Stella woke up in a cold dark room. She tries to recall everything that happened last night. Being chained. The fire. Running. The abduction. Then she remembers being separated from her sister.
"C-Cora!" She tries to lift her body but she is too weak. She felt like her head is about to split due to the throbbing headache. It made her ears ring. She laid her head back on the soft pillow.
She lets her eyes roam around as far as she could see. Her sister is not here. This is not anything like the room at Calico's. It is three times bigger. The bed sheets and blanket is made of silk and in blood red color. The curtain matches the same shade. There are dim lights hanging by the corners of the room. The chandelier was not lit but it is highly noticeable because its odd shape; like it is made out of deer antlers. The walls are painted of black and red, with prints inspired of Victorian designs.
"Where am I?" she asked herself in a faint voice, unaware if she actually said it out loud or just in her head.
She was about to get herself back to sleep, hoping that it is all just a bad dream, when footsteps suddenly came out of the shadows. That someone is now beside her and touched her forehead. She tried to shift her head to the side to see that someone but her vision began to blur.
"Sleep," the person said before she blacked out again.
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The light from the chandelier woke her up. This time, the room is lit up and the red has never been brighter. Her ears are not ringing anymore. She took a deep breath and tried to at least sit on the bed. The room looks very Gothic, a taste that is obviously expected from someone like a vampire. But whose place is this?
She was about to get up when she realized that someone is taking a shower behind the red curtained bathroom. She went back to her previous position and pretended to be asleep when someone suddenly opened the curtains and got out of the glass door.
She covered half of her face with the blanket and took a peak with her left eye.
A tall man came walking across the room with water still dripping from his body. He took a white towel from the closet in front of the bed and tried to dry his silver grey hair.
She is almost amused by the sight until she noticed that he is naked. She immediately shuts her eyes and tucks her head underneath the blanket. That is when she noticed that her clothes have been changed into pajamas.
Embarrassed by what she saw, she decided to sink further under the blanket until someone pulled it off. The man, now wearing pants, is beside her and staring closely. His chest still bare but dry now. He touched her forehead.
"I apologize for what happened last night. You're at the Paramount. I'll explain everything later." The man offered a hand to help her get up. He took a stainless goblet from the nightstand and handed it over to her. "Drink," he instructed.
"Paramount?" she muttered to herself. She can't seem to remember where she heard of that place before. Her thoughts still somewhat blurry.
After everything that happened last night, refusing some drink from a stranger is the best thing to do. She wanted to refuse but her mouth is so dry, no voice would come out.
He smiles, unintentionally flashing his sharp fangs. "Don't worry. It's just water. Drink. It'll make you feel better." He grabbed the white shirt hanging by the headboard then puts it on. He then exits the door to the left.
Confused, it took her a few minutes to process what just happened. She then sniffed the clear liquid in the goblet only to confirm that it is really just water. She took a sip then quenched her thirst immediately.
After finishing her drink, she places the goblet back on the nightstand. She gets out of bed then stares at herself in front of the vintage mirror hanging just beside the closet. She is now wearing a pair of satin black pajamas that feels as if it barely touches her body. The fact that her clothes have been changed made her skin crawl.
"Who changed my clothes? Did he do it? He saw me naked? What else did he do to me?" Questions kept popping in her mind.
She touched her body. Nothing hurts. She immediately checks her neck. There was a slight sigh of relief when she confirmed the absence of a vampire's bite.
She turns to her right and her phone is on the nightstand. She immediately grabs it, hoping that no one tried to open and access the evidences. There is a sigh of relief as she checks on the pictures she took from her father's office, still safe in her gallery.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when the man came back, now carrying a tray of food. He was not surprised to see her out of bed.
He laid the tray by the nightstand then opened the tall curtains. There was another door that opens to a very big balcony. In the balcony stood a table for three. He grabs the tray and places everything on the table.
"Come. Eat with me," he commanded as he takes a sit.
There is something about his invitation that makes her compliant. She takes a seat opposite him.
There are four types of food on the table and three types of drinks. She knew what is inside the tea pot because of its familiar sweet smell.
She looks at him, confused and cautious. She has so many questions but she is almost tongue tied.
"W-Who are you?" she asked. It feels like she is about to choke.
"Sorry for not introducing myself properly. My name is Nicholas Madden," he politely replied.
Nicholas Madden. Nicholas Madden. The name echoed in Stella's thoughts as she tries to recall where she has heard that name before. The sudden realization almost made her jump out of her seat.
She covered her mouth with both hands in shock. "Sir Nicholas Madden! One of the Highborns! I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you!" Her face is all blushed, she is almost as red as a cherry. That's when it finally sunk in. Of course, he's a Highborn! She's currently in the Paramount, where Highborns reside.
