Seth looked outside the window of the fast-moving public train. He sat in a first-class compartment alone, his so-called servant sitting in an economy one. He didn't exactly mind having to sit with the servant but his mother wouldn't hear the end of it. And thus, he was forced to be alone in his thoughts for a while.
He touched his still slightly tender skin. The entire left side of his neck had become inflamed as the strange sealing charm performed by his father wormed its way all over there, big enough to be a tattoo of some sort. It's good that it was actually starting to heal and become just a distinct mark, although the effect somehow still made him a little lightheaded.
It seemed his father was right to worry about it too. The stronger the vampire was, the stronger the effect of the nephele sealing charm. To say that the process was painful was a severe understatement. He initially wanted to just end it all and quit because of the unfathomable pain raking all throughout his body. However, his pride prevented him from backing out. Not when he forced his father to do it. Not when even his mother wasn't able to stop him.
He remembered hearing his mother sobbing in the background but he didn't even have enough breath to spare her some few comforting words. All he could do was scream at the intensity of the pain. Even Luca wanted to end the charm as well but Seth's tight grip on him had him planted on the floor just beside his son, continuing to perform the enchantment.
Seth's vision blacked out several times in the process too. When he was sober enough, he found himself lying on his soft bed while his sobbing mother sat beside him. Luca looked remorseful about what he did but Seth gave him another unwavering gaze filled with gratitude, lessening his own pain a little.
And thus, he realized that his father somehow succeeded in making the nephele charm even though he hadn't performed it before. It wasn't just a charm to suppress his pureblood aura. It was a sealing charm to hide his overall vampire presence. After the agonizing mark appeared on his neck, his presence already felt like that of a normal human. It felt so bizarre somehow. He wasn't even sure all his efforts were worth it for the sake of 'stalking,' as his parents unabashedly called it.
Either way, there's no use regretting it now. His power and strength as a pureblood vampire had become greatly diminished but he knew it was still all there, just sealed in the deepest part of himself. He tried to access it but the painful throbbing of the mark on his neck immediately got in the way.
Seth sighed as he closed his eyes. No matter… He would make sure to see for himself just what kind of prick this Ares Lir was.
He didn't know how much he slept or what time it already was. The next thing he knew, the train was coming to a halt for arriving at the station. Seth looked at his eyes wearily from the window reflection then. He didn't think the charm was that much of a hassle. He wouldn't normally fall asleep in such a public place. Not to mention a place filled with humans no less. He could already see his image as a proud pureblood from the Hagano Clan crumbling even further because of Ares Lir…
A knock on his door put him out of his musing and a voice he recognized spoke on the other side of the door.
"Master Seth, we have arrived at the station." The ever-faithful servant named Amari Owain said in a polite manner.
Seth stood up from his seat and opened the door to reveal her solemn expression. His expression darkened when he saw her kneeling on one knee in front of him, regardless of the stares the other passengers were giving her. "Stop that." He muttered under his breath as he tried to look around for anyone who might become suspicious of their interaction. "What's the point of both of us having the same sealing charm if you will act like my servant all the time?"
Amari immediately stood up and bowed deeply. "I apologize, Master Seth. I have forgotten my manners."
Seth didn't know what to say anymore. Forgetting manners wasn't quite right. She was actually full of manners just now and it was the real big problem. She needed to stop acting like his servant for a while or else they would be in for a really big trouble. In the end, he sighed as he looked at a similar tattoo on her neck.
"Does it still hurt?" He asked in nonchalance before he started walking. He didn't want to appear too worried because a pureblood was never worried about lesser vampires. However, it was true that Amari did endure the same pain as him just for his own selfish reason. The only consolation she probably had was the fact that she wasn't such a strong vampire in the first place so the charm didn't work too much on her.
Amari blinked as she realized her master seemed concerned for her well-being. She blushed a little and smiled as she followed him immediately. "It doesn't hurt much now, master. I am more worried about Master Seth's state than mine."
Seth touched his neck at that. "I am fine. There is no need for concern."
They both saw a human helper tucking their luggage into a nearby taxi and both entered the public vehicle with different expressions.
Seth was looking at everything with a vague sense of amazement. It was his first time riding public transportation such as trains and taxis. Not to mention his first time travelling on his own. He was used to always getting dragged by Luca or Muriel to some party or meeting one after another with plenty of servants. The three of them would always use their private limousine together with the Hagano servant chauffer. Their other servants and guards would use two or three other cars together. It was always such a grand affair.
This was probably the first time he ever had such a quiet time travelling. It was quite a thrilling experience in a sense. He didn't need to pretend to be apathetic most of the time and he surely didn't need to look down on anyone. He felt free. He now understood how Luca must have felt during those times when his father was the one using the charm…