’t I?”

She nodded.

He wearily sighed. “I suppose this is on me for erasing your memories of us.” He stood up and cleared his throat. “Alright then. I will make it brief.”

He bowed before Cherry, revealing the starless sky behind him. He raised his chin and met his new ally’s gaze, his long fringes slightly swaying and revealing both his golden eyes filled with deep sorrow.

“I... am Solomon Vamier, the true father of those masked siblings you’ve met today. A pleasure to meet you again, Cherry.”