Meeting one of the Highborns is a big privilege to humans. She remembers those days when Toto would tell stories about them. How Nicholas Madden, Kameron Pope, Zayne Elony, Julien Mason, Mara Kim and Lizeth Daycreek accidentally discovered the secret to vampirism while trying to find a cure for the virus that almost wiped out the human race. How they started calling themselves Highborns and helped organize the lives of humans after The Wipe Out.
But they are just stories with pictures drawn on books and portrayed on screens. Though the modern technology already has the ability to get a vampire's image and have it printed or projected in media, the Highborns' images are quite limited. Only residents of Wisteria are allowed to see them.
Nicholas maintains his smile, amused by the innocence of the lady in front of him. He took a sip from the teacup then drops a cube of sugar in it. "Don't worry about it, Stella."
Hearing him mentioning her name gives her goosebumps. How could someone so authoritative actually speak of her name?
"Eat." He pushes the plate of waffles towards her. He then reached out to lightly pat her head. "You need your strength back."
His touch made her blush more.
With her hands slightly shaky, she took the knife and fork and started digging in the three layers of waffles. The whip cream almost slid off to the side. Everything about it smells so good, even the syrup poured over it. How she wished she could make something as good as this back at home. As she takes a slice, she remembers how Cora would definitely kill for something as sweet as this.
"So, Stella…"
She looks at him attentively.
"As soon as your father entered the capital, we already expected his daughter to follow. Especially when your father went missing again. Apparently, he managed to escape from our lookouts and we're having a hard time tracking him again." His tone became serious. Calm but serious.
"Missing? Again?" She just felt more disappointed now. Just when she thought she finally found hope, there is another reason to be upset again. "What about Kalvick? Is he with him?"
"Kalvick? Kalvick Rosen? Now that's a name that I haven't heard in a while." He sounds tensed now. "You mean Kalvick is with Toto when he entered the capital?"
"Yes." She looks at him. He could see the worry in her eyes.
"That's not good." He shakes his head then takes another sip from the tea cup. He then took something from his pocket. "This was taken yesterday by one of my lookouts outside the Paramount. Tell me, how well do you know your father?" He is really trying to choose his words carefully but there is no way out of it.
"Well enough. He works in a courier business. Lived most of his life in Oblivia." She looks closely at the picture. Toto looks different here. He had a haircut and had shorter beard. No glasses either. He literally looks like a different person.
"Are you sure?" Nicholas asked.
She nods, confused as to what he is trying to impose. He just sounded like he knows something about their father that he doesn't want to elaborate. She wanted to ask more about it. She has to know everything. But her heart keeps telling her not to. The truth might cut her deep.
"Is there something that I should know?" she worriedly asked.
"I'm afraid it's a conversation for some other time." He pushed himself away from the table and stood up. "I will help you find the answers that you're looking for. But please, don't leave the Paramount." He turns his back and grabbed the balcony doors' knobs. "It's for your own good."
"I'm sorry for kidnapping you. I just wanted to save you from this place," he added.
"Sir Nicholas!" She immediately stood up, stopping him from leaving. "My sister. Is she here too?"
He looks back at her, surprised. "Sister? Toto has another daughter?"
The question puzzled her. "Y-Yes. Her name is Cora Clyborne." She pulls out her phone, tapping into her gallery then shows a picture of Cora.
"I see. We'll try to find her too." He then looks away, slightly blanking. He knows that it is another blow of disappointment to her. "Eat. You can have anything you want except for the tea. And please…call me Nicholas." There is a slight curve of smile on his face, trying to be as polite as possible. He then turned the knobs and exited the balcony.
Stella was left alone, somewhat numb as she slowly retreats back on her seat. Thoughts are spiralling really fast in her head as she digests every detail that she has heard from his mouth. All the bitter emotions came rushing like an angry river in her chest.
She wanted to cry. She is in one of the safest and most wonderful places in the world and all she wanted to do was breakdown. She used to be the logical one. The responsible one. The strong one. But tonight, she is slowly falling apart and her family is not here to comfort her.
She looks at the picture again. There is something their father is not telling them. He has been keeping things, even things about her sister. And a part of her feels like she should not look into those further or else she will discover something dark. Something that could destroy the family she treasures.
Behind the tall curtains, Nicholas stood still, now frustrated and somewhat disappointed. He wanted to go back and tell Stella that everything is going to be okay but he does not want to lie.
He brushed his fingers through his hair, trying keep himself calm. "What have you done?" he whispered to himself